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Vietnam’s textiles and apparel industry has seen major FDI in the past few years. For example, in 2014 and 2015 it saw massive inputs of foreign funds. In 2015 alone, $2 billion worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital came into the textile and garment sector. The three biggest projects in the sector registered a capital of $1 billion.
Hyosung Dong Nai, a Turkish invested yarn manufacturer, has an investment capital of $660 million. Meanwhile, a textile and garment material factory developed by Polytex Far Eastern from Taiwan has registered capital of $274 million and Worldon Vietnam, a Hong Kong invested enterprise, $160 million.
However, the wave of FDI pouring into the sector has seen a lull this year. As per Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), the list of large FDI projects registered in the first five months of the year did not include textile and garment projects. Meanwhile, the projects capitalized at hundreds of millions of dollars were all in paper production, real estate, electronics and wind power.
Pham Xuan Hong, Chair of the HCM City Textile, Clothing, Embroidery and Knitting, observed that foreign investors have decided to delay their projects because they need to wait for TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement), not because they see problems in Vietnam economy. Nguyen Hong Giang, deputy chair of the Vietnam Cotton & Yarn Association, commented that though capital flow has slowed, Vietnam is still attractive to foreign investors. In the past, Bangladesh was the priority country. However, with complicated political issues, the country is no longer as popular. Vietnam on the other hand has attractive production costs and preferential tariffs.
Five years after international chain Zara opened its first Australian store in Sydney, fast fashion is now the norm in Australia. Australians spend an average of $2,288 on clothing and footwear each year. There the fastest growing household waste is clothing with around $500 million worth of fashion clothing dumped in 2013, records state.
Australians are buying more pieces of clothing than they have every in history. In fact, it's almost doubled in the last 20 years. It is also said that there's a lot of information that suggests that fast fashion pieces of clothing are produced with disposability in mind. And they're typically designed for 10 wear or less. But even as international chains like H&M, Zara, and Topshop gain market share, these companies have also become wary of consumer demand turning to more environmental and ethical clothing. Following other retail chains including H&M and Topshop, Zara launched its first sustainable collection last month with green initiatives such as recycling old garments.
Euromonitor International says, consumers are looking more and more to sustainability in goods and a circular economy. These are defined as an industrial economy that produces no waste or pollution. Fast fashion usually takes trends displayed at fashion week and creates pieces that are available for mass consumption. It is a short production cycle of around four weeks. The lower cost clothing is made to last only around one season and the high turnover means customers are enticed to come back to those stores to buy new clothes, with fresh lines usually delivered weekly.
Exports of India’s cotton yarn fell 11.58 per cent in value terms and 4.44 per cent in terms of volume in the April -June period this year compared to the same period last year. Exports to China, the main buyer of Indian cotton yarn too has declined.
China imported 149.66 million kg of cotton yarn in the first three months of last financial year (2015-2016) and it dropped to 99.09 million kg during the same period this year. The decline in exports started in April 2014. Then the total cotton yarn exports from India used to be 140 million kg a month that has dropped to about 100 million kg now, informed M Senthil Kumar, Chairman of Southern India Mills’ Association.
With a drop in demand in the domestic and export markets, capacity utilisation in textile mills has also gone down. With existing capacity, India can produce up to 500 million kg of yarn a month. However, production is only about 470 million kg now. Bangladesh is the second largest buyer of cotton yarn from India. Exports to Dhaka went up by 38.87 per cent in value between April and June this year and 52.1 per cent in terms of volume during the same period. This year, India’s exports to Pakistan improved in terms of value and volume.
Competitiveness of Indian cotton yarn in the international market should improve. Further, fluctuations in cotton price have hit the textile mills, Kumar said. The government should give two per cent under the Merchandise Export Incentivisation Scheme and three per cent under the interest equalisation scheme for one year. This will help India increase export to other countries too, Kumar summed up.
