AO_FEB_1-15-121.pdf - Apparel Resources

2 ApparelOnline FEBRUARY 1-15, 2012

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vol. XIv Issue 21

Contents February 1-15, 2012

12. WorldWrap Thrift Stores Selling Second-hand Goods Booming in the US…

14. Sustainability Fashion for a Cause…

16. IndustryUpdate Industry Unites in the Need for Solutions to Grow - Synergy among players critical

20. FairReview Tex-Trends 2012 - Buyers Miss(ing)… Exporters Looking for Right Match

24. IndustryWire Celebrity Fashions, SCM Garments, Deeps Texstyles, Nancy Kraft

28. Trends2012 A Session Laid in ‘UPPERS’ for Autumn/Winter 2012-13

32. FashionBusiness ‘Man’-Ing up Exports, International Buyers Show Interest in Menswear…

38. TextileUpdate Fabric Companies’ Participation Shrinks in the Second Edition of Tex-Trends

Vardhman Launches - Gr&dE Stretch Fabrics - Preprensa, Velegante, Worry Free, Liquid and P4 Fabrics also showcased

44. H2F Four Themes Guide Home Fashion Collections at Tex-Trends 2012

46. ExportStatistics Export of Indian Garments Register increase of 15.30% in Value; Volumes down by (-) 5%

48. ResourceCentre Great Eastern Impex Providing Solutions in Identification Technologies

Full House at GTE 2012 Many new technology providers on show

32

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Mitesh Shah, VP Finance and Corporate

Affairs, Mandhana Industries, Mumbai To

say that it is profitable to be vertically integrated

is an understatement, it is vastly beneficial. It

helps to control the quality of products as well

as raw materials. Also, keeping in mind the

current situation of the market, there are huge

possibilities of delays of supply in raw material,

which we can easily overcome. Procedures like

procuring greige fabric and getting the right kind

of finishing done take lots of time and manpower.

Even the buyers also prefer vertically integrated

companies as they feel they can be relied upon.

There is also the added advantage of selling the

fabric, as we have a ready demand in the market

for fabrics as the end product. Apart from this,

vertical integration also allows you to increase

your profit margins by almost 8-10%, as others

will have to shell out more money to outsource

fabrics. Many problems will keep arising, but the

key is to manage everything perfectly. In the end,

it all depends on a company’s business model

and strengths to decide if they want to convert

to being vertically integrated.

Raghushree Poddar, Proprietor, Cheer Sagar

Exports, Jaipur Although it is very difficult

to deny the perks of being vertically integrated,

it really depends on the kind of products

manufactured by the company and the kind

of clientele they serve. It surely cuts down the

manufacturing costs and helps control the

quality at every step, it also requires a big amount

of investment. In my opinion, people catering

to mass market should become vertically

integrated, as their design development is

limited and they will be able to focus on quality.

Companies catering to hi-end markets should

outsource most of their processes as there is a

big scope for design and variation.

Pankaj Handa, Senior Merchandiser, Kimo

Clothing Design Concept, Noida Being

vertically integrated has its own benefits, like

cost control and the added time advantage, but

it really depends on the kind of fabrics people are

dealing with. Fabrics like cotton can be very easily

woven in-house but fabrics which are difficult to

handle, i.e. polyester, satin, chiffon and georgette

are better when outsourced. We do the same and

get only our fabric outsourced, which has proven

to be more beneficial for us at least, as we can

Is being an integrated supplier from fabric to finished product an advantage in the global market or is it preferable to specialize in one operation for excellence?

Q u e s t i o n

MIndtree

FEBRUARY 1-15, 2012 ApparelOnline 11

very easily reject faulty fabrics received and look

for them from some other vendor. Outsourcing

also helps avoid confusions and meet deadlines,

which is the main aim of every exporter.

Tushar, Designer, Tushar group, Jaipur Every

company works in a different manner and has

its own strength, our strength lies in the amount

of focus we put on handicrafts incorporated in our

products. The production of our company takes

place allover India and is done by many families

working with us on daily basis. So, being vertically

integrated is not possible for us, but the choice

depends on the company’s skills and designs and

where they stand. Vertical integration is only a

successful venture if the buyer gets good quality

products, good designs and timely deliveries.

Rajiv Bansal, MD, Celestial Knits, Noida We are

a vertically integrated company, and I feel that

it affects the cost factor very minimally, as it adds

to the cost of skill, in terms of labour, machinery

and management. The pressure of handling

everything under one roof also increases with

the amount of orders we get. The administration

has to be very strong as it has a huge impact

on lead times and the quality of the products

delivered. But since such vertically integrated

factories are also sprouting up in Bangladesh,

Indian exports will face stiff competition from

their end and will soon have to come up with a

new structure.

M.K. Maheshwari, MD, Sarc Original, Jaipur

Outsourcing is definitely a more

beneficial option, as there is no considerable

difference in the cost if an organization is

vertically integrated. Making everything

in-house is more problematic, as there is

an additional burden of the production of

fabrics and their proper finishing. If we opt

to manufacture the fabric as well and there

is a fault in the fabric we produce, we will be

compelled to use it for our production orders

as we will rely on it completely and have no

back-ups whatsoever. The entire process might

even shift our focus and divide our attention

on the numerous processes involved in being

vertically integrated.

There is a need to control cost of production and many feel that moving nearer to the villages is the solution… What is the biggest constraint in taking manufacturing facilities to the interiors of the country or to undeveloped, but potential manufacturing destinations like Orissa and Bihar…

Write your comments to us by 5th February 2012 at: [email protected] or post your views online through our website: www.apparelresources.com

MIndtree

Q u e s t i o n n A i R e

mindtree


WOrLdWrAP

The thrift-store industry has thrived in a bad economy, growing 5 per cent in the year 2011 as per the

Association of Resale Professionals. Thought as dust piles once, where the underprivileged looked for cheap bargains for their day-to-day requirements, thrift stores today have started adding perks and items that impart a more-exclusive feel to the shopping experience for all, and so whatever stigma that existed regarding these second-hand stores is long gone. Satisfying the needs of all, from consumers hitting the thrift stores as an affordable option to clothe their families and furnish their homes, to consumers with recent strict budgets. Customers are flocking and gathering around these and other second-hand stores, seeking bargains and quantity sales in the difficult times.

Some shoppers using the thrift stores are not only saving money but, are using them to make more. People are buying pieces from well known names for the purpose of resale, i.e. a garment from Anthropologie that retails for around $ 100 at the retail outlet is selling at a thrift store for $ 4.99 and have shoppers who intent to flip it for a profit online, because once you own it, it belongs to you and you have full authority to do anything with your purchase. Thrift store Hope Chest has reported at least a 20 per cent uptick in sales and another Modesto thrift store, Buy-Rite’s business is up by 40 per cent, which shows that not only the big names but, smaller thrift shops are also getting the attention.

According to the Association of Resale Professionals, working more like a nationwide trend, flourishing thrift stores are a result of many businesses closing their doors. Amongst other reasons for the success of the concept, the thrift shops are picking up for many of the same reasons consignment shops are a success. People are downsizing and getting rid of things they don’t need in exchange for cash at the moment which includes nice clothes, furniture and other items and those who never thought they would shop in a thrift shop are frequently visiting them because of the high price of clothing in traditional retail shops. Worldwide, new stores continue to pop up and others are adding

Thrift Stores Selling Second-hand Goods Booming in the US…

branches, according to the thrift store industry group, and as per their reports store openings have grown by 7 per cent per year for the past two years.

Business opportunities… Not all thrift stores are non-profit set-ups, in fact, one of the major players in the thrift store industry ‘Unique’ is not a charity, it is a massive ‘for-profit’ business that contracts with charities to pick up and buy their donated goods at bulk rates and keeps whatever it makes on resale. Savers, Unique Thrift stores and Valu Thrift are other ‘for-profit’ stores in the business that make money like any other retailer in the business or are doing even better than them in the harsh economic condition. The thrift stores also help the local economy by increasing the rate of employment. With a huge demand for the vintage styles and, the fashion already ruling the forecasts for the coming seasons, these stores attract a larger consumer base trying to buy vintage pieces at affordable prices.

In love with the idea that ‘pre-loved’ and owned thrift store merchandise is cool, the consumers are finding thrift store shopping to be the best way to get value. While 2011 proved to be an extremely prosperous year for these stores, 2012 seems to be a brighter chance for business, as customers are trying to stretch their shrinking dollars. Further with people rethinking and working on their spending habits, one person’s trash is proving to be other person’s treasure…

Generally owned by charity organizations, and also operated as independent profitable business ventures under contracts, thrift stores selling good condition second-hand goods for cheap are booming. thrift stores run by the likes of Goodwill, st. Vincent De paul, the salvation Army, savers and other independent operators, have been reporting better than average business lately. slowly making their place in the retail scenario and with one of the strongest names in the thrift store industry, Goodwill's retail sales totalled close to $ 3 billion in the year 2010, with figures of 2011 projected to be higher by around 20 per cent, the thrift stores seem to be anything but gone…

Salvation Army, the thrift store offers all at a fraction of a cost one would spend at fresh retail stores...

About 16 to 18 per cent of the residents shop at thrift stores each year.

While for consignment retail shop it is 12 to 15 percent.

During the same time frame 11.4 per cent of residents shop in factory outlet malls, 19.6 per cent in apparel stores and 21.3 per cent in major department stores.

There are more than 30,000 resale, consignment and thrift shops.

17th August 2011 was declared “National Thrift Shop Day”.

THRIFT STORE FACTS: US


Clothes are one of the easiest ways to spread a message amongst

people as they prove to be far less expensive than the billboards and other advertisement mediums that have a short life span and get more noticed than any other form of promotional methods. The added advantage of a social message spread through clothes is that it adds an element of fun and freshness to the message and can be used to raise awareness for any number of social causes. With no specific place to be worn, the messages on these clothes prove to be more persuasive.

Exclusive lines… World AIDS Day, a day for people worldwide to unite and fight HIV, was a day when fashion retailers got involved by releasing special clothing items to support the cause. Armani Exchange partnered with ‘dance4life’, a non-profit organization and model Doutzen Kroes to release an exclusive T-shirt, featuring a photo of Doutzen with the words “Dance-Dance-Dance” across the front. All profits from the shirt were used to support ‘dance4life’ education initiatives and related programs. Designer Isabel Marant teamed up with Gap Red, which is Gap clothing’s partnership with Global Fund to raise money to eliminate AIDS in Africa, to develop a printed T-shirt for Gap. Nike came out with a Nike (RED) x World AIDS Day collection that included special-edition Cheyenne backpacks, pea coat-style destroyer jackets and a Nike (RED) Zoom Meriwether shoe. Fidelity Denim also designed a special edition of its signature Ace Skinny jean in bright red. This

can be viewed as a very big initiative towards the society on the part of these big retailers.

