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"Gone are the days when around 95 per cent of the clothes sold in the US were also manufactured in the country. Now, finding apparels made in the US is almost like finding a needle in a haystack as around 97 per cent of all clothing and 98 per cent of all footwear is imported."
Gone are the days when around 95 per cent of the clothes sold in the US were also manufactured in the country. Now, finding apparels made in the US is almost like finding a needle in a haystack as around 97 per cent of all clothing and 98 per cent of all footwear is imported.
However, even today, more than half of all consumers prefer clothes ‘Made in the USA’. As noted by a recent survey by Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™, nearly 74 per cent consumers check the country of origin of their clothes before buying them. It is also surprising that more men than women do this. Those over 35 years of age are more prone to check than their younger counterparts.
A fillip to the domestic economy
These consumers believe, it is important for them to buy clothes “Made in the USA” as it helps them to support
the US economy. Around 53 per cent also believe clothes made in the US are of better in quality, while 37 per cent believe they are more environmentally friendly.
Over 53 per cent consumers also emphasise on the brand’s transparency in their manufacturing process. Additionally, 51 per cent stated that they are more likely to buy from a clothing brand that honestly communicates about its environmental and societal impacts, compared to one that doesn’t.
Sustainability and quality Moreover as per the Monitor™ research, 90 per cent consumers emphasised on the feel good factor that cotton grown in the US offered. About 74 per cent believe cotton grown in the US is more sustainable than cotton grown in other countries and 62 per cent were also willing to pay more for clothes made with cotton grown in the US.
A lot of appreciation for US-grown cotton stems from consumer’s expectations about the quality of cotton. As the survey noted, around 79 per cent consumers expect the cotton produced in the US to be of extremely good and high quality. This was significantly higher than their expectations for cotton produced in other countries, such as Egypt, Australia, Turkey, Brazil, India and Africa.
Primark plans to train more than 160,000 independent cotton farmers—over five times its current enrollment—in sustainable farming methods across India, Pakistan and, for the first time, China.
The brand has been working with agricultural enterprise CottonConnect and grassroots stakeholders since 2013 to train farmers in three-year batches on ‘more natural,’ climate-appropriate techniques that slash water and pesticide use and boost cotton yields. Participants in Pakistan, where the program launched last year, for instance, saw an 11.2-percent rise in yields, a 12.9-percent reduction in input costs and an average profit increase of 26.8 percent after their first year of training, Primark said. Many of the farmers, the retailer noted, have used their surplus profits to invest in farm equipment, children’s education or housing.
CottonConnect will collaborate with the Heping Cotton Farmers’ Cooperative, its implementation partner, to introduce over 80,000 independent cotton farmers in China to the scheme. Additional farmers will also be enrolled in Primark’s existing programs in India and Pakistan.
The retailer eventually plans to use only sustainably sourced cotton across its entire product assortment.
American clothing companies are scouting for greater investment opportunities in India. They are eager for a free trade agreement between the US and India. Fifteen American companies have forwarded a proposal for improving the ease of doing business, providing higher skills to workers and drawing up a sustainable growth plan for the sector. The delegation comprised representatives from American textile majors such as Ralph Lauren, PVH (which owns brands like Calvin Klein, Timmy Hilfiger, Van Heusen and Arrow) and Carter’s. However as of now the two countries have not even been able to work out a limited trade agreement involving a few products.
Following the US-China trade war, manufacturing is moving away from China. More and more American companies are looking at moving their investments from China. On paper, India has significant strength and could be the natural successor to China. There is a window of opportunity for India to attract investments in manufacturing. In doing this, India faces a lot of competition from countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia. In the last four years, investments worth $30 billion in textiles have moved out of China because of various factors, including rising input costs, but very little has come to India.
Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) had appealed to the Union Textiles Secretary to the address various issues faced by knitwear industry and drive the growth of Tirupur knitwear export units recently.
This appeal was made at a recent meeting with Secretary Ravi Kapoor in Delhi, held to discuss the implementation modalities, course design, scope and breadth of the upskilling component under Samarth Scheme and focus on improving the overall productivity following best practices.TEA also appealed for the reimbursement of various schemes, including rebate on state levies, amended technology upgradation funds and pending claims and subsidies to meet the financial requirements of exporting units.
TEA also sought removal of exporting units from risky exporter’s category and helping them to continue receiving drawback and IGST claims.
Vibrant Terry Towel (VTT) will be held in Solapur, from September 25 to 27, 2019. The aim of the expo is to bring together a whole people involved in this sector from cotton growers and manufacturers to traders, exporters and importers on a single platform to harness marketing and export opportunities for terry towel producers and close the gap between producers and consumers. Over 200 buyers from 20 countries and 3000 domestic customers are expected at the expo. Visitors include: department stores, wholesalers and retailers, corporate buyers, purchasing agents, merchants and exporters. Participating countries include: the US, UK, UAE, Canada, Poland, Germany, Australia and France.
Solapur, in Southeastern Maharashtra, is a major manufacturer of terry towels segment. Home to handloom and power loom weaving industries, Solapur has 16,000 looms, the largest concentration of power looms in India. Some two lakh kg of towels are made in the city daily, 60 per cent are exported, mainly to Europe, Russia, the Gulf countries, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Solapur is probably the only city in the country where all the processes are done in the same premises. The units are often run by small families who work 12 to 16 hours a day to run their businesses.
