The second edition of the Australian Circular Fashion will focus on introducing a national clothing take-back scheme that would avoid severe disruption to the fashion industry caused by mandatory regulations. The potential country-wide clothing and textile take-back scheme in Australia will be launched in three phases.

The two-day event, will be held from March 21-22, 2019 in Melbourne and attract speakers from around the world to give the event a distinctly international flavor. The conference will provide a new opportunity to tackle the issue of fashion and textile waste head on, with input and support from leading international and Australian brands by the likes of Mara Hoffman, Eileen Fisher, Filippa K, Australia Post and Kathmandu.

The take-back plan will not be the only topic of discussion at the event. Day one also features conversation on CSR values, best practise and end-of-life repossessing. Day two has a ‘hackathon’ challenge, which involves teams being tasked to innovate significant challenges within the circular supply chain.

The 2nd Bangladesh Fashionology Summit 2019 will be held at the International Convention City Bashundhara, Dhaka on May 2, 2019. Its aimed at consolidating Bangladesh place in the $130 billion smart clothing market by 2025. Bangladesh is currently the second largest apparel exporting country in the world with exports worth $32.92 billion last year. The lion’s share of this export comprises of five basics items i.e. shirt, T-shirt, trouser, denim and sweater.

The second Bangladesh Fashionology Summit aims to inspire the apparel industry of Bangladesh to step into the future of fashion by bringing fashion tech leaders from across the world. The summit has already set the stage for the discussion through its first edition held on February 12, 2018 which focused on concepts like factory of future, virtual prototyping, fashion tech & sustainable innovation, mass customisation & on demand manufacturing. The theme of this edition is: ‘Digitalisation – The Next Destination’.

Some of the world's most famous fashion houses are adopting similar looking logos as a part of new "blanding" trend. Iconic labels including Burberry, Balmain, Saint Laurent, Rimowa and Diane Von Furstenberg have ditched their ornately designed typography logos and replaced them with simple, clean-line lettering instead.

Burberry has changed its typography logo font for the first time in a century. While some experts view the minimalist trend as a sign that fashion brands may be losing their creative flair as they become more corporate, others see it as a sign that there has been a radical shift in what consumers expect from luxury goods.

According to Sarah Hyndman, a London designer and author of Why Fonts Matter, fancy script treatments might suggest the sophistication of a Bordeaux wine label, but in a fashion context they come across as pretentious. To many, this is seen as ‘simply trying too hard.’

Ananta Apparels, a concern of Ananta Group, has sought Bangladesh Bank’s approval to take $8 million to Ethiopia to set up an apparel factory in the African country. The company recently submitted its proposal with the central bank claiming it initiated the move to set up the garment factory in Ethiopia to enjoy tax benefits there along with duty-free access to the United States of America. It would invest $8 million in Ethiopia from its own fund and if any additional fund was required this would be taken from other multinational financial institutions like International Finance Corporation. Bangladesh Bank, however, has expressed its doubts that establishing apparel industry in Ethiopia would be viable.

Ananta’s is the latest among overseas investment proposals by local companies when Bangladesh itself is getting meagre foreign direct investment and the country’s unemployment rate still remains high because of quality job creation. Seven companies have so far got government approval to invest abroad including the highest approval for $20 million to Akij Jute Mills, a concern of Akij Group, for procuring two Malaysian companies — Robin Resources Malaysia SDN BHD and its subsidiary Robina Flooring SDN BHD. Among the rest six, three from the health sector, have invested $9.1 million in six countries between 2013 and March 2016.

"A recent Transparency Market Research (TMR) report predicts vendors of the global luxury apparels market may witness remarkable growth opportunities due to the presence of a number of companies in the market. The competitive market landscape is fragmented as various companies are offering numerous growth opportunities either in product or research and development strategies. As per the TMR report, global luxury apparel market is estimated to be worth US$60.7 billion by the end of 2024."

