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China’s National Technical Committee of Garments of the Standardization Administration has issued an updated version of product standard GB/T 2662 for clothes with fillings. The 2017 version is the first amendment to the standard since 2008 and will be implemented soon. Despite several changes, the criteria still do not include infant clothing or garments containing down or feathers.
The standard covers mass produced garments that are filled with either natural fibres, chemical fibres or a blend of these materials. It also covers clothing that has animal/artificial fur linings but currently does not cover products containing down, feathers, or clothing for children below 36 months.
GB/T 2662-2017 contains several revisions including; the scope of the standard, information on auxiliary material, appearance defects, sewing/ironing rules, inspections and classification of finished products. New test areas which form part of the amended standard include fibre content, formaldehyde content, pH value, banned azo colorants, odour, dimensional changes after washing or dry cleaning and seam slippage. The latest version of the standard include a new provision that children’s clothing with fillings — for children aged 36 months to 14 years — should comply with the testing methods for finished products and the test method for safety performance of children’s clothing.
Leading manufacturer of computerised flatbed and whole garment knitting machines, Japan-based Shima Seiki celebrated its 55th anniversary and revelled visitors with latest advancements in fashion technology with a Virtual Reality (VR) fashion show. An immersive experience brought about by real-time VR and technological flair, prevailed at the fashion showcase presented by Shima Seiki at its 55th anniversary, held recently at The Big Whale (Wakayama) Japan.
The show combined real-life models with spectacular virtual renditions of models created on Shima Seiki’s SDS-ONE APEX3 which is set to differentiate the gap between the tangible and the intangible. The key focus on technology is targeted at educating the audience on the next game changer in the world of fashion with background and side-view full-length screens, providing a close-up view of garments.
Making use of their traditional flatbed knitting machine and whole garment knitting machine, the company presented a wide range of regular and seamless garments across product categories comprising of tops and blouses, jackets, knits, denim, dresses, trousers, and T-shirts. The show, beside forecasting future fashion trends, it also presented an extensive range of products from anti-fit clothing such as tunics and fluid wide-leg trousers and pants, to oversized patterned knit sweaters, jerseys and maxi coats, through to business casuals.
Shima Seiki stretches the points of imagination in garment construction with an more emphasis on details such as frayed hemlines, utilitarian elements and intricate pattern play. Looking at performance fabrics on saw the creation of pieces that emanate properties of water-repellence, wind-resistance and flexibility in the athleisure, ski-inspired and sports-core categories.
The brand showcased a plethora of materials ranging from formal to activewear, where fluidity and movement merged with high performance and ease which was key underlying aspects while fabric and comfort was also of importance.
The last financial year, Bestseller experienced lower than expected growth in turnover at 3 per cent. At the same time, a 23 per cent increase in bottomline revealed overall positive trends for the company. Bestseller's annual report reveals a net turnover of €3.15 billion and a result before tax of €337 million.
Anders Holch Povlsen notes, the key figures show a 23 per cent increase in result before tax, and we are seeing positive trends throughout our business – especially in our largest market, Germany, and in our e-commerce business. At the same time, a 3 per cent increase in net turnover leaves room for improvement. To a large extent, the moderate growth is a result of our focus on closing down loss-making stores. He says they need to be persistent in their efforts and dare to set the bar higher if they want to keep up and prepare the company for future. Their ambition is to boost revenue over the next few years.
One of the key aspects to growth is a sharp focus in retail business. He believes they must create a simple, solid and efficient operation. And continue retail turnaround and change the company from often being more of a wholesale one also doing retail to being a retail company also running a successful wholesale business.
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) released the report ‘A New Textiles Economy; Redesigning Fashion's Future’, by Ellen MacArthur Foundation in London this week. Co-hosted by Stella McCartney, the event boasted of a speaker line-up consisting of the foundation's Circular Fibres Initiative partners, including their CEO Eva Kruse.
The report, presents a positive new vision for a circular system that works, summons the creative power of the fashion industry to build that system. The vision calls for a new textiles economy in which clothes are designed differently, worn longer and recycled and reused much more often. With contributions and endorsements from industry leaders, including C&A Foundation, H&M, Lenzing, NIKE Inc. and GFA, the report calls on the entire industry to innovate and collaborate towards a circular vision to unlock economic opportunities.
