FW
Japanese textile companies have emerged as significant suppliers to the US automotive industry. The success of Japanese automotive textile suppliers reflects dramatic changes in the shape of the US automotive sector itself as the share of US producers has fallen and that of Japanese producers has risen. In general, the dominance of the traditional Big Three automotive manufacturers—namely General Motors Ford and DaimlerChrysler—has waned while Japanese car producers such as Toyota Motor and others have enjoyed rapid and considerable growth in the US market.
There is a growing demand for environmentally-friendly products in the global automotive interiors market. Changes in attitudes towards ecological and environmental concerns are reflected in vehicle designs as well as automotive interiors.
Other future trends include the substitution of polyurethane foam in upholstery composites by three-dimensional polyester nonwovens, multi-knits and spacer fabrics which can be recycled; the increased use of efficient, longer life nonwoven filters to meet requirements for longer maintenance periods; the use of optical fibers in textile linings to illuminate certain parts of the car interior—such as the floor, door handles, and other areas; and the use of conductive textiles for heating and electromagnetic shielding, and for the collection or transmission of signals.
Kering is enjoying its most profitable year on record, as Gucci closed 2017 with another quarter of runaway growth. The Italian fashion label saw comparable sales rising 45 per cent in the fourth quarter, says owner Kering. That’s helped drive the Paris-based company to its most profitable year on record.
Millennial shoppers have been at the forefront of rebounding sales in the luxury industry, with customers under the age of 35 making up 85 per cent of growth last year. Recurring operating profit rose 56 per cent last year to €2.95 billion as Kering brands including Saint Laurentand street wear label Balenciaga joined Gucci in reaping the fruit of youth-focused reboots.
Overall revenues at Kering rose to €4.26 billion euros ($5.25 billion) in the fourth quarter, up 27.4 per cent year-on-year on a comparable basis, which strips out acquisitions and currency swings. That marked a slight slowdown from the 28.4 per cent growth notched up in the previous three months but beat forecasts.
Kering posted a 56.3 per cent rise in adjusted operating income to €2.95 billion for 2017 as a whole, also beating forecasts, while full year revenues rose 27.2 per cent on a comparable basis to €15.48 billion.
For the third quarter Grasim reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 786.87 crores, mainly on account of higher expenses and loss from subsidiaries. Total income during stood at Rs 15,523.75 crores. It was Rs 9,743.51 crores in the corresponding period in the previous fiscal.
Grasim is an Aditya Birla company. The consolidated profit after tax for the quarter is lower compared to the previous period mainly on account of the share of the company in the net loss of Idea Cellular, an associate firm.
Grasim’s viscose staple fiber business will continue to focus on expanding the market in India by partnering with the textile value chain. The domestic viscose staple fiber market demand remained buoyant with sales volume up by nine per cent year on year. The uptrend in domestic caustic soda prices continued in the current quarter, driven by supply related issues in China and Europe and robust demand from major consuming segments (alumina and textile).
Grasim has a strong presence in polyester viscose and polyester wool fabric. The domestic over the counter division operates in the formal menswear fabric market by offering ready-to-stitch suiting and shirting.
Yarn Expo will be held in China from March 14 to 16, 2018. It will feature suppliers of eco-friendly synthetic and specialty yarns. Buyers will get numerous sourcing options that match current industry trends: the rise of innovative synthetic and specialty yarns and increasing demand for eco-friendly products.
The fair will host around 430 exhibitors from more than 10 countries and regions including China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, providing around 22,000 trade buyers expected at the fair with a diverse range of yarns and fibers. The Birla Planet pavilion will include six exhibitors showcasing Birla Viscose, a heavy-metal-free fiber well suited to blending with other fibers. Chinese brand Sateri specialises in viscose rayon and is the largest producer of viscose fiber in the country. It will showcase skin-friendly hygiene products made from viscose fiber.
Yibin Grace’s Gracell fiber is made from 100 per cent pure wood pulp. With high fiber strength and softness, it can be used in knitted products, woven wool fabrics, home textiles, nonwoven facial masks, and high-grade woven fabrics for jeans, trousers and shirts. Jiangsu Guowang will showcase new products this edition including low-temperature dyed fibers and heavy-metal-free fibers.
Cambodia has banned trucks longer than 16 meters from serving the garment industry. The industry wants the ban revoked or at least modified to exclude trucks slightly longer than the specified limit. Garment manufacturers say the enforcement push poses a new threat to the garment, footwear, and traveling goods sectors, which are facing an increasingly competitive global market and shorter orders from buyers. They acknowledge that any problems are the fault of the private sector for not complying with legal requirements regarding truck length, but say the crackdown would have negative effects for the garment sector if it isn’t modified soon.
