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Technological developments are helping garment companies differentiate their products and operate more efficient and cost-effective supply chains. And technology in garments is about sustainability. For example, the jeans industry has moved a long way from stonewash, rinse and bleach finishes.
The use of laser technology to create a worn look on denim was launched in 1999. Today, around 25 per cent of global jeans production uses this technology - and is set to reach 50 per cent in the next two years. Jeanologia’s Light Scraper technology gives a standard denim fabric the authentic look of antique denim. It incorporates a virtual sandpaper to replace manual scraping, which is known for causing chronic tendonitis, muscle problems and breathing difficulties.
The second technology is G2 dynamic ozone technology, which bleaches jeans without using chemicals. The third and biggest revolution is e-flow. The e-flow technology transforms air from the atmosphere into nanobubbles. Chemicals and water naturally distribute themselves onto the surface of the bubbles to form the nanobubble skin. e-flow acts as a carrier to transmit the chemical-containing nanobubbles into a fabric or garment in a more optimal and efficient way using a minimal quantity of water. Applications include softening, resins for 3D effects, easy-care wrinkle-free, and water repellent finishes. This technology is currently used in around three per cent of jeans production.
eim.jeanologia.com/
Prices of Indian cotton are expected to rise in the near to medium term as the minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops is likely to be revised and a deficient monsoon will affect sowing of cotton. Cotton prices touched a four-year low as they dipped to Rs 13,990 per bale in the third week of January. In 2014-15, cotton prices have been falling continuously because of higher production and a lower demand from China. The offtake by China, which used to buy 50 per cent of Indian cotton, came down to 10 per cent this time. Against 11.79 million bales of cotton exported in 2013-14, only 4.5 million bales have been exported till now in 2014-15.
El Nino is anticipated to affect the Southwest monsoon this year and lead to deficient rainfall. If this happens, cotton sowing will be on the lower side and in turn production will be down for the year. This will see prices moving up by June. As the price of raw cotton fell below MSP, the Cotton Corporation of India hiked the procurement of cotton from farmers. CCI has procured over 86 lakh bales of cotton in 2014-15 against 40,800 bales in the previous year.
cotcorp.gov.in/
Germany is sending out a message to global textile industry for fair production. The steering committee of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, the German Development Ministry and the textile industry have put in place a roadmap for companies and business federations to join the partnership on a broad basis.
The foundation for broad-based support for the Textiles Partnership is an agreed joint action plan. The partners has now made the action plan more specific and precise on a number of important points, particularly with regard to the way in which partnership members have to pursue and achieve binding objectives and how progress can be monitored in a transparent manner.
The Textiles Partnership was set up in October 2014. It was launched by stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, trade unions and the government. Its purpose is to improve living conditions and environmental conditions for workers in producer countries. At present, the partnership has a membership of about 70 organisations.
The Textiles Partnership hopes to be a hallmark of efforts to achieve social and environmental standards for the textile industry. The goal is to improve the social, ecological, and economic conditions in the supply chains for textile and apparel products.
Last year, France, Spain, Italy, the UK and Germany increased their average clothing imports from Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey by 5.9 per cent. Out of these five countries, Turkey remains the biggest Euro-Mediterranean supplier, with a 5.5 per cent increase in orders last year. This is especially true for Germany, with €3.1 billion worth of imported clothing and the UK with €1.9 billion. France comes in third with €1.1 billion.
Morocco got the highest increase in orders in the region. Spain is its biggest importer, with €1.2 billion, while France remained stable at €826 million. Tunisia also saw a 3.5 per cent increase in its exports to these five European countries. France is its biggest customer with €828 million, followed by Italy with €592 million.
Last year European clothing imports accounted for €73.06 billion, including €54.9 billion from Asia and €14.02 billion from the Mediterranean countries.
Morocco’s industrial strategy has made textiles a priority. One factor that has always been to Morocco’s advantage is its proximity to Europe, and the other is the relatively lower wage costs and the natural skill and dexterity of its workers.
Saigon Tex was held from April 9 to 12, 2015. This is Vietnam’s expo focused on garments and textile machinery, accessories and materials. It attracted 655 exhibitors from 21 countries including Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China, Macau, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the US and the UK.
Saigon Tex 2015 served 15 per cent more exhibitors than the 2014 event. Among the displayed machinery and equipment were automated machines for shirt, jeans and trouser making, high-tech pressing machines, multi-needle sewing machines, computerised lockstitch machines and embossed printers, automated checkers, and testing equipment.
There were new concepts in fabrics and materials such as vegetable fibers, spun yarn, filament, pet-chips plastic beads, artificial silk, jute, hemp, acrylic yarn, rubber thread, print, yarn-dyed fabrics, adhesive paper, reflective tape, sanding band, hair band, and pearl buttons.
The number of Asian exhibitors increased 16.8 per cent compared with 2014. Attendance from Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan climbed 40 per cent. The return of a separate India pavilion was also a highlight.
The participation of fabric and garment accessories jumped 23.6 per cent over 2014. The presence of textile machinery exhibitors also grew by 13.4 per cent over last year.
There were workshops on preparatory steps for the Trans Pacific Partnership and on better understanding the rules of origin of textiles in major export markets. A four-day fashion show had the catwalk decorated with laser-printed denim.
Textile industry stakeholders in Tamil Nadu have impressed upon the government the need for setting up a Textile Board in the state and a separate export policy in line with the foreign trade policy of the Centre. These were among the 10-point suggestions put forth by knitwear exporters of Tirupur for possible incorporation in the new Textile Policy of Tamil Nadu.
