FW
A new natural fiber has been extracted from a plant that grows almost everywhere in Bangladesh. The thread is said to be better than jute or linen and surpass the brightness, softness and strength of jute and linen.
Prof Anwar Ul Islam, a pharmacy professor of Rajshahi University in Bangladesh has already finished a four-year research on the fiber and has called upon textile experts to work on his findings and see whether it could be produced commercially. He feels it would be useful for making comfortable clothes.
The extraction process of the fiber is the same as jute's. According to a 2016 report, the fiber is quite comfortable like cotton as well as very glossy, which would bring luster, brightness and shine in clothing. The plant from which the fiber is obtained was never used for collecting fibers anywhere in the world. Nor was the microorganism or bacteria ever used for rotting the plant's stem to extract any fiber.
The professor who is currently working with US scientists on anti-cancer medicines calls his findings a by-product of his regular hit-or-miss experiments. Apart from teaching, he conducts experiments, often out of his personal necessities. The professor developed a herbal nasal drop when he suffered cold, and produced a hair tonic and a fairness cream from herbs when he felt he was ageing. The new fiber came up in the middle of these experiments.
For the first time, new viscose filaments from cotton have been produced by a successful chemical recycling process of polyester/cotton fiber blends. The process is called Blend Re: wind and generates three circular outgoing product streams. Cotton is turned into new high quality viscose filaments and polyester into two pure new monomers.
The project focuses on chemical recycling of polyester/cotton (polycotton) fiber blends with the objective of separating and generating relevant outputs for future industrial use; polyester monomers and a cotton pulp suitable for regeneration into cellulosic textile fibers such as viscose fibers.
Blend Re:wind is a separation process. It is developed having existing industrial processes in mind. The aim is to integrate as much as possible to minimize both environmental and economic costs while boosting businesses. Scaling up from lab scale is the biggest challenge at the moment and it is also costly. The integration possibilities of the Blend Re:wind process would however address these challenges in feasible ways.
The Blend Re:wind process includes high quality of recycled filaments; complete recycling of polycotton blends with pure product streams at high yield; good feasibility with existing industry processes; and strong environmental performance since it is water based and uses only common, cheap bulk chemicals and a catalyst.
Eastman Naia has launched a cellulosic yarn which is cool and soft, with superior breathability compared to other cellulosic and synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester. Garments made with Naia fabrics have superior drape, flow, vivid colors, textures and prints.
Considering all the positive attributes that Naia brings to garments, including comfort, performance and sustainability, the future is bright for the Naia family of cellulosic yarns. While the initial launch was targeted at the intimate apparel sector, its applications range from athleisure to women’s wear and formal wear for both men and women.
Naia was launched in January 2017 and subsequently has been featured in shows that covers global markets. The brand has been shown in both Asian, European and the US markets. Eastman Naia is a global company with offices around the world. This allows the team to interact and engage with local mills and brands, directly providing them sales support. New grades of fiber are always under development to meet the evolving demands of mills and brands.
Cotton and garment waste are essential raw materials for Bangladesh’s terry towel, home textile and rotor spinning mills. But they are in short supply and are being exported instead. Export of garment waste increased 140 per cent in the first three months of the current fiscal year.
Textile mills produce some 150 million kg of cotton waste. Following the scarcity of raw materials, factories are unable to meet export orders and maintain lead times. Factory owners say exports of cotton waste should be stopped and high tariffs should be imposed to discourage exports.
Some 110 home textile and terry towel factories create employment for some 65,000 workers in the country. Bangladesh’s rotor spinning mills produce yarn using cotton waste and similarly modern recycling mills produce another type of yarn using waste from readymade garments especially knit fabrics. These yarns are used in making terry towels, home textiles, denim and other types of clothing and exported to global markets fetching millions of dollars of foreign currency.
Denim mills for instance can't use their full production capacity due to a shortage of the required yarn. More than 26 denim mills across the country need 200 million kg of yarn to produce 400 million meters of denim fabric.
Krantz dyeing machines from Germany have great repute. The brand’s main market is Turkey, where it has more than 2,500 machines. Russia and Iran are also important markets. Other growing markets are Egypt, Mexico and India.
The air dye machine is suitable for open width knits and wovens made from all kinds of modern fibers and blends. The exclusive aerodynamic drive of the fabric rope is beneficial for both structural and plain fabrics. The horizontal dye machine is suitable for various kinds of fabrics. The single rope per chamber and the double ropes per chamber design can process fabrics of different weights. Beam dyeing machines are used for all fabric types including wovens and knits made of fabrics and blends. They are particularly suitable for mono structural fabrics that are permeable to water, in addition to the advantage of crease-free dyeing.
In addition Krantz offers yarn dye machines, pressure dryer for packages, and thread painting machines. Krantz is a low liquor ratio machine with a higher speed range and at this stage Bangladesh needs these special technology machines.
