Fun, funky and functional streetwear has been walking the streets of India far later than the Western markets but now it has permeated every segment of the fashion industry from global sportswear brands and premium fashion houses to a plethora of local brands. Streetwear as fashionable and casual clothing has social media and social influencers taking it places from a skate and surf, music and sporty athleisure outfits to entering haute fashion world of well-renowned designers. Streetwear as a category may have emerged in the 1980s in the US but it is only in the last decade that it has become a distinctive and iconic segment that is sometimes even the showstopper on European catwalks.

Local brands compete with global iconic ones

With the health and wellness overdrive, athleisure clothing is striding ahead of almost every other fashion segment with Gen Z becoming an intrinsic part of the affluent consumer segment willing and able to spend on apparels of choice. Global brands such as Adidas, Nike, Supreme, Vetements, Stüssy and Off-White are among the most recognizable streetwear iconic labels that have taken the world by storm and are now positioned well in India also. Along with them are, are some of India’s popular niche streetwear brands such as  Crepdog Crew (CDC), Capsul, ADK by Avishi Dayal Kalra, Almost Gods, SIX5SIX STREET along with much-renowned fashion designers such as  Masaba Gupta and Nikhil Mehra who are  all a part of the streetwear segment.

In fact, CDC has been one of the fastest-growing domestic streetwear brands with almost 350 per cent year-on-year growth since its inception in 2019. It now plans to open even bigger stores in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities. As India’s one-stop shop for everything sneaker and streetwear related, the brand already logs in more than six lakh visitors every month. The company’s online platform delivers over 500 pairs of sneakers per week to customers spread across India every week and it plans to scale up its e-commerce business and community-based retail footprint.

Sneakers and bags are the best-sellers 

The sneaker segment has always been one of the fastest moving sectors in India, currently growing at 12-15 per cent, and expected to catch up to the global sneaker market that stands at $6 billion. Its dominated by iconic brands like Reebok, Adidas, Nike and Puma among others. Start-ups such as Solesearch, founded in 2020 by Param Minhas, Prabal Baghla, and Rannvijay Singha are leading sneaker marketplaces that have a strong retail presence in both online and brick-and-mortar stores in Indian metros. The Mumbai store has a sneaker wall with over 75 pairs from renowned brands like Air Jordan, Yeezy, Crocs, as well as ive collaborations featuring ior, Tiffany, Off-White, Travis Scott, and more.

Innovative hybridization between Indian textiles and global streetwear influences for bags and shoes is also making a statement. Premium global brand Balenciaga showstopper is its blanket bag heavily inspired by tote bags available at local markets in India while English-born Iranian fashion designer Paria Farzaneh has used her Iranian textiles while fusing it with global streetwear silhouettes. Interesting prints and slogans on T-shirts, leggings, capris, tie-dye hoodies, oversized T-shirts, wrap skits and many other apparels make up the interesting segment.

Whether it is accessories, statement outerwear, or oversized clothing, it is all about versatility in interesting silhouettes and colour combinations that make streetwear funky in all settings. Streetwear doesn’t have to be the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in even a formal setting provided it is designed and accessorized right. And Indian designers are in a league of their own with rising roster of homegrown streetwear with a tweak that allows the wearer to reinvent their sensibilities and stand out instead of just blending in with popular fashion apparels. Being different while being comfortable is the new normal and streetwear brands are using that to maximum advantage.

The renowned Pitti Uomo event commenced in Florence, drawing a multitude of visitors who were reassured by the sector's robust economic performance. The opening ceremony highlighted Italy's pride in its fashion industry and the global admiration for events like Pitti Uomo 104, held in the artistic city of Florence. 

Contribution of fashion sector to Italy's reputation as a hub for beautiful and well-crafted fashion was recognises. Export figures for 2022 exceeded €80 billion, indicating a positive trend expected to continue in 2023.

Menswear, showcased prominently at Pitti Uomo, experienced significant growth in international trade, with exports totaling €5.7 billion in 2022, a 22% increase from the previous year. The sector continued its positive trajectory in 2023, witnessing a 21.5% surge in the first two months alone. This success is attributed to the sector's ability to innovate rapidly, surpassing competitors.

ICE collaborated with Pitti to bolster international buyers and journalists, focusing on emerging markets such as China, Africa, Vietnam, and Indonesia. 

Piquadro Group received a prestigious award during the opening ceremony for his company's remarkable achievements, including the expansion of the Group's boundaries through strategic acquisitions and a commitment to environmental sustainability and philanthropy.

