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For the second quarter of fiscal 2018, custom sales of Tailored Brands doubled compared to last year. The company reported positive comparable sales for all retail brands in the second quarter of fiscal 2018. Transactions increased through brand marketing campaigns and enhanced omni-channel initiatives.
As a per cent of sales, consolidated gross margin decreased 180 basis points to 44.8 per cent. On an adjusted basis, consolidated gross margin decreased 130 basis points, primarily due to a decrease in retail segment gross margin rate.
On a Gaap basis, consolidated gross margin of the US-based company was $368.9 million, a decrease of $27.8 million, primarily due to the decrease in net sales. The company is moving to a leaner, more efficient inventory model, which is particularly important as custom clothing becomes a larger percentage of its mix. With leaner inventories, Tailored Brands can improve the customer experience and free-up working capital.
The balance sheet is being strengthened. During the quarter, the brand completed a $175 million partial redemption of its senior notes and its total debt is down $325 million versus a year ago. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the second quarter of 2018 were $68.2 million, a decrease of $44.5 million compared to the end of the second quarter of 2017.
Students of the Polimoda Fashion School (Italy, Florence) and HSE Art and Design School (Russia, Moscow) participated in Traditional Russian Patterns Expedition. They attended the GzhelskijFarforovyjZavod (Gzhel Porcelain Factory) JSC, the KhokhlomskayaRospis (Khokhloma Painting) JSC awarded with the Badge of Honor Order, the TorzhokskieZolotoshvei (Gold Embroiderers of Torzhok) LLC, the OrenburgShal (Shawls of Orenburg) company, and the (ImperatorskyFarforovyjZavod Imperial Porcelain Factory) JSC.
Traditional Russian Patterns Expeditionis a joint project of the Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Fashion Council and the Folk Arts and Crafts Development Foundation Rustrends. The project is intended to develop and support traditional folk arts and crafts. For student designers, getting familiar with traditional Russian craftwork technologies and immersing into the Russian history and culture, will become one of the sources of inspiration.
Inspired by the new experience and knowledge of the Russian history and culture, student designers will create a
joint collection of clothes and interior design items. This collection will be presented at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.
Moscow, Denis Manturov, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade, arrived to meet the participants of Traditional Russian Patterns Expedition. He also took a look at the sketches of craftwork objects created by student designers from Italy, who had spent some time mastering the traditional techniques used by Russian craftsmen.
The European Commission wants a free trade deal with Africa. As Africa’s population is set to double by 2050, the EU is hoping to turn the demographics to its advantage. Some 60 per cent of the population is under 25. The EU will help finance vocational training for 7,50,000 people over the next two years. The EU is Africa’s biggest investor. Most of it has gone to Egypt, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa.
The aim is to create up to 10 million Africa-based jobs in the next five years. The EU wants to shift from a donor-recipient kind of relationship, a traditional one based on development aid and humanitarian aid, to a partnership based first and foremost on political partnership. The plan is a partnership of equals with African counterparts, which will be increasingly built on private enterprise. The EU is launching an Africa Union alliance for sustainable investments and jobs. This will be a major priority for its work in the years ahead.
Areas like agriculture, renewable energy and transport are priority sectors amid plans to provide electricity for some 30 million people and road access to another 24 million. An external investment platform will be created that will multiply available funds. The funds will be sourced from the EU budget, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, member state development banks and the private sector.
Burberry is the leading luxury brand in the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). The index is a trusted benchmark for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their decision-making and investments. It is a significant global metric, evaluating economic, environmental and social factors.
Burberry will no longer use real fur, and will phase out existing real fur products. Burberry is passionate about finding ways to be socially and environmentally responsible in everything it does, from investing in the communities at the heart of the business to creating innovative ways to tackle the most pressing issues faced by the industry.
The brand has launched a five-year partnership with sustainable luxury company Elvis & Kresse to transform 120 tons of leather offcuts into new products. Burberry also has ongoing partnerships in the UK and Italy to recycle textiles. Burberry procured 48 per cent of its total energy (including 56 per cent of its electricity) from renewable sources in 2017-18, an increase of 24 per cent from the previous year. Burberry is also a member of RE100 to drive demand for low carbon power. Burberry has also decided to stop the practice of destroying unsaleable products. So far, Burberry has positively impacted 23,000 people through global community programs.
