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ASOS has become the only UK brand to be included in Kantar’s BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands 2021 report. As per Fashion Network, the brand has been ranked on the basis of its performance across 51 markets. The rankings show, the value of some of Europe’s biggest brands increased during the year as they continued to increase their investments. The value of apparel category grew 53 per cent as it benefited from shoppers preference for loungewear and athleisure brands such as Lululemon, Nike, Puma and Adidas.
Nike emerged as the fastest growing brand with a 68 per cent increase in brand value followed by Adidas whose value increased by 51 per cent. The third position was bagged by Zara with its value increasing marginally to $21.38 billion. Most of this growth was driven by diversifying channels such as live-streaming content, gamification and subscription models, says Kantar.
The luxury apparel category grew 34 per cent with European brands dominating the luxury rankings. Louis Vuitton emerged as the growing luxury with a 46 per cent year-on-year rise in value. The brand followed by others such as Chanel, Hermes, Gucci and Rolex
Dhiraj Raichand Shah, Chairman, The Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC), has urged Prime Minister Narender Modi to announce a special growth package for MMF sector. Shah points out MMF exports declined 19 per cent during 2020-21. Export of fibers declined 28 per cent, yarn 15 per cent, fabrics 18 per cent and made-ups 23 per cent, according to the data released by DGCI&S.
He therefore, urged the Prime Minister to release all pending dues of exporters under Drawback, MEIS, IGST, ROSL, RoSCTL, TUFS on an urgent basis; grant moratorium for repayment of principal and interest for at least one year; allow banks to restructure loans for one year without any additional charges/ penal interest, etc; direct RBI to relax NPA norms for six months; provide at least 35 per cent of the workers’ salary payments for a period of 12 months to protect the MSMEs reeling under severe impact of COVID-19; extend ECGC support to address the cancelled and deferred orders; onclude entire MMF textile value chain viz., fibres, yarns, fabrics, made-ups, etc under RoDTEP Scheme & declare RoDTEP rates immediately with a minimum rate of 7 per cent; extend the EPCG Scheme for the next 5 years; introduce a uniform 5 per cent GST rate for entire value chain in the MMF textiles segment and continue the Interest Equalization Scheme (IES) benefit for exports and enhance the IES to 5 per cent.
Reduced demand from brands and cancelled orders have led to a rise in wage theft, reduced hours and violations of workers’ employment and pay rights, says a new study by the University of Sheffield and the Worker Rights Consortium.
Based on a survey of 1,140 workers from 302 factories in India, Honduras, Ethiopia and Myanmar the report reveals, almost 80 per cent workers had not received full severance pay while the pay and working conditions of over a third of workers had deteriorated. Around 68 per cent of workers had been employed without a formal contract, reports Business of Fashion. More than one third workers reported experiencing verbal abuse, threats or intimidation, while 22 per cent reported unfair reduction or withholding of wages. Around 39 per cent said they were forced to work without adequate COVID-safe measures such as PPE and social distancing.
The study further shows, number of workers with no personal savings have increased in all four countries compared to pre-pandemic levels, and their average household debt levels have increased by 16 per cent.
To maintain the country’s position in the global RMG market, the Readymade Garments Export Council of Egypt (RMGEC) has been striving to increase exports by lowering prices and bearing some of the losses. As per Textile Value Chain, this will help the nation demonstrate strength of its RMG sector besides maintaining sales volume. Last year, Magdy Tolba, Chairman said, international brands’ decision to halt production worldwide has impacted around 350-400 Egyptian garment factories.
To recover losses, the Egyptian Council for Industrialization and Entrepreneurship plans to promote exports by using cutting-edge marketing techniques. The council held several virtual meetings between RMG exporters and international customers from Jordan and Saudi Arabia to discuss Egypt’s export potential.
After a year of being confined to the digital platforms, trade shows are back in action with physical editions this year. Apparel and accessories show organizers have scheduled several in-person events during the second half of this year to attract international buyers. As per Women’s Wear Daily, organizers have also planned virtual meetings for customers who can’t attend these events in-person.
