Though Australia’s manufacturing sector has declined by 5.70 per cent over the two years through 2020-21, its knitted product manufacturing industry has increased revenue by 13.20 per cent to US $ 90.60 million in the same period, as per IBIS World,

The pandemic disrupted supply across North Asia, which typically accounts approximately 40 per cent of the global apparel manufacturing industry. However, this benefited the Australian clothing manufacturers, as per an Apparel Resources report.

Australian exports of knitted apparel to Japan jumped by more than 320 per cent in 2019-20, and exports across the manufacturing of men and boys clothing segment increased by 33.9 per cent, informs Ross Dean, Senior Industry Analyst.

According to IBISWorld, while domestic demand of clothing in Australia is projected to continue declining, exports of knitted garments are forecast to grow by an annualized 1.80 per cent over the five years through 2025-26.

The growth can be attributed to the recent changes to tariffs on knitted apparel and other clothing items to New Zealand and ASEAN.

Invista Nylon Chemicals (China) Co has launched a project to set up its new Asia Innovation Center at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP).

As per Sourcing Journal, to be developed with an investment of more than $15 million, the project marks the company’s next milestone in growing the nylon 6,6 value chain in China. It will also allow Invista to advance innovation to better meet evolving customer demands across the region.

Invista’s lab will be among the first at the Shanghai International Chemical New Materials Innovation Center. The 26,000-square-foot facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art polymer research and development equipment and will include polymer compounding extrusion and injection molding capability, and analytical and mechanical test equipment to characterize polymer resin properties.

Further, the Asia Innovation Center will promote the company’s comprehensive nylon 6,6 capabilities in China–R&D, production, sales and technical services–to provide customers with high quality nylon products and solutions.

According to recent data released by National Bureau of Statistics, China’s apparel retail sales increased by 12.30 per cent in May ’21 on Y-o-Y basis.

China’s fashion brands and retailers clocked RMB 113 billion (US $ 17.44 billion) from domestic retail sales in May this year.

The total retail sales of consumer goods in May ’21 valued RMB 3,594.50 billion ($ 554.76 billion) and apparel constituted 3.14 per cent of that!

The apparel retail revenues of China in first five month period valued RMB 556.80 billion ($ 85.93 billion), marking 39.10 per cent yearly surge. China also maintained an average growth of 9.30 per cent in e-commerce fashion segment for over two years.

Gildan Activewear and its portfolio of company-owned brands, including Gildan, Alstyle, American Apparel, and Comfort Colors have joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol. Glenn Chamandyl, President and CEO says, the move will increase transparency in the company’s supply chain besides assuring cotton purchased from the US is sustainable.

As per a Knitting Industry report, Gildan is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, and also one of the largest domestic consumers of US cotton, which represents the majority of the fibre used in Gildan’s products. The company has a proven track record of a strong commitment to sustainable practices.

The US Cotton Trust Protocol is a farm level, science-based program that sets a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurements to sustainable cotton production as well as drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics: land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, GHG emissions, and energy efficiency. Members will also be provided with full supply chain transparency through the Protocol Credit Management System.

Prada and Ermenegildo Zegna groups have teamed up to acquire majority stake in Filati Biagioli Modesto SpA, a cashmere and other precious yarns producer. Prada and Ermenegildo Zegna will each hold 40 per cent stake in the company. A 15 per cent stake will be held by founding Biagioli family while the remaining 5 per cent will be owned by Renato Cotto, CEO of the new company.

Both Gildo Zegna, CEO, Ermenegildo Zegna and Patrizio Bertelli, CEO, Prada, believe, the deal will help both companies preserve their manufacturing expertise and technical knowledge. It will also boost their Made in Italy production chain. Gildo Zegna will be the chairman of the new company, while Franca Biagioli, a key representative of the founding family, and Bertelli will join the board of directors.

To fill the supply gap of viscose fabric in India, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) held a webinar on sourcing of viscose fabric in association with Birla Cellulose. A Sakthivel, Chairman, AEPC urged India to increase domestic supply of quality viscose fabric at the right price to increase presence in manmade fibre (MMF) based garments sector. He talked about, government plans to introduce the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the MMF segment.

PMS Uppal, MD, Pee Empro Exports, urged exporters to focus on the entire package including R&D, design, innovation, speed and price of MMF garments. He also urged them to speed up deliveries. Sudhir Sekri, Chairman, Export Promotion Sub Committee, called for a combination of brand pressure, regulatory enforcement and supplier implementation to quicken viscose production in the country.

The event was also attended by several textile companies including Eagle Silk Mills,which requested the government to target international branding of their garments to promote them in the global market, as per Darmesh Patel, Director.

Indonesia’s garment and textile exports are projected to drop during the first seven months of this year on account of COVID-19. According to Indo Textiles, Indonesia exports around 70 per cent of its textiles to the United States, the European Union, and the Middle East. In 2019, it exported $9,172.36 million worth of garments and fabrics, reports Textile Focus.

