Sri Lanka Apparel Sector

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280million central services facility

New venture: Brandix Chairman Ken Balendra and CEO Ashroff Omar laying the foundation.
BRANDIX LAUNCHED its bid to be a globally dominant player in chosen new categories with the commencement of construction of a 280 million central services facility for the Group's Activewear companies in Sri Lanka and India.

Located at Ratmalana, the 61,000 square foot purpose-designed Brandix Centre of Inspiration - Active, will be the nucleus for the manufacturing operations of Brandix Activewear at Ratmalana and Koggala and those of Brandix Apparel India at Vizag. This centre will support a projected turnover in excess of US$ 200 million.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for this futuristic centre, Brandix CEO Ashroff Omar said the Group's experience in setting up a similar centralised facility for Brandix Casualwear had paid rich dividends.

He said the establishment of a Centre of Inspiration for Brandix Activewear would enable the Group to move to new frontiers and focus on categories where it could be a dominant player on a global scale. Omar pointed out that Brandix has already set up a phenomenal facility in India for underwear servicing dominant global brands such as Victoria's Secret, H&M and Hanes.

Director of Brandix Activewear Udena Wickremesooriya, said the Group has achieved a level of operational excellence leading to every single delivery going on time. Brandix's Activewear business has been built by a team who continuously excel in delivering customer requirements, he said.

Scheduled to be operational in May 2008, the new centre will accommodate a staff of more than 400 and be the centralised hub for all front-end activities of Brandix Activewear and Brandix Apparel India.

It will bring together design, marketing, merchandising, sourcing, work study, sampling, planning, warehousing, cutting, information management, finance and human resources for these companies.

Key players in the supply chain will be invited to sit alongside Brandix associates enabling them to conceptualise and deliver 'inspired solutions' to customers.
Truly a role model

DN

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MAS Holdings will inaugurate the country’s first state-of-the-art, privately owned industrial fabric park - the MAS Fabric Park (MFP), in Thulhiriya on Friday.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the chief guest. Located in Thulhiriya , the 165 acre MFP (former Kabool Lanka complex) is designed to attract apparel, fabric and accessories manufacturers into Sri Lanka, thereby positioning the country’s apparel sector as a one-stop-shop for apparel solutions.

MFP’s shared infrastructured and services model facilitates a plug and play option for businesses to commence operations with minimal investment of time and resources, a lean and cost competitive environment with a 90 minute location advantage to the port, single window of clearance for cargo, on-site BOI assistance and readily available pool of skilled human resources, chairman Holdings Mahesh Amalean said.

Designed by international experts, MFP is set in leisurely surroundings with a “green” belt to maintain ecological balance and includes provisions for dormitory and housing facilities with a capacity to house 300 persons.

The very first facility to be housed at MFP is DOGIEFA, a joint venture between global warp knit specialists Dogi International Fabrics (brand owners of Dogi, Penn and EFA) of Spain, and MAS Holdings, which will also be ceremonially declared open at this event.

Built on the strengths of two companies renowned for their innovation and manufacturing acumen, DOGIEFA is the first high-quality warp knit operation in South Asia.

The facility will cater to the increased demand for warp knit fabric in the region driven by the growth in intimate apparel, swimwear, and sportswear markets.

DN

[phil.froelich]

Excellent news, the apparel sector is really setting new benchmarks for everyone...

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Originally Posted by phil.froelich

Excellent news, the apparel sector is really setting new benchmarks for everyone...

I wish the other sectors would do the same as Apparel

[saraprobe]

Friday, October 19, 2007, 5:19 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Oct 19, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare open the MAS Holdings' first state-of-the-art, privately owned industrial fabric park, the MAS Fabric Park at Thulhiriya in the Northwestern Province of Sri Lanka today.

The previously state owned Thulhiriya textile mill was later sold to a Korean company that later suspended operations and the investors fled the country.

