SL apparel industry diversifies identity in new logo

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry last week unveiled a new logo signifying its diversity through the depiction of a number of colours on the lion’s mane.

During the launch of the new logo at the 15th Annual General Meeting ( AGM) of the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) the industry also unveiled its new website at the JAIC Hilton in Colombo on Friday.

The new logo is said to bring out the strength of the industry’s ethos and the diversity in the lion’s mane that sports several colours including maroon, saffron, orange and green as depicted on the Sri Lanka national flag.

The industry has grown over the last four decades representing 43 per cent of industrial exports and 40 per cent of merchandising exports. With a contribution to the GDP in the range of 7 per cent during the last decade and employment opportunities for 40 per cent of the active labour force in the country the industry supports and enriches the lifeline of millions of fami- lies directly and indirectly, a media release issued by JAAF stated.

The industry had been able to generate US$4.8 billion worth of exports last year and chief guest on the occasion Standard Chartered Bank CEO Jim McCabe said that in today’s context technology was changing the game for manufacturing.

He noted that the apparel industry needed to redesign to focus on who their customers were and what they want to wear.

In fact, he noted that automation and robotics were entering the manufacturing sector and highlighted that the industry needed to take it on themselves to keep evolving to keep up with the future.

JAAF President Sharad Amalean, commenting on the how the retail sector was operating, noted how Ali Baba had achieved a trade that was worth one- third of Sri Lanka’s GDP within a matter of 24 hours.

In this context he noted that speed was everything and time has become so vital that it today it has become increasingly important to stay relevant in the industry.