Advance Denim’s newest production facility in Vietnam is eco-friendly, reports Sourcing Journal. The Chinese denim manufacturer not only wants to supply customers the most innovative denim styles in Vietnam but also introduce sustainable innovations.

For instance Big Box dyeing saves up to 95 per cent of the water used in conventional dyeing while using traditional liquid indigo. It is the first mill in Vietnam to use Archroma’s aniline-free indigo for a cleaner, safer indigo dye without using the harmful carcinogenic chemical.

Advance Denim then added BioBlue indigo to its dye ranges in Vietnam, creating a clean indigo that does not produce environmentally harmful toxic waste. BioBlue indigo also creates a safer work environment by eliminating the highly flammable and unstable chemical sodium hydrosulfite from the workplace.

The factory is located in a resort town Nha Trang. Advance Denim felt the responsibility to protect the natural environment and installed an innovative reverse osmosis water purification system designed to effectively remove residual indigo and harmful impurities. This process creates water that is almost 50 per cent cleaner than the national standard for chemical oxygen demand. This also enables the facility to recycle close to 40 per cent of the water used in its manufacturing process.

Average cotton yield per unit area in China in 2021 is up three per cent reveals the latest cotton yield survey by the National Cotton Market Monitoring System.

But the total output of new cotton in China is expected to be down 2.5 per cent. The meteorological conditions in Xinjiang cotton region were generally suitable, and cotton grew well in the later period, making up for the influence brought by the early extreme weather, and the cotton output was stable while rising. Heavy rains and floods occur frequently in the Yellow River basin, cotton bolls fall off or rot, cotton bolls are affected to a certain extent, cotton quality and yield are decreased.

The weather in the Yangtze River basin is suitable, with sufficient sunshine and rain. Considering the low base effect caused by the disaster weather last year, the cotton yield per unit area has increased. Due to the decrease of cotton planting area, the total cotton output is still declining. Total output of cotton is estimated to be 1,66,000 tons, down 11 per cent.

China’s cotton output in 2019 fell three per cent from 2018. Xinjiang’s cotton production fell two per cent from the previous year. Cotton production in Xinjiang accounts for 84 per cent of the country’s total. The cotton target price subsidy policy for Xinjiang has aroused the enthusiasm of cotton farmers for planting and has steadily increased the area of cotton planted in Xinjiang.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail will set up a greenfield garment manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh at an investment of Rs 110 crores. The factory is likely to provide employment to about 2100 people, mostly women. The hope is to develop it into a major garment hub employing some 20,000 women. A model housing colony which can house 25,000 people will come up near the garment manufacturing unit, making it convenient for women employees.

With revenue of Rs 5,249 crores and spanning a retail space of 8.4 million square feet, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail is India’s first billion-dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats. It brings together the learnings and businesses of two renowned Indian fashion icons, Madura Fashion and Lifestyle and Pantaloons, creating a synergistic core that act as the nucleus of the fashion businesses of the Aditya Birla Group. As a fashion conglomerate, the group has a strong network of 3,212 brand stores across the country. It is present across 31,000 multi-brand outlets and 6,800 point of sales in department stores across India. It has a repertoire of leading brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England.

In the last five decades, Bangladesh has become one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Its per capita income has reached $2,554, one of the highest in South Asia. Poverty rate declined to 20.5 per cent, both ways trade increased to $82 billion during the same time. Foreign exchange reserves have reached 45 billion.

Largest formal women employer This success story of Bangladesh as largely been woven by the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in the country, says Faruque Hassan, President, BGEMA. With 3,500 active clothing factories at present, the apparel industry generates 81 per cent of Bangladesh’s export revenue. It is the world's second largest garment supplier, with its products going to 167 countries.

The RMG industry is also the largest formal employment sector for women in Bangladesh. The industry employs around 60 per cent of women, mostly within the age group of 18-30 years. This contributes to women empowerment and poverty reduction in the industry besides bringing about many positive changes like a drop in early marriage and early motherhood, increase in female literacy rates, etc.

Great strides in safety and sustainability

The industry itself has gone through a massive transformation since its inception. Its technology features, workplace safety, product quality and range, and environmental sustainability-- all have improved significantly. The sector has made great strides in safety and sustainability. Entrepreneurs have engaged with the government, ILO, local and international labour federations and brands through the initiatives titled 'ACCORD', 'Alliance' and 'National Action Plan'. Bangladesh made a joint declaration with ILO, EU, USA and Canada called the Sustainability Compact in 2013 to make it more sustainable.

World’s highest number of green factories

All factories in Bangladesh are compelled to go through a robust remediation program and install all the required safety equipment as per the standards. The country has the highest number of green garment factories in the world. US Green Building Council (USGBC) certified a total of 152 Bangladeshi factories as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), among them 44 are LEED platinum-rated and 94 are LEED gold-rated units. These factories are moving from semi-automatic to more automatic mode using sophisticated machines, technologies and software to prepare the industry for next phase of growth.

