AGENDA 2022

AGENDA 2022

The consumer of today is very selective and also conscious of why he/she is making a certain purchase. Customization, quick delivery, price and nature care are factors which are playing on the mind of customers while garment selection.

Understandably, the retailer and the brands are exploring new ways to know their customer more intimately. Buying / Sourcing / Merchandising / Designing teams with the retailers and brands, run by enterprising managers are critical links to the entire process of selecting the right design, right product and right vendor who can connect with the needs of the end customer.

VENDOR SESSION

FACILITATING BUYER-SUPPLIER UNDERSTANDING
Understanding what a fashion buyer wants is one of the most critical factors to succeed in global fashion business. The importance is accentuated by the fact that the dynamics of the business is changing very fast and manufacturers are always on the lookout for opportunities to meet and understand what retailers/brands are looking for in a preferred supplier. ASW 2021 will facilitate a buyer seller interaction with Vendor Sessions, conducted by Sourcing Heads of top companies in the business. ...

Read More
14.30 - 15.30
empty

SPEAKERS

Melissa Moylan
VP and Creative Director-Womenswear
Fashion Snoops
Neeraj Nagpal
Customer Care Associate and President – Brands
Shoppers Stop
Manu Ahuja
SVP, Branded Fashion & Sportswear
Li & Fung (India)

COLLABORATIONS IN SOURCING

LEVERAGING SYNERGIES BETWEEN DOMESTIC BRANDS AND MANUFACTURERS
The diversity of India makes the Indian fashion retail unique, in more ways than one. Hence, the requirements of Indian brands are also in sync - to cater to the uniqueness of Indian consumers. Two such unique aspects of domestic brands are ‘Requirement of smaller MOQs (Minimum Order Quantity)’ and ‘Opportunity Buying’. Indian brands demand more designs in smaller order runs at a faster pace from their suppliers. Fusionwear has become a big trend in India and new product categories... ... ct categories have evolved in fashion in last few years. These fusionwear apparel categories require lot of craft, hand work and variety in colour and designs. To cater to these requirements, suppliers need to be agile and responsive. Indian brands also want to tap the hot selling products in the market through Opportunity Buying. This is not part of their original buying plans from their suppliers and are placed rather late in the season based on what’s selling. Retailers then search for manufacturers and manufacturers have to adapt to these requirements in terms of timelines, labour planning, machine planning, etc.

This panel will cover all these aspects and many more related to the Indian fashion value chain in detail.

 Read More
11:00 - 12:00
MAIN STAGE

SPEAKERS

SUSTAIN BUSINESS WITH SUSTAINABILITY

SIGNIFICANCE OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN THE FACTORY AND HOW TO BALANCE COST
Sustainability is perhaps the most used word in the Fashion value chain these days, but how many people really understand what the concept stands for. Is there any standardisation on the concept? Sadly the answer is no. We all know today’s consumer is more conscious and more demanding for sustainable fashion, so the importance. But the big question is - how to achieve sustainability? Is it a cost, and if yes, who bears the cost of sustainability? Some people have... ... ility leads to increase in Capex in the short run but can lead to a reducing Opex in the long run. But in reality, the Capex for achieving a sustainable business can be so high that the returns are difficult to measure and sometimes even unrecoverable.

Every brand has its own requirement in terms of sustainability and each of them are pressing for sustainability through various types of certifications. Garment makers view these certifications as increased cost to their businesses, impacting their business sustainability. And, only a few brands contribute to this cause.

It also cannot be denied that only in some markets, the consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. With more awareness and branding, the cost can be passed to the consumer. Or should it not?

All these important issues related to Sustainability will be discussed in this panel and panellists will give examples about how the company or companies that they know have learnt the art of how to ‘sustain business with Sustainability’.

 Read More
13:45 - 16:45
IDEATIVE ISTAGE

SPEAKERS

GLOBAL TRADE ENVIRONMENT

NAVIGATING THE UNCERTAINTIES IN GLOBAL TRADE FOR SOURCING DECISIONS
Global trade in Textile and Apparel in 2018 was around US $ 820 billion of which Apparel trade constituted about US $ 473 billion and was expected to grow by 4.5 per cent. Traditionally, decision on where to buy was based on price alone and hence apparel manufacturing has continuously shifted to low cost countries in last few decades. However, now other factors like FTAs (Free Trade Agreements), trade policies, political stability, currency exchange rates, inflation rates effect the trade... ... a major way. Recent developments like US-China trade war have made the decision making process for sourcing even more difficult in an already complicated apparel supply chain. New trends like nearshoring and onshoring, under which brands plan to buy from their own country or nearby countries will further affect sourcing decision of apparels. These factors coupled with growing concerns in the global economy are pushing the retailers and brands to rethink about their future sourcing partners. The evaluation matrix for vendor selection has become more complex and unpredictable. How are various brands adapting to these changes and taking sourcing decisions?

This panel discussion will cover all these points and much more to analyse future sourcing strategies of brands and retailers and how their supply chain partners need to prepare themselves for these changes.

