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China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and other South Asian and East Asian countries are major exporters of knitwear products across the globe. Brands like Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch and major active wear brands such as Adidas and Nike continue to focus on research and development, design, logistics marketing and branding, and service to improve their position in the market.
These brands outsource their manufacturing to low-cost Asia Pacific countries such as China, Bangladesh, and India. Adidas manufactured only two per cent of its apparels in the US and only one per cent in Europe in 2017, outsourcing almost 97 per cent production to Asia Pacific. Similarly, Nike manufactures all its apparels through independent contract vendors.
India’s knitwear market is growing with a spike in in the number of organised knitwear retailers selling branded knitwear products. Demand for branded knitwear is also rising in the Middle East. With approximately 62 per cent of its population being young and middle-aged, the region imports knitwear products worth 3.5 billion dollars annually.
There is growing demand for cotton knitwear products in Brazil and other South American countries. Almost half of the knitwear imports by Brazil are from China.
Guatemalan designer Juan Carlos Gordillo has launched Planet REhab, a new 15-piece women’s collection sustainably produced by Lenzing, Tejidos Royo, Officina+39 and Tonello. The collection will debut at Keyhouse at Bluezone in Munich Jan. 29-31, 2018.
The aim of this collection is to illustrate that fashion can be both responsible and beautiful given the right supply chain partnerships. The companies recognise that achieving their sustainability goal requires both working collaboratively and responsibly—seeking out more sustainable raw materials, implementing new technologies and employing processes that reduce resources and waste. The garments in this collection were designed around Tencel and Tencel x Refibra branded lyocell fabrics from Tejidos Royo. Made from renewable wood in a closed loop, energy and resource efficient manufacturing process, Tencel fibers and Tencel x Refibra fibers made with recycled cotton scraps provide the fabrics with softness, smoothness, tenacity and color intensity.
The fabrics were dyed using Officina+39’s Recycrom technology, pigment dyes that are made from recycled clothing and textile scraps that are crystalised into fine powder. Laundry specialist Tonello finished the garments with washing processes that significantly reduces the water and hazardous chemical consumption.
Coats has sold North America Crafts to Spinrite. North America Crafts is a business run by Coats. Approximately 560 North America Crafts employees will become part of Spinrite. Coats is an industrial thread manufacturer. Spinrite is a craft company and provider of craft knitting yarns in North America. Spinrite produces both branded and private label products and has a diversified presence across multiple channels with a focus on craft retailers.
The sale includes the well known Crafts brands Red Heart, Coats & Clark, Aunt Lydia and Susan Bates. Anchor, Dual Duty XP and J&P Coats will be licensed for varying terms.
Coats has had a crafts heritage in North America and a long association with crafters but decided to sell North America Crafts since the crafting market has evolved in the past decade and requires a higher degree of specialisation, scale, innovation and digital capabilities to succeed.
Coats expects with the sale of North America Crafts to focus complete attention on its high performing business-to-business global apparel and footwear, and performance materials segments. Coats will use proceeds from the sale to make further value accretive acquisitions in the strategic focus areas of high-tech performance materials and software solutions businesses.
Munich Fabric Start will be held from January 29 to 31, 2019. More than 1,000 fabric, additional, denim and sportswear suppliers will exhibit their latest product and trend developments in 1,800 collections. They will be complemented by a growing number of service and sourcing providers as well as young brands and start-ups that present their philosophies and the ideology of forward-looking process solutions as well as solutions for resource-saving material sourcing and their areas of application.
Spring/summer ’20 indulges in a rich choice of fabrics, in innovative silhouettes, in philosophical wealth but also in tongue-in-cheek kitsch and – last not least – a new lightness at heart, which is never entirely uncritical.
Munich Fabric Start is a trade fair for sourcing materials and in-depth networking and, hence, for linking fashion with technology with a view to shaping the future. In terms of trend concepts for 2020 this future is characterised by emotionality, empathy and community.
