Western fast fashion buyers had a profitable run with Pakistan as a readymade garment manufacturing hub for exports. A buoyant industry, availability of locally grown cotton and of course cheap labour was just the successful mix that Pakistan offered. And for Pakistani garment exporters and their worldwide buyers it was a win-win situation. On the domestic front, social media drove the requirement for fast and disposable fashion to heights like never before and local producers for domestic consumption and the fashion retail sector were in a happy place. 

However, the country started paying the price as the production of fast fashion devoured its already scarce water resources a result of non-structured federal plan despite an abundance of rivers. Today, vast tracks of water bodies that could have been a useful source of drinking water for cities lie polluted with chemicals that are the effluence from the nation’s textile industry as well as synthetic microfibers that are a common waste from polyester, the cheap synthetic fabric that is a staple in fast fashion. 

Pakistan’s textiles exports downward trend

Meanwhile Pakistan’s textile exports have been falling constantly. There are varied reasons some very Pakistan-specific negatively affecting exports competitiveness and these include: a massive rise in energy prices, growing working capital cost and supply-side bottlenecks. Buyers are also reluctant to offer business to Pakistan due to the country’s woefully fluid macroeconomic position.

As per central banks’ payment data based on export receipts in FY22, compared to Pakistan, Bangladesh’s textile exports (net of textile imports) were not much higher with net textile exports at $15.7 billion and for Pakistan the number was $12.7 billion. Similarly, textile imports to exports ratio was 39 per cent in Bangladesh versus 31 per cent in Pakistan in FY22. Thus, Pakistan has a higher conversion of imports to exports in value terms.

However, in gross valuation, Bangladesh’s textile exports were higher at $32.7 billion compared to Pakistan’s $18.3 billion. As per Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau’s statistics, textile exports were $46.7 billion compared to $19.3 billion for Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Moreover, in FY23 - especially in the last six months Pakistan’s textile exports are down 15 per cent to $16.5 billion – the deceleration is higher lately.

Sustainability issues plague textile sector 

According to a report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) this year, more than 80 per cent of Pakistanis face “severe water scarcity” for at least one month each year. The report stated Pakistan ranks 14 out of 17 countries designated as “extremely high water-risk” nations. Faisalabad, acknowledged as the nation’s fast-fashion hub with large number of factories illustrates the life threat fast fashion can pose on the city’s residence. Untreated wastewater from Faisalabad's hundreds of factories is polluting the water that is piped directly into people's homes. The result is a high mortality rate in children and a health crisis that is only getting worse as the city expands its garment manufacturing capabilities. 

The Pakistan Accord of 2022, a local version of the International Safety Accord, formerly known as the Bangladesh Accord, unfortunately has not engaged in the drinking water crisis caused by the toxic effluence from garment manufacturing countries like in Faisalabad. 

Government intervention

For the last few years, Pakistani politics has set in motion a chain of events that escalated to absolute chaos and governments in resident were busy staving off being kicked out or busy trying to garner financial resources from keeping it going into an economic bankruptcy. This scenario left no breathing space for the government to look into analyzing the way fast fashion was contributing to polluting water, air, chocking landfills with waste and exploiting basic rights of the sector’s workers. Not surprisingly, very little by the way of researched data is available from governmental sources for experts to be able to weigh in on the percentage fast fashion is contributing to environmental pollution in Pakistan and bring the sector to task. 

Embracing sustainability way forward

For a start, the country’s manufacturers who target the export sector don’t have a choice, particularly if they are engaged with the EU – since 75.2 per cent of all Pakistani exports to the EU are textiles and apparel, the number is significant and getting disqualified as EU vendors will be akin to a death blow. According to All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, its private members have taken the lead towards establishing their sector as Net Zero in Pakistan. The alliance is on its way of setting out the plan and structure by which Pakistan’s private sector may hasten its transition to sustainability and accomplish this net zero objective. 

Asian readymade garment manufacturers have a solid reason to be stressed as the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles is being put forward with renewed vigor and commitment. The strategy in itself is renewing standards in the production and consumption of textiles as well as protecting the rights of vulnerable workers in Asia and other developing continents, home to significant number of RMG factories specifically for exports. The strategy is crucial for Asian manufacturers as 70 per cent of textile exports are to the EU.

