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Monfort, the number one supplier of finishing ranges to the global denim industry, has come up with the latest Monfort Eco Line. It’s already being used by several leading manufacturers in both Asia and South America. The potential of Industry 4.0, in combination with the drive to reduce waste and minimise raw materials use, has led to some significant new developments by Monforts. The Qualitex 800 control system, along with the Web-UI app, allows remote visualisation of Monforts technologies via smart phones and tablet devices. Qualitex 800 has all the intuitive features operators will be familiar with from touchscreen devices. It makes navigation extremely easy for operators, cutting down the time required for becoming familiar with a new system and allowing complete control of all machine parameters.
Resource efficiency is addressed via the latest technologies such as the company’s Eco Line for denim, based on two key technology advances – Eco Applicator for minimum application of the selected finishing chemicals and ThermoStretch.
As an alternative to conventional padding, especially for wet-in-wet solutions, the Monforts Eco Applicator can significantly reduce the amount of finishing chemicals required prior to the stretching and skewing of the denim fabric. The Eco Applicator significantly reduces energy costs.
The Monforts ThermoStretch unit meanwhile carries out the skewing (weft straightening), stretching and drying in a continuous process. Monforts offers completely integrated coating lines from a single source. Its latest coating heads are being tailored to drying technology for maximum benefits.
India has raised import duty on 328 lines of textile products from 10 to 20 per cent. The increase in customs duties would provide much needed edge to local manufacturers as imported products currently are much cheaper than the ones locally manufactured. This step would ensure nearly 10.5 crore people receive employment as an increase in manufacturing activity will help create jobs in the sector.
The revised duties will help boost domestic manufacturing but least developed countries including Bangladesh will continue to enjoy duty free access to Indian markets. Bangladesh is the largest supplier of most of the goods on which duties are doubled. Due to the high incidence of levies and duties, manmade fiber costs 20 per cent to 30 per cent more as against cheap imports from countries such as China.
Earlier in July, import duty on over 50 textile products including jackets, suits and carpets was doubled. The step was seen as a move aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing. Through a notification, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs had hiked import duties as well as raised the ad valorem rate for certain items.
NPD Group’s 2017 report shows, athleisure has become a $44 billion industry. Encompassing sneakers, outerwear, and even dress shirts and blazers, the athleisure trend has successfully gone global. In 2016, for instance, Britons spent a whopping £5.1 billion on athleisure products alone.
Popular athleisure brands were included in the 2017 list of ‘Top 10 Sports Brands in the World here on Textile Focus’. Leading the way were Nike and Adidas. Nike was able to offer an impressive catalogue of stylish tracksuits, sweatpants, and similar clothing that utilise a variety of technologies to ensure maximum comfort. In 2018, the brand continues to manufacture more chic yet comfortable clothes for women. It also strengthenes its sneaker line with its Lunar Epic line, the Flex RN series, and the Air Max Kantara and Sequent collections.
Adidas, on the other hand, is focusing on shoes. The brand has launched three types of shows including the company’s classic three-stripe Superstar and Tubular Shadow sneakers. The Kanye West-Adidas collaboration, in particular, has paved the way for the ultra successfulYeezy line, whose releases continue to be some of the most sought after sneakers in the global market.
In apparels, Adidas is planning to consolidate on the success of Adidas Athletics, which was created by the German sportswear company in 2016. Touted as a direct competitor to Nike’s successful premium Sportswear line, Adidas Athletics seamlessly combines style and performance.
Over 180 global apparel brands have warned the Bangladeshi government that any premature shutdown of the Accord might lead them to reconsider the nation as a sourcing destination. Over 220 brands, currently sourcing apparel products from the country, have already signed the 2018 Transition Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh
The Bangladesh government implements a sustainable and adequate national regulatory structure to regulate workplace safety in its garment industry. Acknowledging progress on safety compliance, compact partners stressed that the remediation coordination cell (RCC) is at its earliest stages of development.
The government has recommended that the Accord needs to continue its operations in Bangladesh until the RCC is ready. In the last five years, the Accord has delivered a robust, high-quality, transparent and inclusive system. It has made substantial progress to achieve the safety of workers in Bangladesh’s most important export industry, but the national structure is not prepared yet to credibly take over the work of the Accord.
That foreign investors are pouring their capital into Vietnam will definitely help develop the local textile and garment industry. However, there are fears about projects in this category, especially those involving the dyeing phase. Impact on the environment is one concern.