The Bangladesh government has launched the Essentials of Occupational Safety and Health (EOSH) program. Under this, eight lakh ready-made garment (RMG) workers across the country would benefit. EOSH, is an innovative training package developed by the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) International Training Centre in Turin. The training programme is being delivered by the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) with the support of the ILO and financed by Canada, the Netherlands and United Kingdom, according to a release.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) have also supported the training. The launch marked the third phase of an initiative that has seen a core group of 114 master trainers from BEF, BGMEA, BKMEA and RMG factories train 8,038 RMG managers and supervisors in occupational safety and health.
In the latest phase, this group would now go on and build awareness of key OSH issues amongst 800,000 workers in 585 factories by June 2017. In addition to the EOSH training, the initiative would also see 585 company representatives oriented on the formation of Safety Committees at factory level. The goal is to establish 110 functioning Safety Committees at company level by January 2017. Covering the areas of managing safety and health, and establishing Safety Committees, the modules form part of an OSH kit to be distributed to all RMG factories.
Max Fashion India in partnership with Elite launches, grooms and connects aspiring models with top players in the Indian fashion industry.
The aim is to discover fresh faces. Models are trained to rock the runway.
This is the third year of the model hunt in India. Elite has groomed and introduced some of biggest names in the international fashion industry such as Cindy Crawford and Gisele Bundchen.
Max Fashion India is India’s leading value fashion forward brand. It offers clothing and accessories for men, women and children. From offering unique platforms for consumers, to enabling them as content drivers, Max Fashion India is striving to establish India as a fashion hub on the global map.
Max believes in creating consumer connect properties that are disruptive and innovative. Through properties such as the Max Elite Model Hunt it aims at creating a strong affinity with Indian consumers. This consumer connect plays a big role in Max Fashion India’s overall business and expansion plans.
One way the brand establishes a strong emotional connect with Indian consumers is through omni-channel youth-centric marketing campaigns. It works on constantly creating content that drives consumers’ interests, transforms their buying habits and nurtures brand loyalty.
The trade show Yarn, Fabric and Accessories (YFA) will be held in New Delhi, November 23 to 26, 2016.
YFA 2016 has attracted over 130 companies from India and abroad, which also includes a Chinese Pavilion. There were 100 exhibitors in the 2015 edition. A special highlight of YFA 2016 is the denim zone, which will see top 20 Indian denim fabric makers exhibiting their denim innovations.
The aim is to bring producers of world class and multiple varieties of value added fibers, yarns, fabrics and garment accessories closer to end users in New Delhi and surrounding areas.
YFA aims to redefine the way fibers, yarns, fabrics and apparel accessories are sourced and bring renowned suppliers from these four segments closer to buyers and also offer buyers a one-stop place to source all their requirements.
There will be a 15 per cent subsidy to SRTEPC and Texprocil members. SRTEPC is one of the oldest export promotion councils in India for the promotion of Indian man-made fibers and textiles. Texprocil is the apex body for Indian cotton textile exporters.
This subsidy to SRTEPC and Texprocil members will be over and above the 60 to 90 per cent subsidy offered by the National Small Industries Corporation to YFA 2016 exhibitors.
Bangladesh’s penetration in the global footwear market is very meager. But the country has the potential to earn huge foreign exchange from exports of footwear and leather products globally and contribute largely to job creation and thus boost the economy.
In this sector, the country can add 80 to 85 per cent value to products because it has affordable but good quality leather.
Almost 66 per cent of the footwear business in Bangladesh comes from the unorganised sector. Bata is the market leader in the organized sector and has a 20 per cent share. Another brand Apex has a 10 per cent share and the others occupy the remaining 34 per cent of the overall local footwear market.
Sandals and slippers dominate the footwear sold. Most users of these kinds of footwear are basically in rural areas.
Footwear is also imported from China, India, Burma and Thailand.
About 40 per cent of the global footwear demand is met by China and 12 per cent by Vietnam.
World footwear manufacturing is notorious for its pursuit of so called cheap labor. In the 1960s Japan was the main source of supply of low cost footwear. The industry then moved to Taiwan as labor costs in Japan grew. It in turn moved to China, then to Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Low labor costs, supplies of good quality leather and a long tradition of shoemaking can make Bangladesh a global destiny for sourcing of shoes.
Consumers in India are becoming concerned about sustainable clothing and the manufacturing processes the products go through.
