FW
One of India’s premier sourcing events, Apparel Sourcing Week (ASW), recently opened its online visitor registration and the response has been outstanding. In less than a week of going live, over 500 visitors have registered to visit the show. Expectations are really high form the upcoming edition as the show is bigger and also has many new features to keep the visitors engaged. The second edition of the 3-day event – to be hosted in Bengaluru from February 20 to 22, 2020, will be in line with the vision to become the ‘Go-To Sourcing Platform’ for retailers and brands looking for apparel manufacturers from the Asian region. While the previous edition boasted of more than 3,000 visitors attending the show for a period of 2 days, ASW 2020 remains confident about hosting even more visitors, keeping in view the vastness of the upcoming show and the interest being generated well in advance.ASW 2020 will not only open the doors to around 100 manufacturers from India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China, but will also have a specially designed accessory and fabric section, featuring around 50 innovative companies.
The enthusiasm is heating up for ASW 2020 because not only the exhibitor expanse been increased, but also the visitation of the event will be beyond Indian and international retailers/brands working in the market to include buyers from traditional markets like USA and Europe, as also the non-traditional markets like China, Japan and Australia, where we believe it leads the future.The second edition’s potpourri will give visitors access to 6 seminars, 6 workshops and 8 open house discussions on new and current topics amongst a reputed panel of experts. In addition, there will be 4 vendor sessions – 2 each from global retailers and Indian retailers. To support larger buyer visitation, an international buyer’s program has especially been created to invite and host 200 international buyer delegates who will be accorded special privileges and will be made to visit all the manufacturers.
Significantly, these buyers and visitors from across categories will be attending India’s biggest sourcing event, become part of its US $ 45 billion market.CEOs; designers; sourcing heads and sourcing teams of Indian and international retailers and brands from the UK, Europe, Australia, and Japan; buying houses in the Southeast Asian countries, sourcing for global brands and retailers; wholesalers and importers from across the world looking at importing products from Southeast Asian countries; manufacturing firms looking at collaborations with other manufacturers are invited to register for ASW ’20.Since the entry to the fair is by invitation only, we would require the visitors to complete the registration process which will give an access code to a login that will unlock a host of facilities including seminar slots, workshop slots, networking dinner, fashion show, and awards, among other things.
"As per Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh RMG exports have grown 10.55 per cent in FY 19 to contribute 84.2 per cent to the country’s total exports of $40.53 billion. In the last five years, the country’s RMG exports added $10 billion growing on average 2 billion each year. Though this growth rate is impressive it still falls short of $50 billion target set by the government by 2021."
As per Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh RMG exports have grown 10.55 per cent in FY 19 to contribute 84.2 per cent to the country’s total exports of $40.53 billion. In the last five years, the country’s RMG exports added $10 billion growing on average 2 billion each year. Though this growth rate is impressive it still falls short of $50 billion target set by the government by 2021.
In the beginning of the year, the government had projected a single digit growth. However, it later revised this to double digits. If the sector grows at an average rate of 10 per cent in the upcoming two fiscal years, the total RMG exports will be worth $37.54 billion in 2019-20 and $41.29 billion in 2020-21.
Price fall, internal chaos affecting competitiveness
Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the EU increased 10.58 per cent to about $19.62 billion in FY 18. Exports to the US
grew 2.85 per cent while to Canada it went up 1.78 per cent. This growth was mainly driven by factors like movement of buyers to other RMG destinations like Vietnam and India and increased facilities to the RMG sector in several Asian nations. However, gradual fall in prices in importing nations and internal chaos are affecting competitiveness of RMG exporters especially in the US and Canada because Bangladesh does not have any trade benefit there like GSP in EU.