As of now more than half of the vehicles serving the garment industry have been forced off the roads. Transport companies don’t dare to drive and have not accepted orders for their services from factories because their trucks do not comply with the law. Most trucks are used trucks imported from the US and EU and they meet proper safety standards but fail only in meeting the 16 meter length standard.
In the past month, industry leaders have warned persistently high logistics costs, rising wages and lax customs enforcement are threatening foreign investment levels in the country.
C&A Foundation has halted grants for philanthropic work in Myanmar. The country’s handling of the Rohingya crisis has been cited as the primary reason for this decision. While withdrawing new grants, the foundation will ramp up efforts to support those suffering from gender-related discrimination and human trafficking in the region. It is also increasing support to humanitarian relief and the prevention of gender-based violence and human trafficking among the growing refugee population in Bangladesh.
Myanmar has been the subject of much derision over recent months and years with the ongoing Rohingya crisis and subsequent human rights violations having direct implications on the textile and fashion industries of the nation. In 2016, C&A began its support for initiatives in Myanmar in an attempt to ensure the safety of garment workers through engaging industry stakeholders and the Myanmar government.
C&A was founded in Switzerland in 1841. It is one of the most longest lasting and pioneering retailers in the global fashion business. One of the main focus areas of the foundation is eradicating forced and child labor. C&A Foundation aspires to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of the cotton and apparel supply chain and as such sees social purpose organisations as key to achieving this mission.
"Pashmina, the heritage and identity of Kashmir, needs an urgent makeover in order to survive its roots. Kashmir’s handloom industry needs to adapt to changing times and not seek protection from the government. The government needs to bring in policies that favour the handloom industry and bring in renaissance. The industry on the other hand needs to be competent enough to stand on its own and carve a niche for itself."
Pashmina, the heritage and identity of Kashmir, needs an urgent makeover in order to survive its roots. Kashmir’s handloom industry needs to adapt to changing times and not seek protection from the government. The government needs to bring in policies that favour the handloom industry and bring in renaissance. The industry on the other hand needs to be competent enough to stand on its own and carve a niche for itself.
Inherent advantages
Pashmina goats in Ladakh produce the finest quality of raw Pashmina fibre in the world. It’s very rare at less than 0.1 per cent of the global supply. The fineness of Pashmina fibre from Changthang in Ladakh is usually between 12.5-14 microns while the best fibre from China is around 15 microns. In fact, the crème-de-la-crème of global luxury brands use 15-15.5 micron Chinese Cashmere. If planned genetic breeding of Pashmina goats in Ladakh to produce finer fibres does not take place, the tradition of Pashmina goat rearing in Ladakh will be extinct in a few years.
The state on its own or through public private partnership model needs to have a Pashmina wool de-hairing plant in Kashmir. Secondly, in order to spin fine yarns on a machine, a synthetic – generally nylon, has to be added to Pashmina in order to give it strength. This synthetic is later removed by an acid bath, which decreases the quality of the final product. The Charkha spun traditional Pashmina yarn is softer and more durable. However, here too it’s a matter of time before the Charkha is replaced, and rightly so. The latest R&D in the top Italian mills has produced fine Pashmina yarn without the addition of synthetic to counts as fine as 140/2nm, a number which any Pashmina trader will tell you is a shocking.
The only way the Charkha will survive for the next few decades, is through genetic makeup based breeding programs and the fineness of the Pashmina goats in Ladakh is worked upon. The Pashmina goat in Ladakh (eastern Changthang) has an average fibre fineness of 12-14 microns – much finer that the best of what Chinese Pashmina goats can offer. Much R&D has not taken place in the west on such fine Pashmina fibres for they have limited access to it. Hence, if the fineness of the Pashmina goat fibre in Ladakh can be worked upon, resulting in lower microns, not only will the Charkha keep spinning in the valley, but Kashmiri businessmen will be able to make better products than the Italians and the nomadic communities of Ladakh could make more money.
For long term survival it is important to create products that machines cannot produce – be it through design or by quality – all energy should be focussed on that. Apart from the power looms, which produce lower quality fabrics than the charkha-spun handloom-woven ones, the focus must be on getting basic regulations in place such as strong textile labelling. One can sell a synthetic scarf labelled as 100 per cent Pashmina and it is legal. Textile labelling is mandatory in almost every country of the world and should be implemented as a must-have here too. Every product should be sold with a label that declares fibre content (100 per cent Pashmina, 50 per cent Pashmina, etc.) and whether it is hand-woven or not.
Positives steps in the right direction
A positive step was taken by the state by establishing the Pashmina Testing and Quality Control Centre (PTQCC), ‘The Lab’. Another good initiative was getting the Geographical Indication or GI Mark, which prohibits anyone from using the term ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ unless it’s lab-tested and has a non-removable sticker on it placed by the PTQCC. Now, the government needs to advertise the GI sticker at the right channels pan-India, not on local Kashmiri radio, so that the major customer, i.e. the north Indian female knows about it and will look to buy a Charkha-spun handloom-woven Kashmir Pashmina shawl with a GI label.
