Mongolian cashmere herders are using blockchain technology developed by Convergence. Cashmere is naturally scarce, and its quality and quantity are limited by climate and geography. Herders face income instability and uncertainty and are often indebted to intermediaries for cash advances. There’s a lack of agreement on sustainability and chain of custody processes. Grazing lands are rapidly degrading, threatening the viability of the entire industry.

The process connects buyers interested in sustainability with sellers who follow sustainable practices. The traceability of cashmere is transparent from the herder, all the way through to the end consumer as a result of utilizing blockchain technology. The project has been an enormous success with significant quantities of cashmere getting tracked across three provinces in north-eastern Mongolia, from origin, shearing at herder households, to destination, a processing facility in Ulaanbaatar. Leveraging blockchain technology within the transformation of the cashmere industry can provide numerous benefits for Mongolian herders, buyers, and sellers alike and allow farmers to track their cashmere. Along with this, bales and packing slips get high-frequency RFID tags attached to them. This technology helps mitigate risks by eradicating the traditional manual processes that were time-consuming and prone to human error.

Based in Canada, Convergence provides comprehensive advisory and product development services, with a primary focus on blockchain technology. It operates globally with active projects in 14 different cities worldwide.

The upcoming Milan Fashion Week will feature a presentation of Reloved, sustainable denim collection developed by haikure in partnership with ISKO.

The projects stand for the great attention paid by both brands to the responsibility issue and it features the innovative R-TWO fabrics. These are made with a blend of reused cotton and recycled polyester, both certified, resulting as the perfect denim ingredient for a collection that rethink sustainability also in terms of fit.

The event will take place on February 22 at Clan Upstairs (Vicolo Fiori 2, Milan).

Monforts customer RajbyTextiles is the first company in the world to have finally achieved the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Platinum Standard for a product.

Its Beluga denim fabrics have gained the ultimate sustainability score in all five categories covered by the C2C standard, which is acknowledged as involving the toughest and most thorough testing and assessment it is possible to put a product through.

As such, Beluga denim fabric is based on 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and employs no hazardous chemicals in its production. At the same time, it is both recyclable and biodegradable, with 100% of the energy used in its production offset by green energy and involving a closed loop system with no wastewater generated and no material wastage.

Until now, no company has been able to achieve a Platinum rating for any product across all ten separate product areas in the C2C programme, which was first introduced in 2005.

The C2C Certified Product Standard guides designers and manufacturers through a continual improvement process, aiming to achieve a circular economy approach. The five quality categories on which products are graded are material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness.

A product receives an achievement level in each of these categories – Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum – with the lowest achievement level representing the product’s overall mark.

The criteria at each level builds towards the expectation of eliminating all toxic and unidentified chemicals, and the products breaking back down to nutrients after use, top establish a safe, continuous cycle.

To meet the active cycling requirement, Rajby has committed to using Beluga denim fabric exclusively in apparel products sold by retailers with take back programmes in place and estimated expected cycling rates for such products. Rajby collaborated with C&A, which led the research and quantification for this initial certification through its We Take it Back programme and will track active cycling rates through it.

“When we started working for C2C Gold certification it wasn’t easy, because the requirements are very tough,” says Safdar Shah, who led the C2C project team at Rajby. “We worked very hard to create a completely green supply chain and we also modified our machines and processes to meet the standard, going beyond what was required and creating a 100% closed loop process, including Zero Waste Water Discharge Dyeing (ZDD) and Zero Waste Water Discharge Finishing (ZDF).

“As a result, we have reduced the load of our biological ETP water effluent plant by approximately 99%, since we are not discharging a single drop of water in the entire process. The fabrics are named after the Beluga whale and dedicated to preserving ocean life.”

Experts from Monforts will be on hand to discuss the latest technologies for sustainable denim finishing at the forthcoming IGATEX International Exhibition for Garments, Textiles and Accessories which takes place in Lahore, Pakistan, from July 1-4, 2020.

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, as well as Kering Eyewear. In 2019, Kering had over 38,000 employees and revenue of €15.9 billion.

Kering has released its full year financial results. Highlights 

Consolidated revenue: €15,883.5 million up 16.2% as reported and 13.3% on a comparable basis

Recurring operating income up 19.6 % to € 4,778.3 million.

