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Europe's premier responsible sourcing event, Source Fashion, is set to captivate Olympia London from July 14th to 16th, 2024, with an expanded roster of international exhibitors. This year's edition promises an unprecedented array of manufacturers and material providers from burgeoning sourcing regions, notably Southeast Asia and Africa.
Suzanne Ellingham, Sourcing Director of Source Fashion, heralds the upcoming event, emphasizing its role in uniting top-tier manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. With participants hailing from approximately 30 countries, Source Fashion epitomizes diversity, offering a vast spectrum of producers specializing in various products and materials. Notably, every exhibitor undergoes rigorous auditing, ensuring adherence to responsible and transparent business practices.
Amidst the buzz, Source Fashion introduces Kualesa Apparel, marking the show's inaugural Malaysian participant. Kualesa pioneers bamboo apparel, challenging the norms of fast fashion with its blend of style and sustainability. Ariff Faisal, the brand's CEO, expresses eagerness to tap into the UK market, foreseeing fruitful collaborations with leading brands.
Philippines-based Fairs and More Inc makes its return, amplifying the show's international allure with a pavilion showcasing Filipino craftsmanship. Dawn Cabigon underscores the significance of UK connections for the Philippines, citing promising engagements with renowned British retailers.
In an innovative move, Source Fashion debuts Beyond Clothing, Nigeria's foremost garment factory, amplifying African representation. Founder Prince Arthur Oche envisions leveraging the platform to spotlight African narratives and expand globally.
Texpro Corp from Tunisia reprises its role, highlighting a commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices. With certifications spanning GOTS, BSCI, BCI, and OCS, Texpro Corp champions eco-conscious production across its denim and flat garment offerings.
Additionally, the event features the International Trade Center's pavilion, showcasing Ghanaian producers alongside Ethiopia-based Shints Co Ltd., renowned for its premium outdoor wear.
Europe maintains a robust presence with over 25 UK exhibitors and contributions from France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Notably, Portugal's Lagofra emerges as a stalwart, boasting 85 years of tradition in woven garment production.
Source Fashion 2024 transcends borders, with representation from over 30 countries, affirming its status as the UK's premier sourcing spectacle. With pavilions from industrial giants like China, India, and Turkey, coupled with emerging markets such as Tanzania, Madagascar, and Nepal, the event promises unparalleled diversity and opportunity in the global fashion landscape.
Hightex 2024, the eminent global showcase for technical textiles and nonwovens, is poised to launch at the Tuyap Fair and Congress Center from June 4th to 8th, 2024. This premier event promises to unite leading manufacturers, cutting-edge technology firms, and international buyers, fostering novel collaborations set to propel the technical textile sector into a new era of innovation and growth.
As the inaugural and foremost exhibition of its kind in Turkey, Hightex 2024 will spotlight a vast array of nonwoven products, pivotal raw materials, and an innovative technologies central to the evolution of technical textiles. Positioned at the forefront of innovative technologies and emerging trends, the event will serve as a pivotal forum for stakeholders seeking to shape the future landscape of the industry.
With technical textiles poised to permeate diverse sectors and living environments, Hightex 2024 emerges as a critical platform for accelerating this integration process. From advanced medical textiles to high-performance materials revolutionizing aviation and automotive industries, the exhibition will showcase a spectrum of products, including pioneering solutions in smart textiles and geotextiles.
Moreover, Hightex 2024 isn't solely about product exhibition; it's a nexus for forging new partnerships and fostering networking opportunities. Through curated B2B meetings, participants will cultivate vital commercial connections, driving forward machine sales and catalyzing new investments, both locally and globally.
Anticipation for Hightex 2024 is palpable, with unprecedented demand from industry leaders and emerging entrepreneurs alike. Poised to surpass previous records for exhibitor and visitor turnout, the event will serve as a global convergence point for technical textiles and nonwovens. From America to Asia, Europe to Africa, industry professionals will converge in Istanbul to explore innovative products, glean insights from experts, and chart strategies for the future. Hightex 2024 promises not just to showcase the present state of the industry, but to chart a course for its dynamic evolution in the years ahead.
