Vietnam: Encouraging female entrepreneurship in the garment & textile industry

4 Apparel Online India | JUNE 1-15, 2019 | www.apparelresources.com
Resource Centre
Hong Kong Fashion
Week: Stage set for
1,000 exhibitors Focusing on
the latest fashion collections and market
intelligence, the 26th Hong Kong Fashion
Week for Spring/Summer is expecting around
1,000 exhibitors from across the globe. p56
CONTENT Vol. XXII ISSUE 5 June 1-15, 2019
Domestic Update
44
World Wrap
When size matters: How plus-size fashion is shaping up retail
It is hard to imagine the irony of a woman, who has a great sense of dressing and is ready to
splurge, but can’t find a clothing that she wants to wear for an occasion at any store... p10
A ‘Parfait’ Affair:
Bringing an all-inclusive
lingerie collection to
India
Tex-File
Birla Cellulose sets
new milestones with
developments @Liva
24
Fashion Business
You Snooze, You Lose:
What’s trending in the
thriving Sleepwear
Market? p32
Sustainability
Lead Story
Have you checked your
SROI? Good health, financially stable
and growing, socially well-appreciated,
emotionally strong, result-oriented
(high efficiency), better relations with
colleagues and enough time for family
as well as self… p14
Towards Transparency In India,
even today, many sewing operators who are
working in apparel manufacturing units for
months, or for even years, do not know the
name of their factory... p18
FFT Trends
Materials in Focus:
Fall/Winter 2019 p26

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Integrated industry is the answer to the growth path for textiles
and apparel
Well, now that we are assured of policy continuity and political stability,
the industry has no fear of any further ‘surprises’ from the Government.
In fact, the mood is quite positive as there is hope that the many things
which were promised just before the elections will now be fulfilled.
So, we can assume that all the investments that were put on hold, due to
the uncertainties that elections bring in, will be put back on track in the
next few months… or can’t we?
If the scenario shapes up the way it should, the industry, in all
probability, will be looking at growth… But one cannot discount the
external factors that can rock the boat. Global markets are not what
they used to be earlier and emerging markets are not yet giving the
volumes that garment manufacturers are accustomed to.
It is a Catch-22 situation; if factories don’t add capacity, how will they
grow and capitalise on shifting sourcing trends? On the other hand, can
they optimise production with increased capacity…? This is indeed a
difficult question to solve.
Most industry watchers believe that business can never move out of
India, mostly because of the ‘value’ content that the country is giving,
which in reality no other country, including Turkey, can offer.
The sad truth is that though India is perhaps the only sourcing
destination that has every ingredient a retailer/brand of fashion needs
to create designs that are truly different, manufacturers are still
struggling and competing in the mass market.
The three major elements that make India unique – textile capacities,
numerous techniques and small compliant factories – are underutilised
and work in isolation. There is no coordination between these three
streams to develop and offer products that no retailer/brand looking for
eye-catching products can ignore.
The strength of an integrated supply chain is an area that not even
the policy makers have dived into for growth of the textile industry.
Handlooms and handcrafts are considered a separate segment, with no
integration into the mainline industry.
Though all the elements of this unique textile industry come under one
Ministry, but the approach has never been consolidated. Each segment
is left to fend for itself.
There was talk of an integrated textile policy, even before the current
Government began its first term in 2014, but the same has still to see
the light of day. Is it very difficult to formulate such a policy which
could help the Indian textile industry find its deserved place in the
global scenario?
This is the same Government that had the conviction to implement GST
to completely revolutionise the business tax system. No doubt, issues
remain and it will take some time for the country to become comfortable
with the system, but at least the first bold step has been taken!
Unfortunately, no one who has been in-charge of the Textile Ministry
till date has been strong enough to take a decisive call on the factors
that could turn around the industry 360 degrees – be it an integrated
textile policy, an updated labour law that matches the needs of today,
a fresh look at export promotion activities or even a way to enhance
employment interest in an industry that is losing its way.
Can we hope for a change this time?
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’s DESK…

www.apparelresources.com | JUNE 1-15, 2019 | Apparel Online India 7
Apparel Online India 7

Apart from price, competitiveness comes from many factors… quick turnarounds, product
development capabilities, higher efficiencies, well managed factories, trained manpower,
strategic positioning and so on.
How do you see competitiveness and what is your focus with regard to this?
Q-and-A
Rakesh Kumar Surana,
Director, Sabnam Exports,
Mumbai
We have been aiming at three
most basic things, which I guess
is essential for any other business
as well -- pricing, quality supply
and timely delivery. I absolutely
agree on this fact that there
should be price competitiveness
in the market. It shows that
there is healthy competition
around. There is one set of
buyers, who are ready to pay
but expect reasonably superior
quality products. They don’t
want to compromise on the
quality part and are ready to
pay according to the market.
But then, there is another set of
customers also, who are price-
conscious. They want the best
of both the worlds – best quality
products at a reasonable price.
That becomes a big challenge
for us. Since we put in a huge
amount of money on quality
goods, we don’t want to
compromise on that part. But
then we suffer because of price-
conscious customers.
At the same time, we are also
facing other hurdles. Being
a Mumbaikar, we are paying
a good price to sustain here.
The cost of living is reasonably
high here when you compare
with any other city.  We even
end up wasting a lot of time
travelling. People are staying
far away from the main town
and everybody on an average
spends 4-5 hours daily in
commuting and this way the
productivity gets killed day by
day. Even if we try to work for
more than eight hours, we are
not able to put in our best as
we get tired after spending
long hours in the traffic. Then
there are labour issues too. Very
few people want to work as
labourers in Mumbai as it is an
expensive city for them.
Raj Kumar Bansal,
Proprietor, Rameshwar
Textiles Mills, Surat
Price was and will always
remain a competitive factor
for everyone in the market.
These days, buyers have started
concentrating more on smaller
orders, rather than focusing
on bulk orders. And they are
expecting us to sell these
smaller orders at a relatively
low price. We are facing a
lot of challenges to sustain
our business further. Training
our workers, making them
efficient, managing the factory,
strategically positioning them,
cost controlling and making
quality products simultaneously
are some of the few factors that
are hindering our productivity
somehow. We are working on
these factors. Let’s see how we
succeed!
Nirmal Saboo, Proprietor,
Basant Knit Fab, Hissar
Quality is one of the main
challenging factors for us. These
days, buyers are preferring
small orders and that too at a
lesser price. Due to this, we are
facing huge losses. Irrespective
of whether orders are small
or in bulk, we are bound to
pay development charges.
So basically, our margins have
narrowed and our profits are
getting negligible day by day.
We are not earning anything
now. Then there are other
miscellaneous charges which
we have been bearing from
time to time. And on top of
that, ever since the GST got
implemented, our money is also
getting blocked as we are not
receiving timely refunds. For big
orders, buyers are approaching
big certified processing houses.
And when they fail to make
timely delivery, then they
approach us but with small
orders. Full compliances are not
getting fulfilled.
Arunabha Dutta,
Proprietor, Creation, Dum
Dum (West Bengal)
Pricing is one of the most
sensitive issues in our country.
People here are not willing to
pay much and want things
at affordable pricing. On the
other hand, measuring ‘price
sensitivity’ is again a tough task.
At how much low can you sell
your product? At the end of
the day, you have to make
your business profitable and
take a stand on pricing. At the
same time, we are also facing
challenges because of quality
supply and training of our
manpower. The orders that we
are generally getting are not
bulk. The competition is too
high to sustain.
Manoj Meena,
Proprietor, Mahima
Fashion’s, Jaipur
We have been focusing on
three pillars – employment
to everyone, making quality
products and selling them at
a reasonable price – since
we started our business. And
this is proving to be a success
mantra for our business. We are
aiming to train the maximum
number of villagers and
engage them in our factory
work. We never compromise
on quality; it has always
remained a focus area for us
and finally selling products at
a reasonable price is again
a priority for us. We believe if
the quality of our products is
good but the price is high, then
nobody will buy the product.
In India, price is an important
factor! That’s the reason our
products have affordable
pricing so that maximum
people can buy them.
Our factory’s workers are
in a ratio of 70:30 for men
and women. With the help
of the Government, we are
also running an NGO for the
villagers known as ‘Tribes
India’. Apart from men, we are
trying to engage maximum
MIND TREE

numbers of women in NGO
activities. And for that, we are
training them for almost one
month and engaging them in
the work of their interest. We
also make all kinds of products
in womenswear and menswear.
Anil Varghese, General
Manager – Marketing,
Clifton Export, Tirupur
For us, designing is a
competitive factor. Every
time, our buyers come up
with new innovative designs.
And for that, we have been
increasing our efficiencies
from time to time. We always
believe in serving the best
to our clients. Also, we try to
upgrade ourselves as per the
latest trends and designs,
so that we don’t feel left out
in this race. Every day is a
competition as the designs
change regularly. And the
second competitive factor
for us is productivity. We also
believe in timely delivery. For
the same, we keep training
our workers on a regular basis.
We have efficient workers to
fulfil our customers’ demand.
Mayur Patel,
Proprietor, Creative
Design Studio, Valsad
(Gujarat)
Pricing and production are the
two most competitive factors
for our business. We have
always felt that the ‘pricing’
factor can change the whole
game of our business, as buyers
see pricing as one of the most
important aspects of the
market. You will agree on
this that there are infinite
numbers of sellers in the
market, selling similar kinds
of products all over the
world. Then, what is the thing
that makes one different
from all the other buyers
-- pricing! If the pricing is
as per the market and the
buyers, then you win half
battle! And second comes
production. Producing the
right quality products at the
right time give you an edge
in the market.
MIND TREE
P O S T Y O U R C O M M E N T S
www.apparelresources.com
contact@apparelresources.com
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?
N E X T M I N D T R E E Q U E S T I O N

