1

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd

SHAHI - WHERE AESTHETICS MEETS PROFESSIONALISM

History
Shahi - started in 1974 at Delhi, Bangalore operations began on 1st July 1988 with 250
associates and 104 machines. Expansion by 60 times for last 35 years.
Manufacture
Shahi manufactures 3 million pc of high quality woven & knits per month, catering to all
segments in the apparel industry. A whooping over 2 million square feet for woven/knits and
they manufacture 1 million pcs per month of knits & about 2 million pc per month of woven.
The manufacturing units are located in Delhi, Bangalore, Tirupur and Salem.
Company Profile
Shahi is one of the largest garment exporters with a turnover of US150 million. Having
manufacturing facilities spread out in Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Tirupur. Shahi has
employed a workforce of around 20,000. Shahi caters to some of the well known brands, like
Walmart, Benetton Old Navy, Abercrombie and Fitch, Marks & Spencer, H&M, Izod, Arrow,
Federated, Target etc. Shahi group is well known for its progressive outlook having ERP
solutions across the functions and adoption of quality standards. They have ISO 9001 as well
as SA 8000 accreditations. The group has internalized six-sigma approach and training of
human resources is an ongoing activity.
The company has good state of the art facilities with separate departments skilled and
specialized in their job. The company has invested heavily in state of the art machineries and
equipments, infrastructure and also in continuous training development of human resource.
Design & Product Development
Shahis core strength is being Product Development & Design Inputs supported by inhouse studio and offices in US & Europe. Their success lies on bringing the latest trends in
the markets coupled with in-depth study about shopping and create line for a particular brand
'n' to bring the newness in the ever changing fashion world.
Shahi has a dedicated knowledgeable product design team, which travels worldwide to take
the best of the trends and transforming them to design creations with mood boards, samples
which gives an added advantage to the customers. They believe to become partners in the

progress of their customers, they try to understand the needs and deliver the latest design &
product development inputs to make the journey a success.
Awards
Best exporters Award from AEPC
Best Vendor of the year rated by Wal-Mart/JC Penney/ Target
Best Manufacturing facilities rated by NIFT.
Shahi believes in corporate leadership, the success is responsibility with freedom to work is
transferred to every individual with a collective teamwork
SHAHIS MAIN CLIENT BASE

UNITED STATES

GAP

OLD NAVY

JC PENNEY

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

KOHLS

TARGET

AMERICAN EAGELS

CALVIN KLIEN

NEXT

ESPRIT

BENETTON

HENNES & MAURITZ ( H&M)

MAX MARA (ITALIAN GROUP)

DEBENHAMS

RED SKINS

ARMAND THEIRY

FRENCH CONNECTION (FCUK)

NICOLE FARHI

MEXX

CECIL

MONSOON
LAURA SCORT

TOMMY HILFIGER
ZARA

BESTSELLER

NAUTICA

MANGO

LOFT

SEARS

YESSICA

ONLY

CAMAIEU

KAREN MILLER

LIZ CLAIBORN

WHISTLES

WAL-MART

STEILMAN

BANILA WOMEN

LITTLE WOODS

STREETONE

ATLAST

ARMANI

GUESS

VERO MODA

PROMOD

HUGO BOSS

Shahi believe that they are very capable of serving different products from design till the final
product.

Today, the Benetton Group is present in 120 countries around the world. Its core business is
clothing: a group with a strong Italian character whose style, design expertise and passion are
clearly seen in the fashion-orientated United Colors of Benetton and Sisley brands; in The
Hip Site, the brand for teenagers; and in sportswear brands Playlife and Killer Loop. The
Group produces over 110 million garments every year, 90% of which is manufactured in
Europe. Its retail network of 5,000 stores around the world is increasingly focused on large
floor-space point of sale offering high quality customer services and now generates an annual
turnover of 2.1 billion euros, net of retail sales.
The development of Benettons commercial organisation has been supported by a major
programme of investment in megastores, some of which are directly managed by the Group.
These stores are characterised by their large dimensions, their prestigious locations in historic
and commercial centres and by the high level of customer services they offer. The new
Benetton megastores carry complete casual womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and
underwear collections, as well as a wide selection of accessories, offering a full range of
Benetton style and quality.

Organizational Design with respect to the Departmentalization.

LAYOUT AT SHAHI EXPORTS
BASEMENT Sampling Department

(pattern making, cutting, stitching, embroidery

&finishing)
Sampling and Production fabric store
Sampling and Production accessories store
Cad department
Quality department
Multi head embroidery machine
Production cutting & spreading machines
Fusing machines
Stitching department.
GROUND FLOOR- Merchandising department
Denim department
Showroom
Design room
Fabric department
Trims department
Purchase department
Planning department
Production finishing & packaging
Washing department
Dyeing unit
Testing Laboratory
Conference room.
1st FLOOR- Production department,
Design room,
Showroom,
IT department,

HR department,
Accounts department,
Billing department,
Documentation department,
R&D department, call center, conference rooms,
Owners room,

FABRIC STORE
ENTRANCE

FABRIC STORE

CAD

TICKETING AND
BUNDLING TABLE

LAYERING TABLE

BUNDLES BEING
MADE

EMBROIDA
RY

10

MACHINE

11

STITCHING LINE

SEQUINS
ADDA

12

PRESSING AREA

BUTTONING
SECTION

13

FINAL CHECKING

THREAD
CUTTING

14

SPOTTING

KHAKA
AREA

15

TREADLE

PACKING

THREAD
SELECTION
& HAND WORK

16

SAMPLE
WASHING
AND DRYING

BULK WASHING
AND DRYING

DYEING AND
DENIM

17

WASH AREA

18

SHAHI EXPORTS

COMPLIANCES
Shahi adheres to International Labor Legislation. It aims at providing a conducive
environment for employees to protect, promote and support their families in the best way
possible. Strict compliance with anti-child labor law is ensured. There are also

Health insurance for employees

Educational facilities for children

Crche facilities for children

Adequate maternity leave

ATM cards facilities in ICICI bank

Best employee awards are given for overall discipline, attendance & productivity

A full-fledged dispensary with ambulance facility is provided with a doctor

always on standby.

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Fire fighters are on high alert at all times and every floor is equipped with fire
evacuation plans.

There are fire drills to keep employees alert in case of emergencies.

Buyers and Buying Houses officers visit from time to time to see that the compliances are
being followed or not.
The best part about Shahi is that there is good percentage of women employment. The
production floors are full of women tailors. The women employment rate is higher in
comparison to other export houses. As an organization with conscience, waste reduction is
practiced and efforts are made at protecting the environment. The plants are environment
friendly with an effluent treatment plant at the wet processing units.
Shahi has invested in a dedicated Personnel management division to take care of its labour.
Labour problems get a kind ear and are followed up on a priority basis making Shahi one of
the most sought after organizations.
MERCHANDISING DEPARTMENT
The merchandising department is divided into 4 divisions:
LFD (ladies fashion division),
LSD (ladies style division),
SD (scarves division).
KNT (knits divisions)
Further, the departments are divided into different brands. The merchandising
department into two teams The product development team and
The production team.

THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (P.D.)TEAM

The Product Development Department can be described as a team of
merchants whose main purpose is to study and analyse every component of
the tech pack given by the buyer and get a sample developed which is
closest to the tech pack.

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The job of the merchant is to make sure that the sample developed is such
that it fulfils as many requirements of the buyer as possible, and is
production feasible too. Plus, the team needs to arrange for the material
required while making the samples, and communicate to the workers what
exactly the buyers want. The team acts as a mediator between the buyer
(who requests the sample) and the workers(who make the samples).

DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE: -

Merchandising is a combination of business and technical aspects. Senior merchandiser have

responsibilities of product development and coordination with the buyers, the garment styles
that meet buyers expectation in regard to delivery, quality and price point. Junior
merchandisers have the responsibility of handling paperwork and follow up, detailing with
buyers, overseas communication etc.

Once the order is placed it is their duty to complete the necessary paperwork, provide
breakdown information to all other departments and get samples approved for fit, color and
quality. Communications with overseas and domestic supplier, approval of production
samples, and development of fabrics and yarns are also included in product development,
which are coordinated with other departments merchandisers have to negotiate with the
buyers on pricing, work out delivery schedules and investigate for future buyers.

The structure of the merchandising team can be better explained through the below given
chart which is as follow:

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Aditional General
manager
Divisional
general
manager

Marketing
manager
Senior
merchandis
er
Junior
merchandis
er

One of the important task of the merchant is to keep a wellmanaged record of each and
every detail send by the buyer, get the sample made and approved for production and also to
send out necessary directives for subsequent processes. Over all we can say that
merchandising is the core department the entire industry.
COSTING

One of the most important activities for the merchant is to negotiate for the production cost
before the buyer sends his purchase order. During the pre-development stage an initial costing
occurs to get an idea of the garment cost likely to be incurred per piece. These costs include
general raw material cost, washing cost, manufacturing cost, washing cost, markup cost etc.
Once the production sample is approved and grading is done a final costing is made by CAD
by using accurate fabric averages, cost of trims etc
A garment costing includes:
Manufacturers cost:
Materials
Fabric

Lining

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Thread
Trims like zipper, elastic, buttons etc.
Labour:
Direct expenses
Factory burden
Warehousing and transportation
Packing costs (tags, labels, hangers, pins, bags, cartons etc.)
Overheads:
Sewing expenses
Administrative expenses
Financing and interest
Returns and allowances
Trade discounts
Taxes
Markdowns
Shortages

The merchant first calculates the net weight (weight of the area the pattern
pieces + wastage +collars, pockets, patches etc) to reach the cost of raw material. Other costs
like those of markup etc. are then added. The company itself normally standardizes these.
PROCEDURE
Order inquiry
Collect all the details of the order, which has designed, by the buyer i.e. Tech Pack
Check the ability to meet the buyers requirements (Shipment Dates and Quantities)

Machinery allocation
Check with the Industrial engineering and maintenance department the availability of
machinery for the style. Get a report of Style Machine Mix up from I.E. Dept.

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3

Pricing
If the order requirements can be fulfilled pricing will be done by considering SMV, Fabric
consumption, Accessory consumption, Profit margin, Production cost and any other
special requirement (Washing, Embroidery, Printing etc.) If Minute cost of the factory is
available pricing can be done fast and accurate.
Order confirmation
If the price and the delivery agreed Order will be confirmed. Instruct buyer to open the
Export Letter Of Credit.
Order details
Request all the details of the fabric types, Colors, Accessory details, Quantities, Etc.,
and Time and Action (T&A) calendar has to be prepared to execute the order on time.
Technical sheet
Prepare the total requirement of Fabric and Accessory consumptions, copies of order

details and send to production department, Sample department, Finance department,

Stores, Quality department and purchasing department.
Order processing
1. Counter sample will be prepared with available fabrics (closer to original) and
accessories.
2. Griege Booking Approximate fabric yardage will be given to the supplier
without the colour standards to start the weaving.
3. Lab Dips Colors, which were confirmed by the buyer, will be send to the
supplier to do the test samples in their labs. Lab dips will be collected from the
Supplier and send to the buyer for approval.
Note: Sometimes supplier has to do the Lab dips three or four times to get the
exact colour.
4. Approval will be taken to the counter sample from the buyer, If the sample is not
approved by the buyer it will be done again and send for re approval.
5. Any type of art work (Embroidery or Printing) will be done In-house or if facility
is not available by a Sub-contractor and send for buyers approval.
6. All the fabric inspection test reports (If buyer request) will be collected from the
supplier before shipping the bulk.

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7. Head ends from the fabric will be requested from the supplier especially for wash
garments to check the shrinkage.
8. Sample yardage from the fabric will be requested to prepare the size set and to
order the thread at the same time.
Send approved Purchase order with colours and the quantity breakdown to Supplier
and negotiate the payment terms.
Accessories booking
Required accessories will be booked for the order quantity and payment will be
arranged. Minimum of three quotations to be obtained from nominated suppliers.
Prepare size set
Size set will be prepared and send for the approval. Follow up will be done until the
approval given.
Fabric / accessories
Fabric and Accessories must be received three weeks before starting the cutting and coordination must be done with the clearance and shipping department until clear the goods
on time.
Fabric inspection
Inspection will be done for received fabrics based on 4 point system and inform the
supplier immediately if there are any rejections or shortages for replacement.
Note: If the buyer or the supplier wants to do a 100% Inspection or sorting to get the
actual rejection percentage the labour cost will be charge back to the supplier. If any
fabric shortage occurs supplier has to Air freight the shortage free of charge.
Pre production meeting
Pre production meeting will be done with buyers representatives and the factory staff
to discuss all the technical details and other relevant details prior to start production.
No production is to start without first holding a pre production meeting. This applies
for all styles including repeats. Distribute the minutes of the meeting to relevant
personals.
Pre production samples
Pre production samples will be submitted to the buyer as per his requirement.

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5

Daily follow up procedure

For the current and future orders has to be followed up with the shortage list to make
sure a smooth production in the factory.
Co-coordinating with production
Production scheduling will be done to meet the delivery schedule and if shipment
schedule cannot achieve inform the buyer immediately to get an extension.
Shipping details
Every Monday shipment details have to be submitted to the Shipping Department
from Merchandising Department to prepare the Shipment Documents.
Final inspection
According to the Shipping schedule Final Inspection has to be arranged with the
relevant buyers representatives by the Merchandiser.
Shipment samples
Submit shipment samples to the buyer on their requirement.
Inspection reports
The final inspection reports, Packing list and Inspection certificate should be
submitted to Commercial and Financial Department for them to negotiate with the
bank.

SAMPLING DEPARTMENT

The sampling floor in Shahi is a mini factory in itself having various activities under
same roof like- pattern making, stitching, fabric & trims store, pressing table, buttoning,
finishing etc
There are two sampling in charge that organizes the work in the sampling department.
They decide upon which sample has to go to which cutting master and which stitching
line. They are responsible for smooth working of the sampling department.
The pattern master in charge looks into the smooth functioning of the pattern making as
he assigns pattern to different pattern master according to the efficiency of each master.

