Declining value of yen, growing offshore labor expenses and shipment delays due to the pandemic is forcing Japan’s apparel manufacturers to shift production back to their homeland. As per a Textile Focus report, nearshoring trend is gaining ground in apparel production. Compared to other countries, Japan’s manufacturing costs are greater. However, its quick delivery times will balance the additional costs by reducing waste and missed opportunities, say apparel makers.

Japan’s apparel makers began to outsource production from 1970 onwards. However, rise in salaries in China and Vietnam has faded the cost benefits of outsourcing. Apparel firms in the country can easily shift their manufacturing in the country due to smaller size of their machines.

Japanese retailer World Co, which mostly sells in department stores and shopping malls, plans to produce the majority of its high-end clothes in Japan within three to five years. Similarly, distributor of Jill Stuart women’s apparel and Ping golf gear in Japan, TSI Holdings also plans to increase production at its domestic operations in Yamagata and Miyazaki.

Copenhagen Fashion Week will collaborate with Swedish Fashion Council for A/W ’22 edition. The collaboration will strengthen and further develop their joint dedication to the incubation and growth of emerging designer talent. This partnership will align Copenhagen Fashion Week with the Swedish Fashion Council's ambitious talent program, furthering both organizations' dedication to supporting young designers across the Nordics.

Swedish designer Jade Cropper says, February 2022 season will be the perfect opportunity to commence the mutual partnership between the two organizations, with the Swedish Fashion Council to be co-host of the official Talent dinner that will open the season on the first evening of AW22. Largest fashion week in the Nordic region, Copenhagen Fashion Week is held biannually in January/February and August. Each season, Copenhagen Fashion Week welcomes leading international press, buyers and industry leaders across its global network to three days of shows, presentations and events alongside the two trade shows CIFF and Revolver. In January 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week unveiled an ambitious three-year Sustainability Action Plan, presenting an innovative system of minimum requirements for brands to be part of the official schedule as of 2023.

The Swedish Fashion Council aims to guide the fashion industry into the future, establishing Sweden as the global leader of the industry's new era. Through its thought leadership and continuous work, SFC accelerates the transformation of the global fashion industry. It works to promote, educate, and innovate the Swedish fashion industry in order for it to become competitive. Established in 1979, the core of the organisation's work consists of leading research projects, providing industry reports and supporting the next generation of fashion leaders through the incubator program Swedish Fashion Talents. SFC is owned by the Swedish Trade Federation.

Italian manufacturer of synthetic and elastomeric warp-knitted fabrics, circular fabrics and synthetic fabrics for the industrial and clothing sectors, Sitip launched Cosmopolitan Fashion-tech fabrics range at the 34th edition of Milano Unica this year. The collection includes man’s suits with high performance, great design and incomparable fit: bi-stretch, UV 50+ protection, breathability, comfort on the skin and easy care. For women, the company launched an athleisure range with no see through and breathable leggings for an absolute freedom of movement

Modern and comfortable, the Cosmopolitan Fashion-tech fabrics collection, modern is dedicated to contemporary urbanwear/sportswear styles and meets the new needs required by the market and by the final consumer: performance and design. The collection is further divided into an urban wear range comprising sartorial technical fabrics that are made with a new Techno Sartorial tailoring technique that combines flawless cuts with exceptional fabric performance. For contemporary urbanwear, Sitip showcased man’s suit and trousers in warp-knit Cosmopolitan Citylife fabric: bi-stretch nylon with UV protection, quick drying, easy care and skin comfort features.

Los Angeles-based fashion brand Forever 21 has named Winnie Park new chief executive officer. As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, Park will succeed Daniel Kulle, the H&M executive who resigned from the top spot in October after less than two years. She was earlier the CEO of Paper Source for six years. She was responsible for transforming the company from a brick-and-mortar retailer to a lifestyle brand with a strong digital platform and led the successful sale of the brand to an affiliate of Barnes & Noble.