Then there came a time, almost a
decade earlier when the situation
of shops changed a bit and retailers
started considering the plus-size
apparel as a standalone category. But
it was only recently, when the same
retailers started seeing the plus-size
fashion as an inclusive category. In
terms of value, the global plus-size
women’s clothing market stood at
US $ 165.2 billion in 2017, expanding
at a CAGR of 4.4 per cent during the
forecast period from 2018 to 2026.
Asia-Pacific dominated the market and
is expected to display a similar trend
in the coming years.
And retailers have started waking up
to this fact, which they mostly ignored
for years. Simultaneously, they have
also realised that there are millions
of such women – two-thirds of US
women alone, who are collectively
bulging with US $ 46.4 billion to spend
on apparel each year. More than half
of US women aged between 18 and 65
wear a size of 14 or higher, according
to statistics cited by Walmart. And
analysts expect that the number will
swell further.
A surge in feminist empowerment
– spurred most recently by the
#metoo movement – and the
independent nature of social media
have given voice to stylish influencers
who display confident images of
themselves, call out brands refusing
to cater to them and hail those that
successfully do. At the same time,
increasing body confidence among the
plus-size women has also increased
the demand for such apparels that
suit the latest fashion trends. Now for
plus-size female consumers, a dearth
of fashion options in a neglected niche
has now morphed into a plethora of
new and legacy retailers not only
getting into the segment, but also
offering an inclusive size range
available to all, or at least to many
more women. It’s becoming easier for
those who don’t fit into what is known
as ‘straight’ sizes to not only find
apparel, but also see themselves in
marketing and on the runway.
Slow And
Steady Steps
Top retailers are racing to strengthen
their selection to capture new
shoppers and meet increasing
demand for trendy women’s clothing
in a broader range of sizes. A major
amount of people, of course, still don’t
wear custom-made clothing, and the
average retailer offers limited to no
options in the plus-size category.
But the situation is changing. Last
year alone has witnessed several
retailers – from cool-girl brands like
Reformation to big-box stores like
HOW PLUS-SIZE FASHION
IS SHAPING UP RETAIL
It is hard to imagine the irony of a woman,
who has a great sense of dressing and is
ready to splurge, but can’t find a clothing
that she wants to wear for an occasion at any
store. There is no store where she can buy
anything that she feels is fun or lovely for
her — whether it’s to wear to a club, a gym or
a job interview. What springs from clothing
manufacturing’s history is the relegation of
sizes like plus and petite to specialty retailers
for years together notably, but being sparsely
present in case of mainstream retailers and
conspicuously absent at couture brands. The
industry has been hesitating all throughout
to be more size-inclusive because it places
a premium on skinny bodies. For decades,
retailers have treated women, who wear
plus-sizes, as an entirely different species of
shoppers. There was even a special set of
rules for selling to them like avoiding bright
colours! Besides, horizontal stripes have been
a total no-no for them!
WORLD WRAP
WHEN
SIZE
MATTERS

Walmart – extend the sizes they offer,
to varying degrees of success and
public reception. And when Rihanna’s
Savage x Fenty launched in May last
year, the collection included plus-size
lingerie, along with undergarments in
straight sizes.
After years of ignoring customers
bigger than a size 12, the industry is
not just recognising that shoppers of
all sizes exist but is actively courting
them. Inclusion, however, is more
than just selling clothes in larger
sizes, say members of the plus-size
community. It’s about offering quality
clothing to these shoppers in an array
of styles and price points offered to
their straight-size counterparts. It
should also showcase women of all
shapes and sizes as models. Last but
not the least, inclusion should even
address the issue of how the rise of
fast fashion deters corporate retailers
from taking this approach and offering
clothing to anyone, regardless of size.
As straight-size retailers introduce
plus-size collections, some retailers
that started out as plus-size are
branching out in both directions by
adding both larger and smaller sizes.
Universal Standard, in 2015, launched
clothes that range from sizes 10 to
28, extending it further from 6 to
32. And the company is now serving
women sizes from 0 to 40, a greater
range that nearly any other retailer
in the market offers. In the same
year, Charlotte Russe launched its
first plus-size line, extending sizes
offered from 0-14 to 0-26. Plus-size
clothing now represents 25 per cent
of its online ready-to-wear inventory.
Today, stores such as Madewell,
J. Crew, H&M, Ann Taylor LOFT,
Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Adore
Me and many have expanded their
size range over the last year, in what
Madewell earlier stated as ‘a larger
initiative to reinvent the standard of
fit to reflect the real, diverse spectrum
of the American customer’. All this
sounds great – but why; then, can you
buy only up to a size 14 in Madewell’s
stores, and the rest of its ‘expanded
size range’ is available online only?
Madewell isn’t the only store that
touts its size inclusivity; the same is
true for Ann Taylor LOFT, J. Crew
and Anthropologie that are similarly
forcing shoppers over a size of 14 to
go online.
Even adding extended sizing options
online is a fairly new development for
many major retailers, but when 68
per cent of American women wear a
size of 14 or larger, neglecting to offer
14-plus options in-store seems at odds
with logic, as well as with the values
of inclusivity and diversity that so
many brands like to espouse for woke
points. What appears to be happening,
then, is that brands like Madewell
and LOFT want to have it both ways;
they want the good press that comes
with body inclusivity, without having
to make the financial commitment of
offering inclusive sizes in-store at all
their locations.
As more fashion brands step into
plus-sizes, they’re bucking a common
excuse that the industry has long
fallen back on when defending
their lack of plus-sizes -- cost and
resources. It’s undeniable that the
demand is there. The plus-size apparel
is growing at a faster rate than other
apparel categories, at 6 per cent year-
on-year. And now that size inclusivity
is trending, thanks to vocal customers,
e-commerce’s limitless aisles and the
industry’s upward growth trajectory,
brands are finally putting dollars
behind fashion that can work for 67
per cent of the population.
Online Curve
Filling the gaps in the size-inclusive
clothing market are online retailers
like Cundiff’s CoEdition, Eloquii and
ASOS Curve, which are catering to
a wide variety of sizes (and not just
in the old-school, ‘slimming’ darks
and neutrals that stores like Lane
Bryant have long offered as a salve
to women’s perceived body woes.)
Still, buying clothes isn’t just about
the act of purchasing, it’s about
shopping as a bonding exercise and
self-care ritual, confessed one of the
shoppers, requesting anonymity.
“If I go shopping with a straight-
size friend, she can try something
on and buy it right then and there,
whereas I have to go home, order
it, hope there’s no shipping fee,
hope it fits… It’s a way for brands
to say they’re doing things fairly,
but they’re not creating an equal
shopping experience,” she added.
The question that arises then is
if size-inclusive women’s clothing
is the fastest-growing sector of
women’s apparel, then why aren’t
mass-market brands making a
good-faith effort to provide women
who wear over a size 14 with an
in-store shopping experience? It
might be somewhat cynical, but
it’s hard not to question if stores
like Madewell and Anthropologie
see their ideal target customer as
closer to a size 8 than size 28.
Some of the other major players
operating in the field of plus-sized
women’s clothing are Ralph Lauren
Corporation, Hennes & Mauritz
(H&M), Hanes Brand, Philips Van
Heusen Corporation, Carmakoma,
Mango Brand, Forever 21, Adrianna
Papell, Torrid, Evans, Old Navy
Plus, Monif C., American Rag,
Ashley Stewart, City Chic, Fashion
to Figure, Lucky Brand Plus, Lane
Bryant, Pure Energy, among others.
A surge in feminist
empowerment
– spurred most
recently by
the #metoo
movement – and
the independent
nature of social
media have
given voice to
stylish influencers
who display
confident images
of themselves,
call out brands
refusing to cater
to them and
hail those that
successfully do.
WORLD WRAP