So far, the bulk of foreign direct investments in the textile and garment industry are in the fields of fiber manufacturing, garment and accessories. The dyeing sector accounts for only around nine per cent of the total investment. Since the dyeing process may cause environmental pollution, one way is to license only projects that have decent water-treatment systems. High standards should be applicable to wastewater like water-treatment systems. Priority should be given to dyeing projects that bring in modern technology in wastewater treatment.
Aside from environmental pollution, some localities are also afraid of textile and garment projects because they are labor-intensive ones which require large armies of migrant workers. A larger populace of migrant work force would also mean there must be more schools, health care facilities, accommodation and a larger force in charge of security issues. Propelled by bilateral and multilateral FTAs signed recently, Vietnam is now emerging as one of the top spots in the world for investors in the garment and textile industry.
Pakistan’s exports to Canada are up 4.6 per cent. Textiles, leather and food products account for 74 per cent of Pakistan’s exports to Canada. Non-textile exports are also growing. Canada is mulling a preferential trade partner status for Pakistan to encourage exports from developing economies under preferential tariffs.
Inclusion in the program would boost Pakistan’s exports to Canada. It aims at assisting developing countries and their small and medium enterprises take advantage of new export opportunities created by free and preferential trade agreements with Canada. The program places an emphasis on initiatives that will help ensure that free and preferential trade access to Canada will ultimately contribute to job growth and poverty reduction in developing countries, and those which also address gender inequality or environmental concerns in doing so.
The priorities for the bilateral international assistance program are based on Pakistan’s development priorities and Canada’s comparative advantage in line with its feminist international assistance policy. Canada’s development assistance to Pakistan also includes multilateral, partnership and humanitarian programming. Additionally, project funding in Pakistan has come from the International Development Research Centre. The Canada fund for local initiatives provide direct funding assistance for small projects to local non-government organisations and, in exceptional cases, international NGOs and government institutions.
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and brand members are committed to supporting a more sustainable future for cotton production. The global not-for-profit is the largest cotton sustainability program in the world, which last year provided training on more sustainable agricultural practices to 1.6 million farmers from 23 countries.
More than 350 brands are now committed to supporting cotton farmers through the initiative. Among these are Takko Holding, Coolinvestments Group, Task International, Target Australia. They pay a fee to BCI based on the amount of cotton they source as Better Cotton, which is invested into training BCI farmers on more sustainable agricultural practices like reducing inputs (water, pesticides) and addressing gender equality and child labor issues.
BCI was launched in the United States in 2014. BCI also has civil society organisations like Sawera Foundation (Pakistan), Aga Khan Rural Support Program (India), Responsible Sourcing Network, a project of As You Sow, (United States), Rural Business Development Centre (Pakistan) and Centers For International Projects Trust (India) as members. It works with a total of 37 civil society organizations.
Civil society members are progressive not-for-profit organisations who are taking decisive steps towards securing a more sustainable future for cotton production by partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative.
"CENTRESTAGE, Asia’s premier fashion event, will open for the global audience from September 5 to 8 in Hong Kong. Organised by the HKTDC to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a fashion hub in Asia, CENTRESTAGE offers a platform for international, especially Asian, fashion brands and designers to launch and promote their designs. In its 3rd year, the opening gala, CENTRESTAGE Elites, will see three of Asia’s most celebrated designer labels, Facetasm from Japan, Idism from Hong Kong and Ms Min from the Chinese mainland, showcasing their latest 2019 Spring/Summer (SS19) collections for an international audience of trendsetters."
CENTRESTAGE, Asia’s premier fashion event, will open for the global audience from September 5 to 8 in Hong Kong. Organised by the HKTDC to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a fashion hub in Asia, CENTRESTAGE offers a platform for international, especially Asian, fashion brands and designers to launch and promote their designs. In its 3rd year, the opening gala, CENTRESTAGE Elites, will see three of Asia’s most celebrated designer labels, Facetasm from Japan, Idism from Hong Kong and Ms Min from the Chinese mainland, showcasing their latest 2019 Spring/Summer (SS19) collections for an international audience of trendsetters.