Need for complete compliance

Asian garment manufacturers may have a little breathing time as the new EU framework for textiles has crafted a master plan that serves as a guide book and is non-binding for the moment. First proposed in May 2022, the framework came into effect in June 2023. According to EU Member of Parliament, Pernille Weiss, the framework addresses production and consumption of textiles, while recognizing the importance of the textiles sector. It implements the commitments of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European industrial strategy. 

The new framework envisages, 2030 is the end goal for all vendors supplying to the EU are fully compliant of the framework’s set standards to be able to sell their products to the EU. Textiles, garments, mattresses, car upholstery and home furnishing, etc, coming in to the EU, irrespective of origin have to meet the EU standards at each step of manufacturing process.  From wastage of all resources in production process to labour rights throughout the entire stream, the keyword to be allowed to do business is compliance. The framework also disqualifies entities that will destroy unsold or returned inventory. 

Non-binding only up to 2030

Meanwhile, as a voice of Europe’s retail entity, H&M, considered Europe’s largest fashion retailers has proven its commitment to sustainable and circular fashion by welcoming the new framework. H&M is in agreement with the EU’s policy makers that it is time to change how fashion is produced and consumed. H&M standing in full support in itself is a bell that should ring out loud and clear across Asia. According MEP Weiss, the strategy might remain non-binding for now, but the law-making processes will gather much more momentum after the EU Parliament elections in the summer of 2024. It is expected that steps taken will undergo a reset and current directives updated whilst regulations are refined so all work in unison to meet the objectives set by the framework. Additional laws pertaining to sustainability, circularity and human rights are expected to be added to the framework. 

Asia gearing up to meet expectations 

As 2030 is just seven years away, Asian manufacturers have been busy innovating and using technology to put into action all compliance points. H&M has knee-deep sourcing from Asia and feels the critical need for collaboration between brands buying from Asian manufacturers and the manufacturers themselves. As Naren Goenka, Chairman, India’s Apparel Export Promotion Council points out, if Asian manufacturers want to continue being the single largest group supplying to the EU they should realize that all, action plans for compliance starts here and now. 

India has been making large strides like growing organic cotton, moving away from synthetic chemicals and pesticides in cotton farms and around 15,000 organic cotton farmers in Maharashtra have bought into this. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Bangladesh are positive as manufacturers there have thrown themselves into bringing about change in their production process. From 50 per cent less water consumption to producing textiles that don’t shed micro-fibers, all stops are being pulled out across Asia. 

As the ever-changing world of the internet becomes even more high-tech, a hugely attractive alternative to social media is now the virtual-reality world of Metavers an  endless and  interconnected virtual community where people can meet, work, and play in a computer-generated environment. The fashion industry has transformed itself in myriad ways from fast fashion’s popularity giving way to more sustainable fashion cycles and a bandwagon of premium brands trying to combine Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in their promotional and sales strategies.

Making in-roads in world of fashion

As the virtual world s slowly supersedes the present limits of the internet, the Metaverse platform in the fashion industry has opened its doors wide to a whole new innovative world for designers, brands, and consumer as the end-user with something for everyone. Metaverse allows designers to be more creative when showcasing a limitless array of textiles, prints, garments, and accessories in the virtual world with no boundaries on imaginative production. Consumers can also prioritize function over form with easy-to-use interfaces with varied applications that can include 3D experiences, gaming, virtual world, NFT’s, AR, and VR among others.

Gulf countries lead Metaverse segment 

In the premium fashion retail industry, Metaverse goes far beyond just buying and trying as it introduces innovative ways of sustainable management of brands while enhancing supply chain models, employee recruitment, better career opportunities and education system, and an ethereal kind of customer experience.

As per Chalhoub Group -- a Dubai-based leading luxury retail company – the Metaverse industry is currently projected to touch $13 trillion by 2030, with the highest potential in the Gulf countries, where a tech-savvy young population, a positive regulatory environment, and a financially rich start-up businesses ecosystem will propel it forward. Companies that are involved in Web3, an all-new concept of the World Wide Web with high-tech features such as block-chain, decentralization, openness, and greater user utility among  its core components – are primary growth drivers, having already brought in $553 million in investments.  

