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Pitti Uomo, the specialized menswear show will take place from June 17 to 24, 2014 in Florence. Several events have been lined up like: ‘Firenze Hometown of Fashion’ marking the 60th anniversary of Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana;
On June 16, a concert will be organized of singer Andrea Bocelli; and a special party celebrating Ponte Vecchio, the historical landmark bridge across the Arno river and a symbol of the city.
The highlight of the celebration will be the ‘Born in Florence’ initiative that will showcase four important designers and fashion labels, such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Emilio Pucci and Ermanno Scervino. A series of events will see these designers as protagonists of cultural events throughout the city during the Pitti Uomo. Exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows and many other events will focus on Italian excellence and craftmanship.
The overriding theme inspiring the Pitti Immagine Uomo event taking place inside the Fortezza will be ping-pong, or ‘Ping Pitti Pong’. As previously announced, Z Zegna will be the menswear guest designer of the show. The group will return to Florence after about six years. Other initiatives will involve collaborations between Pitti Immagine and other Italian trade shows. During the July 2014 edition of Pitti Filati, the ‘Denim Italiano Italian Denim Makers’ event will involve Italian denim companies, which will also be presented as a teaser at the June edition of Pitti Uomo and later relocate to Milano Unica in September.
Other events will include the launch of G-Star’s special ‘G-Star Raw for the Oceans’ project in collaboration with Pharrell Williams. Ron Herman will launch its new international collection. Valstar will announce its latest collaboration with United Arrows and Tiger Jay X North Sails collection will make its debut. As part of the Pitti Italics events, two brands – Marcelo Burlon County of Milan and Au Jour le Jour, will mark their debut.
www.pittimmagine.com
Pakistan will unveil its textile policy for 2014-19 on June 30, 2014. The policy envisages textile exports of over $26 billion in the next five years and has maximum incentives for the value-added textile sector.
The Textile Ministry has proposed major incentives for value-added textiles sector, including giving 6 per cent subsidy on the import of textile machinery and reducing the interest rate to 8 per cent against the current 12 per cent for new investors to attract more investment and enhance textile exports. The main focus would be on the value-added sector. Major incentives have been proposed for the sector to achieve the desired results by raising textile exports. Technology upgradation schemes would also be one of the prime objectives, as these would encourage investment in shuttle-less looms and in the apparel sector.
Pakistan has registered 8 per cent increase in textile exports since getting the GSP plus status and the country is confident of achieving its textile export targets. A cotton seed bill will also be introduced. It has been pending for the last 12 years. The main focus of the seed bill would be on improving cotton seed and production as it is like a white gold and can play a major role in the economic growth of the country.
Nepal’s readymade garment sector has shown a sharp increase in exports as peace and political stability have convinced foreign buyers to return. Demand from abroad has instilled confidence in garment entrepreneurs. The country’s readymade garment sector is one of the largest export sectors in terms of foreign exchange earnings. It provides significant employment opportunities but was almost on the verge of collapse. That has changed in recent months.
Readymade garment exports from Nepal have increased by 52.8 per cent in the first eight months of the financial year. Yarn exports, especially cotton, polyester and other yarns for the eight month period, improved by 6.1 per cent and fabric exports increased by 5.9 per cent. Woolen and pashmina shawls exports increased by only 0.6 per cent.The major countries Nepal exports garments to US, Canada, Europe, Australia and India. Within Europe, the key garment importing countries are Germany, France, Netherlands, UK, Spain and Switzerland.
The US was the main buyer of Nepali garment products until 2005. But after the end of quota system, Nepali garment products lost their competitive edge, eventually losing the US market. Although India was emerging as the next growth market for Nepali garments, the countervailing duty imposed on the product by India resulted in a drop in garment exports to India.
Europe has now emerged as the major market for Nepali garments.
Tau Investment Management will invest $200 million in the readymade garment and textile industries of Bangladesh. Tau Investment Management is a US private investment firm. It infuses capital into textile factories of various countries to address their social, environmental and efficiency issues. The group has a $1 billion fund. It has now launched Tau Bangladesh and plans to set up a regional office in Hong Kong to provide a hub from where it can target the textile industries of Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, China.
