With a focus on evolving the region’s organisational design, footprint, and building new capabilities to accelerate growth, VF Corp, one of the largest apparel retailers has come up with a transformation plan for its Asia Pacific operations. Now VF Corp will move the centre of its brand operations from Hong Kong to Shanghai as it aims to forge stronger and more relevant relationships with Chinese consumers.

VF’s Asia Product Supply Hub, which serves as the base of operations for its global supply chain in the region, will also move from Hong Kong and relocate to Singapore.

This will enable greater integration across VF’s global supply chain network, which also includes key hubs in Europe and America. Additionally, VF will redeploy some of its product supply talent and resources throughout its primary sourcing countries in the region to work more closely with key suppliers and drive greater efficiency.

An additional shared services centre for the region will be established in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). This centre will help the company further expand the footprint of the back-end business functions that support its brands and supply chain operations across the Asia Pacific region.

The new centre will house various functions including digital technology, finance, human resources and logistics. Hong Kong will remain a key retail market for VF and its brands. The company will activate a phased transition plan to guide these relocations over the next 12 to 18 months with the first moves expected in April 2021.

This announcement reinforces the company’s commitment to invest in their business across the Asia Pacific region, while also supporting VF’s overall transformation plan to become a more consumer-minded, retail-centric and hyper-digital enterprise.

PDS Multinational Fashions has appointed Sanjay Jain as CEO. Jain previously served as CEO of Future Retail and Group CFO of Future Group. Jain has over 26 years experience in leading transformation across various companies and helping them unlock their intrinsic value. He has raised over $4 billion from some of the world’s marquee strategic, private equity and financial investors.

Created an asset-light company that has achieved double-digit growth year-on-year over the past decade, PDS is a true Indian multinational company. Through its global footprint, it has been successful in building strong relationships with some of the world’s leading retailers serving them across both physical and digital distribution channels. Rather than acquiring companies, PDS has been built through joining hands with entrepreneurs across the globe and supporting them through the PDS platform. Now the company is expanding the business in new territories, new product segments, and new customers. With the appointment of Sanjay Jain, a seasoned senior professional, with global experience, who led various transformation, growth, and value creation initiatives, join they plan to drive initiatives for building financial strength, operational excellence, and shareholder value creation.

Marks & Spencer has bought fashion brand Jaeger, which had been part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill group of retailers now in administration. The fashion retailer M&S has set out plans to sell complementary third-party brands as part of its Never The Same Again programme to accelerate its transformation and turbocharge online growth.

In line with this, M&S has bought the Jaeger brand and are in the final stages of agreeing the purchase of product and supporting marketing assets from the administrators of Jaeger Retail Limited.

According to some reports the deal would mean no store staff from Jaeger will keep their jobs, and physical sites - currently closed due to lockdown restrictions - would be expected to close permanently.

New York-based company G-III Apparel, has entered the race to buy Arcadia and is among four top contenders that also include Next, Boohoo, and US-based Authentic Brands. The company owns the DKNY brand and also holds licences for big-name labels Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Karl Lagerfeld and Levi’s.

As per Telegraph reports, G-III has around $800 million to help fund any buy. The group itself had pre-pandemic sales of $3.1 billion and a stock market value of $1.3 billion. But the company closed over 200 US stores last summer and said its wholesale business, anchored by our five global power brands: DKNY, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld, will continue to be the primary growth and profit engine.

There are justifiable fears in British retail that some of the main contenders for Arcadia have little or no interest in running physical shops. Regardless of who wins the Arcadia race, it’s expected to be finalised by the end of next month with administrator Deloitte selecting the parties to go forward to the next bidding round at some point in January.

Despite positive news of retail chain Edinburgh Woollen Mill being sold, the company continues to shutdown more stores, although the potential buyer hasn’t been named. News reports suggest, hundreds of jobs could be rescued with administrator FRP Advisory having issued sale contracts to the potential buyer.

But despite this, it still seems only a small number of shops in the 400-store chain will continue. The company has already made around a third of the more-than-2,500 employees redundant since the EWM chain collapsed last November. The chain was the foundation of the larger EWM group built up by Philip Day. He also owned Peacocks, Bonmarché, Jaeger and Austin Reed and had a total empire of 1,100 stores.

The chain is now being picked apart with Jaeger reportedly set to be bought by M&S, although there is also little news that the Peacocks buyout plan led by its e-commerce chief has stalled. Day still has a big say in what happens to the various businesses having taken £140 million of security at group level that was previously held by Barclays Bank and cross-guaranteed by various group companies.

Xinjiang’s total cotton output, unit yield, planting area, and commodity allocations rank first in China for 26 consecutive years. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows, Xinjiang’s cotton output was 5.161 million tons in 2020, an increase of 3 per cent over last year accounting for 87 per cent of China’s total cotton output.

The Announcement of the National Bureau of Statistics on Cotton Production in 2020 issued by the National Bureau of Statistics shows cotton sown area in Xinjiang will reach 37.5285 million mu in 2020, accounting for 78.92 per cent of the national planting area. According to a sample survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, Xinjiang cotton (lint) yield is 137.5 kg/mu, which is higher than the national average yield of 13.2 kg/mu.

