The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) has settled its wage dispute in the Worsted textile sub-sector.

It is a 2-year collective agreement, effective from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024.

It provides for wage increases ranging between 7.5 per cent and 8 per cent for this year, and for next year, it provides for wage increases between 7 per cent and 7.5 per cent, as set out below.

This new 2-year collective agreement was successfully concluded under the dispute processes and procedures of the National Textile Bargaining Council (NTBC), with employers represented by the National Association of Worsted Textile Manufacturers (NTMA).

In a new precedent-setting provision for industrial workers in our industry, this Worsted textiles collective agreement provides for an extra day's paid annual leave per year, for workers who have completed 8 years' consecutive service on permanent staff.

The settlement was achieved after four negotiation rounds which commenced on 6 April, inclusive of a dispute conciliation round.

Global Web3 E-Commerce platform, Nftfically has teamed up with Mafatlal Industries, a leading manufacturer and supplier of textiles, garments and uniforms, for its virtual gallery and NFT store on the metaverse platform, Comearth. The design collection features six distinct NFTs for school, hospital and corporate uniforms using 3D models for an enhanced immersive experience, making Mafatlal Industries the forerunner in the textile space.

With this collaboration, Mafatlal Industriesaims to gain the first-mover advantage in its category to enter the NFT ecosystem.NFT drops are technologically complex processes involving various challenges like Smart Contracts, Traffic Management, Security and Backend Streamlining. Nftically’sglobal benchmarked technology ensures smoothening out of the process for collectors and creators selling their digital assets as NFTs. Presently, over 11,000 stores are powered by Nfticallymaking it one of the largest and most preferred NFT marketplaces for creators and collectors. Nftically recently launched its e-commerce metaverse platform, Comearth, which aims to build an ecosystem of various stakeholders to generate value through engagement or transactions.

An industry connector and host to premier fashion trade events including Project and Coterie, Informa Markets Fashion is gearing up for destination:miami by Coterie, a three-day fashion wholesale event designed to spotlight the latest designers and trends shaping the elevated resortwear category.

To be held from July 16-18, 2022, destination:Miami will host renowned and emergent brands in women’s advanced contemporary resort wear, swimwear, accessories, and footwear, showcasing a curated cross-selection of vacation-inspired apparel spanning premium to affordable luxury price points.

Buyers from retailers, including Goop, Revolve, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Ritz Carlton, among others, convene at destination:miami for a look into future fashion trends, from body inclusivity, textured materials, to cut out designs, generate new accounts and ink deals, and increase global demand through networking with stylists, media and influencers.

Among the over 80 international and domestic brands confirmed for the upcoming event – slated to be held at the Eden Rock Hotel – including Gapaz Beachwear, Lily Franco, Nay Sunset Wear, Oasis, Sabine Arias, Apaya and Cruise.

The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) thanked all industry stakeholders for ensuring that the sector meets its commitments in the face of unprecedented challenges, as apparel export earnings expanded by 30 per cent Y-o-Y upto 446 million in May 2022.

Accounting for approximately 6 per cent of Sri Lanka’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and almost half of all merchandise exports, the apparel sector serves as a bulwark of the nation’s economy. While the sector continues to face significant limitations from continuing disruptions in energy supply and logistics, cumulative export earnings from the sector increased by 16% YoY up to US$ 2.2 billion as at May 2022.

The sector is still hopeful of achieving the export target of $6 billion by the end of 2022, however, it will have first overcome significant obstacles ahead, says YohanLawarence, Secretary General, JAAF.

The sector needs to prioritize support for SME apparel producers, who are an equally essential component of the industry that is also facing severe challenges in day-to-day operations, adds Lawrence.

Despite unprecedented domestic volatility, unstable global market conditions and escalating raw material and logistics costs, Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has provided extraordinary support to the national economy, including direct surrender of export proceeds to the Government.