At Forever 21, Park will report to Marc Miller, CEO of Sparc, the joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group that bought Forever 21 out of bankruptcy in February of 2020 for $81.1 million. She will add fresh perspective and approaches in connecting with the Forever 21 customer, which will help drive Forever 21 from its current $2 billion sales level to new heights of success as a leading brand in SPARC’s Fashion and Lifestyle brand portfolio.

Park is currently on the board and audit committee of Dollar Tree, and is on the board for Women in Retail Leadership. She has also served as an independent director and member of the compensation and governance and audit committees for Express.

Columbia’s main textile trade event, Colombiatex de las Américas, will be held in Medellin, from January 25 to 27, 2022. The event will be attended by 19 Italian textile machinery manufacturers and organized by the Italian Trade Agency and ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Textile Machinery.

In the first nine months of 2021, Italy exported textile machines worth €9.3 million. This was a growth of 130 per cent, not only compared to the value recorded last year, but also to that of 2019. More than half of the demand for Italian machinery in Colombia was for finishing machines.

Compared to previous editions of the event, states there were greater number of Italian exhibitors, although the health emergency is far from over and there is great uncertainty characterizing the world economic scenario, says Alessandro Zucchi, President, ACIMIT.

A revolutionary fiber-laying technology - Lattice Lite Eco – is being launched by industrial threads manufacturer, Coats. The technology uses sustainable materials to create footwear composite materials for the next generation of high performance supershoe.

The revolutionary fibre-laying technology positions yarns precisely in the required place and direction. It creates the required thickness, flexibility, torsion and rigidity of each section of the footplate to ensure they support every part of the foot. This also helps address the constant challenge for developers of footwear to combine high performance with comfort.

Lattice Lite Eco eliminates the need for additional resin steps, such as prepeg or resin transfer moulding, speeding up the manufacturing process and reducing material wastage to 5 per cent, from over 30 per cent for more traditional composite operations. It uses a range of eco-friendly materials including recycled carbon, recycled nylon or materials from natural resources such as basalt and flax.

The technology was developed in the Coats Innovation Hub EMEA in Turkey. Besides footplates, it can also be used in toe caps, torsion bars, heel counters, bindings and knuckle protection. It creates components that are both lightweight and robust which enables products to go further, faster and stronger.

To be held in Shanghai from April 14-16, 2022, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics-Spring Edition 2022 will focus on the theme-‘Connected’. The theme will be represented by four key trends: Bio-Clarity, Natural-Harmony, Virtual-Energy and Earth-Celebration. Trend Forum will feature on-trend fabric samples submitted by exhibitors to provide inspiration for visitors on colors, patterns, materials, etc.

The Intertextile Directions Trend Committee will be formed by top trend forecasters from fashion capitals around the world: TOBE TDG By The Doneger Group (New York, USA), Elementi Moda (Milan, Italy), NellyRodi Agency (Paris, France) and Sachiko Inoue (Tokyo, Japan).

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2022 will be held concurrently with the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The fair is co-organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre.

Swedish innovation brand Coloreel has expanded its business by selling four units to new US distribution partner, ZSK Machines, a division of Notcina Corporation. Sven Öquist, VP Sales, Coloreel Group AB says, this move will enable the company to grow its business in the US. The brand uses its technology to both preserve the craftsmanship of embroidery and take embroidery to the next level.

This enables the brand to access previously complicated designs. Using only a single thread and needle helps it improve s quality and efficiency, enabling immediate start up and faster delivery. Coloreel is also a protagonist of sustainable production. By coloring a single reel of thread, the brand ensures there is no wastewater, hence no water pollution. It also minimizes thread waste and microfiber pollution.

Notcina Corporation is one of the oldest and most respected entities in the industry, started in 1955 by the same family who operates the company today. Three generations ago, the commitment to the sewing & embroidery trade began in Saint Louis, MO, and has since evolved as the industry has evolved. This commitment continues with providing ZSK embroidery machines to the US market.

