Fabric show organizer Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions is launching a process for the complete digitization of fabrics under the name Fabric ID. The process involves turning textiles into virtual data to create digital twins that are said to reproduce the texture and color of the materials realistically and flawlessly.

The company uses XTex and Can:scan scanners developed by software companies Vizoo and Caddon Printing & Imaging for the process. It then produces a fabric ID that is intended to make textiles technically identifiable, traceable and usable. Digitization takes place in the Fabric Studio, the showroom of Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions. There, the textiles are scanned.

In the first step, the color and pattern are determined, followed by the surface structure. This is followed by a physical material analysis, which determines the weight, bending stiffness, thickness, elasticity and other material properties of the textile to enable an accurate simulation of the fabric's fall properties.

In addition, Fabric.ID will also understand the spectral yarn color values of the dye house and the weaving data of industrial looms to generate visually correct and color-correct textures for 3D application. By using the open source U3M format, the digital material should be compatible with almost any 3D-enabled application. Since fabrics can vary greatly in texture, three different categories are offered: Standard for low-textured, single-color material, as well as Advanced for stronger textures and colors, and as a third category Complex, for complex patterns and highly glossy material.

Reference trade fair for the nonwovens sector, Index will take place from October 19 -22, 2021 in Geneva.

This edition will have more than a hundred Italian exhibitors, of whom about eighty are machinery manufacturers. As in the past editions, Italian Trade Agency will organize an Italian Pavilion, where 13 Italian manufacturers will exhibit. The following ACIMIT member companies will be exhibiting in this area: A Piovan, Bianco, Bombi, ColorService, Guarneri Technology, Monti-Mac, Officina Master, Ratti, Texera, Toscana, Spazzole, Unitech, etc. Other ACIMIT member companies will exhibit with their own booth.

In recent years, nonwovens production has grown on a global scale, much more significantly than the traditional textile industry. According to figures collected and compiled by Edana the global association of nonwovens companies, production of nonwovens in Europe grew by 7.2 per cent in 2020 to reach 3 million tonne (and 85.9 billion square metre), with a total estimated turnover of €9.6 million.

The demand for nonwovens has boosted the Italian production of nonwovens machinery during the last year. The increased demand for innovative solutions is precisely what enhances the role of Italian textile machinery manufacturers. The Italian exports of machines used for producing nonwovens (HS code 844900) reached a value of €59 million in 2020. In the first six months of 2021, then, the growth was impressive: +142 per cent over the first half of 2020, worth €37 million.

PVH Corp plans to join the US Cotton Trust Protocol to further its sustainability efforts. As per Sourcing Journal, the initiative offers a new system for responsibly grown cotton that publishes annual data for six areas of sustainability in line with the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs).

Launched in 2020 after a year-long pilot phase, the program has since attracted more than 450 brands, retailers, mills and textile manufacturers including Levi Strauss & Co, Gap Inc, Advance Denim, Contempora Fabrics, Cotswold Industries Inc, Frontier Yarns, etc. It provides verified data on sustainability practices from US cotton growers and access to aggregate year-over-year data for water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land use efficiency. It uses independent third-party verification to ensure cotton is more sustainably grown and carries lower environmental risk than other cotton fibers.

Owner of brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Warner’s, Olga and True & Co, PVH Corp has been transparent about its aggressive sustainability targets, including its goal to sustainably source 100 percent of its cotton by 2025. Last year, the company joined a number of other sustainability initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur Jeans Redesign program and the Denim Deal, multi-stakeholder initiatives to increase the use of recycled fibers in fashion. The company’s commitment to sustainability aligns closely with the goals of the US Cotton Trust Protocol.

Renowned apparel and textile brand alliance from China, Prime China holds a live showcase of its brands at the ongoing Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada Virtual trade show. The ‘show-within-the-trade-show’ features over 100 top trending and well-established Chinese apparel and textile brands alongwith attendees and 30 speakers.

The alliance Prima China includes reputed China’s apparel and textile companies, including garment producers, fabric manufacturers, designers and industrial brands. The alliance provides state-of-the-art manufacturing, well-coordinated tech integrations, enhanced e-commerce, a flexible international sales model and the ability to quickly react in a social-minded, trend-driven, time-sensitive and fast-changing world, as per a media release.

Prime China brands showcasing at Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada Virtual 2021 trade show include: Mizuda – fabrics, functional; Changshu Garments Town – garment industry cluster in Eastern China; Bosideng – a famous down jacket brand in China; Qirui & Deze – kidswear with more than 2,000 stores in China; Aparso – outdoor sportswear; Genjoe – knitwear collection; V.Roc.V – flight jackets, tactical pants and high-quality uniforms; and Minimal Edge – women’s collection.

The monthly average of apparel exports from Pakistan is expected to grow 13.44 per cent in H2 FY2021 to reach $ 641.60 million from $565.60 million in the H1 FY 2021. The collective monthly average of textiles and clothing exports from Pakistan is expected to increase 9.12 per cent from $1237.55 million in the H1 FY 2021 to reach $1350.40 million in H2FY21.

In H1 FY 2021, Pakistan’s monthly average of textile exports was $ 278.77 million. It is expected to drop by 6.52 per cent in H2 FY2021 to reach a monthly average of $ 260.58 million.

