New Zealand calling… An AO Market Report

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A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE REQUIRES
A SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENT
1,050 KILOLITRES
WATER SAVED
EVERYDAY
9,20,000 TONNES
OF CO2 EMISSIONS REDUCED
ANNUALLY
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OF FABRIC RECYCLED PER MONTH
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Resource Centre
Three years of GeoChem-
CPS: A journey of many
firsts and many more to
come p54
CONTENT Vol. XXII ISSUE 6 June 16-30, 2019
Domestic Update
42
World Wrap
Technology, customer experience : The changing face
of retail Technological and economical shifts have been rewriting the
shopping journey... p10
Woodland, adventuring
into the great outdoors
The past few years has rapidly caught
on the wider global fitness trend and
is driven by the country’s growing
wealth, changing lifestyles and rising
urbanisation which ultimately is leading
to an increasing amount of Indian
consumers becoming more health-
conscious and thereby choosing to go
outdoors for recreational activities...
Tex-File
RIL takes collaborative
route to growth with
R|Elan™
22
Fashion Business
Tie & Dye: A rennaissance
of the cult favourite p32
Sustainability
Cover Story
Copenhagen Fashion
Summit: Act immediately,
unitedly p14
New Zealand calling...
An AO market report
“Time and again Apparel Online has
emphasised on the unexplored and new
markets which are one of the best options
to increase apparel business... p18
FFT Trends
Testing the Waters:
The First Trend Report
for Resort 2020 p26

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Smriti Irani still at the helm of affairs… are we happy?
So, the suspense of who will be the Textile Minister is over and
the Ministry is among those few portfolios that retains its head –
Smriti Irani!
Most industry watchers feel that this is good news for the industry
as she has spent enough time with the Ministry to finally get a grip of
things, and perhaps this time, she will be more forceful in supporting
the industry with the right policies.
Of course, there are always counter-views, and many others believe
that if she could not achieve anything much last time, why would this
term be any different?
People who are not excited by Irani’s continuation as Minister
of Textiles also argue that now since she has an additional
responsibility of Child Welfare Ministry, her attention will be diverted
and the focus more diluted.
The argument is simple… if she could not take strong and decisive
action when only responsible for Textile Ministry, how will she be
more forceful now that she has additional charges?
No doubt, there are some sneaking concerns, but continuity is also
important. The question is… will the continuity add value or is
it more like ‘I have sorted this Ministry, so I can spend time with
the other!’
I have said this many times, and will repeat again, Smriti Irani
has the fire to make change and when she became the Minister of
Textiles, the whole industry was excited, as never before had the
industry seen a really high-profile person being given this portfolio.
Sadly, the hopes were slowly dashed, as like many other
predecessors before her, the focus remained on the handloom sector
with Varanasi being a priority. As usual, the synergy that should
have happened between the handloom sector and the mainstream
industry was not explored… a missed opportunity!
No to deny that the apparel industry was ignored, although many
deliberation meetings were conducted, and the rapport she has
created with AEPC and other industry bodies is very good. But no
concrete steps were taken to address pressing concerns that were
and are affecting the competitiveness of the industry.
It is also worth mentioning that many of the suggestions made by
industry bodies were redirected to the Commerce Ministry with
the rider that the request or suggestion was not in the preview
of the Textile Ministry. Hence the decision had to be made by the
Commerce Ministry and Textile Ministry could only put in a word a
of ‘request’.
Now that the Minister for Commerce has changed, so a new one
means re-educating him on the basics of the industry, the importance
of support and why the Textile Ministry is helpless with his backing!
The erstwhile Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu was often seen
at textile industry events and conferences and his attitude towards
the industry seemed to be very proactive. His thought process was
very clear and logical. In fact, he was among the Ministers that most
people really respected.
Why he could not retain his position in the Ministry is anyone’s
guess, but Piyush Goyal is no less charismatic and we can only hope
that he takes the industry and its concerns seriously.
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’s DESK…

Bhagwan Das Khatri
Proprietor, Lilashah Exports, Jaipur
As Narendra Modi braces for a second
term, his Government should consider
a clutch of proposals over the next 100
days to complete unfinished goals of
fine-tuning reforms like the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), spurring
private investments, reversing a
slowdown in consumption, creating jobs
and fixing textile policies. This time, we
are wishing to see these changes at a
faster pace. Having faith because of his
previous work, we have voted Modi again
to form his Government.
Matty Dutt
Proprietor, Lady London, Mumbai
See, the Narendra Modi Government
has definitely done some commendable
job in his tenure of last 5 years. And, I
guess this is the reason why he has been
elected for the second term. Everyone –
from the industry people to the general
public – have faith in him and in his
party. One of the biggest achievements
of his Government was to bring all the
taxes under one umbrella, that is, the
introduction of Goods and Service Tax
(GST). Paying Value-Added Tax (VAT)
and other miscellaneous taxes were
literally taking a toll on us. Now we don’t
have to pay different taxes as GST is
solving that purpose.
This time also, we are hoping that Modi
will continue doing his great work. We
have a lot of expectations from the Modi
2.0 Government for the textile and
apparel industry. And to start with, the
Government should take initiative and
help the traders in getting GST returns
smoothly and in a hassle-free way. There
are vendors, who are still facing issues
and not getting the return timely. The
second priority for the Government
should be creating more jobs in this
sector. And last but not the least, the
aim for them should be to increase the
productivity of labour.
Chintan V. Daga
Proprietor, Rishabh International, Mumbai
There are a lot of areas where the new
Government needs to take immediate
action. The first and foremost is to
make a proper policy for the textile
sector. Simultaneously, the Government
should also follow up on initiatives such
as Start-Up India, Agri-Export policy,
Ease of Doing Business, etc. This time
in 2019, the biggest advantage for
Narendra Modi emanates from the fact
that he is no longer a novice to Delhi
and its bureaucracy. And for rolling out
reforms of huge size and scale, he does
not need any support from some of
his not-so-reliable allies. But Modi as a
Prime Minister definitely needs some
skilled and experienced hands to anchor
the textile ministry, particularly in those
areas where major reforms are to take
place.
Aryan
Director, One Pacific Internet Venture, Gurgaon
Taking clue from his previous tenure,
we are aiming high from the Modi
Government this time. In the Indian
textile and apparel sector, the sub
sectors of weaving, processing and
garmenting are fragmented and lack the
requisite scale for success in the global
markets. Most of the manufacturing
units have small capacities and low
manufacturing efficiencies, which are big
disadvantages in the global arena. There
is therefore a need to facilitate rapid
growth and modernise the existing
firms to bring them at par with other
global counterparts.
In addition, it is also necessary to
attract large scale investment for
world-class manufacturing facilities for
realising the Prime Minister’s vision of
‘Make in India’ with ‘Zero Effect; Zero
Defect’ at each level of the value chain.
The advent of large manufacturing
plants with economies of scale will
also further help India in achieving
global competitiveness.
R K Gupta
CEO, Fashion Tech, New Delhi
It is no hidden fact that the textile
sector is undergoing a lot of difficulties
and transformation at the same
time. I personally feel that Narendra
Modi 2.0 Government should infuse
new and upgraded technologies
for making textiles and clothing
apparels better. This will benefit all
the industries in a great way – right
from the small weavers to the big
traders. In an initiative to make India
a US $ 5 trillion economy, the textile
sector plays an important role and
the Government will have to pursue
really hard to achieve this goal. And
I am 100 per cent sure that this
time, the new Government would
leave no stone unturned to make
India a US $ 5 trillion economy, up from
US $ 2.9 trillion now.
Secondly, India has the capabilities
to become a big exporter in denim,
only if our Government supports. If
a country like Bangladesh – a small
country (in terms of population) – can
achieve this, then we can also make
it to that level. This is the time to
implement all the announcements that
the Government made in its last tenure,
but left half-way or to make fresh
announcements which are well suited
to the industry.
Qquestion
answer
A
Now since the Modi Government is back in power again, hopes are flying high and everyone
is geared up for a better, promising future. Being a stakeholder of the textiles and apparel
industry, what do you think should be the top three priorities of the new Government for
industry’s betterment? Are you hopeful that things will improve from now on?
&
MIND TREE

Union Minister of Commerce and
Industry, Piyush Goyal, has urged
the industry and export bodies to
stop depending on the crutches of
subsidies and grants from the Central
Government and rather strive towards
making the industry more competitive
and self-reliant. However, it cannot
be denied that individual efforts like
enhanced productivity, more focus on
product development, cost cutting,
new markets, have their own limits.
So, to survive and to grow, what is the
appropriate way out in such a scenario?
NEXT
question
MINDTREE
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Ravi Ghai
Proprietor, Ravi Inter Exports, New Delhi
This is a proud moment for every Indian.
I think this time, a majority of Indians
wanted Narendra Modi to continue his
tenure as the Prime Minister. I wish him
the very best and I am hoping things get
streamlined as fast as possible unlike the
things that were kept half way or those
which were announced, but have not
been started yet. We have been facing
regular issues such as duty rate hike,
GST and other miscellaneous things
related to the textile industry.
We are unable to compete with the
international market, and at the same
time, find it hard to survive through this
business. Although it is an undeniable
fact that this sector is generating
employment and foreign currencies for
the country, and that’s the reason the
Government should support us. See,
earlier there were no taxes like value-
added tax (VAT) on fabric, but now we
are paying GST on that also. There is
no concrete textile policy till date. The
Centre should consider that if we will
grow, then the country will also grow.
For us, the situation is degrading day
by day, and it is getting worse for us.
Rajesh Kumar Bajoria
Director, Stitch Line Apparels, Kolkata
The historic mandate won by the
BJP-led National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) has obviously raised hopes
that the incoming Government will
launch the long overdue, painful
reforms that are required to take the
country to the next level of economic
development. The low-hanging
fruit has been plucked, although
the current Government is likely to
face tough choices as it tries to put
the economy on a higher growth
path. One of the areas where the
Government needs to start work
immediately is to remove antiquated
labour laws that till now have been
discouraging job creation. There is
no doubt that multiple-rate GST has
helped in managing inflation ever
since the levy was rolled out. But
now it needs to be simplified to fewer
rates, and also get claims easily.
MIND TREE