AATCC will hold its new online educational program, Fluorescence and High Visibility for Textiles from February 23-24, 2022. The virtual event will feature industry experts discussing a variety of topics including color, innovation, technology, detergents, laundering, reflective tape, testing, product, etc. Many industry leaders including Rachel Applegate, Scientist, Procter & Gamble; Erika Simmons, Technical Director, AATCC; Randy Mumford, Technical Manager, Archroma; Ken Butts, Global Key Account Team Manager, Datacolor; Michael Murphy, Senior Advisor, e-Dye; Denise Statham, Director of Technical Services, Workwear Outfitters; Gregg Woodcock, Senior Manager Quality, Hanesbrands; Michael Hayes, Applications Engineer, 3M; Katie Aune, Applications Engineer, 3M and Roland Connelly, Color Supply Chain, Consultant, RoLyn Group Color Consultants will make presentations at the event. The sessions will be moderated by established industry experts Nelson Houser and Steve Simonson.

World’s leading not-for-profit association serving textile professionals since 1921, AATCC, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, US, provides test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for members in about 50 countries throughout the world.

The Crop Committee, Cotton Association of India (CAI) has released its December estimate of the cotton crop for the season 2021-22. As per estimates, cotton stock in India is likely to drop by 12 lakh bales to 348.13 lakh bales against earlier estimate of 360.13 lakh bales. From October 2021 to December 2021, cotton stock in India is estimated to have reached 218.52 lakh bales. This includes arrivals of 140.52 lakh bales of 170 kg each imports of 3 lakh bales of 170 kg each and the opening stock of 75 lakh bales of 170 kg .each at the beginning of the season.

Stocks reach 113.77 by December 2021

By the end of December 2021, India is expected to have a cotton stock of 113.77 lakh bales of 170 kg. Of this, 65 lakh bales of 170 kg each will be available with the textile mills and the remaining 48.77 lakh bales of 170 kg each with the CCI, Maharashtra Federation and others.

From October 31-December 31, 2021, India’s cotton mills are estimated to have held 65.00 lakh cotton bales of stocks. Majority of this; 48.77 lakh bales of 170 kg each was held by the Cotton Corporation of India, Maharashtra Federation, MNS, Ginners, Traders, MCX etc. In all, spinning mills and stockists are estimated to have held 113.77 lakh bales of cotton of 170 kg each.

Production to drop by 348.13 lakh bales in FY2021-22

During the 2021-22 season, India’s cotton production will reduce to 348.13 lakh bales of 170 kg each from its earlier estimate of 380.13 lakh bales, says CAI. Gujarat will see the highest decline in production of 5 lakh bales of 170 kg each. It will be followed by Telangana and Karnataka with decline of 2 lakh bales each. Rajasthan will see the lowest decline in production of 0.25 lakh bales.

Consumption to increase to 345 lakh bales

CAI estimates, India’s domestic cotton consumption will increase to 345 lakh bales from 335 lakh bales during 2021-22. Exports are likely to reach 48 lakh as against the previous year’s export estimate of 78 lakh bales of 170 kg each.. Till September 2022, India will supply 438.13 lakh cotton bales of 170 kg each, estimates CAI. The total cotton supply will include opening stock of 75 lakh bales of 170 kg.

Imports to increase by 5 lakh bales

CAI estimates, India’s cotton imports during FY21-22 will increase by 5 lakh bales to 15 lakh bales of 170 kgs. each from the previous month’s import estimate of 10 lakh bales of 170 kg.

From October 2021 to December 2021, India’s cotton imports are estimated to decline to 140.52 lakh bales of 170 kg each Compared to the average cotton imports from October to December in the last five years, the current year’s cotton imports are likely to increase by 23.11 lakh bales of 170 kgs each compared to the average cotton arrivals of the corresponding months of the last five years.