The government paid compensations to the workers and the factory was auctioned to a private company. In July 2006 the government signed an agreement with the MAS Holdings to redevelop the textile mill and revive it as a textile industrial zone with international standards at a cost of US $100 million.

MAS Holdings specializes in intimates and sports apparel for the world’s leading brands, such as Victoria Secret, Gap, Nike and Mark & Spencer. It operates 28 manufacturing facilities across seven countries.

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Head of International Operations of Marks & Spencer UK on a brief visit to the Country last week had extensive talks with representatives of Global Park and RJV International to finalise the next phase of their logistics operations in Sri Lanka.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) with an annual turnover of over Sterling Pounds 8 billion (US $ 16 billion) is a UK based retail giant with over 400 stores located throughout the UK and 150 stores worldwide including over 130 Franchise businesses operating in 35 countries.

M&S has already selected Global Park to house their Regional Logistics Hub where currently M&S brand garments purchased by RJV International from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh are stored for onward distribution to M&S outlet stores in UK based on their stock levels and sales requirements.

This novel concept tried for the first time in the industry by M&S was possible with the appointment of RJV International as their supplier for all surplus garments for its outlet stores from factories manufacturing for M&S brand in the Indian sub-continent and also with the appointment of Global Park as the warehouse provider to facilitate the project.

The initial operation commenced last year with RJV International purchasing garments in Sri Lanka for M&S outlet stores.

Marks & Spencer moved to the next stage of the operation this year by making a strategic decision to use the Global Park Complex to house their regional logistics hub which began with the importation of garments by RJV international from factories producing for M&S in India and Bangladesh with necessary approvals from the Government of Sri Lanka.

For the first time in history, an export consignment of garments was shipped to M&S outlet stores, UK in May this year by consolidating garments made in 3 different countries.

With the success of the Regional Hub that is now geared to handle complex multi country consolidation, M&S is now planning to use this hub to handle distribution to their international stores including franchise stores located in Asia and Middle East.

The Logistics Hub in Sri Lanka is expected to service over 15 countries in Asia and Middle East by next year which is another first for the country under this unique logistics concept that is being handled by Global Park and RJV International exclusively for Marks & Spencer.

Industry heavy weights such as Hidaramani, Brandix and MAS Holdings are large direct suppliers to M&S and with the addition of this Regional Logistics Hub, Sri Lanka will be an important base for Marks & Spencer.

DM

[phil.froelich]

Good news any news about how much we will make from this project...

[saraprobe]

By Shabnam Farook
MAS Holdings, a key player in the country’s intimate wear industry has stormed into the Indian lingerie market with the launch of its own premium value lingerie ‘Amante’ in South India on October 21, 2007 and hopes to stamp its presence in Sri Lanka by December 2008.

Amante, also known as “lover” in Spanish is catered to suit the needs and wants of the South Asian corporate woman, the young experimenter, the socialite and the modern mum, who have been sidelined in the rapidly increasing market for intimate wear.

Amante Director, Ajay Amalean while addressing a media gathering yesterday said that this premium value brand will ideally cater to the women living in the subcontinent that primarily consists of Indians and Sri Lankans. He added that they are also looking at gradually expanding across the region and the Middle Eastern sector.
Amante lingerie has been segmented into three collections which include ‘Glamour’, ‘Confidence’ and ‘Comfort’ and will be priced between Indian Rs.295 and Rs.995 to fit the needs of the middle income and upmarket clientele.

Amante is fully backed by MAS Holdings, which has a 20 year history in Sri Lanka’s lingerie manufacturing industry. “We are a company that has manufacturing excellence, a healthy supply chain and have product developing and designing capabilities, which is equipped to support this new brand that we have launched which much enthusiasm” said Amalean.

Meanwhile, giving reasons for their preference to launch this premium value product in India he said that the disposable income of an average Indian has seen a rapid increase in a short space of time, with their needs, aspirations and buying power growing, creating a potential market with huge volumes that would be the target of Amante.

