Index INTC 2005 Apparel Magazine to Honor 10 All-Star Winners [TC]² Activity - Zara Fast Fashion Workshop Member Profile - Jockey International Important Dates A Look Ahead

INTC 2005

Presents Their First Fashion Show

A technical conference is not exactly where you'd expect to take in a fashion show. However, on September 19-22 in St. Louis, Missouri, the INTC showcased its first show featuring models sporting some of the most untraditional fabrics that have ever graced the catwalks.

In the fall of 2004, Dr. Cindy Istook, an Associate Professor at the NCSU College of Textiles, and students in the Fashion Design program at NCSU College of Textiles, joined forces with Freudenberg Nonwovens. Since then Istook and her students have been shattering the preconceived notion that nonwovens are “off limits” in some applications. Stacey Frederick, an undergraduate in the Textile Management program, has been instrumental in this ongoing project. As the project manager, Frederick has helped to motivate students to utilize unconventional thought processes. In the last year, students have been designing and creating fashion apparel and accessories with nonwoven fabrics donated by Freudenberg's Novolon Business Unit. For the INTC show, DuPont and PGI also donated fabrics.

Collaborating with the International Nonwovens & Disposables Association (INDA), NCSU College of Textiles pulled off the extravaganza which featured an array of garments and accessories.

Kate Dutton, a graduate student at NCSU College of Textiles, has been a leader in the project from the beginning. Dutton negotiated, planned, and moderated the fashion show — pointing out the attributes as well as the challenges of designing and sewing nonwoven apparel.

Unlike woven and knit fabrics, nonwovens do not ravel, therefore, seams do not need to be surged— saving on thread and labor costs. Capitalizing on this unique characteristic, students incorporated shaped hemlines and cutouts into the garment design.

Designed by Stacey Frederick and Dr. Cindy Istook

Appliqué looks, coined reverse appliqués, were created by backing cutout patterns with dyed fabric.

Designed by Stacey Frederick and Dr. Cindy Istook

Designed by Kate Dutton

Decorative hems were created by embroidering the fabric's edge and cutting around the embroidered design. The embroidery equipment was adjusted to accommodate the unique characteristics of the nonwoven fabric. In some cases the addition of a support fabric was needed to impart integrity to the nonwoven fabric.

Designed by Richale Haney

Some of the nonwoven fabrics were engineered to have stretch—allowing the wearer to easily pull on and off the garment without closures. Genevieve Garland, the designer of the garment shown below, commented that when creating the ruffle, the needle punctured a hole in the fabric allowing the thread to easily slide through, “much easier than some wovens I've sewn.”

Designed by Genevieve Garland

Casual suits were designed using fabrics with suede-like finishes.

Designed by Dr. Cindy Istook

To further challenge the notion that nonwoven fabrics are disposable or primarily suited to utilitarian products, elegant gowns were designed.

Designed by Dr. Cindy Istook

In the 2005 spring semester, students designed a variety of accessories, including handbags, hats and bracelets for a Senior Class Project.

Hat designed by Karen Burbella Purse designed by Becky Wazenegger Bracelets designed by Jennifer Franklin

After more than three successful fashion shows, projects abound at NCSU College of Textiles. Dr. Istook, Kate Dutton, Stacey Frederick and the Fashion Design students involved in the project plan to follow-up this exciting show with future events.

Although some of the designers were not mentioned in the article, they all played a crucial roll in making the event a success. The list of key designers and contributors for the 2005 INTC fashion show includes Deidra Nance, Kendall Smith, Erica Sinkovic, Kate Dutton, Sara Shuler and Genevieve Garland.

Apparel Magazine to Honor 10 All-Star Winners

Apparel magazine will present its 2005 All-Star Awards to 10 outstanding apparel businesses at a ceremony Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Katie Murphy Amphitheater of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, NY. The 10 winners are: Bills Khakis, Chico’s FAS, Columbia Sportswear, FesslerUSA, Gerson & Gerson Inc., Harry Rosen Inc., Jones Apparel Group, Mothers Work Inc., Redcats USA and Stony Apparel/Great Escape Mfg. Corp.

“We are very pleased to recognize these 10 apparel stand-outs,” said Kathleen DesMarteau, editor in chief of Apparel. “Each has its own special brand of excellence. All of these firms are leading examples of the best in the business.”

The All-Star Awards presentation ceremony will follow the keynote address of the 2005 Apparel Tech Conference, a daylong event featuring presentations by technology and other solutions suppliers to the apparel industry, plus tabletop displays of sponsoring firms’ solutions. The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is produced by Apparel Magazine and [TC]², and hosted by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). The Apparel Tech Conference & All-Star Reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Amuse Restaurant.

To register to attend the free Apparel Tech Conference, or for more details, visit www.apparelmag.com.

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[TC]² Activity
ZARA Fast Fashion Workshop

The Katie Murphy Amphitheater at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City was at near capacity on October 21, 2005. Representatives from leading retailers, manufacturers and a sprinkling of academics were in attendance for the Zara Fast Fashion Workshop.

After a brief welcome and overview, Jim Lovejoy, Director, Industry Programs at [TC]², introduced the showcase speaker, Ken Watson, Director of the Industry Forum.

