19 October 2022, Mumbai:

India as a country is a melting pot of cultures manifesting a multicultural/multiethnicity society ever-living harmoniously, merrily, and most peaceful co-existence since eternity.

East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet is a concept that doesn’t hold water in the Indian apparel fusion segment that blurs the boundaries between cultures. Western-style clothing combined with Indian designs and patterns and other fusion fashion styles is now flying off the shelves.

Fusion wear and its growing popularity in India

The best bit is that today we have INDO WESTERN fusion outfits that you actually can wear and are no more outlandish. Industry experts say that India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing fashion markets over the past few years and is projected to grow at 15 percent CAGR by 2022 and become a $102 billion market for apparel.

The fusion wear segment of pairing different fashion concepts together will hold a key chunk of the market pie. Many popular fashion brands like Sabyasachi, House of Indya, House of Masaba, Manish Malhotra, and Anamika Khanna have taken an Indian twist on a Western silhouette with their design concepts, embellishments, and embroidery. Others who are making a mark in the fusion segment include Shivan&Narresh, Mishra, Monika Nidhi, Papa Don't Preach by Shubhika, Ridhima Bhasin, Punit Balana, and Ridhi Mehr among others.

An idea whose time has arrived

Given the Indian women's newfound love for western wear & yet staying rooted in our way of dressing makes the fusion accentuates, giving way to widescale acceptance and embracing this genre of clothing like never before. Other than these designers, even mainstream apparel brands also have been observing this as a phenomenal growth subcategory.

The gen X age group has taken to Indo-western clothing by storm and the popularity of social media platforms (SMs) like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok has made life easier for most brands to get media coverage and be liked and loved. The versatile nature of Indo-Western fashion can create a look for any occasion with outfits that range from glamorous to causal and occasions from a wedding to streetwear.

Indo-Western Outfit Inspirations

Celebrate Indo-Western fusion fashion styles! The fusion works is a versatile and flexible one of mix and match where there are no strict fashion rules. Just wear what you want in the casual setting by pairing the staple wardrobe essentials/coordinates like jeans with a traditional kurta or a western dress with an ethnic motif scarf. With kurtas available in different styles, colors, and patterns, women are sometimes wearing them short over trousers or wearing longer kurtas on their own as a dress, making them suitable for any occasion.

Currently, palazzo sets are all the rage in Indo-Western wear with women wearing patterned palazzo trousers with simple tops creating a casual chic Indo-Western look. Palazzo trousers now also have a modern silhouette with a crop top or halter neck top.

Trending Indo-Western Styles

Let us say the optics is that these outfits/silhouettes are fundamentally from direct Western influence and are well-blended with our very own Indian textiles and styling.

For social occasions such as weddings, another popular Indo-Western look involves pairing an Indian motif embroidered lehenga with a plain, crop, or halter neck top or a spaghetti top. Instead of wearing the traditional embroidered blouse, this kind of dressing is a rage among the younger generation at weddings and social functions.

Among young women in the Indian community living abroad, this kind of Indo-Western fusion wear is very popular and many designers are targeting this niche segment by exporting their products as well as having a physical store in many countries, besides online channels.

The preferred choice of all classes!

The men’s apparel segment also has incorporated secularly this fusion wear concept by introducing the Jodhpuri Suit set and flowing Angrakha style kurtas. Along with this are jackets that are paired with various lower-body clothing in different ways to achieve a different look Indo-Western Achkan that look quite similar to traditional sherwanis but yet are different and can be paired with jeans and other men's bottom wears are also popular.

Indo-Western fashion is on the rise and most smart ethnic brands have incorporated it as part of their product portfolio, as this rise is expected to remain constant in the near future both in India and abroad spanning the Indian global diaspora striking the right balance of look.

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17 October 2022, Mumbai:

Quintessentially as India is a very heterogenous market and the essential characteristics of an Indian wedding are characterized by so much noise around it demonstrated by the best of the food, décor, and jewellery. Occasions tend to be inclusive affairs beyond immediate families involving society/the whole community assembling rejoicing/celebrating such music to ears as a collective dancing to the tunes of the band, baaja with baaraat.

