Taiwanese manufacturers are developing smart textiles, incorporating devices for temperature control, heart monitoring or position finding. Taiwan is one of the world’s top producers of functional textiles. In order to sustain the nation’s position, producers are investing in modern equipment and innovations, new capacities as well as research and development.

Textile producers in Taiwan are investing in Vietnam. Far Eastern New Century (FENC), the largest textile producer in Taiwan, has enlarged its facilities for PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and terephthalic acid (PTA) needed for the production of synthetic fibers. In Taiwan where FENC has been producing spun bonded fabrics made of polyester in a joint venture with the German company Freudenberg for the Asian market since 1987 the company is increasing its capacities as well. FENC bought two new plants from a US enterprise thus reducing the risk of potential trade restrictions and improving the chances to benefit from free trade agreements.

Textile companies based in Taiwan are often family operated and it is in Taiwan that purchasing and marketing decisions and research and development decisions are made. Demand for functional garments has risen in the sports, leisure and shoe industries. Other sectors like the automotive and medical sectors as well as construction materials and agricultural means have also recorded an increased use.

Public stakeholder draft consultation for the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) has been opened by Textile Exchange. The standard has been under review for the past year and the International Working Group has presented a list of proposed changes for public review. These changes include a number of recommendations to strengthen the standard in areas that include training requirements, documentation and management systems, and ensuring best practices in animal welfare.

The RDS was originally released in 2014 and has catalysed brands and retailers to align demand around a common set of animal welfare principles. The RDS strictly prohibits live-plucking and force-feeding, alongside holistic requirements such as access to feed and water, proper handling, access to veterinary care and other key elements that ensure the animals are respected. The review included feedback and expertise from a wide range of stakeholders, including animal welfare organisations like Four Paws, RSPCA and Humane Society International.

The SPESA (Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas) conference will be held on February 27, 2019. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the current and future state of sewn products industry from leaders on the frontline of manufacturing. The one-day event will see three panel discussions to address the top areas of technology advancements in manufacturing, including micro-factories, automation, and software connectivity.

Every major manufacturer, brand, and retailer in the textile industry has to deal with speed-to-market, reshoring, quality control, and improving supply chains. The event will tackle these topics with the best experts in the industry.

SPESA will be held in conjunction with the 2019 edition of Techtextil North America, the trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. This event will have a session on Industry 4.0, which will discuss the barriers, solutions, and current trends of automation and data exchange in moving towards a smart textile supply chain.

This co-location furthers the relationship between the technical textile and sewn products industries. As these two industries continue to evolve and innovate, the companies in each face similar challenges and the solutions are increasingly dependent on collaboration and the incorporation of new technologies and processes throughout the supply chain.

Pure London will be held from February 10 to 12, 2019. Visitors will be treated to a re-edited layout and a surge of new British and international brands who have signed up to showcase their autumn/winter collections. The strongest growth from overseas brands comes from France, Turkey and Greece.

The floorplan re-edit will freshen up the show, offer new discoveries, and give the space new life. Pure London’s strongest sector growth area is the newly created Gen Z section encapsulating the energy and mood of young fashion and set to burst with of-the-minute, trend-led, street style and unisex collections.

Spill The Tea’s collection will see an injection of new fabrics while graphics fuse rave, eastern vibes and 90s themes along with a smattering of angels, cats and internet meme culture. Sera Ulger enables a unique attitude for the sassy girl it designs for. The collections’ prints are inspired through colors and the vibrancy of the fish world, which are hand painted in-house and designed on to their signature styles including their jumpsuits.

Pure London is the UK’s leading trade fashion buying event, covering women’s wear, men’s wear, footwear, accessories and young fashion. The show offers buyers from UK and international independents, multiples, department stores, etailers and mail order the opportunity to discover collections launching for the season ahead, attend catwalk shows and hear from their peers and other industry experts in valuable seminars and workshops.

Malaysian clothing imports surged by 425 per cent in the seven years to 2017. Further import growth is likely as a result of increases in clothing sales in the domestic market -- in line with rising personal disposable incomes--as the government moves towards its goal of achieving high income status by 2020.

Another factor which is likely to contribute to growth in clothing industry is the age profile of the population which is young. The young tend to be much more fashion conscious than their elders and spend more money on clothing. One of the reasons for the surge in imports in recent years is the fact that clothing production has been rising at a much slower pace. This reflects a number of factors, including rising production costs, a general lack of skilled personnel, a high dependency on imported raw materials and, not least, competition from lower cost suppliers--especially those based in low cost producing countries in Asia. Exports have also been growing at a slower pace.

Further significant rise in clothing imports would provide opportunities for several of Malaysia’s key supplying countries. Among these are Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, which benefit from free trade with Malaysia through membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Indian apparel exporters are seeking a hike of duty drawback of about four per cent to 4.5 per cent to alleviate the embedded taxes which have been paid by them. This hike could translate into a Rs 5,000 crore boost to the apparel export sector and enhance its competitiveness.

This duty is embedded in various items like cotton seeds, electricity duty and taxes on diesel. India’s readymade garment exports to the world in the April-November period of 2018-19 decreased by 9.70 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

Readymade garments exports in November 2018 grew 8.98 per cent as against November 2017. Growth in apparel exports is expected to be flat this year.

There has been a positive trend in exports for the entire textile value chain. The IIP production data for textiles and clothing also witnessed robust year on year growth during September 2018 as compared to September 2017. The textile and apparel industry saw a growth of 5.4 per cent and 20.9 per cent respectively during September 2018. Growing positive trend shows visible signs of recovery after a difficult period. The industry was under major stress especially after the implementation of GST.