Organic clothing offers a wide range of options, be it ethnic wear, clothing for children and infants, elegant saris or office fashion. The fiber and fabrics used are sourced from all over the country and include hemp, cruelty-free silk, bamboo and organic cotton, while colors are taken from henna, turmeric, beetroot and pomegranate.
The techniques used, such as block printing and hand embroidery, involve both the rich cultural heritage of India as well as the country’s skilled artisans. Labels committed to green fashion also promote the use of herbs with renowned medicinal properties as sources for color. Clothes with these natural colors have a massive advantage over those with artificial pigments, as they rejuvenate the wearer’s skin rather than causing any harm.
However organic fashion comes with a price tag. People in Tier II and III cities do not view organic fashion as familiar and accessible, and are not motivated enough to adopt it. It is crucial for the fashion industry to spread awareness that organic clothing is not just for high-end clientele in metros, but for anyone who recognises the need for sustainability, and appreciates the many benefits of eco-friendly clothing.
Luxury brands are prefaced on the idea of scarcity – what is scarce is of most value, and what is difficult to acquire or to access confers status.
But in a world of abundance, in which nearly everything is accessible and nothing is scarce, what are the symbols and codes that communicate that something is a luxury?
Digital has democratised so much of what had only been attainable by the few – whether that be through access to information or actual ownership. But now technology is being used for luxury brands to tap into the sharing economy and it’s hard to know what is exclusive or not any more. The sharing economy and the luxury economy are now coexisting. And nowhere is that more obvious than in social media. Communities have sprung up on Instagram and Snapchat that promote luxury brands and a luxury lifestyle, making brand promises everywhere and promoting themselves as accessible to everyone.
But brands should be wary of being too accessible. Many premium American fashion brands are losing share and have become less profitable than they once were because they were pushed to grow quickly in the short term, manufactured offshore, discounted through outlet channels and, all in all, lost sight of how to manage a luxury brand and create the right perception with consumers.
"The stage is set for the third edition of the Global Denim Awards, scheduled to be held on October 26, 2016 in Amsterdam. With the unique concept of bringing in world’s most progressive mills along with 11 emerging fashion designers, this show is aims to bind the warp & the weft of textiles together. Aptly defined as the perfect concoction of progressive design with technical innovation, this has truly become the world’s premier platform for the future of denim design, innovation, sustainability and craftsmanship."
The stage is set for the third edition of the Global Denim Awards, scheduled to be held on October 26, 2016 in Amsterdam. With the unique concept of bringing in world’s most progressive mills along with 11 emerging fashion designers, this show is aims to bind the warp & the weft of textiles together. Aptly defined as the perfect concoction of progressive design with technical innovation, this has truly become the world’s premier platform for the future of denim design, innovation, sustainability and craftsmanship. According to Co-founder Mariette Hoitink (CEO of fashion recruitment and consultancy agency HTNK), “What's unique about the Denim Awards is that it puts some of the most innovative mills worldwide front-row. In this way, Global Denim Awards is also a preview to the future, since brands will have to offer transparency regarding where and how product is produced within the next few years.” Andrew Olah, co-founder and CEO of denim trade-show Kingpins, remarks, “It's amazing to see how much traction the Global Denim Awards has gotten in so little time. We are, as a fact, inspiring a 60-billion-dollar global market, I really look forward to seeing how GDA develops.”
DESIGNERS TRAVEL TO MILLS
As per the format, selected designers travel to a number of destinations, for example: Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, Spain, India and China, wherein they will spend at least one week at their partnered mills to develop an in-depth understanding of the mill’s latest technological possibilities vis-à-vis fabrics, washes, finishes, treatment and sustainable manufacturing processes. The designers will work together with the mill to develop on the spot a capsule collection, comprised of five total looks, which will be presented during the Global Denim Awards show.
This edition’s presentation will be held at De Hallen Studios. Instead of a traditional runway show, models will present themselves on three spectacularly lit stages. It will be attended by a carefully selected audience of 500 international denim professionals from mills, wash houses, suppliers, brands and retailers.
