Shima Seiki has launched a number of new Whole garment knitting machines, computerised flat knitting machines and graphic design systems. Shima Seiki products cater to a range of industries, in addition to its traditional customer base in the apparel industry. The computerised flat knitting machine manufacturer is disrupting the conventional perception of knitting, offering its benefits to prospective customers who are as yet unaware of the true and current potential that knitting possesses. The company is proposing knitting as an alternative manufacturing solution for non-fashion related industries. To this end, its latest technological contributions aimed at promoting knitted applications in various fields range from fashion, sports, shoes and accessories to medical, automotive, aeronautical and other wearable and industrial textile applications.

The new flexible and versatile MACH2VS, which has evolved from Shima’s MACH2S machines, has the capability to knit in a range of production methods – as a conventional shaping machine, it is capable of all-needle knitting in gauges 8-16, whereas Whole garment knitwear can be produced in half-gauge (alternate needles). From a versatility perspective, the MACH2VS is also capable of gaugeless knitting whereby a number of different gauges can be knit into a single garment. A new full-color touch-screen monitor improves operability over the previous monochromatic one.

US brands are experimenting with alternative payment options as a means of driving sales and reaching new demographics. Buy-now, pay-later encourages shoppers to spend more money and is especially appealing to younger shoppers with less cash immediately at their disposal. Companies are partnering with payment solution providers to enable shoppers to pay for purchases in installments. So for instance consumers can opt to make up to four interest-free payments over the course of two months. lead to shoppers paying more. Since multiple payments make a hefty price tag seem more palatable, consumers are more likely to pay full-price rather than wait for sales or discounts. Such programs increase conversion rates and incremental sales by up to 30 per cent.

Providing multiple options is especially important for younger consumers who are used to having flexibility in the way they shop and engage with brands. It is anticipated that buy-now, pay-later programs will eventually take the place of store credit cards, which are declining in popularity but function similarly in that shoppers can make payments over a longer time period.

Buy-now, pay-later is a smart way for apparel brands to reach Gen Z and millennial shoppers, taking a cue from methods long used successfully in other industry categories like electronics and home goods.

Tirupur has introduced a GreenCo rating system for apparel units. They are validated with bronze, silver, gold and platinum certificates based on their performance in parameters such as effective use of energy, water conservation, waste minimization and reuse, and installation of renewable energy. Ratings are done by giving more weightage to the performances in utilization of energy and resources instead of the system adopted in the units, which should renew the certificate every three years.

Since the introduction of the system, five industrial units in the Tirupur apparel cluster have obtained them. Last year, two units got them while three others including two knitwear exporters and a dyeing unit obtained them this year. These three apparel units have obtained a GreenCo rating certification given by the Confederation of Indian Industry this year in Tirupur.

However in the Tirupur cluster 90 per cent are micro, small and medium units. They rarely audit the energy and resources used. So Tirupur has also launched an audit program. This program will help the industry to eliminate audit fatigue, avoid duplication and reduce the number of social and labor audits by replacing current proprietary assessment tools, increase the opportunity for greater comparability of social and labor data and redeploy resources to improvement actions.

Most of the machines in Indian jute mills are from China. Some of the key clusters where active jute mills are present are Champdany, Delta, Howrah, Kamarhatty, Kanoria, Mahadeo, Rameswaram, Tirupati and Titaghur. The Indian jute industry employs 4,00,000 mill workers and supports an estimated four million families. The market for diversified, value-added jute products is estimated at Rs 400 crores. It is growing 20 per cent year-on-year. The Jute Corporation of India is planning a tie-up with Patanjali for branding and promotion of jute products such as shopping bags and some fashion items. Amid a global push to reduce the use of plastic for environmental reasons, India is promoting jute as a material for reusable shopping bags, home furnishings, clothing, even diapers and women’s sanitary pads.

Jute is a natural fiber with a golden and silky shine. It is the second most important vegetable fiber after cotton, in terms of use, global consumption, production and availability. It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of fabrics. Jute fiber is 100 per cent bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmental-friendly. It is one of the most versatile natural fibers that has been used in raw materials for packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. It is used to make good quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks.

Thermore’s revolutionary Ecodown Fibers Marble brings insulation to a new era. Jackets will never look the same. Each garment will be unique. There won’t be two identical garments. With Thermore’s Ecodown Fibers Marble, every jacket is a piece of art with a unique design. Thermore also introduces the new Ecodown Fibers Black product. It provides a 3D color effect using light colored fabrics. Also, it changes the hue of any fabric used, thus creating infinite possibilities and colors.

Ecodown fibers ensure the same loft as high quality 90/10 feathers and can likewise be blown into a garment. The loft of down products is calculated with the fill power test: fibers are blown through a cylinder and their volume is measured. The higher the fill power, the puffier the jacket.

Moreover, this insulation is incredibly durable: its one-of-a-kind multi-shape structure allows high resistance and prevents it from clumping when washed. Not only are Ecodown fibers animal-free, they are also made from 100 per cent PET bottles. Every jacket insulated with Thermore’s fibers allows recycling up to ten post consumer bottles. Along with a warm feel, the insulation achieves a soft touch without the use of microfibers, which would contaminate oceans and, ultimately, food.

