Pitti Bimbo will be held in Italy, January 18 to 20, 2023. The children’s wear event will showcase 250 exhibitors, 70 per cent of them from outside Italy.

The event has grown in size and will include various special projects alongside its traditional sections. It will focus once again on sustainability, and on junior street style as an emerging trend.

Many buyers, also from outside Italy, are set to attend, from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Belgium, Germany, the US, Austria, the UK, France, South Korea, Switzerland, Andorra and the Netherlands.

Rossignol will launch its junior lifestyle 2023-2024 collection, a combination of elegance and high-tech materials. Nanan will showcase its new apparel collection and launch a furniture line. And 100 percent Bimbo will offer an overview of the collections that express the multiple incarnations of children’swear, showcasing major labels and the industry’s iconic brands. The Kids’ Lab will focus on avant-garde children's fashion and lifestyle products, home to the most original, surprising collections, and sophisticated looks by pioneering new brands.Apartment is dedicated to high-end experimental labels, with refined lines and innovative materials. The Nest is a section for small emerging brands and their ground-breaking collections. I Want To Be Green is dedicated to the ethical, sustainable solutions to which fashion, and children’swear specifically, is increasingly committed.

Monforts offers an extensive range of finishing technologies. Econtrol is a pad-dry process employed in Monforts continuous dyeing. With reactive dyes for 100 per cent cotton, or the Econtrol T-CA solution of combined reactive and disperse dyes, in particular, the improvement in both dyed fabric quality and dye fixation is considerable, and with significant savings in energy and time due to the combined bleaching and padder fixation.

Monforts machines are known for their robustness and long service life, but the retrofitting of specific modules with new control and drive technology – going far beyond the basic replacement of spare parts – can also have a significant impact on the performance of an existing line. This is especially the case in achieving further energy savings.The company’s universal Energy Tower, for example – a flexible, free-standing air/air heat exchanger for recovering the heat from the exhaust air flow of thermal processes – can result in an up to 30 per cent reduction in the energy consumed by a line, depending on the controlled exhaust air volume and operating temperature.

The Monforts Eco Booster, which is completely integrated into the chamber design of the latest Montexstenter, is another retrofitting option. This single state-of-the-art heat recovery system with automatic cleaning can be added to existing ranges of up to eight chambers to achieve significant energy savings.

India’s cumulative exports of textiles and apparel during October 2022 fell 34 per cent as compared to October 2021. Textile exports fell 41 per cent year on year in October 2022. Apparel exports declined by 21 per cent. During April 2022 to October 2022, textile exports fell by 20 per cent. However, apparel exports grew by six per cent during the same period.Cumulative exports of textiles and apparel during the first seven months of the current fiscal were down ten per cent.

The share of textiles and apparel in India’s total merchandise exports declined to seven per cent in October 2022 as compared to nine per cent in October 2021.Imports of cotton raw and waste increased by 351 per cent in October 2022 from the same period of last year. Inbound shipment of textile yarn, fabric and made-ups grew four per cent in the same period. During April 2022 to October 2022, imports of cotton raw and waste increased by 273 per cent over the same period of last year.

High inflation across the developed world has reduced consumers’ purchasing capacity, which is the main cause of slowdown in textiles and apparel exports. Developing countries including India are facing serious challenges in textiles exports.

Indian garment exporters participated in the sourcing expo being held in Australia, November 15 to 17, 2022.

They are showcasing the best apparel designs and styles in line with the latest fashion trends in a wide range of traditional cotton and manmade fiber garments.

There is a significant Indian presence at the expo, including a large contingent represented by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, Apparel Export Promotion Council, Handloom Export Promotion Council in apparel and textiles, and the Council for Leather Exports India in the co-located Footwear and Leather Show.

India’s new Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement with Australia has worked in its favour as Indian textile exports to Australia are excluded from duties.The free trade agreement would open huge business opportunities for Australian clothing brands to source from India considering the strengths of the domestic garment industry in terms of variety of raw material availability. Australia has traditionally been the top most trading partner for Indian garments with Indian exports occupying a share of about four per cent of total Australian garment imports. India offers the world a complete value chain solution from farm to fashion and has a competitive edge by shortened lead times to reach buyers.