Exports to non-traditional markets grow
Bangladesh’s garment exports to non-traditional markets rose to $4.67 billion from $4.24 billion growing at around 10 per cent year-on-year in the current fiscal due to positive government policies awarding 4 per cent cash incentives on export to non-traditional markets. Also, due to the duty-free market access in Japan and China. The emerging markets include: Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Turkey. EPB and BGMEA data shows, exports to these markets in the current fiscal year grew by 36.21 percent year-on-year to $2.90 billion
Infrastructure, labor, innovation need attention
Though an 11.49 per cent RMG’s export growth is very encouraging; there are some challenges for achieving the target by 2021. These include: poor infrastructure, inadequate supply of energy, lack of skilled manpower, bureaucratic issue and low product diversification and lack of co-operative industrialisation. Bangladesh needs to pay attention on specific areas like factory remediation, infrastructure development, labor productivity, innovation, train up and counseling the worker to sustain the growth.
Focus on top export destinations
Another key challenge for garment manufacturers is to maintain a shorter lead time within Fast Trend Fashion. If Bangladesh is not able to maintain a strict lead time, buyers are likely to move to alternative destinations like Vietnam. The new imposed gas tariff is also another big challenge that the sector faces as it increases the production cost further. To achieve its export target by 2021, Bangladesh needs to focus on the top export destinations like the US which is still the largest single country RMG export destination for Bangladesh by contributing 17 per cent of its garments exports. RMG manufacturers also need to focus on an investment for ‘Branding RMG’ to make positive images of RMG industry of Bangladesh.
Market, product diversification to sustain growth
Industrialists will have to focus on diversified high value added production and technical textiles like agro- tech, geo-tech, medi-tech, sportswear, suit and swimming wear etc. with innovative modern technology and equipment, proceeding to automate each stage.
Though the positive growth of RMG exports creates hope for better days in the upcoming future, depending only on this industry can be a dangerous phenomenon for Bangladesh economy. To sustain growth, the country needs to adopt strategies to diversify not just its products but also the market which will help it to offer more solutions to the industry needs.
Festival of Fashion Pure London and the international home for fabric and garment sourcing Pure Origin have launched their AW20/21 campaign and over-arching manifesto called Nomad for 2020.
Gloria Sandrucci, Event Director at Pure London and Pure Origin mentions: “At Pure London and Pure Origin we continue to strive to inspire, innovate and connect at the forefront of an evolving global industry. We also have the mindset to make real changes that last, continue to advocate better practice in the fashion industry, and help deliver a better world for future generations. The Nomad manifesto encompasses this ethos for the future by placing the spotlight on the importance of boundary-less connections and genuine communication. I adore the bold and vibrant new AW20/21 visual campaign, which will run across all of our visuals and I can’t wait to see it come to life on-site at the show as a backdrop to the stunning AW20/21 collections within Pure London and beyond under Pure Origin’s roof.” This year, the Festival of Fashion will open new doors for communication and collaboration amidst a political world full of contention. Free from physical and metaphorical confines, the show will offer a space for connection; for expression; for inspiration.
Pure London is made of carefully curate sectors, encompassing everything from ethical fashion and ready to wear collections and Pure Origin is the new international home of supply chain and manufacture. We bring premium players through the doors of Olympia London each season, from the most iconic brands to the newest faces out there. We are Pure London and Pure Origin, and this is our story.
Alongside over 700 brands offering womenswear, menswear, footwear and accessories, young fashion, kidswear in Bubble at Pure London, and ethical fashion in Pure Conscious, the February edition will present an inspiring and educational content programmer, keynote speakers and trend-led catwalk shows. Pure Origin provides access to 7 curated sectors across supply and manufacturing. Together with Pure London, guests can explore the full fashion supply chain under one roof creating the only fashion trade show in the UK that offers this unique experience.
Evolution St. Louis, a leading high-tech knitting facility received an Innovation Award from St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. The award, given at the Mayor’s Business Celebration Luncheon, recognised the facility for consistently working to establish St. Louis as a startup and technology hub.