On October 4th 2011, the brand Old Navy and Susan G. Komen announced a partnership for an exclusive collection specially designed to honour breast cancer awareness month. The iPromise™ collection featured tees and hoodies in a variety of colours from pink and white to black and charcoal grey at a price range of $ 19.94 for adult and $ 14.94 for kids and babies. The line was made available in stores and online for the month of October and 5 per cent of the total retail sales benefited Komen, an international non-profit whose promise is to save lives and end breast cancer.

The trend for supporting a cause is not new for the fashion brands, in September 2007; PUMA announced a long-term partnership with the British non-profit organization Peace One Day. PUMA’s commitment was based on the organization’s shared values such as inclusiveness, leadership, passion and willingness to push boundaries. To help raise visibility and awareness of Peace Day, PUMA launched a PUMA Peace One Day Football Collection which was seen on some of Africa’s leading players throughout the tournament, a portion of the profits generated by the collection was donated to Peace One Day. As a direct result of the campaign, 1.4 million children in Afghanistan were vaccinated against polio. In the past two years, 100 million people in over 200 countries were engaged in Peace Day activities and in 14 countries, efforts were targeted towards providing life-saving activities and medical services on the Day.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day,

Disney Stores introduced a new line of “green” products on April 12, 2010. The product range of the line included tote bags and a line of T-shirts made from 100% organic cotton with the messages “Love” and “Save Planet Earth”.

Socially conscious brands… While some brands are creating exclusive lines for the cause, some brands are dedicated to the cause. Moral Fervor, a young brand, develops T-shirts from hand-drawn designs. Each of their collections is made to raise awareness to environmental and social issues facing our world today. All the materials used for the brand are on the cutting edge of sustainability. Ingeo, a fabric made from corn, was first introduced to the market and Moral Fervor was among the first fashion companies to embrace it.

Lonesome George & Co a social enterprise organization combines branded apparel and experiential education to ignite a mind shift of global interdependence making it more than just a clothing line. The brand with clothes for men, women and kids carry inspirational and educational messages in their shirts and hoodies, mostly made of organic cotton.

Spreading a social message through the medium of fashion can be a profitable arrangement for all as well – the cause, the message and the retailers – because selling these products today when the consumer awareness is high and they are ready to pay a little extra, and that too all for a cause, the social act by the retailers can bring potential business benefits…

Fashion for a Cause…For long CSR was termed as the window dressing for powerful organizations, but fashion and brands today have shown the true meaning of responsibility towards both social accountability as well as social awareness by not only demanding for an ethical supply chain, but also creating collections with messages to spread social awareness…

Lonesome George shirt, an effort by the organization to save nature

Puma’s ‘Peace Day’ collection, exclusively made for peace day...

sustAinAbiLity


the lack of cohesiveness over the supply chain with each vendor/supplier only looking at their exclusive gain, inclusive growth became difficult to achieve. Sudhir Dhingra, CMD, Orient Craft very passionately agrees to the observation. “There is a need to get out of the old mindset and work collectively for the growth of the industry, and then only can the individual companies grow,” he argued.

Synergy among players criticalWith the industry facing one of its most challenging times, there is an acceptance that the players, whether they are exporters or buyers, cannot sit back on past glories and wait for things to change. Nor can they just keep approaching the Government for incentives and other support. No doubt, Government support is important and many of our competitive countries are growing substantially because of the backing that their Government is giving them. Bangladesh is one of the biggest examples of this. Yet, the industry cannot afford to solely rely on the Government to find new strategies for sustenance and growth.

Industry Unites in the Need for Solutions to Grow

AnAnt SAdAnA Md, AppArel United

“According to me the mindset of the exporters and the lack of hunger to grow really big, are the two big reasons for the slow pace of growth of the indian garment industry.”

SUdhir dhingrA CMd, Orient CrAft

“there is a need to get out of the old mindset and work collectively for the growth of the industry, and then only can the individual companies grow.”

Taking 2005, the year the quotas were removed as the base, it is interesting to note

that while countries like China, Bangladesh and Vietnam did exceedingly well since then, India after a euphoric first year faltered and the growth has been limited, taking India from around $ 6.9 billion at that point of time to just about 12 billion in the last financial. China in the meanwhile grew from $ 62 billion to $ 130 billion and Bangladesh surpassed India with an export earning of over $ 15.7 billion in 2010. Vietnam too overtook India in garment exports in 2010 with export earning from garments at $ 10.8 billion.

No doubt there is a critical need to analyze why these countries have seen growth while India could not take advantage of an open market condition. Many may argue that Bangladesh has grown because of the numerous competitive advantages it enjoys from the FTA it has with the EU to easy import policies that allow trouble-free access to world-class fabrics and trims. But giving a very different angle to the story, Anant Sadana, MD, Apparel United and boss of Gap India for more than a decade very candidly blames the mindset of the exporters and the lack of hunger to grow really big, as the two biggest reasons for the slow pace of growth of the Indian

garment industry, followed by the shrinking margins as FOB prices fell internationally, for which the industry was totally unprepared for.

“While we fretted over the falling prices and lost interest in the business as margins dwindled, other countries grabbed opportunities and worked on being competitive,” says Sadana. He added that

India after a euphoric first

year post quotas faltered

and the growth has been

limited, taking India from

around $6.9 billion at that

point of time to just about

$12 billion in the last

financial. China in the

meanwhile grew from $62

billion to $130 billion and

Bangladesh surpassed India

with an export earning of

over $15.7 billion in 2010.

Vietnam too overtook India

in garment exports in 2010,

with export earning from

garments at $10.8 billion.

industryuPdAte


like the creation of an integrated textile and apparel policy, greater investment in fabrics, action plan to address shortage of labour and better execution of ‘ideas’,” he opined.

However, all is not in black and white and there are many positive indications that buyers not only believe in India’s capability, but are looking to shift business if given the right

increasing competitiveness by around 10%. Rajive commits that if a product is offered at the same price by India and Bangladesh, the chances are that the order would come to India, though he does warn that price is one criteria and there are many other factors that have to be taken into consideration.

Rajive also points out that the recent devaluation of the rupee

rAjive SUri ChAirMAn, iMpUlSe

“there is a need to create an integrated textile and apparel policy, greater investment in fabrics, action plan to address shortage of labour and better execution of ‘ideas’.”

Rajive Suri, Chairman, Impulse practically observes that in a diverse country like India, we are governed by different laws, working requirements and constraints. “It is like working with different countries within the larger umbrella, which for a buyer is sometimes difficult to work around,” he said. He argues vehemently for the need to ‘bring scale to the businesses’. “I think the entrepreneurial skills of Indian exporters is the best in the world and firmly believe that India has the potential to be the ‘centre of gravity’ for the global apparel industry, but some concrete steps need to be taken

product and price. “Over the last three years the Indian business has tripled with some business being redirected from China,” says Rachael Smith, Buyer with M&S. The product category that Rachael is most upbeat for is jackets. “India is doing very little volumes in jackets, but there are factories coming up in Bangalore and Chennai that are more competitive on price than China and Bangladesh,” informs Rachael.

That the signing of the much awaited FTA with EU will make India a very attractive destination is a consensus,

industryuPdAte

gAUtAM nAir Md, MAtrix

“We realize that it is not easy to shift base and the rajasthan Apparel City project that we are creating is the first apparel city the way we feel will bring long term growth.”


venU nAir direCtOr, M&S indiA

“We (M&S) source millions of pieces of school trousers from Sri lanka, manufactured from fabrics coming from india. Why can’t india grab this business.”

preMAl UdAni Md, KAytee COrpOrAtiOn

“We need to show the government why we are losing competitiveness and the target for the committee to access the same is to table a report in six months’ time.”

has also helped in making India competitive.

One of the biggest constraints for growth of the garment export industry according to most buyers working with India is the lack of wide fabric base and professional approach by textile mills in terms of delivery schedules and quality standards. “Ironically, Bangladesh does not have a fabric base but is able to offer a wide choice of fabrics and also ensure delivery on time. In India, many products cannot be placed in the country as it is difficult to source such fabrics in the time lines and prices asked for,” says Rachael. The importance of a strong supply chain cannot be undermined and unless there is synergy in the textile chain, the constraint will remain, even if each link in the chain does its best.

Taking the case study of the integrated textile park in Vishakhapatnam, Venu Nair, Director, M&S India emphasizes that if the textile chain worked as a single entity the country would

see a revolution with many investments from big chains in Asia looking to set-up units in India. “The impending FTA is of course an impetuous, but many companies are looking at India not only for regular products, the Brandix integrated park is manufacturing formal wear, shape wear, outer wear and bras – all products that are not considered India’s strength,” says Venu. He hints that India was losing out on a critical category – school uniforms. “We (M&S) source millions of pieces of school trousers from Sri Lanka, manufactured from fabrics coming from India. Why can’t India grab this business,” he questions.

According to Venu, the Brandix integrated park is producing 50 million singles in a year at productivity of 65-80% with two shifts and the park is so well integrated that they can ship underwear and knickers in 8 days flat, which includes printing and dyeing, only the grey fabric is available immediately. He points out that

it an environment friendly, sustainable, compliant City where the workers are well looked after and focussed training is provided to enable cost-effective and high quality manufacturing,” says Nair.

Among the latest effort is the creation of the newly formed core committee headed by Premal Udani, MD, Kaytee Corporation and Ex-Chairman, AEPC to assess competitiveness of the Indian garment industry and on how competing countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia were placed on critical parameters of cost and Government support vis-à-vis India. “We need to show the government why we are losing competitiveness and the target for the committee is to table a report in six months’ time,” says a charged up Udani. “We are all committed to find solutions and the need of the hour is to share ideas and explore all ways possible to not only sustain business but also grow in the new global dynamics,” concludes Sudhir Sekhri, MD, Trendsetters.

The biggest constraint for growth of the garment export industry according to most buyers working with India is the lack of wide fabric base and professional approach by textile mills in terms of delivery schedules and quality standards. The importance of a strong supply chain cannot be undermined and unless there is synergy in the textile chain, the constraint will remain...

everything was possible, but a fresh approach to the business was required.