The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) has announced the export of domestic textile fabric products to Dubai, with PT Mahugi Jaya Sejahtera securing a transaction valued at $350,000, equivalent to Rp. 5.61 billion at an exchange rate of Rp. 16,017 per US dollar.
Taufiek Bawazier, Acting Director General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Textile Industries (IKFT), Ministry of Industry, expressed his appreciation for PT Mahugi Jaya Sejahtera's efforts in entering the Dubai market and other parts of the Middle East. Bawazier noted that this export signifies an annual sales commitment of 5 million meters from the company and helps open Indonesia's non-traditional markets in the central eastern region.
He further explained that the garment and textile markets in the Middle East are expected to grow significantly over the next five years, with an annual growth projection of 7 per cent and a market value of $89 billion. Currently, Indonesia’s export share of textiles an\d clothing to this region stands at only 5.4 per cent of the total textile and textile product exports (TPT), amounting to $753 million, and just 1.5 per cent of the market share.
This figure is significantly lower compared to China and India, which hold market shares of 38.3 per cent and 21.4 per cent, respectively. Bawazier emphasised that the exports by the West Java-based company could pave the way for increasing exports of domestic textile products.
Previously, the Ministry of Industry reported that the textile and finished clothing industry experienced substantial growth in the first quarter of 2024, with the Y-o-Y values rising by 5.90 per cent and 2.64 per cent, respectively, driven by high export demand. This growth also contributed to the processing industry's increased contribution to economic growth, which reached 19.28 per cent (Y-o-Y), up from 18.57 per cent Y-o-Y in the same period in 2023.
In 2023, after two years of growth, overseas shipments of wool yarn by Poland declined by -2.3 per cent in volume to 4.2K tons. In value terms, exports of woolen yarn totaled $78 million in 2023, according to IndexBox estimates.
Italy was the primary destination for woolen yarn exports from Poland, accounting for a 61 per cent share with 2.6K tons. Exports to Italy exceeded those to Germany (887 tons), the second major destination, by threefold. Portugal held the third position with 324 tons, representing a 7.7 per cent share.
From 2013 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of export volume to Italy was +2.3 per cent. Exports to other major destinations had the following average annual growth rates: Germany (-13.1 per cent per year) and Portugal (+146.6 per cent per year).
In value terms, Italy remained the key foreign market for Polish wool yarn exports, comprising 62 per cent of total exports at $49 million. Germany was second with $20 million, holding a 25 per cent share, followed by Portugal with a 4.6 pre cent share. From 2013 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of export value to Italy was +10.6 per cent. For Germany, it was -11.6 per cent per year, and for Portugal, it was +127.4 per cent per year.
Yarn of combed wool, not put up for retail sale, was the largest type of wool yarn exported from Poland, accounting for 89 per cent of total exports at 3.8K tons. This category significantly exceeded the second product type, yarn of carded wool, not put up for retail sale, which stood at 433 tons, and the third category, yarn of wool or fine animal hair put up for retail sale, which was 15 tons, holding a 0.4 per cent share.
From 2013 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of combed wool yarn exports was -4.9 per cent. For carded wool yarn, it was -20.9 per cent per year, and for yarn of wool or fine animal hair put up for retail sale, it was -6.2 per cent per year.
In value terms, yarn of combed wool, not put up for retail sale, remained the largest type of wool yarn exported from Poland, comprising 94 per cent of total exports at $74 million. Yarn of carded wool followed with a 5 per cent share at $4 million, and yarn of wool or fine animal hair put up for retail sale held a 0.7 per cent share.
From 2013 to 2023, the value growth rate for combed wool yarn exports was -2.2 per cent per year. For carded wool yarn, it was -7.7 per cent per year, and for yarn of wool or fine animal hair put up for retail sale, it was +2.7 per cent per year.
In 2023, the export price for woolen yarn rose by 8 per cent to $18,547 per ton (FOB, Poland). Over the review period, the export price indicated strong growth, with the most prominent rate in 2018, when the price increased by 25 per cent. The average export prices peaked in 2023 and are expected to continue growing.