Blossom Première Vision was held in France, December 12 to 13, 2018. The number of targeted and high-quality visitors increased from France by 17 per cent, and from abroad by 35 per cent.

In December as in July, the event is an established, leading event for major French and European luxury and high-end fashion brands seeking exclusivity and exceptional creativity to design their pre-collections.

Blossom Première Vision welcomed 1,047 visitors from 23 countries, from the most prestigious fashion and luxury houses, who came to seek out and select new product developments and all the latest fabric and color innovations to build their spring/summer 20 pre-collections. Visitors included leading French fashion houses as well as a large and growing percentage of leading international brands. Following France, Italy had the second largest number of visitors. The United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands followed.

Accessories manufacturers and component suppliers for clothing, jewelry, and leather goods were present as were specialists in textile accessories (ribbons) or metallic elements (buttons, buckles, rivets), buttons, zips and labels; and tanners for the fashion and leather goods markets: calfskin, lambskin, kid leather, exotic leathers etc.

In keeping with the values of the Premiere Vision group - selectivity, creativity, quality and innovation - Blossom Premiere Vision accompanies the season’s earliest collections thanks to a selective and extremely high-quality positioning.

Vietnam has become increasingly appealing to large foreign investor groups in the textile and garment industry. German-based Amann Group is constructing a factory. At the new production site, the group will produce around 2,300 tons of sewing threads per year, mainly for the manufacture of apparel and shoes. Amann is one of the world’s top three leading producers of high-quality sewing and embroidery threads. The new facility will be added to Amann’s existing network of factories in various countries across Asia, including Bangladesh, China, India, and Indonesia.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories plans to set up a center for research and development of silk as well as grow mulberry to support spider silk in the country. Kraig is an American developer of spider silk-based yarn. Kraig has chosen Vietnam to scale up its spider silk commercialisation efforts.

Nearly $15.9 billion worth FDI was injected into more than 2,090 textile and garment projects in Vietnam by the end of last year. In the first half of 2018, the industry attracted another $2.8 billion in FDI. The domino effect created by FDI expansion in the textile and garment sector has also led to an increase in the number of foreign suppliers of machinery and equipment for the industry.

Danish brand Bestseller’s new strategy puts sustainability at the core of its business. The Fashion FWD strategy will cover Bestseller’s value chain and sets goals from 2019 to 2025 that will launch the company towards becoming climate positive, fair for all and circular by design.

The four focus areas are: Creating FWD, Making FWD, Engaging FWD and Delivering FWD.

Creating FWD is about working with innovative new fibers until everything Bestseller creates is made exclusively using sustainable materials. Making FWD aims to improve the environmental footprint of Bestseller’s products, supply chain and operations so they have a positive impact on the environment. Engaging FWD is an approach to embed human rights in the fashion industry, with a focus on the supply chain. The intention of Delivering FWD is to create a future circular model for fashion, where products and materials are ongoing resources.

Bestseller’s strengths are agility and responsiveness to trends. It will apply these strengths to respond to the changing demands of the planet and society, and to speed up the transition to a more sustainable reality. The company wants to play a significant role in overcoming the biggest sustainability challenges. Bestseller is present in 46 countries through more than 2,800 chain stores and 12,000 external multi-brand stores.

KARL MAYER sets the trend at Heimtextil, on Stand K 65 in Hall 3.0 at Messe Frankfurt and during an in-house show in Obertshausen

For the first time after roughly 40 years, KARL MAYER will again take part in Heimtextil in Frankfurt/Main. At the trade fair to be held from 8 to 11 January 2019, this innovative textile machine manufacturer will be introducing some worldwide novelties around the topics of terry fabrics and curtains. For this purpose, the company received from the organizers a stand located in the exhibition’s Trend Forum. There, KARL MAYER will be present on Stand K 65 in Hall 3.0 with an information booth. At the same time, an In-house Show will take place at the company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, which can easily be reached by shuttle bus. Machines and new textile developments will be shown there.

KARL MAYER will pool its new activities in the field of weft warp knits for Heimtextil under the WEFT.FASHION brand. For this purpose, a new weft curtain article will be produced for the In-house Show. The trendy pattern is captivating due to an extravagant design in the currently fashionable woven-like look. Sophisticated fancy yarn gives the warp-knitted weft curtain a completely new face. For this article, KARL MAYER announces a new weft-insertion warp knitting machine with an extremely attractive price-performance ratio – entirely in line with WEFT.FASHION: New HOME TEXTILES manufactured with the benefits of WARP KNITTING efficiency.

Moreover, there will be a machine premiere for the terry segment: for the first time, KARL MAYER will be showing its TM 4 TS-EL in a working width of 193? and in a gauge of E 28 in Germany. This efficient machine will reveal its high performance in Obertshausen by producing a revolutionary textile novelty: a double-face warp-knitted terry fabric with a soft velour layer made from microfibers on the outer face, and an absorbent surface made from cotton on the inner side. This article for bathrobes is not only functional and stylish, it also shows advantages in terms of environmental protection compared to woven counterparts, and this is due to the machine technology used for its manufacture.

KARL MAYER’s solutions for a sustainable production of terry articles can be found under TERRY.ECO, and the company’s entire commitment to a clean production stands under the heading CLEANER.PRODUCTIONS.