Bangladesh’s garment exports to non-traditional markets have grown by 26.37 per cent in the first ten months of the year. The US, Canada, and Europe are considered traditional markets. All others are known as non-traditional markets. Among these are Chile, China, Japan, India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, South Africa and Russia.

At one time Bangladesh apparel makers hesitated to go into a new market because of the trouble and effort involved. Moreover, when a manufacturer entered a new market, they needed to lower the product price. So garment manufacturers were dissuaded from exploring markets. But since cash incentives were offered in 2010, garment owners started exploring new destinations and markets. Presently, non-traditional markets contribute 15 per cent to 16 per cent of Bangladesh’s total export earnings. These markets offer duty-free access to Bangladesh apparel exporters. China, for instance, the world’s biggest apparel supplier, allows duty-free access to over 5000 Bangladesh products. Bangladesh’s earnings from exports to China have grown 37.48 per cent.

Accord and Alliance have helped to remediate factories in Bangladesh and prompted factory owners to emphasise workplace safety, which has eventually lifted the country’s image in the eyes of foreign buyers. Among the top ten green garment factories in the world, the first seven are located in Bangladesh.

Miami Swim Week is on from July 11 to 16, 2019. The event features men’s, women’s and children’s swimwear, beachwear, active wear, resort wear, cruise and accessories for sale. It is a chance for retailers, fashion consultants, stylists, influencers and other industry leaders to find out what’s trending in the industry and to make purchases for upcoming seasons. The event is expected to attract some 5,000 buyers from 60 countries. Shows and activations are being organized in a variety of locations. The packed schedule is seeing labels including Badgley Mishka, Seeker of Sunshine, Agua de Coco, Chloe Rose and many more take to the catwalk. A range of runway presentations will be open to the public. Brands presenting in this format include Fernando Alberto Atelier, Sauvage Swim from San Diego, and local Miami label Liliana Montoya.

Furthermore, a pop-up shop called the Paraiso Bungalow is offering resort wear, accessories and beauty products from brands including Aloha Collection, Chopard, Olivela and Tropic of C.

The location will also serve as a venue for panel discussions on topics including influencer marketing, inclusivity and sustainability. A platform called The Upcycle Project is raising awareness on the waste that the fashion industry creates. Debuting this year is Nu Wave Swim, which is a brand new experiential platform for designers and buyers.

Bangladesh's exports to India are up 42.91 per cent from the compared to previous fiscal. Of the total earnings, apparel exports were up 79.09 per cent from the previous year. Bangladesh offers apparel goods at reasonable prices, while global retailers are opening more outlets in India. As a result, demand for Bangladesh goods increased in India, which pushed up Bangladesh’s export earnings.

In addition, exporters enjoy cash incentives in exporting apparel goods, which is another big reason for the sharp rise in export earnings. Currently, Bangladesh provides a four per cent cash incentives against export of apparel goods to non-traditional export destinations. India is a non-traditional export market. Also, India as a friend has given duty-free market access to all Bangladesh goods except alcohol and tobacco. This has given opportunities to Bangladesh exporters to attain a leap in export earnings. In terms of population, India is the second largest country after China with a better purchasing power. So there is a huge scope for Bangladesh to grow its exports of consumer goods.

Apart from apparel, Bangladesh’s major exports to India are vegetable textile fiber, paper yarn, animal and vegetable fat, jute and jute goods and leather and leather goods.

Texfusion New York will present a program of seminars and talks dedicated to sustainability for its event at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in Manhattan from July 24-25, 2019. Organised by the London Textile Fair’s Textile Events, the event will promote an ‘eco-friendly culture’, which will reduce the impact of the fashion industry on the global environment. The primary theme of the event will be sustainability and new trends within the fashion industry.

The two-day event will include talks by speakers on topics such as marketing ethical, sustainable, and fair trade fashion led by Amanda Farr, marketing chair of the of NYC Fair Trade Coalition; introduction of fabrics China overseas promotion project led by Bo Li, vice president of the China Textile Information Center (CTIC); how brands are marketing their sustainability story led by Melissa Hall, founder of The Emerging Designer and Melissa Hall Consulting; design for sustainable manufacturing led by Tara St James, founder of Study-NY and Re:Source Library; and (we)design your future led by Simon Collins, CEO of WeDesign.org.

The London Textile Fair first debuted in New York in January 2019, running the premiere Texfusion New York event from January 16-17. The event presented over 100 manufacturers of fashion fabrics, accessories, technical fabrics and denim to the North American apparel and manufacturing market at the Penn Plaza Pavilion.

In the first quarter of 2019, the Chinese textile machinery industry earned CNY 22.98 billion of prime business income, registering 14.57 per cent year-on-year increase. The segment’s assets increased by 8.56 percent year-on-year to CNY 102.5 billion from 2018.

From January to March 2019, the total profit of enterprises above designated size in the textile machinery industry reached CNY 1.4 billion, up 13.01 per cent year-on-year; total loss of loss-suffering enterprises was CNY 145 million, down 24.05 per cent year-on-year; the scale of losses was 20.35 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, the operating profit margin of the textile machinery industry was 6.10 per cent, seeing a decrease of 0.10 percentage points over the same period of last year.