Spanx has launched a new range of fall denims. Each pair of these Spanx jeans is designed with the same ‘Gut Check’ slimming technology used in the brand’s signature leggings that smoothens the tummy and firms the rear. Made with four-way stretch fabric, the jeans also have a pull-on design for less bulk and a flat front.
While vintage fits and mom jeans are trending in the women’s denim category, the Spanx line underscores the fact that there is still a consumer who wants skinny fits and slimming effects. And Spanx denim mimics traditional denim, with bottoms that feature belt loops and real pockets. The denim also maintains its shape without bagging out.
The collection offers high waisted skinny and cropped flare styles in a variety of washes, including Spanx’s bestselling distressed skinny in a medium wash, as well as a vintage variation available in white or black. The brand also offers novelties, including a light wash jean with a bold denim side stripe and a white jean with a vintage gray stripe. The collection retails for $89.99 to $128.
Spanx first debuted a denim collection in July 2014 at the height of the skinny jeans trend, with two styles of jeans: the Signature, featuring a high waist and side zip, and the Slim X, a traditional five-pocket jean with a stomach control panel. Both were available in skinny, straight and boot-cut.
The global luxury apparel market is expanding at 13.2 per cent. The market is dominated by the Asia Pacific region. This region is witnessing rapid growth due to rising disposable incomes along with a change in lifestyles of the people and an improved standard of living especially in the emerging nations of China and India. Europe, on the other hand, has already attained maturity because of the presence of many luxury brands.
Luxury apparels are a symbol of class and only people with a good financial background can afford luxury apparels. Luxury brands are investing huge sums of money on research and development strategies. Luxury apparels are in demand among youngsters. Another factor envisioned to boost demand is the emergence of online shopping services. It is easier to do shopping online instead of having to go to places and try on various outfits. Easy return facility has further boosted the market and attracted more prospective consumers. Digital marketing advertises the benefits of online shopping and enhances the urge for developing a classy taste of fashion among people.
However, value-added taxes imposed on luxury apparel and the high dominance of key players are restraining the market growth in developing economies. The high cost of raw materials is also hampering the luxury apparel market growth.
Jeanologia offers Laundry 5.Zero, at complete production center that includes all of Jeanologia’s technological and disruptive solutions. Laundry 5.Zero is the first garment finishing plant that achieves a saving of 85 per cent in water and guarantees zero discharge and zero pollution. From the fabric to the garment finishing, production is possible with zero pollution. Laundry 5.Zero efficiently combines Jeanologia’s laser technologies G2 ozone, eFlow, Smart Boxes with the first water recycle system H2Zero, thereby eliminating all harmful processes for workers and the environment. Finishing processes with Laundry 5.Zero are done with zero discharge, zero stone and zero manual scrapping.
The new production model from Jeanologia, delivers five key benefits for the textile industry. It is eco-efficient, economical, scalable, agile and digital, connecting design, production and consumption. It is rapidly expanding globally guaranteeing competitiveness through eco-efficiency. With these technologies it is also possible to do short and fast series, making it possible to produce what sells instead of selling what is produced.
Jeanologia, based in Spain, is contributing to dehydrating and detoxifying the global textile industry with its technologies and turning the industry to digital. A leader in eco-efficient technology development, Jeanologia backs the Chinese textile industry in reducing its environmental footprint and improving its production costs by acting as an expert technology partner.
Denimsandjeans will be held in Japan on March 4 and 5, 2020. This will present high-end denim products. The trade show is meant to inspire Japanese companies to bring out their best to showcase to Japanese customers and also to visitors from around the world. Denim is a favorite apparel for Japanese customers and in spite of high costs a decent amount of production still happens in Japan. But the prevailing narrative of price sensitiveness while buying a product fails in Japan. Quality and design are the clinching factors.
About 40 companies from all around the world are expected to take part including Artistic Milliners, TCE Denim, Prosperity Textiles, VAV Technologies, Soorty and Tonello. This is a niche show that will attract a small number of exhibitors and visitors. The intention is to aggregate the best innovators in the denim and related sportswear industry to showcase the latest products to discerning local and international visitors. This show will cater not only to the domestic Japanese market but to international designers.
Kaihara, Japan Blue and Kurabo lead the Japanese denim industry in terms of production of fabrics while brands like Momotaro, Sugarcane, Evisu, Okayama Denim, FDMTL, Kapital Global lead in terms of brands.
September 2019 edition of Cotton This Month has said, cotton production in 2019/20 will surpass consumption with global stocks projecting to grow to 18.3 million tonne. This combination will exert downward prices on prices in the coming year.
About 43 per cent of the expected global production of 26.9 million tonne will come from China and India alone, and the competition between the two to be the year’s top producer should be close. Despite ongoing trade barriers, area in the USA is expected to increase 24% and production is expected to climb by 23%.
US exports, weakened by the trade impasse with China, fell by 8 per cent to 3.16 million tonne in 2018/19, although the current forecast calls for the global cotton trade to expand 2 per cent to 9.5 million tonne in the coming year.
