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The new technology allows rugs made of New Zealand wool to be colored with pure gold. The proprietary process is called ‘Aulana’, and the technology’s science comes from early alchemical processes used to create the color in stained glass windows of Gothic cathedrals.
Wools of New Zealand is a grower-owned sales and marketing company owned by New Zealand sheep farmers. It was launched in 1994. Wools of New Zealand is a premium brand identifying carpets and rugs made by licensed partners who meet demanding quality standards and fiber content requirements.
The company takes special care of the land, animals and people to grow the world’s finest wool. New Zealand wool is the whitest purest wool in the world; it’s ideal for making carpets and textiles of exceptional beauty and outstanding quality.
Aulana uses gold to create color without dyes, shifting light into soft purples and grays. Aulana is simply pure New Zealand wool colored with pure gold. Aulana demands the cleanest, purest fiber which can deliver rich color without fault. This is a new innovation in wool yarn. The rugs are a unique blend of precious metal and natural fiber to create an exclusive textile.
www.newzealand.com/
Behrampur, one of the oldest and largest cities of Orissa is famous for its pure silk saris. However, silk sari weavers are facing tough days. For example, even if four members in the family work together for a whole week, they earn only Rs 2,000. So many are leaving the profession and moving to other occupations. Making a silk sari takes a week. It involves cleaning the silk threads, dyeing and weaving.
In order to install the machine used for weaving, weavers have to make a hole on the floor one foot deep and two feet wide. It is not a problem for weavers who work at their own houses but those living in rented rooms are not allowed to make the hole. This is also a reason why many weavers are leaving the occupation.
Indeed, some weavers have been provided with machines that allow them to work standing but maintenance of these machines is not easy. One needs to be careful while working on these machines and if there is any problem in the machines, repairing takes a lot of time.
Most weavers have seen little increase in their wages for years. This has directly affected the rate of production of saris. A decade ago, silk saris worth Rs 1.5 crores were annually produced in the city but now the figure has come down to Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakh.
The organizers of New York’s three textile shows, to be held in July 2015, are looking at making the trip for exhibitors and participants more efficient, productive and fun. This is being done through a collaborative marketing effort called ‘NYC Textile Week’. Textile and apparel executives travel to New York twice a year to participate in trade shows like: Texworld USA, Kingpins, Première Vision, Indigo, DG Expo, menswear shows MRket, Project New York, Liberty and Capsule and streetwear show Agenda. In July the schedule also includes yarn show SpinExpo.
Andrew Olah, CEO of Olah Inc, the force behind invite only denim show Kingpins points out that for the people visiting New York for those weeks, the organizers should get together and make it an outstanding experience. The shows can negotiate better hotel rates and organize activities for attendees and exhibitors to do while they are in town.
Lizette Chin, VP of menswear for the MRket menswear trade show believes says the partnership gives an opportunity to attendees to visit the MRket show and walk to other shows that have a different synergy. Chin goes on to add that many of the MRket exhibitors are already taking advantage of the overlap in scheduling. Meanwhile, the three trade shows have approached the other apparel and textile trade shows to join in NYC Textile Week.
India will help develop the textile industry of Afghanistan. A MoU has been signed to focus on expansion of business and cooperation in the field of textiles, clothing, cotton, man-made fiber and handlooms. India will assist in skill development, research and development, technical collaboration in product development and manufacturing, testing and certification and organize joint trade missions for mutual collaboration.
Afghanistan has a huge potential for development of the textile industry since the country is endowed with rich quality of cotton, silk and cashmere and this sector is a good source for jobs and employment. India has been one of the main donors to Afghanistan contributing over $2 billion in reconstruction projects in the country following the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.
India’s investments in the textile sector can turn Afghanistan into a country exporting textiles. Afghanistan once had a vibrant textile industry, employing thousands of workers. Today, there is no textile manufacturing in the country. The textile industry is a potential growth market for Afghanistan. It can expand economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs. It’s possible to develop textile trade hubs with an emphasis on high value added products. The country is endowed with high quality raw materials as well as low production costs which give it a competitive edge.
Bangladesh has a target of reaching 50 billion dollars in export of denim products by 2021. The country hopes to gain fresh ground in overseas denim markets with fashion and higher end products. Retailers and wholesalers from Japan, Turkey, India, and even China are switching to Bangladesh which they consider as a reliable source for finely stitched clothes at competitive prices.
There are some 22 denim manufacturing units in the country. The largest player has a two million yard capacity. It is installing equipment to enhance output to five million yards and aims to be one of the world’s largest denim makers.
Bangladesh’s denim industry got off the ground nearly two decades ago with basic denim. But in the last few years, some manufacturers have installed capacity for developing mid range and superior grade denims.
Fashion denim using Lycra and spandex fibers is now being produced in the country and the industry is going for value-added dyeing and finishing in denims with laser applications, replacing the age-old sand blasting. Increased shipment of high value jeans and denim wear may help Bangladesh suppliers take some share away from Turkey, which is famous in the global market for premium quality denim.
