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| Issue date:01/08/2009 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Aug 2009 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
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Organized retail may drive Indian women wear: researcher says
The women apparel retailing in India is witnessing rapid development despite the ongoing financial crisis, says RNCOS in its new research report, "Women Wear Market Forecast to 2010". The market is undergoing a series of transformation driven by changing consumer psyche and evolving market dynamics. Besides, changing fashion statement, rising awareness, media exposure and entry of large number of foreign brand outlets have further given thrust to women's apparel industry and also to the dressing style of Indian women.
RNCOS is an industry research firm in India. The research report of RNCOS found that the organized women's wear market is still at the nascent stage, facing all those problems the branded men's wear encountered in the 1980s.
"Only 15% of women's apparel market was organized in 2007, while 85% of the market was controlled by the unorganized players. However, we anticipate that the organized retailing will represent more than 20% of the total women's wear market by 2010. This change in the market will be driven by increasing number of working women, improvement in purchasing power and yearlong promotion and discount schemes that result in the requisite platform for the future growth of the industry," the RNCOS report stated.
Despite its own levels of challenges, organized women's wear market will grow and emerge as the key segment for retailers in coming years. Although the organized market development slows down for a while, it will not be sufficient enough to hamper the growth momentum in long term, according to researchers of RNCOS.
Fashion Arabia to be held this October
Fashion Arabia, the International Trade Fair for Fashion, Fabrics and Accessories, will be held on October 26-28, at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The trade fair is the region’s first dedicated medium to high-end trade show for the fashion industry. Fashion Arabia will provide the worlds fashion, fabric and accessory industries with an annual meeting place to showcase new and exciting trends.
Fashion Arabia will enable companies to place their contemporary designs and brands directly in front of 1000’s of leading buyers from right across South Asia, The Middle East, North Africa and Eastern European Regions.
The Arabian Gulf market is expanding, fuelled by enormous oil and gas revenues and the government efforts to diversify the economy and attract international business.
The retail industry within the Middle East region is expected to exceed US$500 billion by 2010. The UAE alone is predicted to spend some US$9 billion on garments and textiles by the end of 2009, the organizer says.
Fast Retailing joins Taobao to boost China’s online fashion market
Taobao and Fast Retailing announced a strategic partnership to launch the online sales business of Uniqlo’s casual wear products in China. Uniqlo is a casual wear retail brand under Japan’s Fast Retailing, while Taobao is a Chinese consumer e-commerce company under Alibaba Group.
The partnership serves as an important step for the Japanese retailer, which had 21 offline stores in China by mid-2008 but limited online presence locally, to make inroads into the growing online Chinese consumer market, according to a press release from Alibaba Group.
Under the partnership, a virtual flagship store of Uniqlo would be set up on Taobao’s online marketplace (taobao.com), which had almost 100 million registered users as of December 31, 2008. Taobao would also draw on its Internet technologies, resources and experience to help Uniqlo construct a separate retail website – the first time for Taobao to power an external website for a partner company. This website and
Uniqlo’s Taobao store would share the same product database, and existing members of Taobao can shop on the Uniqlo website. Through Taobao, Uniqlo can obtain accurate, first-hand data about the consumption pattern of China’s young consumers, and design products that would better cater to the local market, Alibaba Group says.
Clothes of Uniqlo will be officially sold online at Taobao.com |
“Uniqlo’s decision to foray into China’s e-commerce market was based on the huge potential of the Chinese online consumer base. With over RMB100 billion (approximately US$14.6 billion) of annual transaction volume and more than 100 million registered users, Taobao is a clear leader in Asia’s Internet retail market and a partner of choice for our China market push. In the coming future, we will focus on raising our brand awareness in China by leveraging Taobao’s huge consumer community,” said Tadashi Yanai, chairman, president and CEO of Fast Retailing, who is also founder of Uniqlo.
According to the “Chinese Apparel Brands and Online Apparel Shopping Study 2009” conducted by China IntelliConsulting, apparel is the most popular online shopping category in China and registered the highest transaction quantity in 2008. Almost 60% of the responding online shoppers of the study reported that they had purchased apparel items online, and apparel contributes to about a quarter of the total online shopping transaction volume in China. iResearch data show that about half of the Chinese online shoppers surveyed are aged between 23 and 32, and they are the most fashion-conscious section of the entire national population.
Clothes of Uniqlo will be officially sold online at Taobao.com
Islamic fashion given new elegance
by Manik Mehta
While many fashion designers around the world are racking their brains to find ways and means of surviving in these difficult economic times, when even high-end consumers are reluctant to open their purse strings and have become bargain hunters, Malaysia’s fashion designers are discovering how to beat this dry economic season by discovering a niche market in Islamic fashion.
Abang Saufi |
One such Malaysian fashion designer is Kuala Lumpur-based Dato’ Dayang Fatimah “Tom” Abang Saufi who has broken into an entirely new market of fashion in the Islamic world. “Moslem women, particularly professional women, want to look chic while maintaining their Moslem individuality. And this trend is not just evident amongst women in the Middle East. There is also interest in Islamic fashion in western countries, including the United States where Moslem women are unable to find appropriate fashion,” said Abang Saufi, chief designer and managing director of Ethnicite Sdn. Bhd.
Her designs were on display at the Islamic Fashion Festival held recently in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur where representatives of Malaysia’s royal family and corporations were present to applaud an avant-garde collection of chiffon and crystals, a far cry from the traditional burqas – the head-to-toe veiled garment–worn by Muslim women and the homely headscarves.
“There’s a trend amongst Islamic women to get modern without deviating from mainstream Islamic clothing. Islamic clothing is one of the biggest growing industry. I get queries from professional women not only in the Middle East but also in Canada, United States, Brazil and etc,” she said.
The company of Abang Saufi had a turnover of RM 3 million (US$1 = RM3.5) in 2007, declining to RM 2.7 million in 2008.
Fashionable designs of Islamic clothing by Abang Saufi |
However, her initial problem was how to break into the Middle Eastern markets with her array of bright colours in an environment that some would describe as “bland”. However, time helps people understand and appreciate the new designs and colours.
Islamic fashion is still an enigma to many non-Muslims in the world of haute couture. For them, Islamic fashion means run-of-the-mill type of garments that conform to religious needs. But some in Asia such as Abang Saufi have realized the potential for business as they try to provide modern Muslim women with a collection of clothes that conform to fashion trends while staying within the religious parameters.
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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