In this first normal year in the last three years, the retailers, and brands all are enthusiastically bracing themselves for the so-called forthcoming Indian fat wedding season, which broadly falls in October and March of the year. Given that festivity is already upon us and considering post-Covid-19 demand tailwind fashion industry is starting to see despite looming global geopolitical risk concerns as surely we are not decoupled.

On the back of heightened hopes of improving business & consumer confidence ahead of the wedding season, the promotional festive sales bonanza/promotional offerings have already started​ gathering up steam. Trade expects to see this demand tailwind well supported by the continuing festive season onward and likely wedding season catapult in sales in winter 2022/23.

Many would argue there is a case for revenge buying and it is more than a pent-up demand this high season of 2022 wherein shoppers visibly desire to amplify their experiences and want to celebrate any occasion coming their way.

Most of the brands, retailers, and malls we have been talking to are unequivocally been happy to report that, “ Wedding sale is already started and there is a lot of buying exuberance as we keep getting data points from all across. Hopefully, it is a bounce-back quarter and we continue to be constructive on the season".

Data Points

Wedding celebration season always presents an immensely larger-than-life 'Opportunity to engage/Connect with consumers to make the best out of it'. As per one estimate," Nearly 10 million Indians/Couples rush to tie nuptial knots annually making the Indian wedding industry only second-largest globally to the tune of an estimated uncontested opportunity size (TAM) of around $50 billion with a healthy CAGR given steady population rise rate. Readers can do their maths what does it mean for the Wedding Industry going forward?

And as the proverb goes," Marriages are made in Heaven and Solemnized on Earth" no surprise that one does not leave any stone unturned ensuring that one's marriage ceremony being the greatest life spectacle is nothing short of a timeless lifetime memory/event of life.

On the back of wedding ceremonies, and profound societal culture according to the World Gold Council," India is the only second largest consumer of gold worldwide, precisely gold jewellery, only next to China, accumulating to whopping approx 850 tonnes of gold jewellery yearly, constituting some 27% of global consumption. The data further reflects that in 2021, India spent a historic high of approximately $55.7 billion on gold imports alone".

The industry estimates that wedding season accounts for some ballpark figure of 15-20% for the general apparel/clothes industry trade sales (gross), whilst if one were to look at the criticality of weddings in the overall retail pie it contributes a fat 60% or thereabouts directly or indirectly incidental to wedding festivities/marriage occasions in the form of jewelry gross sales/sales arising out of cosmetics firms. Besides driving supplementary business opportunities in the form of valuable gifting options for the beloved ones/the newlyweds and their kiths and kin.

Economic Headwinds

There are many moving parts including persistent sticky inflation, softening of consumer sentiment, particularly in low ticket article/consumer downgrading, and any other unknown potential dampeners as a lot of macroeconomic global variables are playing out in the background. But still, we continue to be constructive on the season.

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13 October 2022, Mumbai:

As per global apparel trade estimates," In the changing global sourcing landscape, China's market share in the apparel exports globally market has come down from 35.15% in 2016 to 29.91% in the first half of 2021 and expectedly it is a secular trend going forward. Apparel exports from China amounted to $120.70 billion in 2020 owing to COVID-19 and roughly dropped to $107.73 billion or thereabouts in 2021. Global exports shrank by 16.96% over 2018 to $403.12 billion in 2020 thanks to COVID-19. Furthermore, slackened by 6.59% hitting approx $376.56 billion by 2021. What is more disturbing is China's apparel exports to the US its key export destination shockingly contracted by around 9.65% in the last as many six years leading to China’s share plummeting to 24.03% in the US apparel imports in 2021 all the way from mighty 35.86% way back in 2015".

Another interesting piece of China's apparel trade data as per one of the industry studies is," Chinese apparel shipment is reflective of the state of 'Unit Prices' the same has shown a serious decline slipping to the US $ 1.76 per SME in 2021 from the earlier US $ 2.35 per SME way back in 2017; that’s sanguine 25.10% decline in unit prices and is clearly an upsetter giving width away to the competition.

