FW
Year 2014-'15 global cotton mill use is forecast at 112.3 million bales, two per cent above the previous season. Mill use in China is expected to rebound in 2014-’15 to 37 million bales, up from an estimated 35.5 million bales this season and the highest in three years.
India’s consumption is projected to rise two per cent, a record, as demand for India’s textile product exports is expected to remain strong. Expansion of cotton mill use in Pakistan is also likely to continue in 2014-’15, rising three per cent above a year earlier. In addition to gains for the United States, cotton mill consumption is also projected to rise in Turkey and Bangladesh.
World cotton trade, on the other hand, will be 13 per cent below 2013-’14 and the lowest in four years, due mainly to China’s expected reduction in raw cotton imports. Imports are forecast to rise in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan, while declines are seen for Turkey and Vietnam.
Exports are projected to decrease in 2014-’15 across major exporting countries with the exception of Brazil. For India, exports are forecast to decline 37 per cent while shipments from Australia are projected to decrease 35 per cent. Global ending stocks are forecast to reach 102.7 million bales by the end of 2014-’15.
Warwick has created the world's first textile using genetically engineered spider silk from Kraig. Warwick is a leader in engineering and development of advanced technical textiles and protective materials. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is a developer of advanced spider silk based fibers. The Monster Silk textiles are the first of many textiles that will be created as part of Kraig’s joint development agreement with Warwick.
The first Monster Silk knits have proved that genetically engineered spider silk works well with existing manufacturing methods. The creation of these knits is a huge milestone in the progress toward making genetically engineered spider silk available for industrial and consumer applications. And these advanced materials process well on existing machinery.
Spider silk has been the subject of advanced research and development efforts for years because it has exceptional strength, elasticity and abrasion resistance as well as numerous potential technical textile applications. This fiber would have advanced medical, composite and possibly ballistic applications, among others — spider silk is said to be stronger than aramid and ten times as strong as steel.
A hybrid silk produced by transgenic silkworms is well on its way to commercialization primarily for traditional silk applications including apparel and medical applications such as sutures.
www.warwickmills.com/About-Warwick/Warwick-Mills-Legacy.aspx
Import of denim jeans into the European Union recovered in 2013, increasing 4.4 per cent in value and 8.6 per cent in volume terms, but average prices declined 3.9 per cent. European Union nations imported 494 million pairs of denim jeans in 2013. Between 2007 and 2013, imports of jeans recorded an annual growth rate of 5.3 per cent compared to the growth figure of 2.2 per cent for overall EU clothing imports.
Jeans imports declined in 2012 thanks to the fragile European economy before returning to growth last year. Turkey, Bangladesh and China together account for 62 per cent of jeans imports at 69 per cent in volume terms, followed by Pakistan, Tunisia, Morocco and Cambodia. In 2013, China was overtaken by Turkey and Bangladesh in value terms, but remained the top volume supplier at 142 million pairs.
In terms of importing countries, Germany is the most attractive European market for jeans. It is the largest importer by both value and volume and is also the market with the highest growth rate. The second most attractive market is the UK. It is followed by Spain, which has experienced strong average annual growth since 2005. The market for imported jeans in France and Italy each represents about a third of the value of Germany. Italy purchases the most expensive jeans followed by Austria, Denmark, Germany and Sweden.
There are growing opportunities in the US for African clothing and textile producers under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The act runs from 2000 to 2015. Exports from Africa to the US under AGOA have grown by 500 per cent from 2001 to 2011, of which the textile and apparel industry amounted to almost a billion dollars. Despite this growth, the African share of the US market amounts to just one per cent, so there is ample opportunity for African manufacturers to increase their exports to the US.
Rising production costs in China means that US retailers are beginning to look elsewhere to fill orders. The quality of yarn and technology used by African textile manufacturers to produce their products is very good, yet companies struggle to make an impact in the US markets. One reason is that they cannot manufacture the volumes of merchandise sought by American retailers.
Under AGOA the best opportunities for African companies lie where the highest US duty rates are applied on exports from other countries. Since Africa can’t emulate China in terms of mass producing goods, African companies can cater to niche markets, creating new styles. African producers need a long-term preferential trade agreement is order to develop supply chains that can meet demand.
trade.gov/agoa/
Bangladesh is expecting better jute production this season especially in the north. Farmers have started adopting the latest line-sowing jute technology using seeder machines saving huge seed and reducing farming costs and ribbon-retting method to get quality fiber and more profit.
Farmers cultivated the Tosha variety of jute on over 0.17 million hectares of land, the Deshi variety on 13,635 hectares, the Mechhta variety on 4,607 hectares and the Kenaf variety on 2,275 hectares of land this season. A target of producing over 2.41 million bales of jute from over 0.22 million hectares of land has been fixed for the current season in the northern region.
To ensure farmers get a price, relevant steps have been taken to evolve a mechanized method for separating rotting jute fiber and so ensure a better quality of jute. However, jute targets could not be achieved fully this season due to the prolonged drought-like situation that caused lack of soil moisture hampering sowing of jute seeds, crop diversification and some other reasons.