brands to offer personalisation in new ways,
including emotional data and eye tracking.
Simultaneously, the need for tailored
experiences is on the rise, and retailers are
also taking that into consideration for their
future reference. Innovation and collaboration
are the two keys where it all starts.
Things like new device platform, artificial
intelligence, augmented reality, smart
apparel and 3D simulation have created a
need for more content, all the time. There
are already big things that are being actively
adopted like virtual reality fashion shows,
automated sales assistants, better and faster
manufacturing software and faster delivery
options. But to create dynamic content faster
than ever, of course there is a requirement
for larger teams, ample resources, more
time to explore and less barriers. Obviously,
technology is great, but it’s just a tool and
if it is not used correctly, then it’s useless.
There are some technological tools which are
changing the whole retail game. Let’s discuss
in detail how these tools and technologies are
changing the customers’ lives and the way
they are influencing the buying and wearing
of clothes.
Augmented & Virtual Reality
Augmented reality mirrors are changing
the way consumers try clothes, apart
from providing several other benefits.
A person can stand in front of the
augmented reality mirror and see what
the apparel is going to look like. Not only
does it save time but it also helps customers
visualise fashion. There is another side
benefit also that is often not discussed.
Some people with obsessive compulsive
disorder could be germaphobic. By
eliminating the need to try on clothing that
hasn’t been cleaned or has been tried on by
many people, that person can experience
what the clothing would look like on him/
her. With virtual and augmented reality,
consumers can either enter a virtual 360°
environment or superimpose items into their
real-life environment and thus it helps them
with their shopping choice. Like at French
sports goods chain Decathlon, customers
can check out Quechua tents via virtual
reality. And at Ikea, one can preview sofas
in his/her living room via an augmented
reality app.
T
echnological and economical shifts
have been rewriting the shopping
journey. Once considered transactional
in nature, this is now focused more on
relationship building. Every step of this
journey – offline or online – is centered
on how to uplift consumer engagement in
order to deepen the relationship further. To
succeed amidst the cut-throat competition
and to make business successful, marketers
need to focus on offering an unparalleled
shopping experience to their customers.
With the increasing globalisation of retailing,
both in terms of their points-of-sale and their
points-of-supply, the information technology
expenditure in the retail sector has grown
significantly as IT plays a vital role in the
management of complex retail operations.
On the other side, consumers are getting
more empowered to use technology to
assist in their purchasing decisions than
ever before. With a constant stream of new
channels to explore, it is key for retailers
to be in the right place at the right time,
when it comes to engaging with their
consumers. With the recent developments
around, consumers are now expecting retail
Technology, Customer Experience
The Changing Face of Retail
WORLD WRAP

managed using artificial intelligence. Owing
to its expertise in delivering a customised
experience, retailers are increasingly
employing artificial intelligence to stay above
the competition, such as chatbots designed
to simulate conversations with online
customers. Similarly, AI is also being used to
handle customer data, analyse and influence
customers’ buying behaviour, prevent
fraudulent transactions, and predict consumer
behaviour, enabling online retailers to
automate their businesses. Amazon’s virtual
assistant, Alexa, offers e-commerce retailers
a creative opportunity to influence customer
preferences. Receiving a voice request, Alexa
recommends products, arranges transport
and orders meals for the user, impacting the
way a customer makes a purchase.
Tech Tailors
Long gone are the days of constantly visiting
a tailor to order custom garments, in order
to create perfect fit for one’s body. Now,
companies like MTailor have technology
that measure one’s body for perfect-for-you
fit. In fact, MTailor claims that by using its
app, its machine learning algorithm can
measure one 20 per cent better than a tailor
would be able to, and all this in mere 30
seconds or fewer. All it requires for this is
a smartphone or a tablet’s camera to take
9 upper body measurements and 7 lower
body measurements. Then, a customer can
purchase tailored blazers, suits, pants and
shirts for men, as well as jeans for women.
Smartphone Shopping
Technology has changed the manner in
which retailers and customers interact,
enabling marketers to build their
online brand image and equity. Today a
majority people prefer online shopping.
According to a study, four out of five
smartphone users do a thorough research
on the products and services available
online before making a purchase.
Smartphones have become the default
screen for brand engagement and
e-commerce transactions, making it crucial
for marketers to maintain a good online
reputation and offer fair pricing strategies.
To drive their business growth, marketers
must strive to make the mobile shopping
experience enjoyable, informative and
convenient for their customers.
Behavioural Analytics
As mobile users are getting comfortable
with online shopping, web analytics and
customer behavioural analytics are gaining
importance. Before buying, nowadays
customers are preferring to do an online
research on products and services,
however, they expect e-retail stores to offer
them an array of options with respect to
their preferences and buying behaviour.
Online business analytics offer rich data
on the customer behaviour trends, helping
retailers improve merchandising, supply
chain, marketing, advertising and other
strategic decisions. Behavioural analytics
tracks the shoppers’ search and purchase
history and their interactions with the
customer care professionals, offering a
wealth of information to online marketers.
This data enables retailers to predict and
suggest the relevant products and services
to their target customers.
Crosschannel Purchases
On an average, 38 per cent of all purchases
are made through multiple channels.
Technology and social media are central
to omnichannel shopping. Shoppers are
conducting online product research using
mobile applications and going through
the social media ratings, online customer
reviews, brand promotion videos and
product photographs submitted by other
users. Consequently, shoppers use multiple
channels to make a decision, selecting the
products and services with fluidity. In order
to ensure consistent profits, e-commerce
retailers must improve their digital
presence across a variety of channels.
Retail technology is revolutionising online
shopping by enabling businesses to adopt
innovative ways to engage their customers.
Keeping up with this tech will separate
leaders from laggards.
Smart Apparel
While wearable accessory tech like smart
watches, bracelets and rings may be
commonplace, there are new intelligent
clothing choices transforming the apparel
industry – specifically shoes. You may think
that measuring performance is one of the
reasons for smart shoes, but that option existed
for quite some time – the Nike+ training shoe
debuted in 2012. However, the newest smart
shoes, Nike’s Adapt BB, pairs with an app to
adjust for fit. Sayonara shoelaces!
Robots, Making Workers
Tech-savvy
It’s common for shoppers to expect their
in-store experiences to be just as seamless
as online shopping, which places significant
pressure on retailers to deliver. Taking
things ahead, some stores are equipped
with enterprise mobile computers, tablets
and RFID tags, which instantly access
product information, inventory data and
more – allowing the store workers to provide
customers with a higher level of service.
Similarly, brands are investing in robots to
attract clients and guide them around the store.
At a branch of French fashion chain, Kiabi on
the outskirts of Paris, robots talk to customers
as they enter the store. Their human-like
appearance amuses and appeals to consumers.
Apart from the entertainment value, they are
also used for giving and collecting information,
and some can also handle payment.
AI and Bots
A recent study by Gartner shows that over
85 per cent of customer interactions will be
WORLD WRAP

RETAIL CURRENT
Poney, a well-known Malaysian-
based kidswear retailer, unveiled
its new flagship store at the newly
opened Central iCity shopping
complex in Kuala Lumpur. The
new store will see the Poney Group
display the complete range of
its brands in a bright and light
setting, next to Trudy & Teddy.
its flagship store in Malaysia
back in 1997 at the popular
KLCC Shopping Mall. In less
than two decades, the Malaysian
retailer spread its wings globally
by opening stores in China,
Singapore, Spain, Indonesia,
Middle East and several
other countries.
this year, has the distinction of
being the first shopping centre
in Malaysia to be opened by
Thailand’s Central Group. The
opening day saw the Group
offering sales of products up
to 50 per cent at Central iCity,
which attracted huge crowd of
shoppers. Poney had first opened
All the three brands housed
by Poney, namely Poney, Baby
Poney and Poney Enfants, offer
the highest quality of clothes
and accessories for newborns,
babies and kids up to 12 years
and the same will be displayed
at the new store. The Central
iCity, which was launched earlier
Poney opens new store at Central iCity, Kuala Lumpur
Asia, lately, seems to be emerging
as a major market for many
Western brands. A testimony of
the same is Tapestry’s decision
to open about 100 stores in Asia
this year, most of them in China.
The parent company of Coach,
Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman,
Tapestry is the first New York-
based house of modern luxury
lifestyle brands. “China has
emerged as the second-largest
luxury market in the world
according to Euromonitor, and
we expect the country to continue
to drive growth for Coach and
Tapestry, over the foreseeable
future,” the company said,
underlining that it is focusing
its growth on regions where it
believes it is under-represented,
namely south-east Asia, Europe
and Greater China.
Filing its latest results, Tapestry
reportedly maintained that it plans
to open between 60 and 70 new
Kate Spade stores this year and
another 30 for Stuart Weitzman.
As per the Tapestry’s fiscal third
quarter results, its revenues came
in at US $ 1.3 billion, up 1 per cent
Y-o-Y on a reported basis. The
gross margins also rose 30 basis
points for the quarter to 69.2 per
cent as a result of noteworthy
improvements in margins of Kate
Spade as well as Coach.
Tapestry eyes expansion in Asia; 100 more stores in the offing
The new store
will see the
Poney Group
display the
complete range
of its brands in a
bright and light
setting, next to
Trudy & Teddy