According to World Trade Organization (WTO), The EU apparel market which is collectively the world’s biggest importer of apparel contributes to as high as close to 21% of the world’s apparel imports value. And, even here China is losing grip and the trend is starting to show up as there are imponderables.

Albeit as things stand China continues to boast of EU's single largest apparel exporter nation enjoying a whopping 30% of its imports (Extra EU-27) value in 2021, whilst notably its value-wise share shrank from € 21.90 billion in 2015 to € 21.67 billion in 2021 to drive the point home.

Winsome Lose Some

Some of the plausible reasons responsible for a secular decline in China's Apparel Exports are as follows:

As manufacturing costs keep rising in China forcing supply chains to plan to migrate their manufacturing units from China to other competitive geographical territories where government incentives/sops such as taxes and labour costs/arbitrage make sourcing comparatively less expensive. US ban on China cotton over the issue of Alleged unethical practices in its Xinjiang region led to a reputational loss for the Chinese textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturing sector.

China plus one strategy China plus two strategy China's supply chain alternate plans All of the above led to several companies/supply chains re-aligning/recalibrating giving way to businesses having migrated their manufacturing plants from China to other credible sourcing hubs such as south Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and where not.

Rethink reliance on China

Post Covid-19 world and emerging geopolitical developments and brewing Anti-China sentiments/China getting internationally isolated and a belated sense of realization of over-dependence on China are certainly leading to China's apparel exports declining and to the credit of its Asian counterparts which were opportunistically fast to seize the opportunities and build on it too.

There is a case for questioning China’s prominence in apparel and textile (T&C) exports as its secularly declining now and is likely to persist if data is anything to go by. We are living in a world of uncertainty and the article is a deep dive into witnessing that apparel sourcing is shifting to countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia, and there is a case for it that is it a structural shift than transitory.

Is India in a sweet spot?

Let us size up now how is India stacked up in the contemporary world. Happy to report here that given the government sources' trade data, "In a post-Covid-19 era, India has in the FY (financial year) 2022 ended up hitting historic textiles and apparel (T&C) exports $44.4 billion numbers, which of course has Handicrafts share too. The breakdown of the same is that RMG/apparel Exports experienced a rise of 22% to USD 1.46 billion in December 2021 up from a modest USD 1.20 billion in the corresponding period of 2020 which is pretty encouraging as per the MoT (Ministry of Textiles) claims to see their efforts coming to fruition". With anti-China sentiments on the increase in the US, and worldwide putting India in a sweet spot, the region's textile industry sees/sniffs an opportunity to tap into the American apparel/garment market. Industry players also indicate that following the China Plus One strategy, there is at least a 20% shift of exports from that country to India.

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18 October 2022, Mumbai:

For apparel and accessories, billions of animals suffer and die every year. Small animals have kept their whole lives before being slaughtered for their fur, birds are held down while having handfuls of feathers pulled out of their delicate skin, and skin is peeled off of them to manufacture leather.

Workers who take the wool and the sheep's skin to make shearling frequently beat and mutilate the animals. The mistreatment of goats for their cashmere and mohair is comparable. The goal of all of this is to be fashionable. No of the source or kind of material, any procedure that uses an animal entails abhorrent cruelty.

PETA for ending the abusive treatment of animals

Thanks to PETA, the custom of wearing items made of animal products is quickly going out of style. Our committed activists and supporters have revealed widespread cruelty in the trades for furs, wool, down, cashmere, and skins (leather). Our investigations into these fields have repeatedly revealed extensive and persistent animal abuse. Our protests and advertisements against these violent industries are renowned for shocking the public, grabbing attention, and spurring action.

We collaborate directly with businesses behind the scenes to convince the biggest names in fashion to stop using materials derived from animals in their clothing. As part of its aggressive campaigns against prestigious brands, PETA has also convinced them to stop using materials derived from animals advocating cruelty-free fashion.