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He keeps a record of all the patterns & its masters through the ERP system. Once the
garment is stitched its entry is recorded at the finishing table, from then the garment goes
through measurement checking, thread cutting, spotting, washes (if any), specs check,
pressing & packing. This department is well coordinated with the merchandising
department.

Operator
Master
Manual

CAD

Sampling
section
Pattern

Cutter

Pressme
n

Sewing

Ladies
Section

Different types of Samples in Sequential order is mentioned below

Broadly garment samples are categorized as development samples and production samples,
Samples that is made in sampling stage are as following
Development Sample

Proto Sample

Fit sample

Salesmen Sample

Jump size sample

PP sample/ sealer
sample

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1) Development sample (single color single size)

This sample is prepared for the development of in-house design. The input for this
sample comes directly from the designer based on their generic design collection
prepared for the season. This is the first sample in design development stage.
Development sample is prepared in single color fabric in single size only.
2) Proto sample
Proto sample is the first sample made as per the tech pack given from marketing team
Proto sample is made to communicate the design of a style or to present garment
structure to the buyer based on the initial inputs during the initial discussion stage. In
proto samples fit and fabric detailing is not been considered. This is the first sample in
product development stage.
3) Fit sample
Fit sample is generally prepared after the order confirmation. Once proto sample is
approved, FIT is being made with actual measurement. Modification on the pattern is
done to get desired fit of the garment and FIT is one of the most important factor to
be considered during sample development. FIT sample is being tested on live model /
Dress form / dummies to verify garment fit and fall and is prepared in single color
fabric in single size only. Fit sample can be made for 2-3 time with buyer comment to
get the final fit. Generally we make 1st fit & 2nd fit samples.
4) Salesmen Sample (SMS):
The sales man sample is again done on the base size. The only difference is the
quantity. Once it is completed it is either shipped to the buyer/buying house .As the
name indicates, it is put in the store to check how it is getting sold in the market.
5) Jump Size Sample:
Sample is made in jump sizes across all sizes (e.g. small to Large, Medium to Extra
large).One to two samples are made depending on the buyer requirements. This is
generally requested by European Buyers.
6) Pre Production sample (PP sample) / Sealer Sample:
Buyer wants pre-production sample (PP sample) to be made in actual colors. This
sample is made with actual fabric, trims and accessories. PP sample must be approved
by buyer or buying house merchants (technical persons) prior to proceed for actual
production. The final approved sample from the PP sample once sealed by the
sampling team becomes the sealer sample..

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Sampling Deaprment

Receiving of sketch
summary or
measurement chart

Development of pattern either

manually or on CAD

Marker making, spreading and

cutting

Procurement of
trims and
accessories

Making of the sample

Measurement of the
sample

Thread
cutting
Washing
Pressing
packing

Procurement of
fabric

Rejected

Submission of the sample

Accepted
Making of next sample

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Complete sampling process for Benetton

Marketing will send Tech Pack & pattern

indent to
pattern master
Base pattern development by using optitex.
Base pattern for women is S and for men it
is L

Forwarding base
pattern for marker
preparation to CAD

Physical sample indent from the merchant

to
sampling team

Fabric collected from store by sampling

Preparation of
marker
and forwarding it to
marketing

Sample indent sent to pattern master to

add
shrinkage to base pattern
Pattern print by using plotter
Pattern sent to pattern checking team

If it is ok
Review of pattern
Issued to cutting

If it is not ok
Pattern sent back to pattern
master

If it is ok
per the Fabric quality and requirement
quantity checks
If it is not ok

Pattern correction as

Communicate to merchant/fabric store Cutting and fusing process

Meanwhile store will send trims to cutting pin tucks, threads etc
Sending cut panels
and trims to sewing
Direct load

Panel form (ready

or block)
Printing,
embroidering

sequencing,
etc

Again print panels

sent to cutting to
check
art
work
patterns,
print
placement

Sewing
Process

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Bar tack and key hole stitching

Washing if required
Finishing process as per buyer requirements

Internal OC review

If not ok

based on final
Tech pack

On spot
alteration in
concerned step

If ok
Hand over
packed samples
to merchant

Sample sent to buyer

evaluation, through
merchant

Buyer approval

Buyer comments review

and
remaking as per the
requirements

Not approved

Approved

Fir approval

Pattern grading for size set

Booking marker
preparation on
consumption of fabric

Final patterns, markers

copy will be forwarded to
production unit

PP sample preparation
finalizing as per buyer
comments

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There are about 282 employees involved in sampling department including cutting masters,
tailors, bead & sequins workers, stores employees, co-coordinators, helpers, Q.Cs,
checkers, pressmen etc.
Sampling head

Sampling floor in charge

Cutting master

12

Supervisor

11

Accessories store

14

Embroidery

23

Computer operator

Socking

Flat/hosiery/design machine

Helpers

15

Finishing

45

Tailor

133

Beading section

Total

274

Cutting Department
Cutting process:
Cutting activities starts from pattern-making, marker planning, grading to spreading and
cutting of the fabric. According to the requirement, fabric inspection department will issue
the fabrics to the cutting department.

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Types of cutting:
1.

Manual cutting (straight knife)

2.

Cam cutting (lasers)- 1 F.K Systema

3.

Band knife cutting- 1 Wastema International

CAD process:
Receives hard pattern
Digitize
Grading
Pattern approval by respective pattern masters
Marker making
Factors to be considered:
Types of fabric
Marker ratio
Mode of spreading (manual or auto spreading)
Cutting mode (manual, CNC)
Centre to selvedge (all patterns of one size in one area)

Shahi has a finishing section dedicated solely to the finishing of Samples.

WORKFLOW OF THE FINISHING DEPARTMENT
Receiving Goods from the line

Manual Kaj and Button Marking

Folding and Packaging
Bartacking

Button Hole
Stitching(Kaj)

Quality Inspection by
Brand Technician and
Digital on Body Form

Tagging

PROCESSES:

Washing

Buttoning

Re-Ironing (If Required)

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1.Button Attaching
The button position is marked manually and then the buttons are attached
Button attaching stitch is of two types namely lockstitch and chain stitch.

2.Thread Cutting
Uncut threads affect the presentation of finished and packed garments. Therefore, it is
necessary to cut and trim the loose and uncut threads
3.Ironing
Garments are sent for initial ironing after thread cutting. Seam ironing takes place
4.Initial Checking
Each quality checker is provided with stickers for marking defects, thread clippers etc.
Garment is checked thoroughly, defects are marked with arrow stickers
The defects found at this stage could be broadly of the following types:
a) Stitching defects
b) Stains
c) Weaving defects
d) Button/buttonholing defects
5.Final Checking
Removal of stains detected is done with a spot washing stain removal gun. Also, each
table is provided with thread clipper to cut the uncut threads.
6.Final Ironing and Steaming
Based on the ironing instructions, instructions are given to the ironing operators about
the correct way of ironing the garments of a particular style.
7.Fitting
Every brand is provided with their own measurement checker who has to measure
pieces of each size of the samples made.

