ICH NEXT, India’s first homegrown fashion forecaster under the aegis of ICH Creative Consulting, a creative strategy firm focused on catalyzing fashion/lifestyle brands, has collaborated with the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), to launch a nationwide Masterclass series emphasizing the crucial role of research in manufacturing. The first leg of the Masterclass, titled ‘Unlock Business Success through In-Depth Research, is slated to be held in Jaipur in partnership with the Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR). The first Masterclass, which expects participation of industry veterans, experts, manufacturers and other stakeholders will be held at Jaipur, following which similar events would be organized for manufacturers across different parts of the country like Surat, Kolkata, Mumbai and others.
ICH co-founders Kanika Vohra and Anuradha Chandrashekar spoke about the need for such a Masterclass for the manufacturing industry, “A collection based on well researched trends ends up as hotseller while others end up in the sales as unsold items leading to huge losses to manufacturers. ICH NEXT provides Indian wear forecasting services where manufacturers get a heads up of 6-9 months to prepare their new collection. Such insights have helped manufacturers and brands to increase their revenue upto 7-fold. The Masterclass will emphasize on the value of research. We look forward to the collaboration with CMAI and GEAR, hoping to create a roaring success in Jaipur.”
Further elaborating on the collaboration, Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor, CMAI, said, “The Indian apparel industry has great potential, but what the manufacturers actually need is expert insight and 360-degree overview of elements that determine fashion trends. Fashion forecasting is a norm among western brands/manufacturers, but the concept is yet to come to the fore in Indian wear manufacturing. We are elated to have joined forces with India’s only fashion forecaster doing India Research, ICH NEXT, to empower manufacturers across different parts of the country through this one-of-its kind initiative.”
Consumers are increasingly gaining global exposure and hence perspective. The manufacturers and brands that ultimately cater to them should create to well researched seasonal trends. This will enable them to minimize wasteful manufacturing, and hitting their goals every time. With this Masterclass as the first step ICH NEXT aims to empower the manufacturers with the right information.
