FW
The Underfashion Club has announced Dita Von Teese, burlesque queen, lingerie designer, New York Times bestselling author and musical artist behind the newly released self-titled album, Dita Von Teese, will be hosting the 2018 FEMMY Awards. The event will take place on February 6, 2018 in New York City. Famous for her revival of burlesque style and performance, her namesake intimates and new album, Dita Von Teese has always communicated her love of lingerie.
The 2018 Femmy Awards, presented by The Underfashion Club, the intimate apparel industry charitable organisation dedicated to education, will be honouring: Retailers, Target; Manufacturer, Komar Intimates; Supplier, Texco Hook & Eye Tape Ltd.; Lifetime Achievement Award, Donald R. Allen, Jr., Vice President, Design & Innovation, The Underwear Group, PVH Corp.; Diamond Jubilee Award, Lycra® fibre.
This year marks the 60th Anniversary of The Underfashion Club, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organisation established to provide intimate apparel industry leaders with a forum to exchange information and ideas in support of the intimate apparel market as a vital aspect of the fashion industry through its on-going commitment to support the education of new talent.
The FEMMY Awards honour individuals and companies that have significantly contributed to the intimate apparel industry and its growth. The gala is recognised as a premier event in the intimate apparel industry and is the fundraising vehicle that enables The Underfashion Club to support its extensive Scholarship, Awards, Internship and Grants (SAIG) programs in support of intimate apparel design and merchandising. In 2017, the organization distributed $230,000. These efforts bring to life the Underfashion Club's credo of "Education today for a better industry tomorrow."
The summer of 2018 will witness two international denim shows hosted by Denimsandjeans.com. Vietnam will host the third edition of Denimsandjeans and India (Bangalore) will host the second edition of the highly successful first edition. The 3rd edition of Vietnam show is scheduled for June 27 and 28 at Riverside Palace, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The theme is going to be ‘Rock n Roll’, focusing on the importance of denim in the rock and roll history.
This show will be a small tribute to the classic era of Rock N Roll Fashion and their pioneers including Elvis Presley & James Dean. Vietnam, being one of the most important sourcing destinations, has become the favourite destination for sourcing heads. The country is already a large supplier of apparel to the US and the EU and is expected to further grow in the coming years as the pending FTA with EU goes through. This bonanza will bring numerous opportunities for the country to grow and play a much larger role as international supplier of apparel internationally.
Vietnam has about 6,000 garment related companies that employ 2.5 million people and exported $31 billion worth of clothing and textiles in 2017. Vietnam is the 2nd largest exporter of apparel to the US behind China. Though the FTA with the US and Vietnam (TPP) was stalled by President Trump, Vietnam is still able to produce for their US customers with reasonably competitive price. From a labour cost, Vietnam Garment Industry in 2017 is cheaper than China and Eastern Europe.
Vietnam has signed many bi-lateral trade agreements with other countries including Russia recently which, in long run benefits the local as well as the International denim supply chain partners. Vietnam has favourable trade policies and the labour conditions are stable as against other countries. In latest Apparel Survey Report released by Mckinsey, Vietnam ranked among top five as the best sourcing destinations in the world.
Denim combined with ‘rebel music’ goes all the way back to Elvis Presley, James Dean, the Beatles, Rolling Stones and other around the 60s. The rock n roll looks and its effect on denim can be seen in resurgence with skinny jeans for men and dark and grunge denims, leather combinations and more. The 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans India is scheduled to be held on August 1st and 2nd at the Hotel The Lalit, Bangalore. The theme of the show is ‘Denimgenderfree’
The level of China’s investment in Africa is increasing at a fast pace. Until recently, China’s investments in Africa focused on large projects in a few sectors, including mining, oil and infrastructure. Chinese companies are major players in the world’s textile market and important customers in the cotton market. Cotton exports from Africa to Asian countries are increasing.
Textile production in China is facing numerous issues, including rising wage levels, higher energy bills, enhanced logistical costs and quotas on the import of cotton. Therefore, Chinese textile companies are investing overseas. For example, Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill Textile Group, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with a partner in Ethiopia to invest in a 3,00,000 spindles spinning mill. Wuxi No, is the largest producer of high quality compact yarn globally.
The group produces in China with 5,00,000 spindles annually 26,000 tonnes of yarn. Wuxi’s president Zhou Ye Jun says, the encouraging message is that Africa has some unique advantages for Chinese investors. In comparison with Asia, Africa’s location is physically closer to the European and American markets. It also enjoys more favourable trade policies with the EU and the US.
African market of textile manufacturing has less competition as well. The huge population and immense space in the continent provide great potential for manufacturers to develop.
The International Cotton Conference, taking place in Bremen from March 21 to 24 under the theme 'Cotton Insights', takes this up systematically. This is a part of a session with top-level speakers speaking on current results of sustainable economic activity using the example of cotton and textile production.
