Despite advancements made in the front-end apparel production, manufacturers rarely pay attention to the complete lifecycle of goods. As per a Sustainable Brands report, the industry accumulates millions of tons worth of surplus inventory every year. Most of the deadstock is a result of over-purchasing, faulty production, misprinting and decorating flaws. The industry has been unable to find a suitable solution to dispose off deadstock. Excess inventory keeps piling shops as customers return damaged goods, broken size runs/one-offs, dated goods, failed designs, and even social-justice initiatives.

It is not possible for manufacturers to recycle deadstock as it requires more resources compared to other consumer goods. In addition, recycling can also reduce the garment’s quality and value. Hence, less than 15 per cent clothing in the US is currently recycled.

Minimal energy and water use

As an alternative to this, the industry needs to adopt upcycling in addition to existing sustainable practices. Upcycling can boost a brand’s circularity approach by turning its unsold inventory into completely new products.

Upcycling process requires very little energy and water. Its environmental impact is minimal and enhances the quality and value of a product. Many niche fashion brands such as Beyond Retro, Re/Done and Zero Waste Daniel, are introducing new initiatives for apparel repurposing. However, large manufacturers, retailers and fashion brands with robust sustainability programs in the up-front production process have little to no best practices in place for managing their enormous volumes of new, unsellable merchandise.

Emergence of new upcyling partners

Since upcycling adds a new step in apparel production, many companies are unable to upcycle merchandise in-house. Hence, a sub-industry of upcycling partners is emerging across the world. Urban Outfitters has launched an Urban Renewal initiative to expand its upcycling capacity. The company plans to divert waste products to New York-based Fabicrap. It also aims to create an accessible materials resource for creative communities.

Patagonia has collaborated with LA-based Suay Sew Shop to launch a new Recrafted collection. The Recrafted collection is made from damaged goods that have been turned into entirely new, one-of-a-kind products. Brands including Champion and Pottery Barn have collaborated with the Renewal Workshop to repair unsold goods.

Enhancing the environment

The name change adopted by Washington Commanders made branded merchandise deadstock overnight. To resolve inventory issues, the Girl Scouts of America decided to launch more sustainable uniforms and a responsible solution for the existing inventory on hand. The company approached New Redford-based organization to help transform unsold, obsolete merchandise into new fashion apparel and accessories.

Shifting to a new business model requires adequate time, education and distribution. However, upcycling creatively reimagines deadstock by putting large volumes of surplus merchandise back into the marketplace. This helps the industry improve customer satisfaction, workforce capacity and the environment.

In contrast to regular fashion market, the global kidswear market has been growing in a robust fashion for the last two years. Statista reports, the global infant and toddler wear market has been growing at 3.7 per cent since 2018 and is projected to reach $239 billion in 2023. Segment growth will be dominated by girls’ wear, projected to reach $132.3 billion by the end of analysis period while boys’ wear will grow at 2.8 per cent CAGR.

US tops kidswear demand

China’s kidswear market is projected to grow at 6.7 per cent CAGR from 2020-2027 to reach $68.8 billion. The US market is projected to reach $78 billion in 2022, says a Textile Today report. The garment industry has faced several disruptions over the last two years as many export orders got cancelled. Now, the pandemic is easing across Europe and the US though fresh cases are being reported in India and China.

Market accelerates post pandemic

The global apparel industry has also been hit by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine for the past few weeks. Brands including H&M, Mango, Zara, Marks & Spencer and Nike have shut Russian stores and suspended online operations. The war is preventing fashion retailers from selling garments Russia. Buyers are either suspending orders or diversifying to other markets. However, growth in the kidwear market has accelerated riding on demand for branded clothes for kids, parents’ rising incomes, growth in the number of e-commerce channels, rising social media awareness, etc.

Popular kidswear brands

A number of children’s clothing brands have risen across the globe to cater to growing market needs. Most prominent us Carter’s, a US-based brand established in 1865 with 17 per cent of the US baby and infant market. The brand sources $200 million worth knitwear and denim garments every year. Its online business surged 35 per cent during the pandemic.

