Lenzing and NFW (Natural Fiber Welding) have partnered to add fabrics made of Tencel to Mirum.

Tencel is the flagship brand of Lenzing. Mirum is NFW’s patented plant-based technology. The aim is to enhance material transparency and traceability while guaranteeing comfort and great hand feel on the skin.

Mirum is a unique class of material, perfect for luxury accessories, fashion, footwear, automotive, and home goods. Completely free from plastic, Mirum is made from natural rubber, plant and mineral pigments, plant-based oils and waxes, and an all-natural fabric backing.

The collaboration creates a uniquely sustainable alternative for leather applications as both Tencel fibers and Mirum are versatile enough to be used in multiple applications.At the end of its life cycle, products made with Mirum can be recycled into new Mirumor ground up and returned to the earth, while Tencel fibers are compostable and biodegradable, enabling complete circularity of finished products.

One of the best examples of the collaboration is the Allbirds Plant Pacer. The shoe’s upper is made with Mirum lined with Tencel. Mirum is an ideal option for designers and brands looking to reduce their environmental footprint and expand their creative palettes. Tencel fibers are soft and pleasant on the skin, with outstanding moisture management.

JD Sports has a focus on cracking the American market. The UK brand wants to grow its US store network from 137 to about 800 over the next five years.

About half will come from store conversions of Finish Line (the sportswear retailer acquired in 2018) into JD-branded stores. The other half will be new stores, focused on the western US. JD Sports wants to achieve double-digit sales growth and profit margins over the next five years and the North American market will be crucial to achieving that goal.

The challenge will be raising brand awareness in the US, where JD Sports has only 2,95,000 Instagram followers, compared with 2.1 million in the UK. The retailer is using payment data to track consumers who are spending at rivals and then targeting them with ads when they watch YouTube.

The key to its US-dominated expansion will be JD Sports’ growing relationship with Nike.The US giant’s Air Force 1 footwear range accounts for between ten per cent and 20 per cent of JD’s annual footwear sales.The American focus, added to expansion plans in Europe and Asia, would result in about 1,400 JD stores opening over the next five years, taking the total to more than 2,400.

Forever 21 is relaunching in Japan.

Forever 21 typically targets teenagers and young adults, but is aiming for a wider, upmarket clientele in Japan, hoping to attract women up to their 30s. The aim is to localize the brand by size, color and design. The objective is to create a long-lasting brand. Forever 21 stores in Japan typically sold between 800 and 1,000 items before the chain withdrew from the market in 2019. Now the number of pieces has been brought down to between 120 and 150, and physical stores will be smaller. The quality of materials used has been improved.

The intent is to open about a dozen physical stores in Japan. Some 60 per cent of sales would be online. The assumption is that expanding a brand that’s already widely recognized is quicker than starting from scratch. The relaunch is being overseen by local partner Adastria, Japan’s third-largest apparel maker.

Adastria is also interested in expanding Forever 21 to other Asian markets. American brand Forever 21 was established in the 1980s and grew rapidly in the 2000s with the global rise of fast fashion. Forever 21 is known for trendy, of-the-moment clothing for teens like T-shirts with decals, neon sweatshirts and denim short-shorts.

Despite swimming against the rising tide of high costs of raw materials, complicated shipping and transportation logistics, increased inflation and higher cost of living in post-pandemic years, a reasonably good growth in global fashion sales is expected in 2023 by most fashion retailers.

Global fashion companies are now focussing on strong sourcing diversification, supply chain agility, and sustainable operations to circumvent the current crunch and effectively sail through 2023 with their head above waters.

Despite the growth slowdown in the second half of 2022, which is likely to continue through 2023, the appeal industry has earmarked some clear area-wise global winners and high-performance sectors such as the luxury segment within the fashion apparel sector. According to a recent McKinsey report titled ‘The State of Fashion 2023’, the expectation is global fashion sales growth will be 5 to per cent for luxury and a negative 2 per cent to a positive 3 per cent for the rest of the industry in 2023, as sluggish sales growth slowly tries to return to pre-pandemic times.

