Textile and garment industry players have been urged to take advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) to market their products to other parts of Africa.

AwurabenaOkrah, CEO, Winglow Clothes and Textile, encouraged industry players to consistently upgrade their skills and churn out innovative products to appeal to a wider range of buyers.

She was addressing a graduation ceremony for 12 trainees in Proficiency and Skills Training in Garment Making at the Textiles and Garment Training Laboratory at the Accra Technical Training College in Kokomlemle, Accra.

The training is a component of the GEA-Mastercard foundation, a Young Africa Works Programme which seeks to equip the Ghanaian youth with employable skills for dignified work.

Okrah said the COVID-19 pandemic had provided an opportunity for stakeholders in the textile industry to explore new skills and opportunities in the industry.

Samuel Dodoo, President. SPINnet Textiles and Garment Cluster, appealed to the Government to resource the Ghana Enterprise Agency to adequately support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the textile and garment sector.

He said the SPINnet Textiles and Garment Cluster had over the years supported the growth of the textile industry by training many young people to establish their own businesses.

Non-profit association, the International Textile Alliance (ITA) is launching a new brand that will enhance the experience for everyone involved

Launching with the reimagined brand and trade show is the new Interwoven magazine. It has the look and feel of a fashion magazine and was created to present textiles in a modern, relevant manner.

The show, magazine and website are now called Interwoven™, which symbolizes ITA’s supportive alliance of textile professionals and represents the merging of ideas through collaboration, connection and innovation.

Twice a year, ITA facilitates an international trade show in High Point that showcases the products of nearly 150 member manufacturers. The bi-annual show, sponsored by Unifi Manufacturing and Crypton, is a wonderful opportunity for buyers to see the best of the industry, from textiles to leather and trimmings, all while making strong and lasting connections. The membership is composed of textile mills, converters, distributors, agents, tanneries and trimming manufacturers that produce decorative coverings for home furnishings and related industries. Interwoven is the only sourcing show of its kind in the western hemisphere. The next show is on May 22-25, 2022.

The new Interwoven magazine will speak to trends in the industry, showcase manufacturers and designers and provide buyers with a valuable resource for inspiration and information. The new Interwoven website will continue to provide these resources online throughout the year.

Italian fashion brand Diesel is launching D Verse NFT platform to expand its presence in the non-fungible token (NFT) sector. As per a Ledger Insights report, the platform will feature collections that combine physical and digital items and support a digital community on Discord.

The collections will include digital collectibles of runway pieces, limited edition physical garments, sneakers and accessories. The NFTs will potentially be used as wearables in the metaverse, but no partnership with an existing virtual reality platform was mentioned. The company is launching a D:VERSE key, which is a token-like asset that can be exchanged for discounted NFT pre-sales, raffles, prizes, and other NFTs.

The first collection will be based on pieces showcased at this year’s Milan fashion week from the Fall/Winter 2022 collection. In total, there will be four different NFTs that will be sold on the D:VERSE platform on a first come, first serve basis. However, no pricing has been released. In addition, there will be one single edition NFT that will be sold through an auction on Rarible’s platform.

This is not Diesel’s first go at NFTs. The brand launched a collaboration with digital fashion house The Fabricant and NFT Platform Neuno, which specializes in bringing luxury digital wearables to the metaverse.

The interaction of physical and virtual reality is growing in the fashion industry. One aspect that brands need to consider is how NFTs and digital assets in general can provide some utility for consumers instead of just being a static image on a screen.

DovCharney, Founder, American Apparel Inc, filed for bankruptcy along with his latest business venture, a vintage clothing store.

As per a BloomsbergQunit report, Charney was forced into bankruptcy court because he owed $30 million to a hedge fund involved with American Apparel, which shut down all of its outlets and became an online retailer after going through two of its own bankruptcies.

While in bankruptcy, Charney will be able to halt any debt-collection efforts while he works out a plan to repay as much as he can.