Jürgen Jansen, will moderate the discussion in his capacity as Head of the Secretariat of the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, and introduce the topic and define the key points using the example of the Textile Partnership. Allan Williams, R & D Manager, Cotton Research & Development Corporation (CRDC), Australia, will emphasises in his presentation the need to measure progress in sustainable cotton production using objective, internationally recognised methods. Jesse Daystar, VP, Cotton Incorporated USA and Head of Sustainability, will present latest Life Cycle Assessment results covering the lifecycle of fibres and textiles through to end consumers. In 2016, the OECD and FAO developed a guideline to help companies comply with standards for responsible business practices.
Eddie Jernigan, Jernigan Global, USA, will speak on how era of cheap polyester is coming to an end in China. The impact on environment and its control are gaining in importance at the political level. He criticises that until now there has been a global failure to keep an eye on the environmental impact of chemical fibre production. Richard A. Venditti, Professor at North Carolina State University, USA, will explain the impact of the release of different types of microfibers from household laundry on bodies of water and the state of biodegradability.
"Union Budget for 2018-19 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave a The strong boost to India’s textiles industry as the FM allocated Rs 7,148 crore for the sector. “The government had approved a comprehensive textile sector package of Rs 6,000 crore in 2016 to boost the apparel and made-up segments. I, now propose to provide an outlay of Rs 7,148 crore for the textile sector in 2018-19,” Jaitley said in Parliament. The raise ie expected to boost apparel sector exports."
Union Budget for 2018-19 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave a The strong boost to India’s textiles industry as the FM allocated Rs 7,148 crore for the sector. “The government had approved a comprehensive textile sector package of Rs 6,000 crore in 2016 to boost the apparel and made-up segments. I, now propose to provide an outlay of Rs 7,148 crore for the textile sector in 2018-19,” Jaitley said in Parliament. The raise is expected to boost apparel sector exports.
A positive move says industry
Reacting to the Budget Sanjay Jain, Chairman, Citi said “The allocation for textile industry has increased from Rs 6,000 cr to Rs 7,148 crore but it still falls much short of what was needed to take care of backlog of ROSL & TUF and current year requirement.” On similar lines Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) president Rahul Mehta, said the increase in outlay looks prima facie is positive but, it is yet to be seen how impactful the enhanced outlay would be for the entire apparel value chain. H K L Magu chairman of AEPC opines, "We have been asking the government to support the apparel exporters to survive. There have been blockages of funds as very few people got GST refunds between July and December. The dollar, which was worth Rs 65, came down to Rs 63, hurting exporters further. We have become uncompetitive and Bangladesh has started cashing in on this by offering its products 10-15 per cent cheaper in the global market.”
Ashok G Rajani, former chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council feels it the FM’s latest announcement for the textile sector and would increase women's employment and boost export growth. He added that when the last package was given India's exports grew at 12 to 14 per cent subsequently.
Experts say, the reduction in corporate tax to 25 per cent for SMEs upto Rs 200 crore will also benefit the textiles sector which is mainly in the SME. The FM said MSME are a major engine of growth and employment and he will soon announce measures for SME NPAs. Indeed, textile sector has a large number of SMEs and this is surely a positive step for the sector.
K Selvaraju, Secretary General, The Southern India Mills' Association is positive about the allocation to boost apparel and made-ups exports, 12 per cent employers' provident for the first three years, and extension of fixed term employment for all segments (earlier only for apparel and made-ups). Raja Shanmugam, President of Tirupur Exporters Association, feels the Budget announcement was "not so pleasing" as it was a just bump up in allocations compared to the previous one. The expectation from the industry was that the government will spell out reforms to compensate for duty drawback and sops under the Rebate on State Levies scheme (ROSL). "Since the GST regime does not have these invisible sops, our competitiveness was hit. We hoped the finance Minister would touch upon the subject," he told ET from Tirupur. Entrepreneurs had got about 2.5 per cent of duty refunds after a small change was effected to the MEIS and ROSL schemes recently, but the advantage was 5-6 per cent of refunds under the VAT system.”
Prabhu Damodharan, Secretary for Indian Texpreneurs Federation, said funds are still pending to roll into the industry under the TUFS and other schemes. "I welcome the announcement but I will wait for the blueprint of implementation to see if it is something to celebrate."