Exporters feel the establishment of a Textile Board with government and industry association as representatives would strengthen focus towards the development of textile industry in the state and a separate export policy in line with the policy of the Centre would help boost Tamil Nadu’s exports. The garment sector in Tirupur contributes to 11 per cent of the state’s export turnover. The industry feels there is potential to double this with friendly policy interventions.
The textile industry in Tamil Nadu also wants a Technology Upgradation Fund scheme providing 5 per cent interest subsidy or 10 per cent capital subsidy; a special package for the textile sector as in other states; capital subsidy for investment in effluent treatment plants; power subsidy to reduce the cost of treatment and processing charges; strengthening of infrastructure amenities; and incentives for setting up technical textile units in Tamil Nadu.
The Indian government plans to amend the Handloom Act of 1985. The Act lists goods and textiles reserved for production by traditional craftsmen and weavers. India’s hand-crafted textiles are not only in high demand worldwide, but their diversity represents genuine non-mechanised silk, cotton and wool. Handloom exports have risen steadily, even during recession years. At home, demand is huge even without strong market mechanisms.
According to the 1985 Handloom Reservation Act, handloom means any loom other than powerloom, and a powerloom is a loom worked by power as defined in the Factories Act, 1948. But the handloom sector is scattered and finds it difficult to function as a lobby. Issues of definition demand attention, including embroidery and printing.
Redefinition of handloom would at one stroke convert handlooms into powerlooms, robbing them of their fundamental USP. Handloom propenents say there is pressure to remove saris from the list, since saris are the mainstay of the handloom sector. The powerloom lobby that accounts for 60 per cent of fabric production (handlooms come next with 15 per cent) wants to blur the differences between powerloom and handloom so as to claim benefits limited to handlooms.
In a move which could have ramifications on the global apparel industry, four people affected by the Ali Enterprises apparel factory fire in Pakistan, which killed 260 people in 2012, have filed a lawsuit at the Regional Court in Dortmund against KiK, the German discount retailer which was the main buyer from the factory at the time of the tragedy, seeking €30,000 compensation. The European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) is one of several organisations backing the action. The ECCHR claims the case against KiK should make it clear that transnational corporations’ responsibilities also extend to the working conditions in their subsidiary and supplier companies abroad.
German government is looking at changing the law to ensure German buying companies observe health and safety standards and ensure foreign workers are properly paid in remote manufacturing locations in the likes of South East Asia. The legal action coincides with it. The proposed changes in the law would mean that in cases where a German company was a buyer from a supplier country, inspection of manufacturing units would have to be carried out by German companies. The ECCHR, medico international and the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) from Pakistan are assisting with the claimant case against KiK, which was filed by Berlin lawyer Remo Klinger while Thomas Seibert, south Asia coordinator at medico international, has reportedly said that KiK tried to silence the survivors with charity hand-outs.
KiK made initial relief payments in the aftermath of the fire at Ali Enterprises. After two years of negotiations, KiK tabled a compensation offer in December 2014 which the The Baldia Factory Fire Affectees Association rejected and, instead, selected four claimants to pursue a claim through the German courts.
After the successful 87th edition, Pitti Uomo has announced another summer session filled with an explosion of colours and innovative concepts. Pitticolor, the menswear trade show based on the theme of ‘color and colors’ will be held from June 16-19 in Florence.
Elaborating on the theme, the organisers said these colours are what are one is constantly immersed in. The language of colour is also one of the fundamental codes of fashion. To celebrate the theme of this next season, Pitti Uomo is launching a ‘digital art project’ in June, inviting various directors to express themselves through a special project drawing inspiration from the show’s theme.
Young photographer and video director Luca Finotti will debut this series of collaborations with Pitti Uomo’s first fashion film. The multi-faceted Italian designer, who has been associated with the world of fashion, also having worked at companies including Dolce & Gabbana will showcase his interpretation of the theme through this video.
www.pittimmagine.com
Human Rights Watch, in its new report, says violations of garment workers’ rights including damning allegations of illegal anti-union tactics by managers, assaults on union organisers, and the failure of efforts to properly compensate victims of the Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashions fire continue in Bangladesh. More than 160 workers from 44 factories, most of which make garments for reputed brands in North America, Europe and Australia, were interviewed for the report. Worker right violations were a problem in nearly all factories examined, with specific violations documented including physical abuse, verbal abuse (sometimes of a sexual nature), forced overtime, denial of paid maternity leave, failure to pay wages and bonuses on time or in full, pressures on workers not to use the toilet, and the provision of dirty drinking water.
Issues such as why recent government reforms and company interventions have not been sufficient to remedy the problems were also examined. The report concludes with recommendations on what can be done to ensure enhanced respect for workers’ rights in Bangladesh. Bangladesh government should carry out effective and impartial investigations into all workers’ allegations of mistreatment, including beatings, threats, and other abuses and prosecute those responsible, suggests the report.
Researchers also argue that the Bangladesh government should revise labour laws in line with international standards. The NGO suggests brands sourcing from Bangladesh should institute regular factory inspections to ensure that factories comply with companies’ codes of conduct and the Bangladesh Labour Law.
“Human Rights Watch wrote to a number of brands. Some, like C&A, accept that audits can only go so far in improving factory working conditions. C&A says it believes that most of the challenges faced by the ready-made garment industry are a consequence of the difficulties in ensuring proper collective bargaining processes,” the report says.