UK Fashion and Textiles (UKFT) is leading a £4 million project with partners like Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Pangaia, and New Look to divert large quantities of waste textiles from landfills. 

The initiative, called Autosort for Circular Textiles Demonstrator (ACT UK), focuses on developing an automated sorting and pre-processing facility for waste textiles over a two-year period. The consortium includes recycling technologies, textile collectors/sorters, academia, manufacturers, industry associations, technologists, and renowned brands/retailers. Funding is provided by the Circular Fashion Programme, supported by Innovate UK, AHRC, and NERC under UKRI. Project partners involve IBM, Reskinned, Salvation Army, Oxfam, and others. 

ACT UK aims to overcome current challenges in achieving circularity by integrating advanced technologies such as optical scanning, robotics, AI, and size reduction equipment in a single facility. 

UKFT aims to create a model for large-scale sorting and preparation of non-reusable textiles, potentially preventing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of materials from reaching landfills and supplying resources to the UK textile manufacturing sector. Brands, retailers, and stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

VF spin-off proved to be a pivotal moment, granting Lee and Wrangler newfound independence and agility in the ever-evolving fashion landscape. The strategic rationale driving this decision is to enhance focus on brand individuality and targeted market penetration.

The successful execution of the spin-off and the steps taken to establish Kontoor Brands as a separate entity, was the liberated creative vision led to sharpened customer-centric approach that now define Lee and Wrangler and their promising future under Kontoor Brands.

The Philippine government is actively pursuing the inclusion of its garment exports in the renewed preferential trading scheme with the United States. 

With the local industry currently valued at approximately $1.5 billion annually, updated Philippine Export Development Plan, set to launch this week, will prioritize the goal of incorporating the country's garment exports into the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). 

The move aims to level the playing field for local producers and exporters, allowing them to compete effectively with garments from the Americas in the US market. Furthermore, the inclusion of garments in the US GSP would invigorate the industry, generating more employment opportunities due to its labor-intensive nature. 

While the Philippines' eligibility for the US GSP expired in 2020, the country is actively advocating for its renewal. 

The trade preference program grants zero duties to 3,500 Philippine exports, amounting to $1.6 billion in value in 2020, including products such as tires, bags, insulated electric conductors, sugar, non-alcoholic beverages, and hair dryers.

The ILO and IFC have introduced the Better Work program in Uzbekistan, aiming to improve working conditions and competitiveness in the textile and garment industry. On May 30, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the IFC, ILO, Uzbekistan's government, employers, and workers' organizations, outlining the program's terms. Better Work will focus on compliance assessments, training, and advisory services to promote labor standards and enhance competitiveness in textile and garment factories.

This partnership is a significant step for Uzbekistan's cotton, textile, and garment production, opening doors to new export markets. As a leading cotton producer, Uzbekistan has undergone notable reforms. Better Work will play a crucial role in upholding labor standards across the country's textile and garment factories, acting as an industry facilitator.

The program seeks to support sustainable growth in the sector, creating decent job opportunities, especially for women in rural areas. Conor Boyle, Officer-in-Charge of Better Work, emphasized the program's dedication to this objective.

The MoU builds on collaborative efforts among the Uzbek government, World Bank Group, ILO, and other stakeholders to enhance labor and environmental standards in cotton fields. Since 2016, the IFC has provided advisory support and investments to Uzbekistan's cotton and textile industry. In 2022, the ILO successfully eradicated systemic child and forced labor from Uzbekistan's cotton production cycle. Initial funding for the Better Work Uzbekistan program was contributed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Sri Lanka's MAS Holdings has become the first partner to receive Vizoo accreditation for material digitization services. Their cutting-edge digital material service hub serves brands and vendors seeking source-based digitization capabilities. 

The apparel industry's Digital Product Creation (DPC) is thriving, driven by post-pandemic agility and efficiency. Accurate digital twins are crucial for faster time-to-market, enhancing product appeal and profitability. Digital materials play a vital role in capturing textures, colors, and properties that affect garment aesthetics and fit. Tharindu Meemaduma, MAS Holdings' Director of Innovation, highlights Vizoo's technology for achieving unparalleled realism and aligning digitization processes with industry standards. 

To meet the rising demand for digital materials, MAS established a dedicated digitization unit in 2020, recognized by Vizoo for maintaining high standards. With expertise in DPC, MAS creates digital twins at various sampling stages, enabling accurate decision-making and translation from digital to physical products. 