RETAIL CURRENT
Ascena Retail Group has
announced a change in its senior
management structure. David
Jaffe, CEO and Chairman of the
company has stepped down,
though he remains on the Board
of Directors’ list. Gary Muto,
currently President and CEO of
Ascena brand, has since taken
over as the company’s CEO and
will join the Ascena Board of
Directors. In addition, Carrie
Teffner has been named Interim
Executive Chair of the Board of
Directors.
“Leading Ascena over the past
27 years has been a privilege.
As the company continues its
transformation, the Board of
Directors and I mutually agreed
that these decisions are right for
the business and its shareholders.
I am extremely confident in
Ascena’s future under Gary’s
leadership and look forward to
continuing to serve Ascena as a
member of the Board,” said David
Jaffe. “I am both honoured and
excited by this new challenge.
David, Carrie, the Board and I
are working together to ensure
the leadership transition is
smooth. I am eager to lead and
work with our Ascena associates,
who share my deep commitment
to our customers, brands and
shareholders. Together we will
realise Ascena’s potential as the
Board and management continue
to execute on our previously
announced strategic initiatives,
including a comprehensive
assessment of Ascena’s portfolio
brands, operations, assets
and continued cost savings,”
said Gary.
On behalf of the Board, I want to thank David for his many years of
service to Ascena’s customers, associates and communities. During
his watch, the company built solid organisational and functional
capabilities as well as a deep executive bench. We are pleased that
David will continue to serve Ascena as a member of our Board. I
also want to thank Carrie Teffner for stepping into the role of Interim
Executive Chair. Carrie will work closely with Gary to accelerate and
amplify execution of the company’s strategic initiatives.”
– KATE BUGGELN, Lead Independent Director, Ascena
Ascena Retail Group rejuggles senior management as its CEO retires
Burberry, the British luxury fashion
brand, saw a fall in its shares on
16 May owing to poor sales growth
especially in Mainland China.
to overall economic slowdown
which kept the consumers away.
Chinese consumers constitute 40
per cent of earnings globally. In
Notably, in the year that ended
in March 2019, the sales in the
Asia-Pacific region saw low single-
digit growth. This was mainly due
the second half of year too, the
sales growth across all regions was
mere 1 per cent, a drop of 3 per
cent from the first half. According
to analysts, while the fashion
brand expected flat revenues and
margins at constant exchange
rates in its existing financial year,
currency movements would shave
about £ 7 mn off full-year profit. In
fact, not all is negative. The new
designs from creative director
Riccardo Tisci have included more
influence from streetwear styles
and a new logo and monogram.
And this is now paying off after
Burberry reported a rise of 2.3 per
cent in comparable revenue for the
last financial year. The company
has increased its cost-saving target
to £ 135 mn every year by 2022, and
announced another £ 150 mn share
buyback. However, it warned that
the present year’s results would
be unusually weighted towards the
second half.
Burberry shares fall owing to weak sales in China
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RETAIL CURRENT
The Hong Kong-based fashion
retailer La Chapelle witnessed
its sales dip by a worrying 21 per
cent in Q1 of 2019 to record US
$ 352 million. 2018 had seen the
retailer shut down as many as
1,877 outlets owing to poor sales
and inefficiency. The number
of closed stores now stands at
9,540 (till the end of March 2019).
With one of its every 5 directly
operated stores shutting down,
the retailer is going through
one of its worst phases. The
net earnings ascribed to
shareholders too fell by 94.4 per
cent to clock US $ 1.4 million.
La Chapelle added that the poor
Q1 was mainly due to negligible
the fast receding confidence of
the shoppers. Reportedly, the
increase in apparel expenditure
on a continual basis and also
sales of apparels, shoes and hats
in the mainland China region
increased by paltry 3.3 per cent
year-on-year, which is actually
5 percentage points less than
the growth rate of all consumer
goods sales.
Besides, in 2019, the Chinese New
Year holidays were 11 days earlier
compared to what it was in 2018,
which also significantly impacted
the sales of winter items in Q1
of 2019. Also in Q1, the earnings
of ladies’ apparel brands like
La Chapelle, Puella, 7 Modifier
and La Babite saw a Y-o-Y slump
of 26.6 per cent, 29.7 per cent,
22.9 per cent and 23 per cent,
respectively.
Luxury fashion brand Gucci is
again on fire for selling designer
turbans on Nordstrom at US $
800. The members of the Sikh
community have zeroed in once
again accusing the brand of
cultural appropriation. Last year
in February, a royal blue turban
in particular from the brand’s
fall 2018 collection caught the
attention of Twitter users both
for its high price and for hurting
the community sentiment. But
it seems the brand has not
learnt anything from it. Gucci
has started selling the Sikh
turbans and that too at a price
of Rs. 56,076 (US $ 800), which is
absolutely insane.
Online fashion store, Nordstrom,
is selling these Gucci turbans by
calling them, ‘Indy Full Turban’.
The product is explained as,
“A gorgeously crafted turban
is ready to turn heads while
keeping you in comfort as well
as trademark style.” They
are also delivering it for free
and offering in only one size.
Twitter is upset beyond limits
at the atrocity and wants Gucci
and Nordstrom to take down
the turbans. People have taken
to the micro-blogging website
to show their anger. After the
backlash, Nordstrom declared
that it was pulling the turban
from its website and stores, and
apologised to those who were
offended.
Nordstrom tweeted an apology
and announced that it would no
to disrespect this religious and
cultural symbol. We sincerely
apologise to anyone who may have
been offended by this,” they wrote.
longer sell the turban. “We have
decided to stop carrying this
product and have removed it from
the site. It was never our intent
Gucci faces Twitter ire for selling ‘Indy Full Turban' at US $ 800
La Chapelle witnesses decline in sales; closes down
over 1,800 outlets

Good health, financially stable and growing,
socially well-appreciated, emotionally strong,
result-oriented (high efficiency), better relations
with colleagues and enough time for family as well
as self…, do your workers have all these? If not, it is
high time for top management to change its thinking,
working and consider its Social return on investment
(SROI). Though industry leaders (top companies)
have taken up many initiatives in this regard,
but when it comes to the entire Indian apparel
manufacturing industry, the scale of these initiatives
is very less. Not only this, the motive behind such
initiatives to achieve ‘happy and healthy workers’
should not be set by the Western world. Indian textile
industry should think and work beyond compliance
and CSR. This constituted most of the crux of the
brainstorming workshop on ‘Promoting Employee
Well-being and Impacting Business at Workplace’,
organised by The Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Swasti
Health Catalyst.
Poonam Nanda joined Shahi Exports 17 years
ago. She was intermediate at that time and started
working as a Helper. Two years ago, she completed
her LLB (Bachelor of Laws) and now she is working
in the HR Department of the company. “Apart from
personal growth, Shahi Exports made my life easy
by various training programmes. I was unable to
give enough time to my husband; so our company
organised training for couple too. I wish to work my
whole life for the same company,” she shared proudly
amidst a full house of industry stakeholders during
this workshop.
Kalyani Pandey started working with Shahi Exports
when her first baby was just of three months. Her
journey is also remarkable as she got promoted from
time to time and is now handling store and feeding
material for a team of 720 people. “I have also started
my own finishing work as side business and I call it
Chhoti (small) Shahi; now I am giving employment to
28 people. I never played in school, but while working,
I won at district level sports” she informed happily.
These are just two examples shared by workers
themselves, but it is not only that workers remain
in benefit or gain by training. Vijendra Gupta,
GM – HR & Compliance, Richa Global, Gurgaon
informed, “After proper training, attrition rate
remained 7 per cent, while earlier, it was around
20 per cent. Now fewer workers go to the medical
room; previously, this number was quite high. There
are many such good examples which helped our
factories.”
Similarly, Bharathy Yadav, AGM – Compliance,
Orient Craft (Knits) also added: “Our attrition rate
reduced drastically. Compared to 18 per cent earlier,
it is now 7 per cent.” Both companies have various
worker-focused initiatives like HERproject and
many more.
Have you
checked your
SROI?
SHISHIR JAIPURIA
CMD, Ginni Filaments
“Along with continuous efforts for high
productivity, use of robotic, AI…, challenges
regarding workforce are also increasing.
For solution, the industry has to go beyond
the systems. It needs to be taken care
of right from the education level, so that
young professionals can deliver in this
direction too… If the industry will not take
up such efforts seriously, factories will be
closed down.”
Training
increased
acceptance
of women in
supervisory roles.
Earlier even some
of the female
operators were
not happy to work
under women
supervisors.
To get better
results,
factories’
management
have to
develop
a habit to
listen to
workers
seriously.
Poonam Nanda,
Shahi Exports
Kalyani Pandey,
Shahi Exports
Bharathy Yadav, AGM –
Compliance, Orient Craft (Knits)
Vijendra Gupta, GM – HR
& Compliance, Richa Global
SUSTAINABILITY

So, the leaders of the industry have also reaped
good results out of the training modules. But what
about SMEs or the unorganised sector where such
initiatives are very much required but most of
them have not done much in this direction? This
point was highlighted by Apparel Online in the
workshop. Majority of stakeholders agreed upon
this. Rajesh Bheda, Principal and CEO, Rajesh
Bheda Consulting (RBC), Gurgaon shared his
view that in such a scenario, focus is needed at
the entry level as it will be comparatively easy to
implement training. Besides, maximum sharing
of information about positive outcomes of various
initiatives is another reason. Shankar AG,
Associate Director, Swasti Health Catalyst,
Bangalore informed that they are also focusing
on cluster levels and taking collective efforts along
with various industry trade bodies.
Through all this discussion, what came out to
be more motivational was the positive impact of
such initiatives which is also beyond workers
and factories. A large extent of society, which has
nothing to do with the textile or apparel industry,
is also getting advantage due to the well-being
efforts of the industry. Some of the workers of
apparel and home furnishing manufacturing units
are being invited to the schools of their sons and
daughters to guide other parents about proper
nutrition and healthy food. Thanks to the training
programmes of factories with a focus on holistic
approach about health.
Before joining the apparel industry, one of the
female workers had a dream to become a singer
but could not do anything. After attending a
training session on leadership, she got motivated
and learned music. Now apart from working in the
factory, she teaches music to the nearby youth and
sings in various cultural events.
Therefore, the obvious question is no matter
whether big or small units, are you doing enough
in this direction? After all, SROI initiatives are
meant for the betterment of factories for sure!
SHAONLI CHAKRABORTY
Associate Director,
Swasti Health Catalyst
“Through various programmes, we are
working for the industry and getting
good results too. Definitely scale for
such efforts need to be increased, and
this is only possible when industry will
come forward.”
In the last two years, the global
apparel and footwear industry has
grown between 4 per cent to 5 per
cent. In line with these projections,
the annual growth by 2023 will be
of approximately 5 per cent. At the
same time, the industry has also
improved its social and environmental
performance in the year 2018, but at
a slower rate than the previous years.
Companies are not implementing
sustainable solutions fast enough
to counterbalance the negative
environmental and social impacts of
the rapidly growing fashion industry.
Published by Global Fashion Agenda,
Boston Consulting Group and
Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC),
the annual Pulse of The Fashion
Industry report measures and scores
the industry’s actual sustainability
performance and has some eye-
opening updates to make.
As per the report, the small-size
players in the mid-price segment, and
medium and large-size players in the
entry-price segment have contributed
majorly towards the improvements.
In fact the efforts being taken up
among the smaller companies in the
entry-price segment are encouraging
to see. As the report reads: “Adopting
sustainability strategy development
and governance, setting targets,
implementing best practices and
aligning their association affiliations.
These important preparatory
changes will take time – typically
around two years – to translate into
trackable success further along
the Pulse Curve.” On the other
hand, frontrunners displayed lower
measurable progress, as their work
in scaling up solutions and bringing
proven initiatives deeper into the
value chain does not necessarily
translate into Pulse Score gains. As
far as Pulse Scores by value chain
step is concerned, management,
and target setting & supply chain
show strongest scores of 56 and
42, respectively. On the other hand
retail stores and transportation
have minimum scores of 28 and
30, respectively.
2017
year
32
2018
year
38
2019
year
42
Pulse score (created in
2017) growth slowed by
one-third in 2019
Explore pulse
of the fashion
industry…
Awareness regarding sustainability
is highest among younger people
(especially millennials). There is a shift
in importance regarding sustainability
considerations which represents a
strong signal for the industry. This
clear trend will continue to grow.
It is just a matter of time before
responsible practices become pivotal
for decision-making factors when
purchasing a product. Despite all this,
consumer considerations of sustainable
practices are not yet powerful enough
to be the most important drivers of
purchasing behaviour.
SUSTAINABILITY

