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Gerber Technology, a world leader in integrated software and automation solutions for the apparel and industrial markets, will be sponsoring the 2018 Professional Clothing Award (PCA) Vision Best Design (University). The contest requires students to share their vision of stylish, functional professional clothing [corporate wear, workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE)] that can be worn for a specific job role in a sector of their choice.
The aim is for the students to deliver innovative designs that truly meet the needs of the male/female worker to help them perform their job to the best of their ability in their standard job environment. The Best Design Award (University) will be awarded to the University or College which has the best overall design submissions meeting the PCA Vision contest criteria.
Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Marketing and Communications Director, EMEA for Gerber Technology says, “We are very proud to be sponsoring the Vision part of the prestigious Professional Clothing Awards. We have nominated a pattern and market expert from Gerber Technology to join the judging panel to help select the additional Vision Award winner and look forward to seeing the applications. Gerber’s mission is to make it easy for anyone in the world using textiles, leather, composites or other flexible materials to go from concept to market quickly and seamlessly. The provider of integrated automation solutions with UK premises in Manchester has been empowering educators and those who support them with technology to help prepare the next generation of fashion leaders for nearly 50 years.
The 2018 PCA Vision contest forms the basis for the support that the Professional Clothing Awards and the professional clothing industry gives to young, upcoming designers. PCA Vision is an international contest open to students from across Europe and winners will be announced at the opulent awards ceremony held on Wednesday 20th June 2018 at the Park Plaza London Riverbank.
Official forecasts of US and world cotton ending stocks have got tighter. A 3,40,000 month-over-month increase in foreign consumption, most of which was in India, reinforced the tightening of world balance sheet. The bottom line was a large 2.88 million bale reduction in 2017-18 world ending stocks. Such an adjustment would be price supportive.
The December revisions to 2017-18, US cotton continued a trend of modest adjustments to US production and ending stocks. On the supply side, the all-cotton national average yield was raised slightly to a record 902 pounds per acre. This resulted in a 63,000 bale net increase in US production.
US exports were raised 3,00,000 bales month-over-month, presumably to jibe with the historically fast pace of total export commitments of US cotton. The upward revision of US exports made up for the downward adjustments in foreign production. After slightly adjusting the unaccounted fudge factor, projected US ending stocks declined from 6.1 to 5.8 million bales, month over month.
The reduction in supply on the Indian subcontinent is in keeping with recent news reports and speculation about lower production there, so this outcome was probably expected by many traders and analysts. The holidays are generally not known for tightening. Wallets get lighter. Beltlines get wider.
Bangladesh has called for investments from Indian entrepreneurs to give a boost to its growing readymade garment manufacturing sector. The country wants to utilise the market share vacated by China with proper investment inflow. This is where the opportunity for Indian investors lies.
With a friendly political and commercial environment, an over 4,000 km common boundary and well set immigration as well as communication facilities, Bangladesh is seen as a favorable place for Indian entrepreneurs. The similar social environment between the two countries is another positive factor. While Indian entrepreneurs can gain out of their investment in the sector in Bangladesh, more number of workers from Bangladesh can have employment.
While the global clothing products market has gone down to $444 billion in 2016 from $450 billion in 2015, Bangladesh could have increased its share in global apparel exports up to 6.4 per cent from 5.9 per cent during the period to maintain its second position in the sector. But the share of China, the undisputed first, has gone down from 39.3 per cent to 36.4 per cent while the other close competitors, Vietnam, India, Turkey and Cambodia, recorded a share of 5.5 per cent, four per cent, 3.4 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.
The Federation of Indian Art Silk Weaving Industry (FIASWI) has expressed concern for power loom weavers in the country because of huge escalation of cost in fabrics , increase in job losses and import of fabrics due to non-refund of accumulated tax credit under GST.
FIASWI decried the fact that the Central government was earning Rs 10,000 crore in taxes from yarn spinners pre-GST and post-GST, the estimated revenue has doubled to Rs 20,000 crore. It is only the man-made fibre (MMF) sector which is losing out on huge part of its capital following non-refund of accumulated input tax credit.
FIASWI chairman Bharat Gandhi was unhappy with the injustice, “We are demanding natural justice for MMF sector. All other sectors are getting input tax credit refund, except for MMF sector. The GST on yarn is at 12 per cent and that the fabric attracts 5 per cent, leaving out 7 per cent accumulated tax credit for power loom weavers. There is an estimated capital loss of Rs 7,000 per annum to power loom weavers alone.”
