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Demand for textile products made from synthetic fibers will grow by an average of 3.7 per cent per annum over 2015 and 2025 whereas consumer demand for cotton textile products will grow by only 0.2 per cent per annum. The rise in the share of non-cotton textile products reflects a significant increase in the share of textile products made from synthetic fibers. In fact, this share rose in each of the ten years to 2016 and is expected to rise further in 2017.
One reason for the rise in share is an improvement in the competitiveness of synthetic fiber prices compared with the prices of other fibers. The average price of polyester staple fiber, for instance, fell at a double digit rate in 2016 for the third consecutive year to its lowest level since 1974.
The average price of cotton, by contrast, rose in 2016 and this made cotton less competitive. In fact, 2016 was the fourth consecutive year in which the average price of cotton rose relative to the average price of synthetic fibers. However, there continues to be a preference for cotton products in industrialised countries whow account for almost 50 per cent of global consumer demand for cotton textile products.
Kingpins Amsterdam held from October 25 to 26, 2017 focused on sustainability. The first steps toward a cleaner denim industry took place where mills, fiber companies, trim suppliers and industry influencers shared a common theme: sustainability. Trims supplier Metalbottoni introduced a revolutionary jeans button entirely made in copper. The no impact, no chemical button uses copper for all three pieces which can then be recycled.
Brazilian mill Canatiba introduced a new line of fabrics called Kinder Dye, which reacts differently to chemical and physical treatments, allowing brands to purchase one fabric and achieve a multitude of effects. The cost-effective product line’s name takes inspiration from the chocolate egg with a surprise inside.
Naveena has partnered with sustainability technology firm Jeanologia to produce thirst-free H2NO denim. The sustainable technology uses air to reproduce ozone gas conditions to give fabric a worn-in, authentic appearance. This is the first time ozone is being used on the garment side of the denim process.
More people than ever asked about Lenzing’s sustainable products at the show. Lenzing saw more garment makers and laundries stop by its booth for sustainable design inspiration. The company’s latest capsule collection showcases Lenzing’s new product Refibra. In April 2018, Kingpins Amsterdam will dedicate a larger space for six to ten companies that are doing something exceptional with sustainability.
Garden Silk Mills is one of India’s leading manmade fiber-based textile companies. It is a vertically integrated manufacturer of a wide range of polyester chips, polyester filament yarns, preparatory yarns, woven (grey) fabric as well as dyed and printed saris and dress materials.
The company’s emphasis on increased product differentiation, along with better operational efficiencies, improved utilisation, timely exports and careful working capital management, has helped it to remain highly competitive and improve profitability at the operating level.
Garden has emerged as a leader in specialty chips for the polyester film industry as well as in cationic, fine denier, melange, mother yarn, nylon and spandex-based yarns. It has achieved very high performance levels in its polymerization plants leading to historically low heating costs and the highest first quality percentage on record.
Despite constantly challenging the yarn divisions with new products to be optimized, efficiency levels were very high at all its spinning and processed yarn divisions during FY17. The cost of power and fuel was reduced on account of slightly lower coal prices as compared to the previous year and improvements made in the thermic-fluid heating systems.
The company appears well positioned in its specialty chip, yarn and fabric businesses. The emphasis is on expanding its market share in differentiated products.
Mirza Salman Ispahani from Bangladesh is president of the International Cotton Association (ICA). He is the first spinner and buyer to be elected head of the global trade body and will remain in the position until 2018. Ispahani is chairman of the Pahartali Textile and Hosiery Mills. A barrister he is a former president and founder vice president of Chittagong Stock Exchange.
ICA is the world’s leading international cotton trade association and arbitral body which was formed in 1841 in UK when a group of cotton brokers created a set of bylaws and rules to help regulate the sale and purchase of raw cotton. At present, about 90 per cent of the world’s cotton is traded internationally under the bylaws and rules of ICA. It has over 550 members who represent all sectors of the supply chain. The ICA offers arbitration, training, trade and networking events, plus cotton testing and research.
He will build on this and encourage ever more transparency and closer liaison with ICA’s important growing markets in Vietnam, Indonesia and the sub-continent. He plans to expand the reach of ICA and feels there is a need for continued strategic operations and innovation at ICA.
The International Apparel and Textile Fair is being held in Dubai from November 1 to 3, 2017. The Indian pavilion comprises 51 leading manufacturers and exporters of textile and apparel who are into various product categories including: men’s wear, kids’ wear, high fashion women’s wear, technical textiles etc. They represent the best of what India is offering to the world in the textile industry.
India’s exports to the UAE during 2015-16 was 22.7 per cent of India’s garment exports to the world. Indian companies and businesses have benefited from leveraging Dubai’s position as a supply market to the Gulf and other regions. India is the UAE’s largest trading partner with exports in 2016 touchin $32 billion.
The products offered at the exhibition will be a supply base for UAE garment manufacturers. The unique proposition for both India and the UAE is that both have a well developed textile and clothing industry which can complement each other in faster growth. India has a huge export potential especially in categories such as women’s wear, kids’ wear, knitwear, home furnishings and technical textiles used in the construction industry, agriculture, medicine etc. We are in a position to promote ‘Brand India’ in the UAE and other markets in the region.