It is pertinent to mention here that the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) estimated
that global carbon emissions need to be reduced
by 45 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030 if global
warming is to be limited to a 1.5°C increase and
net zero-carbon emissions are to be reached
around 2050. The report says that even under
optimistic assumptions, the industry’s existing
solutions and speed of progress will not deliver
the impact needed to transform the industry.
The Pulse Curve showcases a five-phase
trajectory of the industry’s social and
environmental performance, providing guidance
for fashion companies as they assess their
current standing, locate themselves against their
peers and map out their next steps. Each phase
defines a set of priorities and milestones for
companies to focus on.
VARIOUS
PHASES
Taking Uncoordinated
Actions
Pre-Phase
Building the Foundation
Phase-1
Implementing the Core
Phase-2
Expanding to Scale
Phase-3
Unlocking the Next Level
Phase-4
About 40 per cent of the industry has not yet
reached beyond Phase-1 of the Pulse Curve which
shows that if the industry does not implement
changes at a faster rate, it will not be able to
achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) or meet the Paris Agreement. Similarly,
60 per cent of the industry should focus on scaling
up core priorities and accelerate efforts on
transformational priorities of the CEO Agenda*.
* Global Fashion Agenda (2019). CEO Agenda 2019.
Retrieved from https://www.globalfashionagenda.
com/ceo-agenda-2019/#
Even the most
advanced brands
face limits to what
they can achieve
in isolation.
To master the
significant
roadblocks lying
ahead, a strong
ecosystem of
collaboration
is required to
drive impact
by identifying
best practices
and inspiring
innovative
solutions. Two of
the key players in
the eco-systems
are Governments
and policymakers.
While there
is much to be
done, there is
also increased
momentum
to create a
supportive
regulatory
framework, which
the industry should
seize and seek to
further develop.
33
Very
important
Extremely
important
Neutral
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important
42
18
4 3
Importance of sustainability when
purchasing fashion
CONSUMER
UNDERSTANDING
33
Very
important
Extremely
important
Neutral
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important
42
18
4 3
4
16
29
32
50 49
44
Triggers of sustainability
50
40
30
20
10
0
Climatechangeawarenessefforts
Naturaldisastersintheworld
Readingaboutsustainability
Watchingadocumentaryon
sustainability
Floodinginmanycountries
TsunamiinAsia
Factoryfirein
Bangladesh
Others
13
(Proprietary research by Boston Consulting Group in America,
the UK, France, China and Brazil)
SUSTAINABILITY
HAVE YOUR SAY
Tell us your news by emailing at
news@apparelresources.com
BREAKING NEWS
To read the latest sustainability news, go to
https://apparelresources.com/business-news/sustainability/

Popular Indian denim
manufacturer, Arvind Limited has
become the latest to join Fashion
for Good, a global initiative that
is trying to make fashion more
sustainable. Fashion for Good,
launched in March 2017 by C&A
Foundation, is the corporate
foundation affiliated with global
retailer C&A. Fashion for Good
is an industry-wide platform
that helps brands, retailers and
manufacturers find more innovative
and sustainable solutions for
producing fashion.
“Sustainability and innovation are
our key strategic growth pillars
and we have always attempted
adoption of innovation in textile
manufacturing. We are pleased
to partner with Fashion for Good
and are committed to promote
the sustainable technologies
originating from the Fashion for
Good platform. We are looking
forward to working with these
technologies to fuel the next set of
growth in manufacturing for us with
the aim of growing with drastically
less environmental impact,” said
Punit Lalbhai, Executive Director,
Arvind Limited.
Arvind, a US $ 1 billion textile
company, operates with a focus
on textiles, advanced materials,
environmental solutions and
omnichannel commerce. “By having
Arvind on-board with Fashion for
Good, all of the innovators and
stakeholders are gaining in-depth
knowledge and support from a
unique pioneer in manufacturing.
We are delighted to see entire
fashion eco-system come together
in order to implement and scale
innovative solution across the
entire fashion value chain,”
disclosed Katrin Ley, Managing
Director, Fashion for Good.
Apart from Arvind Limited,
German E-commerce giant Otto,
Stella McCartney, PVH Corp,
Adidas, C&A, Galeries Lafayette,
Kering, Target and Zalando are
among the companies in Europe,
North and South America as well
as Asia to be associated with the
initiative so far. In addition to
this, Fashion for Good has also
revealed about its collaboration
with Amsterdam-based social
enterprise Circle Economy
on a new global project that
aims to speed up the uptake
of re-commerce and rental
business models in the global
apparel industry.
After the resounding success of
the third edition, Denimsandjeans.
com show in 2018, Vietnam’s
international denim exhibition,
will be back with its fourth
edition in June this year with a
focus on sustainable growth and
development. The two-day event,
which will begin on 12 June, is
themed ‘My Earth, My Denim’
and will feature interesting and
informative talks, seminars and
knowledge-sharing sessions.
One of the major highlights of
‘Denim Talks’ will be a discourse
by Joanne Swift, Ex-Creative
Director, Mamiye Brothers. She
will be speaking on current
trends in retail sector as well
as sustainability for consumers,
buyers and manufacturers. Leo
Gu, GM, Prosperity Textile, will
not only discuss opportunities
and challenges in the denim
industry but also share his first-
hand experience of sustainable
denim at Prosperity’s mills in
Vietnam and China – ranging
from source of raw materials
and new recycling methods to
next generation denim business
models.
The event will also bring several
denim experts from USA, Europe
and Hong Kong who will discuss
varying topics on sustainability
in denim, including ‘Sustainable
denim production – a comparison
between China and Vietnam’
and ‘Growth through sustainable
denim production’. Over 40 denim
companies from across the world
will be showcasing the best of their
sustainable denim collections at
the event that is expected to get
visitors from many continents and
countries including China, Japan,
Korea, US and Europe.
Otto, Stella McCartney,
PVH Corp. Adidas, C&A,
Galeries Lafayette, Kering,
Target and Zalando are
among the companies in
Europe, North and South
America as well as Asia
to be associated with the
initiative.
SUSTAINABILITY
Denim giant Arvind Limited joins Fashion for Good
Denimsandjeans Vietnam 2019 to focus on sustainable development

TOWARDS
TRANSPARENCY
In India, even today, many sewing operators who are working in apparel
manufacturing units for months, or for even years, do not know the name of
their factory. The address of their factory and the name of their supervisor
is the maximum that they know about. On the other hand, H&M is the first
retailer of the world to list individual supplier details for each garment on
its website to increase transparency in an industry with high risks of slavery
and labour abuses. There are many more such examples at local as well as
global levels which have direct or indirect relation with sustainability and
transparency aspects of the fashion industry. From decades, industry experts
stronglybelievethatthereisnosustainabilitywithouttransparency.Amidstall
thisdiscussion,wheredoesIndiastand…Whatistheopinionandexperience
of the Indian apparel industry on transparency? Apparel Online explored
this issue with various stakeholders from the industry. As expected, there is
a difference of opinion on this topic, but all of them agree that transparency
is the best policy for sustainable business and for a better tomorrow.
Transparency in Indian
apparel industry
As per experts, though Indian industry is a
cut above China, Bangladesh and Vietnam,
overall Indian apparel industry (the majority
of giants as well as SMEs) is not in a strong
position. Most of the larger players in the
industry and also the medium and smaller
ones involved in exports have moved towards
adopting transparent practices as it has
become the need of the hour but the industry
as a whole is yet to cover lots of ground in
this regard. Transparency is a powerful tool
for focusing on labour abuses and factory-
related dangers, and advocates critical
information about where to turn to for
problems. This makes workers believe that
brands profiting from their labour will hear
about their struggles and intervene.
“It is better than what it used to be but the
industry has a long way to go; on one hand,
we have examples of Toyota, Fast Cap and
Suzuki which have dedicated certain days
of the month for people to go and see their
practices, and on the other hand, many
doors of our industry are so tightly closed
that even for their own benefit, they are not
willing to open,” bemoans Sunaina Khanna,
Director, Methods Apparel Consultancy,
Gurgaon. The company supports apparel
manufacturers with its integrated software
packages and industry-specific training.
In some cases, there are some grey areas
which need to be taken up on priority.
Gurminder Matharu, Country Manager,
Colveta India (Gurgaon) feels that the
only hidden part sometimes is the longer
working hours or no holiday in a week and
that too when buying houses stress them
to work overnight to get their merchandise
out as supplier is running late; also hidden
many times is the true cost paid to the
labour involved.
LEAD STORY

