FW
Sustainability has become almost a dirty word. Though it is a hot topic in fashion, there’s concern that consumers aren’t quite sure what to make of it. They sometimes wonder whether a product made from recycled fibers and fabrics is just as good as something derived from virgin materials. The customer’s connection to the supply chain is virtually non-existent.
The industry overall hasn’t made the investments to drive fashion towards a more sustainable future. The industry needs to talk about circularity and sustainability not as choices to avoid a guilty conscience but in terms of creating a product that’s better for the individual. Companies should be aligned around three core principles—improving efficiency by doing less with more; improving quality of life by creating healthier products; and making things safer and more resilient.
Sustainability should be a business imperative. Brands that choose to ignore sustainable models do so at their own peril. If financial institutions reward sustainable investments, they can set in motion a ripple of change. Investors will increasingly scrutinize how emerging brands manage sustainability and other ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues. If the manufacturing and supply chain side is fixed, consumers can consume as much as they want without the same impact.
Filo was held in Italy, February 21 to 22. Filo specialises in high quality fancies and eco yarns, with a strong design content. It used to be known as the weaving yarn show but because buying patterns and lead times have altered so much over the years, there is at least as much interest in knitting yarns of all types.
There was an increase in exhibitors, all of them at the high middle to top end of the trade, dealing with top weavers, some who make fabrics and knitwear for couture and iconic brand names like Chanel. Spinners and knitters from Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, Greece, Portugal and Slovenia exhibited yarns and ideas for 2019-20 and visitors from various knitters and weavers came.
There were bright colors interspersed with the darker greys and blacks. Many of these were marled and flecked with a salt and pepper look. Colorful accents gave a new look to these dark tones in fabrics which were knitted up or woven into samples from the yarns on show. Most designs were intended for menswear and women’s wear; colorings and palettes are no longer gender specific, at least this year, and are converging.
Fancy looks led the field, with some yarns with a wool core and nylon lurex and metallic wraparounds.
Guess is committed to ensuring wood-based fibers—including rayon, modal and viscose—used in its clothing don’t come from suppliers sourcing from endangered forests or those linked to human rights violations involving indigenous people who depend on those forests.
To ensure the fibers are ethically sourced, Guess systematically tracks the use of its fabric materials and the origins of its wood-based fibers. The company will work with its supply chain partners to eliminate using any cellulosic fabrics from current endangered forest areas and viscose yarn linked to indigenous communities that live in these habitats. In addition Guess will educate suppliers on more ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.
The brand aims at embracing existing solutions as well as trying new ones to address social and environmental challenges. It’s taking the steps necessary to improve its supply chain. By 2020, it aims at making its global operations greener and encouraging consumers to buy more eco-conscious garments. This year Guess mapped its denim production by water availability and assessed the sustainability of its denim products. To improve its denim production and products, the company is currently drafting a comprehensive water action management plan to address these impacts, which is set to debut in 2018.
Bangladesh’s garment exports to non-traditional markets rose 3.77 per cent year-on-year in the July-January period of the current fiscal. Non-traditional markets are other than key destinations such as the European Union, the US, and Canada. They include countries like India, China, Russia, Japan, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Shipments to these markets are rising on the back of zero-duty benefit granted to Bangladesh, opening of retail stores by global brands, market diversification by local exporters, and fiscal incentives. Bangladesh receives zero-duty benefit to markets such as Japan, India, and China. As a result, shipments to these markets are rising at a faster rate.
Riding on the relaxed rules of origin, garment exports to Japan grew 1.94 per cent in July-January. In 2011, China granted a duty-free export facility to Bangladesh for nearly 5,000 items, mostly garments. China has also established its own brands and retailers to cater to local customers and these brands buy apparel items from Bangladesh in bulk amid Chinese manufacturers' growing reluctance to produce basic garments.
Bangladesh’s garment exporters also enjoy duty-free export benefits to India, although they are facing a 12.5 per cent countervailing duty at present.
Pakistan’s textile industry has experienced decreasing investments over the last decade. Potential investors have been hesitant to make new investments due to high business costs. This has caused the sector to miss out on technological advantages to its competitors.
Currently around 35 per cent of the textile industry’s production capacity is impaired. The industry will need an additional 10.3 million bales of raw cotton, 345 million kilograms of manmade fiber, 1.98 billion kilograms of additional yarn and an additional 7.93 billion square meters of processed fiber.
