LOWELL, Mass., June 25, 2009 — Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that Eldo S.r.l, a Florence, Italy-based holding company, has selected Dassault Systèmes’ ENOVIA Apparel Accelerator for Design and Development to rapidly bring new clothing lines for its FREESOUL brand of denim products to the market.
Launched in 1994, FREESOUL is one of Europe’s top denim fashion brands. The company creates and markets denim wear, casual pants, skirts, dresses, tops, jackets, knitwear and accessories to independent retailers and retail chains in more than 25 countries worldwide. Using the ENOVIA Apparel Accelerator will enable FREESOUL to more efficiently and cost-effectively take products from concept to store – giving consumers the right products at the right time.
Ernesto Barbieri, Eldo’s chief executive officer, explains, ―FREESOUL employees are passionate and committed to delivering the latest fashion trends to consumers. In order to meet a relatively short window of opportunity at retail, we will use the ENOVIA Apparel Accelerator to improve global collaboration with our production centers and vendors, enabling them to stay ahead of the latest consumer trends and meet time to market requirements.‖
Based on the DS V6 architecture, the ENOVIA Apparel Accelerator for Design and Development can be deployed in a matter of weeks and comes complete with industry-specific best practices for apparel design including pre-defined work processes, industry-specific data models, reports, role-based user interfaces and document management capabilities. Leveraging this off-the-shelf PLM solution will enable FREESOUL to reduce sample development time and increase seasonal options. It will also enable the company to collaborate with suppliers around the world, tracking prices to control costs and improve margins.
―Customers like Eldo’s FREESOUL brand are feeling pressure to deliver more styles in less time and need a solution that will support their unique industry needs,‖ said Michel Tellier, CEO, ENOVIA, Dassault Systèmes. ―The Apparel Accelerator was specifically designed to address the needs of the apparel and footwear industries while enabling companies to standardize all of their product development procedures throughout the enterprise.‖
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About FREESOUL
Eldo S.r.l., Florence, a 100% subsidiary of Eldo Holding S.r.l., Prato, is the operating business of the brand name FREESOUL, a Top-10 European denim fashion label. The company designs, creates, markets and services casual and denim wear such as trousers (five-pocket denims, chinos and workers), skirts, dresses, tops, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and knitwear, including accessories, to independent retailers and retail chains in over 25 countries worldwide under the brand name FREESOUL©. It excels from its competition by offering creative, fashionable products in the affordable luxury segment. In 2007, the company received the ―Musik Express Award‖ for its distinctive and creative denim designs. In 2007 FREESOUL© generated sales of approx. EUR 35 million with some 70 employees.
About Dassault Systèmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product - SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design - DELMIA for virtual production - SIMULIA for virtual testing - ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchange. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com
CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA, SolidWorks and 3D VIA are