Industry 4.0 vs. Sri Lanka Apparel

• Apparel’s young leaders to discuss the business of fashion and the transformation in progress

The fourth industrial revolution is already taking shape propelled by the ubiquitous connectivity of our age, mobile supercomputing, artificial intelligence and genetic editing—things that challenge what it means to be human. 

At this pivotal point, the business of fashion is undergoing serious transformation, changing the way we create, communicate and consume wearables. From 3D printing to advances in biomaterials, radical innovations that redefine physical, digital and biological worlds, are driving the future of fashion, with major implications to retailers, brands, manufacturers, supply chain and consumers of wearables. 

How would this translate to the Lankan apparel industry? Being one of the world’s most progressive fashion makers, Sri Lanka Apparel has always been at the forefront of what defines the game of wearables at the immediate here-now. 

Continuing this visionary trait, the industry best brains are convening yet again to discuss how Sri Lanka Apparel will take on tomorrow as it dawns: This is at the annual South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum, held as part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka 2018 this October. 

Amongst a powerful line-up of international and local speakers, a must-see panel discussion comes with some of the apparel industry’s most promising young leaders, including the next generation representing three of Sri Lanka’s biggest apparel businesses who are taking their own path as they gain the experience to fill legacy roles. 

This panel of Lankan apparel industry young leaders will take the stage to share their journey in this transformation; on how to elevate the game; the challenges in affecting a shift in mindset and the need to ‘unwire’ existing systems to build competencies that incorporate design, technology and innovation. This panel of young leaders represents the industry’s freshest dynamic that is not encumbered with old systems, that is thinking fresh through the lens of new generation, new needs and new challenges met with new perspectives.

The discussion addresses the decisive need for disrupting the industry as it is now. The conversation will weave through how the ‘ideal fashion product’ has undergone major shifts as the consumer world began to demand for improving the quality of human lives without compromising the environment. This will lead the conversation with young industry leaders will discuss how the next generation of Lankan apparel big names are beginning to redefine the industry’s  processes, products and even entire business models. 

Hasib Omar, who is driving Brandix’s retail brand Moose, will take the new company as an example to demonstrate how even major manufacturers are beginning to disrupt their set businesses, allowing new ideas, brands and products to emerge out of existing  knowledge, human capital, business networks and infrastructures. 

Siddarth Amalean will share how MAS’s dedicated  innovation wing—Twinery—is looking to act as a catalyst of connectivity and interaction among parts, machines and humans through cutting-edge technologies and thinking that leads to radical new materials and products that are designed and made in Sri Lanka. 

Akshay Hirdaramani will discuss his thoughts on current and future fashion business movements that Hirdaramani will be leveraging on as opportunities and addressing as challenges. 

These industry changemakers discussion will be one that draws up a picture of the future of Sri Lanka’s apparel business, allowing industry professionals, international buyers, brands and partners to foresee and chart future collaborations and operations. 

This discussion will also present a rare opportunity to pose questions, discuss ideas and share new viewpoints with the emerging changemakers of apparel, drawing out their best thinking for the audience. 

Held as part of the eighth South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum, this is the platform to discover innovative solutions to complex issues, building dialogue in the role of design thinking, technology and innovation in apparel, as change-makers of industry. 

For more information and tickets, the South Asian Apparel Leadership forum secretariats are now open for more information at AOD on 0763427772 or 0115867772/3, [email protected], www.saalf.com or www.aod.lk.