The ReSource segment is Munich Fabric Start’s enhanced sourcing platform. Initiated and supported by experts the forum offers comprehensive sustainability solutions. Boasting over 500 articles ReSource showcases the latest developments in sustainable fabrics and findings as well as innovations in recycled, organic, natural and regenerated cellulosics, hybrids and bioplastics, leather and alternatives and denim.
"A report from retail software company ShareCloth reveals the problem of overproduction currently plagues with nearly 30 per cent of fashion goods produced going unsold. Additionally, over 50 per cent of fast fashion sold is thrown out less than a year later, with 12.8 million ton of clothing annually dumped into landfills. This chronic overproduction negatively impacts the environment, emitting 1.2 billion ton of greenhouse gases each year into the atmosphere. It also affects the fashion brands’ profits in the long run, making the industry lose out on $52 billion in revenue by 2030."
A report from retail software company ShareCloth reveals the problem of overproduction currently plagues with nearly 30 per cent of fashion goods produced going unsold. Additionally, over 50 per cent of fast fashion sold is thrown out less than a year later, with 12.8 million ton of clothing annually dumped into landfills.
This chronic overproduction negatively impacts the environment, emitting 1.2 billion ton of greenhouse gases each year into the atmosphere. It also affects the fashion brands’ profits in the long run, making the industry lose out on $52 billion in revenue by 2030.
Unpredictable fashion trends lead to overproduction
Overproduction results from longer times taken for designing and producing fashion collections as designers are often unable to predict current and future fashion trends. Additionally, brands often need to meet minimum orders that force them to produce more than they might actually need. The logistics of inventory management can lead to large overproduction. For brands that own their own factories, like footwear brand Rothy’s, this process is much easier.
Third party sellers, dead-stock, resale emerge viable options
For brands that do not have that option, there are still alternatives. For one, retailers like Blinq allow brands to sell their excess
material to third parties who will handle selling it to consumers. Some brands make extensive use of dead-stock as a way to keep waste production low. This can give a new life to the products that would otherwise end up sitting in a landfill for hundreds of years, or emerging data technologies, which can help brands more accurately predict exactly what and how much they need to produce in order to meet demand without vastly overestimating what demand, can all help alleviate the problem of overproduction. Public School, for example, has also won an award from the CFDA for using dead-stock.
Designing to resell a product prevents some of the more dire environmental effects of overproduction. The RealReal’s partnership with Stella McCartney, which the two just renewed for 2019, was built explicitly to help keep McCartney’s clothes out of landfills and ensure that every piece got multiple uses in its lifetime. The brand also encourages others to embrace the circular economy model to reduce waste production. The emergence of streetwear and luxury drops that emphasise on producing less than what is in demand could also lead luxury brands to curb their overproduction problems.
Ultimately, in order to curb overproduction, brands need to make smart decisions. If they continue to adopt the same strategies, implemented over years, they are sure to lose out profits additionally also impacting the environment.
More than 8,000 manufacturers related to garment and textile industry visited the 14th edition of the YARNEX exhibition, was held from January18-20, 2019 in Ludhiana. The exhibition brought together manufacturers and suppliers of Fibers, Yarns and related Services to showcase their merchandise to buyers from across the world.
The organiser, SS Textile Media announced the dates for the next exhibition in Ludhiana. The next edition of the event will take place from February 7 to 9, 2020 in Ludhiana.
UK sourcing show Source Denim, Fashion SVP’s dedicated denim showcase was held from January 15 to 16, 2019. Each fair has its own specific strengths. Source Denim’s seminar and panel talk program is a definite draw, particularly since it covers issues relevant to the fashion industry as a whole.
A speaker gave a whirlwind lesson on the history of denim, stretching back well before 1873 (the official birthdate of the blue jean) to the modern day, weaving in fun facts as well as touching on more serious issues such as the industry’s environmentally disastrous ways and how this could potentially be improved.