Thanks to the unique natural conditions, Xinjiang cotton has high quality. Since the 1990s, China’s cotton production area has gradually shifted from the Yellow River Basin to Xinjiang. At present, Xinjiang is the largest cotton producing area in China and an important cotton producing area in the world.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has published its first sustainability report under the theme ‘Go Human Go Green’, where it outlines the country’s readymade garment (RMG) sector’s commitment to becoming more ecologically aware and socially responsible.

The sustainability report has been developed with assistance from German government via the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, as part of the Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards in the Industry (PSES) program. Rubana Huq, President, BGMEA declared seven pledges to contribute more towards improving worker’s education, early childhood learning of workers’ children, mental health, sustainability, culture export of Bangladesh, workers health, industry innovation and efficiency for the RMG sector.

Bangladesh is the world’s second-biggest garment manufacturer, after China, and employs about 4.1 million workers and is responsible for more than 80 per cent of the country’s export earnings. The report will help measure and manage the impacts of a business or industry on people and planet and accordingly set goals to perform better. The actions are aligned with the aspiration of building the ready-made garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh so that it becomes economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Fashion duo Dolace & Gabbana have called off their next menswear physical runway show during Milan Men's Fashion Week owing to the nationwide lockdown imposed in France. The Milan-based house explained in a release that due to contingencies related to Covid-19, the fundamental conditions to create their show were lacking. It was therefore, decided to cancel their upcoming fashion show.

Though Dolce & Gabbana never list their shows on the official calendar of the Camera della Moda, which manages the catwalk seasons for men and women in Milan, their decision to cancel the show further reduces an already meagre season in the Italian fashion capital. The brand has also indicated it does not plan to unveil any digital presentation of the new collection during the season, which features fall/winter 2021 clothes.

After Dolce and Gabbana’ss cancellation, there are only three live shows: Etro, Fendi and K-way (and Etro’s will be staged without any audience) confirmed for the Milanese menswear season. Currently 39 brands are due to participate, though only these three will have runway shows. However, many houses are expected to present their collections in either video form; or with physical presentations, with a few live models but no audience; or on an appointment basis in their showrooms.

Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co forecast holiday-quarter net sales declined between 5 to 7 per cent indicating that even strong online demand was not enough to help the company stay afloat after it suffered a blow from temporary store closures and Covid-19 restrictions.

According to IBES data from Refinitiv, the company, which owns the Hollister apparel brand, had previously estimated net sales decline between 5 and 10 per cent for the quarter, with analysts expecting a 5.5per cent fall. Abercrombie also stated it expected fourth-quarter gross profit rate to be up at least 130 basis points, compared to last year’s 58.2 per cent as it discounted less.

Online demand for activewear and loungewear has soared since the start of the lockdowns, but in-store sales have taken a hit as a resurgence in Covid-19 cases in North America and major European markets forced governments to reintroduce certain restrictions.

Asian designers have stood out in Western world with their classy styles and unique offerings for long. Chinese, Indian, and other top designers from the continent have styled Western celebs including Michelle Obama, Rehanna, Gigi Hadid for red carpet events. And as per a luxurystylemag.co.uk report, this year, one can expect to see a clutch of Asian brands and designers making a mark on catwalks, transforming luxe wardrobes across the globe. For years French, Italian, American designers attracted high networth individuals with their styles, now, it’s time for Asian fashion brands to lead from ahead. In fact, a luxurystylemag.co.uk has listed out five luxe Asian brands that will make a mark in 2021.

Rokh: This South Korean brand by Tok Hwang has styled model Gigi Hadid. It’s already made a mark across the industry with its cut-open sleeves, exaggerated hemlines and unique twisted seams. And as the report says, “it’s a brand that doesn’t do things by halves, yet despite its daring nature it has managed to capture the hearts of fashionistas the world over with its equally chic and sophisticated casual designs.”

Sretsis: This Thai quirky yet edgy women’s brand is known for its unique slogan tees and “vibrant, cherry-print jackets”. It’s fast becoming a favourite amongst those looking to inject that traditional Asian individuality into the way they dress. Katy Perry and Beyonce are some top celebs to have worn this brand.

With designer Pim Sukhahuta, a Parsons School of Design in New York alumni, at its helm, Sretsis is “centred around the idea of celebration, and with its bold polka dot patterns, whimsical florals and playful shapes.”

Salwar Kameez: This iconic Pakistani brand offers unique and beautiful ethnic ensembles to a largely Asian clientele through its online store. Salwar Kameez is inspired by Eastern beauties, Pakistani brands and iconic celebrities from the world over. An ensemble that offers beautifully designed, high-quality garments for women, men and children. The online store has seen huge traffic over the past year for its unique, designs.

Mimpi Kita: Mimpi Kita, which means ‘our dreams’ in Malaya launched by the Zulkifli sisters offers beautiful hand-finished clothes in line with their own penchant for casual luxury. Mimpi Kita is best known for promoting individuality and unique dressing. The brand’s bridal collection is particularly popular with its line of show-stopping dresses and accessories winning great acclaim across the world.

Lantern Sense: This brand from Hong Kong is known for its edgy fashion sense. Trevor Ng and Lala Yang’s brand draws inspiration from art and photography and offers clean and refined contemporary collection that sets it apart from the other more Asian brands. “Modern, innovative and a projection of its multi-cultural heritage, this is a brand that feels utterly opulent – and it’s just as well, because that’s exactly what it is.”