Domestic silk industry gets a boost
Meanwhile, to provide adequate protection to the domestic industry, and to incentivise domestic value addition and ‘Make in India’, the FM proposed to increase customs duty on import of silk fabric from existing 10 per cent to 20 per cent. He stressed on development of agricultural and rural economy. To incentivise the leather and footwear sector, Jaitley said, “Currently, a deduction of 30 per cent is allowed in addition to normal deduction of 100 per cent in respect of emoluments paid to eligible new employees who have been employed for a minimum period of 240 days during the year under section 80-JJAA of the Income-tax Act. However, the minimum period of employment is relaxed to 150 days in the case of apparel industry. In order to encourage creation of new employment, I propose to extend this relaxation to footwear and leather industry.” Further, he also proposed to rationalise this deduction of 30 per cent by allowing the benefit for a new employee who is employed for less than the minimum period during the first year but continues to remain employed for the minimum period in subsequent year. The Budget also proposes increase in customs duty on footwear to 20 per cent from the current 10 per cent, and on parts of footwear to 15 per cent from the existing 10 per cent rate.
The market however did not react to the announcement in a very positive manner as shares of textile reported flat with a negative bias after the announcement. Kitex Garments was down -0.33 per cent on BSE while IndoCount Industries was trading at Rs 103.55, down 0.24 per cent. Arvind too lost.
Lineapelle New York is back at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan on Wednesday 31 January and Thursday 1 February. ‘This is an ideal event for a market in search of materials and solutions of genuine excellence,’ the company says. Around 123 selected exhibitors, including tanneries, accessories, components and alternative materials will present their stylistic work-in-progress with samples for summer 2019, inspired by the trends developed by the Lineapelle Fashion Committee under their main theme of Empathy. The theme will be explored in depth during three seminars: Two on the first day and one on the second. The programmes will also features another workshop, Know Your Leather, a technical workshop for analysing “leather as a material”.
Lineapelle New York was launched in January 2001 with 25 exhibitors and has grown exponentially to the point where the July 2017 show hosted 120 exhibitors and welcomed over 1,300 visitors. These numbers confirm the show as a leading event for the US fashion industry, a client of historic and fundamental importance for the Italian leather industry, which has systematically increased its exports to the US from 2009 to 2016, tripling them in value. Trade remained stable in 2017, confirming the USAs position as the fifth biggest destination country for Italian finished leather products.
The New York preview introduces Lineapelle Milano (February 20 to 22 at Fieramilano Rho), the reference event for the global leather area for which a strong turnout of US buyers and brands is expected.
There are many novelties to be displayed by Metalbottoni at three of the most important events in the industry early in the new year. The company from Bergamo will is present at Munich Fabric being held from January 30 to February 1, and then at Milano Unica from February 6-8 and in Paris for the new edition of Première Vision Accessories from February 13 to 15.
For S/S 2019 season, Metalbottoni has implemented new sustainable processes. This production process has been implemented to obtain better results on products that reduce water consumption by half, reducing processing time and energy consumption. Metalbottoni has been able to introduce novel finishing with a polished and valuable look, perfect for the world of ready-to-wear. “Our Style Office daily activity” explains Maria Teresa Ricciardo, Creative Director at Metalbottoni, “is more and more oriented towards an approach that includes dedicated support to customers through all our technical and stylistic competences, in order to achieve a steadily improving level of personalization in our products.”
Among the novelties which will be presented during the three exhibitions, Monster SS 2019: the line dedicated to the most authentic denim is enriched by this new collection, restyled according to the most recent green technologies and the philosophy of sustainable denim, without neglecting intense and vibrant style touches. The line is increasingly enhanced by elements which address sportswear with strength, assertiveness and personality.
In this new collection, classic shapes are restyled in terms of proportions, from mini to oversize, deformed and renewed thanks to the choice of special paints combined with novel processing and finishing. The collection for the new season ranges from jeans buttons and rivets to chinos buttons, buckles and loops, rings, hooks and spring clips. Labora SS 2019: a range which includes buttons, buckles, plates and clips dedicated to pure fashion, for men and women: new proposal which remind us of earth, air and water elements with items in natural and earthy colours. Materials such as bronze and aged brass are matched with transparent and coloured polyester accessories, with pearly, polished and valuable finishing. For this season the collection shows a remarkable sportswear influence, with a range that goes beyond buttons, with hooks, spring clips, rings, loops and pulleys with bright and shiny colours, enhanced by the 3D-effect processing.
“Boosting research, innovation and offer in order to highlight our added value” says Gregorio Valli, CEO and President of Metalbottoni S.P.A, “along a path that leads us to be more and more of a branding ingredient for customers, who today see Metalbottoni not just as an outstanding manufacturer, but also as a consultant and strategic support partner.”
The Synthetic & Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC), one of the oldest export promotion councils in India, has conferred Rajen Udeshi, President, Polyester Chain, Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) and President Association of Synthetics Fibre Industry, with SRTEPCs Life Time Achievement Award for his exceptional contribution to the development and growth of manmade fibre and fabric industry in India. The Council also awarded RIL with a series of awards for its exceptional performance in exports of fibres and yarns.
