FW
Leading apparel retailers like Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Patagonia and Phillips-Van Heusen have taken steps against cotton from Uzbekistan entering their supply chain to protest against forced labour practices in the country. A survey named ‘Cotton Sourcing Snapshot: A Survey of Corporate Practices to End Forced Labor’, of 49 apparel and home goods firms released by the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) looked at what the companies are doing to identify risks, establish policies, implement procedures, and disclose practices to eliminate and prevent incidents of forced labour in cotton harvesting. Evaluations covered 11 indicators across policy, public disclosure, engagement, and implementation and auditing.
While only five companies scored over 50 points, 19 scored under 25 points, and two companies scored zero. Among those with the lowest rankings were Costco, Forever 21 and Sears, with All Saints and Urban Outfitters coming last according to the report.
The report found that only 2 per cent of companies surveyed fully disclose progress and/or challenges with their strategies on Uzbek cotton, and only 6 per cent have fully implemented a traceability or spinner verification program.
Of those that do implement best practices, 18.5 per cent are involved in spinner efforts individually or through another initiative; 16 per cent provide training and require their suppliers/spinners to abide by their policies; an additional 8 per cent also include this in their supplier contracts; and 12 per cent have independent third-party audits of their spinners/mills.
www.sourcingnetwork.org
Two investment licenses have been granted by the Ho Chi Minh city Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority in Vietnam that will lead to the construction of two apparel complexes worth nearly $200 million. The investments are spurred by duty-free opportunities that would eventually be offered from the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade treaty with countries including Canada and the US.
The first will see Gain Lucky Limited, a Vietnamese subsidiary of China’s leading textile and garment maker Shenzhou International Group, build a $140 million apparel complex in the Dong Nam industrial park near Ho Chi Minh. The complex will include a design centre and manufacturing facilities producing high-quality apparel. The Hong Kong stock exchange listed Shenzhou International Group currently supplies goods for international brands including Puma, Nike, Adidas, Mizuno, Fila and Uniqlo.
The second license has been given to Taiwanese water sports apparel maker Sheico Group, which is to invest $50 million in a facility at the same industrial park. This complex will extend from fabric production to sewing lines, and will employ around 3,550 local workers.
C.L.A.S.S. has once more joined hands with NICE and the Danish Fashion Institute to be their official materials partner for textiles at the 3rd edition of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in April this year. This event is known as the leading and largest conference dedicated to all the key issues relating to sustainable fashion on a global scale.
C.L.A.S.S. and NICE have worked well together since 2009, because of their common objectives and philosophy, as well as their understanding of bringing innovation and sustainability to the fashion industry. These projects help facilitate a more responsible way fashion brands and designers can acquire materials and processes.
In December 2013, during an exchange workshop titled ‘The Design Challenge in Copenhagen’, new designers selected fabrics and materials from the C.L.A.S.S. eco-library. The seven designers who participated included Remix, Barbara I Gongini, Gudrun & Gudrun, Marimekko, Nina Skarra, The Local firm and Leila Hafzi. These designers will next present their vision of sustainability on the conference catwalk in Copenhagen, and Giusy Bettoni will be part of the Design Challenge Jury to select the best and overall winner of this year’s event.
Fabric Source, the first Nordic sustainable fabric platform, created for the fashion and textile industry commenced on February 24. The aim is to prove that fashion can be sustainable without compromising design, price and quality. C.L.A.S.S. is the main partner of the event. It has brought its knowledge and eco-library into the new platform. C.L.A.S.S. product categories available at the Fabric Source will include the whole range from natural and organic textiles, to recycled fabrics and innovative renewables.
Pakistan's textile exports to China are in the form of low value-added fabric and yarn. China transforms the product into a higher value-added form. There has been a slowdown in Chinese demand for yarn and fabrics but Pakistan has made up for it in the value-added segment by increasing exports to European Union on the back of its new GSP Plus status. Pakistan’s yarn exports to China dropped 8.6 million kg. The country exported 43.41 million sq. mtr less fabric in January 2014 compared to January 2013.
In the value added segment, Pakistan’s exports of knitwear to EU jumped by 16 per cent between January 2013 to January 2014. Exports of bed wear increased 8.8 per cent and readymade garment exports were up 8.4 per cent. Had exports to China been normal, textile exports would have posted an overall gain of 15 per cent in January this year, over exports made during the corresponding month of the last year.
The uptrend in value-added exports shows that GSP Plus is positively impacting Pakistan. The country’s textile industry is now gearing up to capitalise on the GSP Plus status. Since the time Pakistan has got GSP, the number of summary orders has been rising.
As per figures released by the economics department at ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, orders for textile machinery rose during the fourth quarter of 2013. It shows a 5 per cent increase compared to the previous quarter. However, on the domestic side, orders fell by 15 per cent, due to a highly critical situation for the Italian market. Exports rose by 7 per cent over the previous quarter, and remain the main growth driver for Italian manufacturers.
On an annual basis, due to the poor performance in domestic market, the overall index declined by 4 per cent compared to the 2012 average. On the export side, after a declining third quarter, sales picked up in the fourth quarter. Although they include only the first ten months of the year, the foreign trade data provided by ISTAT confirm a slight drop compared to the previous year.
To support and boost Italian textile machinery manufacturers in their global processes, ICE, Italian Trade Agency for the promotion and globalization of Italian businesses abroad, together with ACIMIT, have planned an intense promotional campaign for the industry in 2014. Promotional initiatives for Italy’s textile machinery sector will be held in 16 countries, including China and India, as well as nations and markets which already present potential business opportunities for Italian machinery builders, such as Ethiopia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.
www.acimit.it
www.itatrade.com
For the first time, five global clothing brands and retailers have raised $40 million (over Rs 247 crores) for victims of the Rana Plaza factory disaster in Bangladesh. Activists are further campaigning to put pressure on other brands to gather funds for donations. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh on April 24 last year killed over 1,100 workers and was the deadliest disaster in the history of the garment industry. It attracted global attention to the unsafe working conditions in some Bangladeshi factories, the rock-bottom wages earned by workers, and the lack of accountability and oversight on the part of importing global brands.