Fashion for Good, in collaboration with various industry stakeholders, has unveiled the Sorting for Circularity USA report, marking a significant milestone in understanding and advancing circularity within the textile industry in the United States. This pioneering report provides insights into consumer disposal behavior, textile waste composition, and the potential for fiber-to-fiber recycling, guiding strategic decisions for further investments and infrastructure development.
Exploring the US textile waste landscape
Despite being a global leader in textile consumption, the US faces challenges in managing textile waste effectively. Currently, only 15 per cent of textile waste is recovered, with the majority ending up in landfills or incinerators. With impending policies and increasing commitments towards promoting recycling, there is a pressing need for infrastructure development related to textile collection, sorting, and recycling.
The Sorting for Circularity USA project addresses critical data gaps concerning consumer disposal behavior and post-consumer textile characteristics. Through a comprehensive national survey and waste composition analysis, the project sheds light on key insights. The survey revealed that 60 per cent of respondents divert textiles, driven by factors such as condition and fit, while the waste composition analysis identified over 56 per cent of post-consumer textiles as suitable for recycling, notably cotton and polyester.
Mapping the future of circular textiles
The report identifies a $1.5 billion opportunity for fiber-to-fiber recycling, emphasizing the redirection of non-rewearable textiles from landfills to recycling streams. Growth strategies outlined in the report include efficiency improvements, increased commodity valuation, and policy mechanisms like extended producer responsibility schemes. Collaboration among stakeholders is highlighted as crucial for promoting circularity and driving technological innovation.
Building on these insights, there is an opportunity to assess different sorting business models and semi-automated sorting technologies. This includes the evaluation of a demo facility suitable for closed-loop textile recycling and identifying investment opportunities to scale solutions nationwide, aiming for both commercial and technical feasibility.
Overview of the sorting for circularity initiative
Launched in January 2023, the Sorting for Circularity USA Project is a pioneering initiative by Fashion for Good and RRS, aimed at advancing circularity in the fashion value chain. The project involves collaboration with industry stakeholders and utilizes advanced technology, including Matoha’s Near Infrared (NIR) technology, to assess textile waste composition and identify opportunities for fiber-to-fiber recycling.
Fashion for Good's brand partners, including adidas, Inditex, Target, and Levi Strauss & Co., along with external partners such as H&M Group and lululemon, have joined forces with key implementation partners to drive this initiative forward. The Sorting for Circularity framework, introduced in 2021, forms the basis for the project, emphasizing innovation and collaboration towards a more sustainable textile industry.
To capitalise on the firm’s cloud and artificial intelligence capabilities and enhance its presence in China, French luxury group LVMH aims to strengthen its partnership with Alibaba. The partnership will help the group accelerate its omni-channel business growth and integrate both in-store and shopping experiences for customers, says Stephane Bianchi, Group Managing Director, LVMH.
The world's largest luxury group, LVMH initially partnered with the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba in 2019. The strengthened collaboration enables the group to attract Chinese consumers, amid challenges such as a property crisis and high youth unemployment affecting demand in the region.
Surat recently hosted the fourth edition of the Yarn & Jari Textile Expo 2024, a two-day event organized by the Secure Embroidery Thread & Jari Association (SETJA) on May 19 and 20. Over 100 exhibitors from various Indian states participated, showcasing a wide array of imitation jari and yarn products, underscoring the sector's innovation and craftsmanship.
The expo was inaugurated by Textile and Railway Minister Darshanaben Jardosh, who emphasized the imperative of positioning Indian jari in the global market. She pledged governmental support to address industry challenges and encouraged exploration of new applications for jari.
Renowned saint and corporate guide Gyanvatsal Swami graced the event's second day, advocating for unity in business, stating, "Unity is Prosperity." Other notable attendees included local dignitaries, industry leaders, and representatives from various trade associations.
The event attracted approximately 37,000 buyers, reflecting substantial interest in the showcased products. Special highlights included innovative offerings like Babboo yarn jari, crafted from bamboo by Mahendra Zadafiya, and the launch of Multi Jari by K-TEX Jari.
