VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, has appointed Stefano Saccone as the Vice President, General Manager of Vans®, EMEA. Saccone will lead the brand across the EMEA region from April 1, 2019.

Saccone will join the Vans from the company’s Eastpak® brand, where he served as Vice President, General Manager in Belgium. He will replace Jan Van Leeuwen, who previously served as Vice President, General Manager of Vans, before his November 2018 appointment to the position of Vice President, General Manager, The North Face®.

Saccone has more than 20 years of international experience in sales, marketing, merchandising and brand leadership across the apparel, footwear, and accessories categories. Before joining VF in 2012 as VP Sales & Marketing for the Napapijri® brand in EMEA, Saccone held management positions with Nike, Ralph Lauren, P&G and Ermenegildo Zegna.

The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) officially changed the scheduled date of tariff hikes on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to March 2, 2019 as the United States and China pursue talks on trade and intellectual property. The change was made in a Federal Register filing from a previously scheduled effective date of January, 1, 2019 for increase to 25 from 10 per cent. The notice does not affect the 25 per cent tariff already levied on $50 billion worth of Chinese technology items, including semiconductors, printed circuit boards and other electronic components, machinery and vehicles.

The change was attributed to new US-Chinese engagement with the goal of obtaining the elimination of the acts, policies, and practices covered in the investigation following a December 1 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires.

The USTR statement made reference to goals set forth by the White House to negotiate over a 90-day period structural changes by China on forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and theft, services and agriculture.

Texhong has bought over Winnitex and formed a new joint venture company named Texhong Winnitex. Texhong is a textile group and one of the world’s largest core spun yarn suppliers. Winnitex is a renowned leading group in dyed woven fabrics. It has a long track record of direct sales to large international fashion and workwear brands and is well-known for its service, quality, reliability and innovation within the textile industry.

The reorganisation will lead to the establishment of a global vertically integrated industrial chain for Winnitex’s dyed woven fabrics business, and the group can also leverage its strategic advantages in Vietnam and the tax-free zone in Nicaragua to generate tremendous synergies. The entire business of the Winnitex group and the group’s existing weaving and dyed woven fabrics businesses in Vietnam and Nicaragua will be integrated under Texhong Winnitex.

This transaction will enable Texhong Winnitex to leverage its experienced management team and extensive customer base, and significantly increase its annual production capacity of dyed woven fabrics by 90 million yards. The joint venture is expected to lead to an increase in the scale of production in Vietnam and Nicaragua. The vertical integration of the spinning, weaving and dyeing activities is expected to establish a new milestone for the group’s dyed woven fabrics business.

R Jagadish Chandran and Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu have been awarded by the Textile Association of India (TAI) for their contribution to the growth of the industry. Premier Mills chairman Chandran was presented with the lifetime achievement award for service to the industry. Chairman and managing director of Lakshmi Machine Works Jayavarthanavelu got the industrial excellence award for his contribution to the field of machinery.

TAI aims at promoting the use of scientific knowledge in the field ranging from fiber to garment and implementing programs of continued education in textile technology management.

The Textile Association of India, founded in 1939, provides for professional growth of technologists, managers, traders, researchers, teachers, consultants and entrepreneurs. It caters to the needs of all fibers, products and all sectors of the industry. It organizes seminars, conferences, workshops and exhibitions of textiles and allied machines. It has 26 federal units throughout the country and promotes scientific and technological knowledge and conducts programs for textile professionals and technocrats.

The global spandex market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of more than eight per cent from 2016 to 2023. It is also commonly known as elastane. The spandex market is expected to grow with the recovery in the US economy post recession. Technology advancement with moisture management properties coupled with performance efficiency is likely to benefit elastane market growth.

Factors such as superior elasticity, regaining original shape, durability, lightweight, resistance to UV light are likely to favor spandex market demand. Spandex is used in textile manufacturing applications such as leggings, gloves, cycling jerseys and competitive swimwear. Strenuous movements are involved in active sports that may require garment stretch. This stretch can result in movement restriction for the wearer. This can be overcome by using spandex material.

Increase in automobile production, particularly in the Asia Pacific, is likely to drive market growth. In the Asia Pacific, the Chinese spandex market size accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total volume in 2015. In 2012, China had around 30 manufacturing units with a total capacity of 520 kilo tons with domestic production exceeding 320 kilo tons in the same year. 40D and 20D are major products manufactured in China.