Bangladesh has also formed the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) involving equal number of representatives from industry bodies, brands and unions in its governance.to build local capacity, It has entered into collaborative arrangement with a number of development partners and the government to train workers and mid-management officials on occupational safety and health and on social dialogue.

Explore the MMF sector

Bangladesh now aims to carve out a niche in high-end garment products market. It aims to harness the potential of the man-made fibre (MMF) market. Localization of MMF will enable it to explore the potential in active-wear, athleisure, suits and high-end formal-wear, outerwear, lingerie etc.

To achieve the next phase of business sustainability, Bangladesh needs to make make a continuous effort to cope up with the global fashion trends and realign its business strategies accordingly. It must strive to remodel its business from labor intensive to a value-added one through innovation, modern manufacturing, diversification, technology upgrading, up-skilling and re-skilling of our workforce.

Focus on human resources

To achieve its desired economic development, Bangladesh also needs to focus on its human resources. It needs to adopt a People Centric Approach while devising its strategies and policies.

The RMG industry will play a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s economic development. To achieve its target of $50 billion worth of exports, the government and the industry must continue to work together.

Crocs plans to buy privately owned Italian footwear label Heydude. The rubber clogs maker looks to cash in on the pandemic-led surge in demand for casual shoes. Consumers stuck at home during the lockdowns last year ditched dress shoes for more comfortable footwear, benefiting companies such as Crocs. Demand has remained firm this year.

Heydude brings about 43 per cent of its sales from online channels and is known for its lightweight casual shoes. In comparison, Crocs brings in 37 per cent of its sales through its e-commerce division. Heydude has remained insulated from production constraints caused by factory closures in Vietnam, as it predominantly makes its footwear in China. However, the brand has been affected by global freight issues and has seen significant delays and elevated costs in terms of getting its products to the United States.

Crocs which expects its 2021 revenue to grow 65 per cent from last year has launched the All-Terrain Clog and the Classic Slide in a joint collaboration with Pleasures, a street wear brand which draws inspiration from street style, punk and grunge. The latest joint collection unveils two innovative designs that deliver a sleek futuristic feel with all the comfort Crocs is known to provide, while still keeping the trendy, punk and grungy look that dominates Pleasures’ designs.

Bangladesh’s garment exports to the US and the EU increased between July and October of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. Bangladesh has two main export destinations for garment and its products -- the US, which accounts for 24 per cent of the shipments, and the European Union (EU), which accounts for 64 per cent.

The country’s garment shipments have continued to attain impressive recovery, largely driven by volume, as the price hike rate has been very low, with normalcy restoration in the global supply chain from the pandemic's severe fallout. A new study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD reveals the volume-driven export growth has had important consequences for bottom tier entrepreneurs and their falling profit margins. The rise in productivity is not being realised through higher prices, although it is helping Bangladesh's apparels remain competitive. In the US market, the 23.8 per cent growth in export earnings was mostly driven by volume, which rose by 19.8 per cent, whereas in contrast the rise in price per dozen was a mere 3.3 per cent. Export earnings from the EU rose 8.9 per cent against the backdrop of a rise in volume of 7.9 per cent as against the rise in price by an insignificant 0.9 per cent.

The luxury market surprisingly proved resilient to this period of great anxiety caused by the pandemic. Deloitte's latest Global Powers of Luxury Goods report shows, over 50 per cent of top 100 companies made profits during this period with 13 posting double-digit net profit margins even as the FY2020 revenues of the top 100 companies declining to $252 billion from $281 billion in the previous year.

An annual publication featuring the world's top 100 largest luxury goods companies and the trends shaping the market, the Global Powers of Luxury Goods ranking is based on consolidated luxury goods sales in FY2020. Although the brands listed in the ranking have built their reputation on the basis of the quality of their products, they are shifting to more sustainable practices in order to respond to the growing urgency to act on climate change.

Many of these companies are incorporating sustainability into design and production of their goods. For instance, Salvatore Ferragamo, Paul Smith and Hugo Boss among others are using food waste to produce sustainable materials.

Digital solutions and products

Brands are also adopting digitalization as a part of their long-term strategies. They are refining or developing new digital solutions and creating new products like the non-fungible token (NFT), which represents ownership of a digital (cryptographic) item or asset created through blockchain technology

Louis Vuitton has designed a customized travel case for its world championship cup trophy along with other assets. For this, the company has partnered Riot Games the creators of League of Legends. The brand has also launched a real capsule collection inspired by the video game. Gucci has partnered with auction house Christie's on a four-minute NFT video called ‘Aria’ as a part of its Fall 2021 collection. These creative expansions into the digital world are providing an opportunity for luxury brands to market their products to the next generation of clients known as the Gen Alpha.

Strong sensibility to sustainable lifestyles

Born in the digitalized and globalized 21st century, Gen Alpha clients comprise over two billion consumers across the world. Most are digitally literate and use gamification in daily lives. These customers are also keen social media users and reliant on the influencers' opinions. They are expected to develop a strong sensibility towards a sustainable lifestyle. To engage these digital natives, luxury companies will continue to grow their e-commerce businesses. They will form more partnerships with e-commerce players and social media providers while embracing the changing preferences and habits of their target markets.

