Nigeria is revamping the cotton value chain. The golden age of cotton and textile was truncated after Nigeria discovered oil, which led to the closure of the popular Kaduna textile and other textile factories across the country.

Subsequently due to interventions in the cotton and textile value chain production increased from 80,000 metric tons to 133,000 metric tons. The number of factories in operation rose from seven to 23. The value of Nigeria’s cotton lint exports reached $64 million as of November 2022. An executive order mandating the military to patronise local textiles in producing their uniforms has also been a contributing factor to the growth of the cotton and textile sector.

Some 24 states are currently producing cotton in Nigeria with Katsina taking the lead. Nigeria has developed two varieties of transgenic cotton. These are aimed at addressing the issues of low yields, high production costs and insect attacks on cotton farms. Advanced technological tools like genetic engineering in crop production generate yields at economically viable scales for Nigerian farmers. Nigeria commercialized its first genetically modified crop, Bt cotton, in 2018, aimed at revitalizing its comatose textile industry and boosting economic development.

Since Bt cotton can resist the devastating bollworm and tolerate sucking insects, it helps farmers reduce their use of pesticides, thus minimizing environmental impacts and lowering production costs.

Guess has used Centric software to help reduce markdowns and increase stock availability through advanced analytics.

Centric, a Silicon Valley-based solutions provider, helped Guess transfer inventory online when brick-and-mortar shopping was disrupted by lockdowns.Guess achieved improved results almost immediately.

Pre-Covid operating margin was five percent at the end of fiscal year 2020 but had leapt to 12 percent by fiscal 2021. There was an increase of 250 basis points due to lower promotional activities alone. Operating in about 30 countries in Europe with four 8,000-SKU collections each year, and approximately 1,000 directly operated stores worldwide, the company could no longer rely on its outdated system of using Excel spreadsheets to plan merchandising and buying.

A spreadsheet-based program was no longer powerful enough to handle the sheer amount of complexity and information. So the decision was taken to go for planning software from Centric. Excess inventory has plagued many companies of late due to a lack of sales and over-ordering in an attempt to battle ongoing global supplychain delays. The new software kept inventory under control and improved operating margins by responding more quickly to marketplace disruptions, moving premium product lines onshore and reducing overstock and discounting.

The global athleisure market is growing at eight per cent a year.

Athleisure clothing includes casual pants, bomber jackets, polo shirts, crewneck sweaters, and others. Athleisure appeals to several broad trends, such as the global shift toward consumers wearing more casual attire, the desire for comfortable clothing, and the increase in athletic activity among health-conscious consumers who need performance clothing for these activities.

There has been an increase in the desire for highly comfortable clothing with sports features when engaging in any activity. Wide pockets and elastic knot elements have become crucial products for carrying bulky mobile phones, purses, and other daily necessities. In addition, the athleisure market is witnessing traction with continuously changing fashion trends.

The online distribution segment witnessed a 16 per cent surge in year to year growth in 2021 and this trend is projected to continue in the coming years. The opportunity for online distribution will be appealing as a part of business expansion. With a dominant market share, the online distribution channel will likely increase. The segment’s growth can be attributed to consumers buying more apparel through online distribution channels. A further factor boosting demand in the athleisure market is the expansion of online e-commerce platforms.

India has been gaining in importance for Karl Mayer, especially for warp knitting machines used in the clothing sector. The currently installed capacities can be diversified and expanded by investing in various warp knitting machines.

Karl Mayer’s warp preparation business unit has been successfully in India for many years. The company feels India plays a major role for the Karl Mayer group simply because of its large population. In addition, the boundary conditions are right. In this country with its long textile tradition, there are large cotton and polyester suppliers, and there is no shortage of labour.

India is an important sales region for the Stoll flat knitting machine business of the Karl Mayer group. Karl Mayer Stoll India operates from locations in Mumbai, Noida, Ludhiana, Tirupur and Surat, and offers customers services, fast delivery of spare parts, training through anacademy and machine presentations in showrooms in some of these locations.

In Ahmedabad, Karl Mayer also maintains its own production site. This is where warp sectional warping machine is built for the Indian market. Customers benefit from the high quality of all products made by Karl Mayer and also from the advantages of investing in national currency and from reliability in the supply of spare parts and support.

Hugo Boss’ polo shirt is made from HeiQAeoniQ fiber. The product is crafted with 87 per cent HeiQAeoniQ, a revolutionary cellulosic yarn created from certified wood pulp, one of the many renewable raw materials it can be made of, featuring the same performance attributes as polyester.

This first drop by Hugo Boss makes the dream of replacing polyester for a more sustainable alternative tangible while keeping all the features that made synthetic fibers so widespread.Fabrics made from this high-performance yarn are on par with conventional fabrics like polyester and nylon due to the yarn’s tensile strength, elasticity, and abrasion resistance.

At the same time, they also demonstrate a significantly better environmental footprint. Whereas polyester and nylon fibers are produced from non-renewable fossil fuels, making the textile industry the second-largest global polluter, HeiQAeoniQ yarn is made from cellulose, a renewable raw material that enables the transformation of a whole sector.

HeiQAeoniQ is a more sustainable, circular, and closed-loop cellulosic textile yarn. Widespread implementation of HeiQAeoniQ can help decarbonize the atmosphere, prevent further microplastic pollution in water and preserve agricultural l and.

