FW
Showcased at a show in Barcelona, Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2025 collection pays homage to Spain’s rich cultural heritage. The collection blends these influences with 1980s camp, equestrian elements, and striking accessories like wide-brimmed hats, fringed leather boots reminiscent of horse hooves, and futuristic, reflective Oakley-inspired sunglasses.
In contrast to the vibrant colors and prints of the brand’s pre-fall collection, the Cruise collection exuded a chic sophistication. The palette featured blacks, whites, creams, neutrals, and grays, accentuated by metallic textures, architectural volumes, and voluminous ‘80s satin skirts. The show began with looks that seemed to nod to ‘80s Armani power suits, maintaining the vintage theme throughout.
The collection offered flamenco frills, a matador jacket, sheer polka-dot dresses, sporty equestrian attire, and thigh-high leather boots. The collection blends the signature silhouettes of Nicolas Ghesquièr, Artistic Director-Women’s Collection with the vibrant style of Louis Vuitton to create dynamic contrasts that made sartorial sense.
Celebrating his 10th anniversary with Louis Vuitton, Ghesquier preceded the Cruise 2025 collection with a pre-fall 2024 collection at Shanghai’s Long Museum.
Since assuming his position at Louis Vuitton in 2013, Ghesquière has infused the brand with relentless innovation and creativity. His tenure is distinguished by a masterful blend of the Maison’s heritage with avant-garde design, featuring bold silhouettes, material innovation, and futuristic elements.
Tokyo-based company, Teijin Frontier has launched an innovative polyester fabric that has a structure similar to that of traditional Japanese 'Sudare' blinds. Combining high breathability and UV protection, this fabric allows breezes to pass through while effectively blocking sunlight.
Historically, achieving both breathability and UV protection in apparel fabrics was considered impossible. However, the new fabric by Teijin features slit-shaped, highly breathable areas in either the warp or weft direction, enabling excellent air flow alongside an impressive 85 per cent UV blocking performance.
Incorporating a blend of recycled polyester and elastane, the fabric features added stretch with its uneven structure preventing stickiness. The fabric was developed using advanced high-shrinkage dyeing and finishing techniques. The company plans to market this fabric for the 2025 Spring and Summer fashion and casual clothing lines in Japan. They aim to achieve sales of 250,000 m in fiscal 2024 and 750,000 m by fiscal 2027.
Showcasing a remarkable performance, Mafatlal Industries registered 81 per cent quarter-on-quarter rise in revenues, from Rs 420 crore in Q3FY24 to Rs 764 crore in Q4FY24. On a Y-o-Y basis, the company’s revenue escalated by 126 per cent from Rs 338 crore in Q4FY23 to Rs 764 crore in Q4FY24.
Mafatlal Industries net profit surged by 94 per cent Q-o-Q from Rs. 17 crore in Q3FY24 to Rs. 33 crore in Q4FY24. On a Y-o-Y basis, the company’s net profit increased by a staggering 175 per cent from Rs. 12 crore in Q4FY23 to Rs. 33 crore in Q4FY24.
Examining the company's profitability measures, there has been an improvement in return on equity (RoE), which increased from 4.19 per cent in FY21-22 to 6.05 per cent in FY22-23. Similarly, the return on capital employed (RoCE) rose from 8.02 per cent to 8.78 per cent during the same period. However, the net profit margin (NPM) stood at 2.70 per cent for FY22-23.
Mafatlal Industries is involved in the manufacture and trading of textiles and technology-related products. Their product range includes clothing, school uniforms, traditional textiles, health and hygiene products, and educational technologies. The company caters primarily to the textile and allied product market as well as the digital infrastructure industry.
Textile manufacturer Welspun Living is expanding its jacquard towel capacity with a 6,400 mtpa plant in Anjar. To be set up with an investment of Rs 400 crore, the plant will be operational by November 2024. It will facilitate Welspun’s market penetration in the beach and fashion category besides expanding its offerings in the kitchen and bath robes segment.
