3d Visual Merchandising Software Gift from Lectrasupports Cutting-Edge Fashion Design at Colorado State

Colorado State University today announced a state-of-the-art gift of visual merchandising software from Lectra valued at $585,000. The donation is in addition to the company’s original gift of software valued at $3.2 million, which was given to the department of design and merchandising within the College of Applied Human Sciences in 1999.

Lectra’s 3D Visual Merchant software enables retailers to create 3-D virtual store and rack layouts to simulate real world dimensions. By working digitally, merchandisers can evaluate various scenarios to strategically select the optimal presentation of their branded fashion. Store layouts can then be quickly communicated via the Internet. As a result, companies can provide clear and consistent communication of brand and product retail strategies instantly to stores and partners.

"Lectra’s gift will give our students a definite advantage," said Linda Carlson, department chair of the Department of Design and Merchandising. "It’s a very exciting opportunity, through cutting-edge, industry-leading software, to have the ability to design everything from an entire store layout down to a single display in a three-dimensional, virtual setting."

"We are proud to continue our association with Colorado State University," said David Siegelman, president of Lectra USA. "Currently, Lectra’s customers, like Dillard’s, Russell Athletics and GUESS, actively use 3D Visual Merchant for better communicating directives to their retail stores and partners. With this gift to Colorado State, we hope to further support their initiatives to provide valuable, real-world education to future professionals in the apparel industry."

"The 3D Visual Merchant gift will allow students to go beyond a theoretical environment, providing a unique, realistic experience," said Eulanda Sanders, assistant professor of design and merchandising.

About Colorado State University
Colorado State is the only four-year college in Colorado offering academic programs in apparel design and production, interior design and merchandising. Each area focuses on a specific approach to understanding design, business practices and the needs of consumers. The faculty is internationally recognized, as two members have served as president of the International Textile and Apparel Association.

For more information about the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State, visit the Web at www.cahs.colostate.edu/dm.

About Lectra
Lectra is a world leader in the design and distribution of software and hardware dedicated to the major industrial users of textiles, leather and other soft materials, supplying a comprehensive array of associated services for the development of complete solutions, from product design to manufacture to retailing. Lectra is present on all major markets, including fashion, apparel and retail distribution, luggage and leather goods, transportation (the automotive, aeronautics and nautical industries), together with other industries working with industrial fabrics and composite materials.

With a staff of nearly 1,400 worldwide, Lectra generates 87 percent of its revenues outside France, thanks to a unique international network serving more than 10,000 customers in over 100 countries. Lectra’s North American headquarters are based in Marietta, Ga.

Lectra’s shares are traded on the Second Marché of the Euronext Paris exchange (in the NextEconomy segment). Lectra is among the European technology stocks making up the FTSE eTX All-Shares, eTX Innovation and eTX Software indexes, and also among the French stocks making up the SBF 250, Midcac and Second Marché indexes of Euronext Paris.

For more information about Lectra, visit the Web at www.lectra.com.