A recent Transparency Market Research (TMR) report predicts vendors of the global luxury apparels market may witness remarkable growth opportunities due to the presence of a number of companies in the market. The competitive market landscape is fragmented as various companies are offering numerous growth opportunities either in product or research and development strategies.

As per the TMR report, global luxury apparel market is estimated to be worth US$60.7 billion by the end of 2024. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.2 per cent within the forecast period 2016 to 2024. The market is dominated by cotton which accounts for 35.87 per cent of the total share. In terms of geographical segmentation, Asia Pacific contributes more number of shares with a CAGR of 14.75 per cent by the end of the forecast period.

Rising incomes increases purchasing power

The global market for luxury apparels is rising due to an increase in disposable incomes of people further leading to a rise in the purchasing capacity of consumers. Moreover, the trend of luxury apparels amongst the young generation is propelling the market for luxury apparels.

Another factor boosting demand is the emergence of online shopping services. It is easier to shop online instead of going to stores and trying out various outfits. The facility of easy returns has further boosted the online market, attracting more consumers. Digital marketing too has no left stone unturned in advertising the benefits of online shopping and increasing a classy taste of fashion amongst people.

Asia Pacific to witness rapid growth

The Asia Pacific market is presumed to witness rapid growth due to rise in disposable incomes, along with the change in lifestyles of people and their improvised standard of living especially in its emerging nations of China, and India in the coming years. Europe, on the other hand, has already attained maturity because of the presence of many luxury brands that have been doing business for the past few decades. 

Investment needs hamper growth

However, establishing and running a luxury apparels business requires huge investments. This hinders the overall market growth. Apart from this, major vendors are investing more in innovation and research to outstand other players. Thus, new entrants are finding it difficult to enter the market to compete with such high level set players. This is also projected to hamper the growth of the luxury apparels market in the years to come.

"Data from the Taiwan Technical Textiles Association (TTTA) reveals, the island’s output of technical textiles more than doubled at the beginning of the decade reaching NT$130 billion (US$4.2 billion) in 2017. It already accounts for roughly one-third of Taiwan’s total textile output.Based on their use, technical textiles can be divided into 12 sub-categories: agricultural (Agrotech), construction (Buildtech), functional apparel (Cloth-tech), civil engineering (Geotech), curtains and other domestic textiles."

Data from the Taiwan Technical Textiles Association (TTTA) reveals, the island’s output of technical textiles more than doubled at the beginning of the decade reaching NT$130 billion (US$4.2 billion) in 2017. It already accounts for roughly one-third of Taiwan’s total textile output.Based on their use, technical textiles can be divided into 12 sub-categories: agricultural (Agrotech), construction (Buildtech), functional apparel (Cloth-tech), civil engineering (Geotech), curtains and other domestic textiles (Hometech), filters and other industrial applications (Indutech), healthcare (Medtech), transportation (Mobiltech), environmental protection (Oekotech or Ecotech), packaging materials (Pack-tech), protective textiles (Protech), and athletics (Sportech).

Growth in automobile production spurs demand

Currently, demand for Mobiltech and Buildtech is particularly increasing thanks to such factors as strong growth in automobile production in China and China’s Belt and Road infrastructure drive. Among the hot products in Mobiltech are air-bags, automotive engine oil filters and high-speed train gangways. Buildtech includes fabrics used to separate different types of cement, for example in the construction of roads, airports, and subway tubes.

As Huang Po-Hsiung, General Secretary, TTTA says, profit margins for technical textiles are higher than for functional textiles.Many Taiwanese manufacturers supply these technical textiles to international brands such as Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, as they are more specialised and involve less standardised low-value production. It further revealed Taiwan has seen steady annual output growth rates of 3-5 per cent over the last decade and growth remained robust even during the global financial crisis.