Speaking further he said that “the Indian consumers’ buying power has seen a phenomenal growth in the past 18 to 24 months, so Amante which is positioning itself as a premium value brand plans to tap this potential market”.

“Our focus is not being a premium brand or a value brand. We have positioned ourself as a brand that is of premium value with affordable prices, and hope to tap into this very market. I believe that we are best placed to do so.” emphasized the Director of MAS Holdings. Expressing his views, Amante CEO Venkatesh Rajamani said that they will position themselves to be the best premium value brand in lingerie market in the South Asian region.

“The idea to launch this brand was initiated after doing thorough research, which included over 3,000 Indian women, after this we realized that there was a gap in the Indian lingerie market for the correct ‘fit and comfort’ as most lingerie was manufactured to cater to European women,” he said adding that Amante for the first time ever will integrate glamour and fashion to create a product that will boast of comfort and superior quality.

The first Amante store opened in Bangalore in a lifestyle mall as ‘a store in store’ followed by the launch of another Amante branch in Chennai’s shopper stop Mall on October 24 2007 while a third outlet was opened in an upmarket ladies fashion and ethnic warestore on October 28 2007.

Rajamani was optimistic that they would be able to expand their presence in India’s Northern and Western states in the first half of 2008 and establish over 100 stores.

Amante CEO also pointed out that the lingerie collection will be manufactured at MAS’ Intimate facilities in Sri Lanka and distributed through large style retail stores, regional multi –brand outlets and exclusive franchised outlets in neighboring India.

Meanwhile, Amante Director, Ajay Amalean said that the lingerie is manufactured to suit the life style of the Asian women, mainly Indians and went on to say “Our brand will be launched not according to the European calendar but to the Indian calendar where we will roll out four collections to suit the Indian lifestyle, and seasons including Diwali, summer, bridal seasons, special festivals”.

MAS holdings has invested 10 million USD with the intention of making Amante the best premium value brand that is available in the Asian region.

With an internationally recognized brand, Triumph, their closest competitor Amante has ambitious plans to develop the Glamour and Confidence brand of their lingerie collection.MAS Holdings, the largest lingerie supplier in the South Asian region had initially targeted India as the launching pad for Amante as proximity to India will enable on-time replenishment in a lingerie market where the currently replenishment rate was only 50%.

DM


Name is sucks

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Sri Lanka’s ‘inspired solution for branded clothing’ Brandix has been accorded ‘Business Superbrand’ status in the apparel sector by the Superbrands Organisation, an independent authority that identifies and pays tribute to exceptional brands around the world.

The rating follows an evaluation by a Business Superbrand Council of 22 eminent corporate sector personalities assigned the task of selecting the 50 best Business to Business (B2B) brands in Sri Lanka from a shortlist of over 100 business brands.

“Superbrand status represents an acknowledgement by our peers in diverse sectors of the success of our


A Brandix associate

efforts to be a total solutions provider to the global giants in apparel,” “In that context, this is a welcome, unsolicited accolade,” Brandix CEO Ashroff Omar said.

The Superbrands Organisation describes a Business Superbrand as one that has established the finest reputation in its field and offers customers emotional and tangible advantages over competitors. Business Superbrands represent quality, reliability and distinction and affirm the recipient as one of the elite business brands in the world.

The US $ 320 million (2006-07) Brandix Group comprising of more than 25 manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and India and strategically located international sourcing offices, is the largest apparel exporter in Sri Lanka.

The pioneer of the concept of total solutions in the Sri Lankan apparel industry, the Group provides direct employment to more than 22,000 people and is a preferred solutions provider to some of the world’s best brands, including Gap, Marks & Spencer, Victoria’s Secret, NEXT, Lands End, Ann Taylor and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Brandix specializes in casual bottoms, intimate and active wear, textiles, knitted fabrics, sewing and embroidery thread, accessories and hangers.

The Group also offers wet processing and finishing and fabric printing.