Global region-wise alterations in performance

Clear area-wise alterations in performance are expected within the sector with Europe witnessing lean growth in 2023 although China and the US markets are likely to fare better, increasing between 2 and 7 per cent and 1 and 6 per cent, respectively. The McKinsey report also points out that the Middle East fashion market along with parts of Asia Pacific will be quickly developing this year with many fashion brands and apparel companies planning to re-direct their operations to these areas soon as their higher precedence territories.

Brands now need to carefully plan trademark protection in new areas such as the Middle East to make the most of their 2023 expansion. The rising geopolitical uncertainty and uneven economic recoveries post pandemic will make re-direction of markets even more challenging. Fashion brands need to update their operating models, fine-tune their strategies for their supply chain, sales channels, and digital marketing as well as create an all-new portfolio for the coming few seasons.

In dealing with inflation and geopolitical concerns, the McKinsey report points out fashion companies that can adjust to the growing complexity by updating their operating models and fine-tune their strategies for supply chain, sales channels, and digital marketing will be best positioned to weather the upcoming storm.

Rapid change in modern fashion trends

Gender-fluid fashion is now on-trend as consumer attitudes toward gender identity and expression are rapidly changing with lines blurring between menswear and womenswear which will require brands to rethink their product design, marketing, and in-store and digital shopping experiences. The formal wear dress code is now also changing as office events become more casual and special occasions like weddings requiring statement-making outfits that are rented or bought to stand out.

Anything that is considered fashionable will stand out this season, be it trendy Polo T-shirts or casual fashionable shirts, with the top-wear segment sales figures far higher than bottom-wear. Two-track spending is expected as different income level consumers will be affected differently by the economic turbulence in 2023, which will increase demand for resale, rental, and off-price products.

Rental products will be trending with dedicated platforms, brands, retailers and even media groups offering rental over buying in a post-pandemic party surge that will make this sector worth over $2 billion globally by 2025. Throughout 2022, new rental offerings were introduced across the price spectrum by brands such as H&M, Marks & Spencer in the middle range and Matches Fashion Rental at the luxury end along with the launch of US-based ModLuxRent by Modern Luxury Media among others. With a finger on the pulse of changed consumer demands with tighter purse strings, fashion brands can still keep their profits soaring, if they play the cards right.

Denims and jeans will be held in Vietnam, March1 to 2, 2023.

The event which will see the participation of many big denim manufacturers from more than ten countries will showcase the latest fashion trends and innovations in the global denim industry.

The event will be attractive to retailers, fashion brands and textile companies from around the world, especially from the EU and the US. It is aimed at offering a good opportunity for exhibitors to seek and establish partnerships and is expected to attract about 35 exhibitors and 1,200 visitors.

Vietnamese fashion brands will display their innovative denim products, including recycled denim. Six seminars will be held on the sidelines of the event, with discussions of international experts focusing on the future of denim supply, the denim supply chain for sustainable development, breakthroughs in the denim fabric industry with the help of innovative AI-based solutions, and the latest innovations in laundry chemistry.

Vietnam exports more than 65 million pieces of denim every year.Among textile and garment exporting countries in the world, Vietnam had the earliest opening-up policy for normal operation after the Covid pandemic. Therefore, in the first six months of the year, Vietnam's textile and garment industry had a large number of orders and good business results.

Uniqlo feels America is a tough market to crack. The brand’s share in the US retail clothing market is less than one per cent.

One reason is supposed to be differing tastes in clothing, which makes expansion especially tough. During the pandemic, many shoppers moved away from cities to seek more space to avoid infections, which impacted store locations and required the company to think more strategically about online sales.

Tastes also shifted toward comfortable clothing as people spent more time at home. The first Uniqlo store in the US opened in 2005 and the brand has to struggle since then. The clothing company now has 61 stores in the US. In China Uniqlo has some 900 stores. Europe has 112 Uniqlo outlets.

Known for its simple but fashionable take on everything from office wear to pajamas, Uniqlo has become a marketing and apparel phenomenon in its home market of Japan. It’s been able to replicate some of that success in other parts of Asia, as well as in Europe, but the North American market has been an elusive goal. But the target for the US is 200 stores in four years, with an operating margin of 20 per cent by 2027.

Tirupur’s knitwear exports have started growing after a gap of several months.

Global brands have started placing more orders from the region. Garment units in Tirupur had fallen silent during the pandemic due to high yarn prices, the aftershocks of demonetisation and the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST).