In the 1990s, Charney built American Apparel into a major retailer known for its made in USA marketing and racy advertising. The Los Angeles-based company became publicly traded in 2007 but within a few years, Charney was forced out as the company began losing money. It filed the first of two bankruptcies in 2015.

At its height, American Apparel had more $600 million in sales from hundreds of stores and employed thousands of people, including at a manufacturing plant in California.

Charney made a number of attempts to take back the company but was never able to get the financial backing he needed to close a deal.

The 53rd IHGF Fair 2022 will offer visitors a seamless in-person buying experience for those wanting to find new products and suppliers for Home, Lifestyle, Fashion, Textile & Furniture products.

The Asia's biggest show for home, lifestyle, fashion, textiles and furniture products will feature about 2,500 exhibitors presenting their new takes across fourteen product categories in its upcoming edition, scheduled from March 30 to April 3 2022.

. Inspired by a rich heritage and crafted from a variety of raw materials by a skillful workforce base, these products lines never fail to impress. Fit for new times, redefined lifestyles, reinvented households, altered routines and multiple work spaces, the product variations and innovations are in resonance to the emergent world. At the same time, there is plenty for craft connoisseurs, curators and collectors to choose from.

Theme Pavilions, Regional Exclusives, Artisanal Fare, Live Craft Making, Ramp Presentations, Workshops and Seminars will be part of the experience. This edition also focuses on major current themes like, sustainability, young entrepreneurs, women led export establishments and integrated design development outcomes.

Leaders in the US and Europe are banning export of luxury goods to Russia, and stripping it of favored trade status as it continues its assault on Ukraine. President Biden and G7 Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom as well as the European Union have criticized the assault on Ukraine, further isolating Russia from the global financial system.

Biden has signed an executive order to end the export of luxury items to any person located in the Russian Federation. Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Union, The EU also plans to take action to “make sure that the elites, proxies and oligarchs that support President Putin’s war are deprived of their access to luxury goods and assets.

Designers from Giorgio Armani to Demna Gvasalia are protesting against the war. Last week, several international brands and luxury fashion groups, from LVMH and Kering to Prada, Hermès and Moncler, announced they were temporarily pausing their commercial activities and shuttering their stores in Russia as a sign of protest against the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Kingpins was held in Amsterdam, October 19 to 20, 2022. The show provided a stage for mills, trims, technology companies and chemical suppliers to present their new concepts for spring/summer 2024.

While consumers are enthralled with jeans with an authentic stonewashed look, the industry is working overtime to give them what they want without reverting to the unhealthy dry finishing processes used in the 90s to achieve the effect.

Rudolf’s Dry Way is made without sand or other silica-containing compound. To add softness to the fabric, a new laundry aid that works in the dryer replaces traditional fabric softening. Dry Way allows for significant and measurable water and energy savings and is usable with any type of machinery. Technology company Tonello unveiled updates to its Laundry (R)Evolution that increases transparency, traceability and productivity. While much of Tonello’s focus has been on developing and enhancing its laser range, the company’s creative juices were also on display at the show. Garments featured a mix of static ozone and bleaching effects, colors derived from natural sources like persimmon, and layered effects, such as a jean that was mostly discharged of its indigo and then overdyed with natural dyes. The garments featured grades A to F on hangtags, determined by Metro, Tonello’s software that automatically measures the actual consumption of a laundry and summarizes the findings in environmental passports for each garment.

Zipper giant YKK presented the world’s first detachable button and rivet. The invention helps streamline the separation of metal trims from garments from recycling—a pain point for garment recycling centers—and brings metal trim-based fabric waste to zero.The buttons and rivets can be attached with standard machines and easily detached with a simple hand tool. They can also be finished with YKK’s Acro Plating technology, a range of non-toxic metal finishes produced using 65 percent less water, 60 percent less electricity and 90 percent less sludge generation compared to conventional processes.

