In an open plea, National Union Alliance Chamber of Cambodia (NACC representing 400,000 Cambodian workers in manufacturing industries, including the garment industry, asked the EU not to revoke the tariff-free access Cambodia currently enjoys to European markets.

Cambodia is one of 49 countries covered under the EU’s “Everything but Arms” (EBA) trade agreement. The agreement allows the world’s poorest nations to export their products, except arms and ammunition, to European markets without incurring duties.

If the EU and US revoke Cambodia’s EBA trade access, garment workers in the country will suffer as brands will relocate to cheaper places for making their clothes. This will result in loss of 43 per cent of jobs for garment workers and 20 per cent jobs for footwear workers.

The EU began the procedure to suspend Cambodia’s preferential trade status in February, by establishing a monitoring period and putting pressure on Cambodia to reform. A month earlier, US senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced a bill that, if passed, would require the US to review its own preferential trade status for Cambodia.

Garment brands are under rising pressure from campaigners and consumers alike to improve conditions for some 60 million workers in their supply chains, ending abuse and modern slavery.

But the desire for affordable, throwaway fashion persists, squeezing wages for the workers who stitch most western clothes. The world’s top clothing brands are failing to fulfil their own promises to pay workers a fair living wage that covers basic family needs. Most major garment companies lack plans for calculating - let alone achieving - a living wage in their global supply chains. A living wage is supposed to cover the cost of normal family life - from rent and food to healthcare - plus allow for modest savings and be paid within a normal working week. There is little evidence that corporate commitments to living wages are translating into meaningful change on the ground. Consumers are purchasing products they may believe are made by workers earning a living wage, when in reality, low wages continue to be the status quo.

There is widespread inconsistency and confusion among firms over the definition of a living wage. Far too many companies stop at assuring that minimum wages are paid, which is clearly a long way off from working towards a living wage.

Applied DNA Sciences has closed the loop on traceability for Egyptian Pima using DNA-based genotyping for cotton authentication. The solution closes the loop for the cotton industry that has been under a cloud of controversy surrounding evidence of cotton products labeled as Egyptian cotton versus those which are actually grown in Egypt. There is no substitute for DNA analysis when it comes to cotton traceability and transparency because of its ability to do what other technologies cannot do, which is to forensically authenticate the fiber through to yarn and finished goods.

In August 2016, the controversy of home bedding and other products labeled 100 per cent Egyptian Cotton hit an all-time high when a number of US retailers recalled many products from retail shelves due to label claim violations, and consumers were informed that products did not meet the standard or label requirement. Three years later, Applied DNA will begin to validate and market test products that are labeled to contain 100 per cent Egyptian Pima.

Many products use cotton grown in the US and Egypt. Applied DNA’s system can provide a useful tool to enable brands and manufacturers to verify their products at any stage of the supply chain that is more exact than other methods claiming to do the same without the same degree of precision.

A special mission to ITMA 2019 will include over 30 companies and organisations from Québec’s textile and apparel sectors. The exhibition, being held from June 20 to 26, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, is the most important international exhibition for technological innovations in manufacturing. The mission, led by TechniTextile Québec, the CTT Group, the Fashion Cluster mode and the Workforce Sector Committee in Textile (CSMO Textile), will enable the companies to learn about the latest advances in manufacturing technologies and invest in state-of-the art equipment to pursue their growth.

The exhibition stand will be strategically positioned at the heart of the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Via (booth #UL-D108). Companies like CDRM, Beaulieu Canada, Distribution Club Tissus, Duvaltex, Eko-Terre, Filature Lemieux, FilSpec, General Recycled, Logistic Unicorp, Niedner, Oratex,Produits Belt-Tech, Quartz Co., Rayonese Textile, Régitex, RJAM, Stedfast, STEPHAN/H, Tapis Venture, Techno Diesel, Texel Matériaux techniques, Textiles Monterey, TM Couture, Tricots Duval et Raymond, Tricots Maxime, Vêtements Flip Design, Vêtements SP and Vêtements Wazana will be part of the mission.

"Brands are slowly realising the importance of the dictum, ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ They are embracing transparency by listing their supply chains on their websites and also making public transparency pledges on these issues."

Brands are slowly realising the importance of the dictum, ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ They are embracing transparency by listing their supply chains on their websites and also making public transparency pledges on these issues.

Bangladesh leads transparency initiative

Businesses are working with other industry stakeholders -- including NGOs -- on industry-wide initiatives. They are also collaborating with their competitors on sustainability initiatives. Bangladesh leads the transparency front as both the Bangladesh Accord and the Alliance for Bangladesh Factory Safety carried out major safety programs across the Bangladesh RMG sector whose information was made publicly available on the websites of these respective bodies.

The Bangladesh Supreme Court recently extended the tenure of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety agreement in Bangladesh by 12 months through to 2020. Once the agreement is handed over to a new, national body in Bangladesh, all existing transparency features of the Accord will be maintained, including full disclosure of all results of inspection and remediation activities on a public website.

Earlier this year, a Bangladeshi team of researchers began mapping every single garment factory in the country. Equipped with new mobile apps these researchers carry out a door-to-door census besides visiting thousands of factories. This enables them to collect GPS-linked data points from factory-owners, workers, and organisations in the garment supply chains.

C&A Foundation and BRAC University collaborated with BGMEA to administer the digital factory map. The aim of this map is to permanently transition accountability for apparel factory improvements in Bangladesh.

Transparency improves brands’ reputations

One of the biggest benefits of transparency business is that it improves business reputation. Apparel companies such as H&M, Levi’s and Nike have incorporated transparency in their operations encouraging other brands like Benetton, Primark, Hugo Boss, and Abercrombie and Fitch to follow suit. As a research from Fashion Revolution notes, by April 2019, 180 brands across 75 companies had disclosed at least some of the facilities making their clothes. Businesses disclosing their suppliers have been applauded by their customers. On the other hand, apparel brands that did not disclose their supply chains have been reprimanded.

