The document, developed by the IAF’s Business Innovation Committee, highlights that the industry’s primary challenges are linked less to manufacturing costs and more to widespread systemic inefficiency, such as overproduction, excess inventory, discount cycles, lost capital, and operational issues along supply chains.
Published at a time when apparel businesses are facing increasing pressure from shifting market conditions, digitalisation, sustainability demands, and evolving business models, the manifesto proposes a significant shift away from the traditional focus on sourcing at the lowest unit cost.
Instead, the emphasis is placed on enhancing end-to-end productivity, capital efficiency, resilience, and more intelligent supply chain collaboration.
IAF secretary general Matthijs Crietee said: “The future competitiveness of apparel manufacturing will depend on the ability to align production more closely with demand, reduce inventory risk and create value through smarter, more collaborative systems.”
According to the manifesto, a key principle for the sector is “smart flexibility”, described as the ability to coordinate production, planning, data, and incentives to better reflect actual demand.
The document stresses the importance of postponement strategies, the application of technology further upstream, integrated cooperation between textile and apparel production, and commercial models that ensure stakeholders throughout the value chain share aligned incentives.
It also notes the evolving role of manufacturers, positioning them as leaders in value creation and flexibility, rather than as purely transactional suppliers.
To turn these ideas into action, the manifesto sets out a three-phase framework: define shared principles, enable pilots and experimental projects, and standardise language, metrics and industry practices.
The initiative draws upon the joint IAF–ITC study “Under the Banyan Tree: Buyers and Suppliers in Fashion” and uses the 5C Framework — Contracts, Capital, Capacity Building, Commons, and Creator Market — to guide collective industry efforts.
The IAF is also calling on manufacturers, brands, textile producers, technology firms, investors, policymakers and industry groups to engage with the new manifesto to help drive progress towards smarter and more sustainable apparel production.
