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Erode-based Five P Venture India, and the Central Silk Board, based in Bangalore, entered a collaboration. Five P has introduced fibers such as linen, recycled cotton, Tencel and modal, and developed a variety of fabrics. With the board’s technical support, Five P will be able to develop new, niche products such as silk.
This collaboration could also help revive the heritage skills of handloom weavers in the Chennimalai belt. The Chennimalai handloom cluster in Tamil Nadu has so far not worked with any fiber other than cotton.
Making such value added products will not only take the company to the next level but also enhance the income of the handloom weaving community and improve their living standard. The company’s in-house brand ‘Nool By Hand’ was showcased at the Lakme Fashion Show, held during the Textiles India Fair. The apparel worn by men and women were made of handwoven organic cotton.
Chennimalai is noted for power looms and handlooms. But production has come down by 50 per cent due to frequent power cuts and load shedding. The increase in the prices of yarn has also affected production. The prices of 10-count yarn have increased considerably. Because of this, production cost has gone up.
Global digital textile printing equipment and ink sales are projected to grow 39 per cent by 2018. In the visual-communication sector, increased interest in printing on textiles seems to stem from key considerations; aesthetics and economics. As an alternative to PVC vinyl and rigid materials, printed textiles are versatile and appeal strongly to commercial customers. They typically find the softer, sleeker look and feel and more natural, fluid movement of textiles aesthetically appealing – whether for soft signage and graphics in retail, hospitality, or event environments.
Economic drivers are of course also influential; textile substrates can be less costly to store and transport, and can lend themselves more readily to re-use than rigid materials. This is attracting particular interest in the events industry, where stand designers and builders are seeing textile as a flexible, lightweight alternative that’s easier and cheaper to transport, construct, and de-mount.
The shift towards digital textile printing is also enabling new levels of customization and increased design complexity which – together with digital’s inherent just-in-time advantage – can be expected to fuel further growth. Garment production is another significant area of growth and migration from analog to digital production. Digitally produced garments are expected to become an important alternative to traditional screen printing within two years.
Italy-based Caron has more than 35 years of experience in design and production of fabric spreading and cutting machines for fashion apparel, furnishing and technical textiles. It has grown with padding sector companies, consolidating and exporting its know-how also in technical fabrics. The company’s products focus on a fluid and efficient production cycle, able to guarantee speed and perfection. Thanks to these cutting edge and price competitive equipments, Caron has succeeded in the Italian and international markets.
The company is a reliable partner to companies looking for customised, strong and precise solutions, with innovative systems that are able to optimise efficiency and performance. Production capacity is an average of 18 machines a month including spreaders, loaders, drawing lines and single ply feeders. The company caters to markets like Spain, Portugal, France, Mexico, Israel, Bangladesh, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania and Brazil.
Caron’s business in 2016 increased 25 per cent compared to the previous year. Today its turnover is 20 per cent of 2016’s business and the plan is to close the year at 30 per cent. Among its new innovations are a spreader and a loader. The spreader has a modern design and a strong and compact structure that guarantees fast spreading. The loader is expressly dedicated to the simple ply feeder. It helps to load heavy fabrics from the floor to the cradle of the feeder.
In 2016-17, Bangladesh's home textiles exports increased 6.13 per cent year-on-year. The country could have had a bigger share of the European home textile market if the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar were more favorable. Despite having a huge potential in home textiles, Bangladesh is unable to expand its market share in the European Union because of duty benefits extended to Pakistan, a cotton grower. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is a 100 per cent cotton importer.
All four major home textiles exporters -- China, Pakistan, Turkey and India -- have their own cotton. In December 2013, the 28-nation bloc granted Pakistan GSP Plus status for four years. The GSP Plus status allows 20 per cent of Pakistani exports, including home textiles, to enter the EU at zero duty and 70 per cent at preferential rates.