India is one of the largest producers of cotton, silk and jute, technical textiles and viscose and produces all types of synthetic fibers, polyester, nylon and acrylic.

Luxury spending is growing faster than ever. So says Bain. Global sales of personal luxury goods, including leather accessories, apparel, footwear, jewellery and watches, are expected to grow by 22 per cent this year.

Consumption is back at pre-crisis levels. There is a new consumer base that is younger and some pockets of consumers that have been unlocked during Covid are growing. The record growth comes after the sharp 2021 recovery from the global pandemic lockdowns, creating a strong trajectory despite the spectre of recession next year blamed on higher raw material and energy prices.

The sector is not recession-proof but is more resilient than it was in the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Factors that have made the luxury industry more resilient include the enlarged customer base as well as stronger relationships between brands and consumers developed both through social media and an elevated focus on the in-store shopping experience in branded stores. Mature markets in the United States and Europe are the strongest performers, each growing by about a quarter.The disappearance of the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine led to Western sanctions has had almost no major impact. This market represented two per cent of sales before the war.

Fila’s performance was dented in the third quarter as margins shrank. Overall sales and profits remain on an upward trajectory but the Fila brand is operating against the backdrop of an intensely promotional market, especially in the US.Fila USA’s sales dropped 20 per cent while Fila Korea sales rose four per cent.

The sports and leisurewear operator benefited during the quarter from its well diversified business portfolio with resilient royalty income, but promotional sales and challenging circumstances in the US were an issue. US headwinds were strong due to weaker pricing power caused by excess inventory in the market and bigger discounts from competitors.

The company has updated its outlook with sales expected to rise between five per cent and ten per cent against a previous forecast between a fall of two per cent and a rise of two per cent. Expectations are unchanged for the Fila brand but Global Royalty revenue should be higher and Acushnet should continue to outperform.Yet the forecast for consolidated operating profit has been downgraded to a range of down five per cent to ten per cent from expectations that it could fall two per cent or perhaps even rise by up to two per cent.

The operating profit outlook will reflect one-off restructuring costs and that margin pressure due to promotional activities in the US.

The International Apparel Federation (IAF) is aiming at a fairer distribution of risks and rewards between buyers and producers.

IAF, a global network uniting brands, manufacturers and their associations, has identified the need to urgently rebuild trust and has begun emphasising on supply chain issues. IAF will focus on bringing manufacturers' voice more clearly into the global industry infrastructure that is being built to reduce apparel's global environmental footprint.

When western brands collapsed during the Covid pandemic, one of the first things they did was to cancel already completed orders.As buyers cancelled orders, suppliers were left in a lurch. So a fairer distribution of risks and rewards between buyers and producers will be one of the core focuses of the International Apparel Federation.

Even though intentions are often good, purchasing practices are more an offer by buyers. Financial flows fuelling the supply chain including a fairer distribution of risk and reward are a major part of this new contract and IAF is developing both guidance and concrete services to its members in this area.

For IAF circularity – the practice of encouraging reuse, recycling, or sustainability in consumption, manufacturing – is the most effective method to reduce the pressure on climate exerted by the apparel industry.

The cotton market continues its remarkable gyrations. Starting in mid-August, cotton futures declined substantially. The first Monday in November saw cotton futures little changed.

Then the market took off like a rocket. The explanation for this bounce is short covering. Hedge fund speculators had built an outright short position, the largest such position since April 2020.The early November price rally was driven by short speculators rushing to buy back their positions. The combination of bullish Chinese economic news, i.e. relaxing Covid restrictions, technical buy signals, and limit up market reactions (with even higher prices reflected in the options market) induced speculative shorts to buy back their positions. Any remaining discrepancy between undervalued cotton futures relative to cash cotton prices should be eliminated, and the result is that remaining speculative shorts may get squeezed as they try to exit their position.