 Read More
12:00 - 13:00
MAIN STAGE

SPEAKERS

CHANGES IN GLOBAL CONSUMER TRENDS

DIRECTIONS THAT WILL IMPACT FASHION RETAIL
Fashion retail has been at the forefront of most consumer-led businesses globally. There have been shifts in the consumer demographics over the last few years. With the addition of the Millennials and the Gen Z, the new consumer is more discerning, wants to experiment and therefore looks for newness in products. Global consumer also demands more convenience and expediency. They want it now and they want it here. They are present on all types of social media and are greatly... ... t consumer-led businesses globally. There have been shifts in the consumer demographics over the last few years. With the addition of the Millennials and the Gen Z, the new consumer is more discerning, wants to experiment and therefore looks for newness in products. Global consumer also demands more convenience and expediency. They want it now and they want it here. They are present on all types of social media and are greatly influenced by it.

All these have significant implications for the fashion industry around the world. The traditional strategies of retail and sourcing are becoming redundant, paving way for more agile supply chains which are enabled to service the new consumer better.

Fashion players around the world need to focus on improving the consumer shopping experience, make best use of the social media channels, get digital ready and make sustainability their top priority.

Today, these trends not only impact the fashion players in developed markets like US, Europe, Japan, but also in the Asian and other growing economies. Our panellists will present a global outlook on these substantial topics and provide lot of important insights and examples from around the world, which will be useful for all the stakeholders in fashion retail.

 Read More
11:00 - 12:00
empty

PRESENTER

Naresh Tyagi
Chief Sustainability Office
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd.
Rakhi Handa
Sr. MD
Target Sourcing Services
MB
Marielle Bostrom
Managing Director - India Sourcing
Ralph Lauren
AS
A Sukumaran
Managing Director
Star Garments
Neetu Jotwani
Vice President - Sourcing and Product Development
Myntra
Robert Lobo
Consultant, AI Applications
Venture Partner at Z Nation Lab
Rohiet Yadav
Director Sourcing
Myntra
Venky Nagan
Group CEO
Asmara International Ltd
Shirish Srivastava
Head - Apparel Sourcing
Puma Group
Anika Passi
Country Manager
Warehouse Group

Session Sponser

VENDOR SESSION

FACILITATING BUYER-SUPPLIER UNDERSTANDING
Understanding what a fashion buyer wants is one of the most critical factors to succeed in global fashion business. The importance is accentuated by the fact that the dynamics of the business is changing very fast and manufacturers are always on the lookout for opportunities to meet and understand what retailers/brands are looking for in a preferred supplier. ASW 2021 will facilitate a buyer seller interaction with Vendor Sessions, conducted by Sourcing Heads of top companies in the business. ... of the most critical factors to succeed in global fashion business. The importance is accentuated by the fact that the dynamics of the business is changing very fast and manufacturers are always on the lookout for opportunities to meet and understand what retailers/brands are looking for in a preferred supplier. ASW 2021 will facilitate a buyer seller interaction with Vendor Sessions, conducted by Sourcing Heads of top companies in the business.

 Read More
11.30 - 12.30
MAIN STAGE

PRESENTER

Krishna Dorai
Managing Director
VF Brands India
Manu Ahuja
SVP, Branded Fashion & Sportswear
Li & Fung (India)
Shirish Srivastava
Head - Apparel Sourcing
Puma Group
Anika Passi
Country Manager
Warehouse Group

OPEN-HOUSE SESSION

EXPERTS TALK ON TRENDING TOPICS OF TODAY
In its endeavour to provide knowledge sharing opportunities in different formats addressing the needs of different audiences ASW 2021 has created a wide range  While panel discussions are debate platforms where serious issues that impact the industry are deliberated upon, an open house session is a free flowing, interactive format where there is constant ‘to and fro’ of ideas between the presenter and the audience. The idea is to exchange thoughts and talk experiences. This format of knowledge sharing appeals... ... pportunities in different formats addressing the needs of different audiences ASW 2021 has created a wide range 

While panel discussions are debate platforms where serious issues that impact the industry are deliberated upon, an open house session is a free flowing, interactive format where there is constant ‘to and fro’ of ideas between the presenter and the audience. The idea is to exchange thoughts and talk experiences.

This format of knowledge sharing appeals to middle level professionals and younger audiences that are keen to hear experiences of people or set of people working in areas that they would like to walk the path at some point of time.

In store for participants at ASW 2021 is a series of 6 open house sessions that tackle some really ‘today’ topics that are trending on digital platforms and young professionals want to know more from people who have the experience. 

 Read More
12:00 - 13:30
MAIN STAGE

PRESENTER

Lalit Agarwal
CMD
V-Mart
JP Shukla
CEO
Nysaa Retail
Deepak Ahuja
Sr. Vice President, Sourcing & QA
Landmark Group
Ankur Bisen
Sr. Vice President
Technopak

NEW PRODUCT CATEGORIES FOR THE FUTURE

DISCUSSION ON ATHLEISURE, ACTIVEWEAR AND SMART GARMENTS
Casualisation has been a key trend over the last few years. Consumers have been shifting from formal clothing to occasion-based clothing primarily for comfort. In the recent past, various other parameters got added like staying fit, staying healthy, wearing active clothing which is sharp and comfortable, leading to a whole new category of business – Athleisure. There has also been an increase in lifestyle-oriented products leading way to Smart garments. Athleisure has rocked the fashion world in recent years by... ... t few years. Consumers have been shifting from formal clothing to occasion-based clothing primarily for comfort. In the recent past, various other parameters got added like staying fit, staying healthy, wearing active clothing which is sharp and comfortable, leading to a whole new category of business – Athleisure. There has also been an increase in lifestyle-oriented products leading way to Smart garments.

