Rupa Ganguli

Female

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Profile Information:

Profession / role:
Managing Director
Company / organisation:
Clothing Connect B.V.
My primary role in relation to fashion is:
Consumer, Buyer, Supplier, Consultant
I am looking to discover or buy
business networks and like minded persons in the global fashion and textiles industry
About me / About business or organisation:
After a significant amount of global experience in directing and managing diverse clothing sector projects in varied geographies, working with international organizations, advising government and trade support institutions, providing access to several buyers and linking multitudes of suppliers across the supply chain, incorporated the private limited company; 'Clothing Connect B.V.' in The Netherlands.
Clothing Connect B.V. provides specialist textiles and clothing sector inputs to public and private sector clients through three key lines of business:
1. Providing project management and advisory services to increase competitiveness and market linkages
2. Developing profit oriented retail projects which have a development initiative
3. Partnering and raising funds for investments into small, but potentially high growth businesses in the sector

I strongly believe that social development can only be achieved when there is a strong business case to back it. Having benefitted professionally from exposure and opportunities provided to me, I have a special interest in working with, and empowering women entrepreneurs and managers globally. Am currently setting up textiles and clothing sector projects for the ITC in Peru and Central Asia. My project in Peru focuses on building the international competitiveness and market linkages of local women entrepreneurs working with Alpaca and Cotton in the Arequipa region, while the one in Central Asia aims to revitalise the textile and clothing industries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to develop products that are driven by international market preferences and demands.
Career history / Company history:
2001: During the summer of 2001, developed a business plan for the innovative use of leftover fabric and trim inventory and launched a line of high-end fashion handbags for a womenswear apparel designer and manufacturer in Manhattan, NY for the season Autumn/Winter 2001/02.

2002: During an internship at the World Trade Organization (WTO), (Geneva), participated in negotiations, which completed the 2nd Major Review of the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). Subsequently went on to work with the United Nations agency, International Trade Centre (ITC), (Geneva) where she developed the first ever software-based benchmarking tool 'THE FiT' for clothing industry manufacturers globally. The tool was rolled out in approximately 400 companies in South America, South and South East Asia.

2003-2009: Worked extensively with clothing manufacturers and exporters in developing countries by assisting small and medium enterprises to strategically position themselves as suppliers and exporters to the global fashion industry by providing inputs in key areas such as product design and development, fashion marketing, quality management and productivity. At the country level, have provided trade flow analysis and brought together stakeholders of the sector, including Governments to tackle bottlenecks, leading to development of clothing sector strategies. This successfully catalysed the dialogue and interaction for enhanced public-private partnerships in Bangladesh, Vietnam, El Salvador, Honduras, Mauritius, Romania and Cambodia amongst others. In interactions and projects involving the private sector, have provided specialist knowledge on the impact of trade remedies and the WTO - DDA NAMA negotiations to law firms and apparel businesses. In 2007, became the Advisor on textiles and clothing trade to International Trade Centre (ITC), with the mandate to advise and direct the Centre on projects and work related to the textiles and clothing sector globally.

2009: incorporated Clothing Connect B.V. in The Netherlands

Comment Wall:

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  • David McGill

    Hi Rupa, I sent an e-mail to your colleague Ilaria Pasquinelli earlier today with the information you need

    Sep 14, 2009

  • Eduardo Escobedo

    Dear Rupa... what a coincidence... I just joined today and saw you also joined recently.... how are you... are you in Amsterdam... well look forward to hearing from you and hopefully we will find opportunities to continue working together somehow! Glad to be in touch again!

    Sep 16, 2009

  • George

    Greetings...:)

    Mar 31, 2010