Another popular kidswear brand is Okaidi which purchases 10 million knitwear items and 30-35 woven/denim items from Bangladesh every year. The brand has emerged one of the most trusted brands amongst kids as it did not cancel any orders from Bangladesh during the pandemic. British retailer Mothercare also sources around 50 million pieces’ from Bangladesh. The retailer generated revenues of £164.7 million in 2020, reveal Statista figures. Other popular kidswear brands are: H&M Kids, Zara Kids, Walt Disney, M&S etc.

Changing trends

Post-COVID, around 24 per cent parents have opted for sustainable or eco-friendly apparels for kids. Also the choice is inclined towards knits rather than woven garments as knits offer more variety. Boy’s polo, deflated or bat sleeves, printed T-shirts, sweatshirt sets, and rompers are emerging most popular styles globally. Unique prints like polka dots, photo prints of animals and flower themes are also gaining popularity amongst consumers as are apparels with optimistic and meaningful slogans.

Denim’s popularity grows

Denims are also gaining in popularity with kids opting for washed blue jeans, colored denim jackets and distressed or embellished soft denims. Knit denims are also becoming popular with kids opting for knit tops, fancy and wide-leg trousers, rompers, skirts, cargo pants, decorative frilled tops, etc. Nordic kids are going in for heavy weighted padded jackets while others are buying light jumpsuits, coats, and hoodies.

Various state governments in India are putting their best efforts to increase the cotton production – especially at a time when cotton price and availability continue to be a major concern for the Indian textile industry.

As per an Apparel Resources report, Telangana Government is planning to increase its area under cotton cultivation by 55–65 per cent to about 28–30 lakh hectares (lh) from last year’s 18 lakh hectares.

Similarly, Punjab also plans to increase area under cotton cultivation by 23 per cent. The state aims to grow cotton crop on 4 lakh hectares this kharif season, despite a dismal last year that saw crops being damaged due to pink bollworm attack.

A total of 3.35 lakh hectares were under cotton crop in 2021, which was 75,000 hectares more than 2020.

Sri Lanka crisis has led to many apparel orders from the UK, EU, and even Latin American countries to being diverted to India.

A. Sakthivel, President, Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), said, exporters have begun receiving queries from several European countries.

NarendraGoenka, Chairman, AEPC, adds, India can emerge as an alternative to Sri Lankan apparel as it can produce the majority of the same products at lower cost.

According to the US International Trade Administration, apparel export industry is key to Sri Lanka’s economy, as it accounts for about 44 per cent of total exports and 33 per cent of manufacturing jobs.

Sri Lanka’s earnings from apparel exports have dipped the last few years—they stood at $4.4 billion in 2020, about $1.3 billion less than in 2019.

India is taking steps to boost its textile exports. Eyeing a larger share of the international market, which is dominated by man-made fibres (MMFs), the government earlier this month approved 61 applications with an investment potential of over Rs 19,000 crore under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for textiles.

The collection is based on the approach of honesty, transparency and social responsibility that has always characterized the company. The latest addition to the collection is Aqualess Fade, a technology that recreates the bleaching effect of chlorine on fabrics, a waterless special compound for the discoloration of denim on indigo/black garments which is reducing resource consumption and environmental impact.

This newest innovation completes and integrates Aqualess Mission, a combination of technologies that allows garment laundry processes to reduce 75 per cent of the water use. Traditional systems usually use about 52 liters of water for a pair of jeans, while Officina39’s cutting-edge technology employs only 12.5 liters without affecting the quality of the final product. Until now, the process included three eco-friendly technologies: Novascraper Indigo, a laser finishing technique that adds a natural, vintage look to denim garments; OZ-ONE Powder, an advanced product to give garments a bleached yet eco-friendly treatment, for a worn and distressed look; and Aqualess Aged, a waterless compound to give denim abrasion effects. Specifically, this last revolutionizing product has recently marked an important achievement which adds to the company’s sustainable credentials:

Officina39 isthe first and only player to receive, for its Aqualess Aged, the DeniSafe® certification of enzyme product(s) by Novozymesfor safe production and safe use through dry application.

Japanese textile manufacturer Ecosensor™ by Asahi Kasei launched its SS 2023 collection at Performance Days.

Made of high-tech fabrics implementing new-generation values, the collection includes 40 new fabric items that meet the needs of the contemporary consumers, such as durability, wellbeing and performance.