Welspun is also setting up a Greenfield plant to manufacture pillows in Ohio, US with an initial capacity of 6.7 million pillows. The company will invest $50 million in this new facility, which is expected to be operational by September 2024.
Pillows are the second most sold category after bath towels in the home textile sector. In 2022, nearly 250 million units were sold, with the US market valued at approximately $2.8 billion, projected to grow to $3.6 billion by 2026. This new plant taps into nearshoring opportunities by increasing production capacity closer to the US market.
The brand ‘Welspun’ continues to strengthen its leadership position as the most widely distributed home textile brand in India, with a presence in over 600 towns and 20,282 outlets, an increase of 9,112 in FY24. The flooring business recorded its highest ever yearly revenue of Rs. 9,269 million at an EBITDA of 8.3 per cent, reflecting a growth of 31.4 per cent in FY24. Emerging businesses, including domestic consumer, branded, advanced textiles, and flooring, grew by 16 per cent in FY24, contributing 33 per cennt to the total consolidated sales.
Renowned exporter of fabrics and garments catering to both global and domestic markets for the past decade, Globe Textiles India reported robust performance during Q4 and the full year of FY 2023-24. The company’s performance was driven by a strong demand, operational efficiencies, and strategic market expansion.
In Q4 FY24, Globe Textiles India exhibited strong operational and financial performance. The company acquired a 70 per cent stake in Globe Denwash featuring an environmentally friendly facility with a Zero Liquid Discharge system and partial solar power generation in April 2024. This acquisition led to a 30 per cent increase in consolidated revenue. Additionally, product mix optimisation and a transition to a customer-centric business model have begun to yield tangible results.
The company further enhanced its production capabilities by adding a garment processing capacity of 20,000 units per day and 600,000 units per month.
During Q4 FY24, Globe Textiles India delivered a strong performance despite challenges in global geopolitics and the macroeconomic environment. This volume growth contributed to a healthy revenue increase in Q4. For the full year, revenue stood at Rs 43,100.39 lakhs, a 107.25 per cent rise from Rs 40,183.18 lakhs in Q4 FY23.
The increased volume and operational efficiency of Globe Textiles led its EBITDA increasing by 145.61 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 823.97 lakhs for the year. The company’s margins in the the textile and yarn segments also improved due to lower input costs and enhanced efficiencies in the garments division. Its full-year profit after tax rose to Rs 575.11 lakhs.
Overall, Globe Textiles India reported strong financial results for FY 2023-24, driven by strategic acquisitions, operational efficiencies, and market expansion, positioning the company well for continued growth.
Leading Japanese computerised flat knitting technology provider Shima Seiki will showcase its full product line-up at the ITM 2024 International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITM 2024). The exhibition will be held from June 04-08, 2024 at the Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Centre in Istanbul, Turkey.
A pioneer of Wholegarment seam-free complete garment knitting machines, Shima Seiki has been setting the standard almost exclusively with nearly 30 years of experience with its Wholegarment knitting technology. The brand aims to gain even more interest with its new SWG-XR flagship machine that raises the benchmark for Wholegarment knitting even further.
SWG-XR features the company's original SlideNeedle on 4 needle beds for high quality production of Wholegarment products using all needles, in addition to a re-designed sinker system and a compact, light-weight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All these contribute to increased productivity as well as increased product range using a wider variety of yarn for supporting knits for all seasons, and higher quality for knitting beautiful fabrics and silhouettes; even items that were impossible to knit before, including punch-lace patterns, variable stitch knitting and intarsia knitting.
Setting new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable wholegarment knitting, SWG-XR at ITM will be shown in 15L. The Mach2xs Wholegarment knitting machine, also with original SlideNeedle on four needle beds, will be shown in 8L.