Global Fashion Agenda CEO, Eva Kruse says, "We're extremely happy about our collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Both their and our initiative on circular fashion complement and enhance one another. We don't have all the answers yet, but we have the necessary knowledge to start systemic change, so it's time for the fashion industry to commit and push towards a new textiles economy. A joint effort is vital if we are to move the industry in the right direction,"
The report finds the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is wasted every second, while less than 1 per cent of clothing is recycled into new clothes. If nothing changes, the fashion industry will consume a quarter of the world's annual carbon budget by 2050. "Today's textile industry is built on an outdated linear, take-make-dispose model and is hugely wasteful and polluting. The circular report presents an ambitious vision for a new system, based on circular economy principles that offers benefits to the economy, society and the environment. We need the whole industry to rally behind it," says Ellen MacArthur.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a knowledge partner for Global Fashion Agenda, which is an affiliate partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Fibres Initiative.
Growth in retail has slowed globally and this downward trend may not end till sourcing completes its transformation. That was the message Esquel Group CEO and vice chairman John Cheh delivered at the US Fashion Industry Association’s (USFIA) Annual Apparel Importers Trade and Transportation Conference in New York City recently. Retail sales in the US have fallen in recent years and the sluggish trend has deteriorated further, notes Cheh. What’s more, e-commerce players are taking more and more market share from physical stores and getting into their own private label lines, further increasing competition, further, discounting has reached an all-time high or low, depending on how you look at it.
Last year, Cheh disclosed, citing a 2016 Cotton Incorporated Retail Monitor survey, fast fashion retailers were selling an average of 8 per cent of their apparel product at a discount, for mass stores it was 16 per cent, specialty stores 42 per cent and department stores were selling a whopping 73 per cent of their apparel at a discount.
“What’s the point of lowering your cost, squeezing your suppliers for 5 cents or 10 cents or 30 cents,” which rarely ever amounts to much more than a 1 per cent discount, Cheh explained and all the while the discounts at retail are closer to the 30 per cent to 40 per cent off mark. “The markdowns are so much bigger, so what are we talking about in terms of keeping your costs down?”
These factors all considered, Sourcing 4.0 will be the way forward for retail to work its way out of this rut. There are four key elements to Sourcing 4.0, Cheh explained: product, quality, time and price.
Where many retailers have missed the mark while they’re busy scrambling to ward of Amazon and fast fashion, is that they’re not delivering a product consumers actually want to buy. Next the focus should turn to quality, another area that for some has fallen by the wayside in the hunt for ever cheaper product from whichever country can make it. When it comes to timing, suppliers can’t be left to bear the brunt of doing everything faster. In Supply Chain 4.0, speed comes with partnership. On price, Sourcing 4.0 will mean companies consider unit labour cost, rather than labour cost alone.
The Woolmark Company announced a two-season partnership with renowned Japanese fashion label Facetasm for the development of its Autumn/Winter 18/19 collection (Woolmark capsule collection will be unveiled in January in 2018 in Paris) and Spring/Summer 19 wool-rich products, ahead of its show at Paris Men’s Collection. Both the capsule collections will be Woolmark-certified.
The partnership marks the beginning of a long-standing relationship where Woolmark will work closely with and support Facetasm’s design team, which has already reviewed Woolmark’s sourcing guide, The Wool Lab, drawing on the most innovative fabrics and yarns for the upcoming collections and connecting the design team with the wool supply chain.
Facetasm founder/designer Hiromichi Ochiai travelled to Australia with the support of The Woolmark Company to visit the source of Merino wool, experiencing wool-growing properties first-hand and gaining invaluable insight and inspiration for his future collections. “I believe Merino wool is an essential ingredient for the brand to move onto the next step in its creation and I think this collaboration with The Woolmark Company is a great opportunity for the brand to expand even more,” Ochiai added.
Wool has been an integral part of Facetasm’s collections since its launch in 2007, highlighting the versatility of the fibre and its position as the premier ingredient in luxury apparel. Its unique creations are deeply rooted in Tokyo’s edgy street culture, quickly garnering global praise. Woolmark’s MD Stuart McCullough points out Hiromichi Ochiai will be their first global wool ambassador from Japan - a market that remains important in terms of creativity and impeccable quality, further expanding Merino wool’s legacy beyond traditional tailoring.
Itema, the largest privately-owned manufacturer of best-in-class weaving machines, spare parts and services, plans to showcase its innovations at ITMACH India from December 7 to 10 at The Exhibition Centre, Gandhinagar. Itema offers textile manufacturers top three weft insertion technologies such as rapier, airjet and projectile, in what is the most comprehensive portfolio on the market today to weave the widest range of fabrics.
During the 2017 edition of ITMACH, Itema will exhibit its best-in-class airjet weaving machine A9500p, in an execution tailored to weave the most popular fabric in the basin, denim. Airjet weft insertion technology is the most diffused to weave denim, due to the highest possible production speed achievable. The Itema patented and highly innovative solutions allow denim mills to benefit from a significant reduction in energy consumption, thus ensuring twin benefits of the highest production speed and the lowest power consumption in the market.
