Taiwan zeros in on global wedding dress supply chain

2016/02/26

Taiwan is expanding its presence in the global wedding and couture dress supply chain on the strength of high-quality and innovative products.

One of the firms leading the charge is New Taipei City-headquartered Pretty Fashions Inc., a major supplier for big names like Pronovias from Spain and David’s Bridal from the U.S.

Founded in 1989 as an original design manufacturer of dresses, PFI started mass production eight years later at factories in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and mainland China. In 2015, the company sold 600,000 units for NT$1.6 billion (US$47.7 million), comprising 18 percent of the global market.

PFI Chairman Huang Wen-jen said the secret to the firm’s success is creativity and market awareness. “We come up with 1,500 to 2,000 new designs per year, and always keep an eye on the latest consumer and fashion trends.”

Although the industry in Taiwan is facing low-price competition from mainland China, PFI General Manager Belinda Yang said this is of little concern to the company. “Demand for white wedding gowns, especially from mainly Catholic countries like Brazil remains stable, and we are striving to expand our range of cocktail and evening wear.”

PFI broadened its horizons in 2010 by starting to sell domestically. “We are getting back to our roots by providing local couples affordable ownership alternatives to renting high-priced dresses,” Yang said.

Similarly successful is Taipei City-based Wedtex Industrial Corp., which provides lace for such global high-end brands as Elie Saab of Lebanon and Valentino of Italy.

Established in 1988, the company produces 3,000-plus new lace patterns annually and diversifies products by region. Total sales hit a record NT$2.3 billion last year.

Described by some analysts as the “king of lace” in Taiwan, Wedtex maintains rigorous quality control. Each item undergoes a three-stage inspection before shipment.

Wedtex also plans to automate the manual process of attaching beads, paillettes and ribbons to lace, and is said to hold three-year patent for new sewing machine developed by the company with Italian and Japanese equipment suppliers.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=242507&ctNode=2194&mp=9)