Leading brands including Walmart have signed letters of support
for San Francisco-based unspun’s plan to build domestic manu
facturing capacity in the USA, using an AI-enabled 3D weaving tech
nology designed to bring apparel manufacturing closer to consumers
at a commercial scale.
Supply chain partners Bethel Industries, Peckham, and PDS/GSC
Link are also participating to help establish automated domestic
production hubs, with initial production on the near-term horizon.
With more than $50 million in VC funding, unspun is advancing its
proprietary 3D weaving technology – an AI-enabled system that
produces garments directly from yarn via a highly automated
process. REI has also signed a letter of support for the initiative,
reinforcing broad industry demand for reshored, next-generation
apparel manufacturing. Unspun has equipment ready for deployment
and is currently evaluating sites across multiple states in the
USA.“We are not exploring whether domestic apparel manufacturing
can work, we are building it,” says Arne Arens, CEO of unspun and
former global brand president of The North Face. “Our clients are
looking for a new production model because they see the economics – manufacturing closer to the customer, responding to demand within
the same season and creating skilled American jobs in the process.”
Unspun’s 3D technology weaves semi-finished garments directly
from yarn in minutes, transforming dozens of traditional cut-and-sew
steps into a single, automated process. The platform enables brands
to produce closer to demand, reorder within the same season and
significantly reduce excess inventory – an issue that costs the
industry billions each year. By shortening production timelines from
months to days, 3D weaving can improve gross margins by 400-500
basis points through fewer markdowns and write-offs, while also
supporting the creation of skilled manufacturing jobs. This approach
is designed to unlock domestic, demand-driven production at
commercial scale as the apparel industry shifts toward next
generation manufacturing systems.
“Our customers are proud to buy apparel made in America, and the
demand keeps growing,” says Avisnash Bhask, vice-president of
apparel production development at Walmart. “We are excited about
unspun’s commitment and effort in helping rebuild domestic
manufacturing capability that is faster, smarter and designed for how
customers actually shop.”
Unspun is currently evaluating potential locations,
infrastructure requirements and workforce training
programmes as it moves towards establishing the first
automated apparel manufacturing hubs in the United
States. The initiative represents one of the first examples
of AI-enabled automation being deployed to rebuild
domestic manufacturing capacity at scale.