Recurring operating margin of 30.1 %

Net income, Group share of € 2,308.6 million

Recurring net income, Group share up 15.1% to €3,211.5 million

Recommended dividend of €11.50 per share, up 10%

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Kering delivered another year of sustained profitable growth in 2019, as total revenues significantly exceeded the 15-billion-euro mark and our recurring operating margin topped 30% for the first time ever. We are pursuing the implementation of our strategy — we are focused on developing our Houses, executing flawlessly, and creating value. In the challenging period China is facing right now, we want to express once again our support to all our colleagues and our solidarity with the Chinese people. These particularly uncertain conditions don’t call into question Kering’s fundamentals in the Luxury industry. Thanks to the strength of our model, the talent and dedication of our 38,000 people sharing a culture of creativity and responsibility, and to our disciplined financial stewardship, we are confident in our growth potential in the medium and long term.”

Consolidated revenue up 13.3% on a comparable basis to €15,883.5 million:

• Very sustained growth at Gucci (up 13.3% comparable).

• Outstanding increase in revenue from Saint Laurent throughout the year (up 14.4% comparable).

• Return to growth at Bottega Veneta (up 2.2% comparable), owing to the success of its new collections.

• Remarkable performance from Kering’s Other Houses (up 17.8% comparable), driven by momentum at Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen.

Sharp growth in recurring operating income; record recurring operating margin.

Today’s consumers demand versatility in their apparel, whether they’re shopping for work, sports or leisure wear. Work wear is no longer just about style, and sports and leisure wear is no longer just about stretch, while the demands for high-performance textiles in every category continue to increase. More and more consumer brands are looking to Schoeller’s established technologies to deliver not only beautiful fabrics that offer comfort and style but also breathability and the best in water and dirt repellence to their customers.

3xDry finishing technology from Schoeller allows the exterior of a textile to be water repellent, while the inside absorbs moisture and quickly distributes it over the surface. As a result, textiles with 3xDry dry much faster in comparison to conventional textiles. Since the launch of 3xDry in 2001, the technology has proven performance focused mostly on sportswear. Now that demands within the fashion industry are also trending toward performance textiles, more of its apparel brands are also turning to the patented 3xDry technology’s reliability and versatility for functional jackets, pants and shirts:

Canadian brand Kit and Ace continues to feature 3xDry in jackets and commuter pants: Water repellent Navigator Excursion Jacket and Navigator Commute Pant are designed with functionality and versatility in mind and make the transition from bike to boardroom seamless.

Pinnacle outdoor brand Arcteryx continues using 3xDry in its functional commuter pants: Combining dynamic performance with city styling, the A2B Commuter Pant easily transitions from bike to workplace. Comfortable and casual, the Devis Pant uses a cotton blend stretch fabric that is stain resistant, repels water and wicks moisture.

Aspirational adventure brand Vollebak trusts in 3xDry in the field of functional shirts: Planet Earth Shirt is water and dirt repellent, bacteria resistant and fast drying, it’s built from advanced high-performance materials that stretch and breathe like sports gear.

Manual Outfitters relies on Schoeller textiles with 3xDry for its All-In Performance Dress Shirt that offers 4-way stretch comfort, blocks sweat stains and repels liquids throughout a long work day.

While functional offerings from apparel companies in varying categories begin to overlap more and more, end users benefit from garments with greater versatility. Favorite pieces that are higher quality and more durable can be worn for a longer period of time and contribute to a careful and sustainable use of textiles and garments

Fast fashion is increasingly becoming disposable fashion as consumers are discarding their clothes after only one use. In the UK alone, consumers throw away over 300,000 tons of clothing every year. And part of the problem is over-production of clothing that is never sold. A power plant in Sweden recently switched to H&M clothing instead of coal to generate energy. In 2017, the power plant incinerated 15 tons of H&M products. Contrast this with luxe brand Burberry which burned around $37 million in clothing sometime ago to avoid selling it at a discount.