Bangladesh is the second largest jute producer and a major exporter of the fiber in the world. Fabrics made of jute fibers are carbon-dioxide neutral and naturally decomposable. These properties are also why jute can be used in high performance technical textiles.
The EU Commission's criteria for awarding the Ecolabel to textile products, announced recently, include restrictions on hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing process. To get this label, manufacturers will have to ensure that products and production recipes do not contain hazardous substances listed in the restricted substance list (RSL) at, or above, the specified concentration limits, or according to the specified restrictions.
They are required to put together their own individual RSL, which covers any regulatory or preferential list of unwanted substances. This will also have to specify the verification and testing requirements for each production stage and for the final product. The list must be sent out to suppliers and agents responsible for the spinning, dyeing, printing and finishing stages of production, who must comply with it.
In addition, where required, laboratory testing based on random sampling must be carried out for each product line. The Ecolabel criteria say that testing must be carried out annually during the license period in order to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the RSL. The criteria also state that final products must not contain substances of very high concern (SVHC), or those on the candidate list. Along with chemical management criteria, Ecolabel also covers recycled content, energy efficiency and water management.
Ec.europa.eu
Lectra has announced the launch of Kaledo V4R1, the latest release of its design solution. Taken inputs from the textile customers that said product development teams and pre-production rely on the efficiency of designers to produce innovative and creative designs to ensure that fresh products reach stores on time, Lectra’s R&D teams developed this new version to respond to industry needs.
Kaledo V4R1 features a host of new tools including draper, a texture mapping module that simulates fabric on images and sketches, producing realistic results for speedy decision making in the collection and sales selection process. Kaledo realistically represents what a product will look like that enables designers to aptly present the end result to the clients or in-house design teams.
The latest release also introduces major improvements to colour management, such as better lighting options for increased colour accuracy. Users can now work with more complex knit and woven structures for sophisticated design options. Other features include new repeat, colour mask and transparency tools for more design flexibility.
www.lectra.com
The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) has been able to garner huge response from Pakistani exhibitors with about 70 per cent stalls already booked for the 2nd edition of the ‘Made In Pakistan Expo 2014’ to be held in Mumbai from August 31 to September 5, 2014. The inaugural edition of MIPEM 2014 held from April 3 to 7, 2014 at Mumbai had also witnessed positive response.
The exhibition provides a platform to Pakistan-based companies to showcase their range of products and services to the Indian public and business community. The exhibition also contributes in promoting Pakistan-India economic relations by diversifying the existing trade patterns, thus introducing a wide range of quality Pakistani products in the Indian market.
Organisers expect to fetch in over Rs 3,600 crores worth export orders as compared to over Rs 2,400 crores received from the first edition. Pakistani fashion, lawn suits and garments are seeing great demand among the Indian women. PRGMEA has also arranged B2C and B2B meetings between the Pakistani exhibitors and manufacturers with Indian buyers and trade delegation would also visit India in the sidelines so that Pakistan exhibitors could avail maximum benefit from the event. Besides readymade garments, fashion clothing, and home textiles, handicrafts, marble items, food items and other goods would also be on display.
www.madeinpakistanexpo.com
Woolfest 2014 will be held at England Mitchell’s Lakeland Livestock Centre on June 28 and 29. This is an event that displays the best in wool crafts and offers a wealth of advice for any natural fiber enthusiast. Visitors have a chance to find out more about a new craft or learn a new skill in one of the many demonstrations taking place. This year they have the opportunity to discover more about wet felting, weaving and extreme textiles.
The event also offers visitors a chance to meet makers and designers as well as the opportunity to learn more about British wool. This year, the festival will celebrate the native Herdwick sheep. Readings, images and music will provide an informative yet entertaining take on the iconic breed. Wool fans can purchase a two-day ticket and take part in many of the creative projects that will be happening throughout the festival.
In 2013, the event had attracted more than 6,000 visitors and picked up a number of awards from industry publications including being voted as favorite event.
www.woolfest.co.uk/
Mosi or fine ramie fabric is a traditional Korean fabric. Mosi cloth weaving starts with the ramie plant. It’s one of the oldest fibers cultivated for fabrics. The ramie is peeled off and then split to be made into threads. It takes great effort to make a fabric out of ramie plants, as there are many steps involved in it. To make a suit, the weaving process alone takes about 10 days.
The handmade ramie fabric is also called Jeomapo or Jeopo. Mosi is known for being light, breathable and holding its shape easily. For this reason, Mosi has long been regarded as the ideal fabric for summer attire. It is made by hand weaving strands of durable bast fiber from stems of the ramie plant, a member of the nettle family. Whenever a garment made of Mosi is washed, it becomes more lustrous and white, which gives it a fresh look and feel after each wash.
As weaving Mosi is an arduous task that calls for an experienced and dexterous hand, it was treasured as a precious fabric. This strong, yet airy natural fabric has inspired modern fashion designers like Seo Young-soo, who recently held a collection composed of pieces made of Mosi fabric.
