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What undergarment buyers want from their OEM partners
Issue date:01/08/2006
ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Aug 2006 Issue
Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel
As consumers are increasingly seeking trendy undergarment to go with their outfits, the buyers expect their OEM partners to meet the requirements of the fast-moving fashion market, Eppie Lee reports
Undergarment manufacturers are changing their strategies in order to win OEM orders as buyers are demanding more than just the production.

ATA Journal has interviewed two Hong Kong-based undergarment manufacturers, Shun Lung (HK) Co Ltd and Simki Group, at the latest Hong Kong Fashion Week in July. Both have shared their experiences in adapting to buyers' requirements.

Design input wanted

Shun Lung (HK) Co Ltd supplies lingerie products to Germany and France and has a factory in Zhong Shan, China. While around 60% of the orders come from department stores and mail-order merchandisers in Germany, some 30% are from French fashion houses.

The company's sales manager, Gary Chan, said that the buyers would like to get their OEM manufacturers involved in the design process. "In the past, to fulfill the OEM orders, our target was to realize the design on the production front. But now the buyers will suggest a theme and ask our designers to provide some ideas for the new collections," he said.


Gary Chan
Mr Chan said the European buyers were very conscious about the design details, believing that small elements could add value to the products. "For European women, the brassiere is presented as part of the outfit. That's also a reason why the details matter," he said.

Talking about the recent trend, Mr Chan said, "The buyers are looking for something feminine and sexy. The trend is now geometry patterns, so they are requesting for jacquard fabrics, embroideries and laces, all with geometrical shapes like diamond patterns."

"The buyers also opt for light-weight materials with subtle patterns, for example, jacquard fabrics with two tones," added Mr Chan. "For materials, less polyester but more high-end fabrics such as microfiber, tactel, lycra, polyamide will be used. Some fabrics may be blended with elastane of up to 17%, making it as elastic as swimwear."

For colors, Mr Chan found that the buyers from France and German are different in taste. "The German buyers usually like the contrast use of colors, while the French go for color matches in similar tones," he said.

"Accessories are also increasingly adopted in brassieres, and crystal stones or metal ornaments are sewn onto the chest part. For the hook and eye, metallic hooks sprayed with paint or nylon hooks are more commonly used than the plastic ones."

Apart from the design challenge, another challenge is social compliance. "It is especially hard to fulfill the requirement on the working hours. This is always in contradiction to quick response although we fulfill the requirements on the facilities like air-conditioning, electronic clock-in system and so on," Mr Chan said.

Quick response, good quality always essential

Another Hong Kong undergarment manufacturer, Simki Group, maintained that the key to win over buyers is short lead-time and good and reliable products.

The company supplies a wide range of products including lingerie, loungewear, swimwear and socks. Its factory in Shenzhen is capable of producing over 12 million pieces of finished goods and 2,000,000 meters of elastic band per annum.


Frankie Ip
"Around 60% of the sales were generated from export orders to Europe. We have supplied products to many world-renowned brands, including YSL, Esprit, Manhattan, Matinique, Debenham and Next," said Frankie Ip, Sales Manager of Simki Group.

He said that buyers sometimes have only little time to fill the shelf with new stocks, so quick response from their OEM partners is essential. "For reordering, we are striving to deliver the goods within 40 to 50 days," he said. "And of course, quality is what the buyers look for, so we are testing the products in terms of color fastness and shrink rate."

He is positive about the undergarment market. "In Europe, underwear is regarded as a kind of consumable goods. Due to the more vigorous laundry in European homes, where tumble drying is commonly used, and the awareness of hygiene, European consumers tend to buy new underwear every few months. Cotton or cotton blended with elastane underwear is always the most sought-after items," he said.

His view is backed by the trend that more and more apparel brands like Esprit and Hugo Boss are expanding their lingerie lines.

The company will continue to focus on the European market in the near future and has planned to enter the US market in 2008 when the quota barrier is totally lifted.

While awaiting new opportunities to come in the quota-free time, the company is preparing itself for social audit. "It is a growing trend that the buyers will look into the social compliance standard of a factory, as the consumers are also paying attention to such factor," he said.


Warnaco to bring more brands to Asia

While Asian OEM manufacturers are looking for business opportunities in the European and US markets, US-based Warnaco, owner and licensee of multiple fashion brands, such as Calvin Klein intimate apparel, is eyeing the Asian retail markets.


David Cheung (middle) and his colleagues
"It will now be a time for more lingerie brands catering for Asian consumers, following the success of Calvin Klein intimate apparel in the region," said David Cheung, Sales Manager, Retail & Distribution, Warnaco (HK) Ltd.

The four brands that are being brought to Asia target four different age groups — each has its own positioning. Jennifer Lopez, or JLO, aims at young ladies aged between 18 and 30. Werner's is for those aged between 18 and 45 at average fit. Body Nancy Ganz targets women aged between 25 and 55. And Olga is for those between 35 and 55 seeking engineered fit undergarment.

Mr Cheung said that Warnaco is going to strengthen the presence of the JLO brand in Asia. The brand currently has 30 retail points in Korea and the Philippines, and is available through mail-order catalog in Japan.

"To fit the figures of Asian people, JLO undergarments have been re-engineered with an Asian cut," he said. Warnaco will be participating in tradeshows to be held in Shenyang, Singapore and Hong Kong to further expand its distribution network.
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