According to the General Administration of the Customs, China's import and export of textile machinery totaled US$ 1.72 billion in the first quarter of 2019, declining by 1.50 per cent year-on-year. The export of this machinery increased by 1.58 per cent to US$ 902 million, while its imports declined by 4.69 per cent to US$ 819 million.

In the first three months of 2019, China imported US$ 819 million worth of textile machinery from 58 countries and regions, declining by 4.69 per cent year-on-year. The top five suppliers of China's imported textile machinery are Japan, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Taiwan, with a trade volume of US$ 698 million.

The 18th China (Dalang) International Woollen Knitwear Fair (CIWKF) will be held from November 02-07, 2019 at Dalang Knitwear Trade Center in China. Themed ‘Smart Manufacturing • New Knitwear City,’ this edition will create the best trade communication and technology promotion platform for the woollen industry, and promote the upgrading of the traditional wool industry into a fashion industry by focusing on the development trend of “Original Design, New Yarn, Intelligent Manufacturing”.

Since 2001, Dalang has successfully witnessed 17 editions of the fair, constantly making breakthroughs from form to content, from business to life, and from brand to culture, which plays an important role in promoting the development of Dalang knitwear industry and strengthening regional economic cooperation.

Over the years, CIWKF has become an important platform for publicity and technology promotion of textile machinery enterprises at home and abroad. Seamless looms manufacturers such as Stoll, Shima Seiki, and Cixing are attracted to the fair as it helps them to establish sales and display centers in Dalang, including that of Cixing in Dalang Global Trade Plaza, covering over 1,000 square meters.

This edition will also reserve a special hall for machinery in response to the theme of “Smart Manufacturing”. It is introduced that there are about 2,000 booths, and the exhibits cover the entire industrial chain, including sweaters, machinery, yarns, accessories and spare parts, further promoting the transformation and upgrading of Dalang knitwear to smart manufacturing industry, fashion industry and cultural industry.

In addition to creating new highlights, Dalang will also strengthen the promotion of the fair by participating in the PH Value in Shanghai and holding the “Dalang Knitwear Domestic Tour” for the popularity of the fair.

According to a new report from global fashion search platform, Lyst, blue jeans are still the most sought after fashion item more than 140 years after they were patented by Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss, with seven out of 10 online shoppers searching for blue jeans in the last 12 months.

Lyst tracked more than 60 million denim related searches over the year, crunching the queries, page views and sales data across 5 million fashion products from 12,000 designers and stores. And the results reveal several emerging trends and new opportunities for brands and retailers beyond the basic skinny jean.

As per Lyst’s data, straight leg jeans are also gaining momentum, naming it the most popular fit at present. Relaxed fits like boyfriend jeans and mom jeans—which were searched for by more than 200,000 shoppers a month over the past year—are also gunning for the No. 1 spot. And more signs indicate denim is moving into an early aughts cycle. Lyst found that searches for low cut and hipster jeans have increased in the last six months.

"More than 4,000 trade visitors from Australia’s large fashion retailers, niche fashion brands, start-up labels, online outlets and independent fashion designers are expected to attend the event."

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) will be represented as a major partner at the 10th edition of International Sourcing Expo Australia 2019 to showcase the strength of India’s apparel and textile exporters for the seventh continuous year.

The expo, to be held from November 12-14, 2019 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will attract some of the world’s leading apparel, accessories, textiles and footwear suppliers. 

More than 4,000 trade visitors from Australia’s large fashion retailers, niche fashion brands, start-up labels, online outlets and independent fashion designers are expected to attend the event. 

The popular runway program, the Global Runway will showcase the collections of emerging and established fashion designers. Positioned on the show floor, the runway show will feature designs from across the globe and are enjoyed by a fashion focused buying audience from Australia and beyond.

Insightful seminars for valuable market insights

An insightful series of the Global Sourcing Seminars will provide valuable market insights and business tips to Australian buyers. The comprehensive three-day program led by international industry experts and keynote speakers is a major attraction for the visitors. The show will also feature seminars that will teach the exhibitors different methods to target the Australian market and understand more local trends and seasonality.

The 2019 edition of the show is expected to attract a wider participation than its 2018 edition. India’s participation across both the International Sourcing Expo and Footwear & Leather Expo was the largest of all national representations in 2018 with a total participation of 130 companies across the two events. FIEO has led the very strong participation by Indian export organisations and exhibiting companies at the show. In 2018 participation included Apparel Export Promotion Council, Wool and Woollen Export Promotion Council, and Handloom Export Promotion Council. This strong and enduring presence confirms India’s continued focus on the Australian market and opportunities. Council for Leather Exports India was a major drawcard in the co-located Footwear and Leather Show

“FIEO is committed to facilitating exposure for its members across the globe, and International Sourcing Expo Australia provides an unrivalled opportunity for this in the growing Australian and New Zealand markets,” said Dr. Sahai

India is well-regarded in Australia as a quality and reliable supplier of textiles and apparel, and with a membership body of 100,000 exporters from every goods and services sector in the country, FIEO is uniquely positioned to showcase India’s prosperous industry. We are thrilled to be returning to International Sourcing Expo Australia for the seventh time in 2019,” said  Ajay Sahai, Director General & CEO, FIEO.

