Many believe that improving the ability of design and branding is indispensable for upgrading Taiwan's textiles and clothing industry. But ironically, most of the local firms confront the challenges of globalization by relocating their factories overseas and duplicating their specialty OEM experiences to last their low cost advantage. Why this divergent occurred? We can find out some answers from reviewing the case of Wu-Fen-Pu. The Wu-Fen-Pu area in Taiwan was a famous cluster for producing low price garments, but now it is thriving as a retailing market for import products. Even though this case is thought to be a successful transformation for traditional industry, when compare it with the case of Ton-Ta-Man market of South-Korea, there still exist some fundamental differences. For Ton-Ta- Man is not only a retailing market but also a place for creating Korea style fashion. Besides, it also became a place for young designer's training and cultivation. As conclusions we assure the creativity of the industry is crucial, and the disorganization of production clusters in Taiwan has more serious impact on fashion industry's further development than we have prospected, especially on the aspect of stimulating creativities. On the other hand, a localized fashion market, which is exploited by local customers and designers, is necessary for cultivating young designers.