RETAIL CURRENT
IKEA is planning to launch its
new app to allow its customers
to shop for products directly
from their homes, eliminating
the need to visit its vast network
of self-service, out of town
stores. The new app would allow
customers to enter their room
dimensions to ensure a good
fit and choose from different
styles and ‘life stages’ to narrow
down the selection. The retailer
is changing its business model
to focus on making it easier
for customers to shop online,
rather than forcing them to
come to their warehouses.
While it’s known for giant stores
on the outskirts of towns, it’s
testing smaller urban locations
that only carry a fraction of the
line-up. Combined with the app,
shoppers can see some products
3D imaging firm Outward in 2017,
and US start-up Modsy, which
raised US $ 37 million this month
to expand in 360-degree room and
furniture imaging.
fit into their homes; however,
they could not shop from there.
Other retailers experimenting
with augmented reality include
Williams-Sonoma, which bought
in person while still having
access to the fuller catalogue.
It could tweak its traditional
stores to focus more on carrying
online stock than serving in-
person customers.
“It is a completely new
experience. The app combines
the store experience with the
online experience,” Barbara
Martin Coppola, Chief Digital
Officer at IKEA said. IKEA is
initially launching this app in
France and The Netherlands
and will then roll out in IKEA’s
top eight markets – including
Germany, the United States and
China – by the end of the year. In
2017, IKEA originally launched
an augmented reality app which
allowed customers to see how
more than 2,000 items would
IKEA revamping app to enable online shopping

“W
hen we held the
first summit
10 years ago,
few leaders
recognised
the importance of the business of
changing the way we produce, market
and consume fashion. Today, a decade
later, sustainability has become the most
important business responsible innovation
driver in the fashion industry and the
summit is more pertinent than ever with
challenges such as climate change, human
rights and resource scarcity soaring to new
heights. I’m counting on us all to actually
change fashion’s future within the next 10
years.” This statement of Eva Kruse, CEO
& President, Global Fashion Agenda and
Copenhagen Fashion Summit describes
most of the things prevalent about
sustainability a decade ago and the things
that will be coming up in the decade ahead.
The summit, the world’s leading event
on sustainability in the fashion industry
with the keywords ‘10 Years of Rewriting
Fashion’ discussed issues likes climate
change, worker welfare, collective efforts
and many more; these key topics were the
highlights of the brainstorming sessions.
Action, speed and collaboration were at the
heart of the discussion and the message
was loud and clear – there is an urgency
and united ambition to act now.
With more than 1,000 guests and 78
speakers, none of the issues regarding
sustainability were left untouched.
Innovation Forum and Future Lab was
the attraction for most of the speakers
as well as the audience. At Innovation
Forum, many start-ups and inventors
COPENHAGEN FASHION SUMMIT
A c t i m m e d i a t e l y , u n i t e d l y
SUSTAINABILITY
The Crown Princess of Denmark (Princess Mary) delivering the opening speech

introduced fresh, novel ideas like non-
toxic waterproofing inventions, reusable
packaging solutions, eco-friendly dyes, plant-
based leathers, recycled textile fibres etc.
SpinDye’s sustainably dyed polyester yarns
and few such suppliers also highlighted
their offerings.
Various speakers from different backgrounds
insisted that the finance department or such
stakeholders need to consider a company’s
sustainable efforts in their analyses rather
than strictly pushing for increased margin.
“Sustainability needs to be a non-competitive
area – working with open source, using
our experience and making sure we don’t
compete,” insisted Anna Gedda, Head of
Sustainability, H&M Group.
It was also emphasised that the
industry should focus more on collective
responsibility for the lives of the workers.
Treat them as human beings that they
are and not just as cheap labourers that
make clothes. Serious working conditions
in apparel manufacturing destinations
attracted audience attraction. Anindit
Roy Chowdhury, Programme Manager
(Global), Gender Justice and Human
Rights, C&A Foundation shared how girls
are given continuous cycle of birth control
pills so that their periods don’t disrupt their
working hours in garment factories in India.
Globally, and specially in India and that
too in the textile and apparel industry, the
owner’s involvement is quite high in most of
the decisions and majority of them believe
in micromanagement. So, it is very much
required for the country’s sustainable
industry that owners take bold steps. To
sum it up in Eva Kruse’s own words, “We
have to call for bold leadership. There are so
many existing solutions, but we need to push
them even further and we also need to be
supported by the policymakers.”
India’s international
voices
As usual, Anita Dongre, Fashion Designer,
was present at the summit and she
highlighted that design is a very important
part drive of sustainability and hence, she is
focusing more on educating the designers.
Hrishikesh Rajan and Saravanan
Parisutham, Founders, TrusTrace,
Coimbatore were part of the Innovation
Forum. TrusTrace is a software dedicated
to finding sustainable solutions through
blockchain.
For Delhi-based Madhurima Singh,
Founder of the label Dhuri, it was an
enriching experience and she came back as
a more educated and aware brand owner.
Noel Kinder
Chief Sustainable Officer, Nike
“When you’re facing an existential crisis
like climate change, you’re not going
to solve it on your own. Businesses and
brands must collaborate.”
Marissa McGowan
SVP, Corporate Responsibility, PVH Group
“In order to keep employees motivated,
they need to feel that they work for
a good company, and this includes
sustainability.”
Jason Kibbey
CEO, SAC
“We’ve learned that collaboration
matters but it’s not enough. Changing
materials, changing facilities, changing
the model – this is what’s going to
change the industry.”
Nazma Akter
President, Sommilito Garment Sramik Federation,
Bangladesh and Founder of Awaj Foundation
“Workers are not getting a fair wage
while the industry makes profit, but
wages are not the only issue. The
companies need to take responsibility
to work with factories to tackle
maternal health, gender-based violence,
collective bargaining and automation.”
Mike Barry
Director, Sustainable Business, M&S
“We will be taxed about her
externalities if things do not change.
What is happening to plastic will
happen to clothes soon. We need an
equivalent of Consumer Goods Forum
for the fashion industry.”
In the opening speech,
The Crown Princess
of Denmark (Princess
Mary) mused, “Profit
cannot continue to be
the primary measure
of success.”
Kering Chair and
CEO François-Henri
Pinault shared that he
has been hired by French
President Emmanuel
Macron for a first-of-
its-kind role: to create
a ‘coalition’ of CEOs
and top brands in the
fashion industry to
join forces and set
ambitious sustainability
targets together.
Kering announced a
commitment that the
Group’s houses will only
hire models aged over
18 to represent adults at
their fashion shows and
photo sessions as of 2020.
Emanuel Chirico,
CEO, PVH was on
hand to introduce
the company’s new
corporate responsibility
strategy, ‘Forward
Fashion’, a list of 15
ambitious goals for
transparency and
reduced environmental
impact.
Nike announced
its Circular Design
Workbook to provide
designers and product
creators across the
industry with a
common language for
circularity.
Google revealed a
partnership with Stella
McCartney to measure
the environmental
impact of the
fashion industry.
SUSTAINABILITY

brands in Romania does not lift
workers out of poverty and, they
are forced to survive by taking
debts and separating families,”
underlined co-author of the report
Bettina Musiolek. In the report,
CCC draws attention to the fact
that this practice needs to be
remedied by EU legislation. “None
of the brands buying clothes from
Romania have engaged with labour
and human rights violations in
Romania in any effective way. It is
high time for the EU to introduce
binding Human Rights rules along
supply chains and to address
the wide divergence within the
continent…,” explained Bettina.
Names like Armani, ASOS, C&A,
Esprit, H&M, Hugo Boss, Levi
Strauss, Next, Marks & Spencer,
Primark and Zara, are amongst
some prominent ones that
reportedly source from this region.
There have been lot of talks on
how underpaid garment workers
in Asian countries are and how
often they have to undergo various
workers’ rights violations. But
what about their counterparts
in the developed nations of
Europe…? As per a recent report
of Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC),
garment workers in Romania
are frequently denied acceptable
working conditions and paid below
the legal minimum wage, which if
equated, comes to as little as 14
per cent of a ‘living wage’.
“Garment brands often pride
themselves on bringing
employment to countries in dire
need of it and offering women,
especially, a way out of poverty.
Our research shows that sewing
for factories that produce for
Western European fashion
Romanian workers paid below legal minimum wage, alleges CCC
Pratibha Syntex, Indore,
one of the leading apparel
manufacturers known for
sustainable practices, has won
the 2019 CO Leaders Award for
textile industry and has thereby
become the new trendsetter of
the fashion world. What makes
the achievement so noteworthy
is that Pratibha has attained
this success among more than
700 applicants from across
the globe.
The CO Leaders Award is
given to only those pioneers of
textile industry, who walk that
extra mile to take the fashion
industry beyond the boundaries
of creativity and Pratibha has
succeeded in outrunning some
of the best fashion stalwarts
of the industry. Expressing
delight over receiving the
coveted award, Shreyaskar
Chaudhary, MD, Pratibha
Syntex, said that the firm was
fashion industry is being seen
in a new way today, we need to
update ourselves on a regular
basis, so that we can offer those
products to our customers that
they are expecting from us.”
He also said that since 2016,
Pratibha is committed to working
on a baseline so as to minimise
50 per cent consumption of
fresh water and 20 per cent of
electricity by the year 2020.
The CO, which is globally
the most dynamic sourcing
and information platform for
the fashion industry, awards
the companies only after
evaluating the functions of the
companies that endeavour to
connect market to the world-
class products and services
with their new and trending
fashion products, which
offer environment-friendly
products as a beneficial deal for
the customers.
Pratibha Syntex bags 2019 CO Leaders Award
The CO Leaders
Award is given
to only those
pioneers of
textile industry,
who walk that
extra mile to
take the fashion
industry beyond
the boundaries
of creativity
and Pratibha
has succeeded
in outrunning
some of the best
fashion stalwarts
of the industry.
SUSTAINABILITY
chosen to set up new trademarks
in the fashion industry with their
quality products. Shreyaskar
further added, “This honour
and appreciation will motivate
us to work hard and to set new
dimensions in the fashion world.
As the entire spectrum of the
As per a recent report of
Clean Clothes Campaign
(CCC), garment workers
in Romania are frequently
denied acceptable working
conditions and paid below
the legal minimum wage,
which if equated, comes to
as little as 14 per cent of
‘living wage’.

