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Uster has launched the new the Uster EVS Fabriq Vision inspection technology that offers customised solutions to slot neatly into tightly-spaced production units at the same time ensuring light conditionsallow the best detection results and reliable data for optimal first quality yield.
The technology offers quality solutions suited to nonwovens premium segments. It is based on the know-how of EVS, a world-leading high-technology supplier of automated vision inspection, acquired by USTER in2018. The technology represents a second solution for nonwovens along with Uster Jossi fiber cleaning systems supporting the unique ‘ThinkQuality’ approach of USTER.
Uster® EVS Fabric Vision N stands for seamless integration of an inspection system into any production process and ideally into nonwovens manufacturing lines – detecting holes, irregularities, contamination and any other defect. The system may be slim and compact, but it delivers big-value benefits for the operator. The technology provides real-time alerts, showing all defects and automatically creatingroll inspection charts. All detected faults are collected in an album review. Here, the operator canquickly mark faults and select which can be deleted. Users can set their own quality standards fordifferent types of nonwovens, increasing the efficiency of the grading process and finally delightthe customers with consistent quality.
Automated in-process control consistently high rates of defect detection, to guarantee reliable quality, are required by fleece manufacturers. Uster EVS Fabriq Vision N ensures this, by using automated control during intermediate inspection. The technolgoy locates any visible faults objectively and consistently. Defects in every roll are located and recorded, at normal line running speeds.
“Uster EVS Fabriq Vision N offers manufacturers significantly improved first-quality yield for all applications,” quotes John Belew, Uster Vice-President for fabric inspection. The combination of a full map of fabric defects and the cut optimization module means more first-quality rolls can be produced and bad quality taken out.
Karl Mayer added a new dimension to the third dimension of warp-knitted spacertextiles in the shape of new types of fabrics with a wide range of surface designs. These innovative articles are known as 4D-Knit. Their relief-like designs on both sides are rather unconventional, extravagant and diverse for warp-knitted fabrics, and are enabling the company’s customers to expand their business areas.
High/low effects make all the difference
Conventional warp-knitted spacer textiles are made from two cover faces with a pile layermade from monofilament yarns between them. The two sides of the fabric can be patterned –if the double-bar raschel machine used is equipped with a jacquard mechanism – and thedistance between them is constant and uniform. Differences in height can only be producedbetween one fabric and another. On the other hand, different fabric heights can be producedover the entire surface when producing 4D-Knit textiles, and the differences in height canbe used to create the patterns.
Three-dimensional patterns and openwork designs
The special look of 4D-KNIT textiles is based on 3D motifs, whose shape, height and locationcan all be varied. The relief-like, permanently stable elements can be combined to producecreative designs. Extensive processing trials carried out at Nippon Mayer show just what can be achieved here. The pattern developers and specialist technologists in Japan closelystudied the possibilities offered by the newly configured RDPJ 6/2 EL, and have developedmore than 50 patterns over the last two years. The designs include strict, geometricarrangements with high/low effects, as well as sweeping, three-dimensional wavy designs,bright fruit patterns and complex, imaginative designs having different height profiles.Openwork patterns can also be integrated seamlessly into the textiles. These are inespecially high demand as breathable zones in functional clothing and shoes. Contrasting, two-colour effects can also be produced by the types of yarn used. In addition to theseinteresting patterns, important elements, such as cut edges, can be integrated for further processing, and near-netshaped products can be produced.
Optimism before the sales launch
This innovative, double-bar raschel machine should go into production in the fourth quarter of 2019. Kay Hilbert, the Head of Product Portfolio Management at KARL MAYER, is optimistically looking forward to the sales launch. The newly configured RDPJ 6/2 EL and selected 4D-KNIT items were on show at the last ITMA in Barcelona, and were a highlight of KARL MAYER’s stand.
Well-thought-out machine technology
This new version of the RDPJ 6/2 EL is available in a gauge of E 24 and a working width of138". Its exceptional patterning possibilities are based on an intelligent technicalconfiguration and the well thought- out design of the knitting elements, combined with Karl Mayer’s tried-and-tested piezo jacquard technology. The machine also features themanufacturer’s new LED lighting concept. With its adjustable knock over comb bar distance,this machine is a good, all-round machine. With a distance of 1.5 to 2.5 mm, 4D-KNIT itemsand double-layered fabrics can be produced and, at a distance of between2.0 and 8.0 mm,conventional spacer textiles can be produced - and jacquard patterns can also be worked.This wide range of patterns minimises the investment risks.