All apparel companies receive payments through the formal banking system, which is visible at all times to the Central Bank. Once they receive these funds, they are permitted to use these dollars to fund raw material imports, which in previous years stood at approximately US$ 2.5 billion annually, adds Lawerence.

On a monthly basis, the balance industry’s export proceeds are converted into Sri Lanka Rupees to be provided to leading banks towards payments for essential imports such as fuel, gas, food and medicine, Lawrence explains.

These extraordinary measures have been commended by the Prime Minister’s office as having provided vital assistance in mitigating issues around energy, transport and healthcare in the country.

Anne Spangenberg has been appointed as the new President-Fashion and Lifestyle of Deckers Brands, a global leader in designing, marketing and distributing innovative footwear, apparel and accessories with effective from July 11, 2022. Spangenberg will serve on the Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Dave Powers, Chief Executive Officer and President of Deckers Brands.

Spangenberg has an extensive track record as a global leader and strategic brand builder, most recently as Chief Merchant for Nike, Inc. She will lead Deckers' Fashion Lifestyle brands, including UGG and Koolaburra, with a focus on product diversification, consumer adoption, and franchise evolution across a tightly-managed omnichannel marketplace.

Spangenberg has played a meaningful role in creating and transforming merchandising functions across categories, channels, and markets. She brings to Deckers an innate understanding of the consumer and the ability to efficiently implement strategy in alignment with the latest fashion and lifestyle trends, says Powers.

Spangenberg adds, the brand's unique combination of strong consumer demand, a loyal and expanding customer base, and the ability to innovate both new and existing franchises gives will help us further elevate UGG through disciplined and strategic global marketplace management while building on exciting levels of global brand heat.

Advance Denim has committed to continuously improve its manufacturing business, and be the world’s most innovative and sustainable denim mill. This commitment will be the focus of Advance Denim’s newest mill, Advance Sico, in NhaTrang, Vietnam.

The Vietnam facility is already paying dividends. Advance Sico is responding to the huge demand in the country by increasing its production capacity 25 percent by the end of 2022.

As the company continues expanding, Advance Denim believes its five founding principles of innovation, service, quality, sustainability and people will drive success at both facilities.

In building Advance Sico almost three years ago, Advance Denim has benefited from the shared experience of Chinese technicians and Vietnamese experts. This has helped them create a team that is not just skilled and knowledgeable, but also focused on the teamwork needed to build a global denim mill. Advance Sico is adding to this skilled workforce by working closely with high-quality universities and colleges to offer internships to qualifying students.

Advance Sico in Vietnam has also set a goal to be the most sustainable mill in China.

The manufacturer is partnering with Archroma to produce all of its denim with 100 percent liquid indigo. In an effort to implement a cleaner, safer dye process, Advance Sico also uses its own proprietary BioBlue dye method to eliminate the toxic chemical, sodium hydrosulfite.

Next, Advance Denim is currently installing a state-of-the-art wastewater recycling system into the Vietnam mill. The company is targeting 100 percent wastewater recycling to establish a closed loop denim production.

Following the lead of many experts who agree that recycled cotton is one of the optimal fibers for sustainable production, Advance Denim is spearheading new recycling technologies and aims to raise the bar on not only sustainability but on quality and durability. The mill is using its expertise in sustainable innovation to create a 100 percent-recycled cotton denim.

The fashion industry’s obsession with size zero figures and ultra-thin models has always been a matter of debate. While, designers, model agents and fashion editors blame each other for the growth of this unhealthy trend, many countries have made lackluster attempts to ban it. Over the past few years, the fashion industry has woken up to the concept of body inclusivity. The industry has made great strides towards accepting not just all body types but also ages and races, says a Dazed Digital report.