The metaverse in the gulf countries is expected to contribute around $15 million annually by the forecast period of 2030. This is being led mainly by the powerful economies of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Crypto currencies as an emerging key component of the metaverse that can be used to transact and its is extremely popular in the Gulf, with 48 per cent users owning these digital assets. Many premium brands such as LVMH, Prada, Richemont and OTB have already partnered Mercedes-Benz to form the Aura Blockchain Consortium which guarantees the authenticity of their high-end product portfolios by using virtual tagging solutions. Other premium footwear and lifestyle brands such as Lacoste, Nike and Christofle have already launched their NFT collections and some other digital assets.

Facebook’s  Meta Platform trend leads the way 

Being one step ahead of the game, Facebook had started the Metaverse trend by rebranding to Meta Platforms in October 2021 and rolling out Meta accounts and Horizon profiles, meaning there is no longer a need to have a FB account to enjoy VR experiences. As Mark  Zuckerberg had said during the inception of Metaverse, “We’ll swipe through outfits in a virtual closet each morning and dress our digital avatars in clothing ranging from realistic to outlandish.”

Building on the Metaverse, this platform is now building and extending high-tech VR social platforms, while Roblox is launching user-generated video gaming sites with, virtual companies offering an array of gaming worlds that have NFTs attached. In the near future, how we live in the digital world may just become as important as our lifestyles in the actual physical world as creativity, aesthetics and self-expression merges from the physical into the high-tech virtual world.

Lenzing, a world-leading provider of specialty fibers for the textile and nonwoven industries, has invested EUR 100 million to transform its production site in Purwakarta, Indonesia, into a sustainable supplier of specialty viscose fibers.

The investment will convert the existing production capacity to specialty viscose, which is a more sustainable type of fiber that has a lower environmental impact than traditional viscose. Lenzing is also striving for certification according to the standard of the internationally recognized EU Ecolabel, which is a seal of approval for products that meet high environmental standards.

The investment is part of Lenzing's commitment to sustainability. The company has set a goal of reducing its carbon emissions per ton of product by 50 percent by 2030 and achieving carbon-neutral production by 2050.

The transformation of the Purwakarta site is a major step forward for Lenzing in its journey towards sustainability. The investment will help the company to meet the growing demand for sustainable fibers and to drive the transformation of the textile industry from linear to circular.

The European Union is poised to introduce new regulations that would require clothing brands to take responsibility for the recycling of their products.

The efficacy of these regulations is uncertain, as they do not go far enough to address the sheer volume of textile waste generated by the fashion industry.

Critics argue that the regulations should be more ambitious and should include incentives for brands to produce more sustainable clothing.

The European Parliament is eager to expedite legislation, even if precise data and targets are yet to be established.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) from 17 to 24 August 2023. Its goal was to strengthen trade relations between Bangladesh and Iraq.

The visit was productive, with promising discussions and unforgettable cultural experiences. It was honored to receive warm hospitality from all stakeholders, including Iraqi government offices, trade bodies, business organizations, and other influential figures.

In Iraq, we showcased the high quality and competitiveness of our products, positioning Bangladesh as an attractive source of apparel for Iraq. Its discussions with Iraqi business leaders were particularly memorable. Engineer Haidar Al-Athari, Chairman of the Najaf Chamber of Commerce, welcomed us for discussions on bilateral trade and investment. 

Similarly, our meeting with Khaled Battal Najm Abdullah al-Jughifi, the Minister of Industry and Minerals, allowed us to emphasize the value of enhanced collaboration and the ease of doing business between the two countries.

We also engaged with Abdulrazak Al-Zuheere, President of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, and other notable figures to explore potential collaborations, trade opportunities, and avenues for cooperation that would benefit both Iraq and Bangladesh.

In addition, we had an important discussion session with the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iraq, H.E. Fazlul Bari. During this meeting, it presented a comprehensive overview of Bangladesh's garment industry, highlighting its current status, future potential, and strategies for sustainable growth.