"The February 2019 edition of New York Fashion invited three Hong Kong fashion designer labels, 112 Mountainyam, Anveglosa and Heaven Please+ to showcase their Fall/Winter 2019 collections. In addition, medium to high-priced fashion clothing bearing Hong Kong designer labels are being sold at renowned department stores and e-tailing platforms such as Bloomingdale's, Ferd.com, Net-A-Porter and Macy's. Hong Kong’s fashion designers have gained worldwide reputation for their professional expertise, sensitivity to current trends and ability to blend commercialism with innovation."
The February 2019 edition of New York Fashion invited three Hong Kong fashion designer labels, 112 Mountainyam, Anveglosa and Heaven Please+ to showcase their Fall/Winter 2019 collections. In addition, medium to high-priced fashion clothing bearing Hong Kong designer labels are being sold at renowned department stores and e-tailing platforms such as Bloomingdale's, Ferd.com, Net-A-Porter and Macy's. Hong Kong’s fashion designers have gained worldwide reputation for their professional expertise, sensitivity to current trends and ability to blend commercialism with innovation.
A global sourcing hub, Hong Kong attracts many international trading houses and retailers. Some retailers who
source from Hong Kong include: American and European department stores like Macy's, JCPenney, Federated, Karstadt Quelle, C&A, discount stores like Sears, Target and Carrefour, speciality chains including House of Holland, Temperley London, Willsoor, Zoot and e-tailers like Zalora.
A common meeting ground
One common avenues for Hong Kong buyers and suppliers to meet are the various trade fairs and exhibitions that manufacturers and traders involve themselves in. Some international shows, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), are held in Beijing, Budapest, Chengdu, Dalian, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Moscow, Mumbai, Paris, Tokyo, Warsaw, Istanbul and Jakarta. The Hong Kong Fashion Week organised twice a year is one of them. HKTDC also organises the ‘World Boutique, Hong Kong’ event which was renamed as CENTRESTAGE in 2016. It was also rescheduled from January to September.
Digital transformation, advanced production technologies such as digital and laser printing, 3D knitting, semi-automated sewing and robotics, are breeding new generations of smart factories. These technologies are helping apparel manufacturers and designers to not only identify consumer needs, but also draw inferences from data and make better and quicker response to the fast-changing demand and fashion trends. Garment retailers are also launching private or house labels for effective marketing of their clothes. Some retailers who own private labels include: H&M, Marks& Spencer, Orsay, Palmers, Pimkie, Springfield and Kookai. IKEA too has launched its first limited-edition private-label fashion accessory, the IKEA fisherman hat, which has achieved great success in the US.
New materials and modes of production
Sustainability is gaining ground with manufacturers launching new materials and innovative ways of production. The concept of circular economy is also becoming popular with suppliers committing to such ideas as end-of-life collection and closed-loop fashion products to enable the reuse and recycling of textile fibres and fabrics. They are also increasingly adopting traceability standards such as OE Blended, OE 100 standard and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
Clothes made from easy-care fabrics are becoming popular in the Hong Kong with brands such as LXN Collections focusing on tailor-made quick-dry and stain-resistant business attire. People in the country are also embracing a healthier urban lifeystyle, leading to a rise in demand for athleisure. Many althleisure brands are expanding their product lines to include such as blouses and blazers.
Customers are expressing their creativity by making own fashion designs and clothes. This has led to reputable clothing stores like Nike, Adidas and Walmart selling personalised apparel. Smaller companies are also allowing their consumers to customise their clothes and accessories with their own designs created online.
High street retailers like New Look and Morrisons have signed up to a new sustainability roadmap to ensure they are sourcing sustainable viscose that doesn't contribute to environmental pollution. They have publicly committed to permanently ditch dirty viscose production methods by 2023-25.
Viscose is the third most commonly used fiber in the world and is considered more sustainable than synthetics and cotton. However, cases of viscose suppliers and producers disregarding environmental standards have led to calls for end-user retailers to act. Especially luxury brands and low-cost retailers are accused of failing to take action on supply chain standards. Often companies allow their manufacturers to deliver viscose-based products with little information on their origin or environmental impact. Several large Chinese viscose producers dump toxic wastewater into waterways and fisheries or allow it to seep into nearby agricultural land. China accounts for 63 per cent of global viscose production.
Sustainability is not just a buzzword but is leading to a fundamental shift in the way companies operate. With increasing awareness of the environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry, people expect clothing companies to take responsibility for their supply chains. So brands and retailers are opening their supply chains up to external scrutiny.
The global market is increasingly being saturated with misleading messages about sustainability. It is becoming increasingly difficult to cut through the noise. It’s pressuring companies to create fabricated messaging. And it’s not just mills feeling the effects. Some customers are in a holding pattern and are opting to stick with what has historically worked than experiment with sustainable alternatives.