Tau plans to acquire minority stakes in factories and to be an active owner. Modernisation and transformation of the country's apparel and textile industries will be the prime focus of its Bangladesh investment plan. It is ready to invest in a few garment makers that generate annual sales of over a $100 million and will provide them world-class expertise along with access to low-cost financing sources.
For Bangladesh, Tau aims at improving the supply chain of target companies through upgrading and de-risking textile supply chains, and intends to make the companies attain international standards in terms of becoming socially responsible and compliant.
tau-investment.com/
Mauritian textile and apparel manufacturers hope the AGOA trade preference program will be renewed. AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) is set to lapse in a year. It provides duty-free entry into the US for certain goods. The act came into force in 2000. It aims to assist the economies of sub-Saharan Africa and improve economic relations between the US and the region.
The program has expanded market access for textile and apparel products into the US for eligible countries. Mauritius, in particular, is one of the leading beneficiaries of the AGOA provisions. Mauritius is the fourth-largest exporter under AGOA, exporting primarily apparel products.
The trade deal helped Mauritius grow its exports to the US. It is the country's second largest export market behind the UK, accounting for around 18 per cent of textile and apparel exports in 2013. For many Mauritian manufacturers, the US is not only an important customer but in some cases accounts for their total business. The benefits Mauritius gets from its EU trade deals are more challenging, with duty set at around 10 percent. The benefits Mauritius has through the AGOA deal make the US a more appealing market to trade with.
trade.gov/agoa/
Bayer has developed a complete product range for a large number of synthetic leather and specialty coated textile materials. These can be used in footwear, apparel and accessories for fashion and sport, in automotive interiors and in diverse technical and industrial applications. The company has more than 75 years of experience in polyurethane development.
In recent years, Bayer has focused its development of products for textile applications in the area of waterborne polyurethane dispersions – coating materials that do not utilize solvents. The products have now reached such a stage of development that they give synthetic leather and coated textiles producers an enormous range of possibilities of hand feel, look, mechanical and chemical durability, while at the same time permitting the conversion to manufacturing processes that don't use solvents and may also consume less energy and less water.
Recognizing the increasing pace of change in the textiles industry, Bayer realigned its approach to the market, creating a global team of textile industry experts dedicated to serving this sector. The company also counts on multi-purpose pilot coating line facilities that make for a strong material development capability that benefits textile manufacturers and the different industries that consume textiles, from fashion and sports to automotive and other industries.
www.bayer.com/
Natural fibre brand Tenbro that supplies to other major Indian companies and global brands like Zara, has inked a partnership with the Tata Group for supplies.The China-based company makes eco-friendly fibers from bamboo.
Talking about the company, Sachin Doshi, Director, Tenbro says, “Tenbro manufactures natural fibres. The President of Tenbro is also the President of New Fibre Manufacturing Association in China. We work with a lot of brands globally and now will be working with the Tata Group.”
Natural fibres gain traction
Tenbro fibres are made from Bamboo. These are naturally antibacterial because bamboo grows in two years. “If we cut it, it is not going to affect the environment compared to viscose. For viscose, it’s necessary to cut trees and it takes nearly 20 years for the trees to grow back to that size. Bamboo has moisture absorption properties and is good for human skin. We don’t use chemicals that are harmful to the skin,” elaborates Doshi.
There are other natural products made from soyabean, corn, milk, banana even pineapple. Those are expensive and not commercially viable. “We are doing products that are commercially accepted. In India, we are doing well. Our clients include Trident, RSWGM, Welspun and Pallava, among others,” Doshi informs.
Export potential of Bamboo
Doshi believes bamboo exports will definitely increase with time. Earlier, the US had major problems accepting it. “We made a presentation explaining the difference between viscose and Bamboo fibre. Now, acceptability is increasing. No more do they claim that we are supplying viscose in the name of bamboo fibre,” he adds.
Talking about the difference, Doshi says, viscose is a process. “What’s important to note is the pulp used during the process. In viscose, we have to use soft wood pulp. Some use Eucalyptus pulp but the trees take a lot of time to grow. We use bamboo, which grows fast. So it is more convenient, natural and doesn’t harm the environment since the replacement process is faster in Bamboo cultivation,” he elaborates.
www.tenbro.com
Addressing a meeting called to review power related issues in Pakistan, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Punjab chairman SM Tanveer said that there is a need for special power tariff for textile industry. He insisted that the government should look into providing regionally competitive tariff along with uninterrupted gas and electricity so that the industry can take advantage of the GSP Plus facility provided by the EU.