Demand for nonwovens increases

According to Huang, most Taiwanese technical-textile makers focus on nonwovens, a category of fabric for which the fibers are bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat, or solvent treatment, as opposed to being knitted or woven. Taiwanese new investment in non-woven factories has already reached NT$6 billion, illustrating the manufacturers have been enjoying good profits. The outlook is also rosy for smart textiles, a sector where Taiwanese textile and electronics companies cooperate in the development of fabrics with embedded washable sensors.

Cars today typically use between 25 and 50 kg of technical textiles. Fabrics that can help save energy have become more sought-after with the advent of electro mobility, vehicles powered by electric drivetrains rather than fossil fuels. Tests by German carmaker Audi have shown new innovative types of fabric used to heat car seats can reduce electricity consumption for heating by 50 per cent.

Challenges the segment faces

Willy Shih, General Manager, KaeHwa Industrial, a Changhua-based maker of breathable film used in diapers, packaging, and coveralls to protect lacquerers or medical workers, points the speculative hoarding of raw materials in China has contributed to higher raw material prices. The ongoing US-China trade war is also likely to drive down global prices of intermediate products, including technical textiles.

Another difficulty derives from Taiwan’s inability to sign trade agreements with major export markets. KaeHwa in recent years has been compelled to shift some production from Taiwan to Malaysia, to avoid 15-20 per cent ASEAN import duties on Taiwan-made technical textiles. Under the China-ASEAN free-trade agreement, such imports into China from ASEAN countries are tariff-free. The company is considering opening a second factory in Malaysia to serve both the ASEAN and China markets under the preferential tariff regime.

"Sustainability, the buzzword in consumer goods right now, is doubly important for the fashion industry. Lindsey Tramuta, in the February issue of Fortune, reveals the industry, in the last 15 years, has doubled its production, adding to the already sizable problem of clothing waste. As the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association notes, around 85 per cent of discarded apparel in the US ends up in landfills even though 95 per cent of it can be recycled. Issues related to production ranging from vast amounts of water used to grow and process virgin cotton, to pesticides and the hazardous chemicals used in dyes add to woes."

Sustainability, the buzzword in consumer goods right now, is doubly important for the fashion industry. Lindsey Tramuta, in the February issue of Fortune, reveals the industry, in the last 15 years, has doubled its production, adding to the already sizable problem of clothing waste. As the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association notes, around 85 per cent of discarded apparel in the US ends up in landfills even though 95 per cent of it can be recycled. Issues related to production ranging from vast amounts of water used to grow and process virgin cotton, to pesticides and the hazardous chemicals used in dyes add to woes.

Recycling to improve sustainability

The issues of the extremely low wages paid to farmers, textiles workers and those involved in making the end-product along with their sub-human working conditions are also a matter of concern for the industry.

Few mainstream brands are tackling these problems quite head on as Patagonia—the trendy outdoor brand known for its down jackets. The brand, since its inception in 1973, has been outspoken on environmental issues, and has practiced what it preaches. The brand works with its design team to make its clothes sustainable.Around 70 per cent of its product line is made using recycled or renewable fiber.

Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2025

Patagonia aims to be carbon neutral by 2025, including its entire supply chain and company-operated retail. Its eventual goal is to be carbon positive and capture more carbon than it emits. Some of the ways the company plans to do this include: sourcing carbon-positive cotton from India, which the farmer can use to receive carbon rebates from the Indian government; increasing the amount of recycled materials in its products; and investing in renewable energy.

And it’s not just established brands like Patagonia that are trying to shrink their environmental footprint. The ecological impact of the fashion industry has inspired a swath of startups to imagine a better way of doing things. Children’s wear brand Art+Eden uses organic cotton—made without pesticides—and dyes.

Sustainability as a part of CSR

Sustainability is also emerging as an important aspect of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of brands. Patagonia, for instance, doesn’t view sustainability and making a profit as two separate things. The brand believes that they can run a healthy profitable business and also make the world a better place simultaneously.

Likewise Art+Edenuses some of its revenues to provide school meals in her native India. The brand’s primary focus is to grow its business successful then use these funds for the betterment of the society. It aims be venture-social, not a social-venture.