Everyone agrees that manufacturing needs to move to smaller centres to be more cost effective. “We realize that it is not easy as the infrastructure has to be in place for successful implementation and at the Rajasthan Apparel City Project, we are creating the first Apparel City the way we feel will bring long term growth,” says Gautam Nair, MD, Matrix. Some of the initiatives include using sustainable, environment friendly methods of construction, energy saving and water recycling, linkages with service providers who will select and train workers in rural areas in Rajasthan and elsewhere and bring them to the City for employment, dormitory accommodation and various HR initiatives provided for these workers, a world class Training Centre provided in the City to provide focused product specific training as well as skill upgradation programs for workers, supervisors and managers. “Our vision is to make

industryuPdAte

rAChAel SMith BUyer With M&S

“All is not in black and white and there are many positive indications that buyers not only believe in india’s capability, but are looking to shift business if given the right product and price.”



Tex-Trends 2012Buyers Miss(ing)… Exporters Looking for Right MatchAfter a sluggish year with buyers slow on their buying, there was a great expectation that Tex-Trends 2012 would be a boom for garment exporters working with smaller chain stores and boutique concepts, but that did not prove to be the case and most exporters were disappointed at the turnout of buyers and the actual business transacted. The weak response to the fair only reinforces the fact that not only the big retailers across the globe are taking time to place orders and that too as near as possible to the selling season, but the same is being followed by the boutique and smaller chain stores who are the majority that visit the fair. From products on display to prices offered, there seemed to be a mismatch between the exporters and the buyers expectation with the fair remaining as cold as the weather.

While some exporters speculated that with major

sourcing fairs scheduled around this time in Europe many buyers stayed away from Tex-Trends, but the reality remains that even a lot of the regular buyers did not show up at the fair. “We knew in advance that our buyers were not coming, but thought that there would be many new buyers to connect with, however, we are disappointed,” said Sanjay Duggal, Director, Kokeva Designs.

Coming all the way from Kolkata, Al Champdany Industries was disappointed,

as there were not enough buyers even on the first day. “We were expecting many foreign buyers here but this time even Delhi-based buyers were missing. I think the timing of the fair is not right, as for big buyers’ international fairs are more important than Tex-Trends,” candidly said Pradeep Kumar, representing the company.

An interesting trend at the fair was the fact that not many of the buyers were looking to place bulk orders, and were instead looking for small sample size quantities. “Buyers themselves are not sure what will work in this weak market and creating

inventory is certainly not something that retailers want today. They are looking for lesser quantities with shorter shelf life and sharper prices,” said Venkat S, GM, Wonder Blues. The company was displaying menswear including denim bottoms and circular knit T-shirts. Even on the last day, which is the day when orders are generally booked, very few exporters reported any substantial business. Those that did get orders were mostly from regular clients.

Some of the buyers were disappointed with the products that the exhibitors were offering, though many others did express appreciation for

some of the stalls, which had very interesting displays. “I would say only 20% of the exporters had something new to offer, others were displaying old collections or commodity products, there is a need to improve the range and variation of the fair to give it a truly international feel,” said Sham Lakhani of Lakhani Sportswear Inc., a wholesaler from New York. Working with India for the last 30 years, Lakhani was looking for embroidery and acid wash in ladies garments. “Since market is very tough we have to give something new, but was disappointed as newness is lacking here,” he added.

fAirrevieW

Buyers are the core strength of any sourcing fair – A view of Tex-Trends 2012


Another regular buyer Fabbi Loretta of Artemondo from Italy, was very critical of the displays. “Most of the styles on display are old styles and there is no real innovation, though the quality of the products is good,” she said. AO Fashion Team also observed that many stalls were displaying the same collection seen at the July edition of IIGF. While, this could also be because the orders did not come in at that time so the same collection is being pushed forward, but the biggest reason is that many exports came in with S/S 2012 collections expecting immediate orders and they did not introduce their A/W collections. “We were expecting buyers to be looking at ready shipments as we are very close to the season, also we were not sure what would appeal so we have a mixed collection, which may seem confusing,” admitted,” Zakir Hussain of Cotfab India.

Yet there were exporters like Tushar who received good buyers mostly for their handcrafted garments for A/W 2012/13. “We sent out pre-event invitees to our buyers specifying exactly what we would be showcasing, so those who were interested have come to see the collection,” reasoned Tushar, Director, Tushar Group of Jaipur. Other companies that received good response were Meenu Creation, Maharana of India, Rupayan, Vinegar, Goyal Fashions to name a few. All these

companies had new collections with trend updated products.

Interestingly, keeping view of the slow market conditions many buyers were working backwards. “Earlier buyers used to negotiate on products that appealed to them, this year they are asking us to show in a price range that they want to buy and then they are selecting products,” said Duggal. Ruggiero Suppa of RS Couture Roma from Battisti said, “I am looking for garments in the price bracket of 3-10 euros and am only stopping to look at collections that fall within my range.”

Of course the slow market conditions were responsible for many buyers holding back. Sanjeev Bhadana from Om Creations, France, an importer supplying garments and accessories to 30 wholesalers of Europe was looking for garments and accessories in natural fabrics and dyed with less work to meet his price points. “Last year I sourced 600,000 pieces from India but this year it is not even close to 300,000 pieces,” said Sanjeev. Rex Wong, Director of Phaya, a Hong Kong based wholesaler supplying to 30 retailers, was looking for ladies tops especially in mix fabric and multi colours. Though Rex was planning to source more than 20,000 pieces, he eventually picked up only a few thousand pieces as the prices for the garments he liked were higher than what he was looking for at $4 to $10.

Garment Segment presents some Refreshing Positives…

Designs are going international, with interesting patterns variations and silhouettes being experimented with, more and more people are looking at various trend forecasts.

Menswear participants seem to have increased with some new developments to offer.

The focus this year was also towards knits which is currently the flavour of the international market.

The popularity of floral prints has decreased with developments moving towards kitsch and mixed clashing prints.

Exporters have moved away from the traditional tie&dye technique, trying to develop something new. Although tie&dye is now being digitally printed.

Computerized embroidery that looks like cross stitch was a new technique adding value to womenswear garments.

An increased presence of Autumn/Winter collections consisting of outerwear such as jackets was a refreshing change.

Dresses have definitely changed with new lengths and styles.

Interesting use of laces along with cutwork seems to make the global trend of the ‘peek-a-boo’ look, a well accepted trend with Indian exporters as well.

Bright colours were less with more focus on a pastel colour palette. Orange is crowned as the colour of the season.

Asymmetry in patterns was predominant with asymmetric hemlines and necklines.

Embellishments are less and subdued, being tastefully placed with more focus on the texture of the fabric and material base.

fAirrevieW

Fresh patterns

Innovative prints


There was no consensus on what price band the buyers in general were looking for. There were different levels of buyers, while some were at the bottom end, searching for products between the price range of $ 2.50 to $ 5.00, there were many who did not mind paying even $ 10 onwards for the right product. Deepak Jain of Fashion Zone, Singapore working in the Singapore and Malaysia markets was interested in cotton ladies garments. “For me ideal price of a garment is $ 2.5,” he said. On the other hand Priyae Talwar, representing Tini of Uruguay said that price was not the real differentiator. “We are looking for booking sizes of 30 pieces to 300 pieces depending on how exclusive the design is and price is not a concern.”

Pradeep Nahata of Karni Exports was very disappointed as he did not get big buyers at the fair. “The organizers assured us that there will be many big buyers at Tex-Trends but I did not get to connect with any one of them. The usual boutique buyers were giving orders of 200-300 pieces, which cannot keep the factory running. Some of the big buyers that we did meet were asking almost 300 pieces per style in a total of 5,000 -6,000 pieces at the price of a 5,000 order size, how is it possible to work like that,” said a perturbed Nahata.

The fastest moving products at the fair were fashion accessories and scarves & Stoles. “With customers around the world wanting to create a new look without totally changing their wardrobe and at cheapest option, fashion accessories are hot property and many of the buyers were happy with our collection,” said Kapil Sadh of SK Overseas. “The range in scarves and stoles was truly wonderful and I was able to find exactly what I wanted,” said Bob Ruben of Matakie, Belgium. Most of the buyers expressed satisfaction at the range available in fashion accessories and many exporters had displayed a range to attract footfalls.

Sanjay DuggalDirector, Kokeva Designs

“We knew in advance that our buyers were not coming, but thought that there would be many new buyers to connect with, however, we are disappointed.”

Zakir HussainCotfab India

“We were expecting buyers to be looking at ready shipments as we are very close to the season, also we were not sure what would appeal so we have a mixed collection, which may seem confusing.”

Deepak JainFashion Zone, Singapore

“for me ideal price of a garment is $ 2.5, as i am working in the Singapore and Malaysia markets which is interested in cotton ladies garments.”

Sanjeev BhadanaOm Creations, France

“last year i sourced 600,000 pieces from india but this year it is not even close to 300,000 pieces, as market conditions in europe is very slow.”

Venkat SGM, Wonder Blues

“Buyers themselves are not sure what will work in this weak market and creating inventory is certainly not something that retailers want today.”

Pradeep NahataKarni Exports

“i am utterly disappointed. the organizers assured us that there will be many big buyers at tex-trends but i did not get to connect with any one of them.”

Sham LakhaniLakhani Sportswear Inc., a wholesaler from New York

“i would say only 20% of the exporters had something new to offer, others were displaying old collections or commodity products.”

Priyae TalwarTini, Uruguay

“We are looking for booking sizes of 30 pieces to 300 pieces depending on how exclusive the design is and price is not a concern.”

Rex Wong Phaya, Hong Kong

“We are sourcing for 30 retailers and wanted to source more than 20,000 pieces, but the prices for the garments that i liked were higher than my budget.”

Bob RubenMatakie, Belgium

“the range in scarves and stoles was truly wonderful and i was able to find exactly what i wanted.”

fAirrevieW


industryWire

Chennai based Celebrity Fashions Ltd. has invested in implementing “Lean” manufacturing practices. This has been done not only on the manufacturing floor, but also with the

servicing teams from the corporate office so that all through the supply chain, there is an effective process flow, eliminating waste and thereby increasing better yield and productivity. Elaborating on the subject John Dulipkumar, V-P, Merchandising says, “We have looked into the future and updated technology and systems for higher productivity, which are a must today to stay competitive.”