"Australian buyers today seek long term partnerships with reliable suppliers besides a transparent supply chain. Since the last two years there has been a growth in the number of visitors insisting on certifications and details of manufacturing and supply chains of a product. There is also a significant interest in organic and eco friendly textiles."

The Melbourne International Exhibition Australia was held from November 22, 2018. This year the event got a huge response from both exhibitors and visitors. Julie Holt, Executive Director, International Sourcing Exhibition Australia speaks to DFU about the show and current Australian market

Please elaborate on the major exhibitors at the show. What was the visitor turnout?

Co-organised by three major exhibitions -- The China Clothing Textile Accessories Expo 18th edition, 3rd Footwear and Leather Show, and 9th International Sourcing Expo -- the Melbourne International Exhibition Australia was attended by over 700 exhibitors from 20 countries. This also included a few new countries and a number of companies from the United States. The show, from being a purely Asia Pacific Indian sub continent show is transitioning to having elements of Africa, Europe and the United States. The quality of the show has also improved over the last two to three years.

Which was the largest participating country?

Besides China, it was definitely India which had about 130 participants from apparel, footwear and leather brands. Many brands have been participating for years and are familiar with the buyers. Along with them several new buyers were also added this year. 

Tell us more about the Australian textile and fashion market. 

Compared to the rest of the world, active wear has a strong growth market in Australia. Since Australians are particular about the quality and narrative of a product, fast fashion is not popular in the country. Hence, we did not have enough exhibitors in that category. However, the market for accessories is strong leading to a large number of exhibitors in this show. 

What is the focus of the exhibition: exports or the domestic market?

The Australian Fashion Council, which co-hosted this show, aims to partner Australian designers in exporting our designs. We hope that some of these Australian designers have captured the attention of international influential companies which will provide them with an export market. AFC aims to not only protect the industry in Australia but also expand it.  

Though the number of exhibitors has grown exponentially, the number of visitors has not grown proportionately. How do you plan to tackle this?

To enhance visitor experience, we introduced many new initiatives such as the global runway and an online business matching platform to connect with exhibitors. We have also increased the number of seminars by 30 per cent.  Rather than increasing the number of exhibitors or visitors to our show, we aim to make them stay longer with us and engage in sourcing activities.

What are Australian buyers looking for?

Australian buyers today seek long term partnerships with reliable suppliers besides a transparent supply chain. Since the last two years there has been a growth in the number of visitors insisting on certifications and details of manufacturing and supply chains of a product. There is also a significant interest in organic and eco friendly textiles. This was evident in the number of exhibitors who displayed signs/handwritten signs saying ‘Got Certified’ on their pavilion. 

What is the status of Chinese market which till now was the largest exporter for Australian apparels?

The Chinese market has reached a threshold and is on the decline. India and Indonesia are the two countries that are likely to see a big jump in buyer activity from Australia. Since some of the garment innovations in these countries are similar to those in Australia, trade with these two countries along with Malaysia is likely to increase. 

What was the highlight of this year’s show?

There were three highlights in this year’s show. First, the number of countries who participated increased to 20. Second, the global runway not only engaged the audience but also made them reflect on the show. The third highlight was the VIP buyer programme combined with online business matching platform.

 What will the next edition offer?

It will be a more engaging opportunity. Opinion will be expanded one way presentation, a more effective business matching platform and a trends area. We expect European participation as well particularly on the runway.

 Any particular new sector which could be addressed?

We need to make navigability of the show easier for buyers; to have more clearly designated products and trend areas.

Do you see the number of Indian participants increasing next year?

There might be a slight increase as we are not actively perusing a larger participation because we want a more dense experience. We want exhibitors and visitors to be more active together. Our seminar program is quite successful compared to other sourcing events. We branded the sourcing program for the first time this year which was well received and offers a lot of value for visitors and exhibitors alike.

Texworld USA will take place from July 22 to 24, 2019. Over 22 product groups from more than 500 companies will be represented at the show. This year’s event is expected to host over 5,000 attendees. Among the product categories are: cotton, denim, embroidery and lace, functional fabrics, knits, wovens, linen, prints, silk, wool, yarn, accessories, findings and trims, jacquard, shirting, faux fur and novelties. The show will feature company pavilions for Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal. Portugal will also join as the first European country pavilion in the show’s history.

India will be represented by home textile manufacturer Amber, Gupta Creations with cushions, throws, rugs, stools, Sai Exports with decorative cushions, rugs and Sri Ganesh Textile with yarn-dyed woven fabrics for upholstery and home furnishings.

The show provides buyers a diversified platform. In order to evolve with industry trends, not only does it feature exhibitors that have the capacity for large orders but also caters to up-and-coming designers by offering low minimum suppliers. Texworld also aims at meeting the needs of the industry with must-have fabrics/prints and color palettes. Sustainability, the rapidly expanding priority for all sectors of the apparel and textile industries, will be well represented at this year’s Texworld USA.