DN

[phil.froelich]

Great Stuff...Surprised that MAS Holdings did not get it first...

[phil.froelich]

Sun, 4 November 2007 12:52:34
LBO >> Industries
Modest Expectations
03 November 2007 11:03:47
Sri Lanka garment makers trim growth targets


Nov 03, 2007 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's clothing industry has revised its five-year targets, trimming forecasts of a 12 percent growth as it re-positions itself as an ethical producer in the global market, officials said.



The new target looks at a modest three to five percent annual growth, focusing on intimates, casualwear and woven pants which brings in over half of the industry's export revenues.

Sri Lanka, which had earlier set a target of four-billion dollar revenues by 2007, has now revised it down to five-billion dollars by 2010, amidst stiff competition from China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh.

"Our forecasts is about a five to six percent growth on average each year, which can hopefully, easily bring us up to the five-billion rupee turnover target by 2010," said Ajith Dias, Chairman of the Joint Apparel Association Forum or JAAF, an industry apex body.

Over half the island's export earnings come from the three billion dollar clothing industry, with nearly all clothes shipped to international labels in the US and European Union.

Export earnings for the eight months to August 2007 grew 11 percent to 2.1 billion dollars, as higher sales to the EU offset a lower uptake from the US, according to JAAF data released this week.

The clothing industry is scrambling to retain its market share after the multi-fibre agreement, which guaranteed export market quotas, ended in 2004.

Sri Lanka has since benefited from the EU's General System of Preferences plus (GSP+) duty concessions, which has helped export earnings to these countries climb 25 percent to 907.5 million dollars for the eight months to August this year.

However, exports to the US has slipped nearly three percent to 1.1 billion dollars in Jan-Aug this year, as Americans bought more clothes from cheaper rivals like China (36 percent), Vietnam (27 percent), Indonesia (15 percent), Cambodia (19 percent), Bangladesh (13 percent), Pakistan (10 percent) and India (1 percent).

Over a million people currently find some employment in the apparel industry, which has carved out a niche to turn out high quality garments for top labels at a quick turnaround time.

Dias said casualwear clothes, intimates and woven pants have lifted Sri Lanka's fortunes in the price-sensitive global apparel market, and account for about 59 percent of total garment export earnings.

"Of this, lingerie is our most high profile product, but accounts for about 12 percent of export earnings," he said.

Sri Lanka is currently the biggest lingerie supplier to Victoria's Secret, and also ships clothes to top brands like GAP, Levis, Marks and Spencer, Nike, Speedo and Tesco.

JAAF is also looking at securing trade concessions, supply chain issues, and strategic alliances with designers and fabric suppliers.

As trade pacts take awhile to materialise, JAAF feels their "ethical clothes" campaign may gain some duty concessions, under a new law the US is proposing to encourage ethical trading practices.

Dias feels their image-building programme -- "Made in Sri Lanka: Garments without Guilt" -- would give Sri Lanka an edge to stand out as an "ethical clothing producer", when competing with rival nations in China and India.

Clothing is also Sri Lanka's highest net foreign revenue earner after remittances sent home by expatriate workers and tea.


http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...SEARCH_TERM=17

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Sri Lanka Apparel launched its "Garments without Guilt" initiative in Europe yesterday at the Fatex Fair in Paris.

The Garments without Guilt initiative focuses on ethical manufacture and sustainable development assuring the industry's commitment to ethical working conditions, free of child labour, free of forced labour, free of discrimination and free of sweatshop practices.

Sri Lanka's Apparel Industry, dynamic and forward moving with over 30 years experience, has been at the forefront of industrial excellence and social responsibility in Asia, conforming and complying with the norms of ethical sourcing backed by strong legislation.

And over the past decade as the global interest focused on how, where and by whom products were made, Sri Lanka Apparel was already ahead of the curve putting their own inherent ethical thinking into practice.

Commenting on the impact of empowerment of women in the industry, Chairman of Sri Lanka Apparel Ajith Dias, stated "Women in our industry have become change agents on a wide range of issues from children's education, better healthcare to improved working conditions.