Turkey’s exports to Russia declined by 14.6 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013. The main reason is the decrease in the value of the ruble. Russia is one of the top export markets for Turkey. Almost every sector in Turkey was negatively affected by the decrease in the ruble, and their exports to Russia drastically decreased. The textile sector's loss is estimated at around 24.92 per cent. Textile exports to Russia which had increased to $1.16 billion in 2013 dropped to nearly $763 million in 2014. Exports of leather products nosedived 24.52 per cent. Exports of readymade clothing to Russia fell by 15.02 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013.
Russia ranked fourth after Germany, Iraq and England among the countries Turkey exported to in 2013. It fell three steps behind in 2014, thereby ranking seventh after Germany, Iraq, England, Italy, France and the US. Russia and Turkey have signed a series of major trade and energy deals amid differences over the crises in Syria and Ukraine as Moscow copes with Western sanctions.
Turkey is planning to increase its trade volume with Russia to $100 billion by 2020.
Truetzschler, a German company dealing in textile machinery offers the complete range of spinning preparatory machines from blowroom to combers.It has been serving the Indian market since 1920. Outside Germany, the group’s biggest facility is in India.
Truetzschler India has a world class manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad. It has invested over Rs 100 crores in the past five years to modernise as well as expand capacity. It has introduced the lean manufacturing concept, where parts or components needed to produce a machine are made or brought on the same day.
One of the innovations is the TCO 12, a high technology comber. It runs on a breakthrough servo drive technology compared to the conventional gear technology, which results in higher speed realisation and consistent quality. The TC 11 wide-width carding machine will be produced in India in due course of time.
Truetzschler India has full-fledged service and spares centers in Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Guntur and Chandigarh. It has over 80 service engineers and also resident engineers located in various towns and cities in India.
Apart from this, the company has a concept called service-on-wheels, where a mobile van is equipped with the complete workshop equipment for servicing card clothing, repairing kits and essential spares.
www.truetzschler.in/
Cotton USA has launched a new advertising campaign by which it stresses on the brand’s vision, quality and responsibility. Responsible, transparent fiber sourcing is an integral part of Cotton USA’s marketing and licensing program, which operates globally and offers a wide range of services.
Cotton USA is known for quality US cotton products. The ad campaign will debut at the Heimtextil trade show to be held during January 14 to 17 in Germany. The Cotton USA pavilion will serve as an international meeting point for the entire cotton trade at Heimtextil 2015.
Cotton Council International is the export promotion arm of the US cotton industry. As a non-profit organization, CCI is dedicated to promoting quality US cotton and cotton products to consumers around the world. The Cotton USA mark identifies quality 95 per cent cotton products that contain at least 50 per cent US cotton. CCI supports buyers in sourcing Cotton USA, from raw material to the end product, with a focus on responsible cotton production.
The US cotton industry provides a portfolio of other key services including trend forecasts and technical support. Licensees also benefit from the valuable insight they obtain into consumers, based on the findings of international surveys made available to all global partners.
www.cottonusa.org/
Cambodia has introduced a minimum wage for workers in the garment and footwear industry. So, global brands that source their products from the country have to play a part in helping the industry to absorb the increase in costs. Wage bills will go up by approximately 18.7 per cent. The new minimum wage came into effect on January 1, 2015.
The rise comes in the wake of other adjustments since 2012 that have seen minimum wages increase. At the same time, prices that Cambodian factories receive in their main markets have been stagnating or declining. Caught between these two forces, factories have seen a substantial fall in their operating margins over the past three years.
In principle, factories can respond by increasing efficiency, using measures that range from better work organization to energy conservation. However, these steps will only enable factories to cover a small share of the expected wage increase. The expected wage increase is far higher than what can be generated through efficiency gains.
To cover the shortfall, and assuming other costs remained the same, its estimated global brands would need to pay Cambodian factories between 2.4 and 3 per cent more. Factories can handle the raised wages only if labor productivity goes up sufficiently.
Sri Lanka has acquired a reputation for handloom products. The combination of traditional designs blended with modern processing techniques has created a lot of demand for Sri Lankan handlooms in international markets.
Around 900 private handloom producers, small, medium and large operate, in the country. The handloom textile industry is a highly labor-intensive, export-oriented rural-based. Handloom textiles are produced in Sri Lanka within the confines of a small-scale industry that generates employment for rural women. Among the handloom textiles produced are: household linen such as bed clothes and towels, upholstery materials, furnishing materials such as curtains, cushions covers, saris and sarongs.
Books, notebooks, albums, and even writing pads are now clothed with this handcrafted material of textile. Handloom woven cotton and silk textiles of vibrant colors have been popular among locals as well as tourists. Italy, Germany, France, UK, Norway, Netherlands, Maldives and Thailand are the main markets for Sri Lankan handloom products.
Lankan weavers have succeeded in creating a distinct identity of their own by transforming traditional woven patterns and color schemes into beautiful textile designs. Fabrics manufactured in Sri Lanka are mostly of cotton with relatively small quantities of rayon and polyester cotton. Sri Lanka also produces a range of products by using silk yarn.