Use of organic fibers on the rise

Taking eco-friendly revolution to a new level, brands are using non GMO soy clothing, organic linen fiber, and Lyocell fiber to make clothes. Rising demand for such clothes is also fuelling the rise of new startups. A recent example is Alternative Apparel acquired by major clothing maker Hanes in 2017. The label ensures sustainability through the use of organic cotton, recycled polyester and plastic bottles for the creation of eco-fabrics, non-toxic, gentle dyes and water-conserving washes. It also uses organic packaging, which saves 2,100 trees, 860,000 gallons of water, 120 tons of carbon dioxide and 400 cubic yards of landfill every year.

New apps for reinventing distribution

Along with manufacturing, distribution of clothes is also being reinvented with new modes emerging. For instance, Stitch Fix introduced a new data-driven app that enables consumers to buy clothes and keep them for about a week before returning them. Banking on American demand to remain fashionable with minimum waste, the startup is trying to create a sustainable niche for itself in the market. Besides its own, it is also pushing over 1,000 other brands and earned over $366 million in the first quarter of 2019.

With upcycling becoming the new buzzword, demand for digital second-hand stores with a twist is also increasing. A well-curated thrift store, thredUP sells everything from dresses and coats to handbags and other accessories on the simple premise of waste-not, want-not.

Festival of Fashion, Pure London ended after a successful three days of business and inspiration welcoming visitors from over 80 countries. Despite hurricane Ciara, buyers from stores including Selfridges, Debenhams, Next, Galeries Lafayette, Pamela Shiffer, Sunday Best, Asos, New Look, The Dressing Room, and Jules B flocked to Olympia for the AW20/21 presentation of over 1,300 inspirational and trend-led collections along with a three-day programme of insightful, challenging and stimulating content. While sourcing and manufacturing show Pure Origin attracted sourcing managers from brands including Prada, Burberry, Ann Summers, Gibbons, Next, Karen Millen, Maniere De Voir, Long Tall Sally, James Lakeland, Lipsy, Radley & Co, Monsoon, The Sourcing Team, YMC, Gloverall, Centro Sourcing, Amazon and TK Maxx.

Martin Arnold, Fashion Portfolio Director of Hyve Group plc said: “Buyers really made the effort this season highlighting the importance and relevance that Pure London has in the buying calendar. Even with trains and flights cancelled due to the weather they showed the true grit of UK fashion to keep it business as usual, demonstrating the resilience of the market.” The show maintained a high level of visitors throughout the three days, with exhibitors commenting on the quality of the buyers and a continued interest in buying ahead for the new season.

The AW20/21 catwalk shows and Unique Style Platform trend presentations were a big success, whilst talks on the Nomad and Origin Stages were delivered to packed audiences. Over 2500 people digested topics focused on sustainability, authenticity, visual merchandising, textile production and fabric life-cycles, garment marking, sourcing advice, industry standards, fashion-tech innovation, forecasting, inclusivity and empowerment, as well as a daily morning briefing outlining the unexpected benefits of Brexit and a workshop session on building business strategy to be Brexit resilient.

Trend partner Unique Style Platform outlined the macro trends for the AW20/21 season, highlighting a younger generational divide of Greta Thunberg vs Love Island groups – those fighting fast fashion opposed to those over-consuming it. Jane Kellock, Founder and Creative Director of USP said; “We are entering an era of extremes and conflict in society. AW20/21 is about finding balance.” The four key trends, Hibernate, Attune, Opulence and Nu-Tech were brought to life on the catwalk with a showcase of exhibiting brand collections. The next show takes place on the 19th – 21st July 2020 at Olympia London.

Yesterday, Wu Qing, vice mayor of Shanghai, together with a group of officials from the industry and public health departments in the city, toured Shanghai Challenge Textile Company Limited which is seated in Tinglin town in Jinshan District, outskirt in the southwest of Shanghai, for inspecting protective gear production to solve problems that might crop up at the time when the existing machines are running in full capacity and the new lines are put on stream because the populous metropolitan itself has to challenge the shortage of protective textiles with increasingly incoming workers who return after Chinese Lunar New Year holidays.

