Setting up a Business Plan for a
Design House
Sanjay Gupta
sanjaygupta@niftindia.com
Brief
• In the making of a business plan what are
the aspects of IPR that an independent
designer would normally take into
consideration.
• If one has some distinctive designs, how
does one plan commercialization of the
same?
• If a designer in NIFT has developed a set
of designs, what are the key aspects that
you need to address in a business plan?
• Any case studies to illustrate these
features either from your rich experience
and/or from literature.
• Textile designers are not well
aware of design laws and the
protection it can offer.
• They are aware that their
traditional faith in negotiation and
trust is no longer enough
protection; and that emerging
technologies like digital cameras
and CAD are offering
unprecedented opportunities but
undermining traditional protection.
• The design sector is informal,
fragmented, mostly individual
freelancers & small firms with a
lot of networking between them.
• Imitation, both legal and illegal,
is common among designers.
Designers usually rely heavily on
automatic copyright and trust
between parties. But whereas
most still turn a blind eye to
copying, a few with a wider
reputation to defend are turning
to law
• The fabric production process
usually involves a wide range of
different firms and individuals, from
independent designers through to
mills and printers. This results in
many fabric suppliers using the
same designers or intermediary
firms with a corresponding fear and
suspicion over the security of new
designs before they reach the
market.
Lets examine the potential
for IPR protection for
textile designers
Textile design range from
fiber to finished
fabric/made-up
What Can be Patented?
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New man-made Fibers
Fiber Production Processes
Fiber/yarn/fabric making machinery
Dyes and Chemicals
Dyeing/printing/finishing processes
Finishing machinery
Making-up process
Making-up Machinery
Conflict
• What to protect - the
product, process or
machinery ?
Example: New Fibers
• ACRYLIC CresLoft®, Duraspun®,
• ANTIMICROBIAL Biofresh®, Innova® AMP
(polyolefin), MicroSafe® (acetate), Salus®
(polyolefin)
• ARAMID Kevlar®
• NYLON Cordura®, Supplex®, MicroSupplex™
,Tactel®, Anso-tex®, Caprolan®, Eclipse™,
Hydrofil®, Spectra®, Tru-Ballistic®
• PBI (Polybenzimidazole)
• POLYESTER ComFortrelPlus®, ComFortrel XP®,
Holofiber™ , MicroSpun®, Sensura®, Spunnaire®,
CoolMax®, ThermaStat®, ESP®, Finesse®,
• POLYOLEFIN FIBERS Innova®, Telar®,
• SPANDEX Lycra®, Dorlastan®
Example: Fabric Manufacturing
• Seam-less wholegarment making
technologies using 3D
weaving or knitting
technology offers great
new sensorial
experience.
• Wholegarment® knitting
machines produced by
Shima Seiki Mfg. Ltd,
• Hats, jumpers, dresses,
skirts, cardigans, tights,
legwarmers and socks
Example:
Finishing Chemical
Stain-repellent and
Stain-release
• Teflon and similar treatments
provides an invisible coating
that repels stains but does
not affect the fabric visually
or physically, is breathable
and has easy care properties.
• NanoSphere finish repels
water, dirt based stains and
also allows easy release like a
lotus leaf.
What else is being protected ?
• New Technologies
• Integration of Technologies
• Innovations applying
existing knowledge to new
applications
• Focus on functionality and
performance
• Luminex - a fabric that gives
off its own light.
• Tiny, flexible optical fibers,
developed for high-energy
physics experiments, are
woven into fabric and
powered by an ordinary
battery sewn into the cloth.
A smart chip can make it
glow in flashing patterns
• Used in stage costumes,
handbags and curtains as
well as clothing. DKNY
offering a line of silver
Luminex pillows.
• Perfumery: underwear and
accessories (gloves, socks, hats,
etc.) ready-to-wear, sportswear,
casual wear, footwear, bedding
(mattresses, blankets, pillows etc.).
• Body-care : for freshness, also
moisturising and massaging,
designed to persuade the wearer
that they are receiving a beauty
treatment as they wear it.
• Fragrances : original aromatic
fabrics with fragrances like lilac,
jasmine, lavender, lily of the valley,
narcissus, peppermint, rose, violet,
eucalyptus, camomile, banana,
lemon, apple, vanilla, chocolate,
pineapple, coconut…
• Thermo-chromic fabrics
that change colors with
variations in temperature.
• The dyes are thermochromic or photo-chromic
substances in liquid
crystal form, that are
microencapsulated,
• Lingerie and swimwear
are major markets
• H2OFF, a non-coated, high-density woven
fabric by Toray, made of air-entangled
micro denier textured polyester yarn, which
exhibits particularly pronounced high
vapour permeability due to its characteristic
construction
• Skiwear, rainwear, wind breakers
– Vapour permeability, water proofing. Also
sunlight absorbing with heat retention
Body Suits
• Through wind tunnel testing of
different fabrics and design ideas,
the strategically placed textured
fabrics on the suit for Aerodynamics
and "drag reduction."
• The effect of the differently textured
fabrics over the athlete's body is
similar to the one that dimples have
on a golf ball during its flight.
• Side seams were slightly relocated
to the back to further minimize drag.
The result is a very unusual looking
sprint uniform that utilizes several
fabrics and colors, from the ankle
all the way to the hood.
• This body suit focuses on
muscle temperature and
aerodynamics.
• The suit manage muscle
temperature in two ways.
First by use of color, using
darker colors on certain
zones of the body to absorb
radiant heat from the sun.
The second is by use of
different textiles - making the
fabrics in less critical power
areas as light and breathable
as possible, while using
fabrics that help maintain
higher muscle temperatures
where higher power is
necessary.
The other instruments of
protection i.e. Copyright and
Design are used for protecting
‘artistic content’ and ‘visual eye
appeal’ of designs.
Designs may be woven, printed,
embroidered or otherwise
embellished
Wovens
Printed
& embellished
Traditional Textiles
(protection under
geographical
indications!)
Thank you