The adiponitrile market is growing at a rate of around 4.5 per cent. Even as automotive applications continue to hold dominance in the adiponitrile market, end use applications in the textile sector for the production of clothing fiber, rugs and carpets are growing. Adiponitrile for nylon synthesis applications accounts for over 85 per cent of the global adiponitrile market. Most end-use applications for adiponitrile are aimed at the production of automotive components and materials, which account for nearly 42 per cent of the global market, necessitated by the high strength and temperature requirements of components like plug parts, radiator housing and hydraulic brakes.

The adiponitrile market is bolstered by a strong demand for polymer nylon 6-6, which finds widespread applications in the production of commodities such as electro-insulations, conveyor belts and carpet fibers. The demand for nylon 6-6 is continuing to grow across the United States and Europe, owing to its use as a popular resin in engineering applications. This is particularly true in terms of the demand for tire cords from the global automotive segment.

Developed regions, including North America and Europe, hold a 60 per cent share in the global adiponitrile market. But countries in the east Asia region are rapidly gaining traction accounting for nearly 20.6 per cent of the global market.

Miinto, a Denmark based omni channel retailer platform, founded in 2009, and has more than 200 people spread across its head office in Copenhagen and regional offices in Oslo, Amsterdam and Warsaw. They sell products in eight European countries - Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Italy. Miinto also has a strong network of local, independent fashion stores in each country.

The platform driven by the strong belief in the power of digital platforms to connect customers with local shopping and a true omni-channel customer experience is proud to help shape the future of a more sustainable fashion industry. Miinto aims to leverage existing resources by connecting customers with the stores that already have the products in place, rather than encouraging brands to produce even more of the same goods. The goal is to pave the way for a more forward-looking and climate-conscious fashion industry by minimizing overproduction and keeping independent retail alive.

At miinto.dk, one can shop directly from Europe's best independent clothing stores, all on one platform. Miinto.dk is a collective of more than 900+ independent fashion stores gathered under Miinto's network. Miinto's strong network consists of independent fashion stores and customers, each with their own unique style and product range offered through Miinto's webshop. The wide selection of women's clothing, men's train, children's clothing, sportswear and accessories has made Miinto one of Europe's largest fashion portals.

Many physical stores miss the opportunity to go online and reach a larger customer segment, as it is often expensive, cumbersome and resource-consuming when they already have a physical store to take care of. Miinto enables independent stores to start their online sales in a fast, easy and cost-effective way, allowing them to significantly expand their market.

The heart of UK fashion and leading fashion trade show, Moda, is showcasing a compelling line-up of footwear, accessories and womenswear brands including a host of returning Womenswear brands: Pomodoro, Rosa Clara, Cotton Brothers, Lewis Civit, Redi Fashion, Claudia C, Lewis Henry, Gabriella Sanchez, GODSKE, Rino & Pelle, Latte Clothing, D.E.C.K, Peruzzi, Naya, Kate Cooper, Bariloche/Tinta, Lucy Sparks, Suzy D, Personal Choice, Carmen, Ronald Joyce, Mascara, Marselini, Alex Evenings, Coco Doll, and Ella Boo/Lizabella.

Taking place from the 23rd – 25th February at NEC Birmingham, brands making their Moda debut are FPT, Hukka Design, Cherry Pie, See you Soon, Guzella, Khost, and Sonder/Glamour. Welcoming visitors as they enter the show, MODA Boutique offers a curated collection of contemporary ready to wear, accessories & jewellery boutique brands including; Vilagallo, Urban Code, Vysen Eyewear, Wild & Co, Proenza Jewellery and Ultra Tee.

Within Accessories an eye-catching selection of new and returning brands to look out for include Karen-Collection, Tempest Designs, Fraas, Suva Socks, ENVY, Suzie Blue, Big Metal, and Eliza Gracious.

The Footwear Hall goes from strength to strength and the latest new signings include Brazilian men’s footwear brand Pegada; Ocean Refresh with their flip flops made from 16 plastic bottles per pair; and Turkish label Serts London. Much-loved women’s footwear brand Cara also makes its return to Moda while Superga Kids are using Moda to launch their very first kids back to school range, as well the Superga adult collections and Sebago.

