The AATCC has appointed a new Board of Directors for 2023-24. Andrew Fraser is the new President elect while Patric Ayers has been appointed a representative for the Central Atlantic Region. Nelson House will represent the Midsouth region while New England will be represented by Bethany Pollack. The Southern region will be led by Ashley Handley while Ashis Kumar Samanta will represent the Southeast Asia region.

Interest group representatives of the AATCC will include: Sabyasachi Gaan, Chairman, Chemical Applications Group; Tom Stutt, Chairman, Concept Two: Consumer Group; Christina Rapa, Chairman, Materials Group and Jessica Brooks, Chairperson, Rising Professionals Group.

The world’s leading not-for-profit association serving textile professionals since 1921, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, US, AATCC provides test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for members in

Levi’s has launched a ten-piece collection for the Paris Fashion Week in collaboration with Los Angeles-based fashion designer Reese Cooper.

As per a Fashion Network report, the collection is inspired by Cooper’s relationship with the brand starting from his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia. It offers jeans, trucker jackets, hoodies, and tees, and focuses on authentic workwear materials and construction showcasing Levi’s influence in both the fashion and workwear space.

In particular, the collection includes a Levi’s Type II trucker and a Levi’s straight fit jean in triple-stitched organic cotton duck canvas in a stunning green or ecru, as well as a patchwork chore coat and straight fit jean in indigo denim.

There’s also a two-pocket hoodie in either green or ecru, both of which feature graphics based on heritage Levi’s back patches, and two graphic pocket tees, with graphics based on the brand’s iconic workwear lineage.

The Levi’s x Reese Cooper collection will be available for purchase starting June 22 on Levi.com, the Levi’s app, and Reese-Cooper.com. It will equally be available at the Levi’s x Reese Cooper pop-up shop from June 23 to the 26.

As per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the country’s textile exports generated revenues worth $17.62 million July-May 2021/22.

In May 2022, Y-o-Y textile exports grew 56 percent to $1.64 billion as compared to $1.05 billion in the same month a year ago, while M-o-M growth declined by 5.6 percent. The exports of this group stood at $1.73 billion in April 2022. In the textiles group, cotton yarn exports increased 24.2 percent during the period to $1.11 billion compared to $896 million in the same period last year, with May 2022 exports up 48 percent to $106.57 million over the same month last year.

Cotton cloth exports increased 30.34 percent to $2.24 billion, knitwear 36.4 percent to $4.65 billion, bedwear 21.68 percent to $3.0 billion, towels 21.66 percent to $1.02 billion, and readymade garments exports grew 30.68 percent to $3.54 billion in these eleven months. Raw cotton exports went up by 10 times to $6.58 million.

According to the Indonesian Textile Association (API), the growth rate of the textile and textile products (TPT) industry will slow down in the second quarter due to the flucation of the US dollar.

Rizal TanzilRakhman, Secretary General, says the growth of the textile and textile products industry in the second quarter is lower than the realization in January - March of 14.2 per cent. Even so, its growth is forecast to remain above 10 per cent. However, the projection could change due to global economic sentiment.

In addition to oil, Rizal considered the new price of coal to be an important factor. According to him, fluctuations in coal will affect electricity tariffs.

Meanwhile, electricity is an important component in the cost structure of the textile industry and textile products.

Even so, Rizal is optimistic that the textile and textile product industry will grow 5 per cent Y-o-Y this year.

The handlooms and textiles department is acquiring the 100-acre land required to develop a textile city in Chennai’s Ambattur area.

To be implemented under public private partnership, the project is aimed at creating marketing networks and networking infrastructure, both physical and virtual, by establishing robust IT and network initiatives and creation of large-scale marketplaces.

The upcoming textile city will have research and development facilities, wholesale-cum-export facilities, GST and customs tables to facilitate the investors for ease of doing business and enhance exports multifold. The upcoming facility will be superior in all ways than the existing textile valley in Karur, which has limited facilities.

The USDA’s Jun supply and demand report says, global cotton production and ending stocks declined during the 2021/22 season. The association also forecasts a lower consumption for 2022/23 seasons, showing that the high cotton prices restrain the consumption apparently, and later, the consumption is likely to be lowered further. The drought condition in Texas persists, but crop growing development is good, and the expectations of a higher new cotton production maintain.

