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Bangladesh is going to the International Labor Conference in Geneva with the draft copy of amended labor laws to satisfy the international community. The country has introduced changes to the draft of the labor law as per the recommendations of international communities like the ILO, the EU and the US to improve labor rights in the country.
Changes to the labor law have been brought in mainly in two areas. Now, an association of 20 per cent of the workers in a factory is sufficient to form an union instead of 30 per cent.
Second, officials of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments would be able to visit and inspect the factories housed inside the Export Processing Zones. Previously this was not possible. With the current amended labor law that was adopted in July 2013 after the Rana Plaza building collapse, it was difficult to collect the consent of 30 per cent workers of a factory to form a trade union. Since then, only 625 trade unions have been formed in the garment sector, a paltry number.
As a result, the international community, particularly rights groups, lobbied to lower the threshold to a reasonable level so that unions can be formed easily. So 20 per cent was agreed to in consultation with the tripartite committee.
Yeşim Textile has earned the right to have internationally valid Authorized Economic Operator status. Yeşim Textile is the 228th company to obtain this document, thus proving its credibility by documenting that it fulfills the requirements of the legislation. This document, given to companies that have no adverse situation with respect to customs legislation and whose commercial records are reliable and traceable, offers a great advantage in speeding customs clearance.
The Authorised Economic Operator allows companies to easily control their own products and to make their transactions go faster. This document also provides the opportunity to make all customs transactions faster than other firms, reduce transaction costs and gain extra time. It also makes a positive contribution to the competitiveness of companies. Companies that can easily benefit from the privileges granted in countries where this certificate is valid are also beneficial in increasing cooperation with suppliers and reducing the uncertainties that may arise regarding shipments.
"New Zealand has come under the scanner of faking ‘Made in NZ’ tag when a leading media house did some checking. Stats show, New Zealand imported 10.6 million cotton T-shirts from Bangladesh last year, with an average value of $2.95 each. Outdoor clothing firm Macpac moved its manufacturing from Christchurch to China, Vietnam and the Philippines in 2003. As Nadia Scott, Marketing Manager, Macpac, says the brand had to take the decision to move production overseas when global demand for its products began to outstrip what it could supply with a New Zealand labour force. They took the time to research options and assess alternatives, and found manufacturing partners who are highly skilled. They can produce volumes that the company is unable to match in New Zealand with the limited availability of skilled machinists."
New Zealand has come under the scanner of faking ‘Made in NZ’ tag when a leading media house did some checking. Stats show, New Zealand imported 10.6 million cotton T-shirts from Bangladesh last year, with an average value of $2.95 each. Outdoor clothing firm Macpac moved its manufacturing from Christchurch to China, Vietnam and the Philippines in 2003. As Nadia Scott, Marketing Manager, Macpac, says the brand had to take the decision to move production overseas when global demand for its products began to outstrip what it could supply with a New Zealand labour force. They took the time to research options and assess alternatives, and found manufacturing partners who are highly skilled. They can produce volumes that the company is unable to match in New Zealand with the limited availability of skilled machinists.
Justifying the tag, she added most manufacturing companies work with or own factories around the world, often with plants in multiple countries, however the company identifies with the market where its products are designed, and where its senior management is based, driving the company's strategy and direction.
Fashion designer Dame Trelise Cooper points out her fashion brand had been manufacturing garments in New Zealand for 35 years. Currently, Trelise
Cooper makes most samples and small volume runs in New Zealand. They employ multiple contractors throughout the Auckland region and employ 120 staff in New Zealand, many of whom make garments in-house, pattern making, cutting, machining and hand finishing. Around 54 per cent of its clothing was manufactured in China, 32 per cent in New Zealand, 11 per cent in India, 3 per cent in South Korea and 0.01 per cent in Bangladesh.
Similarly Icebreaker’s most clothing factories are located in China but it also has some in Bangladesh, Vietnam, America and Italy. Boutique fashion brand Ricochet said its garments were made in Auckland by its design and production team, with the exception of its knitwear which is produced in China. A Ricochet spokeswoman said the company bought production back to New Zealand in 2009 when it purchased the company from previous owners. Under previous ownership, production was based offshore, but after taking over the brand in 2009, it bought the production back to New Zealand. Since then, they manufacture everything in New Zealand except knitwear.
Many brands, similar opinions
Australian fashion company Cotton On’s clothing is made in Bangladesh and China since inception. Clothing sold at its other retail brands Cotton On Kids, Cotton on Body, Supré and Factorie is also made in Bangladesh and China. A spokeswoman for Karen Walker said its garments were produced in China and New Zealand. It has six ‘ready to wear’ suppliers in China, located in Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi and the Zhejiang province and one in Auckland. According to Karen Walker, marketing manager, Jiali Yang, the company’s suppliers are boutique-sized and have between one and 94 employees each. They deliver premium product in small runs as desired.