Every year, H&M burns up to 12 tons of unsold clothing. The brand says it does this if the pieces involved do not fulfill safety regulations, are mould infested, do not fulfill H&M’s strict chemical requirements or contain harmful levels of chemical products or abnormal rates of humidity.
The Swedish brand is determined that such products should not under any circumstances be either sold to customers or recycled. It says its chemical regulations go further than the law demands as it wants customers to feel totally safe while using its products. The brand also outlines what happens to its unsold merchandise: Products stopped for other reasons than health and safety are either donated to charity organisations or re-used through re-use/recycling companies.
Those products in stores that are not sold at full price are sold at a reduced price through sales. H&M also actively moves garments to stores or markets where it sees a greater demand or stores them for the next season. At a last resort, it considers external buyers of its overstock. H&M is investing significantly in the supply chain, such as in new logistics solutions with greater levels of automation, but also in optimising its lead times.
Ginning mills in Telangana have been urged to help cotton growers. Cotton growers in the state have been finding it difficult to get a fair deal because of record production this year. Now mills will be given incentives to step up cotton purchases from farmers in the market.
An exclusive delint and solvent industrial park will be set up in the state if ginning mill owners come forward and invest. A budget of Rs 1,200 crores has been allocated by Telangana’s textile sector for 2017-18. Some industrial parks will also be established with housing for workers and staff proposed within the textile parks. Telangana has achieved a year on year growth of 10.1 per cent in gross state domestic product as compared to the national average of 7.1 per cent in financial year ’17. The state has also been ranked first for ease of doing business reforms for 2015-16 by the World Bank.
Telangana is in the process of formulating a textile and apparel policy that contemplates waiver of personal loans of handloom weavers. Fresh loans are proposed to be given at three per cent interest. Subsidies will be given for capital investment and purchase of equipment by entrepreneurs. Tax incentives and power subsidies are being examined.
Singapore Fashion Week (SGFW) was held from October 26 to 28, 2017. This edition veered away from a full-on focus on runway shows and introduced a series of fashion technology talks. More than 20 speakers discussed ideas and issues revolving around digital marketing, developments in technology and the changing face of retail, as well as how all of these could impact the fashion industry.
Some common themes throughout the talks were on: the impact of disruptive technology on the fashion industry, brands in an omni-channel world and how investors see fashion developments in artificial intelligence might change the industry, how the new face of marketing involves striving to use data intelligently and the role of digital influencers in marketing.
The talk on ‘Zipcode’, attracted around 500 participants. Speakers included local clothing labels Love, Bonito's co-founder Rachel Lim, who discussed her online and offline retail experiences; Goldman Sachs' Southeast Asian head of media and technology investment banking Andy Tai, who shared his thoughts on what investors are looking for; New York designer Jason Wu, who showed his spring 2018 collection and spoke about how he started his eponymous label, adapting to the many ways in which fashion is viewed and consumed, including online, and how he thought designers could make their runway shows stand out.
Some 150 garment manufacturing plants in the Delhi-NCR region have been hit by a Supreme Court order banning the use of petroleum coke and furnace oil. This has come at a time when exports peak due to big demand. Around 80 per cent of exports happen between November and March, as this is the festive season in international markets.
The Delhi-NCR belt is one of the country’s top textile manufacturing hubs. It is home to around 1,000 exporters that supply garments to many international companies, including Inditex (owner of Zara) and Walmart. The ban has been imposed due to environmental reasons. The companies have filed a petition seeking more time to move to alternate fuel systems. One of the options is to use piped natural gas, which is three times more expensive than pet coke and requires a capital investment of Rs 2 to Rs 4 crores per plant.
India’s apparel exports are expected to increase on the back of demand from EU and US markets. Along with Cambodia and Vietnam, the country has emerged as a top sourcing hub for global fashion brands as steep labor costs and compliance issues have plagued sourcing hubs such as China and Bangladesh.
The College of Fashion and Design (CFD) in Dubai is a comprehensive fashion design and fashion business management college.
It strives to enrich and empower creative and entrepreneurial minds to fashion their future. It promotes a learning environment, fostering research and stimulating innovation to empower students.
With world-class infrastructure and facilities, state-of-the-art technology, experienced global faculty, multi-cultural student base, international curriculum and ambitious growth plans, CFD offers students exceptional career opportunities in the ever evolving and progressive world of fashion and design. The curriculum boasts of a rigorous academic framework designed around limitless creativity.
It imparts a global perspective, fosters creativity and transforms artists into professionals. The courses offered are tailored to develop technical and intellectual abilities while helping students master the fundamentals of design.
The faculty comprises award winning scholars who are actively associated with the fashion industry. They impart industry insights and contexts offering experiential learning to the students. The mentoring program is further accentuated with regular visits by industry veterans who share their creative insights, success formulae and real-life experiences.
CFD is the only institution providing global programs accredited by the ministry of education, UAE.