To a large extent, manufacturers of the
domestic market are yet unware of the
concept of transparency, as they are
by and large in the transition phase
of getting into the organised sector
from an unorganised one and this
shaping-up process may take another
2-3 years or more. In the meanwhile,
more companies are moving towards
transparency mode.
Buyers’ efforts from
a suppliers’ viewpoint
International brands and retailers have
adopted a practical, optimistic and solution-
driven approach towards transparency.
To a large extent, their vendors feel
comfortable discussing issues with them,
instead of hiding it as some of the apparel
manufacturers are of the view that this
has really helped them in improving the
system and work culture. “Buyers do
expect statistics that they can use to
compare companies. As a manufacturer/
supplier/marketer, if you can provide an
explanation of your statistics, you justify
your company and become memorable,”
says Rajiv Dewan, President, Garment
Exporters Association of Rajasthan
(GEAR), Jaipur and MD, Ma’am Arts,
a well-known export house. Many other
exporters strongly appreciate that
buyers across the continents are pushing
factories to be transparent and are true
business partners in their growth story.
With respect to the domestic market and
looking from a holistic view rather than
just sustainability aspect, Vivek Lakra,
Director, Superfine Knitters (Ludhiana)
feels that as buyers are getting big, they
are becoming dominating and are asking
suppliers to furnish details that are no
more in closed doors like those relating to
purchase, open costing, transaction details
of four stage back-end suppliers. Superfine
Knitters is the only company in the Indian
apparel industry (producing for Indian
brand and retailers) with state-of-the-art
infrastructure, doing business of around
Rs. 100 crore.
Being transparent –
loss or gain
Even medium-level apparel manufacturers
which don’t even have a dedicated Product
Development (PD) department are fearful
of getting their design copied. In such a
mindset/scenario, is being fully transparent
easy? Interestingly, apart from satisfying
buyers and ensuring law of the land,
transparency is also a way of engaging
employees. If transparent, management
trusts staff and workers with information,
and in turn, they reward the company with
loyalty. Overall, organisational transparency
creates trust among stakeholders, assists
in informed decision-making and fosters
greater participation. “We have gained
credibility, long-lasting relationship, better
compliance ratings by being transparent.
Being transparent is more than a good
policy,” says Archana Tomar Mann,
VP – Compliance, CSR, Training &
Development, Orient Craft (OC), Gurgaon.
OC is one of the largest export houses of
India.
Adding different views to the same and
including important factors like pricing,
Vivek Saxena, Director, Moissanite
Apparels, Noida says, “We have gained,
especially when it comes to ethical
pricing, and buyers in return trust and
respect us for that. But, at times, we
have lost a lot when it comes down to
being transparent in adherence to social
practices. It is because most of the auditors
are concerned only about the ‘paper’
values instead of looking at things with
practical values. We are in an industry
where the turnover of labour is extremely
high and unfortunately 90 per cent of them
come from an almost zero educational
background.” Moissanite Apparels is a
growing export house working with several
global brands and retailers.
There are companies like Superfine Knitters
which claim to be transparent right from the
beginning. Before GST and demonetisation,
the company was losing a lot to the
unorganised sector, but now, everybody has
come to be on a transparent platform, so now
it has got an edge.
With regard to the buying community, not
only brands and retailers, but also the buying
houses strongly claim that they always gain
by being transparent. According to Triburg,
openness is always appreciated and gets due
response, while what Colveta India has gained
the most from transparency is the trust of the
suppliers and customers. For buying houses
as well as suppliers, one of the main reasons
for losing business due to transparency is the
counter-partner not being transparent.
Collective and collaborative
efforts on ground level
Indian apparel industry is vast and spread
over more than 15 cities and each city has
separate specialisation and big to small
players… All this makes collective and
collaborative efforts difficult, especially on
the ground level. But being more vocal and
open on such things, manufacturers can
also learn and join hands to promote such
initiatives. CXOs of various companies have
shared on various platforms as well as with
Apparel Online about how there is a lot
of talk about good practices, but in reality,
nothing is happening, especially as far as
TARUN BAKSHI
CEO, Triburg
“Transparency is an open way of working which promotes
collaboration between all stakeholders. Triburg has always shared
relevant information with all stakeholders. We run one of the most
transparent supply chains with a few key European accounts. It’s
taken years of work on the ground to get to where we are.”
RAJIV DEWAN
President, Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan
“Transparency embodies honesty and open communication because
to be transparent, someone must be willing to share information
when it is uncomfortable to do so. As a concept, it is often most
visible in the realm of social responsibility and compliance; its real
benefit is when it’s seen as a business priority.”
LEAD STORY

customer relationship is concerned. Though
on many fronts like interaction with the
Government and policy-making bodies, the
industry’s collective and collaborative efforts
are much more effective and evident.
Rajiv has a strong point to make here.
He states, “There is indeed a need for
‘Collective Governance’. Currently, the
world is characterised by globalisation and
stakeholders increasingly find themselves
unable to govern. Corruption is everywhere,
natural resources are being exploited,
the environment is damaged, markets are
distorted, etc. Certain challenges cannot
be addressed by entrepreneurs alone.
Increasingly, collective governance ‘beyond
governments’ is seen as part of the solution,
with state and non-state actors working
together. The trick is to communicate in ways
all understand and allow incremental growth
and refinement.”
This aspect becomes important as
transparency is about sharing information
not only with own brands, partners but with
all. There are very few companies who are
on the collaborative mode, else the majority
is always on the secretive mode and very
reluctant to be transparent. And this needs
to change for sure. Industry challenges
are common like low efficiencies, high
absenteeism, poor labour turnover, poor
middle management and inadequate HR
practices. The collaborative approach will
help tremendously and make India more
competitive in the world forum.
As far as buying side is concerned, there
are very few examples in this regard.
“Triburg has moved way above and beyond
the concept of a typical ‘buying house’. We
believe we are a full-service provider, akin
to a ‘direct supplier’. We take complete
responsibility for business deliverance,”
says Tarun Bakshi, CEO, Triburg, adding,
“Industry has been very vocal about a host
of issues in the past as well, but personal
agendas override collective goodwill. It
doesn’t mean we stop trying, but this point
needs further deliberation.” According to
Gurminder, “The ultimate goal for both
our suppliers and also for us is to have a
successful business with a satisfied customer
base.” Therefore collective and collaborative
efforts is the only way to survive in the
market or any business and that too for the
long term; for short term, one can always cut
corners and do it their own way.
Disclosing buyers as
well as suppliers’ names
No doubt that having buyers as well as
suppliers’ names and addresses on own
site and other manufacturing sites is a vital
part of transparency. Besides, traceability
and adherence to international norms for
human rights throughout the supply chain
have become a very critical factor for
maintaining transparency. Experts feel that
as the digital revolution has already taken
place in India, companies are sweeping
vast quantities of data about customers’
activities, both online and offline. In the
future, customer data will be a growing
source of competitive advantage; gaining
consumers’ confidence will be the key.
Companies that are transparent about the
information they gather, give customers
control of their personal data, and offer fair
Tarun Bakshi
CEO, Triburg
“Transparency should be a two-way street.
If brands expect suppliers to be more open
and accountable to elucidate their supply
chain, so should the brands be especially
in terms of their commitment levels to
support such an environment.”
VK Jha
Founder, Aider NGO
“Suppliers have to be transparent with
their clients, but they should similarly be
transparent with their workers and staff.
With regard to the workforce, there are
many such issues where manufacturers
have to be more transparent. Things
should not only be in papers, but they
also should be executed on the ground
level and reflect clearly. The factory
management should distribute an
‘Employee Handbook’ in local languages
to all workers, which should contain
all relevant HR information, policies,
workplace rules, wages and benefits in
detail. Why can’t apparel manufacturers
have their workers’ records?”
Vivek Saxena
Director, Moissanite Apparels
“Transparency and allied collective efforts
are a state of mind and flow from top
to bottom. If the leaders of the industry
will take this forward, soon all will follow.
Those who will not, will be left out of
the industry.”
COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPARENCY
ARCHANA TOMAR MANN
VP – Compliance, CSR, Training & Development, Orient Craft
“Transparency implies openness and accountability, accompanied
by the availability of full information required for any collaboration
or decision making. It helps to build credibility with not only
customers but every stakeholder, be it employees or society. We
are fully transparent with our buyers and ensure that we share
sustainability reports, internal audit reports, annual compliance
progress status with our buyers on a timely basis.”
LEAD STORY
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+91-11-47390000 (512)
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value in return of which they win trust and
will earn ongoing and expanded access.
Those concealing how they use customers’
personal data, fail to provide value to the
customers’ and lose their goodwill and
eventually business.
Triburg shared with Apparel Online in this
context that they don’t see a need for such
type of disclosures. Even Gurminder is of the
view that such transparency is not taken in a
positive light as no one wants to share their
customers’ names to the whole trade.
On same pitch or not
It is very important that buyers and suppliers
should be on the same pitch regarding
transparency. There is a strong perception
that buyers are on the higher side as they
demand the transparency from the suppliers.
But in case of suppliers, they support this
concept if they are doing volume business
but don’t show adequate interest when they
are handling small business. The pitch for
the supplier is business-driven.
Tarun feels that Indian suppliers are quite
cooperative. Both buyers as well as the
suppliers understand the ground realities, but
still, there is lot more to be done to be on the
same pitch. Again, according to Gurminder,
SUNAINA KHANNA
Director, Methods Apparel Consultancy
“Being transparent is equivalent to being trustworthy;
transparency implies openness, communication and accountability.
Right from the beginning, our organisation has been genuinely
transparent about the business practices that we follow. In our
organisation, even the last link of the value chain has solid trust in
the company and its practices.”
LEAD STORY

