Industry's future is digital
MELBOURNE: A proposal submitted to the Government's TCF Review by a coalition of industry bodies could see a state-of-the-art digital supply chain initiative developed in Victoria.
Taking the form of a case study, the proposal was the work of The Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA), the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA), the Fashion Technicians' Association Australia (FTAA), RMIT University's Design and Technology Specialist Centre and the University of Melbourne, as well as 3D scanning company Total Measurement Solutions and charity the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL), which operates ethical fashion label Hunter Gatherer.
BSL research and policy coordinator Emer Diviney - who authored the proposal document - said a digital supply-chain would link small independent designers and technicians with outworkers, benchmark short-run production, sample machining and patternmaking using automated garment development tools, and incorporate state-of-the-art digital supply-chain technology.
The project would deal with a number of key industry issues, including the need for innovative, high-tech collaborative supply chain models in the Australian garment industry; prototyping of manufacturing 'cells' which could be utilised for small and medium sized enterprises; employment and labour rights issues in Australian-based garment manufacturing; and labour shortages in sample machining and patternmaking. It would also address the advanced training needs of fashion technicians, retrenched and home-based garment workers, as well as workflow issues for designers, technicians and outworkers.
The initiative would take many of its cues from a US collaboration between government, business, and union organisations, she said. The New York-based Garment Industry Development Corporation (GIDC) was established in 1984 to strengthen, support, and protect New York City's apparel industry and to retain and improve manufacturing jobs in the industry. Recent years had seen GIDC respond to industry restructuring, GIDC by expanding its programs to create new markets for local factories, she said.
"A sourcing department was established to connect retailers and brands with New York factories, generating orders for local producers. The sourcing department also works closely with New York's emerging designer community. They have also developed a program to place more government and military uniform production in New York City factories."
Implemented in March by Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Australian Government's TCF Review committee is due to release its findings on August 31.
By Belinda Smart