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TESTING DEPARTMENT/ LABORATORY

Shahi has an in house testing laboratory where the following equipments are available for the
testing to be carried out:
1.Paramount Digi strength
Purpose: Finding the tensile strength of fabric. Also it is used for testing seam strength
and seam slippage.
Suitable for: Wovens only (Minimum sample size = 6 X 4)
2.FB push-pull scale
Purpose: It is a pull strength tester for determining the pulling strength of trims attached
to the garment
Suitable for: Trims like buttons, hooks, loops, snaps etc. Different types of grippers
are available for different purposes.
For example: The buttons must be able to withstand the recommended strength of pull
for about 10 seconds
3.Paramount tearing strength tester
Purpose: It is used for determining the strength a fabric can withstand before tearing after
an initial cut has been introduced
4.Paramount Crockmeter
Purpose: It is used for determining the rubbing fastness of fabric.
Process: Bleached white fabric is mounted on the machine which is rubbed against the
darkest area of fabric for about ten cycles and the staining on the white fabric is measured
with the help of grayscale.
5.Digital Balance
Purpose: It is used to measure small amount of weights with precision for eg: yarn
count, gsm etc. It has a sensitivity of 0.0001g.
6.GSM sample cutter Paramount
Purpose: It is used to cut a fabric sample with a fixed diameter i.e. 11.56 cm which is used for
measuring the gsm(grams per square meter) of the fabric. The sample cut (represents 0.01

35

metre square) is weighed on the digital balance and the reading observed is multiplied by 100
to get the gsm of the fabric.
7.Hotplate
Purpose: It is for heating purposes.
8.Paramount Launderometer
Purpose: It is used for washcare development. It is a stronger machine and is five times
more effective as compared to the IFB washing machine which is milder.
9.Paramount Digilight
Purpose: It is used for testing the light fastness property of the fabric/garment.
10.Hot air oven
Purpose: It is used for drying or calculating moisture regain etc
11.Lexus steam line steam iron
Purpose: It is used for pressing the fabrics swatches when calculating shrinkage.
A TRF(Test Request Form) is to be filled by the merchandiser and the sample is to be sent for
testing to the lab. Fiber content, GSM, count construction, Color fastness etc can be tested inhouse.

WASHING DEPARTMENT
Shahi has a well-organized Washing unit consisting of

Tumblers

Dry cleaners

Hydro extractors

Washing machines

Here depending on requirements all kinds of washing are done- HCL wash (for stain
removing), Softener wash, Enzyme wash (for denims), Normal wash, Dry Cleaning (Petrol
wash) etc.
Various chemicals are used for washes like-

36

Soda ash- alkaline

Perlavin IMU- detergent

Enzymes

Desizer

Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)- bleaching agent

Softeners

Oxidizer hydrogen peroxide

Fixers sandofix WEI

Neutralizer of bleach- 2CA-100

When the garments are received in the washing department they are first sorted by shade, P.O
wise and style and stored in their respective bins.
Then according to the planning schedule the garments are loaded for washing. If it is the first
lot for washing then the recipe has to set by the washing executive.
Once the recipe is set, the same is carried for the rest of the garments for the that
particular style, fabric and colour.

PRODUCTION PLANNING & CONTROL (PPC) & INDUSTRIAL ENGG. (I.E)

DEPARTMENT:
The process planning & control department plays a very crucial role in planning the
utilization of the production systems of Shahi. The PPC department looks into the
construction feasibility & cost analysis of a style.
It prepares a monthly capacity budget for each production unit based on: available days per
month, planned hours on a standard, planned overtime, machinery capacity, expected
absenteeism, labour turnover and planned efficiency level. The PPC department based on the
delivery dates decides the start and end of production dates for each order.
FABRICS DEPARTMENT:
The fabric department has mainly the following depts.
Imported fabrics department
Domestic fabrics department

37

Greige
Printing & dyeing department
Under each department there are fabric merchants for different brands who are responsible
for sourcing of different fabrics & their prices.
OUTSOURCING DEPARTMENT
This department has the job of sourcing work from outside the unit. There are many times
when trims and accessories have to be sourced from outside, if the trims store does not have
pieces matching to the buyer specifications. Outsourcing may be required for any task.
Even if the company has the capacity to do it, it may not be able to do if that particular
section / machine is busy with some other task.

TRIMS DEPARTMENT:
The trims department is divided as lace, zipper, sequins, buttons, dyeing (of trims).
The basic function of the trims and accessories section is to stock buttons, laces, trims and
other related accessories. The department that needs a particular material fills up a requisition
slip for the same. It is then forwarded to the stores manager, who then approves the demand
depending on his discretion.

DESIGN CELL:

There are 2 design teams in Shahi based on LSD and LFD. The teams further are divided
according to the brands. The design team develops its styles, which their respective brand
merchandising team sends across to the buyer. Shahi has a very creative design cell whose
objective is to provide its buyers with new range of designs. Another objective of this cell is
that it also handles the marketing. There are about 7-8 young designers who keep making
presentation or ranges of new creative designs.
At first the designers make a collection & it is displayed in the showroom. When buyer
comes it either selects or gives a particular design, the design which is selected from the

38

design cell is usually having some alterations. Now the designers make these alterations
with help of sampling department.
FABRIC INSPECTION
Fabric store in Shahi follows the inspection procedure and department is responsible to store
the fabric according to its quality, group, colour, width and shade and supply the fabric
further to the cutting department as for the requirements. This department submits the report
of inspection to the merchants for getting the approval from the buyer. As the approval of the
quality and shade is given by the buyer, the fabric is procured. As the quality of the fabric is
approved from these departments, the department issue the fabric to the cutting department
and along with it, submits the report of fabric family (widthwise, color wise, shade wise and
lot wise).
Three basic process in fabric approval
Strike off strike off is used for printing approval in which one repeat of the design is send
to the buyer for approval in which repeat follow the same color standard as per buyer
requirement .
D/L process Desk loom is used for yarn dyed fabric in which the buyer approved the fabric
on basis of yarn quality ex chambery fabric has three color yarn to give the chambery look.
Lab dip- lap dip is used for solid fabric to get the constant color through out the fabric or no
variation .on basis of this buyer approved the solid fabric
Fabric inspection
Complete visual inspection is being done. There is no systematic recording.
Defects like weaving or colored patta are recorded without measuring the dimension
of the defects.
Fabric inspection is not done carefully, so there are chances that all defects may not to
be recorded.
Fabric inspection reports are at the discretion of the operator only.
Defects are recorded at the end of the inspection, as this may lead to mistakes.
Fabrics coming in lots are not taken for a second inspection.
The 4-point inspection system is followed for the fabric inspection.

39

Four point fabric inspection system

The four point system has received the widest acceptance in both the textile and garment
industry. It is simple and easy to understand and execute.
The amount to inspect is at least 30% of the total fabric received. Rolls to be selected for
inspection should be at least 3 roll from each lot.
Defect classification
The four point system classifies defects as shown:

Length/Size of the defect

3 or less

Penalty
1 point

Over 3, but not over 6

2 point

Over 6, but not over 9

3 point

Over 9

4 Point

The various fabric defects (including dyeing, printing & finishing), which are checked
in the fabrics, are:
Crease marks
Selvedge to selvedge variation

Slub
Starting mark

Weft bar

Roll to roll variation

Floats

Colorout

Dobby faults

Puckered selvedge

Pattern faults

Skewing or biased

Holes

Bowing

Lose selvedge

Hallowing

Soiled end or pick

Double pick

Patches

Stains

Missing picks
Broken picks

A maximum of four points is charged to one linear yard. In this system the length of the
defect is measured to determine the penalty points. The four-point system provides for the
evaluation of the fabric on either a linear yard or square yard basis. As the fabric with more

40

Total defect points found x 3600

Fabric width(inch)*fabric

width, will have more area. Or we can say that a 72 wide fabric will have twice the area when
compared to a 36 wide fabric. As the area of the fabric is more, this is obvious that the

fabric will contain twice the number of defects.