Watson began with a brief history of the retail conglomerate, Inditex, of which Zara is the most profitable arm. Amancio Ortea Gaona, the company’s founder, began trading garments in 1963. By 2005 Inditex emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing makers of affordable fashion clothing. Now with over 2000 stores and promising to double that number by 2011, Inditex is one of the biggest business success stories in Spanish history.

Watson moved on to the nitty gritty strategies that have made Zara one of the most intriguing retail success stories. Watson defined the seven key “strands”— Pull Process; Vertical Integration; Product Precommitments; Proximity to Production; Logistics; Marketing; and Merchandising Philosophy. He detailed the ways in which Zara has utilized the “strands” to create a flexible supply chain, which in turn has led to its outstanding performance.

David Bussuk, Principal, Kurt Salmon Associates, wrapped up the morning session with a presentation entitled Zara— Fast Fashion— A Consultant’s View. Bussuk started his presentation by defining “speed” in the context of the retail world, simply — the ability to please your consumer.

He emphasized the importance of knowing your target customer — “Brands that work get intimate with their customer.” Bussuk noted that the Zara model wasn’t for every business.

He offered 3 strategic “stops” that can help bring the right product to the market quickly — prepare, take your position, and accelerate. Good preparation can be achieved by minimizing redesign, waiting longer to produce product and gathering more data. Companies can be either fashion, cost, or quality driven. Identifying which position is most valued by the target customer can help a company hone in on which strategic position to take.

After lunch, Ken Watson took the stage to dig a little deeper into the business concepts and processes that have made Zara successful. He emphasized their unique company culture — a culture that can’t be easily imitated. Watson’s presentation was peppered with humorous personal experiences that emphasized the obvious yet subtle factors that lead to success.

Laura Rowen, Director of Manufacturing at Brooks Brothers, gave a presentation entitled Fast Fashion View from Brooks Brothers. Rowen began with a look at the accomplishments of the country’s oldest retailer. She went on to explain the benefits of fast fashion or what the folks at Brooks Brothers refer to as short cycle manufacturing. On the retail level, short cycle manufacturing results in reduced markdowns, maximum sales and quick inventory turnaround. On the factory level, benefits include speed to market, flexibility and lower cost.

Brooks Brothers has taken a more traditional approach than Zara to short cycle manufacturing. With the help of [TC]², Brooks Brothers has fine-tuned their manufacturing practices. They have reconfigured their sewing line, changed from the bundle system to cross-trained sewing teams, redesigned the manufacturing floor, and modified equipment. The changes have had benefits on both the retail and manufacturing level, including lower labor cost, greater productivity, and in season reorders.

The workshop was wrapped up with a panel discussion, moderated by Deborah Goodwin, Director of Fashion Sourcing for the Garment Industry Development Corporation. The panel consisted of representatives from three companies producing distinctively different apparel lines. Keanan Duffty of Slinky Vagabond, Glenn Schlossberg of Jump Apparel and James Pearlman of Donutz are fulfilling a tall order — successfully manufacturing apparel in one of the world’s most expensive cities — New York.

Duffty, Schlossberg and Pearlman offered collective insight into what it takes to be a successful manufacturer — answering questions on issues such as getting the product to market quickly, predicting trends and colors, and fulfilling supply and demand. Ironically, there were similarities between their strategies and those used by Zara. Hiring innovative young talent, keeping in close proximity to their customers to provide better service and control quality, and staying fashion forward were some of the overlapping strategies that have made these companies successful.

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Member Profile

Since 1876, Jockey International has satisfied the need for human comfort.  The company’s simple mission to provide meaningful, everyday comfort solutions resonated with the lumber workers in the Midwest over 129 years ago when the company began selling its first product, a men’s sock, door-to-door.  It still resonates with consumers today.

Jockey is known for its legendary underwear, but the company and its partners also offer sportswear, sleepwear, activewear and bedding. Jockey recently entered the direct selling business, a channel that provides a more engaging and interactive consumer brand experience.  Jockey Person to Person, Inc. sells differentiated product to consumers through independent sales consultants. Consumers have the opportunity to see, feel and try on the products while in the company of friends and the comfort of home. A bra fitting session headed by a Jockey Person to Person Comfort Specialist ™ ensures the best possible bra fit and comfort. Jockey is one of the first apparel companies to enter this business.

Jockey recently launched a new bra collection based on its participation in the SizeUSA survey. The data provided by SizeUSA helped Jockey to produce better fitting garments for customers. Jockey gives thought to the little details so that its products are some of the most comfortable, best fitting around.  Designing products based on real-life measurements and dimensions gives Jockey the opportunity to design even more comfortable clothing. Brad Beal, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations for Jockey, believes that “…comfort helps Jockey distinguish its products, and SizeUSA has helped Jockey improve the  fit and comfort of its garments.”  Jockey plans to use the information gleaned from the SizeUSA study in other product collections, including a new 3D underwear collection for men and women. 

Jockey and [TC]² have had a long and fruitful relationship. Beal believes the interchange of ideas around industry trends and business directions has proved to be invaluable. [TC]² looks forward to a continuing relationship with this innovative, forward-thinking company.

Hurricane Katrina Relief
To learn more about how our industry is responding and ways your company can be of assistance, visit www.apparelandfootwear.org.

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Important Dates

November

For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com

Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Intentia, Lectra and Methods Workshop.

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A Look Ahead in the Newsletter

Apparel Tech Conference

View previous editions of this newsletter

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