Soft mannequins are the latest development in the industry today, but...
Edward Gribbin is the President of Alvanon Inc., the apparel fit expert. He has spent 35 years in the industry and tells about making of a mannequin and American apparel industry, to Fibre2Fashion Correspondent Manushi Gandhi.
Synopsis:
Alvanon Inc. was founded in 2001 by Dr. Kenneth Wang who use to manufacture Chidlren's clothing. Using his medical understanding of human anatomy, Dr. Wang recognized that the anatomies of mannequins available on the market were incorrect. Today, Alvanon produces a wide range of mannequins with many popular brands as its clients. The company is spread across the globe and enjoys a double digit growth every year.
Edward Gribbin joined Alvanon in 2006 to launch the AlvaInsight strategic consulting division. He is co-inventor of the Intellifit Body Scanner and a member of eight leading institutions. He is also a member of the Fashion & Apparel Studies Advisory Board of the University of Delaware. Edward earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Joseph's University.
Excerpts:
Sir, how long have you been associated with Alvanon? please tell us something about your career growth.
I have been in the industry for 35 years, and I started with a company manufacturing and designing uniforms for schools and corporations. From there, I moved to a hi-tech company that invented a body scanner. The data captured by the body scanner helps apparel producers take correct measurements. In the year 2000, I was asked to do consulting work for a lot of brands and retailers in U.S. I advised them on sizing and fitting issues. I came across Alvanon in 2003, when one of their clients, who was also one of my clients, David Bridal, wanted my advice on the shapes of mannequins. So we thought of collaborating and in 2006, the founder of Alvanon, Dr. Kenneth Wang, asked me if I would consider joining the company. So, I moved to Alvanon and we have been growing and doing good business ever since.
Alvanon has established itself as big company, what have you to say to the investors? Is there any scope for them?
We are a privately owned company founded by Dr. Kenneth Wang, and we are quite young company. We are only 12 years old. Our investors are quite happy with our growth. We have grown considerably over the last few years especially, with double digit growth every year. This is because of two things:
1. We do an excellent job for our customers, and our customers come back to us again and again for more advise and tools and solutions.
2. Also because of our good reputation we have been able to land new clients.
What are the short term targets of USA’s apparel industry?
I think USA apparel industry is very fortunate right now and we have seemingly begun a steady recovery from the recession and global financial crises, although some other western countries are lagging behind still. Our apparel growth is about three to four percent per year right now. I hope we can maintain that growth and I think we will considering the impact of e-commerce, which is growing very rapidly. This impact will help the whole retail market. Malls and brick-and-mortar retail will not go away, but there will be significant changes in the number of malls and size of stores in the future; the key for retail success today in omnichannel engagement, That actually plays very well into Alvanon’s strengths because as the experts on sizing and fit, we can help retailers on e-commerce optimize their sizing standards so they can reduce apparel returns. This is going to be a key issue on the e-commerce portals going forward.
What are your views about ethical sourcing with regards to your company?
Ethical sourcing is very important for the entire industry. We have a very strong environmental philosophy. Our mannequins are produced in a very sustainable way. The use of the mannequins in the supply chain allows retailers and brands to produce many fewer samples. If they use the mannequins properly they can reduce the number of samples in pre-production by up to 80%.This helps to create a much more sustainable supply chain.
USA is the biggest importer of textiles. Does this mean that there is scarcity of textile producers in USA?
I don’t think that there is any scarcity. I think the world has changed over the last 25 years. When I was starting in the industry, almost hundred percent of the textiles that we used in our uniforms were produced in USA. And very little was imported. That changed over the last 25 years because many countries, including India, have become much more efficient manufacturers of textiles. And the other issue for textile production today is that more and more retailers and brands are seeking packaged deals where they buy a garment and not just the textile. So, there is lot of textile production capacity in the United States but most of that is geared towards military uniforms which are, by law, required to be made in USA. The USA also provides innovative textiles, such as nanotextiles.
With basic product, it is much more efficient to procure the textiles where the garment making takes place. China is the biggest suppler to the USA Places like Vietnam, Philippines etc. are big producers of such products. It is primarily because the brands are now buying a finished product not just the textile or raw materials.
