FW
The US imported more jeans in the first half of 2018 compared to last year due to the closure of US denim manufacturing and open trade. According to the data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel, OTEXA, overall denim jeans imports of the country increased by 9.2 per cent to reach $1.66 billion in value for the first six months.
The countries from where US sourced its jeans include Vietnam, China, Mexico, Bangladesh, Cambodia and several Central American countries. China shipped the most women’s and girls’ product, increasing 2.88 per cent to $291.89 million, while its men’s and boy’s shipments rose by 6.35 per cent to $98.97 million.
Among the Asian countries, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia are establishing themselves as major suppliers of jeans to the U.S. market. In the first half, Bangladesh’s shipments in the men’s and boy’s category increased by 16.88 per cent to $132.75 million, while in the women’s and girls’ category, it rose by 16.19 per cent to $104.17 million.
Vietnam’s shipments of women’s and girls’ jeans increased by 46.9 per cent to $75.43 million in the period, while men’s and boys’ rose by 33.3 per cent to $32.23 million. Imports of Cambodia’s women’s and girls’ jeans grew 32.7 per cent to $40.2 million, as the country’s shipments of men’s and boy’s product were up 35.19 per cent to $9.64 million.
Pakistan’s shipments of women’s and girls’ blue jeans increased by 24.1 per cent to $61.54 million, but imports of men’s and boy’s declined by 0.47 per cent to $40.97 million.
Over the years, the outdoor market has become loaded with synthetic apparel, which shed tiny microfibers during laundering.
These tiny plastic fibers travel to waterways and end up in the fish people eat and the tap water they drink.
Companies are making eco-friendly apparel products made with natural fibers like cotton. While they are promoting sustainability they are also reducing the impacts of the industry’s products and processes.
Compared to synthetics like polyester and nylon, cotton active wear is considered to be more comfortable, versatile, sustainable, breathable and reliable.
Consumers love the natural feel of cotton. Most exercisers prefer cotton and cotton blended fibers. Trailing by a wide margin are polyester or recycled polyester, other synthetics like microfiber and rayon fibers, including viscose and Tencel.
Consumers like pulling on their active wear for things like hanging out at home, running errands, doing yard work, shopping or even sleeping. They are seeking out abrasion resistant technology in their active wear.
Consumers are also looking for active wear that is odor resistant, water repellent or has anti-microbial features. They seek out durability enhancement technology in their active wear. Those younger than 35 are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to do so.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to set up a raw materials hub for the apparel sector in Gautam Budh Nagar. The hub would be set up under the state’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. Aiming to promote traditional industries synonymous with various districts of the state, UP government recently launched the “One District One Product (ODOP)” in Lucknow.
The Gautam Budh Nagar district’s garment industry has an annual turnover of Rs 14,000 crore. The district contributes 60-70 per cent UP’s garment export. The ODOP scheme will give a new impetus to the industry. Bank loans worth over Rs 10 billion were distributed to 4,095 SME entrepreneurs to expand their units. Apart from that, the President unveiled the ODOP helpline and ODOP website. The attending craftsmen were also given toolkits.
Maredimoda and Performance Days have agreed to avoid overlapping dates since they have upcoming editions in November. MarediModa will take place in Cannes from November 6 to 8, 2018; Performance Days will take place in Germany, from November 28 and 29.
These are two of most dynamic and on go to textile shows in the European textile industry. The joint arrangement on dates will allow exhibitors and visitors to plan their presence and offerings both in Cannes and Germany.
Maredimoda, has been a leading trade show for textiles and accessories for beachwear and intimates since 2002. It has recently included athleisure in its exhibits. Maredimoda is a not-to-be missed date for every international brand interested in the collection preview of the best European companies, in meeting design studios and private label manufacturers as well.
Performance Days launched in 2008 is the first and only material sourcing trade fair created especially for technical fabrics and accessories as needed in sports, athleisure and work clothing. Designers, product as well as material managers, and decision-makers meet bi-annually in April/May and November in Germany and since July 2018 annually at Functional Fabric Fair powered by Performance Days in New York City.
The Central Silk Board (CSB) has developed new groups of silkworm seeds of mulberry and Vanya silk. These silkworm groups are expected to enhance the income of farmers with improved productivity and quality.
This silkworm range will aid tribal farmers belonging to various parts of the country such as Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as they can get 52 kilograms of cocoons per 100 disease free layings (dfls). Central Silk Board (CSB) is a statutory body of the Ministry of Textiles.
Additionally, Multivoltine x Bivoltine mulberry (PM x FC2), a hybrid group of silkworm, can make 60 kilograms per 100 dfls. This group of silkworms is said to be more productive than the earlier PM x CSR. The high-quality silk and significant egg recovery make this race more appropriate for farmers.
For the farmers in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, eri silkworm (C2) race has been termed more sufficient than the local breed. Silkworm breeds for a particular agro-climatic location are necessary for accelerating the productivity of cocoons.
