2 Apparel Online India Apparel Online India 3 4 Apparel Online India 5 Apparel Online India VOL. XVIII Issue 20 Editor-in-Chief DEEPAK MOHINDRA Editor ILA SAXENA Copy Editor VEERESHWAR SOBTI Asst. Copy Editor SAHIL SEHGAL CONTENTS January 16-31, 2016 Asst. Editor-News DHEERAJ TAGRA Asst. Editor NEHA CHHETRI Sr. Correspondent-Textiles SANJOGEETA OJHA Sr. Correspondent-Fashion KALITA LAMBA Sr. Executive-Advertising D K CHUGH Creative Team RAJ KUMAR CHAHAL PEEUSH JAUHARI SATYAPAL BISHT Photo Editor SUMIT THARAN Subscription Enquiry RANI MAHENDRU 011-47390000 Operation Director MAYANK MOHINDRA 09810611487 14 20 29 32 36 Publisher & Managing Director RENU MOHINDRA 09810058986, 9810438653 WorldWrap Head Office Retail in Hong Kong sees a shift Apparel Resources Pvt. Ltd. Burberry, Louis Vuitton, D&G, Salvatore Ferragamo… the names B-32, South Extension-I, New Delhi-110 049 that beckoned strong sales growth, giving a push to the luxury 14 Phone: 91-11-47390000 market in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2014... E-mail: [email protected] Web associate: www.apparelresources.com Apparel Online contact: 91-11-47390000 BuyerStrategy [email protected] Buyers very upbeat of 2016… Stabilising global [email protected] market to support business from the country Printing It has been a very challenging year for the industry but overall TARA ART PRINTERS PVT. LTD. 20 the picture has been positive for the apparel segment while the B-4, Hans Bhawan, B.S. Zafar Marg, textile segment has not been so upbeat… New Delhi-110002 Tel: 23378626, 23379686 ---------------------------------------------------------- Tex-File SUBSCRIPTION FORM Textile companies are changing strategies to stay competitive Yes, I wish to subscribe to Apparel Online for Of late due to over-capacities of cotton yarn, 7 to 8 per cent BY REGULAR MAIL spindles running in the country have been lying unused as India Rs. 1800.00 24 issues 22 China is also not buying... BY COURIER Delhi/NCR Rs. 2400.00 24 issues Rest of India Rs. 3600.00 24 issues International USD 264.00 24 issues H2F Women Entrepreneurs: From making homes to Name ______________________________________ managing home fashion business successfully Most of us will agree that a woman has more aesthetic sense Designation _________________________________ 27 and feel, especially when it comes to decorating a house. It is Company/Institute ____________________________ also said that a ‘man’s home is his wife’s castle’... Address ____________________________________ Tel/Mobile ____________ E-mail ________________ FashionBusiness TYPE OF BUSINESS Trend Alert: The Slip Dress! Exporter Retailer Buying House While the fashion of 90s is on the verge of extinction, it was no Any other (specify) ________________________ surprise to witness the Pre-Fall 2016 runways swathed with looks where women’s fashion trends took a serious feminine turn... 32 Subscription within India- Send Cheque/DD to Apparel Resources Pvt. Ltd. B-32, South Extn. Part-1, New Delhi-110049, INDIA International subscription (in Dollar) - Credit Card using www.apparelresources.com ValueAddition Telegraphic transfer to Bank Account No. 03192320003806 All Things Quilted! Fashion quilting (Swift No:HDFCINBB) with HDFC Bank, D-9, South Extn. back in business after 4 seasons… Part-2, New Delhi-110049. INDIA Quilting came into the spotlight in the A/W ’14-15 seasons 36 when new technology gave way for unique patterns and numerous designs... 6 Apparel Online India | JANUARY 16-31, 2016 | www.apparelresources.com 7 Apparel Online India Two major happenings this fortnight not only caught my attention but ignited my thoughts to pen down my opinions on each separately… So the first editorial of the year is a twin...! FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S DESK… GOODWILL PANDA… The tenure of another distinguished IAS officer of the (Association of Corporations and Apex Societies level of secretary came to an end with little achievement of Handlooms), NHHM (National Handicrafts and to his name and for that you need to blame his limited Handlooms Museum), NCTD (National Centre for Textile understanding of the textile supply chain and his earlier Design), NHDC Ltd. (National Handloom Development postings and responsibilities and to some extent the Corporation Ltd.), HEPC (Handloom Promotion Export small period of his stay. Council) that are in operation with nothing to show to Dr. S. K. Panda, the incumbent textile secretary, spent their credit…, not even one successful business model… a good part of his working life in Tripura fighting All are in way ‘defunct’ organisations. the cause of traditional craft. He joined the Textiles If the handloom had any chance of acceptance by the Ministry with only one-and-a-half years of his service consumer the world over or even within India, than left, carrying the bag and baggage of his earlier tenure, would not all these organizations, including the design sharing his experience of working with artisans