The Interline Podcast

Arne Arens made the unusual leap from being a brand executive to leading a technology company in fashion’s most unforgiving segment: manufacturing innovation. From creating net-new jobs to translating digital product creation outputs into seamless garments, his big bet is on this particular transformation taking root.Ben puts the vision to the test.

This week, Ben and Grace discuss:The launch of Meta's Muse image model, with opt-out likeness tagging - and the ongoing battle between human models are the companies they shoot for, who seem willing to misappropriate their likenesses: https://www.theverge.com/tech/962485/meta-muse-image-ai-model-instagram and https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/industry-news/fashion-model-racial-discrimination-artificial-intelligence-1239051932/The more tangible social impacts of AI-supporting data centre build-outs in the UK and abroad: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentreThe growth of wardrobe-quantifying / cataloguing apps: https://www.just-style.com/news/whering-seed-funding-ai/?cf-viewSome positive uses of AI in sorting and separating textiles and second-hand garments: https://tech.eu/2026/07/08/berlins-reversefashion-bags-seven-figure-funding-to-scale-textile-sorting/ and https://thenextweb.com/news/fleek-25m-series-b-secondhand-fashion-aiAnd the launch of ChatGPT Voice, based on the new GPT-Live model, and what it might mean for layering persuasion on top of a novel modality for interaction: https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-live/

Zalando has pushed further than perhaps any other company in embedding generative AI into its content creation - from product page materials to full-blown creative campaigns - and in talking openly about it. But if cost-saving isn’t the primary objective, what is?Ben talks to Glazione Rocha, Creative Director, to find out how a company at the bleeding edge of deploying AI for consumer-facing content approaches the work, and how they think about the impact of their choices.

For this week's edition of The Edit - the quickfire fashion technology analysis show from The Interline - Ben and Grace talk about...Fashion's place in Substack sponsorships:https://on.substack.com/p/a-business-model-that-works-for-creators Domestic manufacturing and tech startups against the backdrop of UK political devolution: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/29/what-is-andy-burnhams-economic-and-political-blueprint-for-britainThe surveillance state, and the spying potential of wearables: https://www.vogue.com/article/testing-mias-anti-surveillance-streetwearA potential new frontier in blended material recycling: https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/sj-denim/hkrita-jeanologia-looptworks-scale-green-machine-recycling-1239032559/And incoming legislation and labels for AI content: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/24/adidas-uniqlo-calvin-klein-ads-banned-asa-uk-recycled and https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-icons-labelling-ai-generated-content

Outside of software itself, knitting is probably the closest thing fashion has to coding: a verifiable, binary discipline defined by scarce talent, and specialised software and hardware. Upending it might be the industry’s high bar for new technology - but one company is trying anyway.Ben talks to Garrett Gerson, CEO and Co-Founder of Variant3D.

In this week's quickfire analysis, Social Editor Grace Robinson quizzes Editor-In-Chief Ben Hanson on:The UK’s under-sixteen social media ban and the race to reach Gen Alpha.Meta’s Ray-Ban-free smart glasses and Snap’s premium AR specs.SSENSE replacing its creative teams with AI.REI’s two-handlebar AI ad and Meta’s auto-enrolled ad tool.And how a record-breaking European heatwave reminds us that fashion needs to react to a changing world.The Edit is also available on YouTube.

Upstream innovation, in materials, processing, and production, has had a chequered few years. Promising pilots routinely fail to take flight or achieve commercial scale. Ben talks to Stephen Bates, CEO of RHEON LABS, to assess what success on the journey from lab to big-label deployment might actually look like.

This week on The Edit: five fresh headline stories from across fashion and technology receive the quickfire analysis treatment.First: Anthropic releases and is then forced to retract its new Fable 5 model - https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-accessSecond: new data from Adobe suggests that AI interactions can increase retail conversions by 54%, and token budgets per employee appear less out-of-control than analysts suspected - https://business.adobe.com/blog/adobe-report-ai-traffic-travel-sites-surges-200-percent and https://ramp.com/data/ai-indexThird: Epic Games' demonstration of their creative teams' worfklows, which incorporate some AI, ignites debate. At the same time, the company set out its stall for seeing Unreal 6 as the opportunity to massively expand the utility and portability of skins - https://www.ign.com/articles/fortnite-maker-confirms-how-it-uses-generative-ai-to-help-create-concept-art-and-designs-for-new-skins and https://www.theverge.com/games/951785/epic-games-fortnite-unreal-fest-2026-unreal-engine-6-ai-metaverseFourth: secondary market giant StockX will be opening its first permanent retail store, as well as allowing for live shopping and direct interactions between sellers and buyers: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/stockx-reopens-soho-store-as-its-first-permanent-retail-location-in-the-us/2026061788698 and https://www.businessoffashion.com/briefings/sports/the-kicks-you-wear-why-stockx-is-launching-live-shopping/Fifth: Charlotte Tillbury makes a renewed case for the "beauty technology" label, and we consider the advantage that beauty has over fashion when it comes to locating innovation closer to the consumer - https://www.fastcompany.com/91556648/why-i-designed-charlotte-tilbury-beauty-as-a-technology-company