Due to the pandemic, value of Indonesia’s exports declined 15.94 per cent year-on-year to $ 7,709.94 million last year. It is predicted to drop further by 6.72 per cent from January and July 2021. Since January 1, Indonesia has been implementing the Omnibus Law to create new employment, stimulate investment, lower taxes, simplify licensing procedures, and improve the ease of doing business for both domestic and foreign producers. The Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) and the Indonesian Embassy in Mexico recently worked to increase home décor and textile exports to Mexico. The agreement includes the market for Balinese clothes and textiles in Mexico, as well as Indonesian furniture.

To respond to Western criticism of forced labor in Xinjiang province, China has developed its own ‘sustainable’ cotton certification scheme. Through this move, China aims to offset the supremacy of Western countries and develop a self-sustaining, independent standard and certification system,

For this, the China Cotton Association (CCA) has launched a new body, the Cotton China Sustainable Development Program. The organization aims to combat the use of forced labor by imprisoned Uyghur Muslims in the region that supplies one-fifth of the world’s cotton. In recent months, China has seen a political and consumer reaction in response to publicly expressed concerns about the exploitation of forced labor by companies and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI).

The Cotton China Sustainable Development Program seeks to encourage sustainable cotton production while decreasing reliance on Western standards. It would give China a considerable say in worldwide pricing and standard-setting.

On its part, the BCI aims to collaborate with the textile supply chain and brands to create a sustainable cotton industrial chain spanning production, textile and clothing manufacture, and brand sales.

Designers introduced their new formal wear range with an athleisure twist at the recently Milan Fashion Week for Men. A Women’s Wear Daily report says, designer Serdar Uzuntas launched a collection that modernized workwear-inspired, deconstructed suits with flap pockets and oversize cardigans. The designer also introduced a bold paw print that was splashed all across the crisp cotton pants, polo shirts and T-shirts in the collection.

Activewear specialist Spyder launched a coed collection that was full of saturated and bold colors. Spanning different sports disciplines, the lineup featured everything from cycling shorts paired with technical windbreakers in blocks of colors to basketball shorts and leotards. It also included everyday options such as a tracksuit bearing a print reminiscent of digital 3D animations and bomber jackets with a silky texture that looked as good for a springtime run outdoors as they did paired with more dressed-up looks.

The spring collection of brand Ten C focused on technicality and performance. The collection by designer Alessandro Pungetti was presented via video days before the event started. For the collection, the brand relied heavily on its signature Original Japanese Jersey, a performance-driven, nine-ounce fabric that was worked into crisp flight jackets, parkas and anoraks .Its parka was also rendered in an edgy, see-through nylon version with tapered details on the pockets and lapels creating an interesting contrast. The brand collaborated with Toronto-based artist Moya Garrison-Msingwana for a capsule collection of T-shirts.

New and existing players’ increasing focus on the segment has made the intimates and lingerie category a $250 billion global business. As per a Glossy report, the category has undergone radical transformation over the last decade. It now focuses on body positivity and size inclusively as against earlier when lingerie targeted specific body types.

While Victoria’s Secret continues to be popular, other brands such as Parade are finding favor with customers by focusing on real people rather than aspirational role models, says Andre Artacho, Managing Director, Two Nil a growth consultancy.

New and old brands venture into underwear

Adidas, which earlier sold men’s underwear only in the US, recently collaborated with Israeli textile manufacturer Delta Galil to sell both men’s and women’s underwear on a global scale. Henceforth, Delta Galil will manufacture and distribute all underwear products launched by Adidas. To compete with other players such as Aerie, Victoria’s Secret and Lively, the company will also manufacture bras and bottoms, says Victoria Vandagriff, President, Delta Galil-Brands Division.

Adidas will sell this collection under two labels: the Badge of Sport line, which uses athletic silhouettes and performance materials; and Adidas Originals, the brand’s more streetwear and fashion-focused line. Both ranges will be sold through the brand’s DTC channels and department stores. Adidas will also sell the Badge of Sport line at sporting goods stores like Champs and Dick’s Sporting Goods, while the Originals line will be distributed at select fashion retailers.

According to Vandagriff, underwear buyers primarily focus on garment comfort, as seen from the growth in sales of bralettes, wire-free bras and seamless garments in the last six months. As per latest data from retail analytics platform Edited, while sales of triangle bralettes grew by 120 per cent between December and February, sales of sports bras and stretch material underwear boomed 382 per cent within the same timeframe.

A lot of new brands have entered the underwear market in the last few years, says Vandagriff. Most notable amongst these is Aerie whose revenues grew 89 per cent to nearly $300 million in the first quarter. DTC brands including Parade and Lively have also grown in importance. While Parade’s revenues grew to $10 million in first year of operations, intimates manufacturer Gelmart sold its first incubated brand Lively for $85 million in 2019.

Consumer’s attitude towards underwear has changed over the years. From something they wore for others, it has become a piece of garment they wear for themselves, adds Vandagraff. Victoria’s Secret too has introduced a new rebranding strategy focusing on body inclusivity and gender neutrality. The brand aims to evolve with changing underwear market to regain past glory.