The Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI) held a session in the UK, October 11, 2022.

The event brought together speakers, panelists and delegates from across the fashion industry with the express aim of fostering collaboration. The day saw animated debate and engagement from all sectors, and strong consensus on what needs to happen and how to get there. There was strong emphasis on the need for the textile and clothing industries to work together to effect meaningful change.

It was agreed collaboration was essential if the industry were to adapt to current and future challenges and that it should be up and down the supply chain and peer-to-peer and fair and equal with all voices heard. Too often suppliers and manufacturers are not represented when the industry comes together, but transformation could not be achieved without them. It was also felt essential to prevent big brands from railroading smaller ones and that there is a sharing of learning between competitors.

There was open and honest debate between speakers, panelists and the audience, and a real enthusiasm to explore solutions in a collaborative manner – which is what ASBCI has always insisted on. Participants said they looked forward to building on the momentum with future events on some of the key issues identified at the gathering.

Freudenberg Performance Materials is a specialist in woven, knitted, weft and nonwoven interlinings.

The group is a leading global supplier of innovative technical textiles for a broad range of markets and applications such as apparel, automotive, building interiors, building materials, healthcare, energy, filter media, shoe and leather goods as well as specialties. From recyclability to biodegradability and from functionality to comfort, Freudenberg materials meet many different requirements and help customers and end users achieve their personal goals.Freudenberg maximizes its handprint by developing products enabling customers to manufacture more efficiently and sustainably or to consume fewer valuable resources. This initiative is based on seven product pillars with more than 500 sustainable products, among them recycled general interlinings, recyclable, energy-saving or biodegradable materials, sustainable cotton, nature-based solutions and recycled thermal insulations and linings. The company contributes to a sustainable future, from the use of renewable fibers to products made from 100 per cent recycled polyester.

These advanced technology materials combine high comfort with perfect thermal insulation properties and provide customers with different weights, fibers, hand feels and insulation levels.Sustainability is one of Freudenberg’s key principles and thus reflected in all business activities with the latest sustainable products for sportswear, workwear, sportive fashion and athleisure.

Indonesia’s exports of textile products have fallen by 30 percent. The threat of a global recession that is said to occur in 2023 is now being felt for Indonesian textile businesses. On the other hand the weakening of purchasing power in Europe and the United States has triggered an increase in imports of textile products to Indonesia from these countries.

So on the one hand export demand has declined but on the other the domestic market has been flooded with imported products. The disturbance has caused the textile industry's utilization to decline sharply. As a result, there has been a reduction in employee working hours and termination of employment or layoffs.

Indonesian exporters still rely on western countries or traditional markets. But gradually they are targeting countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia.Export opportunities to a number of these countries are very bright because they are considered strong against the threat of a 2023 recession. Among these are Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, also Asia, including India.

Indonesia has entered into a trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates so that the export tax for Indonesia would be zero. In this way, exporters in the Indonesian clothing, footwear, food and agricultural products sectors can export to Africa and the Middle East more easily and cheaply.

Textile engineers from Japan have developed a fabric that can adapt to surrounding temperature making the wearer comfortable.

The fabric, developed out of super-fine nano-threads, can heat up and cool down when the outside temperature is low or high. The specialty of the nano threads, woven together to make the fabric, is that they contain a phase-change material (PCM) that is able to store and release large amounts of heat.

The fabric is intended for thermal management for humans, though it can be used to regulate the temperature of electronic equipment and batteries. Those working in cold storage, baking and related industries who face different temperature levels as part of their work could use the new technology. Sudden shift between different temperatures causes them illness, and constantly changing clothes for different temperature could be inconvenient.

The engineers pursued a method called coaxial electro spinning, a method to manufacture fiber diameters in nanometres, encapsulating the PCM at its centre. Then they coupled the new fiber with the techs of photo responsive materials and an electro thermal conductive coating. The former absorbs heat from sunlight, and the electro thermal coating converts excess heat into electricity. However coaxial electro spinning is a complicated process with strict spinning requirements, such as the need for a laboratory setting. Also the conductive polymer used in the fiber is expensive.

For the fourth quarter apparel sales are expected to decline in the US. With average prices forecasted to rise two per cent, dollar sales are projected to fall by one per cent.

According to the National Purchase Diary Panel (NPD) Group, “Consumers increasingly plan to buy apparel tailored to a specific need. Sales of sweatshirts, outerwear, and dresses are expected to grow in the fourth quarter versus last year.Along with being more selective in their purchases, many consumers are invoking cost-saving measures. Last quarter, 41 per cent of consumers decided to forgo buying apparel to purchase products in another category. Lower prices are for consumers the most important factor for their future apparel purchase decisions.

Exploring alternative buying options, nearly 45 per cent of consumers bought apparel on a resale platform in the third quarter, rising two points since the first quarter. As brands and retailers kicked off holiday promotions before Halloween costumes were purchased, an elongated holiday selling season can be expected for the apparel industry.

In the face of rising prices, the fourth quarter will be a balancing act as shoppers prioritise the areas where they will trade down, pull back, or invest, causing them to be more prudent in their apparel spending. Wardrobe needs and a return to social gatherings will prompt consumers to invest in certain aspects of their wardrobe this holiday season.

