Industry Speak / 2 years ago

Have you ever come across or imagined the buyers and the vendors having equal footing right from crop to shop in the textile/apparel Ecosystem?

Industry Speak / 2 years ago

In the recently concluded Glocal Textile Convention held in New Delhi, the topic of powerplay 1 was Mission MMF 10X A very interesting and thought-provoking topic.

Industry Speak / 2 years ago

A look into the current export scenario in India..

Industry Speak / 2 years ago

A compelling peak into the story of Madras Checks... The fascinating rise of the humble cloth..

Industry Speak / 2 years ago

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

A little more than a thousand kilometers away, leaving the hustle and bustle of Benares, in the heart of Madhya Pradesh lies another Lord Shiva temple town and another handloom hub – Maheshwar. In M...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

One fine morning, Poonam and I decided to take a journey to the food capital (Lucknow) and the oldest, holiest city on earth (Varanasi or Kashi or Banaras).  Since we are from the apparel industry we...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

What is Customer Delight? We often use and hear this word right, “Customer delight is surprising a customer by exceeding their expectations and thus creating a positive emotional reaction”.  T...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

There was a debate on “The Irrelevance of Seasons”. It was an interesting debate. It made me think and now I pen down my thoughts on the subject. As we all know the fashion industry is always chan...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Cotton gets maligned for many things in our industry. Still, any criticism typically leveled at the fiber originates from preconceived notions that are hard to dispel or, at times, a simple lack of un...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

What is Cartoon?  As we all know   “It’s a simple drawing showing the features of its subjects in a humorously exaggerated way”.  As far as our industry is concerned cotton is the recent car...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Yet we continue to look back!  Contrary to Sophocles, I do have a desire to suffer twice because I have often found great usefulness from the so-called suffering.  Hindsight is truly a gift, and the...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Have you experienced this? From the office executive to owner/CEO of the company chasing or tracking a courier/package or consignment depending on the timelines and importance of it.  One word that's...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

In this pandemic, Sustainability became a new buzzword for the fashion industry.  A whole lot of articles were published on insideapparel.net about Sustainability.  I also wrote a couple of articles...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

It is rightly said, in the garments industry, the quality cannot be “inspected” after a garment has been made, instead, the quality should be “manufactured into” a garment at each step and mus...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Usual Thinking-What is running on the mind? I have been a part of this industry for so long, I never got the recognition or the growth I deserve. Also, I have seen few who are not capable enough like ...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Much of the information we take in daily is visual. In fact, 93% of our communication is non-verbal and based on what we see.  What you wear matters. Whether you know it or not, your closets are fill...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Mind Voice We all know what is mind voice right? I have been in the textile/apparel profession/business for decades, and I have never seen such tough times before. Find it difficult to manage & su...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Computers can now read and write with DNA. We can all access the profile of our genome and microbiomes. At the intersection of design, science, urban agriculture, brewing, cooking, 3d printing, making...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

As a newcomer in the industry, I recall being astonished and flabbergasted during one of my trips to a French store. The store carried two floors of nothing but “Ripped Jeans”. I was shocked and a...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

VUCA - hearing this for the first time? For most of us, the answer will be NO. Thought it is relevant in the present scenario and good to refresh our memory. And for those who do not know about it, th...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

“No one who works full time should have to live in poverty.”  This concept is embedded in human rights instruments and these words have been echoed by presidents and leaders around the world. But...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Sitting in Ranikhet, hearing the chirping of birds, savoring the beauty of nature, a realization dawns; there is no better designer than nature. From exotic birds to iridescent beetles, from sleek, pa...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

Do you agree? In the human life cycle, we all get inspired by four different relationships at various stages. We follow them, adapt many things from them, and reflect the same in our life. Parents Te...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

As the internet grows in importance, the balance of power is shifting between fashion buyers and their suppliers.  The relationship between the buyer and supplier has never been more complex than it ...