And by creating a more equitable society, we are making a profound impact on the quality of life of the people and the development of our society."

DN

[phil.froelich]

Great initiative, but will it really boost our image internationally and help sales?

[saraprobe]

Originally Posted by phil.froelich

Great initiative, but will it really boost our image internationally and help sales?

I dnt think unless the buyer is seriously concern or the gov's ban child labor practices, This is mainly due to battle with India,china & Vietnam

[saraprobe]

Garment manufacturer MAS Holdings has introduced the first brand name lingerie from Sri Lanka for South Asia. The company started the process last week by launching its first 'own brand' label, 'amanté,' in India, in a US$ 10 million investment. MAS Holdings is the first Sri Lankan company to enter the Indian lingerie retail sector with its own brand name. "We introduced our brand name amanté in the South Indian cities of Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. By mid 2008 the amanté brand will be available across India," said Ajay Amalean, managing director of MAS corporate solutions and retail, in India.

While building the brand in India, over the next few years, MAS Holdings plans to introduce the amanté, brand of lingerie, sleepwear and swimwear across the South Asian region.

"We will expand the brand across the South Asian region over the next 5 years with an investment of around US$ 25 million. By the last quarter 2008, we will introduce amanté in Sri Lanka. After that we will consider entry into Pakistan which is a very attractive market in our region. In the meanwhile, we will also concentrate on Indian expansion. We estimate that it will take us between 3 to 5 years to establish ourselves properly in India," said Amalean.

The company is also eyeing the lucrative Middle Eastern market for amanté in the longer term. "We are also considering the Middle East market for amanté, but the strategy for this market will have to be different from South Asia. At this point we have not decided how we will enter this market," said Amalean.

Made in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is noted internationally as a specialist producer of high-end lingerie for leading international brand names. However, amanté, is the first Sri Lankan lingerie brand to the world.

MAS Holdings, which is the largest producer of intimate wear in South Asia, says the brand encapsulates 20 years of expertise and experience in the specialised field of intimate wear. The brand is also supported by a fully backward integrated supply chain. Over the past 20 odd years MAS Holdings has been developing its backward linkages for the manufacture of high quality lingerie and the amanté brand is the ultimate outcome.

MAS says the amanté brand is independent from the international brands that the company caters to. "We supply to leading international brands but design and development for amanté is strictly separate. There is no breach of confidentiality of our customers," said Amalean. "We will continue to service our existing customers maintaining a high level of integrity and confidentiality while developing amanté as an independent business activity," he said.

The amanté brand is developed, designed and made in Sri Lanka, making it a fully Sri Lankan brand but it also incorporates the latest international fashion trends.
"Even the brand name, amanté, which means lover in Italian, was thought up in-house by one of our employees. amanté products are designed and developed in Sri Lanka by a separate team of designers based on the latest trends. They are also manufactured at factories in Sri Lanka at the moment and shipped out," said Amalean.

With expansion in India and South Asia, the company hopes to shift manufacturing to India, but says it will retain some operations in Sri Lanka.

Made to South Asian measure

MAS Holdings says the amanté brand is developed specifically for South Asian women and to suit the South Asian climate."There are domestic brands of lingerie in all our countries. But until now, the branded lingerie of international standard, available in South Asia, were those made for western markets or those made for the Far East. But there is a difference in body structure and taste in South Asia. amanté is made for South Asian women.

We met around 3,000 Indian ladies in different parts of India to develop amanté and we are continually fine tuning it to suit South Asian requirements" said Amalean.

The amanté range introduced in India for instance, uses a cotton base to suit the South Asian climate and incorporates local taste in colours and prints. "We incorporate the latest international trends with an ethnic touch for a separate South Asian identity," says Amalean.

The strategy seems to be working in India with amanté brand lingerie flying off the shelves since its launch in the wake of the Deepavali festival season.