Remember the report released
by New York University’s Stern
Center for Business and Human
Rights in May this year which
underlined how factories in
Ethiopia are making clothes
for top global brands by paying
their workers far less than
counterparts in other low-paying
countries. Close on heels of this
report, head of Ethiopia’s state-
run investment body Ethiopian
Investment Commission (EIC)
Abebe Abebayehu observed it is
time the Government settles on
a minimum wage among others
to protect the interests of the
workers. Abebe’s comments
in this direction reportedly
came during a discussion
with a private channel, in
Brussels, Belgium.
“We do not believe we have
addressed certain types of issues
that need to be tackled towards
improving the living conditions of
the workers,” underlined Abebe
during the discussion, adding, “The
salary that the report indicated
does not take into account a
number of other benefits that the
investors provide. But still, as the
basic salary, we need to work as
a Government towards setting
a minimum salary that can
provide the workers a decent
way of living. But I think how
low can this wage be is the
question that should be asked.
How can we ensure that while
providing competitive labour
force, we are also ensuring the
well-being of workers… and
also ensuring a decent standard
of living for our workers?”
It is worth noting that as per
the report, entry-level workers
employed in Ethiopian garment
factories making clothes for the
world’s biggest fashion brands
including H&M, Tommy Hilfiger
and Calvin Klein among others,
are the lowest paid in the world
– earning just US $ 26 a month.
EIC head supports minimum wage law to protect workers
Many Australian brands are now
adopting Better Cotton Initiative
(BCI) and are eager to know more
about the origin of raw materials.
This was recently confirmed by
Michael Kobori, Vice President
Sustainability, Levi Strauss &
Co. at a BCI Forum. The forum
brought together more than 100
brands, retailers and cotton
scientists on same platform to
know more about Australia’s
sustainable cotton industry.
Expressing happiness over the
efforts initiated by Australian
brands, Kobori said that he is
encouraged by the Australian
brands’ support to BCI but
would love to see more brands
come forward to switch to BCI.
At Levi’s Strauss, Kobori has
been instrumental in minimising
the environmental impact of
its garments by enhancing the
efficiency of its processes through
its Wellthread™ Collection. And
he has been successfully doing it
Australian cotton industry invests
over US $ 20 million a year in
research and development, with a
large proportion of that focused on
sustainability.”
water among others. Appreciating
Australian cotton industry’s
efforts, Brooke Summers, Cotton
Australia’s Cotton to Market
Programme Manager said, “The
since 2001. The BCI Forum also
saw many prominent Australian
cotton scientists talk Better Cotton
principles especially with regard
to climate change, soil health and
More Australian brands supporting Better Cotton Initiative
The Australian
cotton industry
invests over US
$ 20 million a
year in research
and development,
with a large
proportion of
that focused on
sustainability.
SUSTAINABILITY

Superb growth in
overall retail
The last two decades have seen good
growth in the retail sector of this
small but extremely beautiful country.
Compared to other economies, its
retail growth has been relatively
stable and positive. There has been
a total growth of 132 per cent in New
Zealand’s overall retail sales from
2000 to 2018, growing at a faster
rate than Australia’s retail (having
population of 25 million) since 2013.
Presently, New Zealand’s overall
retail sector is worth NZ $ 92.3 billion
and there are predictions that by
2030, it would be worth NZ $ 120.6
billion. Retail comprises 5.3 per cent
of all businesses in New Zealand and
the sector employs around 2,15,000
people, which is almost 10 per cent
of New Zealand’s total workforce
and is made up of 35,367 physical
retail premises.
The retail sector in the country is
dominated by small to medium-
sized enterprises, of which 89 per
cent currently employ fewer than 10
people. However, the largest retail
New Zealand
Calling...
An AO market report
Time and again Apparel Online has emphasised on the unexplored and new markets which are
oneofthebestoptionstoincreaseapparelbusiness,especiallyinthecurrentchallengingscenario,
where existing markets have slowed down and there is cut-throat competition to survive. There
are some apparel manufacturers in India which are surviving and growing through the strategy
of focusing on such markets rather than just on US, EU or some ‘routine’ markets. New Zealand is
also one such country which has not been explored by most of the Indian apparel manufacturers.
Apart from the ‘hurdle’ that the population of this small country is just 5 million, there are many
positives that encourage players to extend their footprints into New Zealand. Apparel Online
explores the potential of this not-so-familiar market.
COVER STORY
Kathmandu is one of the well-known apparel brands of New Zealand

businesses employ almost half of the
retail workforce. Retail sales in the
country have grown at around 5 per
cent year-on-year over the past five
years in actual terms. “Over the next
10 years, we will not only see a move
to larger stores but also a strong niche
small retail environment, a continued
move to digital channels and a move
towards vertical integration,” says
Greg Harford, Retail NZ GM of
Public Affairs.
Good margins in
apparel sector
The country’s apparel industry
revenue has grown at an annualised
1.2 per cent over the past five years,
to total NZ $ 2.7 billion. As per the
experts of New Zealand apparel retail
market, the domestic supermarket
sector will experience strong growth
while clothing will likely be dominated
by international players in the coming
time. As far as individual spending is
concerned, average NZ $ 1,781 was
spent by Kiwis on clothing, footwear
and accessory which is at the fifth
rank after sectors like grocery and
automobile… in last two decades,
clothing, footwear and personal
accessory have witnessed growth of
105 per cent.
Compared to other segments, apparel
retail in New Zealand has seen high
margins as the average margin for
retail businesses was 3.7 per cent
earlier, but with the apparel, footwear
and personal accessories categories,
the margins have been at 7.5 per
cent,which are highest compared to all
other segments.
India’s share…
In 2017-18, India’s total export to
New Zealand was US $ 360 million,
and during April-February 2018-19,
it was US $ 347 million. Apparel
constituted 6.5 per cent of this total
export. Despite India’s negative
growth in 2018-19 in the knitted as
well as woven segment, New Zealand’s
apparel import from India has
increased in a good way.
Regarding HS Code 61 (apparel
and clothing accessories- knitted),
during 2017-18, India’s export to New
Zealand in this category was US $
8.97 million with a growth of 24.5 per
cent compared to US $ 7.20 million in
2016-17. The growth in 2017-18 really
matters as India’s overall growth
in this product category was down
by -2.75 per cent. Similarly, export
to New Zealand under HS code 62
(non-knitted) in 2017-18 was US $
14.01 million and growth was 4.54 per
cent, while overall India had seen a
negative growth of -4.80 per cent in
this segment.
Growing
companies with
Indian connection
Having around 92 warehouse stores
and 240 outlets, The Warehouse is
one of the main companies of New
Zealand sourcing from India. Last
year, it opened office in Gurgaon and
is continuously increasing its home
furnishing and apparel sourcing
from India, though its major apparel
sourcing happens mostly from
Bangladesh.
Another niche company which is kind
of community owned ethical fashion
brand, Little Yellow Bird, specialises
In 2017-18, India’s
total export to
New Zealand was
US $ 360 million,
and during April-
February 2018-19,
it was US $ 347
million. Apparel
constituted 6.5%
of this total
export.
COVER STORY

in 100 per cent organic rain-fed cotton
products, ethically-made clothing
and corporate workwear. It earned
a revenue of NZ $ 4,12,272 in FY ’19.
Sourcing from India, the company
is also associated with NGOs and
farmers. As per its social media
account, the company is raising
capital to help it scale even further
to increase market reach, grow its
sales and leadership team and expand
into new markets... The company
recently valued at NZ $ 3.4 million and
raised NZ $ 442318 few days ago. The
company claims to have a customer
base providing uniforms for over 400
companies.
Another social enterprise, Freeset,
is associated with upliftment of
thousands of women in West Bengal
who are vulnerable to sex trafficking.
The company offers bags, tees and
hand-woven fabrics, and loves that
it is part of India’s long tradition of
cotton and jute production.
Sustainability is
key to many…
Like other Western countries, many
brands of New Zealand are leading
in terms of sustainability. Various
certifications and their strong
dedication/belief in fair trade, living
wage, traceability makes them front
runners in this direction. Kowtow,
Icebreaker, Liminal and Freeset
recently received A+ grades for their
ethical manufacturing practices, by
Ethical Fashion Report and Guide
released by Tearfund. AS Colour,
Kathmandu and Nature Baby were
also appreciated for the same.
Liminal is also sourcing from India
and working with NGOs like Chetna
Organic Cotton.
Global retailers
eyeing…
In last 2-3 years, global retailers have
been eyeing New Zealand in a big
way like H&M, which entered New
Zealand in 2016 and has 6 stores
in the country including Auckland,
Wellington, Christchurch and
Tauranga; now it is going to open its
7th store at Hamilton. Gazal (PVH) is
also actively growing in New Zealand.
Some Australian retail chains like
Cotton On Group are going strong in
this country. Ikea has also confirmed
its entry into New Zealand few months
back. However, popular names like
Esprit, Topshop, Pumpkin Patch and
David Lawrence have not done well in
this market.
Experience of
Indian exporters
It is a well-known fact that Australia,
an important market for many Indian
apparel manufacturers, has many
similarities with New Zealand. Both
are island nations in the South Pacific
and there is also a free movement of
people between the two countries.
Many Australians live in New Zealand
and vice versa. Not only that, both
countries share an interest in the
same kind of sports including cricket
and rugby, besides resemblance in
food habits and culture. Despite this,
Indian exporters are still missing out
on the opportunity that New Zealand
presents… why?
Limited resources of SME exporters
is one of the main reasons for the
same. “We have not explored New
Zealand as we never met any buyer
from this market. Yes, we and our
fellow exporters should explore such
• 3 Wise Men
• AS Colour
• Baby City
• Barkers
• Max
• Farmers
• Freeset
• Hallenstein
Glassons Holding
• Huffer
• Hunting & Fishing
New Zealand
• Icebreaker
• K&K
• Karen Walker
• Kate Sylvester
• Kathmandu
• Kowtow
• Liminal
• Moochi
• Macpac
• Merric
• Nature Baby
• Pagani
• Postie
• Ruby
• Swanndri
• T&T
• Trelise Cooper
• The Baby Factory
• The Warehouse
Group
• World
Some of the
well-known or
growing
brands in
New Zealand
“We have two
clients in New
Zealand, and
to them, we
are exporting
beachwear but
orders are not
regular. As our
price are same for
all buyers, I can’t
really comment
on how the New
Zealand’s buyers
are positioned on
the price front,”
– Jimmy Khatri,
LilaShah Exports,
Jaipur
Vital stats that make
New Zealand promising
Overall retail
sector presently
stands at NZ
By 2030, the
country’s retail
industry is set
to reach NZ
Excluding
groceries and
liquor, online
sales account for
$ 92.3
billion
One retail
store is there
for every
135people
$120.6
billion
11%of all
sales
COVER STORY