it all depends on the suppliers’ eagerness.
She further adds in order to motivate Indian
suppliers for transparency, her team does
CSR visits, conducts remediation meeting
and discussion with suppliers but ultimately
business is what drives the suppliers to make
efforts. Jas Mahindru, Proprietor, Mega-
Brands shares that in 80 per cent of the
cases, both are on the same pitch, especially
where there is inter-dependency.
Steps to increase
transparency
With the changing scenario, India has the
opportunity to grow now as China is getting
expensive. Being transparent is one trait
which India can follow to grab opportunity
for growth in textiles. Seminars, open
forums, workshops should be conducted
on a timely basis to ensure an increase in
transparency. Aggressive market forces will
pressure companies to be more transparent.
Multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as brands
and international NGOs, can play a more
important role in moving the industry towards
basic transparency. The Governments
should also enforce transparency and other
mandatory human rights processes in an
apparel company’s supply chain and set
standards that truly level the playing field
for businesses and workers. “Tragically,
the combination of reluctance to regulate
companies and overall Government apathy
has meant that there have been no strong
legislative efforts worldwide to address
human rights’ concerns in the garment
industry,” adds Rajiv.
Tarun sees this from a broader perspective
and asserts, “We need to increase our
lobbying on this front with EU and US
counterparts. It’s our strength, but we
haven’t leveraged it well enough.” Gurminder
suggests that there can be a centre where
all information is provided and which
helps the suppliers to go hand-in-hand to
reach the required goal. There are many
manufacturers and buying house who think
they are not doing something extra for
transparency as it comes naturally to them.
“Transparency comes with individuals’
attitude to conduct business…; it has more to
do with one’s personality,” says Jas. In view of
Vivek Saxena, it will be a mandatory process
very soon and everyone will have to join
hands in this endeavour. “Corrective action
plan should be abolished and continuous
improvement plan should be in place,”
he adds. VK Jha, Founder, Aider NGO,
Delhi feels that there is a need to conduct
a multiple awareness programme for the
manufacturers, brands and stakeholders to
understand transparency in the systems and
their impact on business. “The industry has
been gearing itself up for these challenges.
Further, the industry shall be required
to have an effective compliance function
capability to meet its legal and regulatory
obligations and promote and sustain a healthy
transparent culture of compliance and
integrity. Suppliers should step out of their
comfort zone and join the transparency trend
group. They should commit to sustainable
transparency standards. Multi-stake holder
initiatives should also endorse transparency,”
he corroborates.
Beyond transparency!
Apart from sustainable activities, disclosing
of business strategy, order booking situation,
efficiency rate, overall turnover should be
a part of transparency or not? Rajiv is of
the opinion that organisations practising
full transparency are open to attack and
are vulnerable to those groups that feel
under represented or alienated. He accepts
that it can be difficult to learn to balance
transparency keeping some information
private, such as competitive trade secrets or
other unique information.
“These practices must be transparent but
many times business strategies are the
USP of the organisations; hence in some
scenarios, if everything is too transparent,
people can take undue advantage of the
available information in the short term. I feel
if we find ways to collaborate rather than
compete, it can create a win-win situation
often,” says Sunaina. Gurminder too agrees
on the same and avers, “Absolutely, this
should be part of transparency for buying
house as well, as when we do this, our
supplier base also understands our structure
of work , the cost involved and value that we
add in-between them and customer-hidden
agenda is anyway not good for either party.”
On the contrary, Tarun disagrees with this
as he states, “We are in a commercial world
and putting commercial information in public
domain is not in anybody’s interest.”
Jas gives a mixed opinion, “We do discuss
strategies with our associates and are
quite open to a very large extent, but within
the practical understanding of each side.
Percentage (commission) and profits are
personal and I believe one should not discuss
this until and unless there is a situation
VIVEK SAXENA
Director, Moissanite Apparels
“Transparency is honestly fulfilling social compliance requirements and
ethical business practices, which includes ‘pricing’ policies also. We
are committed to be transparent in hour business and impart the same
values to our staff too.”
GURMINDER MATHARU
Country Manager, Colveta India
“Transparency is the overall view of our product with regard to where
it is produced, printed, processed, taking care of the labour involved
on the human ground level and open sharing of the movement of our
product at all stages. Our organisation has always been transparent
and our supplier base is a strong vote for this.”
LEAD STORY
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where negotiations or expenses need to be
understood by others. Yes, it is evident there
is no business without this commission or
service charge.”
Starting point
Apparel manufacturers who have not yet
moved towards transparency, can start
by exploring Transparency Pledge. As
per Human Rights Watch:World Report
2018 in 2016, Human Rights Watch joined
eight international labour rights groups
and global unions advocating for a basic
level of transparency in the garment industry.
The coalition developed a ‘Transparency
Pledge’, a uniform minimum standard for
transparency, drawn from industry good
practices. The pledge is a modest starting
point for company disclosure. Companies
can do far more than what the pledge
seeks. As usual, industry stakeholders
have different opinions, observations or
experiences on similar issues and things will
keep moving in their organisations as per
them, but as a whole, no one can deny that
transparency is the best policy in order to
move further for sustainable business and
for better tomorrow. Leonardo A Bonanni,
Founder CEO of Sourcemap strongly
believes that committing to supply chain
transparency is usually the most effective
way to drive the new business processes
needed for mapping and traceability.
VIVEK LAKRA
Director, Superfine Knitters
“Transparency means that all business transactions are accounted
for, and all Govt. statutory departments are well linked with the
company, and there is a minimal scope of any deviation or tax/
entry evasion. We are a public limited company and we are
extremely transparent in all respects.”
LEAD STORY

Riding high on the success of its ingredient
brand Liva, Birla Cellulose has taken yet
another leap for enhancing the sustainability
quotient of its brand and the fashion industry
at large with the introduction of a new eco-
enhanced variant, Livaeco, that promises to be
more sustainable and environment-friendly. In
an exclusive conversation with AO, Manohar
Samuel, Senior President -- Marketing &
Business Development, Birla Cellulose
reflects on the journey of Liva so far and the
way forward.
In its endeavour to be as sustainable as
possible, the latest offering within the Liva
family, Livaeco, has got certain enhanced
credentials of sustainability as compared to
regular Liva. It is made from raw materials
sourced from forests that are certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which
ensures the conservation of biodiversity,
saving of endangered forests and an increase
in the green cover overall. Livaeco also
promises minimal usage of water vis-à-vis
other natural fibres in its manufacturing
process and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have come out with Livaeco in
partnership with W, to give an eco-enhanced
version of the highly fluid fashion fabric
Liva. Consumers will be able to identify the
fabric through the Livaeco green tag on the
garment. Moreover, every Livaeco garment
has a unique molecular tracer, which helps the
end buyer trace the origin and journey of the
garment he/she is buying, focusing mainly on
sustainability and high fashion to delight the
customers,” said Samuel.
Tapping Potential
For a wider reach and with an aim to
strengthen its supply chain by facilitating a
platform where garment manufacturers and
yarn/fabric manufacturers can meet, Grasim
Industries started Liva Accredited Partner
Forum studio-cum-library. Till date, it has four
studios – Noida, Mumbai and Tirupur -- across
India, and one in New York. The studio serves
@Liva
Birla Cellulose
sets new milestones
with developments
TEX-FILE

as a one-stop customer experience centre for
innovation, technical, product and marketing
solutions and has a collection of more than
2,000 fabric innovations of viscose, modal and
excel. It has a dedicated technical team, which
helps the visitors to know about technical
specifications, companies which manufacture
yarns/fabrics and minimum order quantity.
“Through Liva Studio, we are reaching to
a wider audience in the value chain with
innovation. But India is not yet agile from
the supply side and there are many gaps; we
are trying to fill those gaps. The awareness
of innovation is much more with the global
brands and they push the boundaries. Near
home, a lot of work still has to be done by
the Indian brands in fabric innovation,”
asserted Samuel. He further confessed, “With
Liva Accredited Partner Forum, we wanted
all the fabrics to have a minimum quality
guarantee forever; we also wanted them to
be innovative and distinctively different. As
far as innovation is concerned, I feel that the
progress has been good, and through huge
strides being made in the quality area, there is
scope for more to be done. Overall the mission
with which we set out is much higher than
what we have achieved, but the journey has
been fruitful.”
LAPF Studio is not just about searching
out and buying interesting fabric, it is also
a hub to connect with over 650 garment
manufacturers and exporters, 50 local and
international brands, 50 international buying
houses, agents and traders and 100 fashion
design houses. To be more global, last year in
January, the umbrella brand Birla Cellulose
opened the design studio in New York to
connect with international fashion brands
and to know the international trends. It is
also planning to open studios at other global
destinations such as London and Hong Kong
for its collections.
Aspiring All
Simultaneously, the brand has been
associating with creative minds, designers
and students to bring out their best through
Liva Protégé. The unique platform is for
the best of budding fashion designers
across India to showcase their creativity
and make an indelible mark on the fashion
circuit across the country. At the same time,
it aims to tap into the great Indian talent
pool and ensure that promising fashion
designers in India get their rightful place
under the sun, and help India keep shining
across the global fashion landscape. “We
have quite a few designers, who have been
using Liva fabrics. There are two levels. The
running level is where the designers work
for a particular brand, and every season,
they get some options from us and innovate
according to the profile of the brand they
work for; the other level is when a designer
works closely with us, he/she creates a
unique fabric in line with his/her concept,”
averred Samuel.
Aiming High
Following Aditya Birla Group’s philosophy of
being at the forefront of sustainable business
practices, Birla Cellulose is expanding its
portfolio further in various other categories
such as home furnishing, menswear, kidswear
and even within womenswear. The company in
December 2018 launched Liva Home with the
brand partner Portico. The joint collaboration
offers a beautiful range of bedsheets,
comforters and duvets in floral and geometric
designs. Eventually, Liva Home will also
extend into different home textile categories,
including bath linen, floor rugs, kitchen linen
and living room linen.
With an objective to bring sarees back in
vogue, Liva is all set to launch its sarees
in the next few months pan-India. “We are
working with different types of stores-cum-
brands, handlooms stores and the big brands
in sarees. Our view is to see the brand, which
is a high premium brand, get maintained,”
added Samuel.
Liva is also looking to foray into menswear
segment. The company is already supplying
to major kidswear retailers and sells through
brands like Max Fashion, Allen Solly Junior
and Gini & Jony.
Concluding on a positive note, Samuel said,
“We are enthusiastic. Earlier we used to
concentrate on global brands but Indian
brands are fantastic and we have created our
own brand space with Liva. And it’s really
good to see the volume of business we are able
to get. The biggest positive for the future of
Indian retail is that the Indian brands know
what they want today.”
TEX-FILE
Manohar Samuel, Senior President -- Marketing & Business Development, Birla Cellulose
Birla Cellulose last month launched
a plantable garment tag for its eco-
enhanced variant Livaeco, which
is now attached to each garment
across the retail stores of W. The
plantable tag wishes to create a
positive environment footprint
by introducing and engaging
consumers in eco-friendly practices
right from sourcing to the final
degradation of the garment. The
tag is created using seed paper
which is made from recycled
biodegradable fibres. Post soaking
in water for 5-6 hours, it gets ready
to be sowed in soil and needs to be
placed under sunlight to ensure it
sprouts in 5-6 days.

