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The Woolmark Company and KaDeWe hosted an exclusive event to present the culmination of The Berlin Wool Lab Project, a 12-month collaboration that has inspired and connected some of Germany's top emerging design talent with some of the best Merino wool fabric suppliers in the world. Twelve designers were selected to participate in the project in February 2015 and offered support from The Woolmark Company in obtaining their preferred fabrics from the Spring/Summer 2016 edition of The Wool Lab under the guidance of leading fashion journalist Melissa Drier.
Created twice a year by The Woolmark Company, The Wool Lab is an innovative seasonal guide to the best selection of commercially available wool fabrics and yarns in the world. Outlining the emerging macro-themes from fashion and other fields, it influences emerging fashion trends and both inspires and informs the textile industry, fashion professionals and retailers about the vast potential and trans-seasonal properties of this premium, natural fiber.
The chosen designers in The Berlin Wool Lab Project have been developing Merino wool fabrics into outfits within their Spring/Summer 2016 collections, over the past 12 months, which are now on show in window displays and in-store at KaDeWe until early March and are available to buy form the designers' own websites.
"Since the government has identified India’s textiles and garment category as one of the 25 sectors capable of being a world leader, it has allowed sector (among others) to be the beneficiary of 100 per cent FDI. In the past, key sectors of the Indian economy have been under intense protectionist measures that compel international companies to forge partnerships with local companies if they wished to do business in India."
Affordable raw material, labour, strides in textile technology and the ‘Make in India’ policy could together make India a formidable destination for foreign investment in the textile and garment business. The recent launch of ‘Make in India’ initiative, a part of Modi government’s renewed focus on the country’s economy at a glittering event in Mumbai attracted over 1,000 companies and delegates from over 60 countries. Prime Minister Modi announced sweeping changes in manufacturing sector that employ millions of skilled and unskilled youth.
By opening up to outside investment, partnerships, expertise and efficiencies, the government aims to usher in an era where India will not only produce for the world but also feed a growing consumer base. This applies to the global fashion industry as well.
Textiles, garments sector moves up global ranking
Since the government has identified India’s textiles and garment category as one of the 25 sectors capable of being a world leader, it has allowed sector (among others) to be the beneficiary of 100 per cent FDI. In the past, key sectors of the Indian economy have been under intense protectionist measures that compel international companies to forge partnerships with local companies if they wished to do business in India.
Darshan Mehta, President and Chief Executive, Reliance Brands feels despite India’s natural advantages of robust cotton production, cheap labour and a rich history, the country made way for other ASEAN countries, including Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam to steal a march over India. Says Kulin Lalbhai, Executive Director of Arvind believes, India needs to address the importance of free trade agreements that allows goods from certain countries to come in without duty. However, manufacturing is now being liberalised and the textiles and garment industry should benefit. The changes could not have come sooner given the opportunities being created as China offshore more of its manufacturing, after decades spent competing fiercely with India and other countries.
While recent policy changes are making some headway, manufacturers still face significant hurdles, such as poor infrastructure, corruption, inefficient bureaucracies, access to capital among others feel experts. Nevertheless, with key drivers now established, namely improving the ease of doing business in India and simplifying foreign investment process, the bonhomie is palpable across the business community.
With good reason, business leaders around the world have India in their sights. Recent accolades have been impressive: Ernst & Young and the Financial Times have placed India as a global No.1 investment destination; Frost and Sullivan ranked India No. 1 in the ‘Growth, Innovation and Leadership Index’; Foreign Policy magazine declared India No.1 in the Baseline Profitability Index. And the IMF has ranked India as the world’s fastest growing large economy.
Advantages Indian
India is the world's second largest textile manufacturer, home to 24 per cent of the world's spindles and 8 per cent of the world's rotors. Given the right support, experts say this sector could be one of the biggest success stories to come out of ‘Make in India’, right after the IT sector. According to a report by Corporate Catalyst India published in a July 2015, the Indian textiles industry (currently valued at around $108 billion) is expected to reach $141 billion by 2021 and is the country’s second largest employer after agriculture. Over 35 million people are employed in this sector either directly or otherwise. And the Indian textile industry has the potential to grow five-fold over the next 10 years to touch $500 the billion mark. Of this domestic sales would constitute $315 billion and exports $185 billion.
Already, several major international apparel and manufacturing players have invested in India. These include: textile machinery manufacturers Rieter and Trutzschler, and vertically integrated fashion brands like Zara and Mango (Spain), Promod (France), Benetton (Italy), Esprit, Levi's and Forever 21 (USA). In luxury fashion sector, what is particularly interesting is that the other half of India’s textile story is about handlooms, a subsector which could play a big role in forging the global luxury industry ahead.
