ISKO once again brings innovation to ISPO, by present its pioneering creative in the world of sportswear and activewear. The leading denim ingredient brand will be presenting the latest edition of ARQUASTM, the much-loved fabrics platform set to bring about an even more responsible era.

Featuring 35 fabrics, most of which are made with certified recycled materials, ARQUASTM 6.0 combines high-performance properties with the mill’s Responsible InnovationTM approach a holistic vision based on creativity, competence and citizenship that constantly defines new standards.

Although many of the textile concepts included in the collection may have the look and hand feel of knitted fabrics, they are all woven, thus ensuring superior durability and greater recovery.

Among the many qualities that come with ARQUASTM 6.0, moisture management, UV and wind protection, heat retention, water and stain repellency stand out. Nylon, which is used for the first time in this edition, allows for super light woven and cozy outdoor fabrics, reversible and packable styles, as well as patented fabrics, such as 4 way- stretch ISKO Blue SkinTM for a 360° elasticity. To provide trailblazing inspiration to its customers, ISKO’s world-class design team have created both a men’s and women’s garment collection based on three lifestyles active, outdoor and club sports.

ACTIVE: Ideal for a wide range of sports from yoga to fitness to running. Whether participating in high- or low-impact activities, these fabrics perfectly fulfill the technical requirements of at leisure and performance-wear apparel.

OUTDOOR: Fabrics that stand for superior comfort, durability, water repellency and breathability, protecting the wearer from the elements of nature in any kind of setting.

CLUB SPORTS: From the perfect golf swing to a wild horse ride, essential features such as maximum flexibility, fit and performance make these the ultimate textile concepts for the sportswear market.

On January 26th and 27th a special guest will join ISKO’s booth. Stefan Mitiu, Olympics Rings Athlete, will perform an exclusive athletic show that will take place three times a day.

Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel is launching the first fully biodegradable padding made from sustainably produced cellulose fiber that completely degrades in soil within just under 60 days. At the same time, it meets all requirements for high-performance thermal insulation for sports and outdoor clothing. comfortemp® Lyocell padding is the result of a cooperative venture with the fiber manufacturer Lenzing.

The innovative thermal insulation will be launched onto the market in January 2020 and will be presented for the first time at ISPO from January 26th to 29th the degradation of polyester, which is contained in 60 percent of all garments, takes an average of 500 years.

In addition to reduced consumption, more recycling and increasing the quality of garments to ensure that they can be worn for longer, innovative ecological solutions are urgently needed for the end of the garment life cycle. Freudenberg is a pioneer in this field and is now launching comfortemp® Lyocell padding, the world’s first 100% biodegradable padding. It is completely biodegradable within 60 days without polluting the soil.

Environmentally friendly production process

The padding is based on Lyocell, which is manufactured by fiber producer Lenzing. Lyocell is a cellulose produced from natural raw materials in an environmentally friendly production process using eucalyptus wood from sustainable forests. The solvent used to obtain the fibers is almost completely reused in the production cycle, which is a clear advantage over other cellulose fibers such as viscose. The EU has presented the process with the European Award for the Environment.

Warm, soft, light

The fine fibers created from the natural raw material and their innovative processing enable comfortemp® Lyocell padding to be as light as a feather and as efficient as synthetic paddings. The thermal insulation provides warmth and is both soft and highly breathable. Thanks to its excellent moisture management, the padding absorbs body moisture up to 45 percent and thus minimizes perspiration. The thermal insulation is also water-repellent, dries quickly, is antistatic and conforms to the OEKO-TEX 100 standard. Consequently, comfortemp® Lyocell padding meets the high demands placed on clothing for sports and outdoor use.

There is a boom in Myanmar’s clothing and textile industry. This comes at a time, when wages in other regional production hubs such as Vietnam and Cambodia have risen, driving manufacturers to cheaper nations. The minimum wage in Myanmar is among the lowest in Southeast Asia.

Myanmar is becoming more stable in the textile industry. Myanmar’s export revenues from the textile manufacturing sector make up nearly 10 per cent of the country’s export revenues. The country exports its garments and textiles mainly to Europe, Japan and South Korea. If manufacturers make a shift from the Cut, Make, Pack (CMP) production system to a free on board (FOB) system, annual earnings could swell tenfold should demand remain at the current level. Under a CMP system, all raw materials, such as fabric and buttons, are imported by local factories, which then assemble the garments for export. Under an FOB system, the exporter quotes a price that includes all costs, including delivery of goods aboard an overseas vessel. The local factory is responsible for the whole production process. The European Union is working with more than a hundred garment and textile factories in Myanmar in expanding training and capacity building programs for social and environmental performance.