World’s largest producer of denim, Isko hosted a ‘Responsible Denim’ gathering to share experiences and knowledge on the development of field-to-fabric integrated approach across the value chain. Isko being the only denim manufacturer which has bagged the EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan Ecolabel plans to find better solutions to give shape to a better and greener future.

The event saw a denim presentation by Lambert + Associates and an Isko Earth Fit presentation. It also included a special panel discussion on how the denim industry can become more sustainable. An educational exhibition to raise awareness and responsibility in the industry among manufacturers, designers and brands was also organised. The third Eyether collection created by Francois Girbaud and Creative Room with the use of innovative Isko fabrics was also launched at the event.

The company also showcased its Isko Earth Fit which is the product of its Responsible Innovation strategy. It is world’s only denim collection which was awarded EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan certifications which addressed the product’s entire life cycle.

The United States and China are moving toward ending their trade dispute. The two countries have reached a broad consensus on alleviating the trade imbalances, but there are still some differences.

Negotiators are drawing up memorandums of understanding on structural issues: forced technology transfer and cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, currency, agriculture and non-tariff barriers to trade. The MoUs covers most complex issues affecting the trading relationship between the two countries and are meant, from the US perspective, to end the practices that led the US to start levying duties on Chinese imports in the first place.

Work on the MoUs is a significant step in getting China to sign up both to broad principles and to specific commitments on key issues. The world’s two largest economies have slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods, slowing global economic growth, skewing supply chains and disrupting manufacturing.

The United States has accused China of forcing US companies doing business in China to share their technology with local partners and hand over intellectual property secrets. China denies it engages in such practices.

The US also objects to non-tariff barriers in China, including industrial subsidies, regulations, business licensing procedures, product standards reviews and other practices.

"The future generation is always a step ahead of you just like the millennial and Gen Z shoppers are more vocal about their expectation of environmentally friendly practices from brands. Consumers’ are increasingly demanding sustainable fashion, prompting brands to prioritise sustainability and increase transparency in their efforts."

The future generation is always a step ahead of you just like the millennial and Gen Z shoppers are more vocal about their expectation of environmentally friendly practices from brands. Consumers’ are increasingly demanding sustainable fashion, prompting brands to prioritise sustainability and increase transparency in their efforts.

The curiosity of consumers is not limited to production only, they are equally curious about the authenticity of their supply. From how online purchases impact their carbon footprint to the specific textiles that make up their shoes and apparel, consumers are getting in every aspect of fashion. It’s therefore essential for brands to tread with caution and provide transparent insights into all aspects of production.

One of the top priorities of consumers today is invest in versatile, durable wardrobe staples that not only save money but also conserve resources. This can be achieved by sourcing textiles that last beyond the normal 25 washes. Garments made from Sensil can be washed at least 50 times, with some garments tested up to 75 washes for durability and additional technical properties.

Reducing waste through shorter shipping time and recycling

As the fashion industry is responsible for approximately 5 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, consumers are opting for clothes that help reduce waste and carbon emissions. To achieve this, brands should reduce their shipping distance by setting up factories near their sourcing destinations. This would allow them to maintain smaller inventories and fight waste without impacting speed to market.

Additionally, brands can reuse materials that are discarded as waste. For instance, coffee charcoal derived from coffee bean shells can be added to fibers at the polymer stage. This will help garments to delay the loss of body heat, improve their functionality without sacrificing softness or durability. Coffee charcoal also acts as a natural deodorizer and aids moisture wicking.

Biostatic textiles minimise environmental impact

According to a recent UN report, antibiotic resistance is building into a global crisis. According to some researchers, the antibacterial or antimicrobial properties of textiles are a major cause of resistance. To counter this, brands have launched safer fabrics like Sensil BodyFresh. There are likely to more such innovations in the future bringing us close to achieving our sustainability. However, brands need to pay heed to their consumer’s demands for sustainability. Ignoring them would only mean putting their future at stake.