International brands such as Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, Naeem Khan, Valentino and Elie Saab, are already dipping into this vast reservoir of craft. But the recognition that India’s biggest soft power lies in the country's handwoven heritage is yet to be fully exploited, which means the full benefits to the economy and the workforce remain elusive too.
‘Make in India’ seems heavily skewed towards industrialised textiles, as opposed to handmade textiles. India-based NGO Dasra reports that an estimated seven million crafts people work in the industry, according to official figures (and up to 200 million, unofficial sources). From 2014 to 2015, Indian handicrafts exports stood at $4.5 billion.
EU textile and clothing imports in 2015 picked up by 9.6 per cent in value terms due to sharp increases from Asian countries. Textile sales to the US, EU’s top market, recorded a noticeable growth of 16 per cent thanks to a favorable exchange rate. Moderate expansion was recorded by Hong Kong and China. On the contrary, exports to Russia and Ukraine slipped due to the depressed markets.
Clothing exports to the EU’s main consumers indicated a higher growth rate than for textiles. There was a noticeable growth in clothing exports to the US, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada and China, which made the US the second largest EU customer and China the sixth largest. Exports to the Saudi Arabian and Mexican markets also experienced a significant expansion. Russia and Ukraine, on the other hand, declined, following the political turmoil.
Textile imports coming from the EU’s top 20 suppliers were all up, except from Egypt, Thailand and Australia. Among the main suppliers, the US witnessed the highest growth, followed by China, Pakistan and Vietnam. At the bottom of the ranking were Morocco and New Zealand.
Clothing imports from most Asian countries recorded double digit growth rates. The top supplier, China, recorded a six per cent increase, with 30 billion of clothing articles sold to the EU market. In the second place, Bangladesh recorded a 24 per cent increase. Strong import upturns were also observed from Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the US.
Chinese factory owners, driven by a strengthening currency and rising salaries at home, are relocating to secure more competitive margins. One of these destinations is Rwanda. While most Chinese companies are looking at opportunities close to home in Southeast Asia, more far-flung countries are also beginning to benefit. One of the attractions of African countries is their preferential trade agreements with the US and Europe, which mean that finished products, such as textiles, avoid import duties of up to 30 per cent.
Chinese businessmen believe the advantages of Rwanda’s business-savvy government, the country’s cheap, disciplined labor force and readymade garment factory space outweigh transport and other logistical challenges. And Rwanda, which runs a 17.2 per cent trade deficit, offers hefty tax concessions and other support in an effort to boost foreign currency earnings.
The Chinese, often blamed for destroying African industry by flooding the continent with cheap goods that undercut local markets, are now at the forefront of foreign manufacturers expanding their footprint across the continent. A Chinese garment company will equip Rwandan students with various textile skills. At least 600 students will be trained in embroidery before being taken on for work at the factory.
Action will be taken against factories in Bangladesh which fail to implement adequate fire and building safety measures. A number of readymade garment factories have still not met Accord and Alliance requirements. Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh is a grouping of European retailers. Alliance for Bangladesh Workers Safety is a grouping of North American buyers. Accord is a platform of 150 EU retailers while Alliance comprises 26 retailers from North America.
Accord and Alliance conducted inspections in a number of factories and found some had kept fire exits locked during working hours, no clear escape gates, skipped appointment letters to workers and were not regular in salary payments etc. The country has a total of 3,460 clothing factories in operation now.
The industry is rife with horrifically unsafe conditions, corruption, shoddy oversight, low wages, and child labor. The sector’s safety regulations and protections for garment workers remain nowhere near sufficient.
Bangladesh rose to its position largely because of its lack of regulation and the low wages it pays its garment workers, most of whom are women. Bangladesh’s minimum wage for the sector is one of the world’s lowest. As fashion brands look to cut costs, and wages continue to rise in China, Bangladesh becomes an increasingly attractive place to make clothes on the cheap.
Bangladesh Cotton Association (BCA) and Indian Cotton Association (ICA) are jointly organising ‘Bangladesh India Cotton Fest 2016’ in Bangladesh for the first time. The event is highly valued and supported by the most influential trade bodies FBCCI and IBCCI.
Scheduled to be held during March 2016, Bangladesh India Cotton Fest is organized to promote and protect the interest of cotton agents, traders, growers etc. BCA is the national trade body of cotton spinners, cotton agents, cotton traders, cotton growers, cotton ginners and cotton controllers can be labeled as inspection companies, according to a report.
BCA is an affiliated member of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and an affiliated Association of the International Cotton Association (ICA) based in Liverpool, UK. Indian Cotton Association is a Public Company incorporated on 06 April 1965 involved in spinning, weaving and finishing of textiles.
The cotton fest is going to offer a platform where reciprocity is going to be held between buyers and sellers. Hence, the agents are going to get an opportunity to arrange meetings between their buyers and sellers, and help them to finish their business under a festive mode for this current season Indian cotton. It will also play the role of a ‘network’ channel for the buyers, sellers, agents and controllers. Mainly people will do their business with a festive mood.
