FW
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of wearables grew by only 1.2% in Q1 2018 – as compared to the 18% growth reported this time last year, as consumer preference shifted toward smarter devices and products diversified.
The deceleration was driven by a decline of 9.2% in shipments of basic wearables over the period, while shipments of higher priced smart wearables actually increased 28.4% in the quarter, suggesting that consumers are increasingly interested in the expanded capabilities of more technologically advanced products.
While watches and wristbands accounted for 95% of all shipments in Q1 2018, other products also grew rapidly.
Shipments of sensor-laden clothing, for example, grew by 58.6% compared to Q1 2017.
The vast majority of these products are step-counting shoes but companies are offering increasingly diversified sensor-enabled apparel pieces, such as shirts and shorts, primarily with fitness tracking functionalities.
Established in 1946 at Biella, Italy, Obem Spa has till now installed 56 robotised dyeing plants in all important textile regions including Europe, USA, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India and Brazil.
These plants can work with a limited number of operators like one or 2 per shift and have been developed for Wool, Cotton, Acrylic, Polyester, Viscose, and blends.
The company installed its first fully robotised package dyeing plant in 1986 in USA and has from that time, dedicated a lot of time to develop the robotisation for all kind of machines.
In the last 20 years the company has concentrated its efforts on equipping its machines with a high degree of automation and in many cases also of robotisation.
It has, till date, installed about 6.000 machines in five continents for processing all kind of fibre and in every kind of form.
The company produces all its machinery and their software in its Biella factory.
"Casual denim, in the last few years, has given way to a more relaxed wear such as yoga pants and jeggings. People prefer to buy latest fabric technology such as five-pocket trousers in extra stretch materials and trendier style variations. The industry is innovating denim with renewed focus. Designers are developing clothes with added properties to create ‘technical’ denim. The younger generations are adopting the garment with a whole new identity, while the older ones are giving it a much-needed fillip with new styles and designs."
Casual denim, in the last few years, has given way to a more relaxed wear such as yoga pants and jeggings. People prefer to buy latest fabric technology such as five-pocket trousers in extra stretch materials and trendier style variations. The industry is innovating denim with renewed focus. Designers are developing clothes with added properties to create ‘technical’ denim. The younger generations are adopting the garment with a whole new identity, while the older ones are giving it a much-needed fillip with new styles and designs.
Levi’s, which had to face rough weather for some time, reported an 8 per cent rise in revenue in 2017, making the year its strongest growth period since 2011. Besides, PVH which owns two of the world’s biggest denim-focused labels Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger also posted remarkable growth in the jeans category.
New denim trends
A fashion trend currently making headlines is performance wear, with everyone from luxury players Ermenegildo Zegna,to Patagonia and Wrangler
investing in this premium category. Aamir Akhtar, CEO, Denims, Arvind Ltd recently unveiled the company’s new denim collection that displayed new ways of dyeing as well as products like their Boomerang 360 Denim, which offer extreme stretch and high-recovery capabilities.
When it comes to demand, the concept of gender is undergoing a sea change. The notion that body-hugging jeans are for women, and men prefer loose fits, is being completely reversed. Women are opting for straight fits like boyfriend jeans and rugged overalls, whereas men are going for the lean fits. In terms of styles, high waists and tapered hems are the major upcoming trends.
New innovations
The denim industry is considered to be one of the worst polluters of environment; the biggest culprit being the sweet water used to produce a pair of simple jeans. To overcome this, innovative solutions such as dry ice cleaning and ozone washing, etc are being used. Industry leaders are innovating with sustainable dyeing and washing solutions like ikat, ozone wash and indigo to develop eco-conscious processes.
The main reason behind the huge popularity of upcycled denim is its ability to survive the worst of wear and tear. Manufacturers therefore, are creating hybrid weaves besides mixing up different washes in the same garment for modern looking cuts. Two-tone denim and blends with fibres like elastane and lyocell are dominating majorly.
An Indian touch
A great Indian value addition on denim is embroidery. Research suggests that just like the teen-favourite movie Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, embroidery focusing on travel and themes of escapism is likely to thrive. References to global cultures, especially the Middle East and weaving patterns from antique African cultures will also serve as great inspiration boards. Patchwork that takes a dig at heirlooms and kitschy all-over paisleys or bandana in all-over prints can be used with simpler denims to create balanced jackets and statements tops. Designers can also work on contrast stitching on dark tint denims for simple but trend-embedded jeans.
Most of the denim’s appeal comes from it’s worn out, old-world look. Customers today are shying away from overpowering washes and raw appeal of pure denim. A hint of preppy but mostly just plain silhouette denim focus is coming to the fore.
IAF’s World Fashion Convention co-organized with Dutch industry association Modint will be held on October 9 and 10, 2018, Netherlands.
The International Apparel Federation (IAF) is the only global federation of its kind representing apparel associations from 60 countries, representing over 1,50,000 companies. Modint, the Dutch association for the fashion and textile industries, has about 600 members who have a cumulative annual turnover of about nine billion euro.
The IAF convention caters to apparel industry leaders from across the supply chain, from all continents. The theme of this edition is Building a smart future for the fashion industry.
In a world where prices cannot drop much lower, boats cannot go much faster and people cannot work much harder, improvements are made only when the business is made smarter. This means smart supply chain collaboration, smart new machines, smart materials and above all, smart people.
The convention will show many inspiring examples of a smarter apparel supply chain. Top speakers from across the globe will cover the width of the supply chain, from raw materials to apparel sourcing and from production to retail trends.
On top of that, the convention will provide an excellent opportunity to meet the global industry in one location.