The company has also invested in some cutting edge garment process technology to offer great washes and finishes on the products. “Celebrity is constantly attempting to distinguish itself by trying to beat some of these odds by employing professional consulting and product innovations so that we keep looking for that cutting edge advantage,” adds John.

The company is continuing to invest into supports that help yield better efficiency and productivity. “We are looking to diversify the product offering, foray into markets that are off the beaten path and thus distribute the risk and importantly reinforce the strength of the partnerships we have built over many years,” concludes John.

Tirupur based SCM Garments, producer of knitted apparels mainly T-shirts, leggings and underwears for the global market, is planning to put up a new unit for garmenting. The company

already has 20 units in and around Tirupur. An investment of Rs. 20 crore is being set aside for the new unit which will have an installed capacity of 1500 machines. SCM is also installing four dyeing machines for its fabric processing as added capacities in garmenting would mean increase in fabric knitting as well as processing; however the company is not going for additional knitting machines.

Founded about two decades back, SCM is a fully-integrated set-up for knitted garments manufacturing, with all the processes done in-house. The company is headed by P.P.K Pramasivam, Managing Director of the company and standing at a turnover

of Rs. 485 crore, looking at touching Rs. 550 crore in Financial Year 2011-12. The company claims that it adheres to an eco-care programme that includes eco-friendly dyes, ETP with Reverse Osmosis, industrial procedures for reduced carbon emission and an agro field that does not use any chemical fertilizers.

SCM Garments putting a new garmenting unit and adding dyeing machines

Celebrity Fashions adopts Lean


Deeps Texstyles, Kolkata, is entering into the domestic market with its brand Wardrobe Essentials.

According to Soumodip Ghosal, Director of the company, domestic market in India is growing faster than the international market so it’s the right time to enter in the arena. The company is planning to go for additional capacity to meet the domestic market requirement. For its export business the company is producing T-shirts and bags so for domestic market too it would focus on knitted T-shirts. As of now the company is producing 50,000 pieces of T-shirts per month.

Deeps Texstyles Private Limited is a professionally managed manufacturing

company founded in 1991. The company started off with basic cotton and canvas bags, expanding thereafter to garments and fashion accessories. The existing product line of the company are T-shirts, sweatshirts, polo-necks, hoodies, pullovers, kitchen towels, aprons, bags, scarves, bandanas and other accessories, all of which are available in a variety of materials.

With its three manufacturing units, two in Kolkata and one in Hooghly, most of the activities including stitching and printing are done in-house, whereas certain tasks such as processing and dyeing are being outsourced from its partner company. Currently, the company is 100% export-oriented, with its buyers located in different parts of the world.

deeps texstyles now planning to foray into domestic market

industryWire

nancy Kraft to set-up a unit for high value garments

Delhi based Nancy Kraft is planning to set-up a unit for high value garments with heavy embellishments. According to Narinderpal Singh, Managing Director

of the company, the total investment on this new unit shall be around Rs. 8 crore. “We have three units in Delhi. This new unit is coming up in Kundali. We are installing 100 sewing machines but as this unit is going to be dedicated to highly embellished garments so the focus shall be more on ornamentation machines like schiffili, multi heads, etc,” shares Singh.

Nancy Kraft which specializes in ladies garments did a turnover of Rs. 50 crore in Financial Year 2010-11 and with this expansion the company is looking at touching Rs. 53 crore in Financial Year 2011-12. Giving the reason for a conservative expectation for a jump in the turnover Singh says, “The US and Europe market is really growing slow but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop our expansion. The best thing to do is to move up the value chain to sustain ourselves. High value garments always sell so I am moving in that direction.”


indiAcAnvAs

Textile Ministry for extension of TUFS tenure

Charan Singh heads TUV Rheinland's Textile and Footwear Lab in India

The Ministry of Textiles has recommended for

the extension of Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) for five years. It has also proposed to the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission to make it a part of the 12th Five-Year Plan beginning April 2012.

“The suggestion has been put forward for approval to the steering group in the Planning Commission, for including TUFS in the 12th Five-Year Plan,” said V Srinivas, Joint

TÜV Rheinland Group is all set to launch

their initiative of textile and footwear business in India and Charan Singh, the newly appointed General Manager, Softlines, TUV Rheinland India, will be responsible for establishing the TUV Rheinland Textile and Footwear lab network across the country. Charan has extensive experience of working in the industry, having worked with companies like SGS and Reliance Retail.

Founded in 1872 and headquartered in Cologne, the TÜV Rheinland Group is one of the leading providers of technical services worldwide with more than 14,500 people at 500 locations in 62 countries generating annual revenue of 1.3 billion.

TUV Rheinland’s current headquarter in India is located in Bangalore with laboratories in the field of Solar &Photovoltaic, Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing, Wireless, Product Safety and Material Testing, working in 20 locations in the country with more than 300 technical experts at the moment.

Secretary, Textiles Ministry. Industry experts believe subsidy may be reduced to four per cent from the current five per cent except for garmenting and weaving which would continue to receive five per cent subsidy.

TUFS, which was suspended in June 2010, was reintroduced in April 2011 with an addition of Rs. 1,972 crore for one year and the scheme is to end on March 31. However, this year the response has been weak due to the slowdown in the

Charan Singh General Manager, Softlines, TUV Rheinland India

Surat Industry Upset with Anti-dumping duty on nylon filament

The power loom weavers and yarn importers in

the man-made fibre industry have suffered a strong jolt as the Central Government has imposed an anti-dumping duty on the import of nylon filament yarn with immediate effect from January 13. As per the ministry of finance’s notification the nylon filament yarn imported from countries like China, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia will attract an anti-dumping duty ranging from US$ 1.47 to US$ 0.46 per kilogram.

The man-made fabric industry in Surat with an investment of 300 crores, houses about 750 warp knitting units in the city and contributes to about 40 per cent of the man-made fabric demand of the country. The city has around 6 lakh weaving machines, out of which 1.5 lakh machines are using nylon filament yarn as their main raw material.

Though the monthly requirement of nylon filament yarn is about 5,000 tonnes, only 3300 tonnes is supplied by the domestic nylon spinners and the rest has to be imported. A rough figure of 1400

tonnes of nylon filament yarn is imported every month to satisfy the manufacturing needs of the city as the domestic nylon yarn manufacturers alone are not able to satisfy the demand. The duty on the nylon filament is expected to affect the weaving sector severely, especially for those using it as their raw material. “There should be a level playing field for the importers and end users of nylon filament yarn in the city. The anti-dumping duty will make imported nylon

Man-made fabric is the strength of the Surat industry with large quantity of nylon imported to meet the needs of the weavers

filament yarn costly for the domestic users, giving a chance for domestic spinners to have a price monopoly,” argues Vishnu Goenka, President, South Gujarat Nylon Traders Association (SGNTA). “The domestic knitters are facing stiff competition from China as about 300 tonnes of knitted fabrics are imported every month. The government should impose anti-dumping duty on such products rather than on raw material,” added Goenka.

Indian market. Terming the response lukewarm, A B Joshi, Textile Commissioner said, “We have received proposals of Rs. 110 crore for allocation for the Rs. 4,200-crore project.”

TUFS was first introduced in 1999 and got a very encouraging response. The total subsidy released was Rs. 11,200 crore, of which Rs. 8,883 crore was issued in the last three years. TUFS is estimated to have catalyzed investments worth Rs. 2,08,000 crore, during its 11-year life.

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Surat Industry Upset with Anti-dumping duty on nylon filament

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With blurring gender lines in apparel and fashion becoming more

androgynous, new categories in men’s clothing have emerged lately, expanding the horizons of both developments and acceptability in the menswear market. From basics to more fashionable pieces, not only the mass or the mid market, but also the luxury menswear market is growing at a rapid pace triggering the growth further at a global scale. According to latest reports by consultancy Bain & Co., menswear is growing twice

as fast as womenswear in the luxury sector, which makes up 40 per cent of the global market worth US$ 180 billion (£ 150 billion), and is currently growing by 14 per cent per year, whilst womenswear is only growing by eight per cent. Not only in the stores, but even the runways are showing a surprising growth in the number of collections that are showcased for men. While Paris and Milan were previously the only two of the fashion capitals to host menswear fashion weeks there are increasing calls for New York to dedicate a separate week

‘MAN’-ING UP EXPORTS, INTERNATIONAL BUYERS SHOW INTEREST IN MENSWEAR…As women’s wear fashion touches the peak of its innovation with so much experimentation done in the past, the year 2012 seems to give new directions to men’s wear with the whole world venturing into this developing fashion market. With the male consumer becoming more fashion conscious, male clothing has transformed into a new area of interest with retailers worldwide, as a reaction to which, a growing number of exporters showcased menswear in the recently concluded Tex-Trends 2012 fair, reporting increased enquiries from international buyers, signalling a bright future for Indian manufacturers…

to men’s apparel and London Fashion Week now culminates with menswear day. Even the menswear market in India has become the fastest growing apparel segment which is expected to grow by 40.6 per cent to US$ 13.8 billion in 2012.

Many exhibitors at the fair had added men’s lines this year and most of them reported a visible increase in demand with increased footfalls for menswear. A probable reason for this can be the saturation that is seeping into the womenswear market that is supplied from India,

A creative version of stripes seen at Creemos International

A funky version of a menswear basic T-shirt by Meridian Apparels

An all-over denim look presented by Wonder Blues

An innovative yarn dyed check shirt at S.O. Design

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with almost all manufacturers innovating and giving tough competition to each other. Keeping in mind that the buyer can only source a certain amount of products from the country, buyers are now finding menswear suppliers from India who can innovate at a similar level, but in a different category altogether at competitive prices.

Supporting this analysis Neena Goyal, Representative of S.A.T. Fashions shares her experience and says, “Buyers are increasingly looking at what different we can do in menswear and with demand of woven products still remaining, enquiries in knits for men’s are also increasing, which can be a further area of expansion for all of us.” Taking a minimum order of 500 pieces, shirt prices range from US$ 8 to 9, the company manufactures a range of products, which include shirts, bottoms and sweaters. While the shirts are being manufactured in Delhi, the company is manufacturing sweaters and shorts in Dhaka to be price competitive. “We cater to buyers from Germany, South Africa and Sri Lanka, and they were happy with the prices we had to offer,” she added.

