Images_December_2019_Digital Edition

www.images-magazine.com DECEMBER 2019 images 51 IS DECORATOR PROFILE iridescent. However, thanks to its in-house designers, Packtex is able to manufacture other colours and sizes of embellishments to order based on a minimum order quantity. “We have had an in-house design team for six years,” Suleman explains. “Not only do they design for our ecommerce business but they also control any adjustments to clients’ artwork that is submitted for our B2B work.” Fashion trends Packtex’s consumer-facing ecommerce business operates under the name of Twisted Envy. It was set up seven years ago and offers more than 5,000 unique garment designs. The design team also creates artwork for unique iron-on rhinestone transfers according to briefs from customers for both retail and promotional purposes. The set-up at Beal Street in Leicester gives it a production capacity of up to a million transfers a week. “Following the up-and-coming catwalk and fashion trends ensures our designs regularly make their way into some of the biggest high-street stores, including River Island, New Look and Asos,” says Suleman. The company also has a sourcing team that will search for any trims that a customer wants to apply to a garment. Many Packtex products are also used extensively in the nail art industry, in the arts and crafts sector, by greetings card manufacturers and by individual hobbyists. However, most of its business remains B2B for fashion retail, hence the reason that Packtex is constantly keeping an eye on what is happening in the market. “Fashion trends come and go over the years. What was popular last year is not the case this year. Embellishments are dictated to a large extent by what is happening on the catwalk. The company has to react to what is required and to be able to source and supply the current trend in the timescale required.” After nearly 20 years, Suleman has seen trends repeating themselves on numerous occasions. “We are currently working on our 2020 range, which seems to be heavily concentrated on beaded and delicate trims for the major high-street stores. We are constantly looking at new products and new techniques that would help us gain new business in what is a very competitive marketplace. The retail fashion industry is undergoing huge changes into how it operates and brings its products to market. We have been supplying this sector for the past 20 years, and being able to quickly react to these changes has been one of our strong points.” A new digital direction Packtex went in another new direction when it moved into digital printing on garments about six years ago to support its ecommerce business. Suleman comments: “Digital garment printing is probably the biggest change that has taken place in garment decoration over the past few years. Competing with screen printers and bulk printing on polyester was unheard of two years ago. With the development of new technology and reduced ink costs, DTG textile decorating will be at the forefront of this industry for the foreseeable future.” However, Suleman adds that the two sides of Packtex’s business are not always mutually exclusive. “We do have clients who require both printed and embellishments on the same garment,” he adds. The company’s has most recently invested more than £300,000 in a Kornit Avalanche HD6 digital printer, through Adelco – to replace some of its older Kornit printers – plus a new Adelco Pro-Cure dryer; both were installed in April. It also has a Kornit Storm DTG printer and four Epson F2100 DTG printers. “The DTG side of our business is growing rapidly, with clients spread across the retail, licensing and promotional sectors,” Suleman says. While the industry continues to find developing environmentally friendly transfers a challenge, Packtex does what it can in terms of sustainability by ensuring that all its inks comply with Oeko-Tex quality standards, while also offering organic and recycled garments if requested. While the company has diversified into digital print, and beads and delicate trims are all the rage for 2020, rhinestones (its core business) remain as popular as ever – from high-street fashions to hen-do tees. “We believe the outlook is good for both embellishments and DTG printing, especially in the B2B market,” Suleman adds. “Online fashion retailers will continue to expand, and Packtex will continue to be a leading supplier to them in the coming years as we are geared up to produce small, quality runs with fast turnaround times.” With Bruce Springsteen releasing a new version of Rhinestone Cowboy this year to tie in with his filmWestern Stars, Packtex’s rhinestones and other embellishments show no sign of losing their shine. www.packtex.com The Leicester-based company invested in a Kornit Avalanche HD6 earlier this year Packtex can create unique transfer designs for customers The DTG side of Packtex’s business is growing rapidly, reports Suleman