“Evolution St. Louis is the most high-tech, highly advanced knitting facility in the United States right now” said Jon Lewis, Co-founders. “Our high-tech flat-bed knit manufacturing facility will revitalise the knit sector and create the supply chain of the future using innovative 3D, complete garment and fully-fashioned knit technology.”
“Evolution St. Louis is investing in our community by attracting talent and offering the facilities and technology needed to support brands and retailers not only in St. Louis but also in New York, LA and across North America,” Krewson mentioned. “St. Louis has a persistent long history in manufacturing. With the help of the cutting-edge machines and technology at Evolution St. Louis, we can reestablish St. Louis as a fashion and manufacturing leader in the United States.”
Evolution St. Louis will bring meaningful jobs with mentoring and structured job training for in-demand, high-tech roles to St. Louis. The company expects to create 50 to 60 jobs within the first three years, with additional jobs, added as the company expands. “Evolution St. Louis is establishing a new industry sector for the knit category,” said John Elmuccio, co-founder of Evolution St. Louis. “We have the most advanced knitting technology and software in the United States, and we look forward to working across a range of industries to reinvent, recreate and reignite the knit sector.”
Exhibitors at Kingpins Amsterdam last week presented their Spring/Summer 2021 investments in denim’s future, prioritiaing alternative fibers, smart blends and biodegradable components. Arvind presented Hemp Exotica, a range of hemp blended denim touted for its durability, anti-microbial, UV and abrasion-resistant properties. Hemp was a small piece of ADM’s collection, which emphasised recycled materials and alternative organic chemicals. The mill is using a liquid black without sulfate, reducing its impact on the environment by 60 percent.
Kaltex presented a focused group of 37 SKUs besides highlighting areas where it is using Repreve polyester, post-consumer waste, scraps from its own factory, and recycled ring-dyed yarn for efficient laser finishing. The mill’s Stacked grouping combines these eco concepts to tell a complete sustainable story.
For its Modern Retro collection, Cone Denim is pumping up the amount of Tencel and Tencel x Refibra going into fabrics, and post-consumer black polyester. Meanwhile, the mill’s new collaboration with apparel manufacturer Crystal International builds on Cone’s Sustainblue Collection of fabrics featuring responsible cotton, recycled content and environmentally friendly processing.
The Crystal x Cone collaboration includes a range of rigid and stretch denims made with recycled post-consumer waste cotton, Repreve, and Cone’s Distilled Indigo eco-friendly dyes. Candiani bowed ReSolve, the third member of its “Re” Family fabrics. ReSolve fabrics are made with organic cotton and a customised Roica V550 degradable stretch yarn developed exclusively for Candiani by Roica’s parent company, Asahi Kasei.
Lenzing is collaborating with an Indonesian company Murata to improve the agricultural maintenance industry. The wood-based rayon fiber produced by Lenzing is the most productive, functional and sustainable textile fiber for Murata Vortex Spinning. With this collaboration, Lenzing and Murata are able to meet the market demand for yarn raw materials from the textile and garment industry. Lenzing is increasing partnerships with leading textile manufacturers who have environmentally friendly credentials in the textile and nonwoven sector. Blending the fiber with the Vortex spinning system is expected to result in a better quality yarn product.
Murata Vortex Spinning is the fastest yarn spinning system, reaching 550 mt. per minute with a short process. This system makes it possible to process fiber raw materials into new threads that are already arranged. Lenzing also facilitates opportunities and trends to develop products and utilize new fiber for Tencel, Lenzing and Ecovero and their blends through testing at the Lenzing Center of Excellence and developing partnerships with trading partners and partners related to textile value chains. Sustainability is something Lenzing stresses on and this is a strength required by Vortex. Lenzing’s decarbonization targets make it a frontrunner, not only in the world of fiber producers but also among major industrial companies.