He pointed out that while the electricity tariff in India is 10.5 cents, in Bangladesh 10.75 cents and in Sri Lanka it is again 10.75 cents, in Pakistan the tariff is 15 cents, which is 45 per cent higher as compared to the neighbouring countries. So industry players have to pay double tariff compared to the tariff offered by other countries to their trade and industries, leaving Pakistan uncompetitive and unviable in the international market.
APTMA Punjab Chief added that due to severe load shedding losses to the textile industry are unbearable and the cost of production has increased manifold as compared to competitors in the region. The viability of the industry will be totally eroded if the government fails to resolve energy-related issues.
He also informed that due to load shedding and shortage of gas supply as well as rising production costs, during the last few months, about 375,000 spindles have stopped operation in Lahore and Faisalabad, some 312,000 in Multan and 158,000 in Rawalpindi. Production of more than 100 spinning mills have also been reduced in Punjab as the industry is operating only in one shift.
Largest annual apparel fabrics fair, Intertextile Shanghai will take place in Shanghai this October with an increased focus on denim products, a fast-growing segment in the Chinese market. The autumn edition will be held from October 20 to 23 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The fair will feature a bigger ‘Beyond Denim’ hall after the success of last year’s exclusive and distinctive denim zone.
Advantage for domestic market
With China’s middle and upper classes rapidly following western fashion trends, denim 
has become the focus of industry players in the country. This situation presents positive opportunities for overseas companies. Last year’s Beyond Denim zone featured most leading domestic denim manufacturers and designers, as well as international denim fabric exhibitors. Exhibitors participating in the Beyond Denim zone in 2013 came from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Pakistan, Spain, Turkey and other major denim manufacturing countries. As Claire Cheng from Invista Management (Shanghai) points out the zone is an effective way to tap into China’s domestic market. “We are showcasing our functional denim here and it is a good platform to attract more customers and introduce our brand and fabric functions to them,” says Chang.
The enlarged 2014 Beyond Denim hall – revamped by the renowned French Studio, the NellyRodi Agency will highlight wash innovations, the latest technology, sustainable practices and premium denims, making it an excellent platform for exhibitors from overseas and China to present the latest denim trends to buyers. Well-known brands looking for denim and casual wear fabrics in 2013 included Abercrombie & Fitch, DKNY Jeans, Giordano, H&M, New Yorker, Perry Ellis International and Zara. With a much larger exhibiting area a wider range of products will be on display, from traditional and fashionable denim fabrics to new and environmentally friendly items, and the hall is expected to attract attention from a large number of both Chinese and overseas buyers.
At the 2014 fair, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will once again feature distinctive show highlights including SalonEurope, the Milano Unica Pavilion, Verve for Design, All About Sustainability, trend forums, an accessories trend forum and fashion shows.
Intertextile-shanghai-apparel-fabrics-autumn.hk.messenfranfurt.com
The Woolmark Company debuted at this year's Blueprint trade and consumer show, presenting Wool Denim fabric. Held on May 8 and 9, Blueprint is part of the larger Amsterdam Denim Days events showcasing all products in denim.
With an aim to increase the share of wool worn by consumers, the Woolmark Company is promoting wool blended with denim. While blending wool with cotton is not a new concept, improved manufacturing processes and a wider acceptance of denim apparel in both social and work places has given wool the opportunity to have a greater presence in this area. The global authority on wool will presented a 'new' Wool Denim at Blueprint that uses exactly the same warp yarn as traditional denim, but replaces some, or all, of the weft yarns with machine-washable wool to deliver a high-performance denim fabric.
Previous attempts to create wool/cotton blends in denim have used an intimate blend of wool with cotton -- two fibres which are not easy to combine in a yarn. Yet by replacing some, or all, of the weft yarns with wool, a higher performance and more cost effective fabric can be produced.
Wool Denim, apart from having features like strength and versatility also has the extra resilience, elasticity, odour resistance, moisture management and most importantly warmth found in wool. Wool adds an extra element of warmth even in the coldest of winters and takes the initial chill out of putting on regular denim jeans.
www.woolmark.com