Other Wholegarment knitting machines include the MACH2VS V-bed machine for producing Wholegarment items using every other needle, shown in 8 and 18 gauges, as well as the compact SWG091N2 for producing smaller Wholegarment and accessories, to be shown in 10 gauge.
Shima Seiki’s benchmark technology in computerised shaped knitting is represented by its N.SVR122 computerised flat knitting machine in 14 gauge, and features such innovations as the R2CARRIAGE, WideGauge knitting, spring-type moveable sinkers, DSCS Digital Stitch Control System, stitch presser, yarn gripper and cutter, and takedown comb.
Meanwhile N.SSR112 offers industry-leading technology in an economical yet reliable package made in Japan. Also on display will be the SCG122SN coarse gauge machine in 3 gauge. Automatic seamless glove knitting machines will also be present, including the SFG20 21-gauge machine, and SFG-I in 10 gauge.
On the software side, demonstrations will be performed on Shima Seiki’s SDS-ONE APEX4 design system and APEXFiz subscription-based design software. Each provides comprehensive support throughout the production supply chain, integrating production into one smooth and efficient workflow from yarn development, product planning and design, to production and even sales promotion.
Especially effective is the way the design evaluation process is improved with ultra-realistic simulation capability, whereby virtual samples replace physical sampling, consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. Digital prototyping using virtual samples on SDS-ONE APEX4 and APEXFiz help to digitally transform the fashion supply chain for realising sustainable manufacturing. Shima KnitManager knit production management software will also be shown to demonstrate solutions for maximising productivity through monitoring of machine status and production progress.
In 2023, the volume of flax fabric exports by the UK remained steady at 805, 000 sq m. However, the value of these exports dropped to $56 million during the year, according to IndexBox estimates. From 2013 to 2023, the total value of flax fabric exports from the country grew at a CAGR of 1.2 per cent with notable fluctuations throughout this period.
The United States was the main destination for flax fabric exports by the UK in 2023, receiving 227,000 sq m and accounting for 28 per cent of total exports. The second largest export destination was France with exports of 94,000 sq m, followed by India with exports of 67,000 sq m. From 2013 to 2023, exports of flax fabric from the UK to the United States grew modestly, while exports to France decreased by an average of 8.4 per cent per year, and exports to India surged by 32.5 per cent annually.
In value terms, the United States was the largest market for UK flax fabric exports at $24 million, making up 43 per cent of total exports. The Netherlands ranked second with exports worth $4.4 million (7.9 per cent share), followed by India with a 6.7 per cent share. The average annual growth rate of export value to the United States was 7.4 per cent, while the Netherlands saw a 12.9 per cent annual increase, and India experienced a 40.5 per cent annual rise.
The main products exported were fabrics containing 85 per cent or more flax (484,000 sq m), fabrics containing less than 85 per cent flax (310,000 sq m), and unbleached or bleached fabrics woven from flax containing 85% or more flax (26,000 sq m), together accounting for 99 per cent of the total exports. Unbleached or bleached fabrics containing less than 85 per cent flax made up the remaining 1.4 per cent.
From 2013 to 2023, the most significant growth among these products was in fabrics containing less than 85 per cent flax, unbleached or bleached, with a CAGR of 3.3 per cent. Other product types experienced declines.
In value terms, fabrics containing 85 per cent or more flax, other than bleached or unbleached accounted for 59 per cent of total exports. This was followed by fabrics containing less than 85 per cent flax. From 2013 to 2023, the value of exports for fabrics containing 85 per cent or more flax grew by 2.1 per cent annually.
Meanwhile, the value for fabrics containing less than 85 per cent flax, other than unbleached or bleached, decreased by 0.9 per cent per year, and unbleached or bleached fabrics containing 85 per cent or more flax increased by 0.9 per cent per year.
In 2023, the average price of flax fabric exports declined by 14.6 per cent to $69 per sq m from the previous year. Despite this drop, the export price had generally seen robust growth over the review period. The most notable price increase was in 2022, with a 32 per cent rise from the previous year, reaching a peak of $81 per square meter before falling in 2023.