"China’s home textile market will receive a fillip at the Spring edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles that takes place from March 14 to 16, 2018. The three-day show allows industry players to get a head start during China’s peak home textiles finished products sourcing season, which is growing strongly. Contributing to over half of the sales of home textiles, the bedding products market in China grew 52.5 per cent from 2011 to 2016, reaching $18.3 billion. Since the market is expected to grow 5.9 per cent annually from 2017 to 2021 and reach $24.3 billion, there lies abundant opportunities for the industry to capture."
China’s home textile market will receive a fillip at the Spring edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles that takes place from March 14 to 16, 2018. The three-day show allows industry players to get a head start during China’s peak home textiles finished products sourcing season, which is growing strongly. Contributing to over half of the sales of home textiles, the bedding products market in China grew 52.5 per cent from 2011 to 2016, reaching $18.3 billion. Since the market is expected to grow 5.9 per cent annually from 2017 to 2021 and reach $24.3 billion, there lies abundant opportunities for the industry to capture. The March show will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in China, with over 200 exhibitors showing a wide range of products including bedding and towels, carpets & rugs, table & kitchen linen, machinery & technology, design & styling and more.
Machinery Equipment Zone
Competition in the textile market has always been fierce but companies can stand out by utilising latest technology. To cater to this, the ‘Machinery Equipment Zone’ gathers top suppliers with world-class expertise to present a variety of textile solutions. Richpeace Group from Hong Kong, which specialises in sewing and cutting machines, is one of the highlighted exhibitors in the zone. It will showcase its High Speed Fully Automatic Quilt Production line that includes a fibre line, high speed quilting machine and four-sides sewing machine. The system can also be equipped with a binding machine, hemming machine, folding and packing system as well as a hanging system to form a fully automatic production line. The Swedish firm Eton Systems is another supplier slated to draw tremendous traction. Its flexible material handling system – Eton Systems 5000 – has helped thousands of companies around the world to increase their efficiency, save floor space and improve the management of their entire production process.
Suppliers’ get together
Apart from machinery, buyers can expect to find all kinds of finished products presented by a number of domestic and overseas big names. These include seven domestic pavilions showcasing specialised products from their regions and will house famous Chinese companies such as Cotton Field Home, A-Fontane and Mercury Home Textiles. The presence of a number of foreign suppliers will also further enrich the fair’s diversity. Cotton USA, for instance, is a regular participant and will showcase its new, innovative home textile technologies that can be utilised in towels, bed linen, pillowcases and bathrobes. Furthermore, Bemberg, the eco-friendly fibre made from cotton linter will be featured in Asahi Kasei Corporation’s booth at this year’s show.
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition 2018 is held concurrently with four other textile events: Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).
The 2018 Autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will take place September 27 to 29 instead of its usual October timing.
The 2017 fair played host to 4,538 exhibitors from 32 countries and regions, and 77,883 trade buyers from 102 countries and regions.
After extensive consultation with all stakeholders over the past year, the organisers came to the decision to bring forward the autumn edition to September. The autumn/winter sourcing season has steadily moved earlier in the year, and this change in timing was necessary to ensure Intertextile Shanghai remains the leading business platform for both suppliers and buyers in the global apparel fabrics and accessories industry.
As in previous editions, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held concurrently with Yarn Expo Autumn, fashion garment fair Chic and knitting fair PH Value, making this the most comprehensive sourcing platform in the global industry.
More details of the autumn edition will be announced after the conclusion of the spring edition, March 14 to 16, where some 3,300 exhibitors and around 70,000 trade buyers are expected to converge.
During the first half of the current marketing year, cotton shipments from the US have lagged compared to the same period previous year. This is the second lowest level in the last decade and well below the 38 per cent decadal average. As of last week in January, accumulated exports this season were just 32.5 per cent of the new forecast.
Several factors are likely to pressure US exports in the coming months. In Australia, the cotton crop is expected to be the largest in six years, and harvest appears to have begun appreciably earlier than usual, which may enable early export shipments. As a result, US exports may face fiercer competition from Australia.
US exports would also be affected due to an increase in cotton production in Mexico this year. The doubling of the Mexican crop this year is expected to curtail imports in the second half of the season relative to the first half of the season. As such, US shipments to that major market may slow noticeably.
Also, since the beginning of cotton year 2018, implementation of new US trucking regulations has reportedly caused delays in transporting cotton from US warehouses, a situation which may not be entirely resolved and backlogs cleared before the end of the season.
