A potentially hazardous trend of ‘greenwashing’ is rising amongst high-street brands such as H&M, Primark and Zara, reveals a new report by the Changing Markets Foundation and plastic pollution campaigner City to Sea. Large fashion brands are using polyester made from recycled plastics in their collections. Most polyester fibers are made from old single-use drinking bottles, as per a Daily Mail report. The report rebuts around 59 per cent of the claims currently made by fashion companies as being unsupported and misleading for consumers.

High-street retailer H&M makes 90 per cent of its recycled polyester from single-use plastic bottles. This prevents these bottles from being recycled again. However, these bottles have a significantly lower carbon footprint than conventional polyester, says an H&M spokesperson. The brand continuously invests in new recycling technologies and innovative materials. It has already launched products made of recycled polyester from pre-owned garments, he adds. Researchers believe, this process of recycling plastic bottles into fabric accelerates the release of microplastics into the environment. It also increases brands’ reliance on fossil fuels and encourages people to buy garments that they don’t need.

Polluting human lives through air and food

Often, plastics recycled into synthetics compound the problem of microplastics in the environment. These microplastics end up polluting the seas and human lives through air, food and drinks. Derived from oil and gas, these fibers continue to distract fashion consumers from deeper environmental problems. To maintain sustainability, brands need to weave it into their operations, opines George Harding-Rolls, Campaigns Adviser, Changing Markets Foundation. They need to stop downcycling plastic bottles into clothes and curb their reliance on fossil fuels, he adds. Consumers too need to opt for second-hand, pre-loved clothes.

Scientists believe, urban flooding has accelerated flushing of microplastics into the oceans. They tested 40 sites around Manchester and found every waterway in the city contaminated with small toxic particles. According to them, some of these waterways are so heavily contaminated that even smallest stream contain microplastics.

No signs of slowing

Researchers believe, around 90 per cent of microplastics in the oceans originate from land. Contamination levels at oceans rise during urban flooding as 70 per cent of the microplastics are transferred from rivers to oceans.

Once plastics are recycle d into fibers, they cannot be recycled further and need to be thrown away. This accumulates more waste in landfills. The tiny microplastics particles shed from clothes while wearing and washing, end up polluting oceans and human lives through air, food and drinks. Their production has increased over the last 20 years, and shows no signs of slowing.

At a seminar organized by the Bangladesh Cotton Association (BCA) and Cotton Council International (CCI) to celebrate ‘World Cotton Day’ in Dhaka, Bangladesh local spinners urged authorities to address barriers in cotton imports from the US to smoothen supply. The spinners also urged for a duty concession on RMG products made from US cotton to enhance the bilateral trade, said Mohammad Ali Khokon, President, BTMA.

Terming the US as one of the major export destinations of Bangladesh RMG, Khokon said, while there is a lot of potential to enhance trade between Bangladesh and the US, the existing tariff structure to enter the US market of its RMG products is comparatively high. He urged the US government to provide some concession for RMG products from Bangladesh made with US cotton and added this will be a win-win situation for both countries. He also requested Miller to raise the issue with US government with high emphasis.

The World Cotton Day was launched by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2019 while the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized October 07 as World Cotton Day on August 30 last year.

Macy’s has launched a collection titled Oake under its new bedding and bath house brand for customers under the age of 40 years. As per a Home Textiles report, the sustainably designed Oake Collection has been launched online and in select Macy’s department stores with an assortment that includes sheets, quilts, duvet sets, comforter sets, bath towels and mats, plus decorative pillows and blankets.

The line features select items made from a blend of cotton and Tencel lyocell fibers, which are made from renewable wood sources as well as items made from a blend of cotton and Ethicot, a recycled cotton made from pre-consumer textile waste. Many products are certified Made in Green by Oeko-Tex, which ensures they are safe from more than 350 harmful substances. On the occasion of the new brand’s launch Macy’s donated 50,000 trees to One Tree Planted. The trees will be planted in California to help replenish forest cover that was lost during the 2020 wildfires.

Developer of innovative fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, the Lycra Company has won intellectual property rights including patents and trademarks for denim products, from the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The company recently initiated several infringement suits related to dual core and multi-core patents for denim against third parties in China. These parties were selling fibers and goods the Lycra Company deemed to infringe on Lycra brand patents.

The Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration then issued a decision in support of Lycra Company patents for two invalidity challenges. Subsequently, the Jiangsu Authority informed the company that its patent has been upheld in both these cases.

The Lycra Company also supports customers and licensees in patent challenges related to products. In two recent cases, two licensees in Europe turned to the company for technical and legal assistance for their own patent litigation defenses related to the company’s dual core patents. This assistance helped bring about wins for the licensees against the challenger, the company said. The presiding court ruled the licensees were not infringing on the other company’s patent.

Levi’s has negotiated cotton prices for the first half of 2022 and expects cost of products to increase 1 per cent in the first half of 2022 compared with 2021 levels. For the second half of 2022, the company hopes to negotiate prices to a mid-single-digit percentage increase compared with 2021 levels.

Reports suggest, the 18 per cent rise in cotton prices over the past month has sent Levi’s shares down 5.1 per cent while the S&P 500 index has increased by 0.4 per cent. Share prices of fast-fashion retailers H&M and Inditex too have declined by 4.9 per cent and 4.6 per cent, respectively, while Gap’s share prices fell 2.2 per cent.

Levi’s average selling prices have increased more than 10 per cent compared to 2019 while gross margins have surged 10 percentage points compared to a decade ago, during the last cotton price surge. The brand’s gross margin in the last quarter grew almost 5 percentage points compared to pre-pandemic levels. On the other hand, gross margins of Hanesbrands grew just 0.6 percentage points in its last quarter compared to pre-pandemic quarter, while Zara owner Inditex’s margins increased by just 1.5 percentage points.

