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Wool brands are working for closer collaboration and joint product development with brands. Brands are increasingly combining different technologies and new applications of wool in their performance and outdoor wear products as the use of wool goes beyond the knitted.
Wool is used as wadding for jackets to replace downs or synthetic wadding. Companies already using wool are increasing use wool content in their collections. In addition, many companies who previously were not using wool are starting to do so.
Major brands are now making sure that they have at least some merino in their ranges. They have found innovative ways to integrate wool into their products. There are jackets with felted wool elements on the outside combined with fine next-to-skin knitted wool on the inside. Some synthetic jackets have wool elements worked into the design.
Wool is showing a positive trend in performance wear. One hundred per cent wool and blended fabrics will continue to show growth in this market sector. Woolmark’s innovations include a water and wind protection jacket made of a fabric that uses a specially treated wool fiber. The fabric is constructed through a unique fiber stretching and fabric compacting technology, resulting in a fabric that is wind and water resistant as well as sporting wool’s other natural benefits such as breathability and resilience.
www.woolmark.com/
Due to tough government regulations on foreign exchange hinder them from getting stocks into their stores and cash out of the country. Hence, South African retail clothing firms are under pressure. South Africa’s largest listed clothing retailer, Truworths International has closed its remaining two stores in Nigeria in response to the stringent regulations that have made it difficult for the South African retailer to operate in Africa’s biggest economy.
A recent survey shows that other clothing firms may go the path of Truworths and Woolworth, a Cape Town-based food and clothing retailer that dumped the Nigerian market in 2013 following high rental costs and complex supply chain processes, if the restrictions are not eased.
Foshino Group, another South African retail clothing firm, is not exempt from the storm sweeping softly through the South African clothing sector in Nigeria, as its sales have also dropped considerably. According to market analysts, with sustained strains on the importation of merchandise, foreign companies may soon begin to flirt with neighbouring sub-Saharan African countries that can boast of enabling environments for foreign investments to thrive, as they move to dump Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) identified massive staff retrenchment and significant foreign investment capital flight from the economy as unavoidable effects of the withdrawal of Truworths from the Nigerian scene. However, the commission asserted that the restrictions inhibiting the clothing firms could serve as an opportunity for Nigeria to look inwards and revamp the textile and garment industry.
Delay or failure to implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal could cost US exporters around $94bn, which also suggests global headwinds are likely to continue to weigh on US growth in the near future.
The 2016 'Economic Report of the President', written by the Council of Economic Advisers, and sent by President Obama to Congress this week, outlines the importance of the TPP for the US economy, which authors predict will grow by 2.7 per cent in 2016, 2.5 per cent in 2017, and 2.4 per cent in 2018.
The President’s report, however, warns of headwinds from a global slowdown that could put pressure on US exports. Opinion of both, the 2016 World Bank Global Economic Prospects and the IMF report that the GDP growth in low-income countries (LICs) fell to between 4.8 per cent and 5.1 per cent in 2015. Between one-half and two-thirds of LICs are commodity exporters. The commodity price decline is taking a toll on public finances, current account balances, and economic growth in these countries, making them more vulnerable to both domestic challenges and external shocks such as global financial turbulence.
This slower growth around the globe, however, has had spillovers to the US economy, the report explains.
The third FASHIONIM, a global fashion event dedicated to the denim industry, will for the first time showcase designs of fashion students from different colleges in Bangladesh. Only designs of those designers would be showcased who were finalists at the Bangladesh Fashion Student’s Contest. The event to be held on March 2, 2016, in Dhaka, is being organised on the sidelines of Denimandjeans.com Bangladesh show.
At the last FASHIONIM event held in October 2015, denim collections from three countries were exhibited. These were Vincunha Textile from Brazil, Envoy from Bangladesh and Bhaskar Denim from India. Around 400 guests from reputed retailers, factories, buying houses and brands were part of the event last time. For people connected with the denim industry in Bangladesh, it is of great interest to come for the show to get an update on the latest trends in the industry. The main theme driving the show was eco-sustainability.
Various market reports have said that Bangladesh would soon rule the international denim industry as the prime supplier and this optimistic fact has been motivating investors to invest in the industry in Bangladesh. The idea behind FASHIONIM has been to provide a platform to the denim industry where the entire supply chain players from mills, fibre, chemical suppliers, garment manufacturers, retailers, buying houses and brands could come together, thrash out ideas to help the industry grow.
Australian surf and ski clothing company Rip Curl has been universally condemned recently, because a survey found that ‘some clothing is manufactured under the cruel situations prevailing in North Korean production.’ The popular brand launched in 2015, the winter ski suit, although the label is 'Made in China', but it is in fact a North Korean 'condition as slaves' factory product.
The differential treatment towards North Korean workers had notoriously low pay and long working hours are well known world-wide. For some time now, terms such as 'slaves', 'slave labour' and similar names are associated with Rip Curl, in the media.
On the contrary, Rip Curl argued that it is not their mistake and passed it on to the contractor engaged with them for sourcing. The brand was originally popular but it suffered a public relations crisis. Meanwhile, anti-poverty organization Oxfam Australia considers that the company must take responsibility.
Oxfam Australia's head of Sauk (Helen Szoke) said in a statement that companies must assume as it is their responsibility to ensure human rights issues are protected in their businesses. This is not just a moral issue, but also the United Nations guidelines for commercial requirements, he added.