Formula for calculating the number of defect points per hundred square yards: -

Defect points per hundred square yards =

length
(yard)

When rolls are checked according to this system and points are calculated. This again is a
matter of agreement with buyers clothing manual. Some buyers working on low price prints

can accept fabric with DHU as high as 40-44 points. On the other hand it is like: 1) 20-25 points Acceptable with most buyers
2) 25 & above 35 Discussed with buyer & decided.

3) 35 & above Normally considered as reject.

Accepted rolls of fabric are then sent to the cutting room.

Suppliers
The main markets for domestic fabric sourcing for Shahi are Delhi, Panipat, Amritsar,
Salem and Mumbai.
Some of the fabric suppliers of Shahi ( for both Sampling & Production) are:
R.S Expo, Dehi
Aayushi Fabrics, Delhi
Baskar Denims, Chennai
Muthu Corp, Erode
Picanova fabrics pvt ltd, Mumbai
New Diamond Woollen mills, Amritsar

41

Mafatlal Industries Ltd, Nadia

Ramkumar Mills Pvt Ltd, Bangalore
Netflex India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai
Priyanka Fabrics, Salem
Bhuvana Fabrics, Erode
Vincord Textiles, Delhi
Vijai Fabric Connection, Erode
L.K Woollen & Silk Mills, Amritsar
A.P Khanna & Sons Pvt Ltd, New Delhi
Himgiri Textiles, Faridabad
Rajindra Handloom Pvt Ltd, Panipat
Shiv Shakti Furnishing Pvt Ltd
KCS Fabrics Pvt Ltd (handloom, jacquard upholstery & curtains)
Mauryas, Delhi
Parkash textile Mills, New Delhi
Charu Enterprises, New Delhi
R.G Jindal & sons pvt Ltd.
Automatic and power looms
Salem
Coimbatore
Erode
Mill made fabric
Vardhman
Arvind
Nahar
Shyam Tex
Ashima

42

The chief international suppliers from China are:

Eastunites Group
Shiao Xaoing
Xinxao
Documentation one during receiving
1. ICR Incoming Receiving
2. GRN Goods Reeceiving Number
3. Bin no. Place of storage like racks
4. Code-Location Card It tells us about the detail of the fabric received, to
whom which has been issued, how much is issued and how much is left with
the store.

EMBROIDERY DEPARTMENT:
Shahi Export Pvt. Ltd. has an in-house eighteen-headed embroidery machine available. At
first the computerized design is made, and then it is fed in the machine. Up to nine threads
can be adjusted at one time in the machine. A series of 20 individual machines form a
complete machine. When the machine is working and any problem occurs like thread
breakage, needle break down, thread shortage then a red light glows, which indicates the
operator that a problem has occurred. When embroidery is done then foam is used behind the
fabric to get a neat finish.
Steps in embroidery:
1. Embroidery is done in blocks of fabric
2. The design is developed on CAD and saved in a floppy disk.
3. The floppy is then fed to the embroidery machine and a stage is set for embroidery.
4. The embroidery machine then runs on the fabric as per the pattern and a design is
developed.

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CHAPTER 1

Objective: To Understand Different Denim Washes.

44

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Jeans: The word jean comes from French word Genes used to describe the pants
sailors from Genoa, Italy, once wore. Kinds of jeans fabrics are corduroy, twill, or bull
denim.
Denim is a rugged twill textile , in which the weft passes under the two or more warp yarns,
producing the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the revere of the fabric.
1.2 Characteristics of denim fabric:
1. Warp yarns are colored (usually with indigo, vat, blue or sulphur black );
2. Structure : right hand or left hand twill
1.3 Classification of denim fabric:

1. As per weight /unit area

a. Light weight : 4.5 to 7 oz/sq.yd (ounces oz--- 1 oz=28.3495 grams)
b. Medium weight : 7 to 10 oz/sq.yd
c. Heavy weight: 11 and above.
2. As per hue and color
a) Indigo vat.
b) Sulphur black.
c) Pigment.
3. As per slub yarns
a) Warp yarns are slub only.
b) Weft yarn are slub only.
c) Cross Hatch : both way slub i.e. both warp and weft yarn are slub.
4. As per fabric structure /design
a) Plain.
b) Twill (S-twill, Z-twill, herringbone or zigzag twill )

45

2. Denim Washing Process

Denim washing is aesthetic finish given to denim fabric to enhance the demand and
to provide strength.
It is a new technology by which outlook, size, comfort ability and fashion of a
garment are changed or modified.
To conduct various washes on denim few sleeve mocks and leg mocks were made
Reason behind making mocks is to achieve and observe the effect of washes on the trim and
seam area.
1. No PO is required to make mocks, as the processing time is less than hundred
2. Denim Fabric was issued from the production fabric store
3. Pattern was plotted for an existing shirt, only for the sleeve
4. 4 mtr Denim fabric was ironed
5. Fabric was given to the cutting mater
6. The cutting then passed on to the line
7. Mocks were collected from line

46

Basic Washing Process

Desizing
Enzyme
Wash
Bleaching
Neutralizatio
n
Softner
Wash
Rinse
4. TYPES OF WASHING
4.1 Wet Processes:
1. Normal wash/Garments

9. Acid wash
10. Silicon wash- Improve hand feel
and sew ability

wash/Rinse wash

11. Soft wash

2. Pigment wash

12. Tinting & Over dyeing.

3. Caustic wash
4. Enzyme wash
5. Stone wash
6. Bleach wash
7. Cloud wash
8. Stone Enzyme wash

4.2 Dry process:

Sand blasting
Hand sanding
Over all wrinkles

47

Permanent wrinkles
Broken & tagging

Grinding & destroy

PP spray

.
DRY PROCESS:
Micro sanding
A fabric finishing process where fabrics are sanded (real sandpaper) to make the surface soft
without hair. Can be performed before or after dyeing.. The denim is pulled over the face of the
sand rollers creating a raised surface finishing. Some color reduction is experienced.

There are 3 ways for this technique:

1. Sandblasting.
2. Machine sanding.
3. Hand sanding or hand brushing.
Sand blasting:
Sand blasting technique is based on blasting an abrasive material in granular, powdered or
other form through a nozzle at very high speed and pressure onto specific areas of the
garment surface to be treated to give the desired distressed/ abraded/used look.Sand is
actually shot at the garment with a powerful spray gun. Recent technology has introduced
automatic sandblasting, in which the jeans hang and rotate continuously.
O It is purely mechanical process, not using in chemicals.
O It is a water free process therefore no drying required.
O Varity of distressed or abraded looks possible.
O Any number of designs could be created by special techniques.
Process:
1. Individual garment to be processed is taken on a table.
2. Air compressor is started and pressure to maintained between 3-4 kg/sq.cm.
Air compressor then stores air in the machine cylinder.
3. Aluminum sand or silicon sand, Al2(SiO4)3, is than taken in the chamber of
the blasting machine.