and institutes and the design fraternity, put it on the world in turn publishing his research and writing books map by now…, something to show for their existence! of his achievements. (Now I am not the right person Ironically, despite huge funds, handloom products to comment on either the type of research or the during the year 2013-14, accounted for just about 3.5% books he published, since I have no idea about that of total exports in textile and apparel… Do I need to say particular industry)… anything more! But what triggered me to write this piece was one of his I am not against handlooms and the weavers, but I am articles in a very distinguished English magazine run against patronising handlooms and the weavers against by very distinguished textile industry-informed editorial other sectors in the textile value chain having a strong panel where he starts with talking about the importance growth and employment potential. of three essential elements of survival which are of Roti, I have interviewed and interacted with many secretaries Kapda and Makan (does he address the article to a over the last 20 years whom I consider to be highly craftsman or a well-informed and educated industrialist educated, experienced and intelligent, including is not clear, but the article is in English language. So I some who rose to become cabinet secretaries like am presuming that it must have been for me or the likes TSR Subramaniam and Prabhat Kumar, they all were of me) and then taking us through to how clothing was distinguished secretaries but faltered in their tenures as evolved from the tree bark to the British Monarchy’s textile secretaries because they failed to bring back the special liking for handloom fabric and the use of vibrant textile sector to its original glory as sunrise industry…, colours (probably he is talking of the time when the mill primarily because for them also the textile industry sector was unheard of)… From there on he takes us to was just cotton farming and the handloom… Promoting the importance of the handloom and its revival in an age handloom and artisans was the focus…, not realising where fast fashion and functionality rule the roost… that the world has moved on to demand wearable The obsessive focus on handloom is also because it is comforts and functionality. the pet project of our Prime Minister. Isn’t it an irony They all used NIFT, a fashion institute under Textiles that not only is the present Government but all its Ministry, to promote the lost cause of handloom predecessor Governments fallen prey to the fallacies of supporting them with design inputs, making it handloom…, ignoring the textile value chain at large mandatory for the design students to work with the when designing the projects and allocating the funds… handloom and handwork industry…; and organising But to what avail! fashion shows, involving top designers (designers Even though every textile secretary whom I have met do not come cheap) and also taking the designs knows that handloom fabric has very limited acceptance internationally…, which is still continuing in the in the market and little economic value for the artisan present, but with little to show… and their protégées (or children), but he who is under The secretaries come for shorter stints without any duress always, will continue to please his masters reasonable understanding of the industry taking to put money where handloom is, because it is every the uninformed agenda of the minister forward, minister’s dream project… And why is it the minister’s spend some easy time in the ministry make few trips dream project, because it’s a vote bank for him… Look abroad and get done with it mostly to retirement at the number of Government departments including (last 4 secretaries had a tenure of less than 2 years)… DC Handloom, All India Handloom Board, ACASH Am I sounding cynical…? 8 Apparel Online India | JANUARY 16-31, 2016 | www.apparelresources.com 9 Apparel Online India FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S DESK… OPEN LETTER IN REPLY TO SUDHIR SEKHRI’S OPEN LETTER TO INDUSTRY… Just when we thought that the year had ended on If this goes on, than the industry will also exercise a positive note with AEPC elections throwing up their right to ask as to how many international trips satisfactory results for all, the old team and the new he did on AEPC expense and to what purpose (no contenders, a war of words through ‘open letters’ to report has seen the light of the day on the outcome the industry has begun in the disguise of wishing the of an international visit with the resultant increase industry a Happy New Year…, a practice never seen in buyers visit to India and if he has presented before and which has brought in a new chapter to the report, than it must be for few selected the ongoing AEPC-AHEA conflict…! beneficiaries), how many trips nationally he made Why and what’s the politics of writing such and how many close-door meetings he attended letters… If Mr.