Maroc will be held in Morocco, October 11 to 12. Suppliers, full-package and CMT manufacturers as well as innovative suppliers of yarns, fabrics, accessories, technologies and services from the Mediterranean will showcase at the fair. The focus of the fair is fashion, fast fashion and sustainable eco-systems. Around 175 exhibitors from the Mediterranean are expected. About 1,500 visitors from Africa, Europe and America are expected. The fair will also present a denim cluster.
Morocco ranks eighth among countries exporting clothing to Europe. It offers political and social stability, a favorable geostrategic position, modern infrastructure, free access to European markets and extremely favorable production conditions.
The textile and clothing industry is the largest employer in the country. Morocco has more than 1,600 manufacturers with a production capacity of more than a billion parts a year. More than 1,80,000 people work in this sector, with another 1,00,000 to be added by 2020.
A central role is played by the promotion of so-called eco-systems, clusters that promote modern production, design and compliance with international standards. With the help of particularly successful companies, the so-called locomotives, the entire clothing industry is efficiently structured and managed.
Proximity to Europe allows for fast delivery by land and the garment industry is working toward short delivery deadlines.
Fashion-industry leaders in Los Angeles far prefer to use Instagram as their social media of choice than any other digital outlet. Most are gravitating towards making social-media decisions in-house rather than using outside consultants.
Social media has emerged as the most enlightened concept for the future of the apparel industry followed by integrated systems between manufacturing and retailing. Eight per cent think 3-D fitting is important, followed by 3-D printing by four per cent of fashion-industry leaders.
Technology is transforming the fashion industry. Social media is shaping consumer tastes. LA industry executives are much more likely to believe that a multi-channel distribution strategy incorporating stores with online sales is their biggest opportunity.
New fashion brands prefer to sell online rather than selling to bricks-and-mortar stores at the start of business. Later, they branch out to pop-up stores or other retail outlets or are sold to private investors/private-equity companies.
Los Angeles is the number one center in the United States for manufacturing clothing, with 30,600 employed in the sector. Fashion companies prefer to put their roots in Southern California because of the talent and ease of logistics and access to fashion designers and local suppliers.
Greenpeace says several major clothing brands have made undeniable progress in use of chemicals. The evolution is driven by a growing demand from customers for more natural products. Brands are more willing to communicate.
In 2011, the environmental NGO launched a challenge for clothing brands to denounce the use of toxic chemicals by the textile industry and encourage it to adopt practices that are more respectful of consumers and the environment. The lack of knowledge of their service providers on their subcontracting chains, often based in Asia, was particularly targeted.
Since 2011, the NGO’s detox campaign has been calling on major brands to phase out 11 chemical classes of concern by 2020. It says without eliminating the use and release of harmful chemicals from production chains the circular dream could well become a toxic recirculation nightmare.
Up to 20 per cent of water pollution is attributable to various tissue treatments. The textile industry uses 43 million tons of chemicals each year. Nonylphenol ethoxylates for fixing colors or phthalates for plastic elements are often found in the production lines of clothes.
The objective of Greenpeace, now, is to obtain zero rejection by 2020. Discussions about irritating or corrosive substances have also been launched by the European Chemicals Agency.
The Functional Lab will be a key feature of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, September 27 to 29. This will provide an interactive experience for buyers seeking the latest functional fabrics.
Highlights include Klinger’s Pure Cool technology, which works by embedding recycled jade into fabrics, resulting in a cooling effect that lowers body temperature. It also controls odor and protects against UV.
Carvico’s new Vita Power range is a sustainable techno-fabric made from Econyl regenerated nylon that offers a muscular compression function. This improves athletes’ recovery of energy by decreasing the production of lactic acid – and, like Klinger’s Pure Cool, also offers UV protection. Plus it is resistant to sun cream, oil and chlorine.
Another exhibitor at the Functional Lab, Xlance, will bring durable, easy-care fabrics that are chemical, oil and cream resistant, establishing the trend for smart products that perform and last well. A growing middle class demographic and access to fitness resources and facilities, not only in China but around the world, has opened up a huge market for fabrics that perform.
These exciting innovations, applicable to a variety of industries including sportswear, swimwear and underwear, are a key example as to why the Functional Lab continues to attract buyers.
The 11th Colombo International Yarn & Fabric Show 2018 (CIFS 2018) - is scheduled to be held from September 27-29, at Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre (SLECC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The expo, being organised by CEMS-Global USA, will focus on the Sri Lankan Textile & Apparel Industry.
Two other related exhibitions: 2nd Sri Lanka Textile Garment Technology & Machinery Int’l Expo 2018, and 3rd Sri Lanka International Air Freight, Shipping & Logistics Expo 2018 will be held concurrently. The 11th CIFS 2018 expo is being strategically timed with Sri Lanka setting up new apparel factories and expanding the capacities of the present ones to match the fast-growing exports. Exhibitors at the event will present their latest innovations in fabrics, accessories, industrial use and other various applications. The exhibition is expected to draw huge visitors from the expanding apparel and textile arena of Sri Lanka.