"The initial results have been very encouraging in India. Even designs and colours that are not traditional favourites are selling. But it is still too early to be sure, since we launched the brand only very recently," said Amalean. The amanté brand is positioned as a value-premium product targeting women between the ages of 25 and 45 years, in the middle and upper income brackets.

"We have taken the value premium position for our brand which means international fashion and style at affordable prices. So amanté is not an exclusive boutique store brand and it is also not a lower-end, value-brand. Our position is the middle to upper range where there is a need gap for quality and fashion at affordable prices," explained Amalean. In India, amanté is competing against international brands like Triumph, Etam and La Senza.

MAS Holdings expects the competition to increase with more international brands entering the Indian market to tap the growing disposable incomes of middle class India.

ST

[phil.froelich]

Oh, this is great...

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Awesome

After decades of assembling garments together, Sri Lanka’s ready made garment industry is trying to transform itself into a ‘fashion’ industry.

On Wednesday, Moratuwa University’s design graduates showcased their creativity at a fashion show at the Galle Face Hotel. This is the third group of students passing out from the university’s Fashion Design degree course that was started in 2001 in collaboration with the London College of Fashion and supported by the Sri Lankan government.

This is also part of the garment industry’s plan to transform itself into a ‘fashion’ industry.

For nearly three decades local garment manufacturers were perfectly content assembling garments for export, based on designs provided by foreign buyers. But now, Sri Lankan garment companies want a bigger part of the business. The industry is trying to lift itself above the cut-and-sew platform on to a ‘total solutions provider’ position that includes providing in-house design services.

“Earlier we concentrated on manufacturing. But now the industry demands much more. Now manufacturing has become only a small part of the process,” said Professor Lakdas Fernando, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Apparel Institute, at a press conference on Monday.

The garment industry’s move towards greater value added services is, for the most part, driven by necessity. Many other countries in the region are showing greater cost competitiveness in garment manufacturing. As a result Sri Lankan companies are now forced to come up with alternative product offerings to stay in business.

“Today the garment industry is buyer driven. Buyers can go to the cheapest destination, which Sri Lanka no longer is. We can’t beat countries like China on price. So we need something else. Design is something that we can use. If Sri Lanka can come up with innovative designs, we don’t have to compete on cost,” explained Dr Nirmali de Silva, the Course Director of the Fashion Design degree at the University of Moratuwa.

At this point, Sri Lanka is not talking haute couture but design at a very practical, commercial level.

“The course and the students have a very strong industry focus. They know who they are designing for,” said Roy Peach, Dean of the post graduate portfolio at the London College of Fashion speaking at the press conference.

Given the industry focus, the design course is not only about creativity and designing clothes. The course includes hard, business aspects as well. Students are taught about the supply chain process, merchandising and other areas to do with the business of manufacturing apparel for export. To provide maximum real world exposure, a one-year industry placement is part of the four-year course.

“The course is fully integrated into the industry and these graduates have the knowledge about how the entire merchandising and supply chain process works,” said Peach.

The idea is to support the garment industry by supplying a continuous flow of personnel trained in garment industry needs.

Industry experts say that in-house design talent will give local garment manufacturers an advantage.

“International brands would always have their own design teams but having design facilities in the manufacturing process speeds up the process. Having designers would help Sri Lankan companies because it helps the interpretation process,” said Jane Shepherdson, a UK based fashion industry consultant.

Companies have already started investing in local design talent. Design graduates are being snapped up by larger companies that are offering starting salaries in the range of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.

“We employed a design graduate and she was absolutely great. She created a fantastic collection for us. Unfortunately she was so good that she left me and now works abroad,” said Kumar Mirchandani, Managing Director of the Favourite Group.

Given the demand, the Moratuwa University says it will continue producing high quality design graduates for the local garment industry.

Building a domestic talent pool of designers is expected to help the garment industry retain its competitive advantage and to develop a Sri Lankan fashion industry.