Filatex is considering entry into the home textile segment. The company’s expansion includes ramping up facilities at Gujarat and also adding new lines to its plants for manufacturing fully drawn textured yarns. Drawn textured yarns are mainly used in weaving and knitting of fabrics, for making clothes, home furnishings, seat covers, bags, among others. Filatex is a manufacturer of polyester and polypropylene filament yarn and polyester chips. Its current capacity across the Dahej and Dadra and Nagar Haveli facilities together stand at 3,82,000 tons per annum that includes a recent addition of 60,000 tons.
The company is also putting up a captive power plant. The plant is expected to come up in the January to March period of 2021. Post the capex cycle coming through (capacity addition and new value addition line), Filatex India is looking at a near Rs 600 crore boost in its topline and a Rs 70 crore improvement in bottom line. Ebitda margins are expected to improve to 8.5 per cent to nine per cent from the existing 7.5 per cent to eight per cent levels. The company has a debt to equity ratio of 1.2:1 and repayments are being made on time.
Companies throughout the denim supply chain are developing techniques and fabrics designed to streamline traditional processes in new sustainable ways.
Garmon’s Smart Foam can be used to create a broad sweep of designs, from traditional finishes to unique fashion concepts. Water is replaced with a special foam. Smart Foam allows savings of up to 80 per cent of water compared to traditional washing processes. Additionally, the treatments are performed at room temperature, therefore reducing the energy required. Tonello’s OBleach is a new process that achieves a true bleach effect with minimal environmental impact. The process requires low temperatures to achieve contrasting effects. It is also highly replicable, allowing brands to follow a fixed recipe.
Naveena is exploring ways to roll out laser-friendly fabrics across its entire collection. The mill has introduced Beam Denim, a range of fabrics that easily chip off to achieve natural shade, abrasion and marking effects. This innovation reduces finishing time and saves energy and water without harsh chemicals. Artistic Fabric Garment Industries’ solution for laser-friendly fabrics is M-Power fabrics, a collection of denim fabrics that is designed to empower the use of lasers. The fabrics are made with 100 per cent cellulose fibers to avoid heat damage and melting under the light.
World Ethical Apparel Roundtable (Wear) was held in Canada, October 7 to 8, 2019. The Sustainable Fashion Toolkit was launched at the conference. Available free initially on the internet, it brings together curated content where resources are centrally located, easy and quick to navigate.
Wear is an unique platform to share examples of both local and global leadership, best practices and innovative solutions with the North American apparel and textile industry. Globally, fashion industry stakeholders are engaging in one of the fastest and most progressive plans to change a system that is broken on so many levels. In some cases this shift has made it challenging for those who are just embarking on their sustainability journey. With so many solutions, tools and resources, and without a clear strategy or direction, it can create an overwhelming sense of confusion as to how and where to begin. Wear aims to remove that barrier by providing the most relevant, up-to-date content, through many engaging sessions and in a format that allows for deeper participation and collaboration. Since 2014, Wear has succeeded in bringing together diverse perspectives from across the entire fashion system. Its intimate format allows for meaningful connections and break through learning that lead to a clear path to action.
Son of a Tailor, based in Denmark, offers tailored outerwear for men. The brand takes an innovative approach to production to combat the problem of chronic waste. The company adheres to two core values – no fabric waste and no unsold inventory. Garments are made to order and cut from one piece, using the latest Shima Seiki 3D knitting machine technology, preventing overproduction and textile waste in the form of cut-offs. Customers provide their weight, height, age and shoe size when making an order. An algorithm uses these four criteria to create the perfect fit, based on data gathered from 30,000 men worldwide. The resulting customised fit is designed to ensure a low product return rate. All items are manufactured in the EU to ensure a high-quality product and fair working conditions.
The apparel industry produces an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste while garment production and transportation accounts for around ten per cent of global CO2 emissions. Conventional clothing production wastes up to 21 per cent of fabric in the cutting process. At the same time, 15 per cent to 20 per cent of clothes are wasted in unsold inventory and 60 per cent of purchased clothes are discarded after just one year.
