To US Retailers:
EDB steps up promoting Sri Lanka Apparel
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), once again stepped up
its international marketing efforts by promoting Sri Lanka Apparel’s
leadership in ethical and sustainable manufacturing on the global stage.
Last month, with the support of the EDB, Sri Lanka Apparel reinforced
its international industry leadership with its unique industry
positioning at the Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) Sourcing and Supply Chain
Forum in New York City. Sri Lanka Apparel, Chairman A. Sukumaran
appreciated the continued support of the EDB under the guidance of its
Chairman and Chief Executive Anil Koswatte and his team.
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Sri Lanka
Apparel - garments without guilt |
“At a time when Sri Lanka’s apparel exports to the United States are
on the decline, using these targeted promotions to the actual decision
makers in sourcing, our joint efforts are crucial to reverse this
negative trend and redirect the interest of apparel buyers towards Sri
Lanka,” he said.
Included in the sponsorship was an opportunity to present a thought
leadership piece to this Forum.
Kumar Mirchandani, presented ‘The garments without guilt experience
and the ethical dilemma’ highlighting the conflict of price over value
for consumers and profits over ethics for the retailers and the
manufacturers.
He said “over the last decade as Asia emerged as the leading
outsourcing destination for the global fashion industry, Sri Lanka stood
alone as the only country that embraced Ethical Business and
Manufacturing Practices as a way of life. Yet, doing business ethically
and in an environmentally conscious way carries a cost which the
consumers and retailers are yet to fully understand and accept.”
Mirchandani said that with the growing inescapable global concern and
demand from consumers for ethical and environmentally responsible goods,
brands and retailers will eventually form true partnerships with
manufacturers in relationships that go beyond cost and price alone.
Mirchandani said that go forward trade is likely to be governed by
ethical and sustainable standards and it is also possible that any Trade
Preference program could be linked to compliance with such standards.
Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), the fashion-industry trade journal often
referred to as “the bible of fashion” gave press coverage to this
presentation in their March 23, issue titled ‘Suppliers count on
service, sustainability’ and also on their website wwd.com.
WWD is the flagship journal of Fairchild Publications, Inc. a unit of
Cond Nast which publishes consumer publications such as Vogue and
Glamour.
Sri Lanka Apparel, Secretary General Rohan Masakorala said “Presence
at such events strengthens our long-term partnership with retailers,
generates awareness and stimulates valuable top-tier networking and
relationship building with top brands.”
He also expressed the industry’s appreciation of the Government’s
continued support through the Ministries of Finance, Industrial
Development, Textiles and Export Development and International Trade for
their proactive efforts in assisting industry positioning. ‘Through
these collaborative efforts to create a national identity for the
benefit of the entire industry,’ he said, “Sri Lanka Apparel is today
the world’s No. one ethical apparel sourcing destination and the soon to
be the undisputed leader in sustainable apparel production”
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