Industry Speak / 3 years ago

One retail chain approached my office seeking our help to identify a Fully Compliant Factory to manufacture Men’s Shirts. Quantity was manageable and payments terms were “Officially” 90 days. Du...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Remember? My article published in April’21 “CSK-The game-changer of IPL”. Sharing the link here for those who would like to revisit it; CSK-The game-changer of IPL In that article I spoke about...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

The immediate topic – how to develop the capability of sourcing materials both locally and globally – is certainly one of the most important services you can provide to your customer.  These and ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Few countries have used fabric as a tool to achieve freedom. And that’s the reason why nearly seven decades after India gained its hard-won independence, khadi continues to inspire and amaze people ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Which is one of the most fascinating & powerful words as per you?  It is CHANGE, right? Lords learning A few weeks back, like me, most of you would have watched (highlights) & enjoyed the ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

On 1st July 2021, a sourcing merchant of an immensely popular brand mailed a tech pack to a denim factory. The factory did not understand and wrote for clarification, but the merchant slept on the que...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Individual brilliance or group excellence?  This has been and continues to be a fascinating topic. There have been many storms in teacups during discussions and quite often there are heated discussio...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Why does the price of the garment not change even when the cost of raw material goes up? The question to be asked should be how much respect is there for fair wages in “Respect” of a hoodie sold b...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

We all know which is the biggest asset of any business! Yes, you guessed it right! It's People   They are the biggest assets for any organization or business irrespective of scale and type. After ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

“Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes”                                                                 - Profess...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

If you are in the Apparel Business, you will very well know that things can go wrong at any time. When we stepped into the apparel trade, there were no classrooms. All my contemporaries who came into ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Covid times are leading to healthy arguments between couples. During one such argument, a friend over a drink said "the one who wears the pants in the family" wins. This simple expression perhaps is ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

In one of my previous articles “Clothing Industry -- Race to the Bottom”, I had mentioned how Sourcing is running to produce the garments at the cheapest possible cost. In this race, sourcing forg...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

The highly infectious COVID-19 virus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. As a result, operations of many organizations have been severely disrupted as the...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

KEEP CALM & SOURCE ON! We are happy to present an excerpt from a webinar by www.fairmarkit.com which talks about ensuring healthy supply chain during a crisis.  Its an enlightening discussion on ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

We often hear this right? I am looking for a change, open to new opportunities, lost my job, am not sure about my career as I am a fresh graduate who is seeking an opportunity in the industry due to a...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

In April 2020, when India’s prime minister Narendra Modi delivered a televised address extending the country’s coronavirus lockdown, he began by lowering the piece of red-and-white cloth wrapped a...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Getting dressed in the morning is a task we do daily, some more consciously than others. We get dressed for work in the morning, choose casual clothes for lunch with a friend, or maybe dress up for di...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

How many of us remember our first jeans purchase?  My first ever jean was gifted to me by my friend Mr. P around 15 years back. Coincidentally it also happened in the same month as this article is be...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Date to remember? 9th April is when IPL 2021 starts this year, everyone aware & looking forward to enjoying the cricket fest. We all love IPL and CSK is one of the most endearing teams to watch d...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

The first mention of sari or spelled as saree is in the Rig Veda dating to 3,000 B.C. The 10th chapter of the Rig Veda for example, asserts the feminine to be the supreme principle behind all of the c...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

A new business model has revolutionized the fashion industry, changing everything from how consumers shop to how clothes are produced. This model, called “fast-fashion,” has made trendy clothing a...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

What’s happening? Day by day the input costs of textile/apparel ecosystems are increasing whereas the buyers/ consumers are expecting to get the merchandise cheaper and cheaper than what is being so...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Sourcing is not a new concept.  Even before the Industrial Revolution, people sourced things they needed. Back then, women were in charge of producing clothes for the family. When women needed certai...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

How many times have you come across the word - INTERNSHIP? In the recent past, I have seen a rise of internship requests via various mediums including social media platforms. I believe most of you hav...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

We wear clothes literally every day, but few of us spend time reflecting on what goes into manufacturing various textiles and their environmental impacts.This is interesting considering how much we th...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

Clothes are the spoils of financial success that we wear on our backs.  We all love fashion. We love how clothes can make us feel, and how they are a tool of self-expression. They are our message to ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

The QA and QC line is well defined in international trade. The roles are well defined. But the lines start to blur when one must deal with domestic clients. Several times, I have received emails from ...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

In a new retail landscape, retailers have realized that the most important engine to drive both growth and profitability is strategically building private labels. The terms Private Label and Branded a...

