Introduction
In a recent virtual panel discussion, we tackled one of the most persistent hurdles in digital product creation for fashion: digital colour accuracy. While in Part 1 we explored its technical underpinnings and how to overcome those challenges, in Part 2 we addressed a broader, more systemic challenge: how to ensure alignment across people, processes, and tools when implementing scalable colour workflows.
Missed Part 1? Catch up here.
Moderated by Michael Ratcliffe (PI Apparel), the session featured Christoph Bergmann (natific AG), Luca Pascucci (Bestseller), Elizabeth Reeds (ex-Old Navy/GAP), Matt Swartz (Patagonia), and Ryan Stanley (PVH) – five specialists shaping the operational and strategic frameworks behind colour management, digital transformation, and cross-functional alignment in fashion.
The panel explored six core questions from the biggest barriers facing effective cross-team collaboration, through to how to build trust with customers and internal teams when selling collections digitally.
🎥 Watch the full video below!
Don’t have time to watch the full video? Scroll down for a summary of key takeaways and noteworthy quotes.
🔑 Key Takeaways
🧠 1. Education (Not Just Tools) Drives Collaboration
A spectrophotometer is only useful if people know how to use it. Many bottlenecks occur not due to a lack of tech, but a lack of hands-on understanding – particularly across design, development, and manufacturing. Education at the layman’s level is key.
🕓 2. Time Pressures Undermine Good Process
From design to sales, teams are under extreme time pressure, often reacting to issues instead of preventing them. Brands that invest time upfront in building trust, clarity, and process consistency see fewer downstream issues.
🔗 3. A Shared Language Starts With Standards
Digital palettes, CSS files, and consistent lighting/render settings all create alignment, but only when everyone from design to marketing to suppliers is referencing the same standards. Tools like sRGB colour chips and shared render settings can make or break visual consistency.
🔁 4. Operational Efficiency Unlocks Creativity
Designers shouldn’t be spending weeks chasing down the 55th shade of navy. When workflows are streamlined and feasibility checks are automated, teams can focus on what really matters: innovation. Colour data isn’t restrictive – it’s freeing.
⚡ 5. AI & Metadata Can Boost Speed—With Guardrails
AI is helping streamline workflows through predictive rendering, material pairing, and digital collection building. But trust and validation are still needed. Metadata (e.g. dye formulas, reflectance data) remains essential to ensure output matches expectations.
🛍️ 6. Trust is Built Internally Before It’s Sold Externally
Customer confidence in digital samples hinges on internal buy-in first. Baby steps, like showing key colour samples during internal line reviews, help sales teams understand and translate digital intent into real-world context.
🎓 7. Training Must Be Hands-On, Practical & Celebrated
From certifying suppliers to amplifying great internal behaviours, training isn’t just technical – it’s cultural. Recognising and rewarding best practices helps teams absorb and apply what they’ve learned. Success metrics must go beyond the lab to measure what customers actually receive.
📏 8. Measurement Must Reflect End-to-End Impact
Colour isn’t just a design issue; it’s an end-to-end experience that touches everything from ideation to post-purchase. Metrics that track what was actually delivered (vs. what was intended) help brands close the loop and continuously improve.
💬 Noteworthy Quotes
💚 Christoph Bergmann (natific AG)
“You can have a spectrophotometer and still not use it properly. It’s not just about the tools—it’s about what you do with them.”
“Trust and confidence are built when people understand what they’re asking for—and what they’re getting back.”
💙 Ryan Stanley (PVH)
“Colour is an end-to-end experience—from the first brain fart to the consumer’s 100th laundry cycle.”
“Operational efficiency unlocks bandwidth. Until you get your process under control, you’ll spend all your time fighting fires instead of preventing them.”
“Colour by numbers works. The problem is most people don’t trust the numbers.”
💛 Elizabeth Reeds (ex-Old Navy)
“We created a system where every process defaulted back to the standard. That made it idiot-proof, and it made everyone’s lives easier.”
“Helping teams understand colour through analogies—like a small box of crayons vs. the whole rainbow—really helps with buy-in.”
“I amplified great behaviour whenever I saw it. That reinforcement made a huge difference.”
💜 Matt Swartz (Patagonia)
“I went rogue. I approved colours digitally, never saw a lab dip, and then showed everyone the results. They were shocked—and convinced.”
“Sometimes, to build trust, you have to lead by example—then invite others to review the outcome.”
🧡 Luca Pascucci (Bestseller)
“We started small—just a few key colours physically shown—and slowly built trust. Now, the sales reps ask not to use physical samples.”
“Getting markets like Italy and Denmark on the same page meant calibrating every screen the same way. That made all the difference.”
A huge thank you to all of our panellists for taking part in such a great and important conversation.
This DPC topic and more will be discussed IRL at this week’s PI Apparel EU event, as well as our upcoming PI Apparel NYC 2025 event in June. Click on the image below for more info about the NYC agenda, speakers, and to claim your early bird rate!