33 Joints Ltd, one of the leading fashion footwear distribution companies in the UK and Europe, bring Ben Sherman, Scholl, O’Neill, Original Penguin, and Verbenas as well as Ben Sherman Kids, O’Neill kids, Original Penguin Kids, CR7 Kids, Scholl kids, and NASA kids.

Taking place on the 23rd – 25th February in Halls 6, 7 and 8 at the NEC Birmingham, Moda offers the industry with the ultimate environment for buying, networking, trends, and inspiration.

"The Indian subcontinent is moving towards automation as it reduces the overhead cost per unit of garment. People are investing in garment production need to be aware of these processes rather than just demanding results. “This is irrespective of where they are located, Vietnam or Bangladesh or India as the shipment time from all these places is more or less the same,” says Ramaswamy, Regional Manager, Veit Group."

The Indian subcontinent is moving towards automation as it reduces the overhead cost per unit of garment. People are investing in garment production need to be aware of these processes rather than just demanding results. “This is irrespective of where they are located, Vietnam or Bangladesh or India as the shipment time from all these places is more or less the same,” says Ramaswamy, Regional Manager, Veit Group.

Demand for better garments increases

Buyers are demanding better garments at cheaper rates. This is encouraging the industry to become organised and procure efficient products at the earliest. “To achieve this, people are looking at countries like Ethiopia, Kenya or other African options or South America,” adds Ramaswamy.

Proximity to a huge market is thriving the growth of the South American market. Most of the trade is shifting closer to the areas of consumption. For instance, Eastern Europe is moving closer to its consumption area.

Automation leads to efficiency

Implementing 4.0 is likely to take some time as we need to employ robots in our factories. The atmosphere has to be dust free, at this or that temperature. “Very few people realise the importance of customisation. Also, they are not willing to pay the higher price for customised garments. Automation helps these small production units to offer customised garments at lower prices,” states Ramaswamy.

The next year is expected to be difficult for garment companies as people are more inclined to spend on accessories than garments. “People are no longer buying garments as they are willing to repeat clothes for various occasions,” he adds.

As a huge amount of garment stock has accumulated in Europe and other parts of the world, prices are declining and profits are eroding. “Hence, online business helps consumers focus on the value rather than the price of these garments,” adds Ramaswamy further.

According to him, sustainability is gaining ground amongst fabric suppliers leading to more transparency and efficiency apart from water and power saving.

There is a surge in the demand for vegan-friendly clothing and footwear in the UK. More and more brands, retailers and apparel and footwear companies want to be seen as embracing veganism. But many issues need to be considered before declaring products free from animal-derived materials or ingredients. Sourcing vegan fashion products goes further than simply bypassing wool, leather and natural silk as raw materials. Retailers must also take care to guard against the use of a number of dyes, glues and chemicals that are derived from animals. Materials used in the production of vegan products must be robust and maintain the qualities of the animal-based materials they are replacing.

Among the companies that have launched vegan products are Topshop, Asos and New Look, which last summer became the first high-street fashion retailer to register ranges with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. Building a relationship between internal sourcing and buying teams and suppliers is key in not only instilling confidence along the supply chain but among consumers too.

Veganism is increasingly becoming a lifestyle choice for many people, with the number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupling between 2014 and 2019. With this rise comes a likely surge in the demand for vegan- friendly clothing and footwear.

Tokyo Creative Salon will be held from March 15 to 31, 2020. This is Japan’s largest fashion and art event and the plan is to boost its case to become one of the world’s key fashion hubs. It will feature a variety of fashion and art initiatives across five key districts. Each district will present a line-up of exhibitions and activations such as street runways, art installations, dance performances and talk sessions.

Tokyo Creative Salon Nihonbashi will feature a theme, which advises visitors to turn off their mobile devices to fully experience the event. Some 10,000 Sacoche bags, which block smartphone reception, will be given out as gifts. The Nihonbashi venue will feature Sakura Menu Walk and Nihonbashi Art Gate where artists create works with the Nihonbashi (that is) unrecognisable by the smartphone theme. The event also features an exhibition Fun in the Life by Hobonichi, allowing people to experience Fun in the life through valuable shops and specially prepared products and food. A Ginza Rooftop Project will be held on the rooftops of several landmarks including Matsuya Ginza, Ginza Mitsukoshi, Wako and Tokyo Plaza Ginza. The district will also present other fashion shows and art installations. During the Tokyo Creative Salon at Daikanyama, visitors will get to try on vintage kimonos.

