Kering has published its new animal welfare standards in order to ensure and verify the humane treatment of animals across the Group’s supply chains. The Kering Animal Welfare Standards are the first-ever set of full standards covering animal welfare for luxury and fashion and aim to drive positive change in industry practices, and beyond.

The Kering Animal Welfare Standards cover all species around the world that are part of the Group’s supply chains. The first phase of the standards include detailed requirements for the treatment of cattle, calves, sheep and goats throughout their entire lives, as well as guidelines for abattoirs. Developed over three years with input from animal welfare experts, farmers and herders, scientists and NGOs, the standards are based on the latest scientific research as well as legislation, comparative standards, best management practices and guidelines from different sectors.

Kering’s Standards feature a number of requirements for animal management that would significantly improve the welfare of animals in countries around the world if they were adopted by the industry more broadly. Kering has been piloting these standards on the ground with farms in different regions and will continue to work closely with the farmers to support further implementation.

The standards are structured in Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers to provide clear guidance on critical compliance and with the expectation that the Group’s suppliers will make continuous improvements. At the Bronze entry level the Standards reflect minimum requirements, which equal, and in some cases go beyond, European legislation.

As per industry estimate India’s use of man-made fibre in fabric blends has increased to 45 per cent over the last few months from 40 per cent earlier. However, India is far below the global average of man-made fibre use of 70 per cent in blended fabrics. India is gradually catching up with the global trend of a bigger share of man-made fibres than natural fibres in textile blends. The preference of consumers is moving from cotton to man-made fibres like polyester, given the increasing demand for casual-wear and sports-wear. The decreasing acreage of cotton cultivation in the country is also contributing towards the shift.

Some spinning mills in the South Indian states including Tamil Nadu have started using manmade fibre again after a wide gap of several years. Traditionally, they were using manmade fibre but had shifted to cotton about a decade ago. They have again switched to manmade fibre as it is abundantly available and substantially cheaper than cotton.

Evonik has developed a new generation of fibers P84® – which fulfill the demand of the industry. The new product offers improved mechanical stability at permanent operating temperature. This high tech fiber has a unique multi-lobal cross section which ensures the highest level of filtration efficiency. Because of its excellent physical and chemical properties, P84® high performance fibers are used in a variety of applications. The spectrum reaches from filter materials for high temperature filtration, protective clothing, sealing applications for spacecraft to a number of other high temperature applications, e.g. insulating panels for thermal insulation.

In high temperature filtration processes filter materials made of P84® fibers maintain a higher permeability at constant pressure drop through the entire life cycle. This leads to lower dust emissions and minimised energy costs. For example, more than 150 cement kiln applications are using P84® based filter materials. The energy saving of these optimised filters reduce the CO2 emissions by approximately 60,000 metric tons per year.

Evonik is the worldwide leader of chemical resistant, thermostable and non-flammable polyimide fibers. These fibers are produced at the chemical plant in Lenzing, Upper Austria and further processed and customised in the neighboring production plant in Schörfling am Attersee.

C.L.A.S.S. will have a special place fully dedicated to its smart innovation within the "Design Studio" at the next edition of Copenhagen Fashion Summit. The Design Studio is specifically designed to present a unique curation of sustainable solutions across a number of researched design challenges displayed together in one space alongside tangible garment prototypes.

It is specifically tailored to the needs of creative directors and designers, equipping them with the necessary tools to translate words into action. C.L.A.S.S is the perfect place to take a wider view on the range of smart innovation materials, becoming also more aware of the importance of a switch to circular economy.

Textile innovator Devan Chemicals launched two new technologies at the Techtextil show in Frankfurt. These are: Bio-flam, a bio-based flame retardant product and Odour Breakdown, a wash durable, non-biocidal odour control solution.

Bio-based FR treatments, like Bio-flam, are made from renewable, vegetable sources and enable the FR treated products to be biodegradable. Its active components are 100 per cent halogen- and heavy metal-free. Bio-flam P307 is the first introduction in the new Devan BIO-FR family, is biodegradable and developed to be used on 100 per cent cotton or cotton/viscose mixtures, in order to create an ecological concept, safe for people and planet, whatever might happen.

Bio-flam P 307 is developed for mattress ticking to pass EN 597 1&2. The company’s researchers are developing other bio-based products for other market segments and for other fire standards.

Devan’s Odour Breakdown captures and neutralises these mal odours produced by the bacteria. It is a wash-durable, non-biocidal odour control solution and has different application levels. This technology contains Devan’s Moov & Cool technology which helps in cooling during the sports activities.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, inaugurated its new Global Competence Center for Automotive & Synthetic Dyeing in Korschenbroich, Germany. The site is part of former M. Dohmen, an international group specialising in the production of textile dyes and chemicals for the automotive, carpet and apparel sectors that Archroma acquired between 2014 and 2018. It will continue to operate as a specialist production and laboratory facility specialising in dyes and auxiliaries for synthetic fibers and wool, such as the Dorospers®, Dorolan® and Fadex® ranges.

The center will be a global hub for technical expertise, market knowledge, technology and creativity. It will strive to create the new innovative and sustainable system solutions that its customers need to win on their markets. Its exceptional combination of global experts, R&D laboratory and production will help manufacturers of automotive and synthetic textiles to optimise their productivity and create value in their markets.

Experts of the new Archroma Global Competence Center for Automotive & Synthetic Dyeing will participate in the upcoming Techtextil exhibition to introduce the latest of its innovations: Fadex® AS New, a new “super UV protector” to make automotive & transportation textiles more resistant to light.