Teijin Frontier has introduced a lightweight, tear-resistant, flat-surfaced fabric that is soft, eco-friendly and abrasion resistant, which makes it ideal for sports and active wear.

There is significant increase in demand for sports apparel that combines functionality with new appearance and texture with the arrival of diverse fashion styles in terms of sports and outdoors. Current fabrics have various problems in terms of hard textures, uneven surfaces which sometimes results in snagging and low abrasion resistance. In response, Teijin Frontier used a thin, high tenacity polyester yarn and applied innovative yarn arrangement and weaving density to produce lightweight and highly tear-resistant fabric which proves to be ideal for sports and outdoor wear with its flat even surface, soft texture and high abrasion resistance.

The company will promote this new fabric as a key product for spring/summer ’20 sports and outdoor collections targeting maximum sales for a wide range of applications such as sports and outdoor wear, fashion wear, school and corporate uniforms.

Teijin Frontier, based in Japan, is a fiber and product converting company with advanced spinning processing, yarn processing and finishing methods. Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibers such as aramid, carbon fibers and composites, healthcare, films, resin and plastic processing, polyester fibers, products converting and IT.

Singer will assume responsibility for all aspects of the J Crew and J Crew Factory brands. Jan Singer moves from Victoria’s Secret. At the lingerie brand she was responsible for leading the company’s intimates business and its network of 1,000 stores and digital platforms. She worked to improve the brand’s performance by introducing innovations in its core categories, while also relaunching its sleep business and introducing exclusive collaborations. She has also been at Nike, where she oversaw the successful launch of products including the Nike Flyknit and the Nike Free as well as innovations such as Nike Seamless, Nike AeroLoft and Nike Tech Fleece. Singer has skill and experience in driving growth and modernization at omnichannel brands.

J Crew is a fashion retailer. In the third quarter J Crew’s revenues were up one per cent while the net loss widened significantly. The new CEO is expected to help in rebuilding the strategic positioning and prestige of the brand and company. The J Crew group currently operates more than 500 retail locations in the US. Sales at the J Crew brand fell four per cent in fiscal 2018. The company’s attempts to relaunch and reposition its namesake brand have proved to be largely unsuccessful.

LVMH’s turnover has grown 15 per cent the previous year. Louis Vuitton is the premium marque of luxury in the world. On an organic basis, sales rose by 10 per cent. However, harmed in part by events in Hong Kong, sales in the final quarter grew 12 per cent. Profit from recurring items also grew 15 per cent while the operating margin reached 21.4 per cent. And group share of net profit was up 13 per cent. LVMHʼs key sector, fashion and leather goods, scored a 20 per cent advance in sales, over one third of LVMH’s turnover, and three times the size of perfumes and cosmetics. The luxury conglomerate’s second largest division is selective retailing. Other divisions are wines and spirits and watches and jewelry.

LVMH had another record year, both in terms of revenues and results. The desirability of its brands, and the creativity and quality of its products, the unique experience offered its customers, and the talent and commitment of its teams are the group’s strength and once again made the difference.

In November 2019, LVMH took over Tiffany, the US jeweler famed for its engagement rings and white diamond necklaces. The all-cash deal marked the biggest-ever takeover for LVMH.

Lenzing’s profits in 2019 dropped 23 per cent compared to 2018. The spinning manufacturer has already made some adjustments, starting in Thailand, with the construction of the world’s largest lyocell plant this type of fiber. With it, the company boosts its production in the Asian continent, where it has most of its customers, and reduces costs related to lyocell in the United States. The company will focus on lyocell.

Lenzing’s sales in 2018 were 3.7 per cent less than in the previous year. Lenzing is committed to reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by half by 2030. The vision is to become a carbon dioxide-neutral group of companies by 2050. With the growing wellness trend among consumers, Lenzing is developing fibers that keep users pleasantly cool and dry with natural comfort and versatility. Tencel Active is a group of cellulose fibers of botanic origin that keep the body pleasantly cool and dry with their natural comfort and versatility, enabling freedom to move with confidence. Lenzing is focused on introducing its award-winning Refibra technology and Lenzing Ecovero fibers to the active wear segment as well as the Lenzing Modal Black solution for colored fibers. Lenzing’s pioneering Refibra technology reinforces circularity through recycling cotton scraps with minimal emissions.

Diesel is implementing a responsible business strategy that is respectful of people and the environment. Italian brand Diesel, is an innovative international lifestyle company. It has worked with sustainability and communication consultancy company Eco-Age and will continue to be supported by Eco-Age in its implementation. With the help of Eco-Age, Diesel will also look to partner organisations local to its global territories, to enhance its community impact as an integral part of Responsible Living. Over the coming months, Diesel will define measurable targets for the future, continually and publicly track progress and demonstrate its commitment to responsible business to future generations.