R. Mani Sekaran, GM (Marketing) of Chennai based Meridian Apparels also adds, “The response to menswear that we witnessed this time is undoubtedly much better than the last time, which shows that buyers are

showing interest in menswear developments, but we still have to see if the inquiries convert into real orders. While a majority of buyers showed a positive response to our prices, buyers from Turkey were negotiating for lower prices, though the volume size was much higher.” Agreeing that the demand of knits has increased overall, the company’s latest developments are in a variety of fabrics such as cotton, viscose, polyester and modal. The company is manufacturing its knit products from factories situated in Tirupur.

market, with prices ranging from US$ 10 to 12. “After the international market, we are now trying to associate with the growing Indian domestic market as well, looking at long term engagements with our buyers. Not necessarily working with high volumes, we are also taking smaller orders of 200 pieces,” said Pankaj Oswal, Owner SO Design.

Another company also trying to cater to both the domestic and international market is Creemos International, a division of Superhouse Limited. The

Marketing Manager of the company, elaborating on the current trends that are selling internationally said, “Denim are hot with both plain and enzyme washes being popular at a price of US$ 7 to 10, along with shirts that are either plain or have yarn dyed checks in a range of US$ 8 to 10. With trouser fits getting narrower, knit polo shirts are

company is already supplying men’s fashion clothing to retailers in France, Denmark and Dubai, and men’s safety garments to the USA. Although the company finds it difficult to get orders from fairs, they still believe that the recent fair offered a good ground for exposure and to make new contacts. Mohd. Kashif,

No doubt the most popular product in menswear is shirts in various designs and finishes. Bangalore based SO Design, an exclusive manufacturer of menswear shirts made in 100 per cent cotton and yarn dyed, received a very good response to its collection. The company wishes to make Middle East and South America as its target

With menswear currently growing by 14 per cent per year, while womenswear is only growing by eight per cent, globally, not only in the stores, but even the runways are showing a surprising growth in the number of collections that are showcased for men. The menswear market in India too is the fastest growing apparel segment which is expected to grow by 40.6 per cent to $13.8 billion in 2012.

A range of shirts presented by S.A.T. Fashions

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also in demand at a price band of US$ 2 to 5.” Throwing light on competition, he adds a side of his negative experience, “With Bangladesh and China offering comparative prices for similar products, the buyers tend to get unhappy with our prices when compared.”

An interesting aspect of menswear displays this time was that there were innovations in even the basic segment, with the addition of experimental prints on T-shirts, the usage of a more varied range of colours and also the use of innovative fabric techniques. Many people chose to use yarn dyed cotton in various patterns like strategically placed checks, the usage of checks in

extremely large patterns and stripes of irregular widths. The use of double-layer fabric, reversible fabric with stripes on one side and checks on the other, and the focus on minute details could be observed. Although the silhouettes are still not varied, there was an evident effort on the exporters’ part to make their collections more appealing and market-friendly.

Yet, not all the men’s wear players were satisfied and having quite an opposite opinion and experience, Venkat S., GM of Wonder Blues, which deals in menswear bottoms, basically denim and circular knit T-shirts for men till date, are now planning to shift their expertise

into womenswear fashion believing that the strength of women’s buying from India is still more and men’s wear buying is more incidental. “Most buyers come to India with the mindset that they are going to see women’s wear and that is where the edge is. When they think of men’s wear they compare with stronger and more competitive countries like Bangladesh and China and we fail on that parameter,” says Venkat.

For India, developing new niches in the international market is important to grow, there is an opportunity to convert product development skills, mostly concentrated on women’s wear into innovative men’s wear for greater market share.

Pankaj Oswal (L) of SO Design with his designer R. Mani Sekaran, GM (Marketing) of Chennai based Meridian Apparels

fAshiOnbusiness

‘Man’-Ing up Exports, International Buyers Show Interest in Menswear…

An interesting aspect of menswear displays this time were innovations in even the basic segment, with the addition of experimental prints on T-shirts, the usage of a more varied range of colours and also the use of innovative fabric techniques. Many people chose to use yarn dyed cotton in various patterns.


Fashion File

After the entire animal craze in accessories

last season, the rage of animal heads has now spread to sweaters and T-shirts as well. Fuzzy images of cats, dogs, and wolves incorporated in knit patterns have become very popular, especially after Zara’s fall collection of sweaters that featured such animals. Not only in womenswear, but even the recent menswear Milan Fashion Week for the pre fall season was full with creative versions of a whale, a dinosaur, a hound, an owl, a duck, a fox, a chimpanzee, an eagle and a small bear on throwbacks, sweaters and shirt. With the idea of creating a literal zoo in the winter wardrobes, the look seems to be a fad at the moment which will be a sure shot hit with fast fashion retailers very soon, and therefore a worthwhile development to mesmerize the masses.

Moonstitches, conceived as a buying office to offer

hand embroideries & hand embroidered products from the past 10 years, has worked on many prestigious assignments with global fashion brand. Known for their commitment, the company embroidered logos on the caps for designer label Bill Bass’s runway collection overnight, much to the amazement of the brand. After this delivery, Moonstitch has also bagged an order for the production of their T-shirts featured on the runway as well. “Although the quantity of the order is very less, but the future prospects of this collaboration are big,” says Ravi Gupta, MD, Moonstitches. The fabric has

A Los Angeles based fashion and celebrity photographer,

Vijat Mohindra, has always believed in incorporating his love for wardrobe and fashion design with his passion for beautiful lighting to illuminate the images his imagination creates. Sharing his experiences with aspiring photographers, on his recent trip to India, Vijat visited the country’s top fashion colleges – NIFT, New Delhi and Pearl Academy of Fashion, under an initiative taken by FASHION FORWARD, a trend forecasting company, which aims to make fashion more global.

Talking about his past projects, the difficulties he faced in order to achieve the desired results, and the all-time highs

fAshiOnresOurce

Animal Envy

Vijat Mohindra, Photographing Fashion with Students!

of his career, Vijat excitedly expresses, “the huge footfall of the students who attended the lecture boosted my spirits, making me positive that fashion photography is a growing career choice considered by many talented youngsters in India. The attentiveness of the crowd and the cross questioning by many who craved to know more of my first-hand international experience was reflective of

the enthusiasm with which the students listened and interacted on this subject.” Vijat tipped the students on how to create different props, lighting effects suiting different moods, create contacts and to be proactive on the field.

Working in the wardrobe industry since he graduated from Art Center College of Delhi with his Bachelor of Fine Art Degree in Photography and Imaging, Vijat’s ability to create harmony between the worlds of fashion, pop culture and photography is highly visible in his work, which includes portfolios of famous personalities like Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan, fashion shoots for stores like Walmart and Magazines like Factice, Kult, OhLaLa and Vogue. Vijat will be soon collaborating with FASHION FORWARD providing a visual reference of the zeitgeist, by spotting the ongoing trends on the streets of the four fashion capitals of the world – Milan, Paris, London and New York.

Moonstitches, India

to Manufacture for

Bill Bass Exclusive

range Jason Wu has collaborated for the first time, to launch a

special capsule collection with Target. The range, inspired by French New Wave films and the actress Jean Seberg, consists of wearable outfits like pleated frocks with sailor-striped hemlines, dainty silk blouses with neck ties and collars, and sportier knits and tennis skirts. There are elements like lace that remind of Wu’s work, but they are matched with animal prints, that feature the collection’s mascot, Milu, a mischievous kitty. Talking about his collection, Jason Wu says, “My goal was not to duplicate anything from my main collection. Instead I designed completely new clothes and accessories that reflect my taste and have a voice of their own.”

Affordable Collection by Jason Wu

been provided by the designers of Bill Bass, which is 100% viscose. The ‘anchor’ logo on the T-shirts is hand embroidered, and the delivery time is very short. The company also caters to leading designers like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Balenciaga, and is the first and only supplier of Rodarte in India


textiLeuPdAte

Fabric Companies’ Participation Shrinks in the Second Edition of Tex-Trends The first edition of Tex-Trends was introduced with a big bang, having a strong presence from the textile chain and the entire industry was thrilled that this show would mature in terms of participation and product categories with each successive year. However, the very second edition would fetch such a disappointing outcome from textile companies, nobody envisaged with less than half the participation from last time.

Denim DevelopmentsA lot of new finishes and constructions were showcased. The show-stopper in denim category was the range of handloom denim, converted into garments by Denim Club with ‘Handloom Mark’ which authenticates its purity. Fashion Designer, Samant Chauhan, known for ethical and sustainable fashion creation has associated with Denim Club for developing the exclusive range of garments made out of the newly developed handloom denim. Many innovations are on to make this denim fashion current and one such is developing stretch handloom denim.

Blue indigo, classical blue shade, derivates of blue were being showcased by Mumbai

based Mafatlal Denim. The company was also showcasing its new collection with different Matrix shade applied in different technique. Mafatlal Denim has over 250 different varieties of specialty denims, which include ring and open end products, mercerized and stretch denims, specialty coated fabrics, deep indigo denim, varieties of specialty sulphur top and bottom dyed denims and organic denims. Its “Upper Crest” collection that has soft hand feel and is very comfortable to wear is targeted for high-end segment. “To lead the fashion trends, we always introduce innovative concepts in the market by means of special fibre, application technique, etc. in the denim. Application of colour by

Mafatlal Denim – new collection with different Matrix shades applied in different techniques Raymond Ltd. – exhibited its wool blends for suitings for its Spring/Summer 2012 collection

The fabric section this year was predominately represented by

Texprocil, SRTEPEC, Pedexcil, and HEPC (which was predominantly home textiles made-ups). A few big companies like RSWM, Welspun, Zucchi Textiles Limited, Mafatlal Denim, Siyaram Silk Mills Limited, Raymond India, Nandan Exim did make a presence, however the majority of the players were from the handloom and powerloom sector. The saving grace was that the fact the big mills did showcase their newer developments which were quite interesting. The predominant category was suitings, both in PV and PW and other innovative blends followed by yarn dyed shirting and denim.


foam coating, matrix shade, wax hand touch by coating application are highlight of the season,” says Subrata Ghosh, Vice-President, PD, R&D, Mafatlal Denim Ltd.

Mafatlal Denim’s capacity increased from 10 million metres per annum to 20 million metres per annum in 2008. Mafatlal Denim has been accredited with ISO 9001, ISO-14000, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OE (Organic Exchange), and Oeko-Tex Certification, making them reliable supply-chain partners for Global and Indian brands.

