Garment makers in Tirupur are reeling under severe losses because of increase in the prices of dye and chemicals. Prices of dyes, chemicals and wetting agents used for coloring fabrics have increased over 30 per cent in the last few months.

Tirupur is the knitwear capital of India. Almost all dyes and chemicals are imported from China by traders based in Gujarat and Maharashtra and distributed throughout the country. However, due to extreme power shortage in China, chemical production has reduced by over 25 per cent. Besides, the economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 induced lockdown and China's climate change policy disrupted the supply chain and has spiraled on importers from India.

Dyeing is an important process in the garment and textile manufacturing process. The cost of dyeing and other chemicals increased over the last five months leaving exporters’ resources stretched. Since the contract between garment units and exporters is pre -determined, exporters cannot revise the price when input cost increases. Whenever exporters send a quotation to the buyer or importer, they mention the current price and cost. It takes around two weeks for a deal to be finalized. If there is a rise in pricing in the meantime, they cannot renegotiate or bargain with the customers and must bear the loss. Small units are affected the most by the fluctuating prices.’’

US-based footwear maker Crocs’ revenue for the third quarter rose 73 per cent compared to the same period in previous year. Crocs experienced strong revenue growth in all geographies during the quarter but saw particularly impressive progress in the Americas, where revenues were up 94.5 per cent on a constant currency basis year over year.

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa sales rose 43.8 per cent in constant currencies while in the Asia-Pacific region they increased 21.2 per cent. Direct-to-consumer sales at the company rose 60.4 per cent while wholesale revenues increased 88.2 per cent. Digital sales increased 68.9 per cent and represented 36.8 per cent of Crocs’ total revenues during the quarter, compared to 37.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2020 and 32.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2019.

For Crocs the third quarter was exceptional, underscored by an industry-leading operating margin of 32 per cent. Despite the temporary disruptions, it expects 2022 revenues to grow over 20 per cent from 2021 fueled by the strength of its brand and consumer demand globally. Crocs also increased its full-year financial outlook. It now expects to report revenue growth of between 62 per cent and 65 per cent in fiscal 2021.

Garment makers in Bangladesh have demanded cash incentives for exporting garments made with imported yarn. At present, only garment exporters who purchase raw materials from local textile mills get incentives. They also want incentives to be calculated directly on export price, rationalization of depreciation or wastage rate of raw materials in garment manufacturing, and elimination of harassment in the process of paying VAT and customs duty. Calculating incentives directly on export prices is expected to reduce the chances of all irregularities committed by the exporters.

Garment manufacturers came up with these demands as discussions are going on to increase the price of yarn in local market in view of the increase in the price of cotton, raw material for yarn, in the international market. Garment manufacturers have also sought permission to import yarn through land ports outside Benapole as part of removing the existing barriers in importing yarn from the neighboring countries. They want capacity building at the land ports and proper facilities for testing the imported goods be ensured before allowing import of yarn through land ports outside Benapole. Besides, readymade garments makers have demanded that the government allow partial shipment of goods against a letter of credit.

Austria’s largest viscose producer, Lenzing Group has launched matte TencelTM branded lyocell fibers to increase its sustainable offerings. The new fiber type was created especially to scatter light and completely eliminate shine in denim applications, making indigo-dyed denim fabrics more flexible.

Tricia Carey, Director-Global Business Development Denim and Americas, Lenzing AG’ states, as a fiber manufacturing leader, they work closely with clients and mill partners to achieve their product specifications. They heeded their partners’ demands for less gleaming denim fabrics. Lenzing is at the forefront of the battle for comprehensive sustainability by employing botanic raw materials and biodegradable cellulosic fibers.

The use of matte Tencel Lyocell fibers increases denim design possibilities while reducing the environmental impact of the resultant fabric and garment, integrating function and beauty. Lenzing is fully responsible for its production processes, which include the use of fibre biometric identification to provide physical identity for every TENCEL branded fibre. The new matte TENCEL Lyocell fibers are entirely traceable thanks to this innovation, ensuring both consumers and brands that the raw materials used are supplied sustainably. In the long run, informed decision-making by all parties will contribute to the denim industry’s overall sustainability.

A remarkable performance in the Greater China market, helped Hermes International increase its third quarter revenues by 31.5 percent year-on-year.

As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, the French luxury firm’s revenues in the three months to September 30 increased by 40.3 per cent to €2.37 billion compared with 2019, considered a more reliable benchmark due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic last year.

This represented an increase of 31.2 percent versus 2020, beating a consensus of analyst estimates, which had called for a 23.8 percent rise in like-for-like sales. The better-than-expected growth rates confirmed Hermès as one of the top-performing luxury brands this year.

The group said that despite a high comparison base in the fourth quarter, it is approaching the end of the year with confidence.

However, it cautioned that that its second-half operating profit margin could be much lower than the 40.7 percent recorded in the first six months of the year, due to foreign exchange headwinds, higher employee costs and a lower contribution from leather goods, as per a Barclays report.

The group’s activity in the third quarter increased by 23.4 percent at constant exchange rates in Asia thanks to the strong performance in Greater China and other countries in the region, despite new restrictions in Australia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Its sales in the Americas jumped by 48.4 percent , while France recorded a 46.7 percent increase. Sales in the rest of Europe increased by 36.4 percent.

Luxury men’s wear brand Canali has decided to team with one of the country’s most interesting emerging brands Li Gong to develop a capsule collection: 8ON8. To be called Canali Travel With 8ON8, the capsule will be sold at the brand’s store in China and in some of its boutiques across the globe, as well as at a selection of international multibrand shops. With prices in line with Canali’s collections, the capsule will retail from $300 for basketball hats to $3,300 for coats.