Theinfluenceofstreetwearhasanundeniableeffectonthe
fashion industry, and the same is translated into gender-
neutral fabric choices and silhouettes for the upcoming
Fall/Winter 2019 season.
Lessismoreasrefinedluxuryemergesasaprevalenttheme
withdesignersandhigh-fashionbrandsexperimentingwith
premiumqualitymaterials.Theattentionisonconstruction
– textures, clean-lined silhouettes and minimal detailing.
Eco-friendly fabrics including cotton, linen and wool, are
treated with varied textures, paying attention to the look
of the end product. Modest colorways channel the natural
feel, whilst soft curves in the simple silhouettes and neat
lines lend feminine vibes.
The approaching season focuses on premium quality
materialssuchassilk,Tencelandsoftleathers– thehandles
are tactile, lending a tangible sense of comfort and ease.
Apparel Online conducts an in-depth analysis to present
to you an exclusive look of the top 8 material trends that
will be driving Fall/Winter 2019’s apparel choices.
MATERIALS
IN FOCUS
FALL/WINTER 2019
Nylon | Luxe Leather | Silk Route | Teddy Fabric | Cotton & Linen | Woollen Coats | Artisanal Knits | Fur Craft

Nylon
Integrating technology
with fashion, lightweight
and highly resistant nylon
fabrics are value added with
waterproof and chillproof
finishes.
For the approaching
Fall/Winter season,
designers and brands are
experimenting with colour
blocking, exaggerated
word prints and
embroideries, over nylon
outerwear pieces.
Classic wardrobe
staples are updated
with leather this winter,
translating into a luxurious
feel. Outerwear pieces
and suiting are reworked
in premium skins with an
attention to smooth, anti-
grain finishes, and fine,
lightweight handles to give
a clean and sleek look.
Available in a variety of
colours, the updated pieces
are pared down, and come
in understated silhouettes.
Luxe
Leather
Balenciaga
Craig Green
Givenchy Cedric Charlier
Bottega Veneta
Gabriele
Colangelo
Fendi
Phillip Lim

Glossy and sleek silk
fabrics lend a retro
appeal to loose shirts for
men, and slip dresses and
wrap dresses for women.
This ultra-sheeny fabric is
the second material trend
to be tapping on the luxe
feel, this season, after soft
leather.
Silk
Route
The bigwigs in
fashion have
successfully managed
to steer out of public
wrath by abandoning
fur, and at the same
time, introducing novel
iterations of the luxe
fabric.
Texture imitating bear
fur ‘teddy fabric’ is up
on the rise especially
under the outerwear
category. Think coats,
jackets and fluffy knits!
As per Edited, there
has been a 42 per cent
increase in Teddy fabric
apparel sell-outs since
Fall 2017 – proof
backed by data.
Teddy
Fabric
Alberto Zambelli
GCDS
Ann Demeulemeester
Burberry
Cyclas Boss

Cotton
& Linen
The connect with
nature has never been
stronger… fast-paced,
high-stress lifestyles are
urging people to get back
in touch with the roots and
make mindful purchases.
Breathable fabrics such as
cotton, linen and silk merge
comfort with a relaxed
feel, brought about by the
softness quotient of these
magic materials.
Wool is an
indispensable part of
the Autumn/Winter season.
And this year around, they
are making their presence
known in solid colour
palettes, stripes and check
patterns for men’s coats.
Colourful shades, cobalt
blues and China red add a
brilliant touch to coats.
Woollen
Coats
Mazarine
Jacquemus
The Row Agnona
Isabel Marant
Cividini
Jamie Wei HuangUma Wang

Seasonal statement
knits channel tribal
influences created using
contemporary handcrafting
that makes one reimagine
the artisanal techniques.
Details such as extreme
fringing, Aztec and tribal
patterns and monochrome
graphics over free-flowing
and oversized silhouettes
lend a nomadic, wanderer
vibe providing movement
at the same time.
Artisanal
Knits
Fur poses as a
decorative material
this season. Designers
and brands are playing
with colours, finishes and
lengths in both regular
and irregular forms.
Bright fur trims line
hems and edges of
garments, while spliced
front and back fur, soft
fur and tough leather
are gathered together to
interpret modernity and
individuality.
Fur mashed up with
denim and colour
blocked fur is a huge
trend, especially in the
Chinese market.
Fur Craft
Tory Burch
Area
Ports 1961
Akris Dennis Basso
Thom Browne

Fashion Springs
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Hong Kong is the famous trendsetter, gathering international fashion brands
and designs. Boasting around 1,000 international exhibitors in
2019 edition, the fashion week is a one-stop shop for sourcing and
merchandising. It offers buyers a fantastic spread of the latest trend in
garments and accessories from high-end fashion to mass merchandise.
A Vivacious Market for Business
Some 20 product zones in the Fashion Week. Highlighted product zones
include Fashion Accessories, Fashion Gallery, Menswear, Fabrics & Yarn and
Clothing with Corporate Fashion and Uniforms returning in high
demand. Once again the hktdc.com Small Orders
zone caters to buyers with low volume orders
of five to 1,000 pieces.
Event Excitement
The great atmosphere of this internationally
renowned fashion week is created by the full
array of parade shows. There are also trend
forecast seminars by Fashion Snoops and
buyers’ forum. Networking events facilitates
the cozy environment for buyers to expand
the business with industry peers.
Exclusive offers
for NEW Overseas Buyers!
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Travel Incentive at your CHOICE!
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For query, please contact the
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Fair Date: 8-11 July 2019
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
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Fashion Springs
to Life
Apparel Online India 31

L
eaving the confines of the
hours between the after-
work and the morning alarm,
sleepwear has come a long
way to become one of the
fastest growing segments
since 2018. The sleepwear/
loungewear wave struck
the consumer groups
as athleisure and streetwear came ashore
to normality, being a complete package of
comfortable silhouettes, luxe materials and edgy
fashion.
Analysis by Technavio forecasts the global
sleepwear and loungewear market to grow at
a CAGR close to 9 per cent by 2023 and several
industry experts are swearing by the segment due
to the ripe opportunities it holds for all market
players right from luxury to mass retail. “Sleep
and loungewear represent one of the biggest non-
core product opportunities for fashion brands and
retailers right now, with the most dynamic growth
occurring at the affordable luxury level,” says
Emily Gordon-Smith, Director of Consumer
Product at Stylus, a research agency for the
industry. “More time being spent at home and a
desire for ultimate comfort, all day, every day are
two key drivers behind this trend.”
As the pants translated to sweats, a further step
forward brought forth silk pyjamas, an inevitable
progression that reflected luxurious nonchalance
instead of careless disregard. The luxury market
was quick to pick up the transition, as Dolce
& Gabbana put forward its ‘pajarmy’, followed
by Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Alexander McQueen
and Fendi – with modified Peter Pan collars and
luxe fabrics. This also led to several affordable
luxury brands to explore this category cleverly
as brands such as Desmond & Dempsey, Sleepy
Jones and Pour Les Femmes made big bucks in
the segment. The numbers are emblematic of
the same as research agency Stylus says sales
of luxury sweat pants rose 300 per cent year-on-
year in 2017, while high-end department store
Harrods revealed cashmere joggers in sleepwear
being the bestseller for the past two years.
The segment is also diversifying keeping utility
in mind, giving rise to categories such as bridal
sleepwear, right from bachelorettes, his and her
collections to lingerie-based sleepwear; travel
sleepwear spanning soft fabric joggers and
sweatshirts coupled with eye masks and scarves
and featuring advanced technology, restorative
sleepwear – think Under Armour’s athlete
recovery sleepwear range that uses bioceramic
print to regulate temperature.
Yet, the trends for the sleepwear category
run a little slower than their counterpart
categories such as corporatewear and
streetwear, as mainstream retailers such as
H&M and ASOS carry about 10 per cent and 13
per cent sleepwear items respectively, making
it clear that the popularity of the segment still
has a long way to go. Yet the blurring lines
between loungewear and nightwear, coupled
with the sudden push by an increased number
of celebrities adorning sleepwear items are
helping consumer groups mix and match
ensembles that go from the bed to the streets.
Best instances arise from pairings such as
tropical print silk-shirts, high-waist pants and
frill-trimmed white cotton night dresses street-
styled with sneakers, as per Edited.com.
During our research of the sleepwear market
in India, Mumbai emerged as the biggest
hub for the category as several trend-led
brands and retailers, addressing all tiers of
the market, are thriving in Maharashtra. We
talked to several manufacturers and retailers
from the domestic market dealing in this
category to identify the major driving forces
for the category to come up with trends that
will dictate the sleepwear market for the
upcoming season.
WHAT’S
TRENDING IN
THE THRIVING
SLEEPWEAR
MARKET?
YOU
SNOOZE,
YOU
LOSE
FASHION BUSINESS
Sleepwear now offers attires
that can be worn outside the
homes too!