I would like to point out that we had previously perceived Iraq as a war-ravaged country. However, after our visit, this perception has changed. I

t saw a new Iraq, which is divided into 18 governorates for administrative purposes, three of which constitute the autonomous Kurdistan Region. All of these regions have seen significant development in terms of per capita income, infrastructure, consumption, and overall economic progress.

I took the opportunity to visit a few shopping malls to see what kind of clothing they sell and where they source it from. Most of the clothing was imported from Turkey. However, BGMEA did find a few dresses made in Bangladesh, but they had been transhipped through Turkey. 

Bangladesh could be one of the most preferred apparel sourcing hubs given our price range and quality if we could directly export to Iraqi customers. In fact, all of the meetings we had with top officials and the private sector showed a huge enthusiasm for direct sourcing and strengthening bilateral trade.

Another amazing fact is that Iraq has a population of about 44 million people, but they do not manufacture any garments. They import 100% of their requirements. The range of apparel that we manufacture and export is in demand in Iraq.

The 47th Session of the Baghdad International Fair will be held from 1 to 10 November 2023 in Baghdad. Additionally, the 5th Erbil International Fashion & Textile Exhibition is scheduled to take place from 14 to 17 December 2023 in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

In the fashion industry, a brand name is essential for success. It needs to be unique, globally recognizable, visually pleasing, and have a story behind it. However, even some of the most well-known fashion brands are often misspelled.

According to a study by JOOR, Adidas is the most misspelled fashion brand, with an average of 556,000 online misspellings per month. Chanel is in second place, with 408,700 misspellings, and Swarovski is in third place, with 85,300 misspellings.

Other commonly misspelled fashion brands include Louis Vuitton, Versace, Jacquemus, Asics, Christian Dior, Moncler, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, Tag Heuer, Vivienne Westwood, and Dolce and Gabbana.

There are a few reasons why fashion brands are often misspelled. One reason is that the names of these brands are often made up of foreign words or phrases. Another reason is that the names of these brands are often long and complicated.

Whatever the reason, misspelling a fashion brand can have a negative impact on the brand's reputation and its ability to attract customers. 

So, if you're thinking of starting a fashion brand, make sure to choose a name that is easy to spell and remember.

Yibin Grace, a textile producer, celebrated their collaboration with Renewcell and the success of their latest testing phase for Next Gen Man-Made Cellulosic Fibre (MMCF) products. 

These innovative fibers are composed of 50% CIRCULOSE®️ pulp, sourced entirely from 100% recycled textiles. The company has achieved a 50% blend of CIRCULOSE®️ pulp in their testing line and aims to achieve the same ratio for the market by the end of 2023. 

This product represents Yibin Grace's highest recycled content viscose staple fiber to date. The partnership with Renewcell will assist Yibin Grace in fulfilling their CanopyStyle commitments and reducing the environmental impact of viscose production, aligning with China's climate goals. 

Deng Min, Chairman of Yibin Grace, expressed delight in the partnership's growth and the creation of an eco-friendly staple fiber. Yibin Grace's dedication to the CanopyStyle initiative and their aspiration to establish a closed-loop fashion industry continue. 

Renowned for their transition to circular manufacturing, Yibin Grace has collaborated with trading company Ekman and Renewcell to expand their Next Generation MMCF solutions. The testing of the new viscose staple fiber with 50% CIRCULOSE®️ content is underway, and plans to raise the recycled content of their filament yarn to 50% have been unveiled. Notably, CIRCULOSE®️ pulp boasts environmental benefits, releasing less carbon and requiring significantly less water compared to conventional fibers. Renewcell's CEO, Patrik Lundstrom, highlighted the potential of CIRCULOSE®️ to mitigate forest pressure and textile waste. 

Currently, over 300 million trees are felled annually for fashion fabrics, but Next Generation Solutions offer sustainable alternatives, significantly reducing carbon emissions, land use, and biodiversity impact. In partnership with Renewcell, Yibin Grace is at the forefront of revolutionizing the textile industry, driving sustainability and circularity to protect our planet's resources and mitigate climate change.

