Tim Williams, CEO of YR, discusses how micro studios are reshaping apparel manufacturing, reviving ideas from traditional tailoring. The conversation covers blockchain and big data hype in fashion tech, and explores what actually matters versus what just sounds trendy.
So I kind of wanted to say that these sort of micro studios that everyone's talking about have actually been around forever. Forever. Like the first bit of apparel manufacturing was probably a micro studio in that it was a tailor, a tailor's workshop.
Right, yeah, so we're going full circle.
And so we're going full circle, kind of, I don't know, does that make sense?
Yeah, but I don't know what I'm going to say about that.
No, no, that's all right, I'm just going to posit that to make me look good.
We're helping the— yeah, yeah, okay.
But in the last more years, it seems to be a lot more prevalent in people's chat. Why is this? So obviously talk about technology. I'm going to ask you kind of what technologies are really cool at the moment, what's coming up, possibilities.
Okay, which is not just about me, obviously, not just about us.
Yeah, not just about you.
It's just about general, what's really cool at the moment.
Maybe. Tough question.
No, no, I mean, I have to think about it.
Okay.
But yes, I mean, I'd probably drop the word blockchain in there just for fun. Blockchain?
Yeah, sure. People will tune in then. For like 20 minutes. Oh, blockchain, great. Big data as well.
Yeah, no, well, yeah, no, that's gone now. Oh, is that gone now? Everyone's done that. Oh, right. Everyone's used it. But I reckon you could get loads of paid speaking gigs if you put blockchain in your bio. I became an expert on blockchain. Blockchain. Blockchain. And it's like no one would know if you were or not, so I'm sorry.
Data mining.
Yes, exactly.
That's right, I mean, we could just rip this up, just talk about the fucking industry.
Yeah, yeah, the fashion industry tech shit. No, we should do that as a sideshow. We should do that. Yeah, yeah, I'm up for that.
All right, well, should we get like one done where like we talk about how cool YR is? Yes. And then we could get another one done where Literally, shit.
The industry is.
Are we recording? Is it not recording, is it? Is that— are we both recording? Yeah.
Luckily I'm not from an industry-wide publication.
Alright, good. Is that in shot if I leave that there? Yeah. Is it in shot if I leave it there? No. Am I looking weird if my knees are together like that? No. No, okay, good. This is going to be fun. This is already the most fun I've ever had on a podcast. Really?
You should quote that.
And this is already the most fun I've ever had on a podcast.
Really? I can use that in my bio.