Ahmedabad based Nandan Exim Limited was displaying its innovative products in light weight fabric with refined look, cotton’s with subtle slub and dark shades, new shades with different combination on topping and bottoming of indigo with other dyes, clean look satin stretches along with power stretch in different texture. “For Tex-Trends the main innovation has been done in fabric structure, shade and finishes (flatness). The shade depth has been increased so that the washing width of the fabric is more for garment. With latest trend of more flat look fabric, it has been done both in cotton as well as cotton-spandex,” informs Nishant Giri, DGM-Exports, Nandan Exim Ltd. Currently the company has a capacity of 60 million metres/annum and is still expanding. RSWM also showed its latest range in denim with new construction, coating, finishes and colours.

Suitings & ShirtingsRaymond exhibited its wool blends for suitings for its Spring/Summer 2012 collection that included 100% wool, wool modals, wool/linen, wool/cotton and wool/silk, which are mostly targeted to luxury blazers. The company also exhibited its very innovative product UV pro plus in which wool poly fibre is treated to keep the body cool. This fabric has been developed with Clariant International

textiLeuPdAte

OCM created its booth to give a feel of a retail outlet

Sudhir Purohit, Vice-President, Shri Dinesh Mills Ltd., at his booth

which has given its technical know-how. The unique fabric has properties like effective heat control and UV rays protection; assures protection of skin from UV and sun rays; reduces the heating of body and excessive sweating; guarantees minimum UPF 30; and works effectively on medium and dark colours.

Siyaram Silk Mills exhibited its yarn dyed shirting fabrics in PC, CVC and Fila-Fil. In suitings, it has displayed a

range in PV, PV Lycra, PV Linen, PV Wool and polywool. “For the first time we have come up with ‘TR’ finish with silky touch which so far only China has been doing and our fabric’s quality and pricing are both at par to the Chinese products,” claims Vinayak Srivastava, Area Sales Manager, Siyaram Silk Mills. Presently, the company is making 10 lakh metres/month in yarn dyes and now with its expansion, the capacity would

go up by 16 lakh metres/month from March 2012 onwards. In suitings, it is producing 35 lakh metres/month and with capacity enhancement it will produce 50 lakh metres/month. Now the company is also going to enter into 100% cotton yarn dyed shirting fabric.

OCM India Ltd. in its Spring/Summer 12 collection showed its latest development in PV Filament with weight reductions. Explaining about the product, Naveen Sahni, Deputy GM


stain resistant fabrics and fabrics with mechanically raised designs, etc. “The application is menswear but some special techniques are involved to make micro light finish, stain resistance and mechanically raised designs,” avers Arun Rathi, Sr. Manager Export (Wool Division). The company with a production capacity of 15 lakh metres per month in narrow and wide widths is primarily dealing in blended suiting fabrics in PV, PW, 100% wool along with shirting fabrics in PV, PC, 100% cotton, CVC and linen blends.

Ramkrishna (Jhanwar) Group of Ichalkaranji showcased its recently introduced qualities in yarn dyed shirting in modal, excel along with cotton linen. It also showcased its 50% cotton and 50% viscose in solids. “The yarn dyed shirting in modal and excel is fetching us good response,” shares Kailash Chandak, GM Sales. The company has recently expanded its capacity in sizing with an investment of Rs. 5 crore. Now the company is looking at almost doubling its capacity from 55,000 metres/day to 1,20,000 metres/day. The main exporting markets for the company are the US, Mexico and Dubai.

A relatively smaller player, Mumbai based Atlas Exports showcased its range of suitings, shirtings and printed fabrics at Tex-Trends. “We believe in developing new products each time which appeals to the international buyers. Exclusivity is what we believe in,” states Sanjay Kamdar, Owner of the company. The company was founded in 1975 and has been successfully growing its exports by expanding into new markets with innovative quality products with each successive year.

Salem based Lambiwala Textile Mills showed its various yarn dyed fabric both powerloom and autoloom in various counts and weights. The company specializes in yarn dyed fabrics and is catering

(International Marketing) says, “At the finishing process the polyester is dissolved to make finer counts. This fabric is apt for bottom wear.” The other interesting product for women is the fancy double cloth-one side check and one side plain in 100% wool. The company is exporting its fabrics to 47 countries like Jordan, Kuwait, Japan, Europe, Russia, Middle East and the US to mention a few. The company is now going for expansion; from its present capacity of 8.4 million metres/annum it will touch 9 plus million metres per annum.

The highlights at Dinesh Mills booth are worsted fabrics, all wool, poly wool blends. The most fascinating development is its poly/wool/lycra blended fabric. “We have received quite an encouraging response for this product,” shares Sudhir Purohit, Vice President, Shri Dinesh Mills Ltd. Presently the company is producing 2½ million metres of fabrics/annum and is exporting to countries like the US, Canada, Middle East, Australia and Far East.

RSWM showcased its exclusive range of Mayur Suitings, Quick Wash and Orgaton made from organic cotton. In its latest LNJ Denim range, the company displayed flame retardant, antimicrobial, anti static, breathable, water repellant/resistant fabric in various new shades. “We believe in introducing new fabrics for every season for which constant R&D is required and we have a very strong team to do that,” says SK Babbar, General Manager, Corporate Communications. RSWM Limited, the flagship company of Rs. 5,000 crore LNJ Bhilwara Group, is one of the largest textile manufacturers in the country, primarily producing synthetic, blended, mélange, cotton & specialty yarn, fabric and denim.

Mumbai based Banbury Exports, a manufacturer of all types of textile fabric and also a certified ISO 9001 company, was exhibiting its light finish fabrics,

textiLeuPdAte

Banbury Exports – shirting fabric

Ramkrishna (Jhanwar) Group – shirting fabric with Lurex

Atlas Exports – suitings fabrics

Conika Fabrics – Yarn dyed shirting fabric

The big mills showcased their newer developments which were quite interesting. The predominant category was suitings, both in PV and PW and other innovative blends followed by yarn dyed shirting and denim. While the denim focus was in its new finishes and constructions, the suiting and shirting range were more about different fibre blends


The Woolmark Company presented ‘Merino, Inspired by Nature’

The ‘Mothers and Babies’ category was a key focus for The Woolmark Company as it aims to drive demand for

Merino wool in the parenthood market by educating consumers, manufacturers and brands alike, about the benefits of using Merino wool. The program has so far identified that wool can contribute to improved health and well-being for infants such as better sleeping habits and therefore faster growth and development.

Other highlights on show from The Woolmark Company was ‘The Wool Lab’, which has become an important tool for highlighting and inspiring the global apparel industry to source the best Merino wool fabrics and yarns in the world, identifying emerging trends in fashion and other fields from design to art, music and pop culture.

Expressing his excitement at being part of Tex-Trends 2012, Amir Sheikh, Country Manager, India says, “Being a global authority on wool, we bring interesting concepts to the Indian wool industry through various product platforms under the theme of ‘Merino, Inspired by Nature’. This participation in association with WOOLTEXPRO is an initiative to present the strengths of Indian wool industry to the global market.”

to the demands of garment exporters at Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Chennai since 1980.

Another Salem-based company, Conika Fabrics exhibited its 100% yarn dyed fabrics for shirting. The company’s new development was its yarn dyed indigo checks in selvedge chambray, seersucker and dobby. Earlier only the mill sector was producing indigo yarn dyes; Conika now claims to be the pioneer in powerloom sector for this product.

(single and with gold lurex) along with velvet grey in different grams and embossed velvet. “We have our factories at Bhiwandi and Vasai with complete in-house weaving and processing facility,” shares Shailesh Shorewala, Owner of the company. The company produces fabrics both for home furnishings and garments and can develop any designs/colour as per the specification given by the buyers. R C Export House from Bangalore showed their winter

In silk and velvet, prints and embroidery were speaking loud along with digital prints both in apparel and furnishing fabrics

Silk & Velvets In this category the players showcased their fashion garments and furnishing fabrics with a lot of value additions. Prints were speaking loud on these fabrics including the digital ones. Mumbai based Shailesh Velvet, manufacturer of woven pile velvet fabric, showcased solid 100% viscose dyed velvet, solid polyester, long/short crush dyed 100% cotton velvet and multi printed velvet (floral, ombre, etc.). There was also a range of gold metallic printed fabric, brasso (with allover and border designs), nylon/viscose brasso

2012-13 collection in silk fabrics for apparels and home furnishings. The eye-catching products were digitally printed silk fabrics for high fashion ladies garments in bright colours. “We have our own weaving setup, but however we are outsourcing processing. We are capable to produce customized designs as per buyer’s specifications and can take even a minimum order of 50 metres,” states K Ravi Chandran, Owner of the company. The digital prints price range starts from US $ 18 to US $ 24 and the basic fabric from US $ 5 to US $ 15.

textiLeuPdAte

R C Export House – digital prints in silk Shailesh Velvet – embellished velvet fabric

The Woolmark Company’s booth seeked a lot of attention by the visitors


To update the industry on its most recent developments,

Vardhman Fabrics, a division of the huge group, recently held a one day exhibition in Delhi at Hotel Lalit showcasing its latest range of high stretch fabrics under the brand name “Gr&dE Stretch”. This is one of its latest developments, as earlier the company was doing stretch level only up to 20 per cent but now it has developed fabric with 25 per cent to 35 per cent stretch level. “The stretchability of the fabric normally for a bottom weight fabric is 15 per cent to 20 per cent whereas these fabrics are going up to 30 per cent and even beyond, highlights

Mukesh Bansal, Vice-President (Fabric Business Office).

Vardhman also showcased high performing range of VLA smart fabrics with different properties. Indeed the range is very innovative, with four new developments – Preprensa Fabric, Velegante Fabric, Worry Free Fabric and P4 Fabric. Each of the new developments has its own functional properties. DS Raman, Asst. Vice-President (Marketing) throws light on each of the fabrics. “Prepresna Fabric is Vardhman’s non-iron fabric with commitment of DP rating of 3.5; it has low shrinkage, soft hand feel, with excellent wash and wear performance. These fabrics are used for making non-iron shirts/pants.”

Velegante Fabric is with special finish which gives the fabric soft, smooth and luxurious hand feel, the fabric carries fresh look even after multiple launderings. It has excellent wash and wear performance and the end use of such fabrics are women and kids wear mostly with top weight products. “Then we have fabric in Worry Free finish with water and stain barrier that resists light rain and stains keeping the wearer clean and protected. An additional feature of wrinkle resistance makes the wearer absolutely worry free,” adds Raman. In high performance category the other fabric is with P4 finish which is a multifunctional finish and is used for outerwear, sportswear and workwear.