Gandhi is of the view the textile industry is worried that costs may escalate by around three to five per cent, which could further impact capacity utilisation. The percentage share in cost escalation is proportionate to the range of accumulation of input tax credit on sale value, especially for sectors like power loom, handloom and processing. The first ever ‘baseline survey of power loom sector’ conducted by AC Neilsen and ORG MARG for the Ministry of Textiles in 2014 recorded that Surat was the biggest centre for man-made fabrics. The survey found there were a total of 4,88,649 power looms in Gujarat with Surat having the maximum number of 4,70,496. There were only 14,364 shuttleless looms in Surat.
The annual polyester yarn consumption by power loom units in Surat was set at 40,610 lakh kg and annual fabric production at 91,871 lakh metres. The total fabric production in Gujarat was at 97,206 lakh metres, the survey revealed.
The FIASWI is holding its annual general meeting (AGM) in the city on January 6, where representatives from textile sectors from centres including Maharashtra, Salem, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Mumbai and Surat will remain present. The agenda in the AGM will be issues faced by the textile sector under GST.
"The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) celebrated the achievement of its member exporters at theirannual awards presentationrecently. The Minister of Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smriti Irani, in a video message to the industry, complimented the award winners to keep up the good work in the sector. Thee Textiles Commissioner, Dr.Kavita Gupta was the Chief Guest at the function."
The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) celebrated the achievement of its member exporters at theirannual awards presentationrecently. The Minister of Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smriti Irani, in a video message to the industry, complimented the award winners to keep up the good work in the sector. Thee Textiles Commissioner, Dr.Kavita Gupta was the Chief Guest at the function.
Ujwal Lahoti, Chairman, Texprocil congratulated all the award winners for facing the challenges of a slow global demand and intense price pressures to emerge leaders in their respective line of businesses during 2016-17.
The Chairman complimented Smriti Irani for her untiring efforts in conducting extensive consultations with all the stakeholders from time to time to understand the issues faced by the textiles industry.
He said that she was instrumental in the inclusion of made ups under the ROSL scheme which was originally introduced to cover only readymade garments and also thanked her for keeping the entire cotton textiles sector at the GST rate of 5 per cent and for reducing the GST rate on job work in the textile sector to 5per cent.
Lahoti mentioned that the Government recently increased the ROSL rate for cotton made ups from 1.55per cent to 2.20per cent and also the entitlement of the duty credit scrips on export of made ups from 2per cent to 4per cent under the MEIS. These measures will enable made ups exporters to partially overcome the disadvantage which they are facing in leading markets like the EU and the US versus products from some of the competing nations which enjoy zero duty access,
However he added that delays in GST refunds are leading to serious working capital and financial problems for many of the textiles units in addition to the procedural and compliance issues.
Lahoti stated that cotton yarn was one single product for which there were no benefits under the FTP 2015-20. He urged the government to include cotton yarn under the MEIS and 3per cent Interest Equalization Scheme.
Dr Kavita Gupta, amongst other points, stressed the fact that the industry should focus on technical textiles as it still remained a vastly unexplored segment in the textile sector. She added that the government’s support through various schemes like the recent increase in MEIS should spur the industry to spiral towards healthy growth.
The coveted highest global exports platinum trophy was presented to Welspun Global Brands Ltd. Other recipients of the Awards included Vardhman Textiles, Trident Ltd., Alok Industries, Arvind Ltd, Loyal Textiles, Premier Mills, Lahoti Overseas among others.
Mozambique has a goal of becoming the first country in the world to produce 100 per cent Better Cotton.
The country is working with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) to take its domestic cotton sector to the next level with additional economic and environmental efforts. BCI’s presence provides a host of benefits for Mozambique’s cotton sector—including providing cotton producers access to new markets, collaborating with local cotton organizations for optimal production and upgrading concession holders’ extension services for farmers.
Mozambique is a cotton production hub. Cotton remains a crucial industry to Mozambique—contributing to roughly one-fifth of the nation’s agricultural exports.
With BCI, Mozambique’s cotton producers can establish new market relationships that reduce price volatility risk. Additionally, BCI will enable cotton producers, local cotton organizations and international bodies to work together on minimizing the cotton sector’s carbon footprint.
BCI also has a capacity building program in Mozambique that monitors the nation’s cotton supply chain. Rather than check cotton compliance standards through licensing, BCI invests in capacity building by upgrading concession holders’ extension services and providing farmers with training to meet the Better Cotton standard. National associations, government bodies and cotton companies will also receive training on BCI’s Better Cotton system, so they may apply more sustainable cotton practices on a national scale.
Major fashion brands are moving away from using animal fur and creating fashionable clothing with other materials.
Fashion brand Michael Kors will phase out the use of fur by the end of 2018.
Due to technological advances in fabrications, it now has the ability to create a luxe aesthetic using non-animal fur. It will showcase these new techniques in its upcoming runway show in February.