small but interesting markets, but an
individual exporter can’t do much in
this direction,” avers Pranav Sadh,
RS International, Noida (exporting
mainly to Australia). There are many
Australian companies having stores
in New Zealand, so lot of indirect
sourcing for New Zealand happens
through this route.
International Sourcing Expo, Australia
is a good option to get New Zealand-
based buyers. “We have two clients
in New Zealand, and to them, we are
exporting beachwear but orders are
not regular. As our price are same for
all buyers, I can’t really comment on
how the New Zealand’s buyers are
positioned on the price front,” shares
Jimmy Khatri, LilaShah Exports,
Jaipur.
Anupam Maity, Senior
Merchandiser, KTC Export, Kolkata,
however shares a different opinion
as he states,“Despite being a small
market, we are enjoying this market.
Though we have only one client
(Trelise Cooper) there, but it has a
very wide reach to many countries and
we have observed around 25 per cent
growth every year. New Zealand is a
market for quality products and high-
end fashion; accordingly, buyers do
pay good price compared to Europe or
even other small markets. There is no
problem at all in this market. Buyers
are less but opportunities are more.”
The company’s expertise is in hand
embroidery and it works with different
kinds of buyers across the globe.
The fact that a majority of imports
into the country comes from China,
is also a deterrent for some. “Yes,
we do many different and small
markets across the world but never
explored New Zealand as the kind of
products which sell more there, are
mainly dominated by Chinese apparel
manufacturers. And to overcome this
challenge, we need to have a separate
team or need to put extra focus on
product development which is not a
very viable option,” says Narinder
Pal Singh, MD, Nancy Krafts, Delhi,
honestly.
Venturing New
Zealand requires
support
Government and industry bodies
have to look at such markets on a
priority basis. For example, India’s
only sourcing fair for apparel export,
IIGF, normally has buyer visitation
from more than 60 countries. Last
year in the July edition of the event,
there were 7 buyers from New
Zealand, but sometimes the fair does
not even see a single buyer from the
country. Buyers’ visitation from such
emerging markets need to be more
regular.
“A few years ago, we had some orders
from New Zealand, but now there is no
business from the country. Exploring
New Zealand is comparatively
difficult compared to a few other
such countries in Europe. I feel that
logistics or connectivity with New
Zealand is also a problem as it takes
more time and resources. To improve
business with New Zealand, we have
to work hard as to the best of my
knowledge, kiwi buyers prefer other
sourcing hubs than India,” reasons
Abhishek Sadh, Abhi International,
Noida.
Fashion focus...
As most of the Australian brands
have good market share in New
Zealand and both countries have
many commonalities, similar trends
of fashion are found in New
Zealand. Australia’s biggest
fashion event, the Mercedes-Benz
Fashion Week, which is held in
Sydney, recently showcased its
2019 collections. From brilliant
pops of colours to ’80s power
shoulders, we spotted many
bold trends in the Australian
demography which also includes
preferences in New Zealand.
Feathers and sequined
embellishments featured over
gowns, tops and dresses but did
not limit themselves to garments
alone. Accents of feathers over
handbags were seen on the
runways of designers Michael
Lo Sordo, Carla Zampatti and
Alice McCALL. Power shoulders
brought the ’80s era back by
emphasising on dramatised
silhouettes. Designers such as
Lee Matthews, Thurley and Aje
experimented with statement
shoulders and billowing sleeves
leaving a lot to the imagination.
2019 is all about colour popping
in the region. Designers such as
Jonathan Simkhai, Bec + Bridge,
P.E Nation and Aje, among others,
resorted to shocking pinks, fiery
oranges and electric blues as
colour palettes for the season.
Australia’s biggest
fashion event, the
Mercedes-Benz
Fashion Week,
which is held in
Sydney, recently
showcased its
2019 collections.
From brilliant
pops of colours
to ’80s power
shoulders, we
spotted many
bold trends in
the Australian
demography
which also
includes
preferences in
New Zealand.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Sydney, recently showcased its 2019 collections
COVER STORY

AO: The concept of collaboration along the textile supply chain is
gaining ground… How has this worked out for Reliance?
Rakesh Bali: At Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), we are
committed to share our experiences and expertise with
the entire textile value chain to enhance efficiencies
and standardise quality of products throughout the
downstream. The whole concept of R|Elan™ is based on
this principle which is applied through an industry-wide
Hub Excellence Partners (HEP) program. This strong
pan-India network of more than 50 HEP partner textile
mills provides assurance of timely supply of fabric for
streamlined production and standardised quality to brands
and retailers. Furthermore, the HEP partners also receive
timely technical assistance, new business leads and new
product development support.
This program is built on three pillars to ensure increased
value at every level of the textile supply chain. These three
pillars are as follows:
• Partner accreditation to ensure highest quality and
delivery standards
• Market linkages to provide networking opportunities to
partners for fast-track acceptance
• Promotional and marketing support such as assistance
in business development and promotions, access to
latest fashion trends and RIL’s own research and
innovation and other new sector-specific trends
As a part of HEP program, this year, 15 HEP partners
had showcased fabrics comprising all segments such as
denim, activewear, womenswear, formals and casualwear
at the R|Elan™ pavilion at Fabtex 2019. The pavilion had
individual stalls for these HEP partners from across Indian
textile hubs showcasing their best offerings. The stalls
were unified with Fabric 2.0 positioning and displayed the
new-age sustainable and high-performance ingredients
of the fabrics. This novel strategy of co-participating with
partner mills was a win-win not only for R|Elan™ as a
brand building exercise but also for the HEP partners
which benefited by way of increased enquiries and deals.
R|Elan™ also demonstrated a large variety of possibilities
through its specially engineered fibres at the enclosure.
AO: What are the biggest challenges when working in a
collaborative supply chain?
Rakesh Bali: The biggest challenges in a collaborative
supply chain are understanding the needs and
requirements of not only one’s customers but also ways
through which these needs and aspirations of the end
consumers can be satisfied. However, the HEP program is
designed in such a way that the needs and requirements
of each value chain partner is ascertained and the efforts
are focused to meet the demand of all downstream players.
Furthermore, the total satisfaction of the end consumer is
also given paramount importance.
AO: In which segments have R|Elan™ got maximum leverage,
and, why?
Rakesh Bali: We have seen tremendous traction for high
performance and sustainable solutions from renowned
Since its introduction last year, R|Elan™ – a range
of performance fabrics from Reliance Industries
– have been creating waves in the textile industry.
Supporting this growth are a set of partners who are
equipped to produce new-age fabric using the R|Elan™
technologies. The vision of the brand R|Elan™ is to
provide consumers with next generation fabrics that are
in line with the latest fashion trends while also fulfilling
their lifestyle needs. The brand has an end consumer-
centric approach that aims to provide assurance to the
consumers that if there is R|Elan™ on the outside, there
is something special on the inside. In conversation with
Apparel Online, Rakesh Bali, Senior Vice President,
Marketing, RIL shares the success of a collaborative
growth model and talks about the future direction for
R&D at Reliance Industries Limited.
RIL takes
collaborative
route to
growth with
R|Elan™
TEX-FILE

domestic and international brands and retailers.
We have also witnessed an emerging trend of rising
demand for eco-friendly and functionality enhancement
fabrics. R|Elan™ is perfectly positioned to provide a one-
stop supply solution to the major brands and retailers, be
it domestic or international. Over past one year, R|Elan™
has carved out a niche among major brands across
denim, activewear, formals and casualwear, emerging
as fabric 2.0 – the next generation fabric for today’s
demanding consumer.
AO: What is the R&D strength of RIL?
Rakesh Bali: We have manufacturing plants at five locations
across India. These plants are equipped with the most
modern hardware and cutting-edge R&D facilities to enable
the production of high quality products. Besides the R&D
centres located at all manufacturing facilities, a special
R&D hub is also located at Reliance Corporate Park in Navi
Mumbai, having world-class equipment and instruments.
Moreover, an extremely experienced R&D team at
Patalganga is mainly focused on R|Elan technologies.
The team concentrates its efforts to ensure that quality
and functionality enhancement is achieved without
compromising on aesthetic and style aspects. We have
thoroughly audited and accredited our partner mills
in HEP program to achieve the standardisation of
quality parameters.
AO: What is the direction of research at RIL today?
Rakesh Bali: The key focus areas for our research are
sustainability and circular economy concepts. We are
among those few companies that have developed solutions
for circular economy – a step towards sustainable fashion.
R|Elan™ powered by Green Gold – our flagship eco-
sensitive solution for the fashion industry – is moving from
strength to strength.
TEX-FILE
To commemorate ‘World Environment Day’ on June 5 - Reliance Industries Ltd.’s R|Elan
‘Fashion for Earth’ in partnership with Lakmé Fashion Week presented the #EarthTee2