The Marine Textile Zone will be inaugurated at Cinte Techtextil China 2023, which will be held from September 19th to 21st, 2023, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. 

The zone will showcase the latest innovations in marine textiles, including ropes, nets, and fabrics. It will also host a technology exchange forum and an awards ceremony for the Top 10 Suppliers in the China Rope Net Industry.

The global rope market is projected to grow by over USD 4 billion between 2022 and 2027. In light of this, suppliers are eager to engage with buyers in a face-to-face setting. The Marine Textile Zone at Cinte Techtextil China 2023 is the perfect place for them to do so.

The zone will feature exhibitors from across China, including Ropenet Group, Hunan Xinhai, and Zhejiang Four Brothers Rope. It will also host a number of events, such as the Technology Exchange Forum and the Top 10 Suppliers in the China Rope Net Industry awards ceremony.

The Marine Textile Zone is a must-attend event for anyone involved in the marine textile industry. It is the perfect place to learn about the latest innovations, network with other industry professionals, and find new business partners.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going to renew and reinvent themselves in order to survive. The global luxury market is currently doing just that due to post-pandemic-induced high inflation, cost-of-living crisis, a slowdown in the Chinese economy along with geo-political tensions. All these factors have changed the world we once knew. Consumption patterns and choices are changing fast and it’s the younger world with Gen Z and Gen Alpha who are expected to make up around 45 per cent of the global population by 2030. As the largest target group for apparels and personal accessories luxury brands, they will also have to adapt their products, distribution and marketing schemes to fit in with the demands of a new generation.

Market studies focus on high-tech transformation

A recent Euromonitor International --the  world’s leading provider of global business intelligence and market analysis -- study has shown that e-commerce will become far more high-tech including Artificial Intelligence-driven personalization tools, along with virtual sampling of products, omni-channel digital experiences like virtual fashion shows for both online and offline sales. 

All luxury brands will need to invest in transforming digitally and have a wide portfolio of environmentally-friendly products that are sustainable and durable. Stricterer company regulations on green-washing and being environment friendly will be needed. The post-Covid years have pushed luxury lifestyle segment into a holistic feel-good environment that includes everywhere and everything a consumer does at home, office, or on holiday that enriches living.

A Bain & Company–Altagamma Luxury Study in 2022 on the luxury segment has said that the US and Europe will be leading the post-Covid markets while new luxury markets are generating positive growth for 95 per cent brands. The global luxury market was projected to grow 21 per cent in 2022, reaching €1.4 trillion while the personal luxury goods market was also expected to grow 22 per cent to €353 billion and see further growth of at least 3-8 per cent this year. 

The 2023 luxury segment is expected to be even more resilient to recession than during the 2009 global financial crisis and there will be great market value for luxury goods through the next decade, showing good living is paving the way for the future. There will also be more moderate to high growth spending on luxury experiences with the resumption of international tourism and business travel.

Secondary second-hand market has become popular

Meanwhile, luxury brands aim to support long-term sustainable goals through the thriving secondhand luxury resale market with demand from aspirational customers on a limited budget. 

However major challenges such as checking for authenticity is an issue as there are no guarantees against fakes and consumers sometimes end up buying counterfeits from dishonest players. This segment is also extremely labor intensive with marginal profits and a large group of sellers and buyers need to network together cohesively for the resale business to be truly profitable. 

Only the bigger premium accessory brands such as handbags grow revenues by getting the same customers to buy more coveted goods at discounted prices.

Professional traders such as Privé Porter- who are the world’s largest reseller of Hermès bags- use marketing tactics such as encouraging their loyal customers to buy other Hermès products to qualify for the chance to buy another branded luxury product such as Birkin or Kelly bag. 

Others like Rolex (with Bucherer) have included certified pre-owned as a clever way to limit demand spillover to competitors because of limited production capacity constraints, so sometimes this makes better profits as they are above the new recommended retail price.

Analysts say the pre-loved and pre-used segment is growing four times faster than the primary luxury market, at around 12 per cent per year compared to 3 per cent per annum for the latter, and is a thriving $24 billion market today, with scope to grow further if handled right.