Although the textile sector has performed poorly overall, readymade garments have shown reasonable growth. Exports of readymade garments registered a 5.55 per cent year-on-year growth against the overall flat growth of the textile sector. The industry wants long-term financing facility for indirect exports, Islamic financing and building of infrastructure for garment plants. It has also sought a long-term policy which includes consistent energy prices across the country, removal of the surcharge on the electricity tariff along with extending the duty drawback scheme for five years with drawbacks to be increased every year by one per cent for garments (up to 12 per cent) and made-ups (up to ten per cent) against realisation of export proceeds.
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) will launch a revised cotton standard this month with updated principles and criteria. There is increased emphasis on environmental principles principally concentrating on pesticide use and restrictions. This includes the phasing out of highly hazardous pesticides. It stresses on the need for personal protective equipment when applying pesticides.
There is a change in approach regarding biodiversity. The standard focuses on the identification, mapping and restoration or protection of natural resources. A water stewardship approach has been integrated to the standard, aimed at addressing and facilitating collective action toward local sustainable water use. This comes after last year’s pilot project to test the new approach to water on small, medium and large farms across India, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan and Mozambique.
The revised standard now has a clearer position on gender equality. Topics such as child labor, sanitation and equal pay – which had previously been absent – are also now included. Cotton farmers who are part of BCI will be trained on the revised standard in order to help the successful adoption of the newly outlined specifications. Better Cotton Initiative enables cotton producers, local cotton organizations and international bodies to work together on minimizing the cotton sector’s carbon footprint.
Bangladesh got the highest increase in GOTS-certified facilities in 2017, amounting to 40 per cent. North America and Portugal were both home to a 39 per cent rise, and there was an average increase of 29 per cent across Europe. This follows a significant increase in the figures from the year before, which saw a rise from 3,814 facilities in 2015 to 4,642 facilities in 2016.
The top 10 countries in terms of hosting the highest number of GOTS-certified production units were India, Bangladesh, Germany, Turkey, Italy, China, Pakistan, Portugal, USA and South Korea. India has a total of 1,658 GOTS-approved manufacturing facilities and has been the highest ranked GOTS country since 2008.
The Global Organic Textile Standard saw the annual number of certified facilities increase to 5,024 in 2017, an 8.2 per cent increase on the same period in 2016. There has been a 14 per cent increase in the number of chemicals on the GOTS Positive List, translating to more than 17,900 chemicals from 720 manufacturers. Over 1.74 million workers were employed in 19 GOTS-accredited independent certification bodies in 2017.
Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest apparel exporter. The textile industry in Bangladesh has increased focus on sustainability now and many companies are now becoming eligible to become GOTS certified.
Bangladesh’s earnings from exports of jute and jute goods in the first seven months of the current fiscal rose 17.36 per cent from the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year. The country has undertaken various projects such as conducting more research, formulating new regulations, reforming jute mills, and imposing an eco-tax on polythene to encourage people to use jute products. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with a Chinese company for modernization of three jute mills.
Jute is called the golden fiber of Bangladesh. It is in demand in around 60 countries. The country has taken special measures to produce quality jute and diversify jute products. Along with extending policy support, cash incentives have been increased for diversification of jute products.
Thousands of jobs have been created by small and medium jute mills. Jute production has increased from 65 lakh bales in 2014 to 70 lakh bales last year. A rule has made jute use mandatory in goods packaging. More than 100 crore sacks were additionally produced due to the rule and entrepreneurs expanded their export base by increasing the types of jute goods from 135 last year to 240 this year. There is a 20 per cent subsidy for diversification.
"Cynosure of textile world the larest ever Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition opened today. This joined by four other international textile fairs create the industry’s biggest spring/summer gathering for the entire supply chain. For Intertextile Shanghai alone, a total of 3,386 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions will feature this year."
Cynosure of textile world the larest ever Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition opened today. This joined by four other international textile fairs create the industry’s biggest spring/summer gathering for the entire supply chain. For Intertextile Shanghai alone, a total of 3,386 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions will feature this year.
More than 70,000 trade buyers from 100-plus countries and regions are at the fair and will have at their fingertips everything from fabrics for women’s wear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie and swimwear to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional and performance fabrics, sustainability products & services, digital printing technologies, garment & fashion accessories and more. As the global textile industry’s most comprehensive sourcing summit for spring/summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is the ideal place to find latest developments in product innovation and sustainability. This is especially true in the fair’s Beyond Denim zone, which this edition will feature over 110 exhibitors from China, Japan, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere.