Animal cruelty

Most of the billions of animals murdered for their skin, wool, feathers, or fur face all the horrors of industrial farming. Sensitive living things are deprived of any freedom and autonomy and made to dwell in crowded, unsanitary settings. Workers may rough-handle, kick, and beat animals, causing them pain. After enduring a lifetime of suffering, they are brutally executed using the least expensive methods, such as bludgeoning, anal electrocution, and gassing. Some are even cut up and skinned while still alive. Before trappers come back to kill them, trapped animals exploited for their fur may experience days of blood loss, shock, dehydration, frostbite, and gangrene as well as attacks by predators.

The notion of Ignorance is Bliss

Items made of fur and leather are frequently mislabeled on purpose. Some companies have been known to murder dogs and cats for their hair and leather in nations where animal welfare rules are almost non-existent. You cannot easily identify whose skin you are wearing if you wear clothing made from animals. No matter who they were, you can be certain that they didn't wish to die to become items of clothes or accessories.

Cruelty is out of fashion?

The manufacturing of animal-derived commodities, such as wool, fur, and leather, contributes to climate change, land destruction, pollution, and water contamination in addition to inflicting pain and death on billions of animals every year.

Eco, Vegan-Friendly Apparel/Clothing; Modern textile technology has made environmentally friendly vegan fabrics comparable to and considerably superior to those made from animal products. There is a reason why a number of outdoor apparel slow fashion manufacturers/brands claim to be cruelty-free and have stopped using animal fur. Today's vegan materials are a great deal lighter, more practical, and more durable.

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15 October 2022, Mumbai:

For many years, the industrial world has significantly benefited from the deployment of automation. High degrees of repeatability and accuracy in production tools and high levels of consistency and precision in work items have been required.

Only vast volumes of output may be proved to have an economic justification. We need robotics-based adaptive manipulation systems to do this. Robotics is no longer a niche subject; it is now a global one!

As a result, using robots in both the industrial sector and the textile industry has produced notable advantages. Robotics in the textile industry is used to reduce labor-intensive operations' reliance on human labor. Robotics and automation are frequently used interchangeably in the textile business nowadays. Since computers are essential to robotics, the term robot has a particular connotation and is heavily used in the textile business.

Decoding Robotics

Robotics is no longer a niche subject; it is now a global one! As a result, using robots in both the industrial sector and the textile industry has produced notable advantages. Robotics in the textile industry is used to reduce the need for human labor in labor-intensive operations.

The fantastic progress made in contemporary technology during the last few decades. It has enabled the textile production sector to eliminate human intervention in several areas. As a result, the manufacture of high-quality textiles has been made possible. The textile industry has gradually embraced automation in the processes used to make textiles thanks to technological advancements in the domains of robotics and artificial intelligence in recent years.

Historic Perspective

Since John Kay invented the flying shuttle more than 200 years ago, robots and automation have been used in the textile business. In addition to enabling increased productivity, the flying shuttle machine reduced the labor required to run the weaving loom from two to one.

In the past years, there has been a significant change in the textile industry's regional distribution. A percentage of the manual textile manufacturing facilities used by textile firms have been automated. Recent growth in robotics applications and Asia's quickly growing wages have piqued some manufacturers' interest in the robotics production-based business model. Textile firms are prioritizing automation to maximize efficiency and production.

Road Ahead

Automation and robots are now widely employed in the textile sector. In the textile industry, significant robotics breakthroughs are already being made. However, the sectors that produce textiles do not use mass production.

There are often fewer studies on robots and automation in textile production. Because of this, the uses of robots in the textile sector have not significantly deviated from standard handling, assembling, welding, cutting, etc.

To further investigate the use of robots in the textile business, our textile manufacturer must spend and take the appropriate steps.

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12 October 2022, Mumbai:

In the last decade or so, technology has transformed many businesses. Business paradigms are in for a transformation on the back of the internet playing a vital role. At the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, we have clearly witnessed in the emerging landscape businesses becoming increasingly virtual all thanks to IoT, AR, and VR imaginative ideas serving as pivotal tools/aids in the contemporary business environment.

Given the context of Industry 3.0 or so to say a computer-driven industry, the semblance is that the contemporary textile industry will be viewed as covering up the gap lines between the evolution of a human-driven sector and that of an artificial one. Considering the emergence of cloud computing, loads of data are effectively is been stored and rationally analyzed on day to day basis.