Paris shows with new formats and partners
The venues and modes of most of events in Paris have undergone a huge transformation since last year. Trade shows in Paris are being modernized with new partners, digital services and a renewed focus on sustainability. To be held at the Grand Palais near Eiffel Tower, the Premiere Vision will showcase Fall 2022 collections of fabrics, leather, accessories and designs. The other edition, the Made in France Première Vision will be held at the Carreau du Temple in Paris on September 8 and 9, 2021. It will focus on exclusively on French fashion while Premiere Vision Paris will focus on all sectors. The event will be held in a hybrid format at Paris Lord Villepinte from September 21-23, 2021. Organizers have expanded their digital systems to enable exhibitors connect with buyers even after the event completion. They have also regrouped the marketplace and the Première Vision Paris site under the premierevision.com banner.
To be organized by Messe Frankfurt from July 5 to 9, 2021 at Rue du Mail and Atelier Richelieu, Texworld Evolution Paris will focus on Fall/Winter 2022
trends, and feature around 7,000 fashion styles from manufacturers in 10 countries, including Taiwan. The event will focus on themes denoted by colors. It will also include individual sections focusing on earthy tones and brighter colors.
Tranoï will organize the Paris Fashion Week at Palais de Tokyo from June 25 to 27, 2021. The show will feature designers curated by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Who’s Next, the ready-to-wear, accessories, lifestyle and beauty show, will be held from September 3 to 6 at Porte de Versailles.
UK trade shows with safety protocols
Physical fashion trade shows will make a comeback in the UK with Moda, to be held at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham. Organized by the Hyve Group alongwith the Association of Event Organizers, the event will follow strict government protocols and introduce sanitizer stations in busy areas. The event will follow a no handshake policy and make face masks compulsory within the exhibition and conference venues. Exhibitors will also have to follow a cleaning routine before, during and after the show opens each day.
The Hyve Group will also collaborate with Pure to present an edited lineup of emerging and established British and international fashion, home, and lifestyle collections at The Old Truman Brewery in East London from September 7 to 9, 2021. With wider aisles and more floor space, the exhibition will capture the true character of Scoop x Pure while maintaining social distancing, says Gloria Sandrucci, Event Director, Pure London.
Italy to focus on European, Korean, Japanese buyers
After over 16 months of hiatus, the, the Italian government has permitted event organizers to hold physical trade shows. The first show to resume its physical format will be Pitti Uomo will be held from June 30 to July 2 followed by the Pitti Bimbo and Pitti Filati shows. Each fair will implement strict safety protocols and launch new safety initiatives with Italy’s trade agency. For instance, Milano Unica plans to arrange COVID-19-free flights for European buyers, as well as Koreans and Japanese.
Milan’s leading show organizer, Fiera Milano will launch bridal fair Sì Sposaitalia from June 25 to 27 at Fieramilanocity. The physical show will be accompanied by a digital platform to broaden its global reach. This will help organizers guarantee continuity of the event, says Emanuele Guido, Director-Lifestyle, Fiera Milano. The event will feature physical bridal shows and a digital showcase to help the sector resume its activities.
Trade shows Micam, Mipel and Lineapelle will hold their physical events from September 18 to 24, 2021, under the Milano-Rho fairgrounds banner. Mipel also plans to team up with Lineapelle and Pitti Uomo to host the first Mipel Lab showcase at the Florentine fair on June 30. This event will help manufacturers connect with international brands, says Danny D’Alessandro, CEO, Mipel.
UK and US have signed an agreement to suspend a long-running trade dispute that hit export sales of luxury goods, until 2026. As per Fashion Network, the two countries have agreed to end a 17-year trade dispute that grew out of subsidies for plane-makers Boeing and Airbus and resulted in retaliatory tariffs of up to 25% on exports of key luxury goods.
The UK had made the first by suspending retaliatory tariffs on the US earlier this year. The US then agreed to a four-month tariff suspension while a more durable deal was negotiated.