SETJA President Dipakbhai Kukadiya reiterated the association's dedication to business growth and global outreach, aiming to position Surat as a primary destination for high-quality jari and yarn products. The exhibition's success was attributed to sponsor support, including Pareshbhai Lathiya of Aaradhana Jari, Vikas Sharaf of Vplus, and Kapil Goyani of Shiv Hari Processors Pvt Ltd.
With an annual market size of approximately Rs. 1,500 crore, Surat's imitation jari industry showcased its current prowess and future potential at the Yarn & Jari Textile Expo-2024, signaling a resurgence in the city's historical prominence in the global jari market.
On June 05, 2024, the Denim Talk area at the Superstudio Più in Milan will organise the Denim Titans Conference. To be held as a part of the Denim Premiere Vision show, the conference will convene major figures including Adriano Goldschmied, François Girbaud, Marithé Bachellerie, and Jimmy Taverniti. These four denim industry icons will share their perspectives on creativity and discuss how each has contributed to the evolution of the sector.
This year, the Denim Premiere Vision will feature around 80 exhibitors including weavers, component and accessory manufacturers, garment manufacturers, fabric washers, and finishers.Indigo enthusiasts will discuss sector issues, explore trends for autumn-winter 2025-26, and preview new developments from the PV Fashion District.
A platform for addressing various denim-related topics, the Denim Première Vision will host the ‘Project Tomorrow’ initiative featuring students from Milan's fashion design institutions IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) and NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti). The two-day event will also host a series of conferences including a session focusing on the integration of innovation in the denim industry, and another exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence in the sector.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Fabexa Fabric Sourcing Expo 2024 in Gandhinagar. The event aims to bolster Ahmedabad's status as a key manufacturer of cotton and natural fabrics for both national and international markets.
Sanjeev Chaturvedi, Vice President of Domestic Marketing at Reliance Industries Ltd's textiles division, highlighted Gujarat's strong foundation in the textile industry. He emphasized the need to increase the organized sector's share in India's textile industry, noting that while Bangladesh excels in garment manufacturing, India leads in fashion, offering substantial opportunities for Indian manufacturers globally.
Gaurang Bhagat, President of Maskati Cloth Market Mahajan, the organizer of Fabexa, stated that the ninth edition of the four-day expo features over 100 exhibitors and expects to attract 10,000 buyers nationwide. All national textile associations have been invited.
Naresh Sharma, Secretary of Maskati Mahajan, mentioned that Ahmedabad has solidified its position in shirtings, dress materials, and bedsheets. He anticipates that the expo will generate significant fabric orders for the upcoming festival season. The city's adoption of digital printing machines is expected to further boost local industry orders across the country.
Led by SM Mannan (Kochi), a delegation from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), met Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the ministry in Dhaka to seek his cooperation in product, market diversification for RMG sector.
The BGMEA delegation included Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Senior Vice President; Arshad Jamal (Dipu), Abdullah Hil Rakib and Miran Ali, Vice Presidents; Md. Imranur Rahman, Mohammad Sohel Sadat, Shams Mahmud, Rajiv Chowdhury, Md. Mohiuddin Rubel, Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee, Md. Nurul Islam, and Saifuddin Siddiquie Sagar, Directors. They discussed product diversification and strategies to enhance ready-made garment exports to new markets.
During the meeting, Mannan emphasised on the market significance and product diversification to reach the goal of achieving $100 billion from garment exports by 2030. Garment exports to new markets have increased from $847 million to $8,370 million with government policy support over the past 15 years, he noted.
BGMEA sought the cooperation of Bangladesh’s relevant embassies to organise roadshows, network with buyers, and participate in key fairs to increase exports to new markets, particularly to Brazil, Argentina, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and ASEAN countries.
He also highlighted the importance of bilateral and regional free trade agreements with these potential markets.
During the meeting, Mannan also sought the Foreign Ministry’s support in addressing the potential impact of LDC graduation on the country’s export trade and continuing duty-free facilities in major export markets.
The Foreign Minister emphasised on the need to diversify into new products and explore new markets, especially in Africa, South America, and ASEAN countries.
He assured the delegation of the Foreign Ministry’s full cooperation in this regard, mentioning ongoing discussions with various countries to remove tariff barriers in these potential markets.