“This is the ninth consecutive year of expansion in the exhibitor number for the Spring Edition, which has increased a remarkable 130 per cent in the four years since it moved to Shanghai. The next three days will once again show why Intertextile Shanghai, with its unrivalled number of quality suppliers and buyers together in one place, is the key sourcing destination for the industry’s order writers. With not only the full fabrics and accessories product spectrum on display, but across all price and quality points too, the fair is the most efficient and effective way to discover new suppliers and make purchasing decisions,” said Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK).
The Highlights
Top domestic bedding & towelling brands including A-Fontane, Cotton Field Home, Loftex China, Mercury Home Textiles and Violet Home Textile are here looking for potential franchisees and agents. Some of the well-known international players like Cotton USA and Asahi Kasei will also present their up-to-date products and technologies at the fair. OEMs from the regions of Tongzhou, Haimen, Zhenze, Pujiang, Huzhou, Tongxiang Zhouquan and Gaoyang will showcase their specialty products ranging from bedding, silk products, silk quilts, towelling to quilts and more. Machinery Equipment Zone will be cooperating with China Sewing Machinery Association for the first time to feature the Sewing Equipment Pavilion. In addition, some of the most advanced and efficient textile solutions such as automated production lines, smart logistic systems and computerised embroidery machines are also available. Fringe programme will feature comprehensive forums discussing topics including ongoing market trend, latest technology application and more.
Pathbreaking sessions
More than 35 seminars are scheduled throughout the three-day fair, with many under the Design & Trends category focused on S/S 19, and even A/W 19-20, trends. These include fabric, colour, accessories, women’s wear, viscose and other trends, and are conducted by industry experts such as WGSN, NellyRodi, Peclers Paris, Pantone, Promostyl, Italtex and Doneger Creative Services. Other categories include market information & business strategies, technology & solutions and sustainability issues. The latter also features presentations from many of the industry’s most trusted players, including Testex, SGS and Hohenstein.
Even more insight can be garnered from a number of panel discussions, held on the fair’s first two days. One of these is a must for anyone looking to understand retail environment of the denim and casualwear sectors. Titled ‘Denim’s next move – new opportunities to keep growing sales of jeans and casualwear at retail’, the panel will discuss what consumers really want in jeans and casualwear and share their companies’ latest innovations that will help brands and retailers drive sales and profits. Supported by Invista, the panel is moderated by Jane Singer of Inside Fashion, and includes panellists from Invista, Prospeirty Textile, Advance Denim, Guangzhou Conshing Clothing and Texhong. Two other panel discussions include ‘Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Textile Industry’ and ‘Sustainable Textile Products & Their Manufacturing in Bangladesh’.
Revamped Fast Fashion & Digital Printing Forum
To be held on Day 2 of the fair, the Fast Fashion and Digital Printing Application Forum features a full day of informative seminars. The forum will commence with a presentation on the findings of a six-month study conducted by Fashion Print, a Chinese publication, for which they visited hundreds of textile companies, printing and dyeing enterprises, as well as their suppliers to produce a research paper on the digital textile printing market and technology. This is followed by sessions on fast fashion technology and trends, and in the afternoon on digital printing applications. Rounding out the day will be a series of discussions on topics such as flexible supply chains, business opportunities created by digital printing and IP protection.
Developed by renowned trend experts from Tokyo, New York, Milan and Paris, the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum will present three trends for Spring / Summer 2019 under the overall theme ‘Dialogue’: @ sense, # couture and e. native. Exhibitors’ fabrics will illustrate the colour, fabric and print styles of each trend. The lead designer for this Trend Forum is Doneger Creative Services (DCS) in New York. Mr Kai Chow, a Director at DCS, will host tours at the forum explaining the latest in design trends through fabric displays and seasonal trend stories.
In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair Chic and knitting fair PH Value. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2018 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.
The US cotton market is facing a surge in demand. Typical demand factors include a change in consumers’ tastes and preferences (a switch from the acid-based crude oil polyester as well as the desire for a pollution-free fiber). The price competition between polyester and cotton has shifted towards cotton. This was led by China cracking down on polyester manufacturing facilities because of water and air pollution. Additionally, consumers are again expressing a desire to return to the comfort offered by cotton.
The past week established a near lifetime record of weekly sales and shipments. More such weeks will be forthcoming. The Australian and Brazilian crops are essentially sold out, and Indian export sales are delayed and limited. Thus, the demand for US cotton – already one of the cheaper growths in the world – will do nothing but boom.
A counter-cyclical tariff on cotton by Turkey could disrupt some established trade flows, but the critical shortage of US quality cotton this year and the next would mean that the solid Turkish market honed out by US merchants and cooperatives would shift to other export locations and US export volume would not be hurt. Simply, Turkey would end up paying more for cotton than it currently does.