There were significant price variations among different markets. The United States had the highest average price at $106 per sq m, while the United Arab Emirates had one of the lowest at $27 per sq m.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) held several discussions with Chinese sewing machine manufacturer Jack Technology Co to explore potential partnership opportunities and boost RMG competitiveness in the country.
The association hosted a delegation from Jack Technology, led by CEO Yangyou Qui, at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka. It was represented by President SM Mannan Kochi, Senior Vice President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, and other key officials.
During the meeting, the two parties delved into various aspects of the Bangladesh garment industry, including its development trends and the current global market situation. They highlighted the critical need for cooperation to enhance the industry’s competitiveness through innovation and technological advancement.
SM Mannan Kochi emphasised the significant progress made by Bangladesh in becoming a competitive hub for high-value garment products. He urged Jack Technology to support the industry by facilitating technology transfer and sharing expertise in advanced machinery. This collaboration would be instrumental in driving the industry forward, enabling it to meet global standards and maintain a competitive edge, he suggested.
The delegation from Jack Technology also shared insights into the latest innovations and technological advancements in sewing machinery, which could be pivotal for Bangladesh's garment manufacturers in enhancing productivity and quality.
Both parties agreed that a strategic partnership focusing on technology transfer and innovation would not only benefit Bangladesh’s RMG industry but also strengthen trade relations between Bangladesh and China.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) held several discussions with Chinese sewing machine manufacturer Jack Technology Co to explore potential partnership opportunities and boost RMG competitiveness in the country.
The association hosted a delegation from Jack Technology, led by CEO Yangyou Qui, at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka. It was represented by President SM Mannan Kochi, Senior Vice President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, and other key officials.
During the meeting, the two parties delved into various aspects of the Bangladesh garment industry, including its development trends and the current global market situation. They highlighted the critical need for cooperation to enhance the industry’s competitiveness through innovation and technological advancement.
SM Mannan Kochi emphasised the significant progress made by Bangladesh in becoming a competitive hub for high-value garment products. He urged Jack Technology to support the industry by facilitating technology transfer and sharing expertise in advanced machinery. This collaboration would be instrumental in driving the industry forward, enabling it to meet global standards and maintain a competitive edge, he suggested.
The delegation from Jack Technology also shared insights into the latest innovations and technological advancements in sewing machinery, which could be pivotal for Bangladesh's garment manufacturers in enhancing productivity and quality.
Both parties agreed that a strategic partnership focusing on technology transfer and innovation would not only benefit Bangladesh’s RMG industry but also strengthen trade relations between Bangladesh and China.
Visitors planning to attend ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024, Asia’s premier textile machinery exhibition, can register online by October 13 to secure early bird discounts of up to 40 per cent.
The event, scheduled from October 14-18 at Shanghai's National Exhibition and Convention Centre, China, will showcase cutting-edge technologies in the textile industry, reflecting rapid advancements in digitalization and sustainability.
Early bird rates are US$9 (¥60) for a five-day pass and US$5 (¥30) for a one-day pass, significantly cheaper than the onsite rates of ¥100 and ¥50, respectively.
The exhibition, co-owned by Cematex, CCPIT-Tex, CTMA, and CIEC, is set to be larger than previous editions, with about 1,700 leading manufacturers, including CHTC, Groz-Beckert, Karl Mayer, and Toyota, having already applied for space. These exhibitors will demonstrate advanced machinery across 18 product chapters, from spinning to garment making.
Ernesto Maurer, President of Cematex, emphasized the industry's rapid transformation driven by automation and sustainable practices. Gu Ping, President of the China Textile Machinery Association, highlighted the role of AI and internet technologies in evolving textile processes.
The previous 2022 edition spanned over 160,000 square meters, featuring more than 1,500 exhibitors from 23 countries and drawing 100,000 visitors globally.