As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, the capsule includes 11 styles combining Canali’s sartorial expertise with Gong’s colorful, retro futuristic aesthetic, ranging from T-shirts, puffers and hoodies to relaxed suits, silk pajamas and impeccable coats with a young, edgy vibe. The offering is completed by loafers with transparent soles, colorful sneakers, as well as baseball caps, small fabric pouches with drawstrings and printed leather luggage pieces.

Canali believes, delivering capsules with external designers enables the brand to experiment with its aesthetic and heritage with a point of view that is meaningful for specific markets. This capsule created a lot of interest in international retailers because it offers a fresh stylistic image, but at the same time is backed by the credibility of a trusted historic company, he adds. id.

The Italian men’s brand debuted in China two decades ago and operates a retail network of 21 stores in the country.

An iconic American brand, Calvin Klein has been rated as the most trustworthy fashion brand in the new Data Trust Index by Luxury Institute and DataLucent. The index measures the level of trust th

at digital consumers have in licensing their digital platform data and other personal data, to mass, premium and luxury brands in exchange for rewards and benefits.

French luxury market leader Louis Vuitton was ranked a very strong second. Banana Republic, a division of Gap Inc., was ranked third in a field of 24 well-known fashion brands (list at end of article). Six out of the top ten brands rated as being the most trustworthy with data were luxury brands. (In a similar study by the Luxury Institute and DataLucent, Macy’s topped a list of 12 large, multi-brand retailers in data trustworthiness.)

The survey was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,008 consumers ages 18-49, with a minimum income of $75,000 (total sample average income of $200,000), with 54 per cent male and 48 per cent female participation.

Around 83 per cent of all responders, including 89 per cent male and 78 per cent female said, they are willing to license their digital platform data, under their control, to brands they trust to use to serve their needs, and the needs of other consumers, in a personalized way.

The government aims to achieve $100 billion worth of textiles and garment exports over the next five years. It has urged the industry to take advantage of a global market shift where China is pruning its market share in the labor-intensive segment.

In FY21, India’s textiles and allied product exports declined by 10 per cent to $30.4 billion due to the Covid crisis. In the first five months of this fiscal, exports jumped by 87 per cent on year to $16.6 billion, aided by strong economic recovery in key markets such as the US and the EU. Still, the target remains much too ambitious.

Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved a scheme to incentivize investments in setting up mega textile parks to build scale in the fragmented sector. It followed a Rs 10,683-crore production-linked incentive scheme for man-made fiber products and technical textiles. Export tax refund schemes like the RoDTEP and RoSCTL have also been launched in recent years to improve the country’s export competitiveness.

Held in Paris, the fourth edition of Supima Design Lab showcased innovations in cotton besides spotlighting emerging talent from its design competition.

As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, created using Supima Cotton, the designs were neatly arrayed in the gilded salons of the Hôtel de La Salle in the tony 7th arrondissement

In the adjoining room, Charles de Vilmorin took his position as one of this year’s leading designers — alongside Nix Lecourt Mansion, Mira Mikati, Tom Van Der Borght, Pierre Kaczmarek for his Georges Wendell label and Jordanluca’s Jordan Bowen and Luca Marchetto .

Marc Lewkowitz, President and CEO, Supima Cotton, describes the exhibition as an opportunity to visualize the potential of a material that can be traced down to the farm level — a sophisticated but costly process used by Kering — and put the finger on deeper issues like value reconsideration.

Chinese lingerie brands like Ubras, Candy La Vie and Sujiin are building their businesses in the domestic market by offering an inclusive size range.

Surpassing traditional Chinese lingerie-makers like Embry, Aimer or Cosmo Lady, these next-gen brands are ruling the estimated $64.49 billion market with their extended size offerings, product innovation and dynamic advertising.

China has always had people of diverse body sizes. As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, the country has 56 officially recognized ethnicities. There are also significant differences between northern Han and southern Han, the dominant ethnic group — which comprises women with larger busts.

Increasing obesity boosting market growth

According to research released from the medical journal The Lancet last November, China’s population is becoming increasingly overweight or obese. In 1985, an average 19-year-old female in China was 5 foot 2 inches tall, while males were 5 foot 5 inches. In 2019, those numbers grew to 5 foot 4 inches for women and 5 foot 8 inches for men, with the increase in men’s height clocking the largest gains in the world.

One of China’s top selling lingerie brands, Beijing-headquartered Ubras is an advocate for the one-size-fits-all bra idea in China. The brand offers a seamless collection of bras that are made from lightweight fabrics and do not have an underwire. These bras are suitable for all types of activities like sleeping, lounging, working out, traveling, being at the office, and pregnancy. The product also allies with the company’s digital-first model.

For all sizes and preferences

Similarly, Neiwai launched its Barely Zero collection featuring soft and highly stretchable bras that fit women up to D-plus cup. Another digital start-up Sujin offers bras that fit a DD cup and are available in all skin colors.

A startup dedicated to plus-size women, Candy La Vie is engaged in educating customers on the difference between large cup sizes and large band-size. Zhang Chengpu, Co-Founder and Creative Director, says, though the band sizes of Chinese women may be smaller, but many of them still require large cups as they have a large chest.

An influencer known for her curvy figure, Yang Tianzhen collaborated with Victoria’s Secret in May for campaign on body positivity. She also has her own plus-size clothing line, PlusMall that offers plus-size lingerie in bright colors.