DUBAI, U.A.E. — February 24, 2015 — Alvanon has announced details of the first ever garment sizing, fit and development project carried out in the Middle East. The project was commissioned by Splash, the Middle East’s largest fashion retailer, in conjunction with its sister label Iconic, both owned by the Landmark Group, one of the biggest retail conglomerates in the Middle East, India and Africa. Over the course of the two year project Alvanon conducted an empirical size survey with thousands of Splash and Iconic customers in six major retail outlets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Jeddah, Riyadh and Qatar. As a result of the unique survey, the Splash and Iconic fashion labels have both launched their first “fit” accredited ranges based on new core body standards for their men’s and women’s apparel. The new Splash and Iconic ranges are available in stores with immediate effect.
Alvanon validated the data from its comprehensive retail survey against official and publicly available medical and heath data from such sources as the World Health Organization. This data enabled Alvanon consultants to identify and quantify the range of different body shapes of men and women found in the Splash and Iconic fashion labels’ target consumer populations. Alvanon consultants then developed and supplied the technical fit mannequins, AlvaForms and pattern templates, AlvaBlocks, to ensure the new core body standards were accurately and consistently implemented and shared across the Landmark Group’s 300 manufacturing suppliers in such geographically diverse locations as China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.
As Rohit Nanda, chief operating officer- Iconic, explained: “We wanted a realistic, professional and accurate solution to our sizing and fit challenge for Splash and Iconic. This was a major undertaking. Splash alone retails up to 7,000 styles per season equating to millions of garments per year.” Daniel Smith, head-quality Splash, added: “Alvanon worked professionally with customers and store personnel within our stores to collect the data. From this data it has provided us with a fit standard implementation program comprising optimum size-charts, technical fit mannequins, fit models, key grade intervals, size ranges and alpha-numeric size correlations. Additional tools, such as core pattern blocks were also developed and supplied.”
Ed Gribbin, president of Alvanon, who headed the survey commented: “This has been one of the most exciting and challenging projects we have ever embarked upon and the management teams at Splash and Iconic are to be applauded for their forward thinking and commitment to this project. By understanding the size and shape of their customers they are able to design clothes specifically for those consumers thereby significantly enhancing fit satisfaction while increasing customer loyalty and retail conversion rates.”
Posted February 24, 2015
Source: Alvanon