Michael Kors owns Jimmy Choo.
Gucci too plans to stop using fur from 2018, following the same decision by Armani. Gucci’s move to go fur-free is part of its commitment to sustainability. Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and it will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals.
Today's consumers want fashionable, luxurious clothing and accessories that also align with their social values.
There is an increasing amount of real fur being sold either mislabeled or not labeled at all as real fur in the last couple of years in the UK.
Four types of animal fur are being sold on the British high street despite being marketed as fake fur. Items most consistent with rabbit, raccoon, dog, mink and cat are being mis-sold to consumers as faux fur.
In the first six months of this financial year, cotton yarn exports from India declined ten per cent. Withdrawal of export incentives for cotton yarn has reduced India’s competitive edge by increasing prices to the tune of five or six per cent.
The country exports almost 20 per cent of its cotton produced. In 2013-14, spinning mills took advantage of the two per cent incremental export incentive, two per cent interest subvention, and three per cent focus market incentive. In 2014, these incentives were withdrawn and cotton yarn exports in 2016-17 registered a 26 per cent decline in value terms.
During the current cotton season, prices might touch minimum support price levels as production is expected to be high.
The textile industry has one of the highest levels of non-performing assets. When exports benefits such as Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and Interest Equalisation Scheme were introduced, all segments of the textile value chain were covered except cotton yarn. Thus cotton yarn exports to China dropped.
The three per cent IES benefit is essential to maintain six to nine months’ cotton inventory and to ensure consistency in quality of yarn supplied. The industry has asked for restoration of MEIS and IES benefits for cotton yarn.
Basic customs duty on manmade fabrics has been increased from ten per cent to 25 per cent.
Import of fabrics, especially from China, has seen a sharp increase post-GST at almost 30 per cent. But the manmade fabric and yarn industry in India is affected by cheaper imports from China, Indonesia, Thailand and North Korea, where the fabric industry is subsidized substantially to increase their share of fabric in the world textile trade. Moreover, Indian fabric manufacturers have no protection from FTA countries that have been importing fabrics from China, Indonesia and Pakistan and selling garments made from such fabrics to India.
Over Rs 5,000 crores worth of undervalued fabrics are imported from China and other countries to India per annum. The import of cheap and undervalued fabrics has resulted in the closure of 40 per cent of power looms in the textile hubs of Surat, Itchalkaranji, Malegaon, Bhiwandi, Burhanpur, Varanasi, Salem and Erode. The situation of Banarasi weavers is very pitiable as imported silk fabric is quite cheap than what is manufactured by Banarasi weavers.
Surat’s power loom weavers manufacture four crore meters of fabrics per day, which has been reduced to 1.5 crore meters a day post-GST. Around 95,000 power loom machines have been sold in scrap and more than 50,000 textile workers rendered jobless.
The Japanese brand Evisu for spring/summer 2018 launches the Evisukuro line, a trendy collection combining fashion and athleisure David Pun, founder and CEO, Evisu Group discloses that their spring/summer 2018 season will see Evisu incorporating more streetwear-inspired elements, blurring the line between grown-ups and young people.
Pun enumerates, high-end tops will complement high-street jeans for a fun style that’s easy and carefree and fashion will become sportier. Denim will move into a more contemporary mood with items such as sweatshirts and T-shirts. “Denim items will lean towards 1990s nostalgia, while bomber jackets will be infused with East-Asian intricacy.”
The brand’s founder is of the view that athleisure isn’t going anywhere any time soon. This season, the Evisukuro collection features a mix of dressing styles where premium meets casual and sports meets fashion to sport a contemporary urban look. “It’s all about labelling, repetitive bold logos and symbolic signs,” he adds.
Over the past 16 years, Evisu has expanded from denim products to other fashion and lifestyle categories, including eyewear and crossover items with brands such as Zippo, KTZ and Champion.
Pun attributes Evisu’s success to its strong brand equity. “The brand DNA is all about ‘irreverent coolness, craftsmanship and tongue-in-cheek twist’. We focus on these three elements and embody them into the design of our products and marketing campaigns.” The brand’s founder shares insights, “irreverent coolness” refers to the true Evisu spirit – daring to move away from traditional ideas and to be bold with its own style, without compromising on quality and design.
Discussing “craftsmanship” he notes that, Evisu jeans are made of selvedge denim using original methods and authentic details in every part of the production process. “The key of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ is how we collaborate with iconic brands or [adopt] trends to create some fun, just like the jokes about McDonald’sand Ikea on social media lately. We apply our own touch of humour,” he adds.
“What we offer our customers is individuality, identity and lifestyle. This also helps differentiate us because not every brand is this bold and colourful. We are unique and we will continue to stay,” he adds.
