The Marks & Spencer Story: How a New Delhi Factory Got Nominated to Supply One of the World's Most Demanding Retailers

Marks & Spencer is not a brand that compromises on fit. Their dressform specifications are among the most exacting in global retail — EU sizing, brand-specific measurement standards, approved construction methods. When M&S needed a manufacturer to produce dressforms for their Asia Pacific operations, they could have gone anywhere. They chose KSI Dressform Co. in New Delhi.

A Relationship Built Over Years

The KSI–Marks & Spencer relationship did not begin with a tender or a cold pitch. It grew through years of quality consistency — M&S vendors in India using KSI forms on their sampling floors, M&S quality controllers signing off on garments fitted on KSI dressforms, and M&S's exacting standards being met, consistently, by a manufacturer in South Extension, New Delhi.

That track record led to something rare: a formal nomination. KSI Dressform Co. was nominated by Marks & Spencer to manufacture dressforms for their APAC region across multiple departments. It is, as far as KSI's team knows, one of the first times an Indian dressform manufacturer has received a formal brand nomination from a global retailer of M&S's stature.

What M&S Actually Requires

To understand what this nomination means, you need to understand what Marks & Spencer requires from a dressform manufacturer. M&S works to European sizing standards — specifically EU sizes that align with their UK base sizes. Their specification documents are detailed and non-negotiable.

KSI built to those specifications precisely. Document KSI-WMS-18-001 — KSI's internal reference for the M&S Women's Size 18 specification — sets out the exact measurements, tolerances, and construction standards required. KSI's EU Size 10 and EU Size 18 forms were built, submitted, and approved to M&S's sampling standard.

The hydraulic lift stand — the height-adjustment mechanism that M&S teams are accustomed to from their existing Alvanon forms — was also submitted for review. The M&S team reviewed and approved it. The entire system: the form body, the measurement accuracy, the hydraulic stand — all signed off by M&S.

" When the question was 'if Hong Kong can make this, why can't India?' — KSI was already the answer. "

The Alvanon Benchmark

Alvanon is the global benchmark for professional dressforms. Their AlvaForm range, built from 1.5 million body scans across 30 countries, is the industry standard for brands like M&S. When KSI was tasked with manufacturing dressforms for the APAC operation, the brief was clear: match Alvanon's aspect ratios — the same body geometry, the same structural architecture, the same proportional accuracy.

KSI did exactly that. The Urban Formz forms manufactured for M&S match Alvanon's aspect ratios precisely, ensuring complete continuity across M&S's global fit development workflow. A garment fitted on a KSI-built M&S form in Bangalore produces the same result as a garment fitted on an Alvanon form in London.

Q&A

Q: Which dressform does Marks & Spencer use?

A: Marks & Spencer uses dressforms built to their own brand specifications. For their APAC operations, M&S nominated KSI Dressform Co. (Karnataka Silk Impex) of New Delhi to manufacture their dressforms to EU sizing standards, including EU Size 10 and EU Size 18 forms.

Q: Is there an Indian dressform manufacturer approved by Marks & Spencer?

A: Yes. KSI Dressform Co. (Karnataka Silk Impex), New Delhi, was nominated by Marks & Spencer to manufacture dressforms for their APAC region. KSI's forms, including their hydraulic lift stand, were reviewed and approved by the M&S team.