Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Global Fashion in My Wardrobe

Last week I inadvertently noticed that my shirt was made in china. Not that this is a great surprise but I was curious to see what other far corners of the world my wardrobe gathered from. I opened my closet a few shirts traveled a long way from their native India, some have crossed oceans from their origins in the United States others came from fashion capitals in Europe, there was even a representative of the kingdom of Jordan.
How did they all get to my closet? This is the question I'll do my best to answer in this post.

The globalization in my wardrobe has much to do, I suppose, with a wider trend. In today's global village, retailers shop for their goods globally. Fashion retailers are no different. They shop for textiles and apparel products from all corners of the world hoping to acquire cost benefits and gain an edge on the competition. But this offshore sourcing trend is not as simple as it may sound. Managing the logistics and supply chain for textiles and apparel suppliers and retailers demands collaboration of the parties involved and has to be flexible enough to cope with the dynamic patterns of demand, especially for fashionable items. Good collaboration is developed almost like a piece of well woven fabric. There is a need for planning. The aim is to create continuity and sustainable value for everyone involved.

In the recent version of V-Stitcher, Browzwear's 3D fashion design and communication software we developed new tools, in an endeavor to encourage collaboration within the fashion supply chain. We found that our customers appreciate intuitive forms of communication such as customized camera angles, so the parties can all see the garment from the exact same angle. We also added "3D notes" so you can leave a note on the virtual garment for all to see. In a sense we are not just mimicking the design process as it is carried out in real life but improving it, fostering a more productive relationship between retailers, manufacturers and brands.