Garments without Guilt
While investing is upgrading its services, the garment industry is also promoting itself internationally as an ethical manufacturing destination. This is expected to help retain customers in the west, despite the increasing production costs in Sri Lanka.

“Environmental issues and social issues are becoming very important in the west. Consumers in the west are demanding greater environmental sustainability, like what kind of dyes are used in clothing manufacturing so as not to harm the environment and social issues like paying fair wages to workers,” explained Shepherdson.

The local garment industry is trying to align itself with these consumer trends.

“What we are saying with Garments without Guilt, is that if you were to buy clothing made in Sri Lanka you are buying clothing that is made in an ethical way,” said Mirchandani.The garment industry has also developed an auditing scheme by the same name that allows local garment companies to certify themselves on the industry’s ethical standards.

Economic times

[phil.froelich]

Great stuff,

Mon, 19 November 2007 20:11:42
LBO >> Services
Fashion Queen
19 November 2007 12:56:55
British fashion queen visiting Sri Lanka hints at new venture: Interview


Nov 19, 2007 (LBO) – British fashion queen Jane Shepherdson is planning a new venture, the former Topshop brand director said on a visit to Sri Lanka, which is fast becoming a centre for high-end apparel manufacture.


"I’m planning to start a new business soon, that is all I can say,” she told LBO.

Shepherdson is widely credited with turning Topshop into a high street brand earning 100 million pounds annual profit from a minor label that earned just a tenth of that when she took over.

She parted with Topshop in October 2006 soon after the entry of model Kate Moss into the firm. A fan of 'ethical' production practices, she has since been consulting for Oxfam and the Japanese brand People Tree.



Sri Lanka is now a key manufacturing base for labels like Victoria's Secret, Triumph, Gap and Speedo.

"The manufacturing in Sri Lanka is incredible. It’s so highly sophisticated and I’m really looking forward to getting back in the business so I can take advantage of it,” says Shepherdson.

While promoting high fashion at affordable prices, Shepherdson is trying to push 'ethical brands' where sweatshop labour practices in factories is discouraged.

"Customers are just beginning to think a little more about where the products come from and how it’s actually being made,” says Shepherdson.

“It hasn’t hit the mass market yet. But it will become more and more important particularly with retailers like Marks and Spencer saying that they think that it’s very important.

"So it’s going to have a ripple effect,” she predicts.

She is enthusiastic about Sri Lanka's attempts to show the world that it has eco-friendly manufacturing practices with high labour standards, where child labour is shunned and workers are under strict labour laws.

The industry has been promoting Sri Lanka under a 'Garments without guilt' banner to make buyers aware that it is a centre for 'ethical' manufacture.

"It is very clear that all of the manufacturers here have recognized the need to be doing something," says Shepherdson after visiting plants which recycle waste water, aim for a carbon neutral footprint and even use pumice stone residues of washing plants productively.



"They are taking those pumice stones and having them made into bricks," she said, laughing. "This is incredible. I’ve never seen this much of development anywhere else as I’ve seen in Sri Lanka."

Shepherdson spoke to LBO on the sidelines of a fashion show by the graduates of a London College of Fashion design degree program run with the island's Moratuwa University.

“I think it was very good. The two students who won have a very high standard.”

“I expected to see everybody following a similar trend. It was absolutely not the case. It was very original. There were not two collections that were similar. They were all highly original,” Shepherdson said.



The two winners got scholarships to follow a Master's degree at the London School of Fashion.

Sri Lanka's apparel makers have been taking on part of the design work, working closely with design teams of fashion labels, to interpret and adapt designs to materials.

The course in Sri Lanka includes a one-year internship at an apparel firm where undergraduates get hands-on experience of the garment manufacturing process.

Shepherdson has also been associated with the Fashion Enterprise Fund, a venture capital fund for new designers, which funds promising new designers on a profit share basis.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...SEARCH_TERM=10

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[phil.froelich]

I like the first design the most...