Textile Institute World Conference:

Omar calls for new business model

There is a need for a new business model in apparel manufacturing, said Brandix CEO Ashroff Omar.

He was delivering the keynote address at the Centenary World Conference of the Textile Institute held recently in Manchester. Omar explored the topic ‘manufacturing on the global stage,’ making his presentation to an august assembly comprising world renowned corporate leaders, academics and researchers.

He contended that it is at present, a heavily fragmented industry stemming from the single-minded pursuit of cheap labour. He observed that retailers have become pseudo manufacturers taking on roles that belong within the sphere of manufacturing, resulting in an escalation of costs and a lower value proposition to the consumer.

Omar pointed out that industries such as automobile, computer and footwear have provided consumers with ‘phenomenal products at great prices’ whereas the apparel industry has moved in the opposite direction - providing the same product at a far higher price.

He recommended that the new model must be one of collaboration within the value chain enabling greater research and development and the employment of breakthrough technologies.

He said “I believe that, today, on the 100th anniversary of The Textile Institute, we are still a virgin industry. Automobiles, phones, televisions, airlines are all industries which have large aggressive players while the enormous apparel market has a multitude of small suppliers who do not have the scale to deliver outstanding value.

There is white space for a few $ 5 billion companies.”

Pentland Group Limited CEO Andy Rubin, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Textiles and Clothing Institute Head Prof Xiao-ming Tao, and Corsair Capital Partner and Vice Chairman Lord Mervyn Davies were the other keynote speakers.

The conference themed ‘Creating a global vision for textiles, clothing and footwear’ recognised the need for change in the textile industry and focused on creating a platform for information exchange and networking.

The Textile Institute, inaugurated in 1910, was incorporated in England by a Royal Charter granted in 1925 and is a registered charity.

It is a unique organisation which has individual and corporate members in approximately 80 countries with the membership covering all sectors and disciplines of textiles, clothing and footwear.

The Centenary Conference was held in Manchester as it has been home to The Textile Institute for the past 100 years.