This emergence of IoT, AR, and VR influencing the trade landscape is real now, and the textile industry is no different. On the back of all these tried & tested technologies, the textile industry is rapidly migrating from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0.

Boundless Opportunities

Utilizing what IoTs of the world has in store for the textile/apparel sector & current developments in the area of CADs and virtual digital sampling/3D avatars technologies, which simulate/create samples that get as close to resembling the authentic/original products, bringing in efficiencies on the table such as reducing fabric waste, system flexibility and more critically faster turnarounds for the smart factories of the world.

Therefore, it is no more an exaggeration that the system of the day enables curating & creating a virtual/e-product that makes it a broad-day reality just in a few clicks. The emerging need of the day is thrust on creating products tailored to the customer's needs/bespoke/customized which are quite possible on the available technologies platform using plentiful cloud data, enables processing massive data easier, client internet searches, new designs' quick and straightforward access/availability tools.

What it takes

One would reckon here how deeply 3D printing and 4D printing potentially can influence the production & processes of end products. No brainer the entire value chain including sales of textile articles can gain remarkably from the application/usage of the Internet of Things (IoT) all this is possible now given its inherent advantage in the entire textile journey. Several Businesses have already gone down this path beginning projects along that path which is no more been contested.

Data Science

Data is the new oil. Comprehensive data management leads to a nuanced and informed understanding of the textile markets and evolving consumer preferences.

After all, today it is all about an efficient and fast real-time decision-making process that is evidently feasible with a deeper grasp of the market scenario and the client's needs & requirements.

We are living today in a digital era and there is a critical need for scientifical underpinning whenever there is an effort to launch a new product or to chart out a growth trajectory, as new-age cutting-edge technologies support precisely forecast consumer response in real-time.

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14 October 2022, Mumbai:

When the lull called the COVID-19 pandemic struck some good two years ago something unexpected happened schools, offices everything entered our homes. The global Covid-19 pandemic had changed the way that various textile industries traditionally operated by restricting social gatherings, forcing laborers to migrate, and impacting all stakeholders, from farmers to traders and exporters in the textile value chain.

We have continued our professional exchanges and engagements remotely thanks to technology and the internet, which have been essential resources. As a result of the requirement to be physically apart, various collaboration technologies have been developed to handle all demands. It was amazing how we could change to new work models—previously unthinkable models—overnight.

Old vs New Economy

At the same time, it has opened up previously underutilized opportunities. To determine the problem brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the government undertook research titled "Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on Indian Silk Industry." At every point along the value chain, output declined, and money was lost, as has been seen. The industry has experienced several issues, including loss of production, a drop in cocoon and raw silk prices, transportation issues, a lack of skilled workers, difficulties selling raw silk and silk products, issues with working capital and cash flow, a lack of raw materials, a decline in the demand for silk fabric, cancellation of export/import orders, and import and export restrictions.

The government hasn't produced an official estimate of the losses experienced by the textile sector because it's a very disorganized industry. According to the Microsoft Work Lab's 2021 Work Trend Index, compiled from interviews with 30,000 individuals across 30 countries, over 46% of respondents planned to relocate to a more appropriate area to work remotely, while LinkedIn observed a fivefold increase in remote job posts.

Young people today work for digital-first businesses doing remote jobs or gigs supported by apps they can access on their cellphones that use inexpensive data, such as UrbanClap, Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, and Dunzo. Unbundling of work leads to democratization. It finally results in the creation of jobs and the improvement of all skills.

Businesses also gain since they spend less on administration and compliance. White-collar employment like editing and content creation, software engineering, and even engineering consultancy fall under this category, as well as blue-collar jobs like delivery boys. The gig economy will inevitably expand, given the technological upheaval that Indian businesses are going through.

The Jury Is Out

Being a highly man-power driven industry or working domain, the textile industry is facing a lot of setbacks as hybrid working conditions are not very suitable, unlike other corporate sectors; however, to some extent, maybe work outputs have increased from the advancement point of view as a lot of employees are finding it more comfortable working from home from a much more relaxed environment.