Thai Acrylic Fiber (TAF), a leading manufacturer of acrylic fibres and the owner of the Birlacril brand, will present its range of specialty acrylic fibres at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics - Autumn edition. The comprehensive platform for apparel fabrics and accessories will be held from September 27-29, 2018, in Shanghai, China.
Changsuo Textiles, one of the most famous core spun yarn spinners in China, will display the Radianza fiber, the eco-friendly fibre by Birlacrilse. Radianza fiber is a ready-to-use gel dyed fiber and comes in a range of vibrant colours. The fiber has excellent colour fastness, consistency, and shade uniformity. Radianza fiber is available in a wide range of colours in fibre form (regular and shrinkable) and in Tow and Tops (regular and high bulk) in a range of deniers. Radianza fiber can be blended with all kinds of fibers or can be spun as 100 per cent.
The most important benefit of Radianza fiber is that it helps to address the increasing threat to the environment and natural resources at various stages in textile processing. In addition to Radianza fibre, TAF will showcase other specialty fibers like Amicor (anti-bacterial & anti-allergic), Pilbloc (anti-pill), and Warmos (high insulation), etc
Shandong Ruyi will invest in Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment sector. The agreement involves cotton growing to ginning, spinning, textile manufacture and garment production. Shandong Ruyi is China’s largest textile manufacturer. Its investments will comprise aggregation and offtake of cotton from farmers for ginning, spinning and weaving and manufacturing at least 300 million meters of African print, which will meet 20 per cent of West Africa’s demand.
Chinese investors are increasingly seeking low cost, alternative textile value chains, as wages for textile workers continue to rise in China. Nigeria is among several African states wooing investors with a range of financial incentives, sweeteners and grants at newly developed industrial parks. The country is upgrading existing industrial parks to special economic zones across the six geo-political zones in the country. More industrial parks will be set up to aid more trade facilitation, integrate economies and inter-link various market chains and values.
The country is trying to attract necessary investments into cotton farming and textile manufacturing and so become a major producer and exporter of textiles in the world. The textile industry was one of the booming sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy. The dip in fortunes of the industry was due to the influx of cheap textiles and fabrics into the country from all over the world.
Juan Carlos Gordillo, a leading fashion designer, will showcase Lenzing’s Tencel denim for women at the Vienna Fashion Week, which will be held from September 16, 2018, in Austria. Tencel denim cellulosic fibers of botanic origin are tailored to a sustainable lifestyle, liberating personal expression through movement by their natural comfort, smoothness, and versatility.
Jeans containing Tencel Lyocell and Modal fibers are produced using innovative REFIBRA™ technology with low amounts of water. The new collection of denim for women is 100 percent eco-oriented. Out of the 30 outfits in the collection, 15 are made with recycled fabrics and 15 contain Tencel denim, high-quality fibers created by Lenzing Group, and derived from sustainable wood sources–natural forests and sustainably managed tree farms.
Wear will be held in Canada on October 1 to 2. The event aims at working closely with small designers to build capacity, source more sustainable fabrics and engage with consumers. As has become customary at the annual event, policy makers, academics, NGOs and industry stakeholders will be presented with the business case of how to implement more sustainable practices.
The 2018 edition will center around innovation, with other topics such as circular economy, microfiber pollution and automation also being tackled through a range of panel discussions and break-out sessions. Key areas of interest can longer be easily pigeonholed. Fashion is at the intersection of science and technology, from fabric being grown in labs to block chain technology to help trace supply chains.
A panel discussion on robots will see industry representatives from both sides of the automation coin have their say on the wider impacts – whether positive or negative, which robotics could have on the fashion industry and society at large. Allowing opposing voices to be heard differentiates Wear from other sustainable fashion conferences.
Originally an innovation theme was slated for one day and a circular economy theme for another day. Then it was realized that the themes could not be separated and are intertwined, since innovation is what drives the circular economy.
