Pure London will take place February 9 to 11, 2020. There will be a line-up of inspirational new designers and women’s wear brands. The ultimate destination for style essentials, Pure London showcases the newest global brands and the latest trends across its ready-to-wear and premium sections. The autumn/winter show will stage a fresh and new edit of directional pieces and distinctive designs for the new season. Luxury fashion designer Matthew O’Brien will show key pieces of evening wear, ready to wear and a small selection of bridal from his autumn/winter 2020 collections. Valentina Poltronieri, a young Italian fashion designer, will present her new collection. Technical and eccentric fabrics, fluo colors, handmade embroidery and stellar prints will be the main features of the new collection. Among the other brands taking part are Wibes, a French premium, ethical and multicultural brand creating contemporary and colorful sneakers, Nomads, an ethical fashion brand specialising in high-quality, contemporary garments that embrace color and print, and Derhy, a French brand that celebrates Indian culture and philosophy, the immensity of its ochre landscapes, the saturated colors of the women’s saris and the sarongs.

As a global show that celebrates newness, Pure London annually attracts over 3,00,000 industry professionals from the UK and around the world via its shows and digital platforms.

Hygro Cotton celebrates 15 years. This is a brand belonging to Welspun. In addition to bringing ground-breaking performance to sheets and towels, Hygro Cotton is crafted with a proprietary spinning technology, producing yarn with a revolutionary hollow core. Hygro Cotton towels come with a quick-dry technology, which makes the product softer, fluffier and more absorbent after every wash. The patented process makes bed sheets more breathable, wicks away moisture. The mattress pads, sheets, comforters, blankets, and pillows get softer after each wash.

Welspun has always been associated with unique and innovative product offerings. Welspun is a home textile major. The company continues to calibrate capex according to cash flows. The company has started a flooring business under Welspun Flooring. Welspun is looking at offering luxury performance tiles, wall-to-wall carpets and artificial grass for offices and cricket fields. Its emerging businesses are gaining traction. Its recently commissioned flooring solutions plant could provide tremendous growth opportunities in the domestic market as well as the export market.

The company is known for bed sheets and towels and has introduced reversible bed sheets and quick-dry towels. Welspun is going into advanced textiles. The big bet on advanced textiles includes making disposable towels out of non-woven textiles and filters for the auto and power sector. Advanced textiles will broadbase Welspun’s clientele by adding sectors such as auto, healthcare and FMCG.

GMMSA (Garments Machinery Manufacturers and Suppliers Association) expo was held in Ludhiana, January 3 to 6, 2020. The event witnessed more than 50,000 visitors. Some 200 exhibitors across 16 countries participated. There was a vast array of Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese and European machines, ranging from knitting machines, mini boilers to packaging machines. Productivity and efficiency were the key focus of new technology at the event.

Good winter season has created opportunities for garment manufacturers of Ludhiana. Some players in Ludhiana are continuously focusing on new offerings and product developments. As survival is all about offering newness in products, they are going in for advanced infrastructure. Apparel manufacturers of Ludhiana are geared up for growth considering the good winter season. But it is now loud and clear to the city’s manufacturers that for survival advanced infrastructure, more focus on product development and a changed mindset is a must. Many garment manufacturers of Ludhiana are facing the issue of long credit periods, as in the domestic market they have a payment cycle of almost six months. To manage this payment cycle they need to have enough resources. As this factor also increases costs, they are now seriously working to reduce the credit period.

Apparel and footwear in the EU increased by 0.3 per cent year-on-year in November 2019 compared to the 0.1 per cent rise in the previous month. The sector started 2019 with a 0.3 per cent decline. Fashion sales increased by 2 and 2.2 per cent respectively in February and March to decline again by 4.8 per cent in April, In May too, sales in the euro zone declined by 2.4 per cent to increase by 4.6 per cent in June. In July and August, the sector moderated its growth, with increases of 0.2 per cent and started September with a 3.1 per cent rise.

On the other hand, sales of the sector in the 28 countries of the European Union were negative, with a year-on-year fall of 0.5 per cent in November. Retail trade, on the other hand, rose in the Eurozone, ending November with a year-on-year increase of 2.2 per cent. In the European Union retail trade grew by 1.9 per cen. Retail sales also increased in the main drivers of the region, with a rise of 3.2 per cent in Germany, 3 per cent in Spain and 2.6 per cnet in France. Hungary and Romania were the countries where retail trade increased the most, with increases of 7.3 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively.

Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada will be held from August 17 to 19, 2020. This is a sourcing event focused on the North American apparel, textile, and fashion sectors. ATSC 2020 is expected to be the largest edition so far, with many new additions to respond to a constantly changing geopolitical environment, tariffs and trade agreements that are creating uncertainty for the apparel and textile market and having a trickle-down effect on retail sales. The event will feature international exhibits and delegations from over 30 countries and connect these international producers directly to the apparel, textile and fashion markets of North America. It will be attended by more than 300 apparel and textile companies and offer numerous interactive events and industry connection opportunities. Insights needed to navigate the international sourcing process will be made available on two stages daily and be provided by experts, both foreign and domestic. Attendees will include apparel and fabric buyers, sourcing directors, merchandisers, retailers, department stores, and designers from North America and around the world.

The seminars will cover sustainability, compliance and technology, focusing on a range of speakers, both from Canada and abroad. The ATS Fashion Lab will encompass e-commerce, retail technologies, the apparel industry 101, digital marketing, product development, and fashion law brand development.

The