Amid rising raw material prices in the international market and increasing transportation, weavers across Bangladesh are worried over a steep rise in yarn prices over the past three months.

As per a Business Standard report, many weaving mills across the country have cut down production to tide over escalating raw material costs. A further rise in yarn prices may force them to shut down completely, says Md Nannu Ali Khan, Secretary, Chawla Textile Industry Owners' Association. Almost 70 per cent of the country's weaving mills capacity now remains unused as yarn prices have increased over 50 per cent in three months. Besides, 90 per cent of the operational factories are running only one shift a day, he adds. Abnormal price rise is also pushing around eight lakh weavers in Sirajganj, Pabna, Tangail, and Kushtia away from their age-old profession. Many weaving mills have already stopped production due to mounting losses.

Production reduced or stopped completely

The main weaving centers across Bangladesh are Mabhabdee and Baburhat in Narsingdi, and Araihazar in Narayanganj. The Chawla area of Narsingdi houses 300 weaving mills employing 24,000 direct workers. Many have either reduced or shut down production due to a rise in yarn prices. Md Noyon Mia, Owner, Sanzita Textile is using only half of the factory's capacity that too only on the night shift. Around 90 per cent weaving mills in this area now remain closed during the day and operate at 60 per cent capacity during night.

Md Nannu Ali Khan, another industrialist of the area, has two factories with 100 power looms. One is completely out of operation now while the other is open at 50 per cent capacity. Local spinning mill owners have increased yarn prices at an unusual rate, complain weaving mill owners. This hike is much higher than the rate of cotton price hike in international market. However, spinning mill owners’ claim, yarn prices have increased due to a rise in cotton prices in the international market. To resolve the crisis, BTMA has formed a standing committee led by Khorshed Alam, Former Director.

Clothing factories set up in Keraniganj and areas by River Buriganga in Dhaka cater to nearly 70 per cent of garment demand across Bangladesh. These factories are in dire straits with at least 50 per cent traders in the area losing their capital. Some factories have completely shut down due to yarn prices.

Handloom workers hit hard as sales decline to half

Unemployment has forced some workers in spinning yarns to switch professions. This has caused a crisis amongst artisans. The closing of markets for a long time has made it impossible for weavers to sell saris worth lakhs of taka, says Fazlur Rahman Talukder, President, Sirajganj Handloom and Powerloom Owners' Association. Retailers says, they find it difficult to convince customer that yarn prices have increased. This is resulting in a decline in sales to less than half of normal.

Turkey is one of the important export destinations for Indonesian synthetic fiber and yarn products, says Secretary General of the Indonesian Fiber and Filament Yarn Producers Association (APSyFI) Redma Gita Wiraswasta. Fiber products such as staple fibers of viscose rayon and single yarn are a few textile products offered by Indonesia in a counter-trade agreement with Turkey, one of Indonesia's main trading partners. Fiber and yarn producers in Indonesia have expressed interest in trying out a counter-trade scheme in trading these products. Trade returns are considered as an alternative for market penetration in the midst of trade barriers that are applied in the destination country.

Turkey accounts for 10 per cent of Indonesian fiber and filament yarn exports. Trade compensation is an alternative considering that several Indonesian fiber products are subject to anti-dumping duties in that country. Meanwhile Indonesia believes the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will open up opportunities to increase exports of footwear. The country’s shoe exports to RCEP countries reached 29 per cent of total exports in 2020 followed by the United States at around 27 per cent. RCEP participating countries are the second largest footwear export destination for Indonesia after the European Union. RCEP countries have become an important market, especially China, which showed a large increase in imports in the period 2019 and 2020.

Denim trade fair Bluezone which to be held in Germany, January 2022, stands cancelled, says Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions. Reason: rapidly increasing infections of Omicron variant across Europe. Instead, Bluezone will be reimagined as a standalone event dedicated to denim innovation. The new format will take place May 3 to 4, 2022, alongside Keyhouse, a segment dedicated to textile technology. This opportunity arises from the unique seasonal rhythm of the denim and innovation segment. This puts Bluezone just two weeks before Denim PV that takes place in Berlin from May 17 to 18, 2022.

September 2019 edition of Bluezone hosted more than 100 international exhibitors presenting their newest developments for fall /winter 2020-21 while increasingly focusing on transparency, environmentally friendly production and conscious consumption.

Over 20 Bluezone exhibitors joined forces with designers to create an innovative vision of denim. Naveena Denim presented Zevolution, a denim made of environmentally friendly fibers instead of cotton, and Retrotech, a modern vintage cotton with a stretch mixture. Bossa launched its new Eversoft fabric selection with new finishing technologies that deliver extreme comfort and supersoft touch. Tejidos Royo presented its foam indigo dyeing technology that cuts water consumption by 100 per cent, chemical use by 89 per cent and energy consumption by 65 per cent.