As we move on from summer and revel in the onset of monsoon, we bring to you the June 2019 issue of Apparel, titled ‘A Season in Transition’. In the ‘Curtain Raiser to the 69th NGF’ section, we offer glimpses of the fairs past. Under the ‘CMAI CSR’ section, we report on the two-day free eye camp organised by CMAI in Dadar. Consecutively, in the ‘Report’ section, we write about the brand-new address that will now serve as the office for CMAI. Under the ‘Features’ segment, we throw light on how Indian ethnic wear labels are slowly crafting Western wear lines, how formal fashion education helps to better employability in the apparel industry, and the rise of the plus-size garment market in India. In the ‘Industry Insights’ section, we analyse the shifting nature of India’s trade relations with the UK and the EU. Under ‘Unique Initiatives’, we bring to the fore Patola House, a front-runner in preserving Gujarat’s heritage patola textiles. In the ‘Brand Profile’ section, we take a look at the journey of Udaan, a leading marketplace for traders, brands, and manufacturers; ETAR, a slow fashion label fronted by a mother-daughter duo; and BOHECO, an innovative brand which crafts clothing from hemp fibres. In the ‘Entrepreneur Speak’ section, we indulge in an insightful conversation with Sabu Jacob, Managing Director of Kitex, a brand leading in the kids’ wear segment. Under ‘Designer Spotlight’, we speak to Dr Vaibbhavi Pruthviraj Ranavaade and Padmaja Krishnan, both of whom vouch for slow, ethical fashion, and own eponymous labels. Under ‘Regulars’, we offer all the important textile and apparel news, take a look at the current trends and brands in vogue, provide a glimpse of new store launches, and a preview of upcoming events in the world of apparel.
The Indian apparel, garments and textiles industry is a dynamic one. With the industry generating the second highest employment after agriculture in our country, it is no doubt that the trade is one of the people, by the people and for the people. Apparel, the monthly official trade magazine of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI)—one of the largest apparel and garments bodies in the country—gives you the latest news and events specific to this industry, while delving deeper into issues plaguing it, new technologies adopted and the people who make things happen. The magazine regularly carries articles by industry experts, interviews with the who’s who of the industry, many of whom are members of the CMAI, and features upcoming and established brands and their latest collections. Apparel also exclusively covers any event hosted, organised or supported by the CMAI, including the bi-annual National Garment Fair, which is one of the largest apparel trade fairs in the sub-continent...