On Friday, Oct. 16, approximately 70 designers, creative technologists and industry leaders gathered at the historic Bendix Building in Downtown Los Angeles’s Fashion District for “What Fashion Runs On,” an LA Tech Week event exploring the operational backbone of apparel production. Co-hosted by Runbook founder Somya Gupta and Work Trip Social Club founder Camille Bernier-Green, the gathering shifted focus away from runway glamour toward the skilled workforce, manufacturers and supply systems powering the fashion industry.
Gupta moderated an expert panel featuring fashion educator and YouTuber Zoe Hong, Costura Lab founder Sofia Bolognesi and “Project Runway” alumna Sonjia Williams. The panelists addressed key shifts across the sector, including the increasing role of artificial intelligence, gaps in technical fashion education and the urgent necessity of preserving garment-making traditions as specialized artisans become increasingly scarce.
The event also spotlighted Downtown Los Angeles’s localized manufacturing ecosystem, where fabric suppliers, patternmakers, sample makers and factories operate within walking distance of one another. In addition to the panel, guests took part in an educational garment-making pop-up, a book signing and interactive activations celebrating the craftsmanship and operational infrastructure keeping fashion moving.