Apparel September 2019 Apparel September 2019 issue | Page 24

MARKET WATCH
Kids’ Wear to Evolve With a
Well-Structured Approach
@Bollywood
Wikimedia
Indian designer Anita
Dongre has joined
Global Fashion Agenda’s
campaign that calls for
a sustainable fashion
industry. Dongre has
long since championed
Anita_Dongre,
sustainable handloom
Fashion Designer
textiles. She believes that
the fashion industry must empower those
throughout the supply chain. Along with
Dongre, the campaign has other ambassadors
like designer Katharine Hamnett, model Arizona
Muse, and Kering’s chief sustainability officer
Marie-Claire Daveu. The campaign consists of
fashion professionals who are working towards
a more sustainable industry, featuring their
portraits and thoughts on sustainability. It aims
at drawing attention to the threats the fashion
industry poses to the environment.
Five companies are Global Fashion
Agenda’s associate partners. These are Crystal
International, Erdos, Everlane, G-Star Raw,
and Selfridges. Driving widespread progress
in the fashion industry, these hand-picked
companies are either sustainability leaders or
are dedicated to improving their sustainability
performance. The five associate partners vary
in size, market segments, target demographics,
and product offerings, broadening Global
Fashion Agenda’s network to further represent
a range of perspectives that cater to differing
business demands. All associate partners have
incorporated sustainability in their business
strategies in some form.
Kids’ wear is evolving into an independent segment
with brands adopting cool and vibrant designs in
their collections. Increasingly fascinated by the idea of
personal style, brands are adopting innovative themes
for their collections. A case in point is Tantra, whose
new collection is inspired by the current happenings of
the country.
Ruff, a kids’ wear brand, too, prints thoughtful
slogans on its kids’ clothing. Sohail Patca, Director,
says, “These slogans dwell on the various issues
faced by kids today and deal with matters close to
their heart.” The brand has also developed textile
prints, especially for kids. Tantra, on the other hand, is
experimenting with fluorescent inks, and fabric count
and compositions.
The palette for kids’ wear this season includes a
lot of earthy, dark, and warm colours that resonate
with the season. Every kids’ wear brand promises to
introduce innovations in its fabrics. So while cotton is a
perennial choice, there have been other plush fabrics
on the radar, such as lace, satin, silk, and georgette.
The kids’ wear segment is expected to remain
lucrative in the coming years. However, to penetrate
deeper into the market, brands need to adopt a
cautious approach. Managing a diverse product
portfolio in this segment requires a well-structured
approach, which can adapt to the ever-changing
Indian retail scenario.
ABFRL Awarded for Best IBP Process in Apparel Industry
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) has been awarded the Best Integrated Business Planning (IBP) Process in the
Apparel Industry with the help of o9 Solutions at the 5th Annual Demand Planning & Forecasting Forum (DPFF). Organised
by the Institute of Supply Chain Management (ISCM) along with SCMPro, the DPFF Awards recognise the best practices
that companies have adopted in demand planning, forecasting, and sales and operations planning (S&OP) in eight
award categories. Judges for the awards comprise senior industry professionals in the technology, demand planning and
forecasting, and business and innovation spaces.
ABFRL chose o9 solutions based on the flexibility of the platform and its intuitive end-user experience that seamlessly
connects with existing tools. Today with o9, the fashion retailer has standardised its IBP process, strengthening inventory
planning and review across all brands. o9 has been instrumental in transforming planning operations at ABFRL including
long-range planning, S&OP, pre-season and in-season demand management, constraint-based supply planning, and
capacity and fabric planning.
Leveraging the o9 platform, ABFRL has improved its service levels with vendors and partners besides reducing its raw
material costs.
18
I APPAREL I
September 2019
@Shutterstock.com
Anita Dongre Joins
Global Fashion Agenda