Fashion devotes a lot of time to securing its inputs, but the importance of water to the industry’s supply chain goes under-discussed, and water is not quantified and assessed the way carbon is. But as water justice becomes a more acute business continuity risk, the demand to reckon with fashion’s thirst is growing.Ben talks to Amira Jehia, Founding Executive Director of Drip By Drip, to understand why water impact quantification lags behind carbon footprint assessment, despite representing a more acute risk in the short term.

The first edition of The Edit, a new weekly show where Social Editor Grace interviews Editor-in-Chief Ben about five headline stories from across fashion and technology in less than 25 minutes.This week the team pick up and analyse:DRESSX and Depop tackle virtual try-on for the secondary market:https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2026/6/7/dressx-teams-with-depop-on-series-of-ai-powered-resale-styling-and-virtual-try-on-activationsAsda and Amazon pursue different slants on warehouse automation: https://www.itv.com/news/2026-06-03/asda-set-to-axe-1000-jobs-as-supermarket-expands-use-of-robots-in-warehouseshttps://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-proteus-robot-europe-investment-employee-supportA potential bellwether case in generative AI:https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/webcivil/FCASCaseInfo?parm=CaseInfo&index=0ZNmRgvD2qR4l0WOTiUuuQ%3D%3D&county=4C0EZrpMlZxgt4jIwaHpvQ%3D%3D&motion=M&docs=&adate=07/07/2026&civilCaseId=hGKUc3wpVnhmBouCuV5R8w%3D%3DThe darker side of live shopping, and dark patterns in AI chatbot engagement:https://www.vogue.com/article/the-darker-side-of-live-shoppinghttps://cdt.org/insights/dark-patterns-in-ai-chatbots-a-taxonomy-to-inform-better-design/?ref=404media.coProduct-level personalisation through pairing AI with print-on-demand:https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/design-merch-with-ai-alexa-for-shoppinghttps://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/amazon-will-show-ai-product-images-when-you-search-for-some-reason/

The case is strong for someone to own the secondary market, but whether that winds up being first or third-party ownership will depend as much on platforms and standards as it does on business models and incentives.This week, Ben talks to Muhammad "Mo" Kharodia, CTO of pre-loved childrenswear platform Designer Kids Club, to examine why a founder sees an opportunity to prove out the technology for the secondary market in a narrow tranche first.

Fashion and beauty are surrounded by digital surfaces and physical spaces, and technology has fast become a fixture of how the higher echelons of both industries tell stories and create experiences. But what does the work really look like? And which force - tech or narrative - is in the driving seat?To find out, Ben talks to Francesco Bernabei, CEO of creative innovation studio Monogrid.

Fashion professionals, particularly in planning-related disciplines, are tasked with making a lot of decisions. The environment those choices live in is still stubbornly Excel, so what does it take to design software to replace spreadsheets - especially when AI is added to the mix?To get a perspective, Ben talks to Michaela Wessels, CEO and Co-Founder of Style Arcade.

The unit economics of replacing product photography with either wholly-generated or AI-edited images are, from a rational perspective, pretty clear-cut. But with consumer animus against AI content peaking, there’s more to generative images than just the bottom line.Ben talks to Matthieu Rouif, CEO of Photoroom, about how eCommerce companies and marketplaces are thinking about the gap between the picture and the product.

Despite individual brand efforts, fashion’s footprint has continued to grow. The upshot might not be immediately catastrophic, but a slow set of signals are reinforcing the urgency - and the potential benefits - of near-term action.Ben talks to Gianluca Belotti, Business Leader at Stahl, and Expert Evaluator for the European Commission, about where sustainability efforts are meeting reality.

Every field that deals in data is figuring out where the boundary sits between analytical models and human judgment. When that data pertains to culture and change, that shifting sweet spot is determined as much by time as it is by technology.To get a better grasp on what actually goes into the art and the science of forecasting, Ben sits down with Carla Buzasi, CEO of "global change authority" WGSN.

