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Gildan Activewear Inc. is set to enter a new era of leadership as Vince Tyra assumes the role of President and Chief Executive Officer on January 15, 2024, moving up from the initially planned February 12 start date. The Board highlights Tyra's unique blend of financial acumen, management prowess, and transformative leadership, emphasizing the need for a hands-on CEO amid a dynamic business landscape.
Donald C. Berg, Chairman of the Board, lauds Tyra's selection after a comprehensive search, citing his extensive experience in apparel, manufacturing, marketing, and successful turnarounds. Tyra's illustrious career includes pivotal roles at Fruit of the Loom and Broder Bros., where he orchestrated impressive revenue growth. Notably, his turnaround expertise extended to the scandal-ridden University of Louisville Athletics Program in 2017, showcasing his ability to rebuild and instill a culture of excellence.
The endorsement from Yoo Jin Kim, a Principal at Bain Capital, emphasizes Tyra's top-tier executive qualities, instilling confidence in Gildan's future. Tyra's recent stint at Houchens Industries further underscores his strategic vision and impact on organizational strength.
Gildan's Board expresses enthusiasm for Tyra's leadership, anticipating his contribution to the company's success. The appointment marks a strategic move to navigate complexities and drive Gildan Activewear into a new phase of growth under Tyra's seasoned guidance.
HATCH Collective and DeSL collaborate for cutting-edge PLM Software in Fashion and Retail. The collaboration, initiated in 2023, coincided with HATCH Collective's assumption of operational control over two additional portfolio brands, Motherhood Maternity and A Pea in the Pod.
Juliana Simon, SVP of Development and Production at HATCH Collective, lauds the seamless transition facilitated by DeSL's PLM solution from manual tracking tools. The technology has significantly streamlined product development processes, marking a pivotal step towards operational efficiency as the collective continues to expand.
A standout feature of DeSL's PLM is its factory accessibility, offering a centralized collaboration platform for effective communication and coordination among stakeholders. The integration of testing processes into the system has proven monumental for HATCH Collective, ensuring testing reports seamlessly traverse the product development lifecycle, emphasizing a single source of truth for all style-related aspects.
Juliana highlights DeSL's flexibility in adapting to HATCH Collective's evolving needs, affirming a longstanding positive history with the solution provider. DeSL, in turn, expresses eagerness in supporting HATCH Collective's ongoing digital transformation journey and leveraging PLM for enhanced efficiency in product development.
In the fast-paced world of fashion, the quest for clarity and inspiration to navigate an ever-evolving landscape is more crucial than ever. From January 23 to 25, 2024, MUNICH FABRIC START takes center stage, providing a comprehensive platform for the global fashion industry to decipher the upcoming Spring.Summer 2025 collections. As the industry converges at MUNICH FABRIC START, comprising BLUEZONE, KEYHOUSE, and THE SOURCE, the focus extends beyond just materials; it delves into edutainment formats, trend forecasts, and production tools.
A meticulously curated showcase
Approximately 1,000 collections from premier international manufacturers are meticulously organized into eight distinct areas, ranging from ADDITIONALS and FABRICS to SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS and THE SOURCE. This arrangement offers a structured overview of fabrics, materials, and raw ingredients for the upcoming season. The unique setup reinforces MUNICH FABRIC START as an unrivaled one-stop-sourcing solution, promoting a highly professional atmosphere with short distances and easy accessibility at the heart of Europe.
"Clarity means information, innovation, and inspiration," states Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director of MUNICH FABRIC START. Against the backdrop of uncertainties in the fashion industry, including cost pressures and rising energy prices, Klinder emphasizes the industry's need for clarity as a guiding force.
The theme: CLARITY for Spring.Summer 2025
The overarching theme for the Spring.Summer 2025 trends at MUNICH FABRIC START is aptly named CLARITY. This theme encapsulates the industry's yearning for clear structures amid a complex present, characterized by reduction, realism, fantasy, and creativity. The trends reflect a coexistence of rediscovered craftsmanship and new technologies, urban and rural spaces, and the harmonious interplay of decoration and functionality.
"Fashion doesn't come to life only when collections are sewn," emphasizes Frank Junker, Creative Director & Partner of MUNICH FABRIC START. He highlights that fabric trade shows represent the essence of creative exchange, enabling designers to gain a comprehensive overview of upcoming trends and transform them into individual collections efficiently.