Hong Kong brand Idism will launch its latest line of ready-to-wear women’s wear at CENTRESTAGE Elites. Design duo Julio Ng and Cyrus Wong who debuted Idism in 2016, have since participated in Paris Fashion Week several times. With the brand’s philosophy based on being active, true to nature, attuned to the senses and following a distinctive lifestyle, Idism was created for the spontaneous lifestyle of the contemporary city woman, which manifests true beauty coming from within. At the same catwalk show, Chinese luxury women’s wear label Ms Min will reveal its newest collection. Its founder Min Liu, mentored by fashion mogul Sarah Rutson, has built a fashion empire around an aesthetic that seamlessly meshes modernity with classicism.
Global brands mark their presence
As one of Asia’s signature fashion events connecting brands, buyers, media and fashionistas, CENTRESTAGE 2018 will feature a record number of over
220 brands from around the world, presenting about 40 events including more than 20 fashion shows and parades during the event period. A series of insightful seminars and panels such as the Master Sharing Series and Trend Talk Series will be hosted by fashion design masters and industry experts, with a focus on upcoming fashion trends and the importance of sustainability in the industry.
YDC: A runway for young designers
The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest 2018 (YDC) is another highlight of this year’s CENTRESTAGE. The judging panel will include Lawrence Leung, Chairman of the HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee and Michael Mok, General Manager of Merchandising/Head of Merchandising at Joyce Boutique Ltd, while internationally renowned fashion designer Martine Rose will be the VIP judge. YDC has successfully nurtured and promoted a new generation of Hong Kong fashion design talent since 1977. This year, 16 shortlisted candidates will compete for five awards including the New Talent Award and Best Footwear Design Award. Arto Wong, last year's Champion and New Talent Award winner, will release her capsule collection Zero to Unlimited at Joyce this August and display it at CENTRESTAGE this September. The event will also feature the latest works by other YDC 2017 winners, including Sonic Lam, who has partnered with Woolmark to develop a new outfit made with wool, and Jason Lee, winner of last year’s Best Footwear Design Award, who will showcase his capsule collection I Go to School by Bus.
A launch pad for local designers
In its 12th edition, Fashionally Collection, a highlighted CENTRESTAGE show dedicated to Hong Kong designers, will welcome 10 local designer brands, including contemporary classic menswear label Demo and Kevin Ho, a modern womenswear label that participated in New York Fashion Week 2017. The Fashionally Presentation at CENTRESTAGE will feature three new local designer labels launching their SS19 collections. Unlike at conventional runway shows, the three labels, Redemptive, Tak Lee and YLYstudio, will present their collection in a storytelling format on a theatre-style stage.
Copenhagen will hold S/S’19 edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) from Aug 8 to 10, 2018. The three day’s will pack in several catwalk shows to run alongside key tradeshows CIFF and Revolver. The design-driven fashion fair – Revolver, to be organised by Christian Mailbom has partnered Pitti Uomo to promote Scandinavian fashion and Revolver globally.
The show will host around 300 exhibitors including newcomers such as British line The Cooper Collection and Danish denim brand Blanche will feature alongside established brands like Wood Wood, Henrik Vibskov, Soulland and Rodebjer.
CIFF will feature 2,000 brands across the 60,000 sq. m. space. Raven – the perennial showcase dedicated to emerging talent will include rands like Daniel W. Fletcher, 424, Black Barret, Geym, Magliano, Phipps and Second Layer. Brands such as Ellesse, Superga, Fila, Helly Hansen and Eat Dust within the fair’s Urban section, and Woolrich, J. Lindeberg or Belstaff’s latest collections will be displayed in the Premium area.
The US will work with the European Union on eliminating tariffs between the two regions. Makers of blue jeans in the US have to pay an eight per cent duty rate to import Italian denim. The cost of these goods, if duties were off, would be down significantly.
In 2017, the United States exported textiles and apparels worth $2.6 billion to the European Union while importing $5.5 in textiles and apparel from the EU. Eliminating tariffs would put US companies on par with countries such as South Korea, which already has a free trade agreement with the EU. Japan has signed a free trade agreement with the European Union. Mexico and the European Union have agreed in principle to an updated free trade agreement.
So , US manufacturers don’t want to be at a disadvantage. In the meantime the US has spent months threatening or imposing tariffs on various imports from China, Canada and Mexico. Chinese and US textile and apparel organisations are concerned about the escalating trade tensions and have voiced their opposition to protectionism. Tariff increases are not just a tax on consumers but also bring uncertainty to the supply chain for brands. Top brands depend a lot on a stable global supply chain.