Germany sees Bangladesh as a reliable source of high quality garments. The country will support Bangladesh in its aim to double its apparel exports and to develop a sustainable, compliant, social and profitable garment sector. Germany is the second largest single export destination for Bangladesh’s garment products after the US.
Bangladesh is a priority partner for Germany. In fact, Germany was one of Bangladesh’s first partner countries after it gained its independence. Germany is working with political, civil society and private sector stakeholders to develop strategies to promote compliance with social and environmental standards in garment factories and achieve sustainable improvements in working conditions for garment industry workers.
Projects have focused on improving social and environmental standards and health and safety in garment factories, and on the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Meanwhile, Germany has urged foreign buyers to increase prices of apparel products to ensure the welfare of garment workers. The country has provided training and expertise to Bangladeshi garment workers and its initiatives in the readymade garment sector have helped in improving the safety standards and workers’ rights in Bangladesh.
Germany is the main hub of 27 countries in Europe that is helping develop the clothing business of Bangladeshi producers and exporters.
The Textile Institute World Conference will be held in Poland from April 25 to 28, 2016. It will cover topics on trends, trade, innovation and design as well as the resourceful benefits of incorporating natural fibers into textiles.
The aim of the conference is to establish international interdisciplinary cooperation in various fields of science, research and economy that are linked by textile technology. Textile materials and techniques are applied in medical products such as wound dressing, hygienic goods, but also in state-of-the-art precise prosthetics made of biomaterials, with products being successfully implanted into human organisms.
Advanced technology has enabled expansion of the application potential of fibers and textile products. The use of new synthesis methods of fiber-producing polymers, use of biotechnology, fiber and textile modification methods, of nanotechnology, textronic technologies has allowed for the use of fibers and textiles in virtually all aspects of human life and in areas such as road, air and marine transport construction materials, architecture, building, energy production, agriculture and horticulture, land, road and bank reinforcements, filter production, paper and packaging production.
The Textile Institute is based in England. It deals in textiles, clothing and footwear. It has members in 80 countries. The aim of the institute is to facilitate learning, to recognise achievement, to reward excellence and to disseminate information.
www.tiworldconference.org/
China will host Cinte Techtextil from October 12 to 14, 2016. It will feature a diverse range of sourcing options from around the world. Companies from Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US will be present. Exhibitors have been categorised in 12 product application areas.
Cinte Techtextil China’s product groups include technology and machinery, woven and knitted fabrics, nonwovens, coated textiles, composites, surface and bonding techniques, fibers and yarns, and more. One of the exhibitors is Johns Manville from the US, a manufacturer of insulation, roofing materials and engineered products. Johns Manville sees big opportunities for its specialty polyester spun bond and glass fiber nonwoven product range in China. The company will exhibit a broad variety of nonwovens, including chemically, mechanically and thermally bonded PET spun bond nonwovens, glass fiber wet laid mats, and glass micro fiber air filtration media. The products are suitable for a wide range of applications including luxury vinyl tiles, ceiling tiles, wall coverings, roofing, geo textiles, battery, air and liquid filtration and windmill blades.
Also participating is Coats, an industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business. Coats will feature fiber optics, flame retardant protective wear, automotive items including airbags, seatbelts and trims, teabag threads, feminine hygiene products, tyre cord and conductive threads.
www.techtextilchina.com/
Premiere Vision Paris that took place from February 16 to 18 saw a decline in attendance. The textile trade show recorded a 5.85 per cent decrease in visitors. In all there were 1,725 exhibiting companies. And 73 per cent of visitors were from outside France.
After the 15,070 French visitors, the UK was the most represented nation in the exhibition halls (12 per cent of total visitors), ahead of Italy (11.5 per cent). These countries were followed by Spain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. There were 624 Swedish visitors and 457 Danish visitors.
Asia represented nine per cent visiting professionals. The Japanese presence was reduced to 1,258 visitors. Professionals from China also recorded a downturn in numbers, to 1,234, since the show’s dates were close to the Chinese New Year. A notable increase was reported in visitors from North America, 1,847 in total. Turkey was the sixth most represented nation, with 2,311 professionals.
Numbers notwithstanding, this edition was notable for the high quality of the trade professionals. Although, often for economic and organisational reasons, some companies have been reducing the size of their visiting teams for some seasons now, in terms of quality, it is the most influential decision makers, creative professionals and purchasing executives who are attending.
www.premierevision.com/
Pakistan’s textile exports declined by over 9 per cent from July to January of the ongoing financial year. Exports were down 6.38 per cent in January 2016 compared to January 2015.
Textile exports are continuously declining due to external as well internal issues including high power tariff, electricity and gas shortage and delayed tax refunds of exporters. Another reason is the slowdown in the economy of China and other markets.
Due to the massive decline in textile exports, the country’s overall exports came down by 14.37 per cent during July to January of financial year 2016 compared to the corresponding period last year. Exports of petroleum and coal products decreased by 74.92 per cent, manufacturing products by 19.1 per cent and leather manufacturing by 13.36 per cent during July to January of the ongoing financial year.
Exports of readymade garments registered a growth of 3.77 per cent during July to January 2015-2016 over a year ago. Similarly exports of towels recorded a growth of 1.45 per cent. Meanwhile, exports of all other textile goods including raw cotton, cotton yarn, cotton cloth, cotton carded or combed, knitwear, bed wear, tents, canvas and tarpaulin, art and silk and synthetic textiles registered negative growth as compared to the same period last year.
