The Industrial Revolution 2.0 by Emma Birnbaum

by admin Posted on May 17, 2016

All of the changes that are rippling through the garment industry today are occurring because of the internet.

To be born in the time of the internet means to exist in a totally interconnected, interdependent world. There is no clearly defined source of information. Anyone can contribute. There are no clearly defined disciplines, specialities and industries. Everything is merging. There are fewer and fewer clearly defined jobs. Special skill sets and abilities are mandatory.

The internet is paving the way for the individual. A person with something to say and create, who understand the fusion of the multi faceted social and professional worlds and with the capacity to acquire insight into undeveloped and unchartered industries.

The Garment Industry 2.0 is created by, employs and sells to this individual.

The culture of the Garment Industry 2.0 has given rise to a myriad of  social terminology that begins to define focus and the goals of the Industry 2.0: experience-centric, individual- centric, result-oriented, asset-light, pay-as-you-live, digital nomadism, self-learning, location independence, freelance, startup and access vs. ownership. In return, these shared goals are redefining the methods and relationships between product development, manufacturing product distribution and, finally, product consumption.

Etsy, Ebay, Craigslist, Amazon, Gustin Denim, Wool and the Gang, Lanieri, Girl Meets Dress, Vestiaire Collective and Everlane are More...

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Cutting Edge Companies Focus on Consumer Needs: By Emma Birnbaum

by admin Posted on April 27, 2016

The rules of the new garment industry have more in common with the artisan guilds of pre-industrialized Europe than with 21st century clothing conglomerates. The new suppliers value, endorse and employ artisans, craft, self-learning, bespoke apparel, hand-made, high quality, individuality, uniqueness and community.

The advent of industrialization made these qualities exclusive, only available to the wealthiest of the wealthy. The mass consumer is limited to homogeneous design and low quality stock manufactured by a faceless and perpetual assembly-line.

In reaction, cutting-edge companies, fueled by ethics, are developing original and revolutionary business models. Their intent is to bring back the craftsman and the artisan and make hand-made, bespoke and high quality available to the general consumer. The prototype paradigms are built on core competencies which are motivated and upheld by these values.

Core competence is a unique concept imbedded, developed and applied in every aspect of their organizations. Core competence informs every decision made and every product created.

Every core competence is shaped by three factors:

  • To provide potential access to a wide variety of markets,
  • To make a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product,
  • Is difficult to imitate by competitors. (1)

In one way or another, strong core competence is prevalent in all successful More...

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2016:  Welcome to the New Fashion Consumer by Emma Birnbaum

by admin Posted on April 17, 2016

Crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, radical transparency, slow fashion, minimalist dressing, the five-piece French Wardrobe, the curated wardrobe. These are terms that the new fashion consumer is using to redefine fashion.

If the supplier wants to meet the requirements of the new consumer he must also take into account sustainability, accountability, eco friendly, fair-trade and transparency.

To the new fashion consumer, ethics are intrinsic to the new paradigm of fashion and are equally important as the fit and the aesthetics. The suppliers that recognize the equal value of ethics and aesthetics are the only ones meeting the demands of the new consumer.

If you still believe that the consumer is not interested in ethics, check out the sale of angora. Suddenly angora is out of fashion. Major retailers, such as Gap, Calvin Klein and H&M have decided that angora is no longer a saleable item. This is not because angora is suddenly less aesthetically pleasing; but rather because videos leaked onto youtube revealed the abuse and torturer of bunny rabbits.

Ethics now count.

This is how I define the new fashion consumer:

  • Born after 1980;
  • Educated;
  • Financially independent;
  • Self-sufficient;
  • Self-confident and self-assured;
  • Pragmatic;
  • Skeptical;

Perhaps, most importantly, these are people who think of themselves as part of the world at large. Social More...

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TPP WINNERS AND LOSER

by admin Posted on October 31, 2015

It now appears that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) may actually come to pass.

Naturally garment industry professionals have jumped in to calculate just who will benefit from TPP and who will not.

Everyone agrees that Vietnam will be the big winner possibly followed Malaysia.

On the losing side, we have many to choose from.  These are my choices:

  • Thailand:  While the garment industry is relatively small by global standards, this country is home to a major textile industry that will be frozen out of TPP countries.  Better-late-than-never, the Thai Government is now looking into the possibility of joining.
  • Indonesia:  This country has both substantial garment and textile industries. Regrettably, this countries garment exports are in secular decline.  Without TPP that decline will accelerate. Indonesia too is joining the TPP wannabes.
  • India:  This country is home to one of the world’s largest textile export industries.  It also has a garment industry, which although doing relatively well faces serious long-term problems.  TPP can be the tipping point to decline.
  • Bangladesh:  This country is home to one of the world’s largest garment industries.  Nevertheless, it does face serious problems in compliance.  Here too TPP can be a killer.
  • DR-CAFTA:  T-shirts account for more than 52% of all garment exports from this free trade area.  Import tariffs More...

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