Statistics from the US Department of Commerce show, trade volume of silk goods registered a month-on-month decline of 6.77 per cent in May to reach $409 million. However, on a year-on-year basis, the trade volume grew by 113.48 percent, reports China Textiles. The import value declined by 7.01 per cent on a month-on-month basis to $357 million while on a year-on-year basis, it rose by 106.12 percent. The export value declined by 5.11 per cent month-on-month and increased by 182.2 per cent year-on-year to $52.283 million.

Silk imports declined by 18.16 per cent month-on-month while increasing by 86.27 per cent year-on-year to $867,100. The import volume declined 31.29 per cent month-on-month while increasing by 64.08 percent year-on-year to 16.41 ton. The value of these imports increased 20.62 per cent month-on-month to $18.6556 million 66.67 percent year-on-year.

The main sources of imports are China, Vietnam, India, Italy and Honduras The total proportion of the above five sources was 54.33 per cent. The value of silk exports declined by 44.09 per cent to $378,900 while the volume increased by 140.93 per cent year-on-year to 49.17 tonne. The value of silk and satin exports increased by 16.83 percent year-on-year; while the value of finished goods increased by70.71 percent year-on-year.

The main export markets included Mexico, Canada Honduras, El Salvador and Dominican Republic. These five markets accounted for 69.78 percent of the total exports.

The North Face plans to develop sustainable high-performance textiles in collaboration with textile material company Spinnova. As per a SGB Media report, North Face will also access the first commercial volumes of Spinnova fiber that are devoid of armful chemicals and emit minimal carbon dioxide. They also do not contain microplastics and are 100 percent circular.

Janne Poranen, Co-founder and CEO, Spinnova says, through this initiative, his company aims to continue pushing the limits of its material together with The North Face. It aims to set a new standard for the industry in sustainability and high performance. Oliver Lang, Global Vice President, Product Development, The North Face adds, the initiative will help his company build more circular products, develop innovative materials and reduce the environmental impacts of its products.

Around 15 brands including Huit, Kings of Indigo and Dondup are using the Coreva Technology to innovate their products and make the more sustainable. As per Euratex report, Coreva™ technology was developed by Alberto Candiani, President, Candiani Denim whilst was shopping for salami cold cuts in his local delicatessen in Milan.

The new Coreva technology helps replace common synthetic and petrochemical-based elastomers. As a result, the bio-based product can be put in compost and biodegrade in less than six month without releasing any microplastics, conventional elastane or toxic chemicals. The technology follows the EU standard EN13432.

This innovative biodegradable stretch denim fabric made with this technology contains organic cotton wrapped with a natural rubber core. The final is product is a yarn with no plastic corposants.

Patented by Candiani, this technology does not compromise the quality, elasticity and durability of the denims.

Old Navy has overhauled its plus-size strategy in an attempt to win more of the $32 billion US market. As per a Business of Fashion report, the brand closed down divisions that often made the category an afterthought. It has retained only one team for creating all women’s apparel and henceforth will offer all design in plus sizes also. Old Navy is Gap’s largest division and is still vibrant, with sales surging this year. The brand aims to reach its goal of $10 billion in sales by 2023 —from $7.5 billion in 2020.

According to Brian Ehrig, Partner-Global strategy and Management Consulting, Kearney the plus-size women’s market in the US is expected to grow between 4 to 8 per cent annually through 2023. Before the pandemic, it was gaining at a faster rate than the rest of the apparel market. While retailers like Target Corp. and Nordstrom have expanded their plus-size offerings, many chains have been hesitant to invest in the category. Higher costs are often cited as a hurdle, including the increased expense of making apparel with more fabric.

In 2014, Old Navy defended its practice of charging higher prices for plus-size women’s clothing after a shopper started a petition calling the retailer out for not doing the same for men’s clothing. At the time, Old Navy said it used certain stretch materials and design elements that weren’t found in men’s garments to justify the higher price point. Making matters worse is that the company only sold plus-size women’s apparel online. It returned to stores in

Now Old Navy customers will all pay the same price. Other changes include using a wider variety of models on its website, including size 18. In stores, there will be a broader range of mannequins. The retailer is also educating store associates on how plus-size shoppers have often felt ostracized.

To be held on October 13 and 14, 2021 at One Marylebone in London, Textile Fourm-the Fabric Fashion show will showcase UK’s reputed fabric companies like Litmans, Michael’s Bridal Fabrics, Pongees, The London Embroidery Company, Graham Smith, Carrington Fabrics, Partap, Bridal Fabrics, The National Weaving Company, Laurent Garigue, Henry Bertrand and James Hare.

As per Amy Packhan, Event Director, Textile Forum, besides fabrics, the event will showcase accessories, trimmings, buttons, linings, and a group of garment manufacturers supported by UKFT. Since launching in 2002, Textile Forum has cemented itself as London’s premier sourcing event for luxury fashion fabrics, now presented over two floors at our prestigious venue One Marylebone. As per a Drapers Online report, the show attracts fabric buyers from major fashion retailers and brands, established independent design businesses and start-ups, tailors, craft shops, seamstresses and costumiers.