At the Brandix India facility in Andhra Pradesh, women are stitching the world’s most fashionable, and expensive, innerwear. These 18,000 women are in India’s single largest producer of Victoria’s Secret products. On their client list are other popular labels as well: Calvin Klein and Marks & Spencer, to name a few.

The lingerie business has, over time, changed the social status of the women, most aged between 18 and 35. Scarred by the battles of domestic violence, starvation and dejection, the job has not only given them financial freedom but earned them respect within the community as well.

Collectively, they ship out millions of panties and bras to the US, Europe, and Japan every month from their work stations. The average salary of the women ranges between Rs 8,000 and Rs 15,000. Almost every week a fresh batch walks in, hoping for a better life. The minimum criteria: Class 7 pass. But there are also intermediates and those with degrees. The facility not only impacts the bottom of the pyramid, women who have just done basic education, but also gives employment to trained professionals in the area of fashion and design. The women staff at the factory are supported through canteen and creche facilities, scholarship schemes, health camps and other such programs.

Better Cotton Initiative has joined the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. Better Cotton Initiative is a non profit that promotes better standards in cotton farming. By signing the charter, the Better Cotton Initiative is demonstrating its will to ensure cotton production is on the path to a low-carbon future.

The charter is a series of targets with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2050. Launched in December, in Poland, the charter has been signed by over 40 companies such as H&M, Stella McCartney, Adidas, Inditex, Hugo Boss, PVH and Levi Strauss. Levi Strauss is a vocal advocate for environmental protection. Levi Strauss runs a program in five major markets - Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany - that gives customers a 15 per cent discount on a new Levi’s item if they donate any old clothes (they don’t have to be Levi’s) to be recycled. By 2025, Levi Strauss plans to manufacture all of its products from recycled cotton. It would be the first company to do so.

Climate change has devastating effects on the apparel industry, the communities in which the industry operates, and the world at large.

Chic will be held in China, September 25 to 27, 2019.

This will give insights into the latest developments and trends in the Chinese fashion market, from retail concepts to technological novelties to progressive design trends. Some of the segments are designer brands, accessories, women’s wear, men’s wear, street wear, bespoke, bags and shoes, children’s wear, leather, fur, technological innovations and knits. Individual international exhibitors will present their collections to Chinese professional buyers and make the relevant business contacts for entering the Chinese fashion market. Chic provides a holistic promotion for business deals, product release, trend forecasting, and industrial analysis. Special marketing activities accurately connect exhibitors and Chinese market players.

China is focusing on domestic consumption, long-term and reliable growth. Fashion consumers are hungry for premium brands and individual accessories. Sales of premium brands are showing significant growth. The young generation is a strong economic driving force. Their preferences and consumption patterns are now differentiated into more and more specific clusters. The growing Chinese middle class is hungry for individual expression through fashion and accessories. Consumers are increasingly willing to trade up for quality products. Disposable income rose by eight per cent in 2018. Until 2025 China will probably account for 41 per cent of global luxury consumption. Fashion, accessories, cosmetics and jewelry are especially in demand.

China’s retail e-commerce sales are set to grow by 27 per cent in 2019, says market research firm eMarketer. These days, retail growth in China is occurring online and on mobile. Chinese consumers are purchasing goods online, even some big-ticket luxury products. With the newest technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality and data analytics tools in place, e-commerce companies are providing advanced retail solutions to completely alter the way that luxury, fashion, and beauty retailers serve customers.

Prada has formed a partnership with JD.com and Secoo, a specialty luxury e-tailer. Burberry has been operating on Alibaba’s Tmall marketplace for over five years now. A handful of high-end beauty brands from Estee Lauder, Lancôme, La Mer to Givenchy Beauty are benefiting from Alibaba’s retail solutions to spur sales in China, while Chanel Beauty will launch an official flagship store with Tmall.

Another significant retail trend booming in China is the convergence of e-commerce and social media. For the luxury and fashion industries that traditionally places an emphasis on content marketing. But a majority of the purchases will still be made in brick-and-mortar in the foreseeable future. So an omnichannel strategy augmented by technology is essential, especially in China.

Bangladesh’s earnings from leather exports fell 6.06 per cent this fiscal year. This comprises leather, leather goods and leather footwear, Of the total earnings from the leather sector, earnings from leather products were down by 26.58 per cent. Earnings from processed leather exports declined 10 per cent against the same period a year ago. However, exports earning from leather footwear posted a 7.48 per cent growth.

The leather sector is Bangladesh’s second largest earner of foreign currency after the readymade garment sector. The sector is not yet seen as compliant and environment-friendly and that is holding back foreign buyers. Plans for a central effluent treatment plant are yet to be executed. The Leather Working Group (LWG) certification, which makes it easier to sell goods to global buyers, is hard to obtain due to the absence of a fully operational central effluent treatment plant. Lack of proper compliance, especially in environmental issues, means that Bangladeshi manufacturers are not getting the certificate from the LWG, which assesses environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers. As a result, export earnings from the sector saw a downtrend. Also, consumers are shifting to non-leather shoes — another reason for the fall in earnings of overall exports from the leather sector.