Yang said many brands who produced locally and used the ‘Made in New Zealand’ tags thought their systems were ethical but many did not know where their fabrics and add-ons came from. Over the past two years, they have traced all 11 fabric mills that supply fabric to them and the brand will continue to only work with fabric mills that are traceable. Its fabrics were produced in China, Italy, France, New Zealand, Japan and Korea and its suppliers were prohibited from sourcing fabric from stock markets.
Designer Annah Stretton said between 70 and 80 per cent of its clothing was made in China. The company took manufacturing to China in 2007 before that, they were a completely ‘Made in NZ’ brand. According to her, manufacturing cost in China are very similar to New Zealand, in fact they are sometimes higher given the volatility of the US dollar, so this wasn't a cost thing for her, it was an availability challenge that they had to solve.
Handbag company Deadly Ponies, which employs 42 local workers, said its accessories were designed in its Auckland workroom and around 60 per cent of its products were manufactured in New Zealand, ‘dependent on the season’, and the rest in France, India, China and Italy. Steven Boyd, MD, Deadly Ponies, stated that certain machines are not available in New Zealand and also production volume restrictions compelled them to move offshore. Boyd felt that it was fair for companies to promote themselves as local if its products were manufactured overseas.
"FIMAST, the much-awaited trade show for hosiery and knitting machinery, will be held from May 30 to June 2, 2018 at Brescia in Italy. The exhibition will showcase latest technological trends and ideas in the production of socks and hosiery throughout the supply chain. The show will be attended by most renowned manufacturers of socks and hosiery.Sina Filati, an Italian leader in high-quality yarns for the hosiery, knitwear and underwear segments, as well as for the seamless, weaving and ribbon industries will showcase products at the exhibiton. Nytex, an Italian yarn producer for hosiery and underwear will present a wide range of synthetic yarns at the exhibition. Founded in the 1960s, Nytex operates in both national and European textiles markets, combining Italian tradition and cutting-end technology."
The upcoming months are likely to be busy for socks and hosiery manufacturers with numerous trade shows lined up.
Trade shows to enhance business
FIMAST, the much-awaited trade show for hosiery and knitting machinery, will be held from May 30 to June 2, 2018 at Brescia in Italy. The exhibition will showcase latest technological trends and ideas in the production of socks and hosiery throughout the supply chain. The show will be attended by most renowned manufacturers of socks and hosiery.
Sina Filati, an Italian leader in high-quality yarns for the hosiery, knitwear and underwear segments, as well as for the seamless, weaving and ribbon industries will showcase products at the exhibiton. Nytex, an Italian yarn producer for hosiery and underwear will present a wide range of synthetic yarns at the exhibition. Founded in the 1960s, Nytex operates in both national and European textiles markets, combining Italian tradition and cutting-end technology.
Sandonini, an Italian company that reconditions and upgrades used socks, hosiery and seamless machines, will present its latest developments, including
the 3D knitted shoe uppers, at the upcoming show. Ratti Luino, a textile machinery producer based in Varese, will present its latest innovations in twisting technology for natural silk, continuous artificial and synthetic filaments.
Unique experiences
Other show organisers are also gearing up to offer visitors unique industry experience. For instance, London’s biggest festival of fashion, Pure London, has collaborated with Thea Speechley to fast track the show’s sourcing and manufacturing section Pure Origin. Held at Olympia London alongside Pure London and Pure Man, will host over 70 manufacturers from the UK and around the world.
Eurovet is launching an ambitious programme at Unique by Mode City in Paris from July 7 to 9, 2018 under Paris-Moscow Express, designed for Russian buyers and brands interested in these markets.
Driven by strong spending on part of its consumers, apparel retailer Urban Outfitters Inc reported first-quarter profit and sales that handily beat analysts’ estimates.
Offering fewer discounts as well as investing more on its website helped the company boost its sales and margins which rose to 32.8 percent from 31.5 percent a year earlier.
All brands under the Urban Outfitter umbrella, including Anthropologie and Free People, posted better-than-expected same-store sales growth in the quarter ended April 30.
According to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, sales at stores open at least a year rose by 10 percent in the first quarter, beating analysts expectations for a 8.8 percent rise. Its net income rose to $41.3 million, or 38 cents per share, in the quarter ended April 30, from $11.9 million. Excluding items, the company earned 38 cents per share. Net sales rose 12.4 percent to $855.7 million. Analysts had expected the company to earn 31 cents per share on revenue of $838.1 million.
However, its shares declined by about 1.5 percent at $40.60 in after-market trading. The company expects to post second-quarter same-store sales growth “fairly consistent” with the first quarter.
Yarn Fabric & Accessories (YFA) will be held in Ludhiana, August 30 to September 1.