For 2021/22 season, USDA says, cotton production declined by 220kt from May, and production of Brazilian cotton also declined by 110kt. Meanwhile, consumption declined by 270kt. Overall, the cotton supply remained tight. 2021/22 global ending stocks declined by 150kt from previous month. But recently, new cotton arrived on the Brazilian cotton market, and local cotton prices dipped quickly. In Australia, affected by the rainfall, the harvests delayed in South Wales.

For 2022/23 season, USDA forecasts a slightly lower cotton consumption, to 26.46 million tons, down 30kt from 2021/22 season. Production is slightly higher. Though Texas need more moisture despite of recent rainfall, USDA reports a good development of US cotton planting this year, and it has not anticipated a production reduction.

Bangladesh RMG unit prices increased during July –May 2022-23 in both the US and EU markets despite a record-high inflation in both the countries.

Both the market play a paramount role in Bangladesh’s apparel exports, as the EU holding 50 per cent and the US holding a 21 per cent growth share during the July-May period of the current fiscal year.

However, both the US and the EU, along with most of the other nations are witnessing a hike in commodities due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In the US market, in April alone, the consumer price index (CPI) had risen to 8.3 per cent year-over-year. While, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, EU area annual inflation was 8.1 per cent in May 2022.

In spite of this scenario, Bangladesh’s apparel unit price increased significantly by 6.5 per cent in the US and 10.7 per cent in the EU market which is a great boost for the Bangladesh RMG.

Crossing the $1blllion mark for the first time, Canada’s apparel imports surged to $1.03 billion in April ’22.

As per an Apparel Resources report, Canada’s imports from China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Vietnam grew Y-o-Y in double digits as the growth is all around buoyed by the strong revival in consumer spending.

Value-wise, imports from China grew by 76.64 per cent Y-o-Y to $284.24 million while imports from Vietnam grew by 74, 39 per cent Y-o-Y to $171.52 million. Bangladesh’s export of apparel valued $132.20 million, while imports from India grew by 52.44 per cent to $43.95 million in April ’22.

Though growth on yearly basis was there, Bangladesh and China noted a decline on M-o-M basis by 5.63 per cent and 16.94 per cent, respectively. However, the subsequent months are predicted to be positive for Bangladesh as the factories have been running at full capacities post Eid.

Released on June 02, 2022, the report titled ‘Italian Fashion Brands in China’ ranks Bulgarifirst amongst the top 10 Italian fashion brands favored by Chinese consumers. In the NPS (Net Promoter Score) survey, Bulgari also ranks among the top 10 brands in terms of consumer recommendation and loyalty.

The report was released by LuxeCO Intelligence, the fashion industry research institute under Luxe.CO. It analyzed and studied the development of Italian brands in China from the following four dimensions: overall business scale, China market development, category representation, and data availability.

Bulgari was ranked for its excellent craftsmanship, historical heritage, and design aesthetics.Itsoutstanding performance fully demonstrates its leadership in the Chinese luxury market, and continuously reinforces the Maison’s standing in the hearts of Chinese consumers.

Bulgari has expanded its business footprint in China, with stores covering landmark cities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Meanwhile, the Maison is actively working on omnichannel operation. Having gained a keen insight into the evolution of consumer lifestyle, Bulgari has opened Bulgari Boutiques Online and the Bulgari flagship store on JD.com, followed by a boutique on Tmall Luxury Pavilion in April this year, as part of its efforts to continuously transform the way of luxury retail.

As per the latest data from the CCF Group, textile and apparel imports by the United States increased by 34.4 per cent Y-o-Y to $10.99 billion in April 2022. The imports volume in increased by 65.2 per cent Y-o-Y to 10.18 billion sq m. The value of US apparel imports rose by 43.2 per cent Y-o-Y to $8.12 billion while the imports volume increased by 29.7 per cent Y-o-Y to 2.68 billion sq m.

The volume of textile and apparel imports volume from China increased by 15.6 per cent Y-o-Y in April 2022 to 2.8 billion sq m while the value increased by 27 per cent Y-o-Y to $2.27 billion. The value of apparel imports from China increased by 38.9 per cent Y-o-Y to $1.36 billion while the value increased by 28.4 per cent Y-o-Y to 710 million sq m.

From the monthly data, the US textile and apparel imports from China declined by 21.2 per cent in April compared to Mar. In addition, China’s share in US textile and apparel imports shrank from 42.5 per cent in 2021 to 32.2 per cent in 2022, and the shares of Turkey, Malaysia and Bangladesh all increased.