Ben talks to Joe Mountain, Sustainability Manager at N Brown Group, about how a combination of hard-coded values around size and price inclusivity, a willingness to recognise the limits of existing systems, and a commitment to looking at things differently manifest themselves in a unique sustainability strategy.

Outside of art, fashion has had perhaps the most divisive relationship with blockchain of any sector. But the same principles and the same technology behind the consumer NFT bust are closer than ever to becoming part of the shared infrastructure of international business. Ben talks to Clare Adelgren, Global Blockchain Leader for EY (one of the "big four," and maybe better known by its old name, Ernst & Young) to find out whether fashion is really ready to revisit blockchain.

Repeatedly turning creativity into the right product outcomes can feel like an exercise in luck. Can pairing digital product creation with an operationalised approach to design allow brands to tip the scales in their favour?Ben talks to Bo Lupo, a former Senior Director for 3D and Immersive Design at Nike, to explore the intent and the practical reality of initiating and sustaining design operations.

Ben talks to Oliwia Guziel, to get a snapshot of the automations and integrations behind eCommerce logistics at Decathlon’s Central European operations, and the lessons they might hold for other segments and other geographies.This show covers how regional cultural expectations, new ways to push the frontiers of fulfilment speed, and carbon optimisation shape decision-making along the route to final destination.

From building repeatable systems to constantly updating their pipelines, seasoned and incoming designers are both working at the bleeding edge. What are they finding there? And what does it mean for the future of hybrid skills, and the balance between 3D and AI?To answer those questions and more, Ben talks to Andrea Doering.

From raw query visibility to market sentiment and authority, AI models search for, rank, and surface brands in a way that’s orthogonal to traditional SEO. Ben talks to Malte Landwehr, Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Peec, about what fashion and beauty need to understand about when, why, and how LLMs go to the web, and how to influence what they bring back with them.

Almost as famous for its humanist philosophy as its luxury products, Brunello Cucinelli has also emerged as a lighthouse for AI - not by rushing recklessly forwards, but by undertaking in-house platform work that venerates the human touch at the same time as building composable experiences in real-time.To debate the frontier between the artificial and the human, and to get into the weeds about a future of composable websites and software, Ben talks to Francesco Bottigliero, Chief of Humanistic Technology at Brunello Cucinelli, & Chief Executive Officer at Solomei AI. 

Ben talks to Kate Padget-Koh, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Squatwolf, about finding the delicate balance between upstream optimisation and innovation, and defining “future ready” supply chain capabilities.

With a business model dominated by licensing, and a heavily consolidated supply chain, eyewear has long been a hostile market for new designers. Now, additive manufacturing and technology miniaturisation are promising to lower barriers and increase the pace of innovation.To understand the different futures for eyewear as a category, Ben talks to Sébastien Brusset - Head of Optics and Design - and Marc Zouari - Co-Founder - of Visages.

Ben, a well-documented Web3 skeptic who might still be wrong, is joined by digital fashion educator and entrepreneur Karinna Grant, to revisit the case for decentralised digital ownership, and to ask what lessons the industry should have learned from its last big hype cycle prior to AI.

The success of any comprehensive transformation initiative hinges not just on uptake on the brand side, but on the existence of class-leading capabilities upstream. But what does it look like for a leading supplier to build technology maturity that matches or exceeds the innovation its customers are pursuing?Ben talks to Steve Dodd, Chief Digital Officer for MAS Holdings, about the evolution of digital expertise in the supply chain.

A fundamental change in the definition of an “asset” - from a fixed form to a living object - and a userbase shift towards product creation teams are combining to make DAM one of the most interesting and under-discussed cogs in the product journey.Ben talks to Kara Van Malssen, Partner and Managing Director at AVP, about the deepening impact of digital asset management.

A strategic discussion with Nicola Bond, CEO and Founder of Fittora, about applying AI to one of fashion’s longest-standing technical challenges - and about testing the results through a business model that hits a lot of disruptive beats all at once.

AI agents, agentic browsers, and language models equipped with tools - a new cohort of artificial shoppers could be on the horizon. But can the technology and the incentives scale fast enough to justify the returns for retailers and brands?To find out, Ben talks to Jonathan Arena, Co-Founder of New Generation.

Ben is joined by Simon Platts, industry veteran and consultant, for a sideways look at the foundational pillars of the fashion business model - and why the time might have come to challenge them.

Our first show of the new year brings together two insiders’ perspectives on emerging technology, education, software uptake, and whether 2026 will be the year we see meaningful convergence of AI across it all.Matthew Drinkwater, Director, Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, joins The Interline Podcast.