R|Elan™ fabrics are made from specially engineered
fibres to combine, in perfect proportions, functionality
and fashion. These fabrics can be high-performance,
aesthetically superior and highly eco-sensitive, to
satisfy the growing consumer demand for making
high-fashion statement. R|Elan™ fabrics are powered
by various unique technologies that enhance the
functionality, characteristics and sustainability
quotient.
THE R|ELAN™
RANGE INCLUDES:
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by Kooltex is a specially
engineered fabric with inherent moisture management
mechanism that keeps you cool and dry. The permanent
three-stage wicking mechanism ensures that sweat is
transported to the garment’s outer surface faster, spread over
a larger area and evaporated quickly. Enhanced breathability
and comfort are the hallmarks of Kooltex fabric.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by Feelfresh is a high
performance fabric that limits bad odour in garments even
after extended usage in demanding conditions. It has a unique
silver nanoparticle technology that limits the growth of
microbes and bacteria, giving it lasting anti-odour properties.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by Supersoft is made from
one of the finest fibres in the world, lending an unparalleled
handfeel and touch. This feather-touch fabric creates a
luxurious aesthetic and enhanced drape in high-end formal
shirting.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by FreeFLow is a fluid fabric
that creates exquisite, flowy ethnic and westernwear for
women. It helps accentuate the figure and beauty of the
wearer through phenomenal drape and fall.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by SuperBlack is a rich black
fabric that fits the occasion, whether it be a business meeting
or a social event. The inherent black shade lasts for the
garment’s lifetime, irrespective of repeated laundry cycles.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by GreenGold is a fabric with
unmatched eco-credentials. It is made from recycling post-
consumer PET bottles through renewable energy sources, and
has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. Green
Gold fabric can be made from pre-coloured fibres which
remove the need for downstream dyeing, achieving massive
savings in water, energy and chemicals. Fibre-to-garment
traceability can also be provided for the discerning consumer.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by AirTherm is a light fabric
that is comfortable and provides warmth. The hollow
structure traps air, providing thermal insulation and warmth.
R|Elan™ Fabric 2.0, powered by DuraFit is a touch and
rugged fabric, with durable stretch that lasts over the time,
providing enhanced shape retention.
Made from recycled post-consumer PET bottles, Green
Gold fabrics provide a second lease of life to plastics that
possibly find their way to landfill. For making one kilogram
of fibre, we use around 70 PET bottles, and every year, we
recycle around 2.05 billion PET bottles across our three
manufacturing sites. This has resulted in the creation of
150+ PET bottle collection centres spread across India.
The PET bottle recycling initiative generates around two
lakh direct and indirect employment, mostly encompassing
ragpickers from lower strata of the society.
The fibre is manufactured from waste PET bottles by using
renewable energy sources and the latest manufacturing
tech, lending it one of the lowest carbon footprints globally.
Zero waste concept is followed at the manufacturing
sites, ensuring all materials are either utilised, sold or
reused. With our state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant,
90 per cent of our waste water is processed and reused in
horticulture.
R|Elan Green Gold also offers complete traceability from
fibre to garment and throughout the entire value chain. It is
also possible to identify the presence of Green Gold in the
final garment through adoption of tracer technology. We
are one of those few recycled fibre producers in the world
offering supply chain traceability, helping meet all legal
and social compliances. Green Gold comes in both grey and
pre-coloured (45 ready shades) forms. Pre-coloured Green
Gold doesn’t need any further downstream dyeing, thus
saving on water, energy and harmful dyes and chemicals’
pollution.
In addition to other accolades, Green Gold was awarded the
prestigious Golden Peacock award for Eco-Innovation 2017
and we are delighted to see the increased awareness of the
need for eco-friendliness in the fashion industry.
Besides, Green Gold has the necessary certifications
to provide assurance of environmental friendliness
throughout the value chain. It is Oeko-Tex certified,
making it safe for even baby products, in addition to ISO
9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Green Gold also is GRS
(Global Recycled Standard) certified, which is a major
requirement for global brands. Reliance is one of the few
Indian companies meeting Responsible Care requirements
by American Chemistry Council.
TEX-FILE
RIL has entered in a partnership with PROLINE to co-brand a range of sports apparels with RElan™

Ten point agenda for T&C industry
I
ndian textile and apparel sector has
the vision to become a US $ 350 billion
industry by 2024-25, but looking at the
performance in the past few years, this
seems to be quite difficult. With the strong
Government in power again, industry
expects that there will be policy support
for the industry, which is one of the most
needed aspects to achieve this ambitious
target. According to industry estimate,
currently the size of the Indian textile and
apparel industry is around US $ 160 billion.
India, the world’s second largest exporter
of textiles and apparel during 2014-17
after China, fell to the fifth place in 2018
as Germany, Bangladesh and Vietnam
stepped in. India’s T&C exports have
declined from US $ 38.60 billion in 2014 to
US $ 37.12 billion in 2018 while its imports
have increased from US $ 5.85 billion to
US $ 7.31 billion during the same period.
Last five-year period has been a period
of consolidation, policy disruptions and
shaping up of a new India where many
structural reforms took place in the Indian
economy and also specifically in the Textile
& Clothing (T&C) Industry.
Sanjay K. Jain, Chairman, Confederation
of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) is of
the view, “Indian economy enters into a
very important phase with the new NDA
Government taking charge after the 2019
Lok Sabha elections. Our industry has
gone through a phase of consolidation
where exports stagnated, aggressive
State policies directed investments and
domestic demand was disturbed due to
demonetisation, banking restructuring
and implementation of Goods and Service
Tax (GST).” He further adds that now both
our industry as well as the entire economy
are in a very optimistic mood and looking
for a start of the golden era where they
will realise their true potential and lead
to inclusive growth of the country with
considerable employment opportunities,
especially for the rural women workforce
along with technically qualified
skilled manpower.
1. Announcement of National Fibre Policy to ensure win-win strategy
for all the stakeholders and to assure adequate availability of quality
raw material at an international price throughout the year to achieve
potential growth rate in the textiles and clothing industry.
2. Urgent need to negotiate Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with
developed and large markets like EU, Australia, Canada, Britain, etc.,
to ensure that a level playing field is provided against competitors
like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.
Focused approach should be made to sign FTAs or Preferential
Trade Agreements (PTAs) with large global markets to provide a
level playing field to the industry. Conclusion of FTAs with various
countries that are already under progress should be expedited.
3. Simplify Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) guidelines
and clear all the pending subsidies in a time bound manner (backlog
of around Rs. 9,000 crore under various TUF Schemes). On-time
subsidy clearances have to be ensured as owing to variety of
reasons, thousands of crores of TUFS subsidy are pending for a long
time which has made many units go sick.
4. Extend RoSCTL benefit for the entire textile value chain should
be provided. The export industry should not be forced to bear the
cost of cross subsidies which are in-built in power, financing and
other costs, and are making Indian exports further uncompetitive in
global markets which is visible in the stagnated export figures.
5. Mission mode approach for promoting MMF sector, as without its
growth, the textile industry can never achieve the US $ 150 billion
export target by 2024-25. MMF Downstream Industry must get
their raw materials at internationally competitive prices to enable
increase of their share in exports and also in domestic markets.
Inverted GST duty structure on MMF sector should be corrected,
as huge blockage of funds is happening and refunds are very
difficult as well as time-consuming due to non-allowance of service
GST adjustment against output liability. Therefore, there is a need
to have a uniform rate of 12 per cent for MMF sector.
6. Employee State Insurance (ESI) benefits should apply for the
entire T&C industry. The textile industry is still more than 60 per
cent unorganised, hence a majority of people are not able to get
Employee State Insurance (ESI) benefits. CITI proposes that an
ESI type facility on contribution basis should be made available
to the workforce in unorganised sector like those employed in the
organised sector.
7. Address GST issues on T&C, so that refunds can come to the
industry quickly and enhance liquidity. Further there are many small
GST irritants which need important redressal for which a Special
Officer should be assigned to look into all such issues.
8. TMC-II (Technology Mission on Cotton) may be launched at the
earliest. There is a need to focus on improving cotton productivity
and addressing other issues in the cotton sector to make Indian
cotton internationally competitive.
9. Direct subsidy to cotton farmers should be introduced when
cotton prices fall below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to
ensure the value-added downstream industry gets raw material
at market determined prices – in an international competitive
environment as the industry cannot bear the social subsidy burden.
10. Reduce Hank Yarn Obligation (HYO) from 30 per cent to 15
per cent (as already recommended by the office of the Textile
Commissioner) and also reduce the number of items from 11 to
3 prescribing the fabric construction details under Handloom
Reservation Act to enable ease of doing business.
CITI has a Ten Point agenda to be addressed by the new
Government on a priority basis which includes…
TEX-FILE

Testing the Waters
The First Trend Report for Resort 2020

Print Overload
With the positive inclination shown by major
consumer groups towards travel and leisure,
the travel and luxury industries are witnessing
a gradual yet continuous growth. The on-the-
high global mobilisation, coupled with the urge
to look ‘on-point’ as per the standards social
media entails, has given ‘Resort’ fashion the
much needed boost. Adding to the propulsion
of this segment towards progress is the fact that
resortwear is not synonymous with just luxury
anymore, opening opportunities for players such
as Michael Kors and Saint Laurent, which are
engaged in affordable luxury and bridging of
market space.
Location plays a major role for Cruise and Resort
shows as these revolve around travel, and this
year saw several fashion houses exploring
unfamiliar territories to strike compatibility
with their collection’s design language. Dior
took its Cruise 2020 collection to Marrakech,
collaborating with several local artisans
for weaving, printing and surface texture
modifications, while Max Mara tapped Berlin
taking its large German market into consideration.
Resort 2020 also marked Virginie Viard’s first
collection as Chanel’s Creative Director after the
demise of Karl Lagerfeld. Louis Vuitton came up
with a new destination, as Nicolas Ghesquière
chose the newly renovated TWA Flight Center at
the John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Resort fashion today includes anything
and everything that can be worn by
vacationers leisurely relaxing on the
beach, exploring architectural ruins,
or skiing down blankets of snow–or all
of them together. Resortwear today includes
everything like co-ordinated sets, outdoorsy
yet glamourous outerwear, but the biggest
category among them is swimwear, which is
corroborated by Euromonitor as it valued the
global swimwear market at about US $ 20.8
billion ending 2018, and it is expected to grow
by a CAGR of 2.2 per cent to reach US $ 22.7
billion by 2022. Owing to their multi-functional
and multi-purpose abilities, one-piece
swimsuits turned out to be the most sold
silhouettes of the lot in 2018, as per
Edited.com.
Going away from the conventional easy,
breezy and minimal aesthetics, Resort
2020 incorporated loud and progressive
fashion trends with styles, slammed
with overpowering prints, exaggerated
silhouettes, luxe fabrics and glamourising
value addition details. Apparel Online
dives into the initial wave of resortwear
collections for the first trend report of
Resort 2020.
Asaturation of
print was one
of the biggest traits
showcased on the
Resort 2020 memo, as
busy prints on their own
or contrasting against
even heavier motifs
were the aesthetics
the designers inclined
towards.
Dior mixed and
matched several
panels of ethnic
prints inspired by
local arts of Morocco,
while Burberry kept
narcissism on the
high with graffiti-like
busy prints right from
the turtleneck to the
printed boots. Thom
Browne mixed and
matched different styles
of stripes while Prada
and Gucci kept it playful
with a mosaic of classic
yet contrasting patterns
such as checks, stripes
paired against florals
and tropicals.
Thom Browne
Gucci
Dior
Burberry