Textile and garment businesses in Vietnam are facing pressure. Purchasing power has been weakened by mounting inflation and other global uncertainties.

The country’s textile and garment exports to the US, Europe, Japan, the Republic of Korea and China fell by nearly 27 per cent in September 2022. The number of orders placed for the fourth quarter of 2022 fell by almost 50 per cent from the second quarter, when orders increased strongly. Unsold inventory in import markets is high at present.Many companies have received orders to be delivered in the first quarter of 2023, but the order number is still much below their capacity.

Enterprises whose buyers are mainly in the US and Europe have been hit harder compared to those exporting to Japan and Korea. Aside from inflation, fluctuations in material prices are also a problem.Enterprises are seeking ways to diversify material supply sources as well as export markets because when material sufficiency is ensured, they can boost shipments to many markets, thus helping guarantee production stability, supply chain, and sustainable exports.

Another challenge is foreign exchange rates. The euro has continually depreciated as a result of recession concerns due to Russia’s threat to reduce gas supplies for many European countries.

Joyspun is a new sleepwear and intimates brand from Walmart. Walmart introduced Joyspun in view of the holiday season when sleepwear and intimates are popular gifts.

The move coincides with a substantial shift in the intimates market in recent years toward inclusivity, body positivity and designs that prioritise comfort and confidence. The brand was established with in-house designers and one consistent point of view across the collection. It offers over 300 designs with Luxe materials that deliver real-lasting softness, retain their quality after wash, elevated design details including lace patterns and on-trend prints.

Joyspun is designed to fit customers of all shapes and sizes. Bras range in sizes from 34A to 46DDD and underwear ranges from XS to XXXL. Among the bra styles are wire-free, unlined mesh, bralettes and flexible cups and underwear styles like thong, cheeky, hipster and hi cut bikini, elevated design details, like feminine lace patterns, on trend colors and prints and lining details.

Joyspun features fresh silhouettes, buttery soft fabrics, and modern style without the premium price tag. Customers can discover over 300 styles of sleepwear, bras, panties, socks, hosiery and maternity. Online shoppers can visualise how the clothing will look on them and so sample Joyspun with even more confidence.

Portugal’s textile industry supplies to firms not just in Europe but also in the United States.

The industry has benefited from its flexibility and inexpensive labour along with a spirit of innovation focused on limiting damage to the environment.Portugal has the advantage of a workforce that remains competitive by offering quality products at reasonable prices.

Portugal’s textile sector has made a dramatic comeback.Shaken by competition from companies relocating to Asia for cheaper production costs, the sector lost between 2000 and 2015 nearly 1,00,000 jobs out of a total of 2,35,000 recorded at the start of the era.

Exports of textile products from Portugal, which find their largest markets in Spain and France, hit last year record sales, 16 percent higher than the previous year. This success owes not only to Portugal’s low production costs but also to the sector’s capacity to adapt to the market. Following the pandemic, which led to delays in deliveries, the industry prefers to use supply chains that are closer to home. Companies are finding solutions and partners to reconcile sustainable development with competitiveness. However, the sharp gas and electricity price increases caused by the war in Ukraine penalise a sector heavily dependent on energy.

For the second quarter VF Corporation’s revenue fell four per cent. Gross margin was 51 per cent, down 230 basis points. Adjusted gross margin was 51per cent, down 240 basis points. Operating margin was down 2,040 basis points. Adjusted operating margin was down 440 basis points. Earnings per share was down 126 per cent. Adjusted EPS was down 34 per cent.

VF’s balanced performance in the second quarter demonstrates the resiliency of its brand portfolio against a more disrupted global marketplace. The company is actively addressing the near-term challenges at Vans, the ongoing Covid-related disruption in China, and the broader macro-economic and geopolitical headwinds, which have created tremendous uncertainty for all businesses and consumers.

In the near term, in the light of the challenging environment, it is acting proactively to generate increased revenue through the balance of the year while protecting profitability by tightly controlling all non-strategic spend.VF has modified its business practices in certain locations, including the temporary closing of offices and retail stores, and is working with its suppliers to minimize disruption and is employing expedited freight strategically as needed.

Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands including Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies.

Denim Premiere Vision will be held in Italy, November 23 to 24, 2022.This year's edition will also mark the fifteenth anniversary of the event.

Nearly 70 international suppliers are scheduled to exhibit at the edition. More than 40 fabric suppliers and 15 manufacturers will be present, as well as accessory and supply specialists, yarn and fiber producers, and other service providers.The fair will feature a high number of non-European suppliers, around 40 in total, coming from Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as from China, Pakistan, Japan, India, Bangladesh and South Korea.European production will be represented by Italian, Spanish and French companies.

Denim Fashion District will showcase a dozen clothing and accessory brands presenting a preview of their spring/summer 2023 designs, created in partnership with the show's exhibitors. The two-day event will be accompanied by conferences and speeches. In addition to exhibitor pitches and panel discussions, professionals will have the chance to attend several seminars on the subject of denim trends for the spring/summer 2024 season. Among the activities proposed, an exhibition by Cotone Organico Sicilia will promote Sicilian cotton, while the WP Lavoris in Corso group will exhibit a selection of pieces from its archives.