48

4. Sand and compressed air is than sprayed over the garments at specific points
by hand spray pipe.
5. Sand pass into the machine by regulating system. The machine comprises a
blasting regulator and a hand regulator to control the amount of sand and
compressed air respectively.
Mechanical abrasion/Hand sanding:
To give worn-out effect, abraded look or used look, some mechanical processes have been
developed. These are based on mechanical abrasion by which the indigo can be removed.
Some of these processes are raising, peaching and brushing etc.
Advantages of these processes: -Control on the abrasion
Different look on the garment can be achieved.
All are dry process.
Economical, ecological and environmental friendly
Mould preparation:

Based on the requirement of whiskering effect rubber moulds are prepared using hand buyer
grinder and by referring the tech sheet . The replica of mould markings is transfered
to garment while whiskering

49

Mould Preparation
Whiskering:

Whiskering
On Denim, whiskers / Mustaches , Chevrons are nothing but the worn out lines / impression
generated by natural wearing on hip & thigh area. There are many designs & pattern
available.
This is being done manually with help of sharp edge Emery paper rolled on fine wood stick or
pasted on plastic material. Hot spots are heavy/intense area on thigh or knee which is made
purposely to create used look & on knee area if any whiskers line are there, called knee star.

Hand Sanding:

Hand sanding

50

Hand sand is step which is generally being done in rigid form of garments to get distress
look. Locations can be front thigh & back seat or its can be overall / global application as per
Standard. Emery paper is being used to scrape the garments in particular placement & design.

Emery paper comes in different number generally start from 40 till 600 and above , higher the
number finer the emery paper, lower the coarseness of the paper. In garment industry from
220 , 320 & 400 600 number papers are most popular & widely used.
Purpose of doing this process is make used worn out look to the garments.
Tacking Plastic staple machine:

Tacking Plastic staple machine

Tacking: is a process which is being done by swift tag machine with the help of plastic or
nylon tag pins in rigid form of garment to get very heavy contrast ( rigid & washed ) on
waistband, bottom hems, back pocket & front pocket corners etc. after completing wash
cycle, it must be removed from garment..

51

FIRST WASH:
Denim bleaching:

Medium Bleach
In the process a strong oxidative bleaching agent like sodium hypochlorite or KMnO4 is
added during the washing with or without stone addition. Discoloration produced is usually
more apparent depending on strength on the bleach liquor quality, temperature and treatment
time. It is preferable to have strong bleach with short treatment time.

Care should be taken for the bleached goods so that they should be adequately antichlored
or after washed with peroxide to minimize yellowing. Materials should be carefully stored
before processing for color uniformity.
Process cycle :
Step 1(Desizing)

52

Load the garments into the washing machine (100 kg) ;

Add water (liquor ratio 1:5) and start the machine running(12-15 rpm) ;
Add amylase enzyme (1 to 3% i.e.1 to 3 kg) ;
Add detergent (1% i.e. 1kg) ;
Supply steam to raise temp.(60C) ;
Continue the process for 20 min and then drain the liquor ;
Hot wash (at temp. of 40C to 50C for 5 minutes).
Step 2 (Bleaching)

Add Water into the m/c (1:5 liquor ratio, i.e. 500 litres );
Start m/c running ( 12 to 15 rpm ) and add soda ash (Na2CO3) to liquor (2% i.e.
2kg) ;
Add costic soda (NaOH) to liquor (2% i.e. 2kg) ;
Add bleaching chemical (H2O2) to liquor (5ml per liter, i.e. 2.5 liters) ;
Add stabilizer to liquor (2ml per liter, i.e. 1 liter) ;
Supply steam to raise temp.(70-800C) ;
Continue the process for 60 to 70 min. and drain the liquor ;
Hot wash (at 60C for 5 minutes).
Step 3 ( Nutralization )

Add Water into the m/c (1:5 liquor ratio, i.e. 500 liters );
Start m/c running ( 12 to 15 rpm );
Add acetic acid ( CH3COOH ) to liquor (1 to 2 ml per liter, i.e. 500ml to 1liter);
Continue the process for 10-15 min and then drain the liquor.
Proper Neutralizations of bleaching process is very essential in order to get rid of
fabric strength , bad smell from garment, yellowing & skin irritation.
Step 4 (Softening)
Add Water into the m/c (1:5 liquor ratio, i.e. 500 litres );
Start m/c running ( 12 to 15 rpm );
Add softener to the liquor (0.1 to 0.5%, i.e. 100g to 500g);

53

Supply steam to raise the temperature (as required 400 to 600C );

Continue the process for 5 minutes and then drain the liquor and unload the garments.
Dip- Dye Bleach

Dip dye Bleach

In this process the denim is desized and enzyme washed after which the denim is manually
dipped into bleach from level to level with different allocation of time to different sections.

The effect received gives an ombre effect to the garment.

Limitations of denim bleaching:
1. Process is difficult to control i.e. difficult to reach the same level of bleaching
in repeated runs.
2. When desired level bleaching reached the time span available to stop the
bleaching is very narrow. Due to harshness of chemical, it may cause damage
to cellulose resulting in severe strength losses and or breaks or pinholes at the
seam, pocket, etc.
3. Harmful to human health and causes corrosion to stainless steal.
4. Problem of yellowing is very frequent due to residual chlorine.
Enzyme wash

54

It is environmentally friendly wash. It involves the application of organic enzymes that eat
away at the fabric, i.e. the cellulose. When the desired color is achieved, the enzyme can be
stopped by changing the alkalinity of the bath or its temperature. Post treatment includes final
ringing and softening cycle. The effects produced by cellulose enzyme are :1. Use of cellulose making the seams, hems, and pockets more noticeable;
2. Salt paper effect is color contrast effect.
3. Faded garment washed with acid cellulose enzyme provides less color contrast
in proportion to garment washed neutral cellulose enzymes.
Cloud Wash

Cloud Wash
In this process the Denim is desized followed by enzyme wash after which the denim is
crushed into a ball and tied by a thread in a ball. The denim is then dipped into bleach and
crushed by applying force on to the fabric, this process is done for 10-15 mins after which the

55

thread is opened and the denim fabric exposed to the bleach fades and the inside of the denim
remain blue resulting into the cloud wash effect.
Acid wash

Acid Wash and Acid Wash Machine

It is done by tumbling the garments with pumice stones or thermacol balls presoaked in a
solution of sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate for localized bleaching resulting
in a non uniform sharp blue/white contrast. In this wash the color contrast of the denim fabric
can be enhanced by optical brightening. The advantage of this process is that it saves water as
addition of water is not required.
It consists of soaking pumice stones or thermacol balls with chlorine and using their abrasive
power to bleach jeans into sharp contrasts. Also known as moon, fog, marble, ice and frosted.

Thermacol and Pumice ston

56

Stone wash

In stone-washing the worn-out look is given purposely (pilling).