The companies, who have raised funds to donate include El Corte Inglés, Inditex, which includes the brand Zara, Loblaw Mango and Mascot. Now labour groups are pressurizing companies like Walmart, Children's Place and Benetton, which were linked to Rana Plaza tragedy. International Labour Organisation, which is managing the fund, has established formulas and a claims process had been established to pay lost wages, medical bills and other compensation to roughly 4,000 victims, including survivors of the factory collapse, who were injured and the families of the dead.
Two other retailers, Primark and Bonmarché, have expressed their intent to contribute, and Primark has already spent more than 3 million dollars for short-term assistance to victims. But activists insist that those not linked directly to Rana Plaza, must also pitch in.
shop.mango.com
At INDEX 2014, Switzerland which starts from April 8 to 11, 2014, Freudenberg Nonwovens will focus on individual solutions from advanced wound care to sun protection. Freudenberg has 30 years experience in the medical sector and presents a comprehensive portfolio for traditional wound care, complemented by solutions for ostomy applications. In addition the focus is on innovations, such as antibacterial finishing to the use of chitosan fibers in combination with hydro-active nonwovens for advanced wound care products.
In the hygiene segment, Freudenberg offers ultra light and skin friendly top sheets, back sheets and acquisition distribution layers for baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence applications. These nonwovens are comfortable thanks to the cotton like structure. Special solutions such as eco friendly ADLs complete the product portfolio for the hygiene segment.
Freudenberg has developed an ultra light product variant of Evolon with a 3D structure, a material with an soft touch and high volume, with additional cleaning efficiency of a microfilament cloth. The general purpose microfilament is used both for wet and dry applications -- for surface treatment of cars, in professional cleaning, as well as in the consumer sector as LCD wet wipes or for cosmetic wipes. Evolon has an ultraviolet protection factor of 80. So it’s an interesting option for textile manufacturers, makers of sunshades, awnings etc.
Freudenberg Nonwovens is one of the world’s largest producers of nonwovens, with 21 manufacturing and processing sites in 13 countries.
www.index14.ch/, www.freudenberg-nw.com/
In a move, which the company claims to be not politically motivated, Gaps Chairman and CEO, Glenn Murphy has raised the minimum hourly wage rate for stateside employees from $7.25 dollars to $9 dollars in June 2014. This would be further revised to $10 a year later. Recently, the White House had said that the minimum wage for federal contract workers would be raised to $10.10 an hour in 2015. President Obama has applauded the Gap move in a statement, stating a minimum wage increase would lift the incomes of more than 16 million Amherican workers.
According to the company, the increase in hourly wage rate would affect 65,000 employees by 2015. But it also said that not all these workers are currently earning the minimum wage. Murphy believes that the current wage hike is with an aim to strengthen frontline employees to further enhance an in-store experience. Gap employs 1,35,000 employees across 50 countries and currently owns six brands, including Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta and Intermix.
On the other hand, Walmart, the largest retailer and private employer in the United States has decided to stay ‘neutral’ on the wage issue since it already pays most full-time employees above 10.10 dollars (Rs 626.9). However, as per the recent report by nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, increasing wages to 10.10 dollars would result in the loss of 500,000 jobs.
www.walmart.com
Invistas cordura Naturalle fabrics featured among ISPO Textrends Top 10 winners in membranes and outer layer categories at ISPO Munich. Developed as a forum focusing on fabric and accessory trends for the outdoor sports apparel and equipment market, ISPO Textrends Forum has become a global showplace to provide designers and product developers the latest innovations in performance fabric technology.
The lightweight, breathable and waterproof Naturalle fabric selected by the Textrends is a three-layer laminate stretch ripstop. A Hua Mao stretch dobby Naturalle fabric was also recognized as a Top 10 winner in the outer layer category, which showcases lightweight but ultra-resistant woven, stretch, waterproof, windproof and multi-layer fabrics for exceptional protection against the elements.
For Textrends at ISPO Munich 2014, fabrics and accessories were submitted by textile mills and brands for a chance to be included in the top 10 of their respective categories. An assembly of sportswear industry professionals including designers, trend experts and journalists reviewed all the submissions and evaluated each one independently on six different criteria: performance, hand, creativity, innovation, eco-sustainability, and best multi-function.
munich.ispo.com/
The US and Australian cotton industries new Cotton LEADS program is working to recapture market share for cotton against synthetic fibers. Cotton producers may soon be called in to help in that effort with their time and knowledge. The first step in this process was to develop metrics to help support the work US cotton was doing in the area of sustainability. This includes everything from improving land use efficiency to water use efficiency, improving pesticide applications, soil erosion improvement as well as reduced energy use. This was combined with increased efforts in research capabilities, efforts in agricultural research as well as textile product care.
However, this wasn’t enough. Globally, US cotton interests were still encountering resistance. Thinking they needed a partner globally, the US cotton industry led by the National Cotton Council (NCC) and Cotton Incorporated and Cotton Council International (CCI) met with the Australian cotton industry. Their metrics were very similar to US metrics, with improvements in water use and pesticide applications.
The Americans gave the Australians a proposal to jointly promote their cotton in this arena, and called it ‘Cotton LEADS’. The ultimate goal was to have brands and retailers around the world accept US and Australian cotton as part of their sourcing strategies without going for costly certification.
www.cottonleads.org/