Performance finishes were a focus area. “We have introduced some augmented finishes. We have been doing this for a long time, but now we are getting larger range of such fabrics. We have introduced VLA Smart Fabrics. VLA stands for liquid ammonia treated fabrics and all VLA products with special finishes come under smart fabrics category. A group of highly qualified textile professionals is working for the development of intelligent fabric technology along with designers to cater to the new finishes for the international and domestic

The US $ 1 billion Vardhman Group has 22 manufacturing facilities in five states across India producing yarns, grey and processed fabrics, sewing threads and now garments in collaboration with a Japanese company NISSHINBO, as well. An upfront company, always looking for fresh developments, Vardhman has a proactive focus on the latest technology to develop new products.

Vardhman Launches

Preprensa, Velegante, Worry Free, Liquid and P4 Fabrics also showcased

Gr&dE Stretch Fabrics

textiLeuPdAte

The Marketing and Design Team of Vardhman... behind the successful show

The company also showcased some of its blends for ladieswear tops involving all special fibres like Tencel and Modal. There were some outwear fabrics too on display in cotton wools, cotton acrylics, polished cotton, yarn dyes and over dyed.


market as per the requirement. VLA smart fabrics focus mainly on performance finishes, i.e. non-iron fabric, stain repellent or soil release, anti-UV, anti bacterial and super soft finishes,” shares Raman.

Gulshan Kumar, Sr. Vice-President (Marketing) also adds that the benefit of liquid ammonia mercerization is much more than conventional mercerization. Due to the LA process, the finish of the fabric remains as is even after multiple washes. Vardhman has a technical collaboration with NISSHINBO, Japan, at its processing unit Auro Textile based in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) to produce such high-end fabrics.

All these developments are for both export and domestic markets. According to Mukesh these kinds of fabrics are being sold by Vardhman in Europe, US and also for some of the high-end domestic labels. “There aren’t many mills in India which are doing these kinds of finishes. The upcharge of these fabrics varies from 50 cents to US $ 1/metre for those having multiple finishes, as the costing depends a lot on the construction, weight, GSM and performance level,” avers Mukesh.

Sharing about the response to the one day exhibition, Gulshan says, “We have seen a very good participation from the domestic labels, distributors,

garment exporters and the buying offices. We had people visiting from Debenhams, V F Corporation, Esprit and even S.Oliver from Chennai. In domestic brands ITC, Benetton, Blackberry, Shapes, Maxx, etc. visited the exhibition. Even some of the leading garment export houses like Fashion Accessories and Matrix visited us.”

The company also showcased some of its blends for ladieswear tops involving all special fibres like Tencel and Modal. There were some outwear fabrics too on display in cotton wools, cotton acrylics, polished cotton, yarn dyes, over dyed. “We have displayed the whole range in a synopsis,” says Mukesh. He adds, “Vardhman has been a focussed player in developments to cater to our customers’ changing requirements. We are trying to give world-class fabrics to garmenters in India… fabrics which they would generally import from outside India.”

Vardhman has also introduced bi-stretch fabric (2 way stretch). Not many companies in non denim sector are doing this fabric. Vardhman has been one of the largest stretch fabric manufacturers in India. They also have some more new developments which they are going to showcase in TexWorld Paris wherein they have played a lot with the weave and structures in yarn dyed fabrics.

textiLeuPdAte

A lot of buying offices, export houses, domestic brands and retail companies visited the show


H O M E F A S H I O N F U T U R E

Four Themes Guide Home Fashion Collections at Tex-Trends 2012

“If I were asked to say what is at once, the most important production of

Art and the thing most to be longed for, I should answer, a beautiful House.” – William Morris

Textile industry today is emulating the words of William Morris. Keeping abreast to beautifying homes, home

3 Dimension

heavily textured look gives a voluminous feel

An added 3rd dimension on the fabric gives a rich supple feel to the product

pleating/layering gives a structured feel to the product

Simplistic tonal volume adds elegance

Sensual and rich feel to the product

indu arts

Earth Craft

Woody tones with patchwork and embroidery to create surface textures

tonal quilting in earthy colours to give a supple yet simplistic look

tonal patchworks give a soft gradation to the design

Crewel embroidery to add volume to motifs

furnishing industry today is aspiring to compete with international home fashion. Tex-Trends 2012 saw diligent efforts from exporters in terms of home fashion and use of interesting textiles.

Tex-Trends had a wide array of products: home furnishings and made-ups namely bed linen, cushion covers, curtains, floor

coverings. Not only does the show have the broadest range of products on exhibition, it also offers to the buyers products ranging from the smallest price point to the high-end product in design and price.

While chatting with the exporters, It was evident that their buyers are not following any specific trends since there

Smita Arora, design expert in Home Fashion who has been running her own export house for home segments for many years, reviews the home textile trends seen at Tex-Trends 2012 for Apparel Online exclusively…

Bare Simplistic

Simplistic earthy tones

Basic geometric prints with earthy inspirations

A feel of minimalism and simplicity

contemporary clean lines with pleating/layering/quilting

Abstract clean lines in embroidery & prints

Use of shells/buttons to create contemporary styles

rupayan

Riot of Colour Craft feel to the fabrics with

vibrant colours with a mix of ecru/white to enhance the look

Bright contrasts clubbed together with simple styling like knife edge or thin piped

Color blocking with simple structured look

Muted/soft base with bright coloured applique or embroidery

raw natural look to the fabric structures with an added vibrance

Chanu Creations a nai

The feel gathered from the exhibition has been summarized in 4 basic themes seen as overall trend at the fair:


H O M E F A S H I O N F U T U R E

eastern home

is slowdown in the global market scenario and the overall sentiment is of insecurity. However, the exporters are up-to-date with the weak market scenario and offering good priced products and even offering stock products to keep the wheels running.

The range were in line with the key international trends that can be defined as under:

Purity, elegance, basic forms, origami, tonal patterns, 3-dimensional angles, embossed construction, geometric cutouts, subtle techniques and simplistic concepts.

Green vision, sustainability, renewable raw materials, textural weaves, irregular

and complex patterns, organic surface dimension, vegetal shades, handcrafted detail with loose constructions and volume to textiles.

Warm earth tones, rippled texture, refined contrast in colours of berry & violets with a dash of copper, tonal jacquards, iridescent trims and embroidery, volume to light weight constructions, exaggerated yarns, gathering details and quilting to lend a contrast.

Kaleidoscopic patterns with playful colour blocking, vivid grids and clashing hues, dramatic fabric manipulation, folk feel, prominent floral patterns with exaggerated sensual tones and blended hues.

the design sangrah


Export of Indian Garments Register increase of 15.30% in Value; Volumes down by (-) 5%

EU Import Analysis – Jan.-Aug. 2011

Despite all predictions to the contrary, the EU continued to witness

growth in its imports of apparel and over the first eight months of 2011, values increased 14.04% while quantities grew 7.13%. Not surprisingly the average UVR of EU imports also increased from Euro 14.54 (per kg of fabric equivalent) to Euro 15.48 (per kg of fabric equivalent). Men’s shirts, which are among the top 5 products imported by EU and an important category for Asian players saw good growth and in the defined period the EU imported 212.21 million kg of men’s shirts worth Euro 3,742.53 million, registering growth of 3.13% in volumes and 16.53% in value. Another key product ladies dresses saw 13% growth in value and 6.79% increase in volumes.

Though the EU has shown consistent growth over the year, many buying offices working with the region feel that the real impact of the Euro zone debit crises will be felt by the exporters in 2012…

In the meanwhile, in the same period under review, exports from India grew 15.30% in value though volumes declined (-) 5.09%. The average UVR for Indian exports to the EU was Euro 21.30 (per kg of fabric equivalent), up from Euro 17.53 (per kg of fabric equivalent) in the same period last year. At current levels, India’s UVR is higher as against the EU average. For India, dresses have always been a winner and in the eight month period under review the country exported 17.54 million kg, worth Euro 525.51million of dresses to the EU. The segment has seen increase in both volumes and value of 3.52% and 15.06%, respectively. The other two categories which registered noteworthy gains were ladies skirts and trousers with value growth of 22.05% and 22.80%,

respectively. The growth in volumes for both were also positive, while skirts registered 6.31% rise, trousers saw 5.13% increases in volumes.

It is not surprising that, while many countries struggle, Bangladesh has shown consistent growth. In the period under review, the country registered a whopping growth of 39.10% in value and 13.11% in quantities. The average UVR also increased from Euro 9.39 (per kg of fabric equivalent) to Euro 11.55 (per kg of fabric equivalent). Among the fastest growing products from Bangladesh, jackets & blazers registered 73.33% growth in value and 49.91% increase in volume during this period. Bangladesh’s core strength in T-shirts continued with rise in value of 33.48% with a volume increase of 5.57%.

For China, the gain in exports to the EU over the defined period was 10.34% in value and 9.03% in volumes. The average UVR was Euro 13.14 (per kg of fabric equivalent), an increase from Euro 12.98 (per kg of fabric equivalent) in the same period last year. The key product for growth was sweaters with 6.66% increase in value and 6.62% increase in volumes. Another important product for the country was undergarments, though the volumes did not increase as much as the value. The value of exports in undergarments increased 18.12%, while the volume rise was only marginally higher than last year by 0.82%. The critical question is whether the increase in value is because of better products or the rising cost of production…

Country/Category

Jan-July- 2010 Jan.-July-2011 % increase / decrease

Qty Value Qty Value Qty Value

WORLD

Knitted 1512.80 19892.60 1561.40 22497.60 3.21 13.10

Woven 1292.37 20891.50 1443.79 24011.25 11.72 14.93

Total 2805.17 40784.10 3005.18 46508.85 7.13 14.04

CHINA

Knitted 662.92 8131.04 678.56 8801.44 2.36 8.24

Woven 726.34 9908.11 836.12 11102.55 15.11 12.06

Total 1389.26 18039.15 1514.67 19903.99 9.03 10.34

INDIA

Knitted 95.56 1346.61 90.73 1528.07 -5.05 13.48

Woven 79.92 1730.10 75.82 2019.51 -5.13 16.73

Total 175.48 3076.71 166.55 3547.58 -5.09 15.30

BANGLADESH

Knitted 283.16 2538.43 311.40 3433.47 9.97 35.26

Woven 114.2695 1194.78 138.15 1759.55 20.90 47.27

Total 397.43 3733.21 449.55 5193.02 13.11 39.10

SRI LANKA

Knitted 26.79 446.89 25.30 437.73 -5.57 -2.05

Woven 22.64 381.10 22.98 409.54 1.52 7.46

Total 49.42 827.99 48.28 847.27 -2.32 2.33

PAKISTAN

Knitted 35.73 256.33 41.30 354.93 15.58 38.46

Woven 41.43 390.67 45.03 521.27 8.69 33.43

Total 77.17 647.00 86.34 876.19 11.88 35.42

VIETNAM

Knitted 19.10 235.53 21.27 298.93 11.34 26.92

Woven 35.97 612.75 44.50 804.87 23.71 31.35

Total 55.08 848.28 65.77 1103.80 19.42 30.12Qty. & Value in mn Kg & Euro

Indian exporters are looking to increase penetration into the Japanese market, as it has become important to move beyond the traditional markets of the US and EU. The signing of the Indo-Japanese FTA last year is an impetuous…

In the first ten months of 2011, apparel imports of Japan were up both in terms of value and volumes of 14.19% and 8.45%, respectively. The upward movement was registered in both the knitted and woven segment with increase in value of 11.34% and 17.04%, respectively.