With new Euromonitor data and insights to work from, we start to close the year by looking forward at what the next four have in store at a global market and technological level, and how fashion brands are likely to respond.Marguerite Le Rolland, Global Insight Manager – Fashion at Euromonitor International joins The Interline Podcast.

How the complicated industrial legacy and unique culture of The Interline’s home city, combined with a new emphasis on technology, made 2025 the right year to resurrect its fashion week.

Consumers are surrounded by chatboxes, all promising proactive, personalised advice on what to buy, and where. But it’s unclear how general purpose AI models really “shop,” how they gather data about products, and how much they really understand user intent. Maria Belousova, CTO at Daydream, joins The Interline Podcast to talk about the technical and cultural components of teaching AI the vocabulary of fashion.

We take it as read that fashion and gaming are growing closer together, but what’s the quantifiable value of branded experiences and where do they sit on balance sheets? What’s the outlook for selling cosmetic items? And what does it mean for tightly-controlled brand narratives to live alongside user-generated content?Marcus Holmström, Group CEO of The Gang joins us.

Dr. Sabine Seymour joins The Interline Podcast to explore where the integration of technology into fashion (and vice versa) is headed, especially in the context of historic land-grabs from big tech and AI labs for people’s personal data.

Tackling some of the thorny language, and the open spaces, between the previous vision for digital fashion, and a more practical short-term reality, with the Founder of Digital Fashion Week.

After being dominated by digital product creation strategies, the cutting edge of design and development workflows is feeling the pull of artificial intelligence - and big questions are being asked about where the line gets drawn. Sean Lane, Director of Digital Innovation And AI at Vans joins the show to debate them.

A grounded perspective on environmental tipping points, the reality of recycling, and the gap between fashion’s linear growth economy and the vision for a viable circular alternative.

A timely debate with a leading name in the 3D community, covering everything from standardisation as a necessary precondition for automation, to the uncertain disruption that AI is potentially bringing to digital product creation - all through the prism of what one person’s journey can teach fashion professionals in general.

From transparency and take-back to 3D technology, Nick Reed, Founder of Neem London, talks about the practicalities of building a slow fashion business - and the need for great product to be at the front of it all.

Hosted by the Interline’s Editor-In-Chief, Ben Hanson, this episode features a conversation with Paul Magel, President at Computer Generated Solutions, about the 10th Annual BlueCherry State of Supply Chain & Technology Report. Together, Ben and Paul talk through its findings, in the context of a decade that has seen e-commerce accelerate, disruption become the norm, and AI emerge as a tangible influence. They explore what's changed, what hasn't, and why so much of the future still comes down to the basics: reliable data, strong relationships, and the willingness to adapt.

Emma speaks to Bhargava Ram Kummamuru, Product Manager leading Digital Product Creation at H&M. Together, they explore where H&M stands on its DPC journey today, the strategic direction that Ram and H&M see DPC taking, as well as how the broader tech ecosystem for fashion is maturing.

Emma speaks to Nina Khoury, VP of Strategic Operations at SKIMS, about her own career path and the popular brand's technology journey.

Emma hosts Lydia Hartley, the Co-Founder of Continue - a startup enabling fashion brands to adopt circular practices and boost customer retention by powering their own peer-to-peer marketplaces.

Emma speaks to Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju, a company working to recycle polyester at unprecedented speed and scale.Together, they get into what it might take to secure fashion industry buy-in for industrial-scale textile-to-textile recycling - and what the future of the circular economy could look like.

For this episode, Emma is joined by two of the team from Munich Fabric Start: Claudia Mynott, Marketing and Communications Director, and Simon Angel, Sustainable Innovations Curator.Together they talk about: What the driving principles of the MFS show are today and what is important for live events to offer in the current climate. Whether the role of technology has changed over the years with the development of digital product creation, AI, and also the tightening regulations around sustainability. How the sourcing landscape might shift in the near future.Find out more about the team's next event in Munich on the 21st and 22nd of January 2025 at: https://www.munichfabricstart.com/en/

Emma talks to Nicolas Favreau, Product Marketing Director for Lectra, about what Industry 4.0 means for fashion, how the industry can achieve higher levels of traceability and transparency, what role AI will play in extracting insights from unstructured fashion data - and much more.For more analysis of Lectra's new announcements, look for a full report on The Interline next week.

Emma and Ben speak to Kalypso’s Digital Product Creation and Transformation Lead, Sophia Lara, to unpack the findings of this year's digital adoption research and ask whether DPC is ready for the deep end.Download the full findings from Kalypso: https://kalypso.com/files/docs/2024-Digital-Adoption-Research-3.pdf