The world’s largest and the most important conference on sustainable fashion Copenhagen Fashion Summit will take place on May 12, 2016, in Denmark. The first Copenhagen Fashion Summit was held in 2009. The summit has grown in size and importance. The global fashion industry recognises the conference as the key forum for discussing where the fashion industry is headed in an era facing enormous environmental, climate and social challenges.
The event is an opportunity to hear multiple insights about the concrete, measurable ways fashion is grappling with sustainability. International key players from the fashion industry, as well as experts, NGOs, opinion makers, media and politicians will take part in a discussion on the evolution of a successful fashion industry in a world where new business models are required to tackle the growing sustainability challenges facing the planet and our societies.
The event hopes to be a catalyst for change. Players will share their knowledge and ideas on new and sustainable solutions. The aim is to inspire, motivate and give tools to implement a sustainable mindset and create a bright future for the fashion industry. American fashion writer, editor and New York Times best-selling author Derek Blasberg will host the summit.
www.copenhagenfashionsummit.com/
Kazakhstan has ratified a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union’s member states and Vietnam. The agreement is intended to create favorable conditions for mutual trade and investment. It provides for duty-free trade regime between the EAEU countries and Vietnam. At the same time, a transitional period for cancelling import customs duties is set for some product types. Some sensitive products have been withdrawn from the free trade regime and duties will be imposed on them in accordance with the sides’ import tariffs.
The agreement gives the parties the right to use special protective, antidumping and countervailing measures in accordance with WTO rules. It also provides the use of a protective mechanism in the form of customs duty at the level of the EAEU common customs tariff, which will protect sensitive EAEU textile products and furniture if the limit of the annual volume of imports from Vietnam is exceeded.
The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for regional economic integration. It has international legal personality and is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. The EAEU provides for free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, pursues coordinated, harmonized and single policy in the sectors determined by the treaty and international agreements within the union.
Members of the Eurasian Economic Union are the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation.
The Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur has introduced Bt genes into 21 cotton seed varieties, which scientists say can be provided to farmers at 10 per cent of the price of hybrid seeds. These also offer better pest resistance, they claim.
For the American agriculture behemoth Monsanto, this could turn out to be the biggest challenge yet in India. The Bt varieties are being provided this year to the state agricultural departments of Telangana and Maharashtra for multi-location testing to be carried out by the state agricultural universities.
The best Bt-varieties will be identified from the multi-location field trial results of 2016 and the seeds will be made available to farmers from 2017. According to K R Kranthi, Director of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), after the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that there was no patent on genetically modified (GM) Bt Cotton (Bollgard-mon 531) brought by MonsantoBSE -0.60 per cent 14 years ago to India, CICR will now be introducing Bt genes to traditional Indian cotton varieties.
For the 2016 season, trials will be will be conducted by Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola; Maharashtra Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri; Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani; and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Telangana.
According to an official, the agriculture ministry is closely watching the progress of research by the universities on cotton seed with an aim to protect farmers' interest. The seeds of Bt varieties can be priced at Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg and reused every year, compared with the Bt-cotton hybrid seeds, which cost Rs 2,000 a kg and can be used only once. Moreover, scientists say that unlike a majority of the Bt hybrids available in the market that are susceptible to sap-sucking insect pests and diseases, almost all the public sector non-Bt cotton varieties have a broad range of natural tolerance.
This season was all about fashion at Las Vegas. There were plenty of new brands, an evolution of trends and some dramatic shifts - especially in the streetwear market. UBM/Advanstar, owner of MAGIC Marketplace and Project, held its menswear shows from February 16 to 18 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Around 1,000 men’s brands were spread out over 300,000 sq. ft. of show floor at the Project. In the men’s market where fashion doesn’t change at a radical pace, designers stand out by staying focused - and stepping up their fashion game.
The show revealed that experiment with technical materials and adding a tailored fit to outerwear pieces can create an innovative look. While many tried and tested trends such as bomber jackets, denim, military themes and plaid continued, brands updated trends with their own twist. Casual continues to be an ongoing focus in the market. The Tents, which grew 15 percent this season, showcased many directional designer and advanced contemporary brands including Billy Reid, Vince, Drifter, Belstaff, Whyred, Aquascutum, Scotch & Soda, 3x1, Stitch’s, Jean Shop and J. Lindberg.
Modern Assembly, which includes Agenda, Liberty Fairs and Capsule continued at the Venetian’s Sands Expo Center from 15 to 17 February. Bottoms, especially denim, were a breakout category in Vegas. A key trend was high fashion inspired denim and bottoms with heavy washes, finishes and rips and finishes at an affordable price point.
