Work on Kitex’stwo facilities– one in the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park at Warangal and the other at Sitarampur near Hyderabad– is going on as per plan.

By 2025, both the factories will be in full swing and will have production capacity of combined 2.4 million pieces per day. The existing capacity of the company is 8 lakh pieces per day capacity in Kerala.

Sabu Jacob, Managing Director, says, the company will overtake China to become the world largest infantwear manufacturer once both facilities produce to capacity. Together, both sites will create 22,000 direct jobs and 25,000 indirect jobs

The company would produce new items also like children’s socks, and sleepwear made of fleece, which has been a Chinese monopoly so far. Importantly, it is also adding eight new clients –in addition to increasing supplies to existing customers.

The first phase of the production at Kakatiya will begin in January 2023.The unit will produce to full capacity by January 2024.

More than 100 shows are to be held during the Moscow Fashion Weekbesides talks from some of the Russian fashion industry's biggest names.

Among the attendees are SlavaZaitsev, ValentinYudashkin, AlenaAkhmadullina and Julia Dalakian, as well as many newcomers.

The fashion week comes less than four months after wide-ranging sanctions were imposed on Russia, including hundreds of foreign companies pulling out of the country.

French conglomerate LVMH has temporarily closed 124 stores in Russia, while continuing to pay its 3,500 employees.

The Spanish group Inditex, which owns the fast-fashion chain Zara, also temporarily closed 502 stores in Russia as well as its online sales.

Not content with just closing its shops in Russia, fashion brand Chanel has moved to prevent Russians from buying its clothes, perfumes and other luxury goods abroad.

Officials claim the situation opens new opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs but some fashion designers are more skeptical.

Russia’s fashion sector is strongly dependent on imported goods. Most clothing and accessories are bought from imported brands.

OlesyaShipovskaya, Founder, Lesyanebo, says, her brand’s collections are made entirely of foreign materials. There is nothing Russian except for the team. Everything else, from fusible (materials) to any button, any trim, sewing machines, is imported. Her brand is popular not only in Russia but also abroad, worn by Gigi Hadid, Natalia Vodyanova and Eva Chen.

The sales of her clothing brand have increased recently, so she is optimistic about the future.Skalatskaya believes that only hard work can help Russian designers survive in the new reality.

LinkedIn has recognized PVH amongst top workplaces for professionals across nine industries

This ranking reflects company’s values and its organizational structure. PVH has always strived to support talented individuals who embrace different perspectives and backgrounds to help it win as a leader in the fashion industry. Guided by the PVH+ Plan, it is grateful to its associates for connecting the company closer to where the consumer is going and contributing to the growth of its iconic brands, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, PVH said in a media release.

PVH earned this ranking due to its strength across employer performance categories determined by LinkedIn. Its nine inclusion and diversity commitments support an inclusive workplace environment where every individual is valued, and every voice is heard. The goal is for PVH associates to reflect the diversity of its consumers in communities around the world where they live and work, and to create opportunities for women and underrepresented populations. It has targeted achieving gender parity globally in all leadership positions at the SVP level and above by 2026.

All associates have access to PVH University, a comprehensive collection of live events and self-guided courses focused on professional development. It is certified as a Great Place to Work based on associates’ positive survey feedback.

Other performance categories included external opportunity in recruitment and variety of educational backgrounds among associates. Crafted by the LinkedIn News Team, LinkedIn Lists celebrate the people and companies making an impact in the professional world.

A retailer of sports and outdoor wear, JD Sports Fashion Plc’srevenue increased to £8.563 billion from £6.167 billion, with gross profit increasing to 49.1 per cent from 48 per cent.

The company’s profit before tax increased to £654.7 million from £324 million in the previous year, during the 52-weeks ending January 29, 2022.

The Sports Fashion retail chains in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, as well as North America, delivered strong results in the previous year, though Europe and Asia-Pacific were challenging.

Outdoorwear garments returned to profitability thanks to increased demand for vacations, with a profit before tax and exceptional items of £25.9 million.

The result demonstrates the company’s capacity for growth in both existing and new markets, and the strength of its global proposition and consumer engagement in store and online, says Helen Ashton, Interim Chair, JD Sports.

H&M has shut its flagship Shanghai store, as consumer demand has slumped in the city amid COVID-19 lockdowns and the fast-fashion is facing a backlash for continuing to use Xinjiang cotton.

The world's second-biggest fast-fashion retailer entered China in 2007 with the opening of the Shanghai flagship store and rapidly expanded. It had more than 500 stores in mainland China early last year but its website currently only lists 376, including the flagship Shanghai store.

Although nearly a month has passed since Shanghai lifted a strict two-month lockdown, consumers have yet to return to malls in significant numbers.

Chinese consumers have also beat a retreat from its products after a letter in which H&M expressed concerns about allegations of forced labour in the Xinjiang region came to light in 2021.

Other brands that publicly disavowed Xinjiang cotton such as Inditex's Zara, Nike and Adidas have also suffered with Chinese netizens calling for boycotts and Chinese celebrities refusing to work with them.

But the backlash against H&M, the first foreign retailer to express concerns, has been particularly harsh. Unlike other brands, its products remain unavailable on major Chinese e-commerce sites such as Tmall and JD.com.