In the process of stone washing, freshly dyed jeans are loaded into large washing machines
and tumbled with pumice stone or volcanic rock to achieve a soft hand and desirable look.
Variations in compositions, hardness, size shape and porosity make these stone
multifunctional. Pumice stone give the additional effect of a faded or worn look as it abrades
the surface of the jeans like sandpaper, removing some dye particles from the surfaces of the
yarn.
Step # 1(Desizing)
Load the garments into the washing machine (100 kg) ;
Add water into the machine(1:5 liquor ratio i;e. 500 liters) ;
Start machine running (12 to 15 rpm) ;
Add amylase enzyme (1 to 3% i.e.1 to 3 kg) ;
Add detergent (1%
Continue the process for 20 min and then drain the liquor ;
Hot wash (at temp. of 40C to 50C for 5 minutes).
Step # 2 (Stone wash)
Add Water into the m/c (1:5 liquor ratio, i.e. 500 litres );
Add pumice stone half of the volume of garments (30 to 15 kg) ;
Start machine running (12 to 15 rpm) ;

57

Add bleaching powder to liquor (4% i.e. 4kg) ;

Add soda ash (Na2CO3) to liquor (8% i.e. 8kg) ;
Continue the process for 20 min to 40 min and then drain the liquor ;
Hot wash (at 40C to 50C for 5 minutes).
Step # 5(Softening)
Add water into the machine(1:5 liquor ratio, i,e. 500 liters).
Start machine running (12 to 15 rpm).
Add softener to the liquor (0.1 to 0.5%, i,e. 100 g to 500 g).
Supply steam to raise the temp. (as required 40 to 60C).
Continue the process (5 min).
Drain the liquor and unload the garments
Limitation of stone washing:
Damage to wash machineries and garment due to stone to machine and machine to stone
abrasion.
Metal buttons and rivets on the jeans in the washing machines get abraded .
Back staining and re-deposition.
Back staining or Re-deposition: The dye removed from denim material after the treatment
with cellulose or by a conventional washing process may cause back staining or
re-deposition. Re-coloration of blue threads and blue coloration of white threads,
resulting in less contrast between blue and white threads.
Remedy of back staining :
Adding dispersion/suspension agent to wash cycle.
Intermediate replacement of wash liquor.
Using alkaline detergent like sodium per borate with optical brightener as after wash.
Selection of stone: Stone should be selected of the proper hardness , shape and size for the
particular end product . It should be noted that large , hard stones last longer and may be suited
for heavy weight fabrics only. Smaller , softer stones would be used for light weight fabrics
and more delicate items. Stone wt. / fabric wt. = 0.5 to 3 it depends on the degree of

58

abrasion needed to achieve the desired result. Stones can be reused until they completely
disintegrate or wash down the drain.

Tinting or over dyeing

After denim garment is being faded, the pants have dyed with very light color(.001% or
.002%yellow or pink). This dyeing process is called Tinting/Over dyeing .This process is
applied only on garments, not in fabric or yarn. Tinting being used to give garments a used /
vintage & muddy look. Dyeing is being done on very light shade of Indigo, Ecru/ grey denim
& Ready for dyeing denim.
Tinting and over dyeing can be highlighted by the following way:
1. This type of process is done after different types of washing before softening.
2. Normally after Acid wash, Stone wash, Stone enzyme wash, Sand Blasting, Enzyme
wash etc. tinting & over dyeing is done.
3. Tinting & over dyeing is done with Direct dyes or Reactive dyes
4. Due to tinting and over dyeing, the white/base area colored with required
dye yellow,Brown, Orange etc.
Potassium permanganate spray/rub & bleach spray:

59

PP spray
PP Spray is being done on denim garments to achieve local abraded area to appear whiter
than back ground indigo color shade. This can be applied by spray gun or by towel dipped in
to PP Solution & rubbed on desired area followed by neutralization in wet process.
The same way bleach solution also can be spray or rubbed on the garments on desired area.
But this process is very complicated & needs highly skilled operators to execute it followed
by immediate neutralization. There are many parameters needs to be taken into control for
doing PP or Bleach spray. Spray gun pressure, width of spray, flow & way of spraying.

Note: Safety of operators must be taken in to consideration and it must be ensured that he
should wear mask, gloves & eye glasses etc
Blow marking:
The process of marking the area where grinding and destroying is required is called blow-off
marking.
Grinding: Hand & portable grinders:

60

Portable grinding machine

Grinding: is being done on pocket edges & bottom hems edges by running against abrasion
surface or stone to achieve worn out effect. Many different make of machines & pen grinding
tools are available in the market which runs with pneumatic system.
Damages/Destruction:

Damage & Destruction

One of the most popular distressing effects currently , Destruction is an art which make

denim look unique & used. To make destruction pen type of stone tools being used in mid of
wash process to apply on desired area. It can also be achieved by cutting hand grinder the
warp yarns by hand grinder & keep the weft yarn as is to show white thread. Holes also can
be made by cutting weft & warp yarns. These are all manual processes & every garment will
look unique & different than others.
Softening process-clean up
Softening process of Denim is very critical. As denim is very heavy in compare with
other fabrics hence its needs softening. During this process there is a big problem -the
discoloration of denim i.e change in shade or loss of whiteness, giving a yellow tint is
commonly known as yellowing. By using normal softener will lead to ozone problem.
Indigo dyed fabric are even more prone to yellowing.
Minimization of yellowing risk:
Its Impossible to eliminate yellowing but it is possible to prolong & reduce the
conditions which causes classical yellowing:
Ensure bleaching neutralization & rinsing is proper

61

Minimize back staining

Avoid use of chemicals which cause yellowing
Avoid leaving garment in open air for longer time
Control drying & curing temperatures
Drying:

Drying machines
Drying is the process of vaporizing water content from wet garments by application of heat &
tumble action. Machine used is called Dryer.
Important Factors to consider while selection of Denim Fabric:
The right selection of fabric can help minimise the cost of treatment and to solve environment
related issues.
3.1 Different colour depth fabric: To cut processing time, effluent load, and minimum
damage to fabric and minimum use of chemical, there are different depths of indigo on
denim. For example, in case of ice wash where we remove more than half the dye during
washing, one can use lighter shade fabric which will help to cut the process time,
chemical consumption, effluent load. It will help garment processor to process garment
more economically and with minimum faults..
3.2 Quick wash denim: Quick wash denim fabric is dyed with modified technique of dyeing,
so that during wash cycle, indigo dye can be removed quickly, giving washed look at shorter
washing cycle. This results in more economical washes, ie, low water consumption, less
usage of chemicals, less time and retaining fabric strength.

62

3.3 Tinted denim: With increase in demand of tinted/overdyed look on garment, garment
processor is using an additional process of tinting/overdyeing, which is time consuming. It
consumes large quantity of water and chemicals. It is also associated with the risk of patches
and unevenness on garments. Now the denim fabric is also available in tinted form, which
saves processors time and risk.
3.4 Soft feel denim: To meet such requirement, different varieties of denim fabric are
available, which are having inherent softness. These fabrics require minimum application of
softener at the garment stage.