Athleisure has rocked the fashion world in recent years by taking stretchy leggings out of the gym and into everyday life. Also, as a cultural shift, it is acceptable to wear T-shirts and yoga pants to office. Smart Garment is equally gaining attention of the consumers, especially athletes, with its ability to track heartbeats and other body parameters which have actually become need of the athletes nowadays. However, these product categories have their own challenges such as fabric composition, electronics, manufacturing difficulty and washing cycles.

These are exciting times for all these product categories and our panellists will share lot of new examples of how they see this market evolve in the years to come.

 Read More
12:30 - 13:30
IDEATIVE STAGE

SPEAKERS

Ankur Bisen
Sr. Vice President
Technopak

SOURCING IN TIMES OF INDUSTRY 4.0

USING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE SUPPLY CHAIN MORE AGILE
The latest buzzwords in manufacturing supply chain are Industry 4.0 and Automation. What is Industry 4.0 and how is it impacting apparel value chain? The key impact on the apparel value chain comes through effective use of PLM software for concept initiation, integrating it with Time and Action calendars, costing, merchandising and order processing, creating transparency in supply chain, etc. It’s important to understand how such tools can be implemented in the fashion supply chains to simplify the processes and... ... ain are Industry 4.0 and Automation. What is Industry 4.0 and how is it impacting apparel value chain? The key impact on the apparel value chain comes through effective use of PLM software for concept initiation, integrating it with Time and Action calendars, costing, merchandising and order processing, creating transparency in supply chain, etc. It’s important to understand how such tools can be implemented in the fashion supply chains to simplify the processes and bring in higher transparency with improved timelines. The panel will discuss cases where the use of such practices has helped to gain an edge in making the supply chains more agile and in ensuring a quicker response time across various stakeholders in the supply chain.

Supply chain can benefit from reduced lead times, reduced inventory levels leading to reduced operational costs and decreased product obsolescence at retail level. To develop such smart supply chains which are fully automated and interconnected, significant amount of efforts and long-term investments are required, but the payoffs can be significant. Sourcing teams of brands and retailers not only need to understand these latest trends but also adopt them with their partners.

In this panel discussion, experts will discuss how sourcing teams are keeping abreast with these changes, adapting them and making their supply partners adopt these latest trends.

 Read More
14:30 - 15:30
empty

PRESENTER

Melissa Moylan
VP and Creative Director-Womenswear
Fashion Snoops
Ankur Dinesh Garg
Founder & CEO
Hotify & Co
Robert Lobo
Consultant, AI Applications
Venture Partner at Z Nation Lab

RETAIL DISRUPTION AS WE ENTER THE NEXT DECADE

FACTORS THAT WILL DISRUPT THE MARKET IN COMING DECADE
Changing consumer shopping preferences, digitally transforming businesses, on-demand approach, rise of millennials as consumers, more technology integration and customers’ shifting loyalty towards brands are key factors which will further pose great challenges to the retailers in the upcoming decade. In short, Technology; E-commerce; Sustainability; Millennials; Omnichannel; Value Fashion; Emerging Market Segments, are expected to be some of the biggest influencers for the Indian fashion retail. While consumers will play a major role in deciding when and what should be produced,... ... ly transforming businesses, on-demand approach, rise of millennials as consumers, more technology integration and customers’ shifting loyalty towards brands are key factors which will further pose great challenges to the retailers in the upcoming decade. In short, Technology; E-commerce; Sustainability; Millennials; Omnichannel; Value Fashion; Emerging Market Segments, are expected to be some of the biggest influencers for the Indian fashion retail.

While consumers will play a major role in deciding when and what should be produced, technologies like artificial intelligence, chatbots, blockchain, augmented reality are already changing the game of retail. Going forward, these technologies will be even more significant not just to increase the shopping experience for the consumer, as much as possible within a retail store and in the digital space - but also to manage the complete supply chain. Collectively all these factors will impact product, sourcing, manufacturing and retail as a whole.

Our panellists are top retailers of India and are very much abreast with this topic and will share their insights into the future of Indian retail.

 Read More
04:00 - 05:00
MAIN STAGE

SPEAKERS

Robert Lobo
Consultant, AI Applications
Venture Partner at Z Nation Lab

Interested in
Becoming a Speaker at ASW?

Apparel Sourcing Week
Order your pass as a buyer, non-buyer, press or an educator
Interested in Becoming Speaker?
Contact
Mayank Mohindra
Director, Apparel Resources
+91 9810611487 or mmohindra@apparelresources.com