The collection covers the different market applications with sevenitems for innerwear, two for outerwear 17 for sport knit and 14 for Sport woven. Furthermore, all of Ecosensor™ fabrics are made with sustainable materials which are certified by international certification such as GRS, RCS or self-certification by each yarn supplier, through a traceable and transparent production process and supply chain. 100 per cent of the stretch articles (representing 35% of the collection) are made with ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei, the recycled stretch yarn made from pre-consumer materials.

One of India’s leading industrial safety equipment manufacturers, MallcomIndia is setting up with a new state-of-the-art PPE manufacturing facility in Ghatakpukur, West Bengal.

Ajay Mall, Managing Director, informs, the unit will manufacture products falling under workplace safety. The first phase of industrial garments’ capacity expansion will become operational by Q2 2022-23, reports Apparel Resources.

The facility is being develop with the projected capital outlay of Rs 50 crore, Mallcom plans to double its production capacity in the next two years. Once operational, the facility will generate direct employment for over 600 people from West Bengal.

Along with Ghatakpukur, Mallcom recently inaugurated its workwear manufacturing unit in GIDC, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and the same commenced operations since August 2021. The unit will generate employment to over 200 people when in full capacity.

After two years of online events, Berlin will host the first edition of Denim Premiere Vision from May 17-18, 2022 in Arena Berlin.

The denim-focused show will present more than 80 exhibitors showcasing their F/W 2023/2024 collections and technical innovations. It will also organize the Digital Denim Week, a new synergistic program of physical and digital talks, from 16 to 20 May.

The show will also launch a new initiative - “PV Denim Fashion District” - showcasing a select group of 11 brands and designers presenting pieces they developed together with show exhibitors, including items which will be part of their collections for next season.

Other initiatives at the event will include a conference on May 17, organized as a partnership with TextilWirtschaft magazine. The Denim PV Party x NDL, a not-to-be-missed event will beorganised in partnership with Naveena Denim (NDL), to celebrate denim and its community.

Along with digitaal and physical trend seminars, the show will also include two Digital Denim Smart Talks to review the sector’s ecological progress and innovations in terms of sustainable materials - a Season Smart Talk presenting new eco-responsible denim developments and a Traceability Smart Talk meant to discover the traceable-production solutions offered by the show’s exhibitors.

Global leader in premium Nylon 6.6, NILIT has introduced Sensil® By Nature, a revolutionary new product that significantly improves apparel’s sustainability profile, life cycle analysis, and environmental impact.

By using a certified Biomass Balance (BMB) material, NILIT replaces fossil raw material with renewable feedstock. Utilizing this ISCCplus certified material,SensilL® ByNature reduces GHG emissions and lessens dependence on non-renewable resources.

Apparel made with Sensil® ByNature fabrics offers consumers a meaningful way to help reduce carbon footprint while keeping exactly the same comfort, performance, and longevity that they expect and get today from SENSIL®.

Sensil® ByNature fabrics also deliver the comfort and functionality that designers expect from premium Nylon 6.6. Consumers will enjoy an enhanced sense of well-being that comes from selecting high-quality, long-lasting apparel that aligns with their personal values.

As the leader in sustainable Nylon 6.6 solutions for multiple categories, NILIT recently launched Sensil® BioCare, enhanced with a special technology that helps lessen the persistence of textile waste in sea water and in landfills; Sensil® EcoCare crafted with recycled Nylon; and Sensil® WaterCare pre-dyed Nylon, which saves 100 per cent of the water used in the traditional wet dyeing process.

From $132 million in January 2021, Egypt’s garment exports increased 54 per cent to $204 million in January 2022, says Marie Louise, Head, Apparel Export Council. As per a Textile Focus report, the US emerged top export destination for Egypt during the year with exports worth $123 million in January 2022, compared to $78 million in January 2021. It was followed by European markets, whose imports from Egypt increased $37 million from $28 million in January 2021.

Egyptian garment imports by Arab nations grew 63 per cent to $25 million during the year while imports by non-Arab African countries declined 66 per cent to $109,000. Egypt exported 58 per cent more garments to other countries totaling $19 million from last year. The Russia-Ukraine war has encouraged the country to explore new markets inn collaboration with Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS) offices in all nearby countries; especially the Arab countries.