In January 2023, exports from Tirupur increased by 1.5 per cent. The rise in exports comes after a drop of 14.7 per cent in August 2022, 30.7 per cent in September 2022, 37.8 per cent in October 2022, 6.9 per cent in November 2022 and 12.9 per cent in December 2022.

This dip in exports was mainly due to demand from Europe and the US waning due to inflation, recession and the Ukraine war.Demand was also affected due to the volatility in cotton and yarn prices as well as competition from nations such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and Thailand which quoted lesser prices for their garments.

Tirupur received more orders, in part, to Turkish factories shutting down as well as reduction in the inventory levels of buyers. Some 63 per cent of the total knitwear exports from India go to the US and Europe, with 34 per cent going to the US and 29 per cent going to Europe, followed by nine per cent to the UK.

JC Penney has partnered with Prabal Gurung on a women’s wear line.

It includes a 25-piece, size-inclusive collection of dresses and jumpsuits and is a celebration of diversity, inclusion and optimism. Apparel sizes range from XS to 3X and 2 to 24W.

While this appears to be a bold move to bring in a new customer base with the aid of a luxury designer, American department store JC Penney has made recent efforts to expand its apparel and accessory offerings. JCPenney has strengthened its omnichannel experience by meeting customers where they are with the brands they love and all the ways they want to shop.

In the past year alone, JCPenney has strategically introduced and relaunched 16 private and exclusive national brands―six of which are entirely new private brands―across all divisions. These cumulative efforts are helping to win back customers and gain market share.

JCPenney celebrated its 120th year of business in 2022 with the operation of 670 stores in the US. It plans to continue building on the momentum.

Gurung is an award-winning designer based in the US. He has championed inclusivity in the fashion world by featuring models of diverse backgrounds and partnering with a plus-size retailer. Gurung has highlighted Nepal in his collections, including incorporating the embroidery of Nepalese artisans, and his success is a source of pride in his home country.

Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) will be held at Noida, March 15 to 19, 2023.

The edition will be structured with a larger display of over 3,000 exhibitors, themes as well as collective displays, several curated lines and design affirmations with a cross section of exhibitors ranging from medium and small exporters, artisan entrepreneurs and designers to India’s leading manufacturer-exporters.

A choice of over 2000 products and more than 300 trend specific design developments across 14 display segments defines this show. The business-to-business event is designed to showcase Indian-made goods spanning home, lifestyle, fashion, textiles, and furniture product categories.

This edition the trade show will have a special focus on sustainable materials, which are aimed at creating pleasing and functional items while minimizing the impact on the environment.The trade show is designed to celebrate India’s vibrant cultural heritage while linking manufacturing businesses with buyers, wholesalers, and retailers.

The trade show will provide networking opportunities to link businesses and is part of the wider aim at boosting Indian handicrafts exports and domestic business. Added attractions like theme pavilions, trend areas, craft demonstrations, ramp presentations, knowledge seminars, buyer lounges and refreshment zones would make attending the show a truly wholesome experience.

Retail sales in the UK picked up slightly in January 2023.

Motorists filled up their cars more often with petrol and diesel in January, as the cost of fuel continued to fall, and automotive fuel sales volumes rose by 1.7 per cent.

Discounting helped boost sales for online retailers as well as jewellers, cosmetic stores, and carpet and furnishing shops. But despite the slight rise in retail sales in January, the trend appears to be heading downwards. Sales volumes fell by 0.6 per cent in the three months to January, when compared with the previous three months. When compared with the same November to January period a year earlier, retail sales volumes were 5.7 per cent lower.As a result, last month’s overall sales volumes remained 1.4 per cent below pre-pandemic levels recorded in February 2020. Sales volumes for December, which showed a surprise slide in purchases, were also revised lower from a fall of one per cent to a fall of 1.2 per cent.

Many consumers reined in their spending over the festive season. Stubbornly high food and drink prices prompted consumers to cut back on their grocery purchases, and food store sales volumes fell by 0.5 per centin January 2023 after a fall of 0.7 per cent in December 2022. Shoppers have continued to cut back on food purchases amid rampant increases in grocery prices and the squeeze on household budgets.