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IAF Annual Convention in Taipei Talks Shop and Promotes Fashion Design
2007/11/08
The 23rd IAF World Apparel Convention, hosted by the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), took place in Taipei, Taiwan from Oct. 24-26, 2007 and saw more than 300 local and foreign representatives in attendance at the annual event. With the invitations from TTF and IAF (International Apparel Federation), President Chen Shui-bian delivered a speech at the grand opening ceremony on Oct. 25 at the Taipei International Convention Centre.
Adding an air of optimism, President Chen said that the textile industry, despite being a traditional trade and often seen as passe, is definitely not a "sunset industry" by pointing to the outstanding performance by domestic textile firms as Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation, Far Eastern Textile Corporation, and Makalot Industrial Co., Ltd.
This year, apparel specialists and apparel-related organizations focused discussions on the main theme "Asia: Emerging Consumer Market From a Global Production Base," while leading specialists from the apparel supply chain were invited to share their insights regarding production, management performance, the impact of high tech innovations, and trends in trade and production.
The IAF, founded in 1976, is a confederation of apparel business associations worldwide, with its membership consisting of apparel associations from 33 countries representing over 150,000 apparel companies and over five-million employees. IAF`s mission is to develop business contacts for the advancement of the global apparel industry.
Attendees of the 23rd IAF World Apparel Convention included chairmen, chief executive officers, presidents, vice presidents, directors, entrepreneurs, executives, managers, experts and trade professionals from the apparel industry, designers and brand managers; suppliers of products and services supporting the fashion industry; consulting firms; academies specializing in the fashion industry; national apparel associations and government officials involved in planning for their country`s apparel industries.
Marjorie Yang, chairman of Esquel Group, was invited to speak at the forum. Esquel Group is one of the world`s leading producers of premium cotton shirts and is among the most dynamic and progressive global-scale textile and apparel manufacturers, with production facilities in mainland China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mauritius and Sri Lanka, and a network of branches servicing key markets worldwide.
The forum contained a four-topic program that is summarized below.
Session I: Trade Liberalization vs. Barriers
Elimination of the quota system has brought increased trade liberalization. Retailers and their suppliers have already built up their global manufacturing network as well logistic systems to target the new era of international textile and apparel trade opportunities. Enterprises from the East and West will need to strengthen their business competitiveness rather than rely on quota production as they have done in the past. However, some nations and regions have developed new barriers to restrict competition from other countries. Industrialists from both the supply and demand sides are concerned about whether or not it is a stable business environment for free trade.
Session II: Asia Market: Risks & Opportunities
Apparel makers from Asia are major suppliers to the global market and have helped improve the Asian economy. Nowadays, more and more Asian countries represent significant consumer markets based on their consumers` purchasing capability. New investors are taking an interest in Asian retailing, but business risks need to be well managed.
Session III: Capacity Growth vs. Profitability
In the last decade, capacities of spinning, weaving and apparel making have grown a lot, especially in Asian countries. Business leaders in the apparel world worry about the issue of oversupply, which also results in price competition among suppliers everywhere around the world. Many retailers plan to relocate their sourcing bases, and many countries, therefore, are very concerned about job opportunities. Suppliers try everything they can to keep their clients, even as their business profitability diminishes.
Session IV: Technology Development and Its Application to Production and Marketing
Technology development has had a huge impact on the apparel industry thanks to its application in such areas as management performance, product development, marketing and many other areas. It is no doubt a key determinant of the competitiveness of multinational companies.
Promoting Fashion Design
During the IAF World Apparel Convention, TTF also hosted the exclusive and unprecedented IAF International Designer Award on the evening of Oct. 25. The designer award aims to promote fashion design globally and emphasizes the role of IAF in the world apparel industry. For the first time in IAF history, this event was launched as a runway fashion show, with the National Palace Museum in the background.
Representative designers from 133 countries, including Colombia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam, participated in the designer award. Liesbeth in`t Hout, dean of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) acted as the chief of the judging panel.
Following the convention in Taipei, IAF sponsored a study tour for its members to visit apparel factories in the region`s fastest growing countries, Vietnam and Cambodia, with the aim of the study tour being to share experiences between those in the international apparel-manufacturing network with convention delegates and to explore business opportunities in the region.
The IAF World Apparel Convention was held in parallel with the 2007 Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show (TITAS 2007), which is held annually in Taipei. It has been rebranded with the concept of "F5- from Fibers to Fabrics for Fashion plus Functions + Full package services." The event showcased the functional and fashionable features of high-value-added yearns and fabrics, mostly from Taiwan and other Asian countries, which have already made TITAS one of the most eye-catching platforms for total sourcing solutions in the Asian region. Approximately 350 domestic and international companies occupying 550 booths participated in this year`s exhibition.
(by Ben Shen)
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