According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), the domestic textile and garment industry is expected to sustain export growth in the coming months as many textile and garment companies had signed contracts to produce export products in the third quarter of this year.
Many Vietnamese garment firms had also sustained high growth in traditional markets such as the United States, the Republic of Korea, the European Union, and member-states of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
A series of recently-signed free trade agreements (FTAs) was expected to further boost the sector.
Vietnam, since 2001, had signed bilateral trade agreements with the US, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and India, and joined the World Trade Organisation.
However, global demand for textiles and apparel only grew by 1 to 2 per cent each year, resulting in fierce competition.
In the first four months of 2017, Vietnam’s export value of textiles and garments was up 15.7 per cent year on year. The country’s total exports in the four months were up 23 per cent from a year ago.
Exports of textiles and garments from Vietnam to Japan were 20 per cent higher than the same period last year, accounting for 13.3 per cent of the total export value. Similarly, exports to the Republic of Korea and China increased 15 per cent and 41 per cent respectively against the same period in 2017.
During the same period, exports to the European Union rose by 12 per cent while that to Asean increased 26 per cent.
Vietnam has trade relations with over 200 countries and territories around the world, and is gradually moving import-export markets from Asia to Europe and America. Its foreign trade increased fourfold from 2007 to 2014.
The country is focusing on developing other markets such as Asean, the Eurasian Economic Union, India and Latin American countries.
Enterprises are fully exploiting the working capacity of their workers as well as restructuring their management practices to improve labor productivity.
Vietnam is fast emerging as a major supplier of textiles and garments to the global market and the industry has become the second largest foreign exchange earner for the country.
A trade accord between Pakistan, China, and Vietnam could help claim 50 per cent share of the global textile market.
China’s share in world textile exports is 36 per cent. Vietnam contributes 12.4 per cent and Pakistan seven per cent. So a trilateral products’ specific agreement between the three countries can make a huge difference.
Pakistan’s regional competitors are upping the ante on textile exports to make inroads into more global markets, while Pakistan, which has almost fallen out of the competition, has even regressed in the worst possible ways owing to a number of crippling hurdles.
Bangladesh is eyeing 50 billion dollars worth of textile exports. India is targeting an increase of 30 billion dollars. Pakistan’s total exports have decreased from 25 billion dollars to 20 billion dollars in which the textile sector’s share is 61 per cent.
Pakistan is the only country in the region that has seen its total textile exports decline by ten per cent between 2011 and 2018. Problems faced by the textile sector include the high cost of doing business, multiple taxes and surcharges, low production of cotton bales, limited supply of raw materials, and power and energy shortages.
Pakistan’s textile exports rose 7.2 per cent during the first eight months of the current fiscal year.
The Source Denim section of Fashion SVP aims to support the growing London denim community by offering both a national and international platform for all denim lovers in its coming edition June 26-27 in London
It will host a number of international denim manufacturers including; Soorty, Siddiqsons, Spy Denim, Marjomotex, Suryalakshimi, Hengfeng Weave, Nassa Denim, Neela Blue, Anubha Industries, GIFF Textile, KG Fabrics, Enkay, Billoomi, etc.
Source Denim will provide solutions and inspiration for raw denim, selvedge, non-selvedge, trend setting styles and craft denim and so many different washes and treatments, to chain-stitched, dyed, organic, ethical, sustainable and all types of designs.
The producers will offer a variety of services including full service and high quality CMT, specialist processes and fabric ranges, design and product development, complex garments, technical services and QC, and in-house services including washing, dyeing and garment testing.
In addition, Fashion SVP will also present Sourcing Briefing seminars, where leading speakers will discuss topics such as Future proofing for sustainable growth, Supporting a trail blazing brand, The new face of Denim – Innovation and future trends and more.
Fashion Station, where industry professionals will be sharing insight and tips on how to finance your business, career progression and legal issues that new and existing businesses might face.
The Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission (UGC) n cooperation with Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ ) are jointly implementing a project to reduce the skill gap of mid-level managers in the country’s textile and Readymade Garments (RMG) sector.
The project, titled “German-Bangladesh Higher Education Network for Sustainable Textiles (HEST), has developed three university partnerships among four German and eight Bangladeshi universities.
The four German universities are Hof University of Applied Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Dresden University of Technology, and University of Stuttgart. The eight Bangladeshi universities include Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Asian University for Women, Bangladesh University of Textiles, BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, North South University, Notre Dame University Bangladesh and University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.
The HEST project will play a vital role in reducing the skill gap of the textile industry besides addressing the sustainability challenges of higher education.
Karl Mayer has been operating successfully in the Chinese woven glass fabric market with its sizing and warping machines.
Buyers include existing customers, who are expanding or upgrading their capacity, but also companies that are new to the woven glass fabric sector.
Woven glass fabrics are mainly used as the carrier material in the production of copper clad laminates.
Karl Mayer owes its success in the glass market to its sophisticated warp preparation process. This process uses the principle of single-end sizing: the yarns are taken off from bobbins, fed through the sizing bath, dried, and wound onto beams. These are then assembled to produce warp beams for weaving. The company can supply the right machine technology for every processing stage.
The warp preparation sequence for processing glass can be adapted flexibly to suit the intended end-use, especially in terms of the tension regulation and the arrangement of the drying zone. For example, the number of drying cylinders can be varied as a function of the yarn count.
A machine for processing extremely fine glass yarns was successfully installed in February 2018. Experience with processing these fine yarns was also gained during a project that involved the upgrading and modification of older machines.
Karl Mayer is a warp knitting machinery manufacturer.