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) will launch a project to improve the garment supply chain in Asia in 2019. The project will focus on South-Asia, South East Asia and China, given their significant roles in international division of garment production.

The initiative will focus on social dialogue and industrial relation system; advancement of gender equality; enhanced productivity and competitiveness and reduced environmental impact. It will be supported by government workers and employer’s organisation and other private sector organisations. The ultimate goal of this project is to create an improved working condition and rights of women, men and workers. Also, it will improve the productivity and environment sustainability of the manufacturers. Also, the ILO mentioned that the project will contribute to better knowledge-sharing and synergies of action.

The project will be funded by the Regional Development Cooperation Section of Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok and managed by the ILO regional office for Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with ILO country offices

Pittie Group is one of the largest manufacturers of cotton yarn in India. The 5,00,000 sq ft facility in Oman will be fully operational by April 2019. Altogether, there will be four state-of-the-art yarn manufacturing units, covering two million sq ft area, housing the latest and most efficient automated technology in the textile industry. With planned completion by November 2019, the units will consist of 3,00,000 spindles and 7,000 rotors producing over 1,00,000 metric tons of world class compact cotton yarn.

With a vision of creating a full-fledged textile cluster in Oman, Pittie has brought in the best-in-class machinery and technology and to work on them will be training and employing a large number of Omani youth. The goal is to build a strong national workforce and bring stability, comfort and pride to thousands of Omani families.

The SV Pittie Sohar Textiles Training Center will be a world-class program by itself, building on the company’s vast level of operational experience in the textile industry, and will be partnered with other local training institutes to help them gain value with a common goal in mind: empower the next generation of Omanis and their families.

According to media reports, Renzo Rosso, founder of fashion label Diesel, is interested in buying Italy's Roberto Cavalli through his OTB holding company. OTB is one of around 10 players that have expressed interest in Cavalli, which is being advised by Rothschild.

Roberto Cavalli, controlled by private equity firm Clessidra, reported sales of around $172 million last year.

Ecoprint technology is the innovative printing technique patented by Eurojersey, which is designed to reproduce tone-on-tone and contrasting effects on the smooth surface of Sensitive Fabrics, thanks to the use of lacquers, color and metal pigments, which creates patterns with amazing effects of transparency and high-definition luminous contrasts.

Four effects are diversely interpreted on soft sensual fabrics for creating flowing garments with a feminine touch. A selection of prints re-proportions the figure with a result that is natural and body-shaping, poised between a harmonious silhouette and functional comfort.

Digital printing, thanks to 3D print technology, successfully creates designs and structures which are textural-looking and endowed with realistic 3D effects. With this printing technology, colors and graphic designs benefit from an extremely precise definition, as well as generating high-resolution textures.

Lightweight fabrics similar to a second skin ensure a perfect fit, ideal for underwear and night wear collections of refined charm, to target a dynamic and versatile woman. Lingerie garments follow the movements of the body, in an amazing color palette interpreted by prints and played out in transparent and glittering effects, in which gold and metallic finishes are offset by yarn-dyed color accents.

Nike has joined Global Fashion Agenda.

With this new addition Global Fashion Agenda has expanded into the athletic segment, tapping into another important part of the fashion industry. Other members are Bestseller, Kering, Li & Fung and Target. Global Fashion Agenda aims at mobilising the global fashion system and guiding and supporting industry leaders in changing the way fashion is produced, marketed and consumed.

As a strategic partner, Nike will provide expert opinion to shape the sustainability agenda and play an active role in developing Global Fashion Agenda’s leadership. Nike is deeply committed to sustainability, and its approach to sustainable innovation has delivered a pipeline of products like Flyknit and Nike Air technologies and business model innovations.

Global Fashion Agenda is best known for the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the world’s principal event on sustainability in fashion. World apparel and footwear consumption is projected to rise 63 per cent by 2030. This increases the need for the fashion industry to address its environmental and social footprint and take remedial action.

As of today, the sustainability pulse of the industry is weak – scoring only 32 out of 100. The fashion industry has a clear opportunity to act differently, pursuing profit and growth while also creating new value for the world economy.