Tirupur: While the local knitwear cluster produces garments worth Rs 130 crore a day, most of the goods are based on the designs and specifications given by the clients.With an objective to engage experts and fashion designers work towards establishing a culture of fashion trend forecasting, the Small Industries Development Bank of India, in association with PUM-Netherlands senior experts, a non-governmental organisation, started a six-day training programme for fashion designers in NIFT-TEA College of Knitwear Fashion here on September 17.The trend forecasting concept is new in India and designers here rarely engage in the process, said Nelson Jobery, head designer at Birla Cellulose. “They would be happy to follow the trends set in western countries and emulate them with slight changes suitable for the Indian market. Here and there, very few designers may try their hand in forecasting, but mostly collective effort were never been made. Even top designers visit international fashion shows and replicate the trendy designs. Original designs seen at events like the Indian Fashion Week rarely reach the masses,” he said.“Institutions like NIFT-TEA should give more focus on imparting in-depth knowledge on fabrics and techniques. It will play a part in developing fashion trend forecasting.”Indian companies should concentrate more on man-made fibres, including viscose and polyester, because more than 70% of the readymade garment segment in the international market is focusing on the man-made fibres rather than cotton, said V Ramesh, category head (knit tops and sweaters) at Birla cellulose. “Such changeover is important for developing trend forecasting culture in the country,” he said.More than 40 people, including 10 designers, participated in the event.

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