The popular trend to weave stretch and super stretch denim fabrics with dedicated weft yarns inspired Itema to create and patent the innovative Brush Lycra Clamp (BLC) – nozzle to weave elastic weft yarns. Due to the BLC nozzle, the weft is held without movable parts to ensure superior fabric quality and reliability.
The Itema iREED® significantly reduces the air consumption and guarantees a higher efficient weft insertion. The new reed tunnel shape and new position of the relay nozzle optimise air flow in the reed channel for a higher efficiency weft insertion.
The saving is also due to a reduced air pressure and to the single hole relay nozzle, which, at the same time, greatly reduces the need for maintenance of the Itema airjet weaving machine.
The Itema A9500p with its double tandem nozzles enables cost savings and superior fabric quality. The double tandem nozzles guarantee a perfect distribution of the pushing force on the weft using lower air pressure, thus leading to multiple benefits like reduced stress on the yarn ensuring top fabric quality and the possibility to weave with lower pressure, ensuring energy saving.
The Itema A9500p enables weaver to weave faster, producing better fabrics and with a smarter use of resources. There will be a live demo of the machine in operation throughout the exhibition.
Walmart has joined the Cotton LEADS program that supports responsible production practices by cotton growers. Ken Lanshe, Walmart’s Vice President, General Merchandise, Technical, Quality and Sustainability says through the Cotton LEADS program, Walmart hopes to learn from and collaborate on efforts that US cotton farmers are taking to be responsible and sustainable producers.
Walmart joins over 480 companies worldwide which recognises both the environmental gains cotton growers in Australia and the United States continue to achieve and their commitment to meeting the challenge of growing sustainable cotton.
Mark Messura, Senior Vice President Global Supply Chain Marketing at Cotton Incorporated, a founding member organisation of the Cotton LEADS™ program explains, the program is at the forefront of the world’s efforts for sustainably-sourced cotton. Joining Walmart in the Cotton LEADS™ program brings the scale and commitment of an industry leader together with the leaders in cotton sustainability and responsibly-sourced cotton.”
The Cotton LEADS™ program is a joint effort of the Australian and US cotton industries. Its founding members are Cotton Australia, the Australian Cotton Shippers Association, the Cotton Foundation, the National Cotton Council of America, Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated. The program is designed to raise awareness about responsible growing practices and commitment to continuous improvement among cotton producers in the member countries.
VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, has joined the Fur Free Retailer program by partnering the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of 43 animal protection organisations. As a Fur Free Retailer, VF is reinforcing its commitment to fur free products and communicating a no fur policy, which covers more than 20 brands, including Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler, Lee and Napapijri. VF released its first-ever Animal Derived Materials Policy earlier this year and announced that its brands would no longer use fur, angora or exotic leather.
The online Fur Free Retailer list, provides consumers accurate information on a retailer’s fur policy, which permits them to make informed purchasing decisions. Letitia Webster, Vice President of Global Corporate Sustainability at VF Corp says, joining the Fur Free Retailer program, VF and reiterates they are serious about animal welfare. Sustainability and respect for nature are fundamental values for VF and all our brands and we will continue to partner with respected animal-rights organisations and like-minded companies to promote the development of viable commercial substitutes to animal materials.
In 2014, VF’s brand The North Face announced its Responsible Down Standard (RDS), a global standard through which any brand can evaluate and certify its complete down supply chain. The RDS was developed in partnership with Control Union and Textile Exchange, which now manages the program. Currently, 80 other brands from the outdoor, apparel and home industries have initiated certification of their supply chains through the RDS. The North Face® uses 100 per cent certified down across all product lines.
Taiwan-based garment manufacturer Quang Viet Enterprise, has shown interest in Vietnam’s swimwear makers King Hamm Industrial, for purchasing stock valued at $11.4 million by participating in a rights issue. The purchase is expected to give Quang a 42 per cent stake in one of Vietnam’s biggest swimming and functional wear supplier.
King Hamm, manufactures and supplies high-end swimwear as well as functional wear for the export market that is targeted at large international brands such as North Face and Under Armour. Quang’s down jackets are purchased by high-end brands like Nike, Adidas and North Face among others. Quang Viet showed an interest in buying 13.65 million new shares that were issued by King Hamm to the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The shares were issued at the rate of New Taiwan dollar 24.5 per piece.
Recently, Quang showed an interest in expanding its base in the Middle East. It was looking to acquire 60 per cent stake in Atlanta Garment Manufacturing Company, based in Jordan at$ 2.7 million, as Quang anticipates sales growth of 15 per cent Y-o-Y next season. The total gain to accrue from both these acquisitions in the next calendar year is expected to range between $52 million to $57 million.
