Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA, has urged the Bangladesh government to allow RMG factories to operate during the strict COVID restrictions’ from July 23 to August 5. Hassan asked association members to make preparations to operate factories from August 1 amid the restrictions although the government gave no direction in this regard.

In a circular dated July 13, the Cabinet Division relaxed the restrictions on public movement and business activities from July 14 midnight to July 23 morning for Eid to be celebrated on July 21 and pre-Eid economic activities. The division imposed he fresh restrictions from July 23 to August 5 to contain the spread of COVID infections.

According to the notification, all industries and factories will remain closed from July 23 to August 5 although the factories were in operation during the restrictions enforced by the government earlier.

Textile Exchange’s 2021 Organic Cotton Market Report predicts production of organic cotton will rise 48 per cent in 2020-21. Most of this growth will stem predominantly from India and Turkey. Growth in Indian market is likely to be spurred by increased demand making organic cotton a more attractive option for farmers. It will further lead to existing producers dedicating a larger share of their certified organic land to growing cotton versus other crops. The growth in Turkey will be spurred by the entry of many new players in the market. In Turkey, increased demand is also the main driver, but the growth is more a result of new producers starting up organic cotton production.

As per the report, the largest volume of organic cotton fiber was harvested globally in 2019-20. In total, 229,280 farmers grew 249,153 ton of organic cotton fiber on 588,425 hectare of certified organic land in 21 countries. Fiber volume grew 4 per cent during the year, representing fourth consecutive annual increase in production of organic cotton. The crop accounted for almost one percent of the global cotton harvest that season.

A pioneer in the T-shirt culture in India, Duke Fashion has constantly delivered innovative knitwear, textiles and fabrics solutions that have made style statements in the industry. The brand is known for its trendy yet casual collections inspired by the fashion culture of Southeast Asian Islands. Duke has just launched its 2021 collection a new range of denim’s, shirts and trousers.

Catering to the needs of young Indians, Duke’s new collection offers 100 per cent cotton shirts, formal trousers, denim’s, and accessories. Boasting of unique and creative designs, the collection embodies the brand’s cool and edgy style through its unique blend of function and fashion. The designs of this collection revolve around several interesting themes that make it ideal for both formal and casual occasions.

Bright colors to complement standardized fits

The standardized fittings and superior quality of the shirts in this range are complemented by their bright and effective colors. Fine detailing and convenience of the cotton fabric make these shirts easy to maintain. The range includes button-up shirts, casual check-in slub textured shirts, woven shirts in a cavalry twill and printed shirts made in cotton or poly-cotton fabrics and breezy tones to set the mood for casual dressing.

Tapered designs for a modern look

The trousers range have elastic waistband with drawstring for a comfortable fit. Their tapered designs and flat front give these trousers a completely modernized look. Duke’s new collection also includes a range of handcrafted denims including basic jeans, straight fit jeans, comfort fit jeans, boot-cut fit jeans and ankle fit jeans. The denims are handcrafted for distressed, mended, and long preserved look. Their durability and versatility help them stand out from other denim collections launched in the market.

International styles at affordable rates

Offering young office goers a breath of freshness to make their workplaces more exciting, Duke’s new collection reflects the brand’s continued commitment to offer a complete range under one roof. The brand is known for its sophisticated and bold designs, robust features that cater to the tastes of young cosmopolitan Indians. “Each garment in this collection is like a diamond crafted according to international style trends. Offering a complete value for money, the range is available at reasonable rates at all leading stores,” says Kuntal Raj Jain, Director- Duke Fashions (I).

One of the most preferred apparel brands in India, Duke Fashions was established in Ludhiana, India in1966. The brand has over 400 EBOs across the country and is present in over 4,000 MBOs. Its product innovations and inspirational leadership helps it shape the future of Indian hosiery industry.

The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) has released the eighth annual Fashion Industry’s Benchmarking Study, a survey of executives from over 30 leading fashion brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers, including some of the largest brands and retailers in the country.

Conducted in conjunction with Dr. Sheng Lu, Associate Professor in the University of Delaware Department of Fashion & Apparel Studies, the survey asked respondents about the business outlook, sourcing practices, utilization of Free Trade Agreements and preference programs, and views on trade policy.

This year, thanks to the increasing vaccinations and robust economic recovery from COVID-19 in the US and globally, respondents feel much more confident about the outlook for the US fashion industry, both in 2021 and the next five years. Around 60 percent of respondents expect a full recovery of their sourcing value or volume to the pre-COVID level by 2022. However, about 20 per cent still expect 2021 to be a very challenging year financially.

Another key finding is that in 2021 surging costs are top concerns for US fashion companies. Disruptions from COVID have driven up production and sourcing costs and causing shipping delays and supply chain disruptions. In response, U.S. fashion companies have employed strategies including strengthening relationships with key vendors, emphasizing sourcing agility and flexibility, and leveraging digital technologies.

German sportswear brand Puma has appointed Prabhdeep S Bedi as the new director and head of it’s direct to consumer e-commerce operations in India.

Bedi was earlier employed as the COO of education-tech company Toppr Technologies. He has also worked with McKinsey & Company and Procter and Gamble India. He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and an undergraduate degree from IIT Bombay.