Helen Brocklebank, CEO, Walpole said, luxury goods shouldn't become part of a trade war about plane parts. Liz Truss, International Trade Secretary, UK, added, the deal will support jobs across the country and is fantastic news for major employers.
The deal will help UK focus on taking its trading relationship with the US to the next level, including working more closely to challenge unfair practices and using the power of free trade to build back better from the pandemic, Truss added.
Two Swiss textile machinery companies, Rieter and Uster have been singled out for exporting machines to China amid allegations of forced labor in the clothing supply chain including Uyghur and other minorities.
As per a report by the Textile Focus, Xinjiang purchased $6.4 million (CHF6 million) worth of machines from Switzerland in 2019. According to customs data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the region imports the majority of its machinery from three nations, Germany ($26.8 million), Japan ($23.4 million), and Italy ($7.4 million). Switzerland, on the other hand, is a major exporter of knitting machine accessories like spindles, dobbies, and automatic stop motions, which are used in large spinning, weaving, and knitting machines. Over the previous three years, Switzerland has shipped $2 million worth of knitting machine accessories to the autonomous area.
To sell fabrics to Kenyan companies, Indian textile companies presented their bids to potential Kenyan apparel makers during the Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) Wool and Woolen show in New Delhi.
As per Textile Focus, Kenyan fashion designers and sourcing agents interacted with India’s wool and woolen products manufacturers and exporters during the three-day exhibition, held from March 25 to 27. Rialto Enterprises, Occasions and Days, Sao Satorial, and Combiat Agencies were some of the Kenyan fashion companies and importers who attended the event. Of these, Occasions and Days plans to collaborate with the Indian textile and apparel industry to provide a continuous supply of high-quality materials to Kenya’s textile industry, says Monica Kanari, CEO.
Kenya has been encouraging people to buy locally made clothing in order to create jobs and reduce the amount of foreign currency spent on secondhand clothing each year. Jump-starting the leather, textiles, and agro-processing sub-sectors were considered critical in achieving early gains in the government’s “Big Four” agenda’s manufacturing pillar.
As per the annual report of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT). the percentage of participating companies that meet the agreement’s requirements have increased from 63 to 80 percent. The production chains of participating companies are becoming increasingly transparent: the data of almost 6,000 unique production locations are now made public. The share of more sustainable raw materials increased from 28 to 38 percent. Several public calls for enhanced cooperation in the supply chain were made by the Agreement during the corona crisis.
The assessment of the AGT companies shows that 80 percent comply with the AGT-requirements regarding international Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), 7 percent almost comply and 13 percent does not comply. This is an improvement compared to 2019, in which 63 percent of companies met the obligations, 19 percent almost and 18 percent did not.
In 2020, the assessment interviews focused in particular on whether AGT companies complied with the principles drawn up regarding purchasing practices during the corona crisis. As time progressed, it turned out that a very large proportion of the companies acted in accordance with the principles. Companies have been repeatedly questioned and addressed by parties and the AGT secretariat about their actions during the corona pandemic. Companies that did not (fully) act in accordance with the corona guidelines received a lower score on the purchasing practice component and a negative remark in their annual assessment.
Trident was awarded with the Gold Trophy in Highest Global Exports category by The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) at the virtual Export Awards function. Conducted in the presence of Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles & Women and Child Development as Chief Guest, the awards were presented to outstanding export performers in the cotton textile industry.
Trident Group was set up by first generation entrepreneur and Padma Shri Rajinder Gupta during the early years of the great Indian economic liberalization. The group began with a solitary unit making high-quality yarn. However, in due course, it catapulted to become the largest manufacturer of terry towels and one of the largest integrated home textile manufacturers in the world. Today, it has diversified beyond home textiles into paper, chemicals, energy, etc. The company has millions of customers across 100 countries
Established in 1954, Texprocil is a Government of India sponsored export promotion council. The council has been the international face of cotton textiles from India, facilitating exports worldwide.