Rising domestic demand amid limited supplies may lead to a 36 per cent fall in India's cotton exports in 2021/22 from a year ago. This may support global cotton prices, which recently jumped to its highest levels in a decade on account of strong demand from top consumer China.

Sumeet Mittal, General Manager-India, Louis Dreyfus Company says, India’s exports may decline to 5 million bales in the new season as demand in the local market has been increasing. In 2020-’21, India exported around 7.8 million bales, the highest in eight years, as the state-run Cotton Corporation of India continuously sold from its warehouses keeping Indian prices competitive, he informs. Higher exports and local demand have depleted carry forward stocks to 6.5 million bales in the new season that started on October 1, from 12.5 million bales a year ago.

Good demand from local mills and a rally in global prices have lifted domestic prices MCOTc1 to a record high this week, tapering the advantage India had over other suppliers. Leading cotton producing states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh received heavy rainfall in September. This could impact the early-sown crop in all these states, adds Chirag Patel, Chief Executive Office, Jaydeep Cotton Fibers.

In H1 ’21, US’ underwear imports increased 7.52 per cent to $2.01 billion from $1.86 billion in H1 ’19, reports Apparel Resources. Compared to H1’20, US’ import values surged by 70.96 per cent indicating market of underwear in the country is on an upward trajectory. India’s contribution grew 9.26 per cent and clocked om $176.70 million in revenues in total US underwear imports.

As per IBIS world, the US’ lingerie market is projected to grow over 4.4o per cent from 2021 as changing lifestyle of US women consumers is incurring increased spending on fitness and related accessories, which has positively impacted the market growth. US’ import of shapewear was up 11.70 per cent in H1’21 touching $ 1.37 billion as compared to $1.23 billion in H1 ’19. The availability of a wide range of products, such as control camisoles, corsets, body shapers, singlets, and body briefs, is likely to boost the market growth even more in the US in months to come. India shipped $21.65 million worth of foundation garments to the US in H1 ’21, noting a significant decline of 47.87 per cent as compared to $41.53 million that it had clocked in H1 ’19.

The US crossed pre-COVID levels in kid’s wear import valued at $1.10 billion during the first six-month of 2021, as compared to $1.05 billion in H1 ’19, increasing by 4.89 per cent. The growth is attributed to rising momentum in back-to-school shopping in the US, before that the growth came from clothing purchased by parents for their kids’ virtual classes.

Nightwear imports touched $870.07 million in H1 ’21, up 38.50 per cent from H1 ’20 when the value stood at just $ 628.19 million. Import of dressing gowns increased 7.30 per cent to $284.93 million from H1’19. India’s exported dressing gowns worth $ 3.37 million to the US in H1 ’21, a 10 per cent decline from H1 ’19.

Largest fashion trade show during Shanghai Fashion Week, Ontimeshow, plans to expand its fashion showcase and showroom functions. This season it took over Tank Shanghai, a contemporary art space converted from oil tanks and a short walk away from its main venue on West Bund, to meet the increasing demand from local designers.

YeliGu, Founder, Ontimeshow, said, the organizer has just signed another five-year strategic partnership with West Bund to help the area reinforce its positioning as the city’s up-and-coming art and design district. In return, Ontimeshow gets to steadily expand its presence in the desirable location.

This season West Bund is also offering the majestic dome-shaped show space Dream Center for designers, with Ontimeshow’s showroom business RoomRoom showcasing their spring 2022 collections.

The lineup includes first Chinese Fashion Fringe Winner Haizhen Wang, the first Chinese Woolmark Prize winner Qiuhao, LVMH Prize-short-listed Susan Fang and Xiao li, and Angel Chen, who became known internationally with Netflix’s fashion reality show “Next in Fashion.”

Other brands to watch this season at Ontimeshow include Annakiki, By Fang, Deepmoss, Evening, Judyhua, Masha Ma, Renli Su, Roderic Wong, Sweetpotato Chiu, Wan Yi Fang and Yingpei Studio.

After receiving the 2021 C.L.A.S.S. Icon Award, and successfully exhibiting as special project at White Show Milan, Portuguese brand Duarte will showcase its Spring/Summer 2022 collection in Lisbon.

Streetwear designer Ana Duarte has worked in close contact with the Milanese hub in order to create a 40 pieces collection - mostly gender neutral - in which the approach to materials, suppliers, new business models and communication includes and supports a holistic view.

Ana Duarte is a Lisbon based designer and Creative Director of sustainable sportswear luxury brand, Duarte. She draws inspiration from her love for sports, nature, colour, and comfortable yet feminine personal style. Conscious about the body and movement, her pieces are ergonomically designed. She creates for people who wear clothes for their love for the story behind them. The pieces are about the details, quality finishes and materials, allying classic tailoring and sportswear techniques, the garments are made to last a lifetime.

According to the export report published by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB), Turkey’s textile exports increased by 41 per cent to $8.2 billion during the January-August period of 2021. In August, the sector’s exports increased by 36 per cent to $1 billion compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching the highest August export figure of all time.

AhmetÖksüz, Chairman, ITHIB, predicts, by the end of the year, Turkey will reach its export target of $12 billion by breaking the historical record of the Republic. Together with the ready-to-wear industry, the industry aims to have a foreign trade surplus of $18.6 billion at the end of the year.

Öksüz disclosed that Turkey rose to the fifth rank in world textile exports in 2020, and its market share continues to increase in the European Union countries. The industry recorded significant increases of up to 60 percent in all country groups, especially in the American countries, other European countries and Former Eastern Bloc Countries, besides the EU.