Their material digitization center supports their end-to-end DPC strategy, providing world-class services. 

Anupama Fernando, Group Lead DPC, emphasizes MAS Holdings' commitment to future-proofing through Digital Product Creation, constantly improving their processes and skill set.

A recent report by Solidaridad Europe and the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) reveals that the majority of top brands and retailers' sustainability reports, filled with flowery language and jargon, are misleading when it comes to their actual performance, particularly in the cotton sector. According to the 2023 Cotton Ranking, a staggering 89% of these companies lack transparency, sustainability, and show minimal progress in improving labor conditions.

The discouraging statistics shed light on the fact that numerous feasible actions are already available to corporations to mitigate or even reverse the severe environmental and social impacts of cotton production they heavily rely on. However, the rankings expose that most major companies fail to meet even the basic certification requirements for the cotton they purchase, rendering their sustainability claims empty words.

Only nine of the world's largest cotton-sourcing companies, including Decathlon, H&M, Ikea, Adidas, Columbia, Marks & Spencer, C&A, Lojas Renner, and Puma, source 99% of their cotton from certified sources, demonstrating a notable commitment to responsible practices.

The overwhelming majority of international brands, constituting 89%, are still non-transparent, unsustainable, and show limited progress in improving labor conditions. 

The release of the 2023 Cotton Ranking and the accompanying paper, 'Cotton and Corporate Responsibility,' by Solidaridad Europe and PAN UK highlights the need for urgent action and collaboration among major stakeholders in the cotton sector.A recent report by Solidaridad Europe and the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) reveals that the majority of top brands and retailers' sustainability reports, filled with flowery language and jargon, are misleading when it comes to their actual performance, particularly in the cotton sector. According to the 2023 Cotton Ranking, a staggering 89% of these companies lack transparency, sustainability, and show minimal progress in improving labor conditions.

The discouraging statistics shed light on the fact that numerous feasible actions are already available to corporations to mitigate or even reverse the severe environmental and social impacts of cotton production they heavily rely on. However, the rankings expose that most major companies fail to meet even the basic certification requirements for the cotton they purchase, rendering their sustainability claims empty words.

Only nine of the world's largest cotton-sourcing companies, including Decathlon, H&M, Ikea, Adidas, Columbia, Marks & Spencer, C&A, Lojas Renner, and Puma, source 99% of their cotton from certified sources, demonstrating a notable commitment to responsible practices.

The overwhelming majority of international brands, constituting 89%, are still non-transparent, unsustainable, and show limited progress in improving labor conditions. The release of the 2023 Cotton Ranking and the accompanying paper, 'Cotton and Corporate Responsibility', by Solidaridad Europe and PAN UK highlights the need for urgent action and collaboration among major stakeholders in the cotton sector.

The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria has expressed its willingness to collaborate with Governor Uba Sani's administration in Kaduna State to revive the dormant textile industries in the region. 

The positive outcomes of functional textile industries, such as providing employment opportunities for unemployed youths and reducing insecurity. 

The union president stressed the importance of social justice for sustainable peace and security, emphasizing the need for urgent re-industrialization in Kaduna State and mass employment of the unemployed youth population. The union pledged its support and cooperation as a key stakeholder in the state's development, particularly in reviving the textile industry and creating jobs.

Textile Yarn Market is estimated to be valued at USD 14.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2023 to 2028, reaching USD 18.5 billion. The expanding middle class in emerging economies is a key factor fueling the demand for textile yarn, as affordable and fashionable clothing becomes increasingly sought after, according to a report by Markets and Markets.

Technological advancements have also played a crucial role, enabling the development of specialized yarns with enhanced properties such as moisture-wicking, antimicrobial, and eco-friendly characteristics. These innovations have driven the demand for technical textiles across various sectors including apparel, medical, sports, automotive, and aerospace.

The plant segment is expected to exhibit the highest growth during the forecast period, driven by the rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products. Plant-based yarns like cotton, hemp, linen, and bamboo, derived from natural sources, are preferred by environmentally conscious consumers due to their biodegradability, renewability, and lower carbon footprint.

Within the artificial yarn category, the polyester segment is anticipated to dominate the market in 2023. Polyester yarn's exceptional durability, strength, and resistance to abrasion, wrinkles, and stretching make it suitable for diverse textile applications. Its cost-effectiveness further contributes to its popularity, particularly in mass production and budget-conscious markets.