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China’s direct investment in Vietnam has surged more than 60 per cent this year. China now is the third-biggest FDI investor to the country, climbing up from fifth in 2018. Vietnam is one of the favored options as the country has witnessed pledges of foreign direct investment from China surge 134 per cent from January to July. Increasing production costs in China has pushed manufacturers to relocate their factories to Southeast Asia countries which have lower costs. Vietnam is also seen as a country with a better labor supply. Another reason for the Chinese shift to Vietnam is the trade dispute with the US.
Manufacturers considering moving out of China are mainly producers engaged in low-end sectors in manufacturing, including textiles and garments, consumer discretionary and electronics packaging and assembly. But high-end industries, such as electronics and machinery, are also showing signs of relocating to Vietnam.
Vietnam is not the only one. The trade war is also benefiting countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The massive outflow of production from China is going to them. While outerwear is moving into Myanmar and Vietnam, sportswear and bottoms are moving into Cambodia. There has also been an increased general outflow into Bangladesh.
"It’s been nearly a decade since designers reinvented activewear for everyday use, their popularity continues to soar. This was particularly evident at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where many brands launched their spring collections that included leggings and tailored, fitted pullovers Enhanced with new colors, upgraded performance materials and utilitarian details, these garments featured modern, contemporary designs not often associated with outdoor gear."
It’s been nearly a decade since designers reinvented activewear for everyday use, their popularity continues to soar. This was particularly evident at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where many brands launched their spring collections that included leggings and tailored, fitted pullovers Enhanced with new colors, upgraded performance materials and utilitarian details, these garments featured modern, contemporary designs not often associated with outdoor gear. Though their stylisation did not represent a true deviation from the categories, it definitely signaled increased openness of consumers to connect with the natural.
Brands launch more casual and wearable styles
With consumers new found desire to go explore their natural surroundings, many brands are introducing more
casual, wearable styles that easily transition from street to mountain. Mountain Hardwear, which started as a brand for climbers, introduced modern shapes and silhouettes with color palettes that are more aligned with contemporary fashion apparel. The brand also plans to launch a new range of shirts featuring graphics designed by a handful of chosen artists, all printed on organic cotton. The whimsical, eye-catching prints set the line apart from the brand’s more function-focused gear.
A new perspective to design
Jason Israel, Creative Director-Performance, The North Face says, the outdoor apparel market is currently going through a metamorphosis with consumers expecting more than a performance-driven design. This transition allows Israel and his design team to infuse a new perspective into its design to cater to people’s needs and use applications.
One of the main attractions of the brand’s Spring ’20 collection is the women’s Arque jacket, built with the brand’s signature Futurelight material. Made from nanospun, 100 per cent recycled nylon and polyester, the jacket’s lightweight waterproof shell keeps wearers safe from the elements. Its slightly asymmetrical hem has been built with covert functionality, to suit the needs of its consumers. The brand also plans to launch revamped version of its signature Denali fleece—specifically, the 1995 iteration. It will adopt trends or styles that are deeply rooted in the brand’s DNA and give them a modern and fresh look.
More styles in performance fabrics
Jenna Caccavo, Senior Trend Forecaster of Cotton Inc does not think outdoor brands will completely abandon performance fabrics. They will instead add certain selected styles to their line that are lighter on functional features. She advises mass market and fast fashion to capitalise on this growing trend which merges fashion with function.
Ashlee Peterson, of Mountain Headwear also agrees that outdoor gear is now ready to incorporate contemporary styling elements into its repertoire. Earlier an outdoor product looked, sounded and also felt like an outdoor product. But now, brands have started to blur these lines. The North Face is subverting the historical context and vision for outdoor products by combining the new apparel technologies and innovations in softer and more approachable ways. Its efforts are winning the approval of is consumers who are rushing to buy these garments.
Zimbabwe’s cotton output may decline by 52 per cent this year after a severe drought. The challenges affecting the industry include: mobile payment system being used to pay farmers; punitive rates charged by errant businesses that are heavily eroding farmers’ earnings. Farmers want cash to be made available to them in areas where there is no mobile network; lack of research and poor development of new seed varieties affecting productivity. Also, due to lack of proper regulatory enforcement, cotton companies engage in side marketing activities. While other cotton producing countries have already adopted hybrid varieties with high yield potential, Zimbabwe will this year, introduce hybrid varieties. Zimbabwe needs more varieties to suit various regions, rainfall patterns and soils so that production increases. One suggestion is for Zimbabwe to consider producing genetically modified organisms to increase production.
A scheme was introduced in 2015 to save the industry that faced imminent collapse after farmers abandoned cotton production citing poor prices and low levels of funding. The scheme has helped production to increase from 28,000 tons, the lowest output in nearly two decades, to about 1,42,000 tons last season. At its peak, Zimbabwe produced 3,52,000 tons of raw cotton in 2012.
Orissa is emerging as one of the top destinations for apparel manufacturing in India. The state has identified apparel among the identified focus sectors as part of its vision for industrial development. With multiple dedicated locations identified for setting up apparel parks, competitive land rates and ready to occupy industrial sheds, Orissa, offers a compelling value proposition for units in the apparel sector. Besides offering fiscal and non-fiscal sops, the state provides additional support for development of the sector. The sector specific policy offers various incentives including employment and investment based incentives, various fiscal incentives, capital grants of 20 per cent of the project cost of the park, interest free loan up to ten per cent of the project cost, among others. Orissa offers an abundant and skilled workforce for the apparel sector.