While many companies want to be sustainable, getting to that point is an investment. Different brands have different needs and price is most commonly the top priority, as many consumers want inexpensive clothing. There’s an altruistic part of the business that works on ideals but at the end of the day customers need products that fit in with their budgets. In order for sustainability to be more accessible, demand for alternative products needs to increase. And that responsibility falls on the shoulder of the customer. There needs to be a level of demand for sustainability. As more customers ask for a sustainable products, prices will go down. Though it’s a simple concept, it’s also a long game. It needs to start with denim leaders and famous brands who are able to place large orders. And then everyone needs to get on board.
Milan recently hosted the sixth edition of the CEO Roundtable, a gathering organised by fashion and e-business trade magazines published by DFV, the publisher of Sportswear International. The main theme of the event was "Commerce Innovation" and explored different aspects of the present fashion market's evolution in terms of sustainability, digital business and multichannel expansion. It involved key players of the fashion, finance, e-commerce and digital worlds, while also presenting start-ups and up-and-coming talents.
As per CITI, the continuous increase of man-made fibre (MMF) imports is deeply hurting the domestic textile industry, especially after the implementation of GST. MMF has made considerable investment to enhance its capacity building to meet the desired target of reaching $350 billion market size by 2025. However, post GST, there was a rise in imports of all the MMF products. Imports of MMF yarn and apparel also rose by 83 and 84 per cent respectively.
The main reason for this was the removal of CVD after GST, which made imports 12 per cent cheaper, overnight. To control imports, the government subsequently increased import duties on fabrics and garments. Thus, there has been a relative control on the imports of fabrics, but, this measure could not control garments due to FTAs.
The highest share in Indian MMF textiles was of polyester bases products. Since 2014-15, import of polyester yarn has risen by a CAGR of around 13 per cent to hit $ 95 million. Imports from Indonesia increased exponentially at a CAGR of 59 per cent for 2018-19 and in this period, Indonesia has also been the biggest supplier of polyester yarn to India.
Kering has teamed up with the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) to launch the first higher education research and teaching center dedicated to sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry. French fashion giant Kering owns brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Alexander McQueen. IFM is rated as one of the world's leading higher education institutions for fashion.
The center will focus on a wide range of topics related to sustainability, from traceability to measurement, as well as eco-responsible business models. Aspects of creative ecology will also be studied in order to identify ways in which creative teams can develop ecological fashion and propose new sustainable creative offerings while developing tools for measuring and appropriating environmental and social issues. Students can develop a 360° understanding of the challenges of sustainability so that they can participate as future professionals in the industry’s transformation. Research work will include mentoring doctoral students on university theses, contributing to scientific publications and participating in conferences related to its program and issues. Training modules dedicated to responsible fashion will be developed for training courses ranging from French vocational qualifications through to the master’s level, as well as for continuous training for companies.
The US has imposed duty on imports of polyester textured yarn from China and India. This followed complaints by yarn makers in the US like Unifi and Nan Ya Plastics of unfair trade practices.
Foreign companies that price their products in the US market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. Companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks or production inputs, are subject to countervailing duties aimed at directly countering those subsidies. Exporters from China and India are said to have dumped yarn in the US at margins ranging from 76.07 per cent to 77.15 per cent and 17.62 per cent to 47.51 per cent respectively. The US also determined that exporters from China and India received countervailable subsidies at rates ranging from 32.18 per cent to 473.09 per cent and 4.29 per cent to 21.83 per cent respectively.
In 2018, US imports of polyester textured yarn from China and India were valued at an estimated $45.5 million and $21.6 million respectively. Unifi feels the dumping and unfair subsidies have negatively impacted its business but believes recent trade developments, including the antidumping and countervailing duties, will provide meaningful opportunities over the next few quarters.
For the latest quarter, Target’s apparel sales were up more than 10 per cent. This also helped to strengthen the retailer’s profit margins. In the fashion department, it has refreshed stores to make individual brands look more like their own mini boutiques, with more mannequins and table displays showing off merchandise. It has launched dozens of in-house apparel brands over the past three years, such as A New Day for women, Auden for lingerie and Goodfellow & Co. for men. The commitment to a new store operating model, where there are dedicated business owners in that apparel category, is driving results. The combination of the work done with its own brand assortment, adding some new national brands like Levi’s in select stores, the service delivered in stores, and the inspiration created online has come together.
For Target, apparel has been one of the highlights of the quarter. Apparel margins are healthy because Target is selling more clothes at full prices, even at the end of the season. During the latest quarter, Target generated some buzz with its anniversary collection, which celebrated all of the designers the company has partnered with in the past. The collection has been driving footfalls to stores.