Additionally, the cost has also been reduced keeping in mind the electricity and other amenity costs that were earlier consumed when most of the employees were working in the office. However, the hybrid working mode has its advantages and disadvantages, making it a less favorable option for the industry.

Latest Textile News

10 October 2022, Mumbai:

Consumers are generally getting more brand sensitive as more and more fashion labels are launched as we advance into the era of technology and consumerism. In today's highly regulated marketing environment, the brand name sells more than anything else. The brand gives the individual individuality and defines them.
It imparts a distinct identity and a feeling of fashion to the customer. Consumers just want to be on top of every single trend/agenda, and the brand label meets these needs. As a result, brands are growing more competitive to get a larger market share with superior products.
If a product is part of a brand that dominates the market and is seen as more attractive, people don't mind spending a few dollars more on it.

After all, a good brand's image becomes a part of its own, and who wouldn't want to capitalize on that? Numerous new companies have emerged due to the growing consumer attitude, but thus yet, only a select handful have achieved success.
Citing quick references is some of the marquee names likes of fashion retailers Armanis, Versaces of the world, and so on. They have impacted how we view fashion over the years through their development, advancement, and influence on customers' lives. These companies revolutionized the concept of fashion and altered current fashion trends.
With their evolving marketing strategies, Indian garment manufacturers are actively positioning themselves to march within the global apparel industry. Branding is one marketing tactic that expands the target market, and this period of branding is exploding among many producers.
A brand is a unique feature given to a product to set it apart from competing goods or manufacturers.

According to the American Marketing Association, a brand is any name, phrase, sign, symbol, or design, alone or in combination, that is used to distinguish and set apart the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers from those of rivals.
India's textile and clothing sector is characterized by radical innovation, moving markets, developing supply chains and distribution methods, and a gradual transition toward ethical and sustainable production.
However, a closer look at the evolving trade landscape is a common psyche called hand that cradles is global. Given this consumer perception and preferences from early on in the Indian fashion sector which was predominately designed, created, and dominated by MNC brands across let us say apparel space.

Success factors
Notably, quite a few global brands brought in their existing western models to the Indian market, or aspiring Indian challenging brands too had temptations to copy-paste, western models, to cash in on low-hanging fruits.

A case in point is Arvind Mills making a powerful foray into RMG introducing the American brand, another case was bringing in Allen Solly brand’s Indian license procured by Madura is a classical example in the same direction.
Nonetheless, there is anecdotally a case for Indian brands to excel and take on global brands one such player is Zodiac having etched a strong name and stature introducing well-constructed/engineered shirts to the discerning Indian consumer. Another interesting case is the homegrown brand Manyavar placed in celebration wear in true spirit an Indian story which sustainably is poised to dominate.
No-brainer Brands ruling the roost still in smart casual or sportswear categories are Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, GANT, and quite a few others. While these brands are seen as smart casual or sportswear brands.
Pulse check
A good number of instances are the big ticket forays of The European biggies such as Inditex Zara, H&M, and Ikea have had a kick-start & have a promising future ahead. But all is not hunky dory for global brands cases like Carrefour, which have failed to impress upon the consumer/could not get their business models right here.
Another factor in the background playing out is changing landscape of market share shift of ‘offline stores’ & modern retail which as per trade data is 8% or thereabouts and that of e-tailers merely 3% going forward say by 2025. Whilst conventional retail channels of distribution pie hold the remainder lion's share constituting 82% of gross merchandise of the Indian consumption basket.
Innate potential
The potential for this second-largest business in the world to quadruple its current 5% share of global commerce over the next five years is enormous. India's strengths include traditionally produced textiles and natural fibers, where it ranks first in the world for cotton production and second for polyester and silk.
The success of any brand aspiring to be a global brand is to crack the consumer conundrum and broader understanding of the local market and granularity.
A nuanced anecdotal informed ‘first-hand’ deliberation & interaction with local acquaintances in any geographical piece/nationality is not a sufficient condition to chalking out an entry strategy that may merit a closer watch at the space tapping the opportunity presenting itself for them.

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