How has the making of mannequins changed from time to time? What is the latest development in this process?
Recently, we came across news from Hong Kong Polytechnic University about mannequins that can change shape and size. They are robotic mannequins. This is not a practical solution at the moment, but it can give us an idea of something that can be possible in future.
Twenty years ago, mannequins were typically made from paper mache. Dr. Wang and Alvanon revolutionized the way mannequins were made. Mannequins that were made by hand use to differ from each other. So at Alvanon, we created a mould and made them out of fiberglass. This way, every mannequin for a particular brand can be exactly the same and make the client’s production much more consistent. Ten years ago, the use of fiberglass in mannequins was a big innovation in this field.
About five years ago, we started to invest in soft mannequins. They really emulate the human body very well and are very popular with the makers of swimwear and athletic wear.. The flesh of the mannequins simulates the flesh of the human body. The soft mannequins are the latest development in the industry today, but something like the robotic mannequins may come in the near future.
What kind of solutions is Alvanon providing to the apparel industry? And which companies have been your esteemed clients?
We provide a wide range of solutions, from consulting and advice to the tools that companies need in the supply chain to ensure fit standards are executed accurately and consistently. So we start out by collecting a lot of data. We will be in India later this year working on a project to scan consumers in four or five major cities. We have lot of clients who are interested in the data and want clothes that match up better with the bodies of the customers of that population. We first collect the data, analyze it, and provide it to our clients in terms of how they should build their fit standards. After we do that, we build the mannequins and pattern blocks..
We have worked with many corporate companies like Nike, Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Levi’s and Wal-Mart. Our customers include a wide range of luxury brands, as well as high street brands, menswear and women’s wear..
Recently, you have been named to the board of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). How is this association significant for the global apparel market?
Oh I am flattered! I don’t know how my appointment is significant to the global apparel market, but I do hope that it is significant to AAFA members. As a member of the board, I hope that my experience and expertise will help guide the association to better represent its members. AAFA is not just an American association; there are companies and associations all over the world who are it's members. It’s truly an international association and its mission is to guide and assist people who make, sell and market apparel and footwear anywhere in the world. So as a group, we lobby the U.S. Congress for better trade laws and more free trade. So, I hope my association with AAFA does help the global apparel market.
Do you feel that there are very few makers of mannequins in the global apparel industry?
No, there are many manufacturers of mannequins but there are very few who combine a huge database of human body measurement with the ability to interpret and advise the retailers and brands on what the actual measurements should be, along with making a mannequin. Nobody does what we do at Alvanon.
We have positioned ourselves at a very unique position in the industry. Other people who are making mannequins don’t have the support of so much data behind them, to know exactly how to make the mannequin. We are operating in 87 countries around the world. We are very privileged that so many people trust us to make mannequins.
What is the average life of a mannequin and what is the price per unit?
We have companies that bought mannequins when we opened 12 years ago, and they are using those mannequins even today. So they last quite long. It depends on the way they are used. Some use them ten hours a day and some five hours a day. It depends on the work and company. An average life of a mannequin can be 3-5 years. Most of the mannequins cost between 1500 to 2000 U.S. dollars approximately.
What is the need of the hour of American Apparel Industry that needs to be addressed?
The American apparel industry is very open to free trade around the world. Many people looked at the American apparel industry in the past as protectionist. I don’t think that’s necessarily true. The American apparel industry looks for competition from around the world. The world is fast today. The need of the hour is to better position the American apparel industry for exports of products that we produce and open our country to import the products that can be best made elsewhere. And as you see this equilibrium, it will make the industry a better place.
You have also been associated with eight other association. How do you manage your responsibilities?
I have a very busy schedule, but I enjoy every second of it. It’s a very fulfilling opportunity for me to be in the industry for so long and the industry has given me so much. Now, I feel privileged to be able to give back something to it. I do serve on number of educational boards, on a couple of committees around the world, the International Apparel Federation, as well as SPESA, the Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers of the Americas, and ASBCI, the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry. I have a wonderful team behind me at Alvanon that allows me to spend a little extra time with these organizations.
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