Cool Blue
Serenity might have
been the Pantone
Colour of the Year
2016, but the blue
palette definitely made
several appearances
for Resort 2020, mostly
leaning towards the
cooler side. Designers
aimed to channel the
calm and laidback
lifestyle that the cool
tone represents with
head-to-toe looks
dipped in varying hues
of blue in purple and
white undertones.
Co-ordinated sets with
button down shirts,
waist-tie blazers and
knitted pullovers set
against straight and
boxy fit pants were the
most common of the
trend, while the colour
also appeared in the
form of panels on the
side seams or hems, set
against complementing
shades such as white
and contrasting shades
such as black.
Giorgio Armani
Prada
Zac Posen
Fringe Parade
Bringing back the
’80s charm were
fringes in multifarious
forms adding value
to styles that were
otherwise understated.
New and old take on
classic fringes hacked
the runways – right
from the old cowboy-
style leather fringes
and hemline woven
thread fringes to edgy
metallic fringe-style
chains and bejewelled
fringes placed
over embroidered
eveningwear styles.
Designers also
experimented
with offbeat fringe
placement by attaching
fringes to the side
seams of relaxed fit
pants, or sewing floor
length fringes over
necklines or presenting
fringes through
different tiers of midi-
dresses.
Oscar De La Renta
Dior
Just-Cavalli
Alberta FerrettiChanel

Monochrome Mania
Contrasting with
the heavy print
trend was a play of
single tone outfits that
popped with bright
colours of the spectrum.
Despite the single
colour family aspect,
these attires featured
several components
either layered, or
attached together,
giving a play on
volumes and structure.
Three piece suit-sets
were the most recurring
of the lot, showcasing
button down, belted
or double-breasted
blazers, with colour-
matching vests and
straight cut pants. A
more casual approach
was pairing crop tops
with co-ordinated solid
sets or an addition of
easy knit cover-ups with
suit-sets.
Dior
Chanel Just Cavalli
Popping Lustre
The ostentatious
nightlife of the
vacation season
prompts consumers to
go all out in party and
occasionwear, in turn
inspiring the fashion
houses and designers
to incorporate heavy
lustre in brilliant shades
in their collections.
The most common of
the glossy trend were
sequined metallic reds
and maroon, bejewelled
or embellished
iridescent finishes,
silver-finished mosaic
prints, understated or
foiled gold and jewelled
brilliant blue and
dazzling oranges.
Thornton Bregazzi
Pamella Roland
Gucci
Camilla
Dorothee Schumacher

Stripes Tribe
Stripes proved to be
one of the biggest
print patterns out of the
complete Resort 2020
lot that has unveiled
the collection until now.
Either bold or lined,
or in varying sizes,
colours and direction,
stripes were cleverly
balanced throughout
the garments to
create illusions over
the structure of the
silhouette.
The print imposed
itself most commonly
over co-ordinated
sets containing 3 or
more parts in all-over
stripes or stripe print
fabric panelled with
solids. Metallic or
sequined stripes, brand
monogram coloured
stripes, multi-directional
stripes and three stripes
over sleeve hems and
waistlines were other
instances.
Chanel
Louis Vuitton
Alberta Ferretti
Tiered Up
The nonchalant
glamour promised
by tiered styles is
what made them a
regular vision on the
runways this season,
along with their
versatile compatibility
with casual as well
as dressy garments.
Alberta Ferretti went
for organza and micro-
pleat fabrics for heavily
tiered outfits, while
Chanel featured small
yet several tiers in plaid
chiffon ankle-length
dresses and mosaic
print strappy dresses.
Gucci and Giorgio
Armani went for heavier
fabrics showing tiers
with contrasting hems,
as the former even
added multiple shapes
as per embroidery
motifs of the hemlines.
Dsquared2 went for
the atypical assertion
of tiers by presenting
micro-tiers placed on
exaggerated sleeves.
Gucci
Chanel
Alberta Ferretti
Giorgio ArmaniMSGM

FASHION RESOURCE
Olivier Rousteing and Cara Delevingne
have been collaborating for several
projects, ever since their first encounter in
2013, and now Balmain is tapping the model
turned actress for another collaborative
collection featuring leather goods. Last
year, Delevingne returned to the runways
after her break from the fashion world
as she opened Balmain’s Spring/Summer
2019 runway show, personifying the
collection’s campaign.
As per a press release rolled out by
the brand, the collection features
three leather handbags designed by
Rousteing, further embellished and
decorated by Delevingne depending
upon the composition of the metal
details. One of the three bags, the
BBag, was released recently with
others. Twist and Romeo are the
next two in line to come out from
mid-July onwards.
H&M X Love Stories to launch
second collaborative collection
With a second collaborative collection featuring
swimwear, fast-fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz
and the Dutch brand Love Stories are renewing their
partnership. A lingerie capsule collection marked
their first collaborative venture last summer.
The 26-piece ‘Love Stories Swim Club x H&M’
collection will launch in select 700 H&M doors
and H&M’s e-commerce platform starting June 13,
retailing an assortment including T-shirts, sarongs,
loose beach tunics to bags, bucket hats, flip-flops
and towels, in addition to swimsuits and wetsuits.
Interchangeable items with a slam of candy colours,
animal prints and sporty details form the main
aesthetic of the collection. The hues also include
dusky pinks, vintage greens and tangerine tones
along with the brand’s monograms.
Evine.com launches first
activewear collection by
actress Jane Fonda
Actress and fitness guru Jane Fonda’s new fitness
line was teased on Evine Live Inc., a multiplatform
interactive video and digital commerce company
recently and will be released on July 5. The first
activewear collection encompasses 25 items, right from
T-shirts and sports bras to leggings and layers.
The collection will be sold at prices starting from
US $ 40 for a cotton/jersey blend T-shirt with
empowering phrases to US $ 85 for a cotton/spandex
blend off-the-shoulder shirt in various patterns
including leopard and US $ 125 for a supplex/spandex
terry zip up. The news of the collaboration first popped
up in November, and the collection marks the 81-year-
old’s first venture into the apparel industry.
Cara Delevingne and Balmain
announce another capsule

Runway Report
Surpassing conventional methods of using
the technique, modern day iterations are
not only limited to T-shirts or dresses.
High fashion labels such as Prada, Proenza
Schouler, Chloé, Balmain and MSGM, have
embraced and reintroduced the trend in a big
way. Designers are utilising the technique in
unconventional methods such as watercolour
tie and dyes over tights and sweaters at
Hillary Taymour’s Collina Strada, splashes
across puffer jackets at Shoreditch Ski Club,
oversized T-shirt dresses in pastels at Stella
McCartney, wool jumpers at Balmain, tie and
dye over denim at Proenza Schouler and skirts
and dresses at Prada.
The palettes are stark and contrasting –
converting the technique into more of a print
than a blended fusion of various shades. It is
traditional, but contemporary at the same time.
For Amrich’s Amit Vijaya and Richard
Pandva, who have commercially been doing
shibori for more than twelve years, tie and dye
techniques have potential in terms of creating
newness as they allow one to redo certain old
or leftover textiles which haven’t been used,
thus having great environmental impact.
“Since we as designers get bored of seeing
the same textile technique being used in
the same format, we try bringing some
novelty and newness to it. We are doing a
lot of stitch shibori, and we work on a lot
of fabric manipulation in terms of pleating
and geometric folding which traditionally
we would use for clamp dying but nowadays
we also take it into stitching- stitch resist as
well as machine stitch resist. This gives a
lot of textural value to textiles and you can
play with it making it graphic or making it
subtle; it allows us to be more experimental as
designers,” Amit told AO on a call.
The past season saw an outbreak of the ’60s and ’70s cult favourite – the tie
and dye technique, coming to the fore with runways and retail shelves being
replete with the traditional print.
If you skim through the pages of fashion history, you’d find points wherein it
coincides with culture – and among them would be the mammoth effect tie
and dye has had over socio-political precincts.
Synonymous with the ’60s flower power era and the hippie movement from
the ’70s, the technique evokes freedom, rebellion and nostalgia. And just as
every trend in fashion has a back story to it, so does this free-spirited pattern.
At the outset, tie and dye sprouted as an expression of defiance amongst
an environment of political unrest when Nixon was in power, with students
protesting against a conservative right – come 2019, and we have Trump in the
White House, arousing similar retorts from women, immigrants and the LGBTQ
community for their rights. Peaceful, yet defiant, the print has been adopted
by countless designers on the Spring/Summer 2019 runway as a way to express
freedom and individuality.
According to global fashion search platform Lyst, tie and dye is one of the
fastest growing fashion trend keywords of the year, so far!
A rennaissance of the
cult favourite
1970s
1960s
FASHION BUSINESS