Bangladesh has been competing with Pakistan in the same market in the same product category, so it is difficult to perform better. Currently Bangladesh has only five major home textile makers and exporters. There are some small ones whose volume is still low. In 2016, of the EU’s home textile imports, China accounted for 33 per cent, Pakistan 25 per cent, Turkey 16 per cent and India 11 per cent. But Bangladesh’s share was seven to eight per cent.
Apparel Training and Design Centre has signed an MoU with the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED). The aim is to bridge the gap between the requirement and availability of a skilled workforce. The MoU aims at imparting employment- oriented training and encourages entrepreneurship through skill development. ATDC vocational institutes are a vital part of the skill development system for careers in apparel, fashion and textiles. It aims at helping students in learning the necessary skills required for a bright future.
The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), based in Gujarat, has been engaged in entrepreneurship development training and skill development since 1979. The concept behind the CED is to develop entrepreneurs in the urban as well as rural areas of Gujarat, who can establish their own manufacturing or service enterprises which in turn can aid in the economic growth of the state and also create employment opportunities for others.
Gujarat is one of the fastest developing textile apparel manufacturing clusters. ATDC has state -of-the-art infrastructure offering shop floor, supervisory and managerial skills to develop an industry- ready workforce. The ATDC under the aegis of the Apparel Export Promotion Council has emerged as India’s largest vocational training network for the apparel sector whose presence currently spans 200 ATDCs including 65 ATDC vocational institutes and over 135 ATDC- SMART centers and skill camps present in major apparel clusters spread across 23 states and 85 cities across India.
Levi Strauss & Co. has reported stronger sales, which only goes to show that denim is on a comeback trail. This is largely due to increased ad spending and high demand. Sales for the second quarter spiked 6 per cent to touch $1.07 billion, as against $1.01 billion in the same period last year, with direct-to-consumer revenues jumping 13 per cent. Net income fell 43 per cent to $18 million, as against $31 million in the same period of the prior year, primarily due to a loss related to debt refinancing.
The San Francisco-based company said increased advertising spending in the quarter, particularly in the Americas, and credits sales gains to its diversification efforts and product innovation such as its dance-stretchy jeans. The strong year-to-date revenue growth reinforces the benefits of a more balanced portfolio as women’s tops, direct-to-consumer and international businesses delivered solid results disclosed their CEO in an announcement.
Innovation—some new stylish or functional twist to trusty denims—seems to be the key to appealing to customers these days, according to latest analysis from the NPD Group. NPD reports that newer styles of women’s jeans—those introduced in the last two years—account for about 70 per cent of all the pants sold in 2016. For men, the majority of jeans were older styles introduced in 2013, or earlier.
Earlier this week True Religion Apparel known for its high-end denim range filed for bankruptcy protection largely due to the growing trend toward e-commerce and fashionistas’ desire for affordable denim from chains like H&M and Zara.
Cotton exports from the United States in the 11 months of 2016-17 marketing year, are running over 70 per cent ahead of the same period last year and is on track to reach 14.5 million bales, the second highest level on record. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cotton reports notes that the increase in exports is widely distributed across markets, with exports up in 20 of the 25 largest US markets.
Among the top 10 markets, only Mexico and Turkey have not exhibited robust growth. Mexico’s mill use has been declining and the US has a pre-existing near-100 per cent share of the import market, therefore export growth to Mexico is limited. Export growth in Turkey has been constrained by a much larger domestic crop which has reduced overall import demand by over 25 per cent.The increase in US exports represents a large increase in the US market share of Turkey’s imports.
Globally, strong US exports reflect improved market share in many markets, as the global consumption recovery has only modestly raised world import demand. Vietnam is likely to remain the largest market for US cotton with shipments up 70 per cent as import demand continues to expand and the already strong US market share grows, perhaps reaching 60 per cent this season. Continuing expansion of Vietnam’s mill use has supported extremely robust sales this year.
Shipments have nearly tripled to China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan as US cotton has captured a greater market share alongside substantial expansion of total imports in these countries. With exports to China up by nearly 200 per cent, it is now set to be the second largest US market, after having fallen to fifth place in 2015/16, its lowest ranking in 15 years. Globally, the USDA’s forecast for 2017/18 shows higher cotton production, primarily in India.