Calik debuted B210, a multi-prong process that biodegrades its stretch and rigid fabrics within 210 days. B210 is a process that takes place across all stages of production, from yarn to dye, and is compatible with normal washing treatments and can be applied to non-denim fabrics as well.

Lycra Circular

Lycra presented a range of circular products, including CoolmaxEcoMade and Thermolite EcoMade. Made from 100 percent textile waste, the fibers are achieved by collecting scraps of polyester waste, followed by a depolymerization and refining step that turns the waste into chips. The chips become fibers woven into new fabrics with the same performance benefits as virgin materials.Lycra also introduced a new visual tool to help demonstrate the benefits of Lycra Adaptiv fiber. The CGI video showcased how the patent-pending polymer’s unique chemistry adjusts to fit a wearer’s functional needs. When the wearer is at rest, the polymer adapts its holding force to deliver the right fit, shape, and control. But when the wearer is in motion, the polymer adapts its elasticity to provide improved comfort and a second-skin effect that enables the garment to stay in place. This breakthrough fiber enables brands and retailers to create jeans that adapt to fit different body shapes and genders while offering consumers a liberating wearing experience with its soft and easy stretch.

Renowned athletic apparel brand Lululemon has forayed into the footwear market. The Vancouver-based apparel brand plans to launch four women’s footwear styles in 2022. It will also launch a men’s footwear collection in 2023, as per an Apparel Resources report.

The brand’s maiden collection of running shoes called Blissfeel will be available in selected stores across the UK, North America and Mainland China from April 2022. It will launch three more styles in 2022: Chargefeel, Restfeel and Strongfeel. A cross-training shoe Chargefeel will be especially made for gym training and short runs, On the other hand, the Restfeel range can be used as a post-workout shoe. The third Strongfeel, can be used for multi-directional movement. It will be released in the autumn.

Founded in 1998 as a retailer of yoga pants and other yoga wear, Lululemon has since expanded into athleticwear, lifestyle apparel and fashion accessories.

Burberry’s new show at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster was attended by actors, models, artists and musicians. As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, the show did not have any seats, front-row and guest hierarchy. Organized by designer Riccardo Tisci, the show was preceded by a low-key drinks party attended by actors Adam Driver, the new brand ambassador of Burberry; Rebecca Hall; Jacob Elordi; Eiza González; designers Christopher and Tammy Kane, and model pals Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Carla Bruni. There were also social media personalities including Dixie D’Amelio and Xenia Adonts.

Besides well- known personalities, the show was attended by a few of Tisci’s.personal friends including Italian singer-songwriter Mahmood; the British professional boxer Richard Riakporhe, film director Jared Buckheister and musician Andrew Vvarholla.

Among the models were Gigi and Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk, Ano Kyai, Mariacarla Boscono and Selena Forrest. During the show, they wove their way through the crowd, climbed on top of tables set for dinner with crystal and silver, and swept through the vast hall in feathery ballgowns and plaid skirts.

RMG shipments from Bangladesh to Russia and the payments from the buyers are declining every day as the country continues its war against Ukraine. As per a Daily Star report, garment suppliers in Bangladesh are not receiving payments as Russian Banks have been banned from using SWIFT, the global payments messaging network. The US recently also announced sanctions on four large Russian

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has opened a desk to help all types of apparel exporters inform it about orders received, executed and payments unpaid. Also, many shipping lines are not accepting goods for Russian buyers due to sanctions. These goods continue to lie idle in the Chattogram port.

The port currently has garment items amounting to $3 lakh as no shipping company is willing to transport them to the destination. Another 11 lakh of garment pieces are waiting to be manufactured as per orders. But there is uncertainty as the buyer is asking the supplier to delay shipments.

Local suppliers are also suffering due to the refusal of the international courier service companies’ to take documents to Russia. In the July-January period of the current fiscal year, suppliers sent garment items worth $415.47 million to Russia, registering a 36.47 per cent year-on-year growth, data from the Export Promotion Bureau shows.