Mindful Fashion
The revival of the tie and dye is also the industry’s
clear reaction to the surmounting concerns
surrounding sustainable and mindful fashion.
As the concern grows, so does an appeal for
handspun and handcrafted fashion, ethical
sourcing and manufacturing practices and
transparency in fashion cycles.
As consumers become more conscious of
disposable and fast fashion, brands and designers
seek avenues to reduce the carbon footprint by
owning responsibility to limit the damage caused
by the industry. Brands such as Ninety Percent,
Amrich and Gabriella Hearst incorporate organic
fabrics, natural dyes within their collections
besides, working with artisan clusters for this
unique print pattern.
On the contrary, Indian exporters feel that this is
the very reason why the demand for tie and dye is
limited to beachwear majorly. Vimal Shah, from
Goodwill Impex Ltd., corroborated on the same
by telling AO, “International norms have become
very stringent in terms of quality and compliance
- colour fasteners and AZO are mandatory. Colour
bleeding is a by-product of the traditional tie and
dye method, so there aren’t many takers of it in the
industry today. In pieces such as the typical indigo
looks, there is a major issue of colour fasteners but
a buyer who deals in such a product is aware of
this and further sells it accordingly. He highlights it
as a character of the product and understands that
the merchandise will react in a certain manner.”
According to Vimal, modern day dyeing methods
have developed the technique in such a way that
it allows manufacturers to control bleeding issues
to a certain extent. He added, “But you would
come across certain buyers who are adamant
about colour fastening and look for a perfect
piece which is not possible from the traditional
dyeing method.”
Hand-Dyeing Versus
Print Methods
In the ’60s and ’70s, tie and dye became a symbol
of individuality and creative expression granting
it cult status. What makes tie and dye so special
is its individuality. The traditional process of hand
dyeing ensures that no two pieces are ever the
same – the result is always unexpected. But the
nature of the method has raised several questions
on the end quality of such products.
Ravi Poddar, Cheer Sagar, Jaipur, said, “As far
as compliances are concerned, nowadays buyers
are very demanding and finicky, so there isn’t
much of a demand for tie and dye as of today.
If one comes across any hazardous chemicals
such as AZO content, you risk rejection. This is
a dominating factor for slow demand of the tie
and dye technique. And because of the quality
In a place like
India, people
really identify
with and
appreciate craft.
Shibori has
always been a
mainstay – these
designs are the
fastest to fly off
the rack, whether
it’s textural,
whether it’s
bold; people
tend to relate to
it, - Amit, Amrich
Designs
Designers are
utilising the
technique in
unconventional
methods such
as watercolour
tie and dyes
over tights and
sweaters, splashes
across puffer
jackets, oversized
T-shirt dresses
in pastels, wool
jumpers, and
tie and dye over
denim.
FASHION BUSINESS
shibori
Hand-crafted Itajime shibori on hand-woven wool. Quilted.

parameters going so high, instead of the traditional
hand dyeing technique, buyers are opting for
printed versions. Furthermore, production
limitation is also an issue which is related to the
size of orders.” He further added, “Designers are
converting the technique into prints and are doing
similar tie and dye patterns.
Validating the above statement, Amit chimed in,
“These days, we see a lot of people doing digital
prints of shibori. Because of digital printing
processes, life becomes easier but at the same time
it kills creativity, as the hand feel goes away- the
beauty and nuances of the technique when you
hand dye it – all of that is lost.”
Vimal upheld the statement by saying, “In print,
you need minimum quantity, and it also gives a
very flat look – there’s no creativity in it. Colour
accuracy is there, big brands generally opt for
machine printed versions but the main issue that
arises is that of order quantities.”
Craft Revival
Tie and dye, like many other ancient Indian crafts,
has seen a downfall in the past two decades. Many
active initiatives from the Government and industry
have put in considerable efforts to revive the
indigenous technique.
Amrich deploys only natural fibres and 95 per
cent of the textiles they work with are handloom
and handwoven, sourced from and developed at
clusters around the country. “We are working a lot
with cotton and silk cotton and are interested in
exploring hemp textiles,” informed Amit.
“A lot of the weaving happens in Bengal and
Madhya Pradesh – we have been working with
these two locations from the very beginning. But
from the last one and a half years, we have also
been working with Bihar for the revival of their
weaving technique. We are using a lot of their
khadi, tassar silks, etc,” averred Amit.
He further added, “On the contrary, if we take the
bulk manufacturing side into consideration, the
story is quite gloomy. Even today, if you step out to
visit one of the sites where tie and dye is done, you
would see it happening in the small, confined areas
with little to no distinction in the way of practising
the technique.”
Ravi acknowledged the same saying, “These people
have limited resources, and they don’t want to
spend on factory upgradation or skill development,
which is a huge setback - you have to upgrade
with time which is not happening in India. They
are practising the same old technique in small
unorganised areas and are not upgrading their
factories or system.”
Upon asking Ravi how the issue can be tackled, he
commented saying, “It can be organised provided
the volume is there, and that kind of business is
coming in. Manufacturers are not ready to upgrade
and spend that kind of money because they are
The palettes
are stark and
contrasting –
converting the
technique into
more of a print
than a blended
fusion of various
shades. It is
traditional, but
contemporary at
the same time.
International
norms have
become very
stringent in terms
of quality and
compliance -
colour fasteners
and AZO are
mandatory.
Colour bleeding
is a byproduct of
the traditional
tie and dye
method, so there
aren’t many
takers of it in the
industry today.
FASHION BUSINESS
Hand-crafted shibori on hand-woven silk cotton; quilted with handwoven wool.

the only ones who have sent us enquiries for the
technique. I have few enquiries, not too many- and
the ones that we have got are mostly for beachwear
– such as kimonos, cover-ups, etc. There has been
no enquiry in dailywear or tops.” He added, “Every
year it sells and especially in beachwear – it has
been a staple and it will always sell in this category.
I feel it isn’t there in the main line that much but it
is definitely there in beachwear. But we are hopeful,
after seeing the recent runways, that it will come
into play in the next six months.”
On the fabric front, Ravi stated that cottons and
rayon, or cotton and rayon blends are mainly
being used for prints. “Rayon becomes weak, when
it is wet. Chances of damage are more, so the
percentage and chances of rejection go up,” he said.
Amrich has been known to work a lot with the
black and white palette in their collections, but
for the coming season, the designer duo is opting
for combinations such as red and grey, blue and
beige, yellow and grey, etc. The duo also revealed
an exciting collaborative project that they’d be
undertaking in the coming months. “Mixing art with
functionality, we are planning on experimenting
with tie and dye and shibori techniques over
furniture. For the one-of-its-kind project, we have
collaborated with a friend of ours who’s into
furniture and interiors. We are past our initial
sampling and would be able to divulge further
details in the coming weeks.”
not getting enough business out of it. It’s a viscous
circle. In exports, often times something is big
in fashion, and then it fizzles out and you find
something else that’s in demand - it’s a tough call
where to start and where to end.”
Trend Versus Demand
As is the case with any other recurring trend
in fashion, tie and dye has also undergone a
renaissance - acid washes and bright tones have
transformed tie and dye from its ’60s and ’70s
psychedelia. Colours such as bright blue, orange,
pink, green are trending and experimental shapes
over elevated fabrics have made the technique
more appealable and fashion forward.
Validating the same, Elizabeth von der Goltz, Net-
a-Porter’s global buying director told Vogue that,
“It was a huge trend that we saw both on and off
the runway and we embraced it from a wide variety
of brands,” adding, “T-shirts were our key item;
I think the Ibiza degrade at Chloé, the purple
tie-dye at Paco Rabanne, a bright and vibrant
version at R13 and Stella McCartney’s oversized
T-shirt dresses in pastel colours were the key
standout pieces.”
Vimal, on the other hand, hasn’t observed any
major demand on the export side. “A few buyers
who do regular business with tie and dye, are
It’s a fashion
thing. In two
years, you would
see a great
demand and
then you will
experience a dry
spell, you see a
gap in between.
- Ravi Poddar,
Cheer Sagar,
Jaipur
FASHION BUSINESS
Hand-crafted shibori on hand-woven wool with hand-embroidered metal sequins. Hand-crafted Arashi shibori variation on hand-woven wool.

North-east India is not what it was 10 years
back. It has emerged as a major retail
destination lately. Low rental values and
price, large availability of commercial spaces
and the fashion-conscious youth in the seven
sister states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and
Tripura) are now leading big players (both
domestic and global including names like Big
Bazaar, Pantaloons, Future Value Retail and
many more) to consolidate their position
in the region. It is emerging as a magnet for
upscale apparel and accessories labels, from
sports to fashionwear alike. However, a major
problem that retailers face often is that of
transportation! Isolated from mainland India
due to geographical bottleneck, reaching
market on time, especially in today’s age of
fast fashion, is a big challenge for the brands
and retailers. Under the given scenario,
Bangladesh is a better sourcing option, given
its proximity with the north-east.
And now with the 15.054 km long Agartala-
Akhaura rail project in West Tripura (which
will connect Akhaura in Bangladesh with
Agartala through Nischintapur) being
constructed simultaneously with a bridge
over river Feni (which would connect
Sabroom in South Tripura with Feni district
of Bangladesh, and once operational, Tripura
would be only 66 km away from Chittagong
Port in Bangladesh), transportation would
be lightning fast. Even the Governments
of respective countries are keen to exploit
the same to the fullest! And why not! After
all, India is now Bangladesh’s major export
destination as far as garments are concerned.
“…I truly believe that India is an important
market for Bangladesh garment
manufacturers as people here are
same as there and have similar taste, so
understanding preferences and market
trends is not so difficult. Also, proximity
is very critical… With this advantage,
Bangladesh can be the ‘Turkey’ of India,
BANGLADESH AND TRIPURA COMING CLOSE…
WILL BENEFIT EACH OTHER’S APPAREL INDUSTRY
Indian Brands
PLEASE
India’s increasing apparel
import from Bangladesh is
becoming a reason of worry
for Indian textile and apparel
industry which has now urged
brands to source locally from
India. Industry associations
are even ready to support
as a platform for easy
sourcing so that brands can
have comfortable and cost-
effective sourcing experience
with regard to local sourcing.
It is worth noting that
Bangladesh’s overall exports
to India during the July-April
period of the current fiscal
(FY), 2018-19, increased by
an astounding 53 per cent
to touch US $ 1.07 billion
(Rs. 7,000 crore). There are
more than 70 manufacturers
of Bangladesh who are
currently working with Indian
retailers and wholesalers.
!
INDUSTRY LIVE

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