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The 30th IAF World Fashion Convention that ended on a high note last week welcomed over 300 delegates from 20 countries in Medellin, Colombia, first time in South America. The discussions at the event focused on ‘Understanding the challenges of the fashion system’.
Day one takes up the denim cause
Each of the seven speakers who spoke on the first day, moderated by Eduardo Braun, gave his or her vision on the future of the industry. While Emiliano Duch, Lead Specialist, Trade & Competitiveness from the World Bank advised governments to modernize their support of the fashion industry, from investing in big industrial parks, which only fosters the lowest paying jobs, to the support of local brands and retail. Claudio Chiaromonte, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for The Walt Disney Company, Latin America showed the audience how big companies have perfected the art of delivering to consumers anytime, anyplace, through any format, by any payment. Horacio Broggi, Director of Desigual Latin showed some secrets of the success of the phenomenal growth of Desigual, from eight to 800 million euros (Rs 618 to Rs 6,180 crores) in 10-years-time.
The highlight of the day was Adriano Goldschmied, also called the godfather of jeans, who
took the delegates on a journey of the development of the premium jeans segment by way of his
own personal pictures. The pictures showed how the right people came together at the right time and created products that were inspired by their own lifestyles. Goldschmied went from the past to the future where technical innovation will bring jeans to a new level of comfort.
Mariette Hoitink, chairwoman of Amsterdam based House of Denim continued with the jeans case. She showed the delegates how city, big brands, local entrepreneurs and foreign investors work together to create a denim hub in Amsterdam. But it was clear that this example, combining denim specific schooling, research and networking can be replicated in other places as well.
Fernando Pimentel, the Director of the Brazilian Apparel Association Abit stressed the importance of intra Latin American trade.
And finally, Ed Gribbin President of Alvanon plead for a radical change in the industry which is facing below 40 per cent full price sell through on the retail end. Investments in 3D digital sampling, PLM are necessary as is a shift in focus to a more engineering oriented design of clothing, focusing not only on how it looks, but also on how it works.
Rahul Mehta succeeds as IAF President
In the general assembly of the International Apparel Federation, held during the World Fashion Convention, Rahul Mehta was elected as new IAF President for the coming two years. He succeeds Harry van Dalfsen who has been IAF’s leader in the past four years. Rahul Mehta is President of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) representing this association in IAF since many years.
The general assembly also agreed with other changes in IAF’s management. Claudio Marenzi, President of the Italian Apparel and Textile Association Systema Moda Italia (SMI) was elected Vice-President of IAF. IAF’s Secretary-General Han Bekke will step down end of this year after holding this position since eight years. He was elected as new member of the IAF board in which he will take the position as treasurer from Hasan Arat who stepped down as member of the board. New Secretary-General of IAF from January 1, 2015 onwards will be Matthijs Crietee, who is currently Deputy Secretary-General.
In his opening speech, outgoing IAF President Harry van Dalfsen showed his optimism about the global fashion industry. Although it faces great challenges, he said, it is full of great examples of companies finding new ways to entice customers, add new value, expand markets and improve its hugely complex supply chain.
He sees as a positive sign of the times ahead and the growing power of local brands in emerging markets. According to him, strong local brands inspire international brands to adapt their global style to local circumstances and international brands force local brands to learn more quickly to compete. On the supply side, he stated that he believes, positive changes in the apparel industry will be driven more in the coming decade by investments in the manufacturing part of the industry. He opined that a new, more balanced relation between brands, retailers and manufacturers is needed to make joint decisions on investments, improving productivity, working conditions and reducing costs and environmental footprint.
Iafnet.eu
Adriano Goldschmied, Diesel's co-founder, is promoting a new stretch fabric, which he thinks will turn around the fortunes of the 50 billion dollars (over Rs 30,700 crores) denim industry. Made from blending indigo, nylon and polyester, 'active denim' is already receiving good response from large players including G-Star and Diesel.
The fabric is suitable for today’s requirement of comfortable clothing such as leggings and yoga-wear since it performs like an activewear fabric, stretching as much as 80 per cent in a diagonal way. Goldschmied's company Goldsign is promoting among premium denim manufacturers before making it available to the mass-market brands. At the IAF Convention, he made a presentation on ‘Transforming the denim business’, in which he chronicled a series of milestones that helped him turn jeans into a staple of Hollywood celebrity wardrobes before gaining wider popularity and spawning top brands like Levi’s, G-Star and Diesel. Often called the 'Godfather of denim’, Goldschmied is credited for turning jeans as work-wear to fashionable garment.
