Held from July 20-21, this edition of Kingpins New York focused on circularity. It showcased collections of various noted companies including Artistic Milliner who presented its latest collection Recircular at the trade fair. The collection is made from ultra-premium blend of fibers that are sustainably produced.

Bossa’s showcased new GRS certified recycled linen blended item called Hague Savetrue. The garment offers the authentic look of comfort stretch denim and boasts 92 percent water savings compared to traditional dyeing methods.

Cone Denim displayed its Nothing Goes to Waste fabric collection that includes Black Jack and Barstow—two fabrics that according to Pierette Scavuzzo, Design Director, Cone Denim,  best represents the mill’s approach to circularity.

Barstow showcased 100 percent GRS certified recycled fibers, a blend of pre-consumer recycled cotton and post-consumer recycled polyester. Artistic Fabric Mills’ (AFM) presented fabrics containing  50-100 per cent PIW cotton, produced by its own internal industrial waste according to Textile Exchange guidelines, are among the mill’s most circular offerings.

The European Union has launched the Renewable Carbon Initiative to revise a wide range of policies in the Green Deal to boost climate neutrality and create a sustainable economy by 2050. The RCI has set up a policy working group under the leadership of nova-Institute and has over 40 companies as members who actively work towards reshaping the entire required processes to meet the climate challenge. The initiative includes decarbonization in the energy sector alongwith making significant changes in the feedstock base of the material industries. 

The initiative focuses on the on-going revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive that aims to increase the scope for sustainable plastic packaging. RCI urges for the inclusion of bio-based and CO2-based content in addition to recycled content. The policy framework on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics under the Circular Economy Package is expected to be published in November 2022 and will support plastics for true environmental benefits.

Pakistan’s textile group exports grew 25.53 per cent in the last financial year 2021-22 to $19.329 billion from $15.399 billion during 2020-21, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). During July-June, 2021-2022, Pakistan’s total exports grew by 25.64 per cent to  $31.792 billion (provisional) against $25.304 billion during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 25.64 percent.

In June, textile group exports increased by 3.93 per cent M-o-M to $1.706 billion compared to $1.641 billion in May 2022. On a Y-o-Y basis, textile exports grew by 2.86 per cent to $1.706 billion in June 2022 compared to $1.658 million in June 2021. Exports of raw cotton grew by 714.94 per cent growth during July-June 2021-22 and remained at $6.577 million compared to $0.807 million during the same period of last year. Cotton yarn exports grew by 18.67 per cent growth to $1.206 billion compared to $1.016 billion during the same period of last year.

Fashion for Good plans to launch its textile waste study on July 27 in collaboration with Apparel Export Promotion Council in Gurgaon. 

Titled, Sorting for Circularity India Project', the study brings together industry players like adidas, Levi Strauss & Co, PVH Corp, TESCO, Arvind Ltd, Birla Cellulose, Welspun Group, and Laudes Foundation. It was launched in November 2021 with an aim to build infrastructure towards achieving great circularity in India.

Over the last 9 months, Fashion for Good conducted an extensive research to understand the textile waste landscape in India as part of the project. The study was conducted in consortium with Sattva Consulting, Saahas Zero Waste, and Reverse Resources.

Optimism thrives in the global fashion industry with 77 per cent respondents to the 9th annual Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study expecting brighter prospects for the industry over the next five years.  Conducted by, The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) the study surveyed over 30 leading fashion brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers, including some of the biggest names in the US. It was done in conjunction with Sheng Lu, Associate Professor, University of Delaware Department of Fashion & Apparel Studies. 

Brands to increase sourcing and hiring 

The survey indicates respondents’ outlook on future business prospects, sourcing utilization of Free Trade Agreements and preference programs, and policies. It shows, nearly 97 per cent respondents plan to hire more people over the next five years. Over 90 per cent also plan to increase their sourcing value or volume in 2022. 

Diversifying away from China

Most respondents expressed concerns over rising sourcing and production costs with all of them expecting their sourcing costs to increase in 2022. To handle supply chain disruptions, US fashion companies continue to adopt a more diverse sourcing base. They continue to move sourcing away from China to reduce their dependence on the country.  Around 30 per cent reported sourcing less than 10 per cent of their apparel products from China this year. Over 50 per cent increased sourcing from Vietnam in 2022. 

Asia continues to remain the dominant sourcing base for brands for the last nine years, as per the survey. The continent houses 10 most-utilized apparel sourcing destinations including: China (91 per cent), Vietnam (88 per cent), Bangladesh (84 per cent), and India (72 per cent). 

Rise in sourcing from CAFTA-DR

However, apparel sourcing from the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) region is also on the rise with 60 per cent respondents planning to increase sourcing from the region over the next two years. 

US fashion companies are strongly advocating for the renewal of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for another 10 years. However, no respondent plans to move sourcing orders from Ethiopia to another AGOA beneficiary country.

Creating economic opportunities

Most respondents are from companies having headquarters or major management offices in the US. Around 75 per cent respondents also have headquarters or major management offices outside the US, including China, Asia other than China, Europe, Eastern and Central America, and Mexico, among others. Besides, selling products in the US, over 50 per cent also sell products in Canada, Western Europe, Mexico, and Asia. 