Bangladesh, the US, Turkey, Italy and Sri Lanka were the top five importers of Pakistani fabrics in the first half of 2021 and accounted for approximately 46.64 per cent of total fabric exports of the country. China, Bangladesh, Portugal, the US and Turkey were the top five markets for Pakistani textile yarns in the first half of 2021 and accounted for approximately s 85.63 per cent of total textile yarn exports of the country.

The monthly average of home textile exports of Pakistan is expected to go up from $3 93.22 million in the H2 FY 2021 to $ 448.23 million in the H2 FY2021.

Bangladesh commerce ministry has asked stakeholders to allow apparel exporters without a bond license with back-to-back letter of credit (LC). To settle this issue, stakeholders hope to amend the VAT law and the Bangladesh Bank guidelines At a meeting directed Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) informed how many readymade and terry towel factories do not have a bond license, how many workers the factories have and how much the factories export.

The revenue board in a letter on August 31 had requested the Bangladesh Bank not to allow non-bonded apparel factories to enjoy back-to-back LC, as it contradicts the central bank's guidelines. The board’s move put around 500 knitwear and home textile exporters without a bond license in a limbo. Stakeholders say if the back-to-back LC benefit goes, more than 500 RMG and home textile factories will no longer be able to procure raw materials and accessories from local and foreign sources on credit.

In a back-to-back LC, an importer issues an LC to an exporter and the exporter can use it as collateral to get another LC issued for sourcing raw materials and accessories on credit. If the facility goes, RMG and home textile factories will have to make full payments plus VAT in cash for local purchases, which will make their survival very difficult.

One of Europe's biggest fast fashion chains, Primark has pledged to cut its environmental impact by using more recyclable materials. This would enable the retailer to control prices, make clothes more durable, and improve wages for workers. Primark, which sells more than a billion items a year including jumpers and jeans for as little as $10 each, plans to make sustainable fashion available for all. Owned by Associated British Foods, the retailer started its operations in Ireland in 1969 before taking Britain by storm with its ultra-low prices. It is now available in 14 markets, including the United States.

The British company had previously joined industry efforts on the environment. It has now published its own measurable targets for the first time. This plan entails, the company’s team of staff to work with factories to improve energy efficiency levels and encourage the use of renewable power. It will aim to eliminate single-use plastic and continue the switch to farming practices that use less water and fewer chemicals.

It plans to strengthen the durability of clothes by 2025, make them recyclable by design by 2027 and make all its clothes from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030.

On top of those changes, it also plans to work with factories and rivals that use the same sites to improve wages.

The British Fashion Council has announced for the first time, London Show Rooms are collaborating with the ongoing edition of White Milano, on from September 2 -26, 2021, in Milan. The showrooms located at Superstudio Più, via Tortona 27, within the renewed White set-up. Eleven designers are participating in the London show Rooms at White this season. These include: Ahluwalia, Ancuta Sarca, Completed Works, Duran Lantink, Edward Crutchley, Helen Kirkum, Jordanluca, Maximilian Davis, Palmer//Harding, Saul Nash, and Sweet Lime Juice.

The British Fashion Council is committed to strengthening British fashion in the global economy and will designers to sell their collections in Milan, says Caroline Rush CBE, CEO, British Fashion Council. The innovative platform developed by White enhances the network originated by the city of Milan as worldwide fashion capital, adds Massimiliano Bizzi, Founder, White Milano

In its Vision 2025, Pakistan-based knitting and apparel manufacturing firm, Interloop, has announced plans to expand operations in the country. The company will invest $300 million over the next five years to set up an activewear plant, a denim fabric mill and a hosiery plant, besides enhancing its spinning and yarn dyeing capacity.

Interloop also plans to invest in a fully vertical apparel facility to give customers complete supply chain transparency, besides expanding the company’s annual capacity to 40 million pieces of apparel, apart from the capacity it’s doing for socks and leggings. The investment will help the company create more job opportunities besides increasing its annual turnover to $700 million from current $300 million. Incepted in 1992 with just 10 knitting machines, Interloop has grown into one of the world’s largest hosiery manufacturers and a vertically integrated company.

Karl Mayer has launched the HKS 3-M ON range of warp knitting machines that are networked with KM.ON’s secure cloud via KM.ON’s key. The HKS 3-M ON machines combine the respective advantages of N and EL gears: simple, fast design changes with high working speeds. Their patterning is highly flexible since the information for the guide bar movement is loaded directly onto the machine from the KM.ON cloud. Their design options allow customers to quickly and easily adapt their current market requirements using a new multi-model concept.

The SwapKnit 36 and SwapKnit 36 Flat models enable patterns with repeats of up to 36 stitch courses per main shaft revolution. The required lapping information for new or tried-and-tested articles is obtained from Karl Mayer’s Spareparts Webshop in just a few clicks, and loaded onto the machine. The acquired lapping patterns remain available to customers in the cloud and can be used successively on several machines.

For designs with over 36 stitch courses per main shaft revolution, a model has been developed that uses KM.ON’s k.innovation – Core. The web-based software makes uncomplicated pattern creation possible. Simply log in to k.innovation – Core from any internet-ready device, select a machine, enter the lapping patterns for the individual ground guide bars and subsequently create the pattern file and send it to the KM.ON cloud in just a few clicks. All that remains before production can get underway is to select the lapping pattern file on the machine’s operator interface.