India’s new national textile policy will be out in a few months. The target will be to address structural issues and ensure basic raw materials are available at international prices, encourage scale of operation by developing ten mega textile parks closer to ports and give plug-and-play facilities, including the necessary safeguard measures in labor laws. Power cost and credit cost will be addressed. Efforts will be made to expedite free trade agreements with the EU, the UK and Bangladesh, along with other countries, to boost exports. The Tirupur garment cluster will be encouraged to brand garments and products under a sustainable program that will fetch it a larger margin. The surplus production capacities created across the value chain during the last four years will be utilised for polyester textile manufacturers.

The textile industry has been identified as a thrust area. As part of inclusive growth jobs will be provided at all skill levels especially the rural masses and women. Dedicated textile parks will be set up for technical textiles and textile machinery manufacturing with the latest technology spares, accessories and parts to promote import substitution and thereby reduce the capital cost substantially. R&D centers are envisaged for each segment.

India Trend Fair was held in Japan, February 12 to 14, 2020. The trade show showcased Indian-made clothing and accessories to Japanese buyers. The business matching event focused on knitted and woolen clothing as Japan is a major world market for wool, wool blended, and other textile products. The event featured over 300 product categories and over 25 pavilions. Around 500 buyers and over 2,500 visitors attended the event with an approximate mix of 79 per cent industry professionals and 21 per cent local consumers. A wide range of readymade garments and home textiles was on show with the aim of increasing exports to Japan through networking facilitated by the trade show. Participating Indian brands included Poornima Handicrafts, Roha and Velez, among others. Exporters got an opportunity to showcase their products and supply value added products with a special emphasis on products designed to suit Japanese fashion trends and requirements.

Japan is a sophisticated market, leaning towards small-lot and short cycle delivery of supply. Consumption is diversified and quality expectations are very high. High quality and expensive Indian garments are gaining popularity in Japan. Customers like selecting garments that have a different character when compared with dresses and kimono worn at such occasions as weddings and parties.

True, Victor and Teknit have come under North American leader for contract textiles Duvaltex. These three brands were already part of the Duvaltex group. By combining them, Duvaltex hopes to reinforce its position as the key brand and leader of commercial textile industry. Streamlining is also expected to lead to more sustainable solutions. In the first step of the migration, all the design services will be merged to achieve greater synergy. Clients will benefit from a simplified client experience, with the same responsive, customer-centric service and access to a wider range of resources. The strengths of each brand will now be available through a new, streamlined partnership that will give all Duvaltex customers access to a wealth of textile design and engineering talent.

As groundbreakers in sustainable development for over 20 years, Duvaltex has a unique approach focused on reusing discarded materials and reducing waste. Since 2000, the company has manufactured over a hundred million yards of sustainable fabrics made from materials diverted from landfills. In 2019, in its ongoing pursuit of an ever-smaller environmental footprint, the company launched an industry first - the 100 per cent post-consumer recycled biodegradable polyester. The company has always been guided by the desire to use resources responsibly.

The Ccoronavirus has hit luxury brands particularly hard as many of them rely on China as a significant source of business. The virus has impacted their business, not just on a logistical level, but in terms of sales. Burberry has already temporarily closed 24 of its 64 stores in China. Alibaba’s next quarterly financial earnings are expected to reflect a significant downturn because of the Coronavirus. And there could be more long-term effects on the horizon. Brands that don’t necessarily sell or manufacture in China could be affected if their core customer is a frequent traveler. Travel brands, airport retail and tourist destinations could all see an effect as more travel restrictions on who can enter and leave the country are put in place. More than 50 countries around the world, including the US, Italy and Australia, have restricted travel to and from China.

China will likely stay a major player in both manufacturing and consuming fashion once the virus has subsided. But brands are already reconsidering putting all their proverbial eggs in China’s basket due to the China-US trade war. This crisis may only exacerbate those feelings. In the long term, more retailers can be expected to spread production, sourcing and manufacturing across countries to avoid future risk.