Robert Yang (1st on the right), ex-president of China Knitting Industry Association (2005-2015), incumbently, president of Shanghai Challenge Textile Co. Limited, reported that the company was called to produce protective garments on a short notice, and mobilized in a quick-responsive system to get the first batch of raw materials on February 3 to turn out 500 units of quarantine-purposed protective clothing the next day. The trial production was a success on daily account because the company has, for twenty years, been specialized in high-end fine wool fleece knit fabric and garment, including outdoor sports wear rather than this category of medical and health protective wear. As of February 9, the daily output is rated at 5000 units in capacity and expected to reach 10,000 in five days after remodeling the process flow and management improvement. Robert Yang pledged to expand the production capacity for the one-off isolation apparel to arrive at 20,000 units a day as driven by the pressing demand of the grave situation for the epidemic disease prevention and control and the actual needs from the government and the market.

Robert Yang’s outlook to the market demand is right as the source from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) shows that as of February 2, the whole country was accessible only to 20,000 units of medical and health protective wear in daily output, a marginal increase from that of January 28, still leaving much room to be fulfilled, far from cry, as thousands and thousands of doctors and nurses dispatched across the country to Wuhan, the coronavirus-ridden city, need to be well-equipped against any trace of possible contagion on the battle front, people from all walks of life from villages to cities in the country also need preventative measures to protect themselves against risk in daily life.

As a years-long business partner for famous international brands, such as Adidas, Uniqlo, Milliken, Polartec, Icebreaker, VF Corporation etc., Shanghai Challenge Textile Co. Limited is trustworthy of being a reliant, efficient, corporate-compliant quality supplier for medical-care protective wear and gear.

 Contributed by Mr. ZHAO Hong 

He is working for CHINA TEXTILE magazine as Editor-in-Chief in addition to being involved in a plethora of activities for the textile industry. He has worked for the Engineering Institute of Ministry of Textile Industry, and for China National Textile Council and continues to serve the industry in the capacity of Deputy Director of China Textile International Exchange Centre, V. President  of China Knitting Industry Association, V. President of China Textile Magazine and its Editor-in-Chief for the English Version, Deputy Director of News Centre of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), Deputy Director of International Trade Office, CNTAC, Deputy Director of China Textile Economic Research Centre. He was also elected once ACT Chair of Private Sector Consulting Committee of International Textile and Clothing Bureau (ITCB)

Coats, an industrial thread company that offers more than 20 products in ten sizes of thread has bought Pharr High Performance Yarns.

The acquisition of Pharr’s manufacturing capabilities and customer base will provide further expertise and scale to Coats’ existing personal protection business. Pharr wanted to find the right buyer and found it in Coats, a global leader with a long, proven track record, which understands Pharr along with its commitment to its associates and communities. Coats can enhance Pharr’s performance by leveraging its extensive textile experience, strong industry connections, existing operational footprint in North America, and strong brand to deliver high performance solutions for its customers. With Pharr, Coats hopes to acquire a deep expertise in technical yarn solutions and create ever lighter, stronger and more comfortable yarns for the most extreme environments. Coats and Pharr hope to collaborate by building on synergies to develop innovative products.

Coats supplies the market more than a hundred thousand colors in the market. It has launched many ranges of new innovative threads. One of these is the waterproof AS thread, which is used in footwear and down jackets. Pharr, based in the US, is a manufacturer of high-performance engineered yarns and specialises in providing technical yarn solutions to the industrial thermal protection, defense and fire service industries.

Bangladesh can become an example of a protective global supply chain, providing a model that can be adopted by countries around the world. It has been almost seven years since the Rana Plaza factory disaster, killing more than 1,100 workers, mostly young women, and injuring 2,500 others.

More broadly, there is a need for fresh approaches to address labor rights in Bangladesh and elsewhere. Buyers need to acknowledge how their own business models – which put a premium on lowest cost and fastest turnaround – often exacerbate pressures on local factory owners and harm workers. These global brands must also move away from the punitive policing model that currently places blame on local suppliers whenever factory auditors spot a problem. Instead, there is a need for a more collaborative model, one that emphasizes greater communications and cooperation between buyers and suppliers, and shares responsibility for the well-being of workers.

Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry is the second largest in the world and a major supplier to Europe. Since 2008, Bangladesh apparel exports have more than tripled, garment sector exports account for 82 per cent of all exports from the country. This tremendous growth has helped fuel the country’s economic development and cut the level of extreme poverty to half since 2000.