During the period under review, India registered an impressive increase in value of exports by 21.13% over the same period last year. Volume increase was equally impressive with 22.38% rise in the period under review.

India saw increase in exports in both the knitted and woven segment with woven emerging as a stronger category. The growth in value for woven garments was 23.29%, while the segment registered 22.99% upswing in volumes. Knitted garments on the other hand increased by 6.81% in value and 19.98% in quantities.

During the same period Chinese apparel exports to Japan saw increase of 11.06% in value of exports, while quantities were up 6.17%. The country once a leader with almost 90% share in the market is seeing less growth over the past two years.

Among the competitors, Bangladesh witnessed substantial increase in exports to Japan with 56.57% growth in value and 41.46% increase in quantities. The country made impact in both knitted segment and woven garments, registering noteworthy gains in value of 100.12% and 34.68%, respectively.

India Exports to Japan: Jan.- Oct. 2011Japan sees growth in imports of garments in both value and volumes

EU GLOBAL APPAREL IMPORTS — JAN.-AUGUST 2011

exPOrtstAtistics


to execute more than 5 billion transactions a day. Having said that, Retailers do need to keep abreast of new technologies, Radio Frequency Identification, Mobility, Self Service, etc. that can compliment and improve supply chain processes to better service end-consumers.”

The product range of the company includes hardware outsourced from leading suppliers, label/tag/ribbon supplies manufactured in house and software/services available through nationwide support. The company has recently introduced RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) solutions for manufacturing and retail supply chain market, which helps the retailers with item visibility, stocks and loss prevention through radio or wireless communications that uniquely identifies and transmits data relating to an item, object, or an individual. The company is moving on and is cautiously optimistic for 2012, after seeing their growth moderating in 2011 as compared to 2010. “There had been significant slowdown during second half of the year resulting in lower output and demand across various industry sectors,” affirms Jain.

The main focus of the company for the year 2012 remains on their core products and markets and they aim to provide integrated solutions – barcode, RFID, EAS, packaging systems – to manufacturing and retail businesses.

GREAT EASTERn Impex Providing Solutions in Identification TechnologiesSystems integrator and solution provider in Auto ID technologies, Great Eastern Impex is one of the largest RFID, barcode labels and printing ribbon manufacturers in India. Established in 1983, the company has been delivering value and innovation to their clients in manufacturing, distribution and retail businesses. “With convenience being a demand today, barcode technology is increasingly being adopted by SMB retailers apart from the large retail chains, where the use of barcode is already pervasive,” says Shakti Jain, Managing Director, Great Eastern Impex. The statement is aptly supported by an impressive growth of over 30 per cent of the Barcode/ADC industry in India, as reported by AIDC Association of India.

information at their fingertips with unbelievable speed, detail and accuracy,” details Jain about the product and the advantages of the technology.

Apart from convenience, with compliance being a mandate in the industry for source-tagging of goods shipped to retailers worldwide, bar-coding is picking up in its demand by the exporters also. “Exporters broadly have two options – either outsource their requirements to a nominated vendor or install in-house printing systems for on-demand labelling. We, as a company, provide the latter solution to exporters. There has been a steady switch towards adoption of internal/on-demand systems that helps exporters to automate their processes apart from meeting compliance standards,” says Jain.

Barcode business is more or less commoditized with a number of players offering similar products/solutions. “Customers need to evaluate various brands, product functionality, and application design to choose a long term partner with sound expertise and service network,” reasons Jain. Commenting upon the ongoing process of upgradation of the technology every day Jain adds, “Barcode technology based on GS1 (formerly, EAN) is the world’s most widely adopted supply chain standard for goods, services, assets and location identification since 1977. Over 1 million companies of all sizes use GS1 standards

With Barcodes an already established tool in the

international retail market, many Indian retailers are looking for the advantages that it offers. Barcodes are typically made up of a prefix that identifies the company (or a manufacturer) and a suffix that identifies the product (or SKU). On its packaging each product carries a barcode which uniquely identifies it and distinguishes it from all others in a shopping basket. At the checkout, an automatic or handheld scanner reads each barcode. This number is passed on to a computer, which matches it against a file and retrieves the relevant information from the database. “The process of bar-coding not only saves time for the retailers; it helps increase their efficiency by keeping a record and identity of every item sold so that they can re-order more quickly, optimize their stocks, speed up transactions and have financial and marketing

The main focus of the company for the year 2012 remains on core products and markets and the aim is to provide integrated solutions – barcode, RFID, EAS, packaging systems – to manufacturing and retail businesses in India.”

SHAkTI JAInManaging Director

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FABRIC WOVEN / KNITTED ZIPPERS / FASTENERS

Considered one of the most awaited technology fairs in this part of the world,

Garment Technology Expo or GTE as it is popularly known as, is booked to the brink well in advance of the annual event scheduled for mid February. Spread out in a covered area of 17,000 sq. m., the fair will see more than 240 booths displaying over 600 brands in technology ranging from sewing machines to IT solutions for the garment manufacturing industry. “We have had to say no, to many players who waited till the last moment to make bookings. We are very happy with the mix and range of technology providers and products to be displayed, which truly makes GTE one of the most comprehensive technology fairs in the world,” says a satisfied Ricky Sahni, Jt. MD, GTE.

One of the biggest highlights of the fair is the inclusion of many big names from the textile technology segment who are new entrants to the garment segment;

Full House at GTE 2012 Many new technology providers on show

ATE and ICC are the two most important. Both these players will be displaying their garment machinery range for the first time at the GTE 2012. “While 70% of the participants are old exhibitors who have over the years continued to show faith in the fair, a whopping 30 per cent are new exhibitors looking to explore growth opportunities in the Indian garment industry,” says Ricky. Among the new exhibitors the organizers are most excited about are the wet

processing companies who will be occupying a separate hall to showcase many different washing and finishing options for the first time.

To add value to the fair many companies are planning new product launches. “Though many of the exhibitors have informed us of their intention to launch new machines, many want to keep the new technology under wraps till the event,” says Ricky. He does, however, hint that the digital printing segment will be a surprise package this time with MIMAKI & DCC poised to introduce new machines. One of the biggest strengths of GTE has been the fact that all segments are well represented and visitors are able to see and access many similar technologies. Also companies from Europe, China and India are well represented to suit every budget and need. Further, HCA, IIGM, MAGNUM and MEHALA will be displaying their most comprehensive range.

The shifting of the fair to February is one of the added

advantages this time. “We have received appreciation from all, both exhibitors and visitors and with the same we are expecting greater visitation from the south, east and western part of the country,” says Ricky. All efforts have been made to create awareness for the fair both in major export manufacturing hubs and domestic hubs like Gandhi Nagar and Tank Road. Other cities in India, which have seen increased visitation over the years, have also been diligently covered in the promotion activities that include print and electronic media. Visitors from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are also expected in increased numbers.

“GTE has earned the reputation of a very professional fair and we always deliver more than we promise and that is why we have confidence in our show. In fact this year on popular demand we are taking the show to Bangalore after two years in July,” concludes Ricky by saying: We live up to our motto “Best Today, Still Better Tomorrow”!

Ricky Sahni, Jt. Managing Director

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HANGERS / PACKAGING ACCESSORIES LABELS / TAGS / BARCODES

ELASTICS / RIBBONS / TAPES

BUTTONS / BUCKLES

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LABELS / TAGS / BARCODES

EMBROIDERED FABRIC / LACES

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New BuyINg offIce VeroBlue lookINg for good Buyers & supplIers

Founded just about a year back, Veroblue Sourcing

is a sourcing and supply chain management company formed by a team of professionals, having offices in New Delhi and Gurgaon. The buying office specializes in supply chain management of low and high-volume, time-sensitive goods for leading retailers and brands in the US, UK, Spain, Belgium and France.

The buying office is sourcing all kinds of apparels, accessories, leather products, handicrafts, home furnishing and paper products. While talking to Apparel Online, Mayank Malik, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the company says, “Our

Mayank Malik, MD & Co-Founder, Veroblue Sourcing

Company provides one-stop- supply chain solution to meet customers’ specific needs. From product design, raw material sourcing and production management to quality control, logistics, shipping and other important functions, its spectrum of services covers the entire end-to-end supply chain and process management. Our strong relationships with suppliers give us the best match of price and quality for our clients. Those buyers who are looking for systematic and organized services can touch base with us, we’ll be happy to serve them.”

The buying office claims that it starts with the product order

and finishes with shipping out ready merchandise. “We take care of every aspect of orders right from processing purchase orders to cost negotiations, trouble shooting, monitoring lines and shipping alerts with effective

T&A plans. In line with global demands, the effort is to ensure that customers get the right quantity of merchandise at the right time with right price.

With special focus on social compliances, Veroblue ensures fair play for workers, care for environment and the keeping of traditional skills and craft alive. “We are familiar with international standards such as SA8000, WRAP, FLA and BSCI and are able to assist factories in gearing up for a formal audit if there is any requirement. We are well equipped to follow and process all required compliances for both international and local standards,” states Mayank.

Documents

AO_FEB_1-15-121.pdf - Apparel Resources