For Hugo Boss, the partnership with HeiQ represents yet another important milestone on its journey towards becoming the leading premium tech-driven fashion platform worldwide.

Moda will take place in the UK, February 5 to 8, 2023.This is the UK’s longest standing fashion trade show.

The Moda Catwalk will feature the latest women’swear, footwear and accessories brought to life. Key trends include Sundial, The Vibe, Electric, and Different Angles. Buyers will also be presented with curated sponsored scenes from Saloos, Jayley Collection, Lighthouse Clothing, and the footwear headline sponsor is Lunar, a global footwear brand offering a vast and unique range of colourful and elegant designs. With high-energy trend-led catwalk shows and hours of inspirational and informative talks offering invaluable business advice, visitors flock to the

Moda Catwalk stage season after season to learn and be inspired. The founder and director of The Stylist will speak on style meets retail with tips for buyers and independent retailers on how to buy successfully with the eye of a stylist. The last couple of years have seen an explosion of interest in behavioural science. And yet, despite the growth of recognized behavioural biases and tactical nudges, many are still unaware of the benefits on offer as part of any marketing mix. All this and more will be presented at a workshop.

An e-commerce consultant will explore common issues that cost fashion e-commerce businesses serious money but are often overlooked.

The global shapewear market is growing at eight per cent a year. This covers bodysuits, corsets, control tights, control panties, control slips, girdles and slimming camisoles.

Shapewear is a type of underwear which helps in looking slim and improving the body figure by compressing the fats and skin folds. As people nowadays are very conscious about their appearance and their social status, achieving the ideal body shape and complying with beauty standards in society has become critical. For this purpose, people are increasingly using shapewear products. This will continue to boost the market.

Shapewear helps people in achieving the ideal body shape without going to the gym and dieting, gaining demand among women as well as men. They also help people to deal with body deformities. Shapewears are increasingly popular undergarments in the fashion business. These shaping underwear are designed for certain areas such as the stomach, waist, hips, and thighs. People can utilize the appropriate shapewear depending on their needs.

Because shapewear instantaneously provides optimum figure and body configurations, the working population, particularly women looking for work-leisure attire, is acquiring and wearing it.Because they are flexible and tensile, synthetic materials such as neoprene, spandex, and lycra are often utilized for shapewear.

The share of apparel and textiles among the total merchandise exports of India declined to eight per cent in December 2022 from nine per cent the previous year.

Total exports of apparel and textiles contracted almost 11 per cent for April 2022 to December 2022. These exports shrank 21 per cent in December 2022 and shipments of handlooms, cotton yarns and fabrics declined by 40 per cent year on year in December 2022.

High cotton prices are probably one of the major reasons for the decline in exports. One industry opinion is that if the import duty on cotton were to be removed this will enable India to stay competitive in the global trade of apparel and textiles. However, exports of readymade garments showed a marginal growth of one per cent in December 2022 compared to the earlier year. Readymade garment exports in December 2022 were higher by ten per cent year on year compared to exports in December 2021.

Garment exports from India to Australia are likely to see a jump of 30 per cent as a result of the free trade agreement. Various Indian products, including textiles and apparel, will have preferential market access to the Australian market with zero customs duty.

MySize tackles returns. This is a sizing technology that uses algorithms and AI to match shoppers with an optimized fit based on a brand’s product-specific sizing chart.

MySize is a measurement app that provides sizing recommendations. The measurement solution bolsters buying confidence in customers by quickly generating their ideal size, which further increases brand loyalty and conversion rates for the retailer while reducing returns.

Based on customer engagement, the technology allows retailers to optimize their customer sizing data and maintain appropriate inventory levels on relevant items. The solution’s more accurate, size recommendations reduces product returns.

Returns are identified as an albatross around retail’s neck. For as many as 91 per cent of merchants, returns are accelerating faster than revenue. An estimated 70 per cent of e-commerce returns are size related, leading to unnecessary environmental and carbon impacts.

This technology has a proven track record with jeans brands. It helps them achieve their environmental goals while delivering the added benefits of more satisfied customers and improved operating economics. The widget has helped Levi’s reduce returns by as much as 47 per cent, saving the company on steep reverse logistics costs. For Boyish Jeans customer returns dropped approximately 31 per cent after the brand implemented the MySize widget on its website.

Istanbul Fashion Connection will be held in Turkey, February 8 to 11, 2023.

Over 600 exhibitors will give an overview of the new collections in the areas of women’swear, men’swear, children’s wear, denim, sportswear, night dresses, wedding dresses, lingerie, socks, leather and furs. Brands use the trade fair as a platform to expand their international customer network.

The event is an essential platform to meet new buyers and business partners. More than 25,000 visitors from over 100 nations from all sales channels, from department stores and boutiques to online platforms from Europe, the Central Asian markets and the Arabian Gulf region, in addition to buyers from Turkey, are expected.

The event will highlight the creativity of the Turkish fashion scene and provide access to new sales markets while at the same time connecting potential production partners to optimize the supply chain.

The supporting program will offer top-class seminars and lectures. The special focus is on the topic of sustainability. Turkish design is increasingly gaining international recognition. Turkey has a lively and creative design scene and high-quality fashion brands that are redefining the image of made in Turkey. The manufacturing sector is an important branch of the economy for the industry.