Bedi’s appointment will accelerate Puma India’s digital transformation journey and will be responsible for leading the direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce business and the entire value chain of operations, cataloguing, technology, account management and customer experience.

Bedi will report to Abhishek Ganguly, managing director, Puma India and Southeast Asia.

Schoeller Textil AG, the Swiss textile and technology company has named Joachim Kath as its new CEO.

Kath, who comes from the chemical industry, has been working closely with Seigfried Winkelbeiner, Retiring CEO, as COO at Schoeller for the past year and a half. The team successfully pulled together and has been able to strengthen the company’s reputation as an innovation leader. On more than one occasion, exciting collaborative projects with both existing and new customers opened up previously-uptapped business fields and markets.

Under the management of Siegfried Winkelbeiner, Schoeller has successfully weathered even the enormous appreciation of the Swiss franc and the current pandemic. His primary focus has always been to create a working environment in which staff and management have the opportunity to exercise their talents and skills for the benefit of the Schoeller Group.

Joachim Kath originally comes from Flensburg (DE). His career over 30 years has incorporated engineering, production and marketing & sales in diverse management in a wide range of business segments for various industries and areas of application around the globe. Joachim Kath spent 12 years of his career dedicated to textile finishing, with a period of intensive travel in Asia and a 3-year stay in the US.

Mohammad Ali Khokon, President, BTMA, has alleged that some people were benefiting from a recent fire at a Narayanganj juice production plant by circulating rumors about textile mills.

As per Textile Today, Kokon believes, they are spreading these rumors at both homes and abroad in hopes of smearing the goodwill of local export-oriented industries.

Khokon added that some of the local authorities involved in setting up and observing Bangladesh’s industrial establishments have been trying to pass the buck regarding the fire.

Md Monir Hossain, Chief-Media Committee, BTMA shared Khokon’s statement that says, a section of critics are passing negative comments that are damaging the image of the local garment sector. He also displayed deep shock over the death of 52 workers at the fire at Hashem Foods factory.

After the fire incident, a domestic and foreign quarter has been trying to disrupt the prevailing peace and order of the country’s industrial sector with various unsolicited statements centering the incident, Khokon adds.

Textiles minister Piyush Goyal aims to scale up the industry’s capacity 10 times by boosting investment and employment in the sector. Goyal has mandated his team of officers in the ministry to prepare a detailed action plan for each segment — ranging from fibers and garments to handloom and handicraft — along with the deadline. He has directed them to focus on man-made fiber along with technical textiles and handlooms.

The government hopes that a series of steps, including the extension of Rebate of State and Central Taxes & Levies (RoSCTL) will provide clarity to exporters when they negotiate contracts. Similarly, integrated textiles parks with the proposed free trade agreements with the UK and the EU are expected to provide further fillip to Indian exporters. With lower duties in these crucial markets, the textiles industry hopes to compete more favorably with rivals such as Bangladesh, which enjoy wage and tariff advantages.

The ministry has proposed steps such as Mudra loans for startups to buy cotton-plucking machines for renting to farmers. Goyal hopes to replicate the strategy adopted by him in his earlier assignments, such as a massive LED bulbs scheme and steps to scale up renewable energy space and coal production. He has also asked his team to focus on improving the quality of handloom and handicrafts and standardizing it.

The Lycra Company has launched a new stretchable, antiviral fabric in partnership with finishes developer, HeiQ of Zurich, Switzerland. Based on Lycra StretchFX antibacterial fibre, the fabric will be introduced at the Intertextile show to be held in Shanghai, China, from August 25-27 2021. The two companies plan to combine their technologies, commercial networks and global marketing channels to launch a range of new products and will initially target the Chinese markets with them. The is the first of many innovation platforms will roll out through the summer, bringing a new dimension of comfort and confidence to the consumer by delivering HeiQ freshness and antiviral benefits with the quality and comfort of stretch fabrics certified to perform with a new Lycra® freshFX® technology brand standard.

Together, HeiQ and The LYCRA Company bring trusted expertise across the global textile value-chain of yarn processors, fabric mills, garment producers, brands and retailers and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable, consumer-driven innovations, delivered through partnerships that take textile performance to unprecedented levels.

A major player in analytical testing across the world Eurofins Textile Testing Spain has signed an agreement with Tailorlux, a Germany-based full-service provider for product authenticity to digitize cotton tracing by using an enriched viscose fibre. Both have signed a contract with Kipas to enable digital transaction certifications for over 3,000 tons of recycled yarn. Through this, retailers and brands will be able to procure recycled products with an ensured ratio of recycled content based on production data.

The agreement also provides Eurofins access to the Tailorlux algorithm to quantify the recycled content in textiles to audit the technology and test its reliability. Through further data acquisition, the composition of textiles can thus be determined with increasing precision and their ecological footprint be calculated.

Tailorlux provides authentication and traceability solutions with covert markings that are inseparably linked to the product. Through its interdisciplinary expertise in light emitting materials and detection, Tailorlux contributes to making transparency, authenticity and traceability a reality in value chains of various industries. For textile applications Tailorlux provides a polymer or viscose marker fibre that can be traced throughout the supply chain.