This is Ludhiana’s first ever exhibition of fibers, yarns, fabrics and accessories. It aims at redefining the way fiber, yarn, fabric and apparel accessories are sourced. It will bring renowned suppliers from these four segments closer to buyers and also offer buyers a one-stop place to source all their requirements.
The show is a gateway for companies to enter the attractive and lucrative north Indian market and grab a slice of the ever-growing market for textiles and apparels. It is taking place in a northern region of India, which is one of the biggest Indian hubs for manufacturing textiles and apparel.
In order that exhibitors get full advantage during the course of the three-day show, the organizers have also planned several B2B meetings between exhibitors and visitors and have also invited business delegations from various parts of the country.
Ludhiana and its surrounding area is the headquarters for several renowned Indian and global apparel brands and also home to thousands of knitting, spinning and weaving units as well as garment manufacturing units.
Exhibitors will have access to the most exclusive buyers ever seen in any other exhibition of this category.
Wrinkling is one of the most common flaws in textile composites, which are widely used for prototypes, as well as mass production within prominent aerospace, energy, automotive and marine applications.
Composite textiles are changing the way products are designed and built in advanced manufacturing sectors.Textile composites are known for their strength and durability. But a simple wrinkle in the manufacturing process can significantly alter the end product--sometimes diminishing its strength by 50 per cent.
Researchers have investigated several de-wrinkling methods and have discovered that they can improve their effectiveness by pulling the materials in two directions simultaneously during the manufacturing process.
They did this by creating a custom-made biaxial fixture--a clamp that stretches the textile taut and removes unwanted bumps and folds. The challenge was to avoid unwanted fiber misalignment or fiber rupture while capturing the out-of-plane wrinkles.
It is important for designers to be able to predict the right amount of force needed to diminish the wrinkles in the final product.
A multi-step test has been devised to assess the magnitude of the required forces needed to smooth out wrinkles of different sizes that were formed at different shear angles of a comingled fiberglass-propylene plain weave fabric.
Invista is upgrading its manufacturing technology and increasing production of adiponitrile (ADN), a key ingredient for nylon 6.6 fibers and plastics.
The new technology brings improved product yields, reduced energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, enhanced process stability and reduced capital intensity, compared to existing technologies.
Invista has received strong interest from customers and others in the value chain seeking to participate in building a new ADN plant in China.
As the world’s leading supplier for ADN, Invista supports growth and innovation in the nylon industry by continually investing in research and development, including the continued improvement of its ADN technology.
Invista, based in the United States, is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers, fibers, fabrics, resins, chemical intermediates, and specialty chemicals for commercial, residential, automotive, and industrial customers. The company offers premium fibers and fabrics for apparel, swimwear, active wear, denim, sweaters, and leg wear; carpet fiber for commercial carpet, as well as carpet and rugs for home; automotive flooring, airbags, and upholstery products; and products for applications, such as daypacks, outdoor gear, luggage, and outdoor wear.
It also provides polymers and plastics, nylon polymers, and engineering polymers; chemical intermediates for nylon, spandex, and polyester applications.
The campaign launch of Gap’s new product category Wearlight Denim shows enthusiastic wearers of the 2018 summer line bouncing around a set at all angles, giving the appearance of light, airy and carefree – the optimism of summer.
Wearlight Denim was developed by Gap in partnership with Yard NYC.
Yard NYC explored the many facets of lightness, highlighting how light summer can feel when you’re free to play any way you want. The agency showcased the novelty of Wearlight and the optimistic sensibility of Gap. Using a custom-built set, where trampolines were built into the space, the shoot brought the world of Wearlight Denim to life. Performers move effortlessly as they float, jump and drop from the all-white set.
Yard NYC also shot behind-the-scenes footage of the campaign, showcasing the complexity and creativity of the whole production. The amount of talent, coordination and effort to develop this campaign is evident as the cast practices bouncing off the trampolines and works with the choreographer to perfect the movements. This campaign was done in camera with no special effects, demanding exceptional strength and talent from the performers.
Gap is one of the world's most iconic apparel and accessories brands and the authority on American casual style.
According to the The Indonesian Textile Association (API) of West Java, The US dollar exchange rate has not affected the textile market due to rising export values even though the raw materials are still imported.
The rate increase is considered within reasonable limits, where the dollar is estimated to be looking for new equilibrium figures. The last dollar exchange rate was recorded at Rp14,000 / USD.
Majority of large textile industries in West Java export products with only a few raw materials such as cotton and spinner machinery being imported.
"For the textile industry sold in the country, the market is also quite good, especially Lebaran and the political year so it will not be affected significantly, Majalaya sarong craftsmen for example, now the demand is quite good. Support with the previous stock of sarong to accumulate," Jabar API Secretary General, Kevin Hartanto said.
He hopes the rupiah exchange rate against the dollar does not go down. "The important thing is not to volatile, if it goes down, that will be a problem, because now the margin industry is getting thinner, so we are difficult to determine the price. It will be inflation, "he added