Operational and legal benefits of transparency

The transparency policy also offers certain operational and legal benefits. Publishing the lists of their suppliers can help brands deal with unauthorised sub-contracting besides highlighting workplace issues such as labor violations, providing stronger due diligence, and offering better compliance with current regulatory regimes.

There has been growing consensus around the issue of transparency over the years from organisations such as the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and the US-based Fair Labour Association (FLA). It won’t be long before other affiliate groups follow this example and demand full supply chain disclosure from their members.

US’ jeans imports grew 5.82 per cent in the first quarter of the year. However, China’s denim apparel shipments to the US declined 2.2 per cent. China’s recent downward pattern as a dominant apparel supplier to the US, accelerated by the tariff-based trade dispute with the US and higher costs of production in the country, has left room for several countries and regions to boost their market share. Sample this, PVH sources less than 20 per cent of its denim requirements from China. Three years ago, it was more than 40 per cent. G-III Apparel sources roughly 61.5 per cent of its purchases from China. That number is down from 65.1 per cent in fiscal 2018 and 72 per cent in fiscal 2017.

Mexico’s denim shipments to the US jumped 15.09 per cent in the quarter, while shipments from Nicaragua grew 21.54 per cent. Shipments from Vietnam jumped 30.24 per cent and Indonesia’s shipments increased 14.89 per cent. Shipments from Bangladesh fell 1.24 per cent. Pakistan’s shipments were down 0.85 per cent and Cambodia’s dropped 11.71 per cent. Shipments of denim apparel from Egypt rose 4.23 per cent in the quarter while Lesotho’s shipments fell 24.78 per cent. Overall, jean shipments from sub-Saharan countries were up nine per cent.

The UK is debating how to deal with textile waste. Demand for used textiles from Eastern Europe and other markets is intact. There is an increasing awareness from consumers that textiles can be recycled. But customers demand for product quality is increasing. One way out is for the textile and fashion industry to embrace design for recycling and to commit to using secondary raw materials even if they are more expensive than virgin materials.

Other proposals are that fashion retailers should take responsibility for the waste they create by introducing an extended producer responsibility scheme for textiles and reward companies that take positive action to reduce waste. A levy on each item sold could raise funds for reuse/recycling and other initiatives to improve the circularity of the clothing/textiles industry. Other proposals include incorporation of eco-design principles in fashion production and an investment fund to stimulate markets for recycled fibers.

A dry upcycling process encompassed within a 40-foot double-glazed container completes the entire process of garment-to-garment recycling – from sanitisation and fiber opening to spinning and knitting – in a period of four hours to two days. One of the major benefits of this initiative is as an educational tool that enables the public to visualise the value of old garments.

Moda will be held in the UK from August 4 to 6, 2019. This footwear show encompasses women’s, men’s and children’s collections in a curated line-up that attracts footwear buyers from the industry’s biggest names. Moda is also the season’s most important source of information on new ideas in retail, advice on how to solve key challenges of retail today and inspirational stories from leading lights from across the industry. All of this is brought together in its content program running throughout the show, which every season includes a diverse program of seminars and discussion panels and a more intimate series of retail workshops. Visitors will be offered the largest and most diverse footwear collections in the UK.

The heart of UK fashion, Moda is the key meeting place for mainstream fashion, delivering a high quality and cost-effective platform for mid-market brands and ensuring a commercially viable and convenient buying environment for retailers across the UK and Ireland. Bringing together over 1,200 collections under one roof to deliver the complete season’s overview to over 9,000 fashion buyers, the show also brings fashion to life on 16 catwalk shows throughout the three days to inspire buyers and sell brands, alongside a comprehensive retail-focused seminar program, interactive workshops and networking events.

Turkey has emerged the fourth largest denim exporter in the world. This has been made possible by investments made in the 1980s and subsequent projects. The country has a two per cent share in denim fabric exports and a seven per cent share in denim clothing exports. Proximity to Europe is a geographical advantage. Also since speed is a crucial part of production, industrialists who could adapt to the requested capacity and quality standards have achieved success in production and export without difficulty.

Turkey’s textile industry is looking for greener pastures outside its traditional radar. The country is looking at markets which have a large middle-class consumer base. Turkey once produced clothing for foreign brands. It has now become a country that creates its own brands and directs world denim fashion with its designs and technological products. Global firms are carrying out their production activities in countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Italy, Morocco, and Bangladesh because of the cost advantage. So Turkey’s denim fabric exports to these countries have increased.

China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Italy, Mexico, the US, Tunisia and Egypt are prominent markets for Turkey’s denim fabric exports. The US, the EU, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark are priority target markets for denim clothing.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has revealed the schedule for the New York Fashion Week Spring 2020. The NYFW will commence on May 31, 2019 with shows from New York City-based label Monse to be held at 3 p.m. and Alexander Wang at 8 p.m. The rest of the schedule, including both New York Fashion Week: Men’s Spring-Summer 2020 and NYFW: June - a combination of Resort and Spring-Summer 2020, will be held from June 2 to June 6.

The 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards will be held on June 3, followed by other noteworthy events including Daisuke Obana’s N.Hoolywood show on June 4 and NYC-based men’s brand Freemans Sporting Club’s show on June 5.

The men’s shows will kick off with New York Men's Day (NYMD) on June 3, where 14 designers will present simultaneously across two time-slots throughout the day. The show will be held at the event’s new location across Hudson Yards.

Launched by the CFDA in 2015, NYFW: Men's has struggled to establish a strong presence on the international fashion calendar, and this season several brands made headlines for switching from New York to Paris to present their men’s collection.