Tuesday 2 April 2013

Japan to help India with fashion trends

Indian apparel makers are seeking the help of Japanese designers to keep up with the fast-changing fashion trends in the land of the rising sun.

Under a tie-up between the textile industries of the two countries, Japanese fashion designers will offer colour and fabric forecasts to help Indian apparel exporters understand Japan's changing styles in clothing.

"Fashion trend in Japan changes every 40 days. It is not just the pricing that works in Japan, but also the color and design for that particular season," said Vijay Mathur, secretary general of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), which has tied up with Japan Textile Federation for the purpose.

India exported readymade garments worth $11.5 billion in the 11 months to February, down 7.6% from $12.46 billion in the year-ago period. In the in the first nine months of the fiscal, exports to the EU and the US were down 21% and 8.4%, respectively.

In 2012, India's apparel exports to Japan stood at $293 million, up 7% from a year-ago. The figure also marked a slight improvement in India's share in Japan's total apparel imports in 2012 at 0.91%.

Indian exporters are keen to leverage on the India-Japan FTA signed in 2011, which allows duty-free exports to Japan.

They also see an entry into the Japanese market as a way of cutting down dependence on China."By the time our exporters ship the ready-made garments, they are already out of season in Japan," Mathur said.

Ajay Sahai, director-general and CEO of the Federation of Indian Exports Organisaton, said, "The country appears the most promising among the new markets being considered."

The tie-up is also seen benefiting Japan, as it too is keen on diversifying its sourcing basket to cut dependence on China.

"Japan was never really comfortable sourcing from China, but did not have much choice," Sahai added. Kenneth Christopher, CEO of Ludhiana-based RB Knit Exports, said his company is awaiting the arrival of the Japanese delegation. 

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