<p> Experts at the convention opined that fabric manufacturers are creating new and more fashionable finishes, such leather and shiny finishes giving a new meaning to denim fashion. Several initiatives are being taken to revive the industry. For instance, the House of Denim is expanding its Jean School educational programme and also plans to launch other such schools around the world.
www.diesel.com
Pakistan will host the 75th plenary meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in 2016. The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is an association of governments having an interest in the production, export, import, and consumption of cotton. It is an organisation designed to promote cooperation in cotton affairs, particularly those of international scope and significance. It affords its members a continuous understanding of the world cotton situation and provides a forum for international consultation and discussion. The committee has consultative status with the UN and its specialised agencies and cooperates closely with other international organisations in matters of common interest.
It also provides opportunities for industry and government leaders from producing, consuming and trading countries to consult on matters of mutual concern. Its secretariat is located in Washington DC.
Pakistan is a longstanding member of the ICAC and participates actively in its deliberations. With a production of 2.08 million tons of cotton in the recent season, Pakistan is the fourth largest producer of cotton in the world. With the mill use of cotton to the tune of 2.27 million tons, it is the third largest mill user of cotton in the world. Pakistan is, furthermore, a leader in scientific research on cotton.
Pakistan had earlier hosted the ICAC plenary meeting in Lahore in 1951.
Garmatex has partnered with Base 360 to bring a new generation of protective hockey wear to the Canadian market. This is designed to save lives through the use of world-leading fabric technologies.
Garmatex is an inventor of intelligent fabrics and apparel solutions. Base 360 is a manufacturer of safety products for high risk sports.
The line of hockey apparel protects the exposed areas of the wrist, calf and ankle and is designed to minimize the risk of a severe injury. The addition of Garmatex’s antimicrobial formula, Bact-Out, provides temperature regulation and bacterial odor management that does not wash out.
The companies are working together to incorporate Garmatex’s Steel Skin technology into the next generation of apparel to further enhance its protective properties. They are also in the process of developing a new line of apparel designed specifically for speed skaters.
Garmatex harnesses advanced, nano-level processes that manipulate raw textiles and alter fabric molecules and provide superior fabrics that perform under extreme conditions. Garmatex offers innovative solutions for athletic and lifestyle apparel as well industrial and commercial products. Its current products and fabrics include: Kottinu, Bact-Out, Cool Skin, Warm Skin, Ice Skin, Steel Skin and Recovery Skin.
The company plans to expand its portfolio by collaborating with leading research and development teams to produce textiles that improve the health, well-being and effectiveness of people.
www.garmatex.com/
Organic cotton that can be manufactured to the same texture and quality as standard cotton is grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides, avoids a significant drain on water supply and soil, and increases the overall well-being of farmers and pickers; in spite of benefits is not being produced enough. Although the eco-benefits are clear the cotton industry is still facing a struggle to increase its global production of organic produce.
Top companies are leading the charge for the organic cotton trade revolution by making strong commitments to use 100 per cent organic cotton by 2020. However it is not just these big brands making a change, there are a slew of smaller organic companies which offer sustainably resourced mattresses, clothes and pillow cases.
The overall aim is to equip farmers with the tools and know-how, reducing water consumption and eradicating the use of pesticides.There is a deficiency of good quality cotton suppliers that are producing cotton without genetically modified organism. Despite the fact that only one per cent of the cotton manufactured is organic, demand will soon likely exceed supply.
One hurdle to the production of organic cotton is the fact that many farmers lack the business savvy and the will required to go organic. A significant amount of expert knowledge is required. Verification of the organic status is rigorous.
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI) held a conference in Germany, September 24 to 26.It was attended by over 150 experts across the textile value chain from nearly 20 countries.
The discussions focused on issues such as tapping new markets for African cotton and thus securing income for cotton farmers as well as establishing a textile value chain in Africa.
There was a fashion show by the Mozambican upcycling label Mima-te. Twin sisters Nelly and Nelsa Guambe presented for the first time their exceptional modern vintage designs made from old clothes.
Africa is seen by the textile industry as a possible production location. The opportunity to be able to produce within a country from the cotton field to the finished garment, establish a sustainable foundation for textile production, and discover growing sales opportunities locally makes African countries attractive to the American and European markets.
Cotton made in Africa works to improve the living conditions of cotton farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. It teaches cotton farmers modern, efficient, and environmentally-friendly cultivation methods that will help them improve the quality of their cotton, yield higher crops, and earn a better income.