Around 80 per cent of exhibitors at Heimtextil 2020 are expected to participate in the upcoming edition of the fair scheduled to be held from January 11-14, 2022. As per a Textile Network report, highlight of the program of events in 2022 will once again be the Trend Space inspiration area in Hall 4.0. The upcoming edition will highlight the changes caused by the pandemic in people’s lives and their home furnishing methods.

The spectrum of products displayed will be supplemented by digital services. These will include live streams and online contributions from the program of lectures. They will cover a variety of topics, such as ‘sleep’, the Heimtextil Trends and interior, architecture, hospitality, the service for (interior) architects and hospitality experts. Lectures will illuminate the sustainability theme and the Future Materials Library.

Order and data-management portal Nextrade will provide an around-the-clock business relationship between dealers and suppliers. As the first digital B2B marketplace for home and living, Nextrade brings together demand and supply from the entire sector and thus creates significant value added for both sides.

An Aditya Birla Group Company Thai Acrylic Fibre Co (TAF) has collaborated with garment manufacturer World Knitting Textiles to develop a new fabric range for innerwear and base layers with the combination of wool and Pilbloc, the everlasting anti-pilling acrylic fibre.

As per Sombat Chatromyen, Managing Director, World Knitting Textiles, the new anti-piling fabric has a unique inherent function. It has a soft touch that makes it very comfortable for consumers. Ashwini Chotani, Chief Marketing Officer, TAF adds, the Pilbloc and its anti-pilling function is generated with a specially engineered process that ensures its longevity and durability. The company initially used the function to produce the fabric in coarser deniers, but now, it also offers micro denier which makes Pilbloc perform even better and can be used for circular knit and very light-weight fabrics that are suitable for innerwear and base layers.

Established in 1986 under the name World Knitting Industries, World Knitting Textiles is a garment manufacturer and exporter with the major markets in the US, EU, and Japan. Later in 1990, it set up the knitting department and expanding into dyeing and finishing by 2004.

The Conference on Sustainable Finishing of Textiles will be held online from September 30 to October 1 and from October 7 to 8, 2021. It will highlight the commitment of textile coaters and laminators to act and invest in material technology and machinery to abate detrimental impacts on the environment and ensure a sustainable future for the industry. The Conference will.

The conference will explore materials, processes and machinery that can help dyers, finishers, coaters and laminators achieve this goal. It will address issues new finishing technologies, new brands and companies driving the growth of these technologies, new laws to propel its growth, etc. The textile industry is currently in a state of flux, with environmental and economic pressures driving the industry towards new digital models, both in respect of how products are manufactured and how they are sold.

Many apparel brands have committed to ambitious goals in respect of their sustainable performances. Along an extremely complex textile supply chain, new processing technologies, fibers, dyes and finishes are rapidly being perfected, with the potential to significantly reduce the industry’s energy, water and raw materials consumption.

India Intimate Fashion Week (IIFW) plans to organize the next edition of IIFW NXT Intimate Fashion Tour) in Pune. IIFW is among the top three fashion week properties in Asia and one the fastest growing brand showcase & exhibit platform, marked global footprints in the shortest ever time.

India Intimate Fashion Week (IIFW) is a platform designed to shed a powerful spotlight on all facets of the intimate apparel and personal care industry. The event exposes both emerging and established brands and designers, manufacturers and distributors from India and around the globe, spanning market categories of lingerie, loungewear, sleepwear, Legwear, lingerie accessories, men’s underwear, swimwear, beachwear, shapewear, etc.

On its third anniversary, IIFW conceptualized “IIFW NXT – The Intimate Fashion Tour” to make it even bigger and better. IIFW NXT was launched generated with intent to create awareness on plus size, queer fashion, and personal hygiene.

Browzwear, a pioneer of 3D digital solutions for the fashion industry, announced the closing of a $35 million funding round from growth equity firm Radian Capital. The investment will accelerate delivery of the company’s aggressive goals for platform development and market expansion.

Radian, an investor in mature, capital-efficient B2B technology companies including industry-leading software and platforms such as Mural, Emailage and Encompass Technologies, invested in Browzwear based on the company’s existing leadership position and track record of growth.

With a visionary management team, pioneering technology and large global customer base, Browzwear is already the leader in end-to-end digital product creation for the apparel industry, with a 40 percent year-over-year growth over the last five years. The additional capital from Radian will enable the company to build on those advantages and deliver on its goal to more than double the size of the business over the next two years.

To support this accelerated growth, Browzwear is instituting an aggressive recruitment plan, intending to triple its global workforce over the next two years. The company plans on adding new talent across areas that will widen the company’s technological leadership in the industry, such as R&D and product development, while simultaneously bolstering its customer-facing teams to enhance service while supporting scale.

Browzwear is also exploring opportunities for inorganic growth while planning substantial expansion of its partner program. Currently consisting of more than 100 partners, the partner program is an ecosystem of complementary products and services that enhance the overall value of Browzwear for customers. By building on this network and bringing together the industry’s most cutting-edge technologies, Browzwear can catalyze further innovations that extend the value of true-to-life 3D through product development and manufacturing to consumer-facing solutions that will power next-generation e-commerce capabilities.