Interviews
'We aspire to be centre of Asian fashion sector' – TAFF
01 May '10
5 min read
“Our manufacturers are also growing in strength. They represent key suppliers of global brands such as Nike, Gap and department stores like Macy's, and are renowned for meeting high compliance and regulatory standards. Today, a total of 4,500 wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers generate some $7 billion in operating receipts and $1.2 billion in value added to our economy.
“The Asian market is a huge one with a diverse range of tastes and preference. As Asian consumers become more affluent, they increasingly drive global demand. Given Singapore's strategic location, and the cultural affinity and connectivity we share with the region, we are well-poised to serve as a test-bed to gather and analyze consumer insights, and develop products for the Asian market. Many multinational corporations and small medium enterprises have thus turned to using Singapore as a base to manage and control their regional and global operations.
“Fashion, in itself, is an industry that is vibrant and ever-changing. Against such a fast-paced backdrop, fashion companies can enhance their competitiveness by adopting new trends to seize new business opportunities. The consumers of today are well-traveled, well-informed and technology savvy. Increasingly, they are also getting comfortable with online shopping. Forbes reported that China's online shopping sales alone hit $36.6 billion in 2009. This means that fashion businesses are now competing on a global arena, in the virtual world. International websites such as shopbop.com and NET-A-PORTER have established themselves as premier online fashion retailers and a one-stop fashion resource with worldwide customer bases. International brick and mortar fashion retailers like H&M and ZARA are also embracing the online store culture for greater customer reach.
“Additionally, fashion businesses should also look into improving the knowledge and technical skill set of their own workforce. To this end, I would like to commend TaFf and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, who have jointly developed the Textile and Fashion Technology Workforce Skills Qualifications, or WSQ, framework which covers training in fashion design, product development, merchandising and engineering competencies under various specialisation tracks. Together with the Retail WSQ framework, over 100 quality training courses are now available to a company in the apparel manufacturing or retail front to hone the skills of their employees. Both WSQ frameworks have trained 28,370 workers to date and of these, over 20 per cent are professionals, managers and executives.
He concluded by saying, “I would like to congratulate the Textile and Fashion Federation and its partners for organizing this summit. I am sure today's speakers will bring you interesting insights and practical pointers to building your fashion business”.
“The Asian market is a huge one with a diverse range of tastes and preference. As Asian consumers become more affluent, they increasingly drive global demand. Given Singapore's strategic location, and the cultural affinity and connectivity we share with the region, we are well-poised to serve as a test-bed to gather and analyze consumer insights, and develop products for the Asian market. Many multinational corporations and small medium enterprises have thus turned to using Singapore as a base to manage and control their regional and global operations.
“Fashion, in itself, is an industry that is vibrant and ever-changing. Against such a fast-paced backdrop, fashion companies can enhance their competitiveness by adopting new trends to seize new business opportunities. The consumers of today are well-traveled, well-informed and technology savvy. Increasingly, they are also getting comfortable with online shopping. Forbes reported that China's online shopping sales alone hit $36.6 billion in 2009. This means that fashion businesses are now competing on a global arena, in the virtual world. International websites such as shopbop.com and NET-A-PORTER have established themselves as premier online fashion retailers and a one-stop fashion resource with worldwide customer bases. International brick and mortar fashion retailers like H&M and ZARA are also embracing the online store culture for greater customer reach.
“Additionally, fashion businesses should also look into improving the knowledge and technical skill set of their own workforce. To this end, I would like to commend TaFf and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, who have jointly developed the Textile and Fashion Technology Workforce Skills Qualifications, or WSQ, framework which covers training in fashion design, product development, merchandising and engineering competencies under various specialisation tracks. Together with the Retail WSQ framework, over 100 quality training courses are now available to a company in the apparel manufacturing or retail front to hone the skills of their employees. Both WSQ frameworks have trained 28,370 workers to date and of these, over 20 per cent are professionals, managers and executives.
He concluded by saying, “I would like to congratulate the Textile and Fashion Federation and its partners for organizing this summit. I am sure today's speakers will bring you interesting insights and practical pointers to building your fashion business”.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
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