Robbie and Ayda Williams launched the Marc O'Polo special 50th Anniversary Sweatshirt Edition. True to the brand's birthday motto let’s celebrate 50 years of O', this special collaboration was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the fashion label Marc O'Polo, founded in 1967.
The launch took place in Marc O'Polo’s flagship store on Theatinerstrae, Munich, among select audience Marc O'Polo had a surprise in store in the form of an eclectic panel discussion featuring Robbie, Ayda, Mads Mikkelsen and German MTV legend Marcus Kavka.
A confident man wears pink, says Robbie, and he and his family had very clear ideas about precisely which shade of the colour should be used for sweaters. And precisely this shade is the stand-out colour of the capsule collection. The pieces also carry Robbie's signature embroidered on the sleeve, and Ayda was even able to convince her husband to feature the song titles Love my life and Come undone on the women's sweatshirts. The accompanying campaign was shot by star photographer Peter Lindbergh.
The US seems to see huge potential in Africa to keep investing in the sector there and more specifically in Kenya. Last week, USAID and the East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) signed a grant with Kenya that will create 2,000 full-time jobs and provide 1,00,000+ hours in skills development for young workers in the apparel industry.
While Africa looks as a strong region for robust apparel sourcing, the biggest drawback has been a lack of sophisticated logistics/skills in the apparel segment. Post this new program, however, young workers — who are expected to drive the sector forward — will gain skills. USAID; Kenya’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives; the Kenya Association of Manufacturers; and apparel companies will set up seven training centers throughout Kenya. Four thousand young people will participate in the program which encompasses recruitment, training and job placement in the apparel industry.
The signing of the grant also marks the official kick-off of the East Africa Cotton, Textile and Apparel Workforce Development Initiative, a partnership between the Hub and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) to ensure US brands and retailers goods are manufactured as per best business practices and operations, according to USAID.
Last year the US imported $340.7 million worth of textiles and apparel from Kenya, which was a 7.56 per cent decrease as against the previous year. As of May, imports from Kenya were down 7.31 percent to $133.7 million. As other trade programs or trade relations become pressured, if AGOA stays intact, imports are expected to increase.
As per Vinatex’s (Vietnam Textile & Garment Group) current production capacity of the textile and garment industry has exceeded $35 billion per annum. Vinatex noted that 2016 was tough for the industry as demand from the largest export markets fell — exports to the US decreased 3.4 per cent, Japan 2.6 per cent and to South Korea by 2.1 per cent. Market analysis firm VIRAC notes the domestic garment market has small scale — when compared to other markets — because of low spending per capita in Vietnam.
Vietnamese garment companies will have to face two big problem: presence of counterfeit goods; and products imported across the border and low capability of enterprises in distribution, design and branding. A Vinatex report shows in rural areas, Vietnam’s textile and garment products have to compete with imported products with no clear origin, while in urban areas they have to compete with imports from the US, the UK and ASEAN.
While Vietnamese enterprises are reluctant to develop the domestic market, foreign retailers and fashion brands are having a field day. Maison, for example, has been bringing mid- and high-end fashion brands to Vietnam and distributing products of 21 brands, including Christian Louboutin, Karen Millen, Coast, Max&Co, Max Mara, Oasis, Charles & Keith and NYS and owns 44 shops in Vietnam.
Son Kim Fashion, following success with brands such as Jockey, Vera, Wow and J. Bus, has partnered with two Japanese investors Williamson-Dickie and Sumitex International to bring the US Dickies brand to Vietnam. Japanese Uniqlo with 2,000 shops worldwide is preparing to open two shops in Vietnam this year. Meanwhile, Forever 21 would come to Vietnam next year. While Vietnamese garment companies think the domestic market is too small, foreign investors consider Vietnam the new land to exploit with the garment market valued at $4.5 billion.