"That United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) tagline -- dedicated to fashion made possible by global trade, is very pertinent today given the kind of policies being pursued by President Trump. As per the US Trade Commission estimates in 2016 textiles and apparel accounted for 9.7 per cent of imports from China, compared to 39 per cent electronic products. However, the impact on the sector is of huge significance not just in the US but also globally. A recent article titled ‘Walmart, Nike Suppliers Put on Notice by China Tariff Threat’ revealed how Chinese and Hong Kong companies Li & Fung with 64 per cent revenue coming from the US, and electronics company AAC Technologies with 62 per cent were most at risk by Trump’s tariffs. However, the US Trade Representative defends President Trump’s policies while saying he is fulfilling his election promise to push for trade reform to ensure fairer outcomes for US workers and businesses, and more efficient markets for countries around the world."
That United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) tagline -- dedicated to fashion made possible by global trade, is very pertinent today given the kind of policies being pursued by President Trump. As per the US Trade Commission estimates in 2016 textiles and apparel accounted for 9.7 per cent of imports from China, compared to 39 per cent electronic products. However, the impact on the sector is of huge significance not just in the US but also globally.
A recent article titled ‘Walmart, Nike Suppliers Put on Notice by China Tariff Threat’ revealed how Chinese and Hong Kong companies Li & Fung with 64 per cent revenue coming from the US, and electronics company AAC Technologies with 62 per cent were most at risk by Trump’s tariffs. However, the US Trade Representative defends President Trump’s policies while saying he is fulfilling his election promise to push for trade reform to ensure fairer outcomes for US workers and businesses, and more efficient markets for countries around the world.
Protectionist policy top business challenge
USFIA’s 2018 Benchmarking Study, based on a survey of 28 executives at leading US fashion companies, cites
protectionist trade policy in the country and the uncertainty it causes at every level from markets to supply chain and retail, as the top most business challenge. Adding to this is the challenge of increasing production and sourcing cost. If production and sourcing is repatriated to the US, it will impact the consumer who may in turn choose to change buying preferences.
Out of the total surveyed, eight out of the top 10 sourcing destinations are in the southern hemisphere. The USFIA survey notes sourcing from the Western Hemisphere is increasing. Free trade agreements in the sector remain underutilised for sourcing. There is slight, though hardly significant, increase in the utilisation of NAFTA, CAFTA-DR and AGOA the main three FTA agreements for the US.
Nearly 77 per cent of the USFIA members supported reduction in documents required for importing and exporting textiles and apparel under FTAs. Administration time and complexity are proving to be a barrier to existing trade policy benefits that the US fashion companies might avail of. Exceptions to the ‘Yarn- forward’ Rules of Origin are a case in point.
Lack of transparency in the rule of origin
The World Bank describes the rule whereby cumulation allows producers to import materials from a specific country or regional group of countries without undermining the origin of the final product. However, the interpretation of this rule is not entirely transparent for example the final assembly of the Apple iPhone takes place in China. Yet the added-value in China is less than 2 per cent (2014 figures) and the applicable US Rule of origin confers origin on China.
Similarly, a T-shirt produced in Bangladesh that imports around 80 per cent of its yarn. The yarn-forward rule then means apparel goods made up in the country often does not necessarily qualify for preferential treatment under FTAs. The outcome is low utilisation of trade preferences for apparel. While a company like the VF Corp may have the resources to untangle such regulations a SME does not, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. The single biggest challenge facing the industry today is uncertainty. It seems, America, like the rest of the world will have to wait and watch.
The Pakistan government has paid Rs 25.7 billion to the textile sector under the first phase of Prime Minister’s Trade Enhancement Package. Out of the total amount, Rs. 2.6 billion was disbursed in first two months during Phase II from July 1 to August 31 2018. The government planned to expand coverage areas under the Trade Enhancement Package to remaining industrial sectors including pharmaceuticals. It would also reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
The Ministry of Commerce and Textile had assured payments through Prime Minister’s Trade Enhancement Package to the textile sector by February 2019 to enhance the country’s exports.The government also relaxed import of textile machinery for modernisation and enhancing the capacity of the sector. It gave priority to facilitating the textile sector and helping it gain competitiveness in order to enhance the country’s exports. It is offering multiple training courses focusing on different areas of textile sector to enhance worker capacity.
Garments, fashion, apparel design, cutting for lingerie making, line supervisory skills and knitting machine operators training are various areas on which capacity building courses are being offered. The main objective of this training program is provision of skilled workforce to make textile industry more competitive. The ministry will cover the costs incurred in the areas of trainee stipend, trainer’s salary, raw material cost, social mobilisation, evaluation cost, certificate printing and distribution.