"To exploit its dominance in cotton production, Turkey now plans to develop colored cotton. The country will produce two completely natural and colored cotton known asx‘sarı gelin’ (yellow bride) and ‘gelincik’ (poppy). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to produce fabrics by using both natural and colored cotton as they do not need to be dyed."

To exploit its dominance in cotton production, Turkey now plans to develop colored cotton. The country will produce two completely natural and colored cotton known asx‘sarı gelin’ (yellow bride) and ‘gelincik’ (poppy). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to produce fabrics by using both natural and colored cotton as they do not need to be dyed.

The ministry recently collaborated with a textile company for the mass production of the coloured cotton developed by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM). This company will produce in an area of 25,000 sq. mt. in 2019, and that after 2020 production with a more extensive contract will be established. As this cotton is natural, it does not have a carcinogenic effect, is environmentally harmless, organic and important for children’s clothing.

Saves water, energy, chemicals and time

The naturally colored cotton was produced in India, Pakistan, Egypt and Peru in B.C. 2700. The colors and shades of this cotton vary according to the climate and soil characteristics of the cultivation area. Its most common tone is yellowish brown. These cottons are either naturally derived from colored seeds or produced by breeding studies of universities and institutes.

Naturally colored cotton refers to brown and green cotton in different shades. As these cotton fibers do not need to be dyed, they eliminate the use of water, energy, chemicals and time spent for dyeing. They also prevent waste and pollution reducing the dyeing and finishing cost by almost half.

Market continues to grow

The fastness values of colored cotton are similar to those of the white cotton. The spinning of this cotton also demonstrate similar good values. Also, the color of this coloured cotton takes longer to fade after washing. It is therefore, considered as a value-add to the original white cotton.

The market for colored cotton market continues to grow with important researches being conducted on seeds and fibers across the world. Various universities and institutes have also introduced important studies in the field of colored cotton. For example, the Nazilli Cotton Research Institute produces colored cotton. Its patent for Nazilli DT15 type buff naturally colored cotton was obtained in 2005.

Another point working on colored cotton production in Turkey is Kahramanmaraş. After a long period of research, the production of colored cotton in this region began in the early 2000s with the Eastern Mediterranean Passage Agricultural Research Station Directorate and the Kahramanmaraş University Department of Agricultural Engineering with the production of three-different colors of cotton. Another institute that carries out studies on this subject is the Çukurova University Agricultural Engineering Department.

Total cotton production increased to 502,000 hectares in the 2017/18 season in Turkey. Cultivation of cotton, which was 2 million 100,000 ton in 2016/17 season, increased to 2 million 570,000 ton in 2017/18 season. For the 2018/19 season, it is estimated to be around 2 million 200,000 tonne over 525,000 hectare.

BGMEA has invested around $ 4 billion to ensure workplace safety and occupational health. Around 80 green garment factories currently in operation in the country are completely LEED-certified, and additional 300 are in the process of getting the certification. The inspection of Accord and Alliance has helped remediate garments factories and prompted factory owners to emphasise on workplace safety.

As per provisional data by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh exported RMG worth $ 28.49 billion during the July-April period of the current financial year. This was 12.59 per cent increase from $ 25.30 billion worth of RMG exported during the same period of the previous fiscal year. Growth was mainly attributed to its value added products, government policy support, capacity enhancement and completion of 90 per cent of the factory remediation work set by Accord and Alliance.

Of the total export earnings by the apparel sector, knitwear products earned $14.08 billion, which is 12.32 per cent higher than the $12.54 billion earned during the same period of FY2017-18. Woven products earned $ 14.40 billion, up by 12.85 per cent from the earning of $12.76 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year. Specialised textile sector grew by 36 per cent to $125 million from $ 92 million, while the home textile products declined by 3.74 per cent to $723.60 million.

Gilden Activewear, a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel recently purchased a sizeable land in Bangladesh for its project to develop a large-scale vertically-integrated manufacturing unit in South-east Asia. The company’s plan includes development of a large multi-plant manufacturing complex including two large textile facilities and related sewing operations. Once fully operational, this complex is expected to provide capacity to service over $500 million in sales.

Over the next 24 months, the company plans to construct and develop the first textile facility at the complex. Initial production at the facility is expected to start in the latter part of 2021. With the completion of the land acquisition in Bangladesh for approximately $45 million in cash, the company has updated its capital expenditure projection to be approximately $175 million compared to its previous guidance of $125 million. Consequently, free cash flow generation for 2019 is now expected to be in the range of $300 to $350 million compared to $350 to $400 million previously.

Statistics from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reveals, the textile and apparel industry (T&C) in Indonesia grew significantly to 18.98 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, compared to the 7.46 per cent growth registered during the same period last year. Production of large and medium manufacturing industries (IBS) in the first quarter of 2019 rose by 4.45 percent compared to the same period last year.

The increase in IBS production was sustained by the production of the apparel industry sector which skyrocketed to 29.19 percent due to the abundance of orders, especially from the export market. High growth in the textile industry occurred mainly due to the existence of substantial investment in the upstream sector, especially rayon producers. This can be seen from the operation of PT Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) in Riau at the end of 2018, with an investment of Rp11 trillion. The plant adds a production capacity of 240 thousand tonne per year, half of which is oriented to the needs of the export market.

In addition, increasing supply from upstream also encourages performance to the downstream and intermediate industries, so that cumulatively the industry gets more excited. The control policy on imports carried out by the government since February 2017 also led to a decline in imports which reached 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2019. Production also increased due to the support provided by various vocational education and training activities conducted by the Ministry of Industry.