RIL has been honoured for its best export performance in the category of overall exports, polyester staple fibre, continuous yarn and fibre and yarn exports to Latin American and African countries. Udeshi, a member of RIL’s leadership management team for over three decades, has played a key role in the growth of RIL’s polyester chain business.
The list of awardees that SRTEPC honoured from RIL are: SRTEPC lifetime Achievement Award conferred to Rajen Udeshi. Award for Best Overall Export Performance in the category of SRTEPC Special Award (Gold Trophy). Award for Best Export Performance in the Category of Polyester Staple Fibre (Gold Trophy). Award for Best Export performance in the Category of Continuous Yarn (Gold Trophy). Award for Best Export Performance in the Category of Exports of fibre/yarn to ‘Focus LAC’ Countries (Gold Trophy). Award for Best Export Performance in the Category of Exports of fibre/yarn to ‘Focus Africa’ Countries (Gold Trophy)
Ready to source fabric and network with industry peers, buyers flooded into Texworld USA Winter 2018 edition in record numbers. Held January 22 to 24 at the Jacob K Javits Center in New York City and organised by Messe Frankfurt, the sourcing event for apparel fabric buyers, research and product development specialists, designers, merchandisers and overseas sourcing professionals takes place biannually in the US in January and July. Collocated Apparel Sourcing USA, Texworld USA hosted 4,500 attendees, 371 exhibitors in an area of 47,000 net square feet.
In its 10th year, the Winter edition is the smaller of the two Texworld shows, although both events sees huge crowds. Buyers visiting Texworld USA experienced an expanded exhibit hall and several new show-floor elements, including content features for start-ups and small designers. Jennifer Bacon, show director, fashion and apparel said, “We partnered with Startup Fashion to provide more information for startups. I truly believe today’s independent designers will be tomorrow’s big brands. We added a low minimum supplier list to the floor that features exhibitors who will sell at lower quantities and Resource Row that goes beyond textile sourcing to support other areas of the business.”
Bacon was quick to point out that the retail climate has been changing quickly and dramatically over the past 12-18 months and went on to explain, while how we shop is changing, we are still buying apparel and some companies are really thriving, particularly those with ethical, technical or sustainable features. Content on the show floor featured a wearable section and even covered trends in recycling leftover scraps and surplus fabrics.
Texworld USA also made enhancements to its educational offerings by adding a new element to its seminar series: Explore the Floor. During these sessions, a seminar presenter guided the group to areas on the showfloor where buyers could see and experience the topic first hand, ask questions and learn how to apply concepts. This year, the show’s art directors created a spotlight trend area on denim and artist Moon Heemin, who designed a fun art installation of dogs made out of denim that proved to be a powerful backdrop for social media sharing.
Show officials note that Texworld USA is anchored in New York City for several reasons, including the city’s status as one of the world’s four fashion capitals and a convenient destination for attendees to reach. In addition, the show itself has a reputation as a benchmark for colours and materials.
Swiss company HeiQ has launched HeiQ Fresh FFL (Fresh For Long), a 100 per cent bio-based odour control technology. The product targets the sportswear and intimate segment, with application suitable for seamless garments made of synthetics that are prone to permastink. Visitors at ISPO got a sneak peak of the technology at HeiQ’s booth at Hall C3 Booth 402.
Apart from its founding silver product that is today used worldwide in over 500 million garments by over 100 major active wear brands and the recently launched volatile odour source sequestering technologies HeiQ Fresh NKU and HeiQ Fresh AGOS.
HeiQ says it continues to redefine freshness for textiles by introducing the world’s first bio-based, non-antimicrobial, non-silver-based textile odour control technology – HeiQ Fresh FFL, which is based on a biopolymer derived from 100 per cent renewable source. The wash-resistant, biodegradable textile finishing is said to stop bad smell before they emerge on textiles.
HeiQ Fresh FFL is a non-antimicrobial alternative to traditional odour control in textiles. The sustainable, fully biomass-derived Amino-Sugar-Polymer functions by binding proteins and other sweat components that can cause odour. The HeiQ Fresh FFL biopolymer supports quick removal of these sweat secretion during home laundering. As a non-antimicrobial solution to odour control, the regulatory obligations normally associated with biocides are of no relevance when applying HeiQ Fresh FFL on garments and other textile products, the company reports.
Ralf Mundinger, HeiQ’s Head of Technology Application explains, “Odour control efficacy is maximised with the correct technology-fibre match, as well as the right application of the technology in the textile finishing process. While most odour-control textile finishing target polyester, the application is often limited to padding, which is not utilised for textiles that seamless garments are made from.
HeiQ Fresh FFL can be used on both cellulosic and synthetic fibres. The flexibility of application of HeiQ Fresh FFL – can be done through either exhaust or padding – means that brands can apply it freely on different fibre and product design, including seamless garments.”