More than 50 units of Krantz machines have already been sold to leading apparel manufacturers of Bangladesh and more are in the pipeline.
Japan-based Yamato Sewing Machine plans to increase its footprint in the global sewn industry in 2018. In order to pace up global changes amid soaring demand for automation, Yamato will strengthen its R&D area and solution-centric marketing activities, the sewing technology company strongly believes that 2018 will emerge as the year of massive changes as far as sewing technology trends are concerned.
Shogo Kondo, President and CEO, Yamato, says various challenges such as rising cost of production, inefficient labourers, demand for better quality and changing political scenario are pushing garment manufacturers to adopt technological solutions. He further added the company is committed to overpower these challenges by providing the exact automated solutions, which is known for the great stitch performance and highly durable machines.
Adopting a whole new strategy will enable Yamato to further reinforce the customer services. The company is also looking to brace up its dealers and distributors this year by providing them with the required training so that they could further assist the end-customers in the competitive market. Apart from technology, Yamato will also work to enhance its lean manufacturing system by introducing Toyota Production system (TPS) and Quality Management System (QMS) which are the key systems in ISO 9001:2015 throughout the year.
Hong Kong has signed free trade and investment pact with Asean with the aim of tackling unfair trade practices and market distorting subsidies and give expression to Hong Kong’s vote against rising regional trade protectionism and in favor of free and more open trade.
Asean is a 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The grouping includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The pact concludes nearly three years of discussion and is expected to take effect from January 1. They aim is to bring deeper and bolder integration of Hong Kong’s market access with the bloc. They reflect a consensus favoring multinational deals.
Hong Kong is a free trade promoter and an advocate of a strong, rule-based multilateral trading system. Total merchandise trade between Hong Kong and Asean was $107 billion last year. Total services trade was $16 billion in 2015. While Hong Kong already has one of the world’s freest and most open economies, the pacts will see many Asean countries gradually eliminating or slashing customs duties on goods from the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Gucci and Michael Kors are considered geniuses as per a ranking given by business intelligence firm L2, for their digital competency. The top 10 is rounded out with gifted brands Fendi, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Hugo Boss, Tory Burch, Kate Spade and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Brands have been ranked on a scale of genius, gifted, average, challenged and feeble. Luxury labels top this year’s ranking but L2 found luxury brands continue to lag in digital sophistication compared to other sectors.
Luxury fashion brands have become susceptible to growing threats from disruptor brands such as Everlane and Reformation, who have built their business models on digital competence and social media marketing. Such brands provide quality, craftsmanship, and a seamless shopping experience that are quickly becoming budget-friendly alternatives to the luxury brand consumer.
L2 benchmarks the digital performance of 90 fashion brands operating in the US by evaluating each brand’s e-commerce, digital marketing, social and mobile. Another finding was that 38 per cent of Index brands do not own the majority of branded search terms. In November 2017, 40 per cent paid search traffic on Céline’s branded search terms went to resale sites, and the label received only 18 per cent.
Texfair will be held in Coimbatore from November 17 to 20. This is a textile machinery, accessories and spares exhibition organized by Southern India Mills Association. It brings together manufacturers and suppliers of textile machinery, spares, accessories, components and consumers such as textile mills, power looms, handlooms and knitters under one roof.
Nearly 250 participants will display machinery, spares, accessories, testing equipment etc in 300 stalls, which would be a platform for textile mills to plan their present and future investment. Apart from exhibitors from different parts of the country, companies from Italy, China, Japan, and Switzerland will also take part.
About one lakh visitors are expected. These include chairmen, managing directors, directors, chief executive officers and shopfloor technicians from all sectors of the textile industry. Participation this year is nearly 20 per cent more than in the previous edition. Since industries can purchase their requirements under one roof, this has become part of the exhibition calendar for many participants. Mills on an average spend 2.5 per cent to three per cent of their turnover on spares and accessories.
As a concurrent event, a farm-to-finish expo will also be organised with about 50 companies showcasing cotton, fibers, yarn, made-ups and garments.
Bangladesh’s exports of readymade garments have not really taken off. One reason is a fall in orders from foreign buyers. After Brexit, the UK has reduced the price of readymade garment products. Following the price reduction, other EU countries have followed suit. Meanwhile production cost has increased by 17 per cent over the last three years. Interest on long-term loans is still high.
In fact, there are threats for Bangladesh as competitors like Vietnam are getting a bigger share and posting better growth in export earnings. Currently the country’s readymade garment products’ global share is 6.4 per cent while China’s market share stands at 39.3 per cent, topping the list. Buyers are keen on giving orders to rival countries. Clearly Bangladesh will have to produce quality products to compete in the global market.
Competing countries like China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan have already adjusted to the lower prices of the EU and UK as the governments of these countries have provided various incentives for exporting readymade garment products. But it has been tough for Bangladesh’s garment manufacturers to adapt to lower EU prices as they have not been provided similar incentives. As a result, export performance has declined.