Transitional sleepwear is where
the sleepwear stakeholders are
placing their bets, and luster
translates chic for nightwear in
and out of the house effectively.
Silk and satin are proving to
be the most popular choice of
material to join the glossy trend,
owing to their soft tactile properties and luxurious aesthetics.
Silk’s easy drapeability allows it to be a good fabric option
for tie-up robes, midi-dresses and sleepwear sets. Yet, in
tropical countries like India, retailers are opting for alternate
silk blends with cotton and linen in order to maintain the
breathability factor of the pieces. On the other hand, satin
swept aside the velour rage the bygone seasons witnessed.
Nightwear silhouettes are now inclining towards the boxy,
leggy fit and satin blends are replacing velvet, as the latter
tends to stick to the body of the wearer.
Monica Jain, Founder of the Mumbai-based quirky
nightwear brand Velveteen, talks about how these fabrics are
the top choices for the consumers. She asserts, “Customers
are very particular while selecting materials that will
construct their nightwear. Someone who wants his/her skin
to feel easy with no irritation will prefer cotton. Nowadays,
nightwear is worn even outside the house, so the fabric choice
is also changing. People who want elegant drape will go for
fabrics like lucent satin. Cotton satin has matte yet luxurious
finish and is a coolant as well, thus preferred by majority.
Other fabrics in trend are rayon, velvet, silk, jersey, knit, etc.”
Luster Luxe
Detailing
at its Peak
To keep up with the buyers’ demand for ostentatious
nightwear, several brands and manufacturers are paying
keen attention to value addition and design details, whether
in fabric, prints or most commonly, overall pattern of the
silhouette. Fabric manipulation such as gathers, knots and
draped bows are the top runners of the lot.
As per Akriti Kochar, Director of Perch, a brand that
champions in maintaining the design and comfort balance,
the classic suit style pyjamas have seen a very welcome
transition towards more fashion-forward and feminine styles.
To put it in her own words, “People are not really willing to
give up on comfort to look fashionable. Thus, nightwear and
athleisure loungewear are taking center stage. The classic
suit style pyjamas now have many additions – pleated sleeves,
peplum tops, fringed robes, tapered shirts, lightweight cotton,
eccentric tapes, bold motifs. A night suit is an item of night
time luxury; what’s more important than sleep?”
Siddharth Vithlani, Founder of Rajkot-based Tirupati
Nightwear also shares similar opinion, as he explaines how
smaller design and pattern details are now in demand as per
various consumer groups, on the basis of age, gender and
purpose. According to him,“We at Tirupati cater to categories
of menswear, womenswear and kidswear essentials. The
silhouettes are now branching out and moving away from
conventional traits. We provide styles right from classic
suit top and bottom sets to the newly trending ones such as
dungarees, jumpsuits and T-shirts with cold shoulder sleeves.
These tend to evolve with time, as our male customers
demand pockets with zippers while our female customers who
are expecting, demand suits that have button up closures.”
To this, Heenal Jain, Co-founder of Velveteen Nightwear
adds, “Introducing collar neck in tops and night dress
enhances the entire look of the night apparel and is the
trendiest. Fancy embellishments like pearl buttons, ruffles,
laces, drawstring, appliqué, fur are used to give a more
feminine look.”
FASHION BUSINESS
Dolce & Gabbana silk transitional nightwear
Ruffledetailingoversleepwearcoordinatedset

Nightwear silhouettes are leaving their
conventional ‘ugly comfort’ form and
function to adopt shapes and cuts that
are more fashionable. Classic suit sets
have remained a constant in the segment,
but the trend of lustrous coordinated sets
- either in solids or a shock of prints in
deep tones, with the top sporting contrast
piping collars, are very common. Another
trend that is peeping through various
kinds of sleepwear styles are wrap-
arounds and tie-up belts. Overlapping
shawl collars placed on the necklines of
suit sets right from shirt and shorts to
shirt and pants, along with wrap tie-up
kimonos, night robes, outerwear sets etc.,
are the buyer’s choice for the next season.
Kolkata-based nightwear brand clts (an
acronym for Cute Little Things), works
on Indian body shapes and provides sizes
that range from XS to XL. Mitesh Baheti,
Business Developer of clts avers,“The
front open nightsuits continue to be the
favourites among the buyers across.
Oversize tees (boyfriend shirts and tees)
might see some great demands as well. We
also identify long shirts (sleepshirt) as an
upcoming trend that has not yet caught up
and has tremendous potential. Variation
in front open nightsuits has tremendous
scope and market and we want to be the
first one to offer products that are fresh,
new and work for all generations.”
The market will be
ACCELERATING
growing at a CAGR
to close
On the
Silhouettes’
Front
Hues & Prints
With the inclusion of print-friendly fabrics such as satin, silk and
linen blends, all-over prints with large motifs are determined for
the print and pattern choices for Fall/Winter 2019. Moving away
from stripes and nautical motifs, bold florals, scarf prints and
animal patterns are the top choices. Domestic players such as
Kritika Jain, Founder of Velveteen swear by casual, vacation-
inspired prints like that of flamingos, unicorn, nutella jars and
characters, with a strong inclination towards oriental florals and
chain prints.
On the colour front, brighter motifs are on the memo, as Akriti
states, “It’s the era of classics – nudes, neons and everything subtle
and classic is fashion. A wide range from pink to blushes to beiges
and with that a stark contrast of neons are making a comeback as
well with Perch’s next collection.” Adding to these will be cooler
shades, as Mitesh suggests, “I think the main colours for the
approaching season would be colours with a pinch of coolness in
them. Like there would be a shift from Red to Coral, Green to Lava
Green/Teal Green. These colours bring coolness, which breaks
away from the old standing colours. In addition, these colours add
a youthful touch as well.”
E-commerce champion Clovia, already known for its vibrant
aesthetics, recently joined the bricks-and-mortar game and
has made successful strides in the segment. Suman Chowdhury,
Co-founder of Clovia, further sheds light on the same, “The
prints we do are according to themes and floral motifs; vintage,
summer chill, travel are few of the collections we have been
working on. These prints and stories attract the consumers and
buyers, while being extremely wearer-friendly. The category entails
maximum comfort, thus, we use fabrics that are good to skin and
are breathable such as cotton and cotton blends, modal, viscose
spandex, satin and premium stretchable laces.
FASHION BUSINESS
Pyjama sets with contrast piping
collars by Lilysilk
Prints offered by Perch nightwear for the next seasonCourtesy: Technavio

Combos
for All
Pairing nightwear with
different street and
outerwear essentials is
definitely a micro-trend for
the season ahead, which
is pushing the key mass
retailers such as Zivame,
Clovia and PrettySecrets
to include combination
featuring 4, 5 and 6-piece
sets. Neha Kant, Co-
founder of Clovia says,
“Our sleepwear range
is very thought-out and
customer-led, as we take into
account what the wearer
is looking for. We think of
a girl who lives in a joint
family, unmarried girl who
lives in a dorm or with her
parents or in a joint family
and all of them have different
sleepwear requirements.
Thus, we go for combination
sets to cater to them all. We
started with a single solution
11-piece combo, that has
individual garments from
conservative pieces such
as long nighty, long robe,
top, full length pyjama to
more progressive elements
such as short nighty and a
matching string bra brief
set that can be worn, or
paired with each other for
different situations.”
Thus, sleepwear as a
segment is bound to make
big bucks and has opened
avenues for technological
advancement as apparels
can actually be used for
therapeutic purposes
by improving sleep.
Furthermore, mixing and
matching is the trend that
never changes as we might
see sleep attire being
transformed to formal and
occasionwear as well, and
this is what the nightwear
segment is taking advantage
of – bridging the gap between
bed and streets to enable an
easy life for the wearers.
The year-on-year
growth rate for 2019
is estimated at
FASHION BUSINESS
Clovia 11 pcs satin nightwear set

FASHION RESOURCE
The famous Victoria’s Secret
annual show will not be aired
on the television henceforth, as per
a memo distributed by Les Wexner,
CEO of L Brands, which owns VS.
The television ratings for Victoria’s
Secret’s annual televised fashion show
last year were the worst in its history.
“Fashion is a business of change,”
the memo, obtained by CNBC reads,
“We must evolve and change to
grow. With that in mind, we have
decided to rethink the traditional
Victoria’s Secret Show. Going
forward, we don’t believe network
television is the right fit. In 2019
and beyond, we’re focusing on
developing exciting and dynamic
content and a new kind of event
– delivered to our customers on
platforms that she’s glued to, and in
ways that will push the boundaries
of fashion in the global digital age.”
For the very first time, LVMH-owned French
luxury fashion brand Celine has launched its
e-commerce vertical in the Asian market. Offering
the label’s full range of women’s and men’s ready-
to-wear, the site will retail accessories, footwear,
leather goods and collaborative collection items.
The site also offers facility for the customers
to check stocks of products available at their
nearest Asian store with an option to pre-order
items from the website. The website’s client
service desk is also on hand to support users.
The country options available on this e-commerce
portal are China, Hong Kong (China), Japan,
Macau (China), Singapore and Taiwan Region.
The site also has Europe, North America, Middle
East and Oceania sections, the last of which
includes ‘International’.
Rihanna is going to be the first-ever woman of colour
to lead an LVMH house and the first woman to
create an original brand for the group. Called the Fenty
Maison, as announced by LVMH, the brand is “centered
on Rihanna, developed by her and takes shape with her
vision in terms of ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories,
including commerciality and communication of the
brand,” stated a press release.
The first collection has been reportedly debuted on May
22. As per Rihanna herself, “I couldn’t imagine a better
partner both creatively and business-wise, and I’m ready
for the world to see what we have built together.” The
Chairman and CEO of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, said
Rihanna would be supported with a team and resources.
Celine debuts e-commerce in Asia
Rihanna to launch her brand Fenty
House with LVMH
Victoria’s Secret
will not air its
annual show

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