Diesel also commits to climate action, and to rising for environmental stewardship, by minimising greenhouse gas emissions, reducing its water footprint, and improving reuse and recycling rates across its operations. Diesel also commits to developing a sustainability culture within the company, honoring employees’ rights and their diversity, which allows it to thrive, treating all equally, nurturing employees to fulfil their potential, and promoting a safe work environment. The company commits to working toward the highest social and environmental standards throughout the supply chain, by enhancing the traceability of its products and promoting positive practices among its suppliers.

Century Textiles’ ebitda for the third quarter fell 16.02 per cent. On a consolidated basis, net profit dipped 57.37 per cent while net sales declined 9.25 per cent. On a standalone basis, net profit slumped 34 per cent while net sales declined 9.25 per cent.

The company maintains a positive outlook for both the paper and textile divisions and hopes present better revenues and ebitda levels in the last quarter of the financial year. With external environment being uncertain, the company is focusing on internal strategies to substantially improve operational efficiencies and renewed focus on cost optimisation to secure the margins. The company has set out an action plan to completely wipe out single use plastic and take a big step towards sustainability making its businesses free of all objectionable single use plastic items. The company is taking comprehensive steps to build a sustainable business model by focusing on innovation and new value added products which will help in creating value propositions for stakeholders.

Century Textiles and Industries is a commercial powerhouse with interests in diverse industries. Currently, the business house is a trendsetter in cotton textiles and also has a presence in pulp and paper and real estate.

"Customers may have shifted their preference from real to fake fur. But the fact remains, neither is fake nor real fur ideal for the environment. Real fur uses chromium for tanning while fake fur contains viny chloride, a cancer-causing substance to make it flame retardant. Also, fake furs are not recyclable as they are made from pretroleum-based synthetic polymers. They either end up in the landfills or the water system as microplastics."

Customers may have shifted their preference from real to fake fur. But the fact remains, neither is fake nor real fur ideal for the environment. Real fur uses chromium for tanning while fake fur contains viny chloride, a cancer-causing substance to make it flame retardant. Also, fake furs are not recyclable as they are made from pretroleum-based synthetic polymers. They either end up in the landfills or the water system as microplastics.

But in the battle for which one is the lesser devil, faux fur emerges as the winner as it is not only comfy and cozy but also a great color vehicle. The fur is available in a gamut of colors such as bright pink, pale blue or some of the other primary colors. There was a 24 per cent rise in the number faux-fur products in Fall/Winter 2019 with outerwear increasing by 22 per cent since last year reveals Kayla Marci, market analyst for Edited. The luxury market for faux-fur is also increasing by 13 per cent year on year with outwear rising by 23 percent year on year.

Brands remove animal fur from collections

Many brands and retailers have decided to shed animal fur from their lines. Joining an already long list of designers, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s will stop selling fur by January 2021. There has also been a 27 per cent year-over-year drop in the amount of real fur used by UK luxury brands while this figure is around 86 per cent in the US luxury market. This decline is also a result of stricter bans and regulations across the globe. California has banned the sale of real fur from 2023, while San Francisco has set a January 2020 deadline for retailers to sell out their inventory. Countries like the United Kingdom, Austria, and the Netherlands have also banned fur farming more than a decade ago.

The real issue plaguing the fur industry is overproduction. People rarely shop for fur products these days as they prefer to use clothes handed down by the earlier generations. To leverage this opportunity, some fur shops are sketching the future of existing furs. Christos Furs of Westchester plans to redesign and repurpose its existing furs to create new styles. The company currently sells a range of fur products from $300 rabbit fur jackets to a $60,000 Russian sable coat.

Recyclable faux fur in focus

Meanwhile, luxury fashion companies including Maison Atia and Stella McCartney plan to focus on biodegradable faux-fur products. Both companies plan to launch an innovative new fabric called Koba considered the first sustainable faux-fur fabric. The fabric, created by textile manufacturer Ecopel, is made from renewable plant ingredients and recycled polyester. It produces 63 percent less greenhouse gas than conventional synthetic materials.

Maison Atia launched a children’s coat collection using Koba. Its full fall 2020 collection will use a mix of Koba and recycled modacrylic. The company uses fabrics leftover from outerwear production and donating anything left over from that to Fabscrap. However, these changes are temporary as the fashion world is known to change its mind periodically. We might again a country producing fur in the next 10 to 15 years.