RFID Moves Seamlessly Into a Sewn-on Fashion Label

The benefits of radio-frequency identification (RFID) in the apparel supply chain are very documented, helping to improve everything from inventory visibility to the prevention of theft. But now a new woven label takes this to the next, logical step by incorporating television . seamlessly into a sewn-on brand label.

The all-in-one solution recently been developed by Switzerland-based TexTrace AG, a subsidiary of ribbon and narrow fabric specialist Jakob Muller Holding, and is described being a 'truly textile' RFID label for the fashion industry.

Offering an alternative to the paper hang-tags, adhesive labels or w oven labels with an inlay possess up until now been used to keep track of apparel items, the new sew non brand label has an interwoven high-performance antenna yarn assembled by encapsulated RFID chip making it indistinguishable from a plain fashion label.

'W hat w e're offering is really them brand label with pc or google tv inside, without any compromise on look and feel,' Sybille Korrodi, the company's head of marketing, tells just- style. 'From best of the label, will be impossible to tell serious RFID in it.'

She adds that seamlessly integrating the RFID technology inside the labels offers 'much added value to fashion brands and retailers,' in everything from protecting a brand against counterfeits and the grey market, to stock management and electronic article surveillance - but also ensures yet durable enough to withstand production processes such as stone washing.

'Because the brand label is sew n on, it's not that to be able to remove,' Korrodi explains. 'Also, from a psychological perspective, people are reluctant remove a brand label to be able can show it at a distance. If a product has been stolen it w ill be hard to resell are going to doesn't have the brand label inside any better.

The beauty is that can do all this with one label because of this not even an additional label. You have it anyway, but now it's smart.'

Standard ultra high-frequency (UHF) RFID chips feature in the TexTrace labels so that 'the tag can be read with any standard hardware and software,' according to Sybille Korrodi, companyname's mailing address head of marketing.

'Size-wise, you don't w ant to design a huge transponder inside the garment, as you possess to cut versus eachother - and naturally you don't w ant to cut the brand label out as that gives the garment its value. If you w ant to brand protection you have to do it inside the brand label because that's w here it occurs.'

Crucially, in addition, it provides an alternative to other sew n-on textile tags into that your inlay is laminated, making them bulky, stiff and unhappy.

Korrodi adds that the majority of early RFID projects focused on warehouse and in-store inventory counting, 'people are now realizing how the potential is almost unlimited.'

As w ell as customer loyalty, retention, marketing and brand protection, 'think of future mobile applications w here people can understand the chips in the garments and win brand information like w hen the next store is going to open, updates on sales and promotions, and VIP actions.

'Also, in e-commerce stock accuracy totally crucial. And also the more luxurious the products are, commonly give better the what you had envisioned. With RFID, w are house data on incoming and outgoing goods explores your online portal, so w hen customers check out the product they look at if it's their size, or w hen it w ill be brought to. And since the stock information is accurate, you make sure might deliver on w hat you commit.'

TexTrace's new w oven brand label incorporates RFID technology without compromising the

label's seem. And because it is sew n in order to the garment, its applications can even go beyond the point of sale, triggering a closed-loop garment supply chain w here RFID can be used to track quality issues, handle warranty cases and product recycling where possible.