Elixir Unlimited wins Gold and Bronze for garment decoration in FESPA ’20 competition
12 November 2020: Ahmedabad based Elixir Unlimited won Gold and Bronze in the recent FESPA international competition. The Gold award was for Elixir Unlimited’s entry ‘TRUE TO YOURSELF.’ This 3D raised relief design, printed at 220 x 280 mm, has been achieved with two-part mould and silicone, then overprinted in-line using plastisol ink. The centre letters have been filled with clear silicone with dispersed caviar beads. The deep embossing raises this print to the next level and the caviar ink just tops it off. The Bronze award was for its entry ‘DREAM WITHOUT FEAR.’ This special effect t-shirt design has been created using a concave-convex mould to create base embossing. It has been overprinted 30 times, with three spot colours, to create stacked ink build. The finished print size is 250 x 250 mm. In the past, the company had won awards in FESPA international competitions.
Pradeep Periwal, Managing Director of Ahmedabad based Elixir Unlimited, says that his entry into garment decoration business was a destiny. “Before getting into business, in 1982 I had received an offer for National Scholarship for Advanced Accountancy. However, I got into HDP woven fabric machinery where I learnt more about the garment industry and printing ideas. Now, I feel garment printing is both an art and a science. And one excels when one can master both. There is no fun in garment printing unless we engross in creativity and innovation. And in garment manufacturing, I found that there was not much scope for creativity and it used to be a stereotype.”
“There is an unlimited opportunity for creativity in garment decoration,” says while commenting on his company’s achievement in the recent Fespa 2020 Awards competition. “The Fespa awards are the symbol of our quality and creativity. One can imagine the kind of stiff completion in the international competitions and awards are being judged by experts. And ultimately creativity and innovation win. ”
“It is my experience that DTG is good for garment manufacturers, they can afford it; but owing to cost factor DTG is not much useful for job workers like us as we deal in bulk quantity jobs. However, direct to textile digital printing will grow rapidly. Within screen printing sector, hybrid printing will become popular and screen printing will never disappear from garment decoration for sure.”
Distance is no bar when it comes to garment decoration. The company is purely into garment decoration job work. The company’s reputation in garment decoration is such that they have a client in Mumbai, Kolkata besides in and around Ahmedabad. “When there are quality service and creativity, clients are ready to get their garments/t-shirts decorated from anywhere even though there are logistic inconvenience and cost factor,” says Pradeep Periwal.
The company was originally into garment manufacturing. “Later, we switched to garment decoration as there is a lot of scope for creativity such as high-density printing, mix decoration by combining printing and embroidery, sublimation printing on cotton, and various types of value addition on garment/t-shirts. When you have multi technologies, you can do a lot of innovation and offer something different, always, else there will be a stereotype,” he adds.
Reacting to the current COVID-19 pandemic, he says that about 40% of business is back in action and the company resumed operations in May 2020. “In the post-COVID-19 scenario, productivity enhancement will be a key factor. COVID-19 has affected the Fashion industry, however, it will bounce back once normalcy is restored in a public gathering, events and the festival is. Indian festivals always drive sales and lure consumers towards new fashion trends. If people continue to remain inside their homes, fashion will take further hit.”
elixir_unlimited@sancharnet.in