Innovation and sustainability: The driving forces
Transparency emerges as a crucial element of clarity in the fashion industry. MUNICH FABRIC START recognizes the role of technology in achieving transparency, showcasing innovations like blockchain, RFID, Digital Product Passes, and software advancements. Exhibitors like CO2Tex, BIOBASE, EYAND, and TransitionLab from RWTH Aachen, in collaboration with adidas, present commercially viable and scalable materials, emphasizing sustainability.
BLUEZONE, the Denim Trade Show, stands out with approximately 100 collections featuring technological advancements. The Denim Deal, a Green Deal for Circular Denim, outlines goals for recycling post-consumer textile waste and using recycled materials in new products by 2025 and 2030.
THE SOURCE focuses on production and sourcing, showcasing developments in sustainable and innovative processes. The KEYHOUSE hosts global players presenting the latest developments, innovations, and technologies, including a special presentation area for Sustainable Innovations.
A global gathering of expertise
With approximately 1,000 international exhibitors, MUNICH FABRIC START is heavily booked, featuring relevant suppliers and brands from Assyst to Yünsa. The conference and lecture program feature over 50 speakers discussing current developments, changes, and challenges in the industry, offering a blend of competence, professionalism, inspiration, and innovation.
From January 23 to 25, 2024, MUNICH FABRIC START promises to be more than a fabric show; it is an industry extravaganza seeking clarity, pushing the boundaries of creativity, sustainability, and innovation in the pursuit of fashion's future.
Indian activewear brand TechnoSport plans to establish an activewear factory in Erode in joint venture with the Government of Tamil Nadu. TechnoSport has also signed an MoU with the government for the project.
Formalised during the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet, the agreement outlines TechnoSport’s commitment to manufacturing technical activewear fabrics under the ‘Special Scheme for Technical Textiles 2023’ at this facility.
Expected to start production by March 2024, the cutting-edge facility will specialise in technical textiles, harnessing technologies from Germany, Japan, Italy, and Taiwan. Boasting a daily capacity of 25 tonne, the mega factory will create more than 2000 jobs over the course of the next four years.
The factory will enhance Tamil Nadu’s economy by generating revenues and creating new employment opportunities. It will help the state achieve its vision of developing a trillion-dollar economy.
With most manufacturers shutting shops, workers leaving for better opportunities abroad, government introducing a 3 per cent duty on raw materials and other factors, Fiji expects its textile and clothing (T&C) exports to drop by 25 per cent in 2024.
As per Inbamalar Wanarajan, President, Textile Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Council, factors including a continuous increase in the cost of doing business, increase in minimum wages, contribution to Fiji National Provident Fund, replacement of migrant workers with newcomers and the imposition of 3 per cent duty on raw materials, are likely to lead to a 25 per cent drop in Fiji’s T&C exports in in 2024.
Already, employment in the sector has declined from 7,000 workers to less than 4,000 workers. TCF Council members have also decreased from 50 to less than 30, she adds.
To revive the industry, the government needs to discuss issues related to national minimum wage rate, duties policies, etc, Wanarajan says.
She recommends the linking of national minimum wage rate increases to increase in productivity. The government should also introduce new policies in the area of duty relief and retention of skilled labors, she adds.
Wanarajan also advises the government to import labor from other countries to meet deadlines and serve current customers appropriately. Government must initiate discussions with the US on possible return of trade agreement deals, she adds.
Another of Wanarajan’s recommendations includes removal of 3 per cent duty on raw materials to protect the industry from deteriorating.
Motivated by the newly launched government schemes, many textile and apparel companies in India have announced expansion plans.
India’s leading textile giant, the Gujarat-based Arvind Ltd has signed a Rs 3,000-crore MoU with the Gujarat Government to develop projects across group verticals textiles, engineering and real estate.
In Tamil Nadu, The Ramraj Group has announced an investment of Rs. 1,000 crore over the next five years to set up textile processing, weaving and spinning units. These units will help the state create 5,000 jobs, says KR Nagarajan, Founder and Chairman of the group.
Known for yarns manufacturing, GHCL Textiles plans to invest Rs. 535 crore over the next four years towards capacity and product basket expansions, vertical integration of textile manufacturing to include knitted and woven finished fabrics, as well as the enhancement of the green energy portfolio.
Jeyavishnu Clothing (KM Knitwear Group) is investing Rs. 330 crores in textile spinning and processing segments and expected to generate over 2,500 jobs.