Industry Speak / 4 years ago

I happened to visit the temples of Khajuraho early this year. Detailed observation revealed that all the intrinsic human figures carved on the walls of the temple adorned some form of cloth. These tem...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

When you buy a piece of mass-produced clothing, ever checked to see if it has any details that look like they were done by hand? Those might include elaborate embroidery, sequins or buttonholes carefu...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Temperature regulating finish, In recent years, new materials and new finishing processes for thermal regulation functions of textiles are studied extensively. This is a smart finishing technique that...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

The need for good vendor onboarding – A story In the initial days of my career, vendor onboarding itself was a great challenge. The changing business requirements pushed us to search for or to have ...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Article 4 of 5 WHAT AILS THE INDIAN APPAREL INDUSTRY - A SERIES A series of 5 articles where I dwell into the Indian textile & apparel industry to understand the underlying problems which have im...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Article 4 of 5 WHAT AILS THE INDIAN APPAREL INDUSTRY - A SERIES A series of 5 articles where I dwell into the Indian textile & apparel industry to understand the underlying problems which have im...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

From the traditional function of dressing people, textiles now provide wearer comfort and protection in dangerous environments. The most important requirements for protective wear are barrier effectiv...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

In this article, I would like to emphasize on risk assessment in apparel design and product. Risk assessment is a term used to describe the overall process or method where you: Identify hazards and r...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Let me ask you a question – how many of your decisions are data based and how many are based on gut instinct? Over the years people have argued over instinct versus analysis.  While there is merit ...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

In this article , I would like to emphasize on defining standards of quality perception by Brand, Manufacturer and Consumer over Decades. We can divide the definition of quality in two categories. On ...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

In my previous article, I wrote about the various factors plaguing the denim industry in India. While I went through many different ideas in my head, I decided to write about one which is rather intri...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

What is Wealth? As the human life cycle progresses everyone are particular about leaving wealth for their next generations (children’s) in the form of house, land, jewels, savings, investments, mone...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

When you see a garment from a long distance, it's the colour which pulls you in. But, what  do you feel when you touch a garment ? Wow so soft Smooth Little Rough Its Dry Scratching my skin Falls &a...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

In my previous Article I talked about the evolution of Quality4.0. Now let's analyse it further and see how the apparel industry can adopt these tools. How I see and Define Quality 4.0 “It provides ...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

We are all aware of what happened when NOKIA refused to adopt to ANDROID OS... It became redundant!! Any business which refuses to change with the times becomes redundant and eventually perishes. Most...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Denim is defined as, “a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric woven with coloured warp and white filling threads” What started as workwear for the gold miners in USA, is today a fashion sy...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Innovation – Cost or Investment ? In our industry, does the top management think of innovation as an investment? The answer is No. Many think of it as cost to the company. Why should a factory spend...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

The word “QUALITY” is one of high significance in our industry. It is defined as; “the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of somet...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

When we visit mill weeks or vendor presentations, we often see that a majority of the collections are in top weight fabrics. Rarely the vendors carry an exhaustive collection of bottom weight fabrics....

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

My previous article made me wonder about what the Indian textile industry needs to do, to compete internationally? One thing that stood out in my mind immediately is “Look beyond Obvious”. The In...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

The global pandemic has refreshed the focus towards the importance of procurement and supply chains in any given industry. Traditionally, unfortunately so, this area has been neglected, not properly ...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

What are we missing? The above question is always running in many of our minds... In the business context we may get clarity if our questions are rightly framed; like below: Why do brands & retai...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

In today’s world it is important for vendors to realise that they should earn their pie of orders by offering relevant products. Product development is one of the key activities through which any v...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

Costing is given primary importance when sourcing a product. When we delve into the world of knitwear, we realize that fabric cost plays a very important role. It constitutes around 45 – 60% of the ...

Industry Speak / 5 years ago

A word with high relevance across all modern industries especially the textile & apparel industry.  One may say, its easier said than done. But we cannot deny that it’s the need of the hour for...