It remains to be seen where the new equilibrium price level will be when the short covering and squeeze dynamics are passed. Back in April 2020, the hedge fund net short position came and went in about eight weeks, but the resulting price rally continued, fed by fundamental forces like pandemic recovery and supply concerns. The current demand situation appears uncertain. The 2022/2023 supply picture could get tighter, but it remains to be seen.

Bangladesh’s earnings from underwear shipments have grown 31 per cent year on year. Export earnings from underwear accounted for six per cent of the garments exported last fiscal year.

Over the last decade Bangladesh has been enjoying the benefits of a shift in work orders from China and some other countries in many product categories. This has come about as the cost of production in China has gone through the roof while there prevails a dearth of skilled workers in the apparel sector. Workers in China are preferring working with sophisticated technologies in the garment sector.

The underwear sector in Bangladesh is directly benefitting from the shift of work orders from China and Sri Lanka and growing silently over the last few years.Currently underwear is the fifth most exported category from Bangladesh. It is a glowing example of diversification of garment products in recent years.Only a few factories used to produce underwear for some select international retailers and brands as this was not a regular export product for the country.Now more than 500 factories are regularly producing underwear as demand for the domestically made items is growing in the west for their competitive prices.Usually, prices of underwear, such as lingerie, are higher than prices for other attire as specialised fabrics are required for their manufacture.

With COP 27 underway at Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh, the fashion industry and its associates are present in large numbers to attend exhibitions, discussions and announcements pertaining to the sector that is under the spotlight for its excesses. For a while now, the global fashion industry has been pulled up for its damaging impact on the environment with several governments, particularly the EU, creating policies that require the industry’s compliance. Additionally, a new generation of environment-conscious consumers is demanding a more responsible approach from brands and retailers through transparency, from source to store.

Many industry attendees have expressed concern over the apparent lip service that fashion brands often pay, thereby questions are being raised about their commitment to sustainability and greenwashing techniques that many reputable brands have been accused of. In August this year, a New York resident filed an action suit in the US to sue global fast fashion giant for misleading consumers with its greenwashing methods. Whilst Uniqlo and Zara have not been taken to court yet, consumers are accusing them for greenwashing as well. The biggest concern about the fashion industry at the moment is that if it continues down the current path, , it will fall short of the decarbonisation targets required to conform with the UNFCCC’s 1.5-degree pathway by 50%.

Is net zero a possibility?

On the second day of COP 27, Copenhagen-based Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), a non-profit organisation that promotes collaborations on sustainability within the industry launched its Fashion Industry Target Consultation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme. The main objective is to achieve net zero through identifying and converging the sector’s current targets with a more concrete and holistic approach.

GFA hosted three events that were insightful as the events brought together various experts to put forward analysis-based solutions to address the critical concerns of the industry. The focus of these three events was on how to become net positive, alliances between sectors to decarbonize the fashion value chain and implementing circular systems. Federica Marchionni, CEO, GFA, said. “It is essential that leaders attending COP27 move beyond words to set clear commitments that are rigorously followed through beyond the conference, leading to implementation of concrete and urgent actions. Policymakers can have a tremendous influence over the future of the fashion industry and should use this moment to set ambitious and transformative parameters, not only on the climate but also considering the intersectionality of sustainability topics from equality and empowerment to living wages and contextual nature targets for instance on fresh water and biodiversity.”

Non-profit Canopy gains 500 pledges

Just prior to the commencement of COP 27, non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving forests, species and climate reached a milestone 500 mark of brands that pledged to work together to end the sourcing of viscose from ancient and endangered forests. Canopy and its partners have also pledged to push forward Next Generation Solutions that have on average 95 to 130 per cent less CO2 emissions, 18 to 70 per cent less fossil energy resource depletion, 88% to 100% less land-use impacts and at least five times lower impact on biodiversity and threatened species when compared to forest fibers.

The large representation of the global fashion industry at COP 27 was seen as a positive presence. This has called for optimism about the sector’s commitment on reducing its negative environmental impact steadily towards net zero at some point in time at least.