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, and the export oriented firm Shahi Exports have set up units. Next Jockey may set up a garment making unit. The company proposed to invest Rs 120 crores on the unit that will generate employment for around 5,000 people. Jockey, listed as Page Industries, will be offered land at an industrial estate after its proposal is evaluated.
The ongoing protest in Hong Kong may affect sales of luxury brands by ten per cent to 60 per cent. One risk that could drive the downside further is if the disruptions continue even beyond 2019.
LVMH sees roughly 30 per cent of its Asian sales, excluding Japan, come from Hong Kong. That translates to about an eight per cent total sales exposure in Hong Kong when viewed across LVMH’s global distribution network. If Hong Kong sales were to decline between 10 to 60 per cent year-over-year, then LVMH’s earnings per share could decrease in the range of one per cent to three per cent.
As for other brands that do business in Hong Kong, Capri Holdings’ sales exposure to Asia is relatively small at four per cent. One big concern, however, is that the company might not have as much flexibility in recouping lost sales in Mainland China. Tapestry’s sales exposure to Greater China–which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan–is roughly 15 per cent. About 25 per cent of sales in the region comes from Hong Kong. From an overall sales perspective, that equates to just a four per cent exposure to Hong Kong for the leather accessories firm.
Yarn, fabric, and garment products from China are expected to flood Indonesia because of the trade war. It will lead to an oversupply of domestic textiles, making the price drop and hit Indonesian textile companies.
The US has applied a 25 per cent tariff on textile products from China. Meanwhile, products from Indonesia are subject to a ten per cent to 15 per cent tariff. With these tariff differences, China sees an opportunity to shift its textile products to southeast Asia, including Indonesia. This market is an easy target for China since Indonesia does not apply trade barriers, unlike Brazil or Turkey. Indonesia remains an open market, and the most affected will be companies that rely on the domestic market.
Performance of Indonesian textile industry sector as continued to decline in the last 10 years. On an average, exports rose only three per cent while imports rose 12 per cent. The trade war is an opportunity for Indonesian textiles to takeover the space left vacant by Chin. But competitiveness of its products is still weak. Costs of energy, logistics, and labor are the inhibiting components. However, the textile companies’ credit profile is expected to be stable in the next several months.
LIVA will participate in the Yarn, Fabric and Accessories 2019 Trade Show, to be held in Ludhiana from August 21-23, 2019. The brand will showcase products across flat knit applications, stoles, kurtis and leggings categories. Partner brands like Prisma, Monica Collection, Aswira Premium Fabrics, Vandan Silk Mills, Swami Textiles will also showcase their collection at the trade fair.
New age fabric, Liva is soft, fluid and falls and drapes well. The new-age, naturally sourced fibre made into fabric in pure or blended form, transforms not just the garment but also the person wearing it. It is comfortable, soft, natural, and eco-friendly.
Tge trade fair will be held from August 28 to 31, 2019 in Shanghai. This is Asia’s leading trade fair for the interior textiles industry and celebrates 25 years. Around 1,150 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions will display latest products and technologies for the home and contract textiles sectors. The fair’s fringe program has been revamped to ensure it provides the industry with the latest trends and insights. These include design inspiration, residential and commercial textile trends, online to offline commerce, digital printing solutions and green designs and global licensing trends and opportunities. Renowned designers will discuss the latest trends and technologies in textiles for commercial environments. More than 80 exhibitors will offer products suitable for the contract sector.
Country and region pavilions from Belgium, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey will feature in 2019. More sourcing options are available this year for finished products and a range of home décor items. Bed, bath, kitchen and table suppliers from China will be joined by exhibitors from Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, Japan and elsewhere in these product categories. Design studios from China, Finland, France, India, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the UK will showcase their avant-garde collections.
The 2018 edition welcomed 39,730 trade buyers from 104 countries and regions.
In its endeavor to spread awareness among migrants to ensure safe migration for work, Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India, launched the ‘Promoting Responsible Migration from Source to Destination in Supply Chain’ project. Partnered with Partnering Hope into Action (PHIA) Foundation, a civil society organisation, the project is jointly funded by the UK government and Marks & Spencer.
Notably, India’s $17 billion apparel export industry and $50 billion worth apparel retail market provides employment to over 20 million people and is majorly dependent on workers who migrate from states of Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, etc. The project will strengthen communities besides tackling the problems they face through policy advocacy and awareness.
It will also map the stakeholders involved in recruitment and measuring the scale of the issue in the ready-made garment sector. Stakeholders will implement a research study and awareness building programs for factory workers and communities in Jharkhand and Gurgaon.
The Northern India Textile Mills Association (NITMA) has highlighted the worst financial crisis and slowdown faced by the textile industry through an advertisement in the Indian Express Newspaper. According to the advertisement, the crisis is forcing spinning companies to cut down their production and shut down their mills. This is likely to result in job losses and add to the already high unemployment rate in the country.
A recent article by the digital news website thelogicalindian.com also highlighted a February report by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) that indicated that India’s cotton production is set to drop by 7 per cent due to ‘insufficient rainfall’. To counter this, textile spinning mills in North India are planning to cut down on their production and shut down their mills once a week.
Some textile units are also planning to lower their capacity by 50 per cent in the wake of the unsafe market situation and to have less borrowing/outstanding and stocks.