63

Chapter 3

Fashion Forecasting and Product Development

64

Objective
To understand the process of fashion forecasting at an export house.
To follow up the procedure of execution of a sketch into a garment
To understand the various elements of costing the garment
Methodology
Primary Data
In depth interview with the Sr. Designer
Observation on the sampling floor process.
Secondary Data
WGSN website to observe latest trends and forecasting
Style.com
Understanding the costing process and elements of costing of previous styles.

Introduction
To cope with the ever-changing technologies, the markets and consumer are rapidly evolving
from traditional, static, demographic-based criteria to more towards dynamic, modern, mood,
lifestyle and psycho graphic influences.
Fashion trend forecasting resources help predict trends in the fashion industry. Fashion &
trend forecasting is the prediction of mood, behavior and buying habits of the consumer at
particular time of season. It is no longer a question of finding your markets or consumers by
age, geography or income, but looking into how and what they buy, based on their culture,
mood, beliefs, occasion & geographic locations, it is also dependent on fashion cycle and
plays a major role in introductory phase of recurring fashion cycles.
Fashion trend forecast calculates as following:
Season > Target Market > Consumer >Colors > Fabrics > Silhouette > Texture > Usage
Understanding fashion trends forecast is one of the most arduous and calculative work for
all, I know most of top business houses around the world totally rely on designers for

65

understanding the same, but on the other side there are others who dont believe in it at all. In
current times when we look at technology we know nothing is by chance and there are people
who are working behind the scenes, day and night to make things appear easy and affordable
to us.
Question which often comes to our mind is which trend forecast to use and how we can
understand it better. Many technological forecasting methods have been reported in various
forecast related books & mentioned in literature of many countries, and they have been
successfully applied widely. As trend forecasting results are mainly influenced by the
forecasting method used by the end user, it is of utmost importance to determine the method
that will be most appropriate to a business model you adopt.
The main factors affecting Fashion trend forecasting:
Season > Target Market > Consumer >Colors > Fabrics > Silhouette > Texture > Usage

Bohemian
Bohemian fashion more recently developing the names "boho" or "boho chic" is
largely inspired by the fashions of the hippie movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Although it does include some elements of the hippie style of dress, with its long, flowing
clothing and relaxed aesthetic, it also incorporates elements of the style of the Romani. The
style originated with artists and nomads, who often had little money to spend on clothing and
thus wore older clothes and unfashionable styles.
The Basics
Freedom of motion is a major element of the bohemian style. Rather than tight pieces,
bohemian dressers opt for baggy, comfortable clothing made from natural fibers. This may be
by way of loose peasant blouses; wide boat-neck shirts; maxi dresses; caftans; or boho skirts,
which are also known as hippie or Gypsy skirts. Pieces are usually flared and available in a
variety of colors and patterns, although ethic patterns are most common. Romantic touches,
like flower patterns and lace, are often included too.
Season- Spring summer 2016

66

Trend bohemian
Brand - ZARA
Target market Women
Consumer- Fashion conscious women.
Colors- Pink, white, hints of mustard
Fabrc- Viscose 60s
Silhouette gown
Texture - Soft hand feel
Usage- Day Dress
Process flow

Mood board and colour board received by the PD team from the buyer

Mood Board

67

Colour Board

Boards passed to the design team to prepare garments based on the theme and the
mood

The design team focuses on the latest fashion shows, websites and other brands for
forecasting.

Sketches for the styles are made.

The style number and sketch is fed into the system. (BTN 003)

The fabric, trims, seams and washes finalised on the basis of forecasting.

Zipper, fringe and embellishments sent for sourcing.

The pattern is made by the design team pattern master.

68

Pattern is ready

Sketch given to the SAM entry in charge

SAM is added to the style.

Fabric is taken from the mock fabric area

Fabric is given for normal wash

Fabric given for ironing to remove crease lines.

PO inwork for mock, a polybag is passed on the floor which includes the fabric,
pattern, threads and PO.

The poly bag is passed to the cutting master.

69

Mock piece is made to analyze the fit, fall and the look of the style.

Zipper, fringe and embellishments received

Alterations are observed in the mock which are implied in the pattern

70

The pattern is corrected and the old pattern is torn at the same time.

The pattern command is given to the plotter

PO is in worked again

At the same time 25 cm fabric is given for adda and treadle work.

71

3 options are received and one is finalized, the number of options can vary from style
to style.

Fabric is issued from the fabric store on PO, the code and location of the fabric is
mentioned on the PO

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The Fabric is sent for washing for normal wash to remove any shrinkage or colour
bleeding problem.
Fabric is ironed to remove any crease marks.
Pattern is collected from the pattern library; it is issued on the PO name.

The fabric is layered for cutting.

The cutting is passed on for thread matching.

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The lace, fusing and the zipper is put into the packet.

The style goes to the design line.

Once the garment is made, the finalized embellishment pattern is done on the style.

First the style goes for the treadle work then for the adda work.

After the embellishments have been finished the style moves to the finishing
department.

The garment is sent off for softener wash.

Extra threads are cut and spotting is done.

The fit of the style is observed on the dummy.

The garment is ironed to set the seam and remove crease marks.

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Finally the garment is packed and given to the merchandiser.

The buyer meeting is fixed

The styles are displayed in the buyer showroom

The buyer chooses garments

Once the styles are shortlisted, the come to the PD team

Main task of the PD team is to make the style cost effective and commercial

The PD team negotiates the price for the style with the buyer

To achieve the price quoted by the buyer many alterations and modifications are done
in the style

These changes can include the change in the fabric, print, trims, seam,
embellishments, washes etc

With every change the buyer is informed and samples are sent to the buying house
with the alterations.

Corrections are sent by the buyer too which are incorporated in the style at PD level

Once the buyer is satisfied with the style and the price quoted by the export house
the style is finalised and handed over to the production team.

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5

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Product development

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Suggestions
Control over Fabric Quality
Fabric being the base of any style, it should be given main focus and the quality of fabric
should be of a good quality to retain the buyers to the company.
Available picture of the Fabric along with the code and location
It will be easier to find fabric in the sampling fabric store if the picture of the fabric is fed in
Spandan system at the time of receiving as the code and location tag of the fabric gets
removed during tearing different meters for making samples.
Control over OT (over time)
A process should be formed to have the samples made within the time allotted rather than
extending the working hours to over time. There should be control on the efficiency of the
workers and satisfying output should be received with precision.
Employee Retention
Rather than hiring employees at lower wages and doing away with employee who have been a
part of the organisation for years the organisation should give importance to the choices of the
employees and the problems faced by them which cause the employee resigning. The company
should focus on employee retention in place of hiring untrained employee.

Company should focus on high fashion garments too.

Having the amount of machinery and the qualified employees the company should also start
capturing the high fashion garments. The company is in full potential of accomplishing the
tasks for a high fashion garment.
Denim workshops
As denim is a study in itself, Shahi struggles at basic denim washes and at times shipments
have stayed back at the factory as they couldnt clear the buyer expectations as per

specifications. If Shahi could educate its employees with respect to denim it can reach the
perfection in meeting 100% shipment and can procure more orders as the forecasting for
the coming years has denim all over it.

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References

www.wgsn.com
www.style.com
www.benetton.com
Spandan