Another leading player, SCM Garments is investing Rs. 500 crore over five years to set up new apparel units, install solar and wind energy plants.
Known for manufacturing fine cotton bedding for top European designer brands, Paramount Textile Mills is expanding its scope in the US market. It has recently appointed home textiles veteran Jayesh Saxena as president of global sales and marketing to lead that effort.
As per its recent announcement at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Welspun Group has signed an MoU with the state government to expand textile production capacity with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore.
As per the MoU, Welspun will develop a green hydrogen and ammonia ecosystem in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 40,000 crore. The group has teamed up with Gujarat Pipavav Port for producing green hydrogen and its derivatives, including green ammonia and green methanol.
Welspun also plans to produce one million tonne of ammonia from this facility in Kutch, Gujarat in the next 3-5 years. It also plans to export this ammonia.
The MoU between the two parties marks a significant step towards realising the state’s vision for a sustainable and power infrastructure.
Despite global economic slowdown, Bangladesh entrepreneurs set up 134 new RMG factories in 2023 to tap the industry’s growing potential. A large number of these factories are likely to commence production this year. They have been mostly set up by new entrepreneurs though a few have also being developed by large players who joined the race to expand their business.
The shifting of sourcing by global buyers from China to other countries is creating huge opportunities for Bangladesh apparel markers, says Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA.
In 2023, companies like Badsha Group of Industries, Pacific Jeans Group, Ha-Meem Group, Sadma Group, and Beximco diversified their business to garment manufacturing to meet the rising export demand.
Badsha Group invested Tk800 crore in its Pioneer Denim facility at Madhabpur, Habiganj, to set up a state-of-the-art unit with a target of $700 million export earning a year. The project involves construction of two seven-floor production units, two sheds for storage facilities and three sheds for dyeing and washing plants. The factory will export denim garments worth $700 million a year by 2028 besides creating employment opportunities for 15,000 people, notes Badsha Mia, Founder.
Bangladesh’s largest investor in Chattogram EPZ, Pacific Jeans is also developing a factory in the EPZ with an investment of $31.75 million in Pacific Attires.
The factory will produce high-value formalwear such as suits, blazers, jackets, coats, pants, and casualwear, affirms Syed Mohammad Tanvir, Managing Director, Pacific Jeans Group. It will also create job opportunities for 9,000 people besides boosting exports by $250 million, he adds.
One of Bangladesh’s leading garment exporters, Ha-Meem Group is developing an outerwear factory with 16 production units. .
AK Azad, Managing Director, says, the group shifted from garment capacity expansion to diversification to ensure the group’s business’ sustainability in future.
Despite a slow demand the RMG industry is on well on its path to meet the $100 billion export target by 2030, adds Hassan.
Cambodia’s exports of garments, footwear and travel goods (GFT) declined by 13.31 per cent to $11.09 billion in 2023 amidst global challenges, from $12.80 billion earned in 2022, leading to many factories suspending their workers.
Within the GFT sector, Camboda’s exports of knitted garments declined by 14 per cent to $5.47 billion, compared to $6.36 billion earned in 2022. Exports of woven apparels declined by 10.4 per cent Y-o-Y to $2.39 billion from $2.66 earned in 2022.
In other made-up textile articles and worn clothing category, Cambodia’s exports earnings declined to $155.5 million in 2023, compared to $169 million in 2022.
Massimiliano Tropeano, Sustainability and Garment Expert, European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (EuroCham), said, Cambodia needs to diversify its exports away from garments as the sector is fast losing competitiveness.
A progressive regulation and tariff on installing solar panels will enable the sector to be far more competitive and hire more workers and earn more revenues for the country, he added.
Textile and apparel company Arvind Ltd has inked an MoU worth ₹3,000 crore with the Gujarat Government, across group verticals. The company will use the capital towards the development of its textiles, engineering and real estate verticals in Ahmedabad. To be executed over the next four years, these investments will used for scaling the company’s technical textile segment and development of real estate in Ahmedabad, says Kulin Lalbhai, Executive Director
Arvind Ltd has also signed an MoU to supply technically advanced uniform fabric to the Indian Navy. The MoU involves supply of technically advanced uniform fabric having anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties. Specially developed for tropical conditions, these fabrics will offer an improved moisture management technology and a higher whiteness index lasting multiple washing cycles, says a spokesperson of the Indian Navy.