THE ILLUSTRATIVE JURY
The 11 collections with the unison of designers and the mills will be judged by a jury of international denim experts on the overall look, the innovative nature of the design, and the creative use of denim. The winning designer will receive a €10,000 award. An additional award would be handed over to the mill with the most innovative fabric. The winning collection will then be exhibited at Kingpins Shows in New York City and Hong Kong, before returning to Amsterdam for Denim Days 2017. The Jury includes illustrious names in the world of fashion. These are:
Amy Leverton: Involved with the denim industry since 2003, Amy’s job involves many aspects of the denim market; covering over 15 industry trade shows & niche denim events per year, analysing street style, and hunting for obscure new brands. Leverton says, “I’m a big fan of the Global Denim Awards. The denim industry is a tight-knit community where the healthy competition in fact brings us all closer together. How great is it that once a year the whole community gets to work towards a common goal!”
Art Comes First: Founded in London, Art Comes First was created by former Saville Row designer Sam Lambert and stylist Shaka Maidoh as a conceptual platform for both their formal work as a styling and designer duo, as well as for their non-commercial research and more art-oriented activities. Art Comes First has collaborated with brands such as PONY, Super Duper Hats, Spencer Hart, Ozwald Boateng, Kanye West, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), and Liberty Fairs, and created limited edition capsules like The Coal collection, presented at Harvey Nichols and United Arrows.
Kelly Harrington: After having graduated from Loughborough University in printed textiles, Kelly has spent 14 years at Swedish Fashion chain H&M. Her job involves designing, trend forecasting, and setting up an inspirational vintage archive. She is often scouring vintage shops and flea markets around the world for inspiration or attending trade fairs, while analysing street style and fashion week trends. Kelly is always on the hunt for new niche brands and vintage shops, and regularly collaborates with denim brands from around the world.
Alex Jaspers: The Global Sales Director of Scotch & Soda and day-to-day denim aficionado, Alex completes the list of this year’s Global Denim Awards jury. He has been responsible for setting the strategic horizon of Amsterdams Blauw, the highly successful denim collection of Scotch & Soda, as well as working on the overall denim business and marketing strategies for this Amsterdam based global brand. His experience in fashion, denim and retail spans over 20 years now. "Global Denim Awards is a platform that gives ‘passionists’ in fashion the opportunity to work and excel in the most complex part of the fashion industry: the denim trade,” says Jaspers. “Participating in this platform as a designer just by itself is daring and inspiring… Denim is so versatile and complex it can drive you mad or give you great glory. My respect for the competitors is therefore even larger. I am honored to be in the jury to learn from them as denim always teaches you, and I hope I can give something of my expertise back to let them succeed in their dream.”
ARVIND MILLS MAKES IT TO THE PARTICIPANTS’ LIST
Having almost doubled the number of participants since its inception in 2014, GDA now presents the 11 paired fashion designers and progressive denim mills that will present their co-created capsule collections during Global Denim Awards 2016. The list of designers & mills duo includes:
1. Marina van Dieren and Christina Albrecht (The Netherlands/Germany) & Advance Denim (China)
2. MariusPetrus (Belgium) & Atlantic Mills (Thailand)
3. EdithMarcel (Italy) & Berto Industria Tessile (Italy)
4. Outkastpeople (Turkey) & Calik Denim (Turkey)
5. Designer: Lavinia Mustapha (Italy-Lebanon) & Candiani Denim (Italy) 6. Anbasja Blanken (Curaçao) & ITV Denim (Italy)
7. Tess van Zalinge (The Netherlands) & Knitdigo (Taiwan) 8. Lisa Konno & Karin Vlug (The Netherlands) & Prosperity Textile (China)
9. Roosmarijn Koster (The Netherlands) & Arvind (India) 10. Deniz Gür (Turkey) & Kipas Denim (Turkey)
11. Leandro Cano (Spain) & Tejidos Royo (Spain)
IMPORTANT DATES, TIMES & LOCATION
October 26th and 27th: Kingpins Show
October 25th, 17:00-18:00: Pre-event Press Meet
October 26th, 20:30-22:00: Global Denim Awards
October 26th, Global Denim Awards with after party from 22:00 onwards
Location: De Hallen Studio's, Hannie Dankbaarpassage 18, Amsterdam