World’s largest supplier of collegiate fan apparel, HanesBrands (HBI) has entered into a new primary apparel partnership with the University of Southern California (USC).

The 10-year agreement gives HBI exclusive rights in the mass and mid-tier retail channels to develop consumer-driven collections of fan apparel that will expand the University’s retail footprint.

The agreement is in addition to USC’s existing relationship with Nike, which is the official outfitter of the 21 varsity Trojan sports and provider of fan merchandise.

HBI, which owns the iconic Champion and Hanes brands, as well as the eco-forward Alternative Apparel brand, will design, manufacture and distribute an expansive collection of men’s, women’s, unisex, youth, infant and toddler fan apparel. HBI will create special activations and enhanced retail presentations beginning in January 2023.

The company brings in-house design expertise, manufacturing proficiency and a commitment to responsible, transparent manufacturing with a focus on people, planet and product.

Apparel brands from across the world plan to divert orders from Sri Lanka and are seeking discounts from Indian exporters to de-risk supplies from disruptions amid the political and economic crisis in the island nation.

The brands are asking for lower prices as key buyers US and Europe are facing high inflation, NarendraGoenka, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council, says, garment exporters plans to reduce prices by 5 per cent to bag from global brands. Our margins are already and a further reduction in prices will have more impact, he adds.

Supplies from Sri Lanka are cheaper and industry insiders said its exporters have the order book full, but their customers have started shifting orders elsewhere. Lanka exports $5.42 billion worth of garments annually.

Fashion retailers in Shanghai are stuck with piles of unsold inventory even a month after Shanghai lifted its strict COVID-19 lockdowns as cautious consumers are staying away from the commercial hub's glitzy shopping districts.

Curbs to stop the virus in Shanghai, China's fashion capital, ground the city to a halt in April and May, leaving clothing and beauty product displays in stores untouched and containers of imported apparel stranded at port.

The city's re-opening this month saw a flood of goods ship from warehouses to store shelves already laden with merchandise unsold during two months of lockdown. Normally around a fifth of all imported goods coming into China pass through Shanghai's port.

Days after COVID-19 curbs eased, large sales signs went up across Shanghai, with retailers from Lululemon to Victoria's Secret offering discounts to lure shoppers.

Even online retailers have struggled to clear a glut caused by lockdowns and supply interruptions. Josh Gardner, Founder and CEO-China, Kung Fu Data, which manages online stores for 10 fashion brands said, in April, May on platforms, there wasn't a T-shirt to be found, we were sold out of summer stock and so was everyone else, there was just no product, he added.

China is a major market for personal luxury goods companies with sales reaching $74.4 billion in 2021, according to Bain.

During "618" – a major shopping event in China from May 31 to June 20 - across the main e-commerce sites, such as Tmall and JD.com, were flat year-on-year. In the event's opening week, data from Tmall showed men's wear sales had dropped 22 per cent and women's wear was down 4 per cent , although activewear sales rose 26%, possibly due to an increased focus on fitness during the lockdown.

For now, some retailers are warehousing inventory and ordering less for the fourth quarter when they will try to clear existing stock through November's Singles' Day.

American Eagle Outfitters is exiting the China market, and has officially closed its Tmall store. The American retailer is taking a ‘temporary break as per its recent announcement on its official WeChat account.

Chinese customers can still buy American Eagle and Aerie products on the company’s official website, but all orders will be shipped from the United States.

The potential exit of American Eagle Outfitters demonstrates that the Chinese market is becoming increasingly difficult as domestic brands offer items at a lower price point and at a faster pace than international fast-fashion players.

Known for its denim and accessible casualwear products, the American retailer has shifted its focus onto the Indian market this year, with plans to open 50 stores in partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.

ITMF will hold the physical edition of its annual conference after a gap of three years from September 18-20, 2022 in Davos, Switzerland. The event will be hosted by Swiss Textiles and Swiss Textile Machinery. The theme will be: Climate Change and a Sustainable Global Textile Value Chain. It will focus on the short and mid-term challenges faced by global industry leaders owing to the pandemic and supply chain disruptions.

Addressing climate change

The conference will not just address these challenges but also decipher learning from them. It will address the issue of climate change besides identifying solutions for sustainable textile production, and new market opportunities. The conference will serve as a platform for industry leaders to exchange manufacturing strategies and production models ideas. They will share their production expertise and future vision at the event.

The keynote address will be by David Bossart, CEO, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, a renowned philosopher, futurist, retail and consumer analyst with over 22 years experience. He will speak on the topic: Between cheap, aspirational, and sustainable - textile manufacturing in a fully disruptive and interconnected world.

Focus on startups

The event will also host six start-ups who will share their innovations in the sector and business models. The sessions will help identify new solutions for converting challenges into opportunities.

Honoring excellence

ITMF will also organize the ITMF Awards 2022 to honor companies and individuals for their outstanding achievements in the sector. This year, the awards will be given in two categories: Innovation & Sustainability and International Cooperation.

Business navigation strategies

Introduced for the first time in 2019 in Porto, Portugal, The World Café will allow delegates to discuss in small groups their business navigation strategies. The results of these discussions will be shared among participants at the end of the event. The event will also provide opportunities to discuss the current state of the industry and a way out of the situation.