End of body inclusivity with rise of skimpy dresses

However, a lot still remains to be done. Recent feature of models Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Jill Kortleve and Precious Lee on magazine covers and catwalks, has once again raised concerns amongst experts. They believe the return of figure-hugging dresses may rekindle the desire for such body types amongst consumers. Rachal Tashjan, Fashion News Director, Harpers’ Bazaar in a recent edition of her Opulent Tips newsletter, reflected on the growing concern amongst industry peers about a potential return to the ultra-thin body types. According to Tyler McCall, Editor in Chief, Fashionista.com, the fashion world is returning to its age-old hypocrisy. In order to make a real change, brands need to expand their size offerings for customers.

Blame game continues

Over the last few years, there have been concerns about the sustenance of body-inclusivity trend amongst brands. The trend of plus size models walking the ramp is yet to normalize, says Fran Burns, Stylist. In fact, even today, most clothes being produced for catwalk and editorial purposes remain designed for thin models only.

Burns, however, does not blame designers alone for this. It’s unfair to place so much responsibility on designers alone when big fashion houses do absolutely nothing about it, she adds.Designers, are meant to remedy the faults of earlier generation by being body inclusive and sustainable. Models should also be held responsible for their faulty representation, adds Burns. Currently, there seems to no real outrage against body shaming in the fashion industry as it no longer celebrates thinness. However, the core problems continue to persist as the worlds that emphasize on a celebrity’s status and power of visual overlap each other. Actresses, musicians, and influencers continue to be scrutinized for their body types. Despite the gibberish of embracing body positivity and widening the parameters of physical beauty, nothing has really changed in the industry.

The next edition of Texprois scheduled to be held from August 18-20, 2022 at Karachi, Pakistan. Over 250 Pakistani companies will exhibit their products which may include: home textiles, readymade garments, high-end fashion garments, fabrics and yarn, cloth woven and nonwoven, PPE, towels and madeups, accessories, denim, textile machinery, tents and canvas, carpets, sportswear, leather, footwear, etc,

Texpo will offer B2B meetings, sourcing and design studio. It will be a great opportunity for the visitors to see the textile potential of Pakistan under one umbrella.

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan would offer local hospitality to Lebanese visitors, which includes pick and drop from airport to hotel to venue. Besides, discounted hotel bookings on self-payment basis will also be offered and Trade Development of Pakistan will also arrange factory visits for the foreign delegates.

New applications for the upcoming Dallas trade event Apparel & Accessories in August have surged by 50 per cent ahead of 2019,

The latest edition of the event was held from June 14–17, 2022 on an expanded space to accommodate new brands.

Cindy Morris, President and CEO, Dallas Market Center says, the center has created the biggest marketplace in the US with the support of thousands of apparel, footwear and accessories brands.

New buyers at the June event increased by 163 per cent against the pre-pandemic June shows. The show also registered an increase in national visitors. Attendance by stores from the Midwest increased by over 100 per cent, while those from the Southeast increased by 140 per cent, and the West increased by 170 per cent.

For the June show, Dallas Market Center had more than 500 temporary exhibitors. In 2022, the number of exhibiting brands grew by 10 per cent. They were accommodated in additional permanent showrooms and expanded temporary space.

The June edition also featured the permanent showroom D Element Style showcasing Celia B, Las Surenas, Vero Alfie, Kleid, and Neubyrne. Additional new showrooms included Golden, LeLaLo, My Girl in LA, Sal & Pimento, and Wolverine. Expanded showrooms included the 2Fourteen Showroom, Miss Me, and Rita Harris.

A global leader in premium structural components and materials for the footwear, accessories and apparel industries, Texon has been acquired by world’s largest industrial thread manufacturer Coats.

Texon provides high quality structural components to the global footwear market and has a long heritage as a proven supplier to the world’s leading brands. The business is focused on sustainable innovation and supplies high-performance, sustainable, materials, including heel counters, toe puffs and insoles to the highly attractive premium athleisure footwear market.

Rajiv Sharma, Group Chief Executive, says,Texon’sacquisition will strengthen Coat’s existing presence in the highly attractive athleisure footwear market. The business is complementary to Coats and provides attractive future commercial opportunities as the two companies work together to leveragetheir combined expertise and knowledge to succeed with their customers.