Sustainability was often the first word uttered. Since clients want assurance that every aspect of the garment manufacturing process is sustainable, jeans producers have invested in the latest laser and eco washing machines for their laundry, monitoring the impact of all their washes with the EIM program from Jeanologia.
This season, Source Denim partnered with Common Objective, a digital platform founded by the Ethical Fashion Group. Its aim is to help equip fashion businesses with the tools they need to achieve commercial success in the greenest possible way. Prior to the show, all Fashion SVP/Source Denim suppliers were invited to set up an online profile to shed light on their sustainability credentials and help buyers quickly identify suitable partners.
Children’s wear show Pitti Bimbo was held in Italy, January 17 to 19, 2019. It was visited by over 6,400 buyers, out of nearly 10,000 visitors altogether. Buyer numbers from Spain, the largest contingent, were up, as did those from Greece, Belgium, Poland and Saudi Arabia.
Pitti Bimbo showcased 553 exhibitors, of which 60 per cent came from outside Italy, with 152 between come-backs and new exhibitors. The results for the show's three days exceeded expectations. The collections exhibited creativity. The designs were modern and compatible with the latest ecological and social feelings. The exhibitors were segmented by product and company type. The show’s international leadership was confirmed within the children’s fashion and contemporary lifestyle industry.
However, the mood was somber, with a series of negative forecasts for growth, consumption expenditure and international trade. The number of buyers from strategic children’s wear markets like France, the UK and Turkey was stable, surprisingly on par with the remarkable numbers posted at the show’s last winter edition.
There were fewer Russian and Ukrainian visitors, though on the whole more than expected, given the worsening economic situation and geopolitical scenario in those countries. The number of Italian buyers was down. The number of German buyers too fell.
Textile industry in Pakistan wants duties on polyester and cotton yarn to be abolished. The rationale is: this will decrease input costs in the domestic sector. The powerloom industry has faced losses due to costly polyester yarn. Pakistan has taken positive initiatives for the revival of the export sector. Imports have started decreasing, whereas transactions witnessed a 10 per cent increase and exports two per cent increase.
Although duty on cotton imports has been abolished, duty on cotton yarn remains. Gas and electricity tariffs have been rationalised for the export-focused industry in an attempt to cut the cost of production and boost competitiveness. These incentives have brought down the cost of production for the textile value chain. Cotton production in Pakistan has fallen by 4,00,000 bales.
Now, the plan is to rationalise subsidies for agricultural crops in order to encourage cotton cultivation. Cotton ginning industry is being encouraged to reduce contamination, improve productivity and upgrade the machinery. Owing to trade tensions between the US and China, Pakistan’s textile industry is receiving a large number of import queries from the US. Simultaneously Pakistan is working on expanding its market share in China, Japan, the European Union and the US.
Lenzing has partnered WTS to create a range of knits made with Tencel Refibra technology. Among the pieces are jersey T-shirts for women made from Pima cotton, Tencel Modal, Spandex and 29 per cent Tencel Refibra lyocell as well as men’s tees created from 20 per cent Tencel Refibra lyocell and pima cotton. The collection includes dresses, tanks, henleys and polos, all with a varying amount of Tencel Refribra lyocell blended with premium and performance fibers.
Tencel Refibra lyocell, a manmade cellulosic fiber, utilizes post-industrial cotton scraps from garment production and wood pulp, moving the industry one step closer to achieving a circular economy. Tencel Refibra lyocell offers the best of both worlds—the performance consumers are looking for without the damaging impact to the environment.
WTS is a full-package manufacturer based in Peru. The manufacturer chose to partner with Lenzing because the company recognizes the need for sustainability and Lenzing’s ongoing commitment in this area provides unmatched credibility.
The two companies have collaborated in the past and share a similar vision. WTS has a long history and understanding of working with Tencel lyocell fibers. Lenzing needed a partner that had the understanding of Tencel lyocell and the vision and sustainability goals to elevate Lenzing’s product offering and WTS was seen as the perfect partner to bring this value to the knits market.