Dedicated to fashion made possible by global trade, USFIA represents textile and apparel brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers based in the US and doing business globally.  The brands and retailers aim to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers impeding the industry’s ability to trade freely and create economic opportunities in the US and abroad.

A leading global producer of wood-based specialty fibers, Lenzing Group has collaborated with Red Points, a global leader in online IP infringement detection and removal, to strengthen Lenzing’s existing brand protection efforts globally and enable round-the-clock brand monitoring services. 

Red Points provides the ideal technology solution to help Lenzing monitor and remove unauthorized use of its trademarks and counterfeits online. The technology works by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect intellectual property infringements of Lenzing’ trademarks with high accuracy and efficiency.

Brand protection is just one of Lenzing’s ongoing proactive measures aimed at enhancing transparency in the supply chain and protecting the interest of Lenzing’s partners by ensuring they are purchasing genuine Lenzing fibers which meet their high standards.

In 2018, Lenzing launched the Lenzing E-Branding Service which allows Lenzing’s customers, retailers and brand partners to effectively use trademarks in their marketing materials. The platform has been welcomed by partners globally as it continues to deliver value to the fashion, textile and nonwoven sectors by facilitating the traceability of Lenzing’s fibers and enabling customers to promote them effectively.

A global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, Archroma has made 5’760 color references of its Color Atlas library available in ASE file format for open access to the users of most design software for fashion, apparel, and textiles. With this, designers and stylists are given open access to the largest library of colors for cotton and polyester.

ASE or .ase (for Adobe Swatch Exchange) files are used to upload, share and access colors through the swatch palette of design software such as Photoshop, Illustrator and most CAD (Computer-aided design) systems.

The Color Atlas by Archroma was launched in 2016 to provide fashion designers and stylists with off-the-shelf color inspiration that can be implemented in production with just a few clicks.

The Color Atlas continues to evolve in line with Archroma’s commitment to sustainability through innovation. The company describes its approach as “The Archroma Way to a sustainable world: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”.

All color references available in the Color Atlas have been formulated with products that comply with leading international eco-standards, and can be selected based on the desired sustainability profile.

Each color from the Color Atlas by Archroma® is available for purchase from Archroma as a physical color standard that includes precise digital data and access to global dyeing technical support.

Tunisia’s textile and clothing exports grew 21.86 per cent to touch €1,137.8 million in the first five months of current year compared the same period in 2019 when the export valued exceeded 12.05 per cent to €1,015.4 million. In May, Tunisia’s exports increased 38.77 per cent.

The value of its ‘pants’ exports increased 28.73 per cent in dinar until the end of May 2022. Tunisia’s exports to the French, Italian, German, Belgian, Spanish, English and Portuguese markets grew 15.3 per cent, 28.3 per cent, 43.3 per cent, 12.2 per cent, 24.9 per cent, 40.6 per cent, and 44.8 per cent respectively, while exports to the Dutch market declined 5.1 per cent. Exports of ready-to-wear to the European Union grew 24.28 per cent to €871.9 million at the end of May 2022, compared to the same period last year. These exports make up 77 per cent of all exports of the sector.

India’s textile and apparel exports are set to grow to $95-110 billion by the next six years from $44.40 billion in FY’22, as per the latest Bain & Co report. As per the report, India’s total merchandise exports are expected to reach $1 trillion by FY ’28. Manufacturing exports are set to grow at 15 per cent CAGR to reach $418 billion in FY’22. 

Exports from other sectors such as chemicals ($110-130 billion), electrical and electronics ($120-145 billion), automotive ($45-55 billion), pharmaceuticals ($45-50 billion) and industrial machinery ($70-75 billion) too are estimated to grow significantly.

Rising capacity expansion, government support, increased mergers and acquisitions and PE/VC-led investment, are set to boost the country’s sustained economic growth in the years to come, says Deepak Jain, Partner, Bain and Company and Co-author,

Growth of India’s $1 trillion manufacturing exports will be driven by priority sectors  such as chemicals, auto, electronics, pharma, textiles and industrial machinery  that will contribute 50-60 per cent share of manufacturing exports, adds Sushil Pasricha, Expert Partner, Bain & Company and Co-author.

To acknowledge the alliance between organizations, the International Cotton Association (ICA) has signed three more memorandum of understandings (MoUs). The most recent MoUs signed by ICA include Aid by Trade Foundation with its initiative Cotton Made in  Africa (CmiA) (signed earlier this month), the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (signed last February) and  the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) (signed in 2021).

These MOUs will help organizations collaborate with each other to work towards a number shared goals including promotion of sanctity of contract; training and  visit programs; information exchange and dissemination; diplomatic initiatives; testing and quality  issues. They will make trading safer besides strengthening the relationships between organizations with increased communication and collaboration, says Alex Hsu, President, ICA. 

The ICA also has a formal commitment and bilateral agreement on safe trading with the Better  Cotton Initiative (BCI) and existing MoUs with the Cotton Association of India (CAI), China Cotton  Association (CCA) and China National Cotton Exchange (CNCE).