Competitive African Cotton Initiative was founded in 2005 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the German ministry for economic cooperation and development.
Exports of fabric and apparel from Vietnam surged by 19.4 per cent year-on-year in the first eight months of 2014. During January to August 2014, Vietnam exported 5,49,872 tons of yarn fetching 1.655 billion dollars, registering an increase of 20.3 per cent and 20.5 per cent year-on-year.
The US alone imported 6.497 billion dollars worth of fabric and apparel from Vietnam during the period under review. Japan and South Korea were the other main destinations for Vietnamese fabric and clothing with exports valued at 1.682 billion dollars and 1.216 billion dollars respectively.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s cotton imports soared by 26.3 per cent year-on-year to 488,066 tons in terms of quantity, and by 26.9 per cent to 976.668 million dollars in terms of value.
Similarly, Vietnam’s yarn imports grew by 7.1 per cent year-on-year and 2.1 per cent by volume and value respectively. Fabric imports also climbed 14.3 per cent.
With 3.008 billion dollars worth of goods, China was the largest supplier of fabric to Vietnam during the period under discussion.
Last year, Vietnam’s fabric and garment exports grew by 18.9 per cent year-on-year to 17.946 billion dollars and the country’s fabric and garment exports are expected to touch the 20 billion dollar mark this year.
Zimbabwe has launched a cotton-to-clothing export strategy.It's aimed at boosting productivity and helping generate much-needed foreign currency for the country.Given the abundance of quality natural fiber cotton as well as highly skilled manpower, Zimbabwe hopes to position itself as a global competitor.
The cotton-to-clothing sector extends from smallholder farming, which contributes to the livelihoods of more than one million Zimbabweans, to capital-intensive sub-sectors such as spinning and textiles that have played an integral role in the country’s industrialization and in the clothing industry.
The sector also has important foodsecurity implications – cotton by-products can be utilized as animal feed, while cottonseed oil is used for human consumption.
More than 100 stakeholders from the cotton-to-clothing sector, including representatives of the public sector, rural communities, small and medium-sized enterprises and civil society, are involved in defining a series of market-led development priorities to support the strategy.
Zimbabwe’s textile and clothing sector consists of three components: production and ginning of cotton, transformation of lint into yarn and fabric, and conversion of fabric and yarn into garments.
The sector has been affected by an influx of cheap products from the Far East. Production costs are high and so it can’t compete with imported goods. The industry should improve on capacity and get an advantage of economies of scale so it can produce more goods to cover its cost and so reduce its prices to compete with imports.
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Thailand hopes to develop as a global leader in fashion and textile design by 2030.The Thailand textile and garment industry has set its sights on becoming a fashion hub for the Asean region. Exports to Asia - including China, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan - now account for only half the country’s total exports.
One problem is a shortage of labor. As a consequence, some of Thailand’s biggest garment manufacturers have moved part of their operations to Myanmar and Cambodia and, to a lesser extent Laos, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
To help the textile and garment industry cope with the changing times, an Overseas Trade & Investment Centre (OTIC) has been established to support manufacturers in setting up off-shore operations, and to help OEM (original equipment manufacturer) companies move to ODM (original design manufacturer) and OBM (original brand manufacturer).
The country also boasts the second largest retail market in south east Asia. To support the implementation of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in2015 - a projected single window common market system - Thailand will do away with import duties for AEC member countries and look to become the gateway to Asean.
Looking ahead to 2020, new opportunities for the country are seen under the theme Redefine Globalization: Balanced life, sustainable living.
Picanol has opened a new training centre and a test and shipping area in Belgium.Thetraining centre has three fully equipped training rooms. It allows the company to train technicians of its customers on its weaving machines under optimal conditions.
The new test area replaces the old one and is equipped with 24 test stations. All weaving machines leaving the assembly lines are mechanically and electronically tested in the new test area before they go to the customers.
Following testing and final check, the machines are put on a moving floor, where accessories are added and packaging of the machines is done. After the packaging line, the machines are placed in the buffer zone awaiting shipment.Since the summer of 2014, the shipping area has been housed in a new space with two loading docks and one loading space.
Picanol is an international group that specialises in the production of weaving machines for technical textiles, engineered casting solutions and customised controllers. The weaving machines division developshigh-tech weaving machines based on airjet or rapier technology. The technical fabrics group is a specialised team of product managers and technicians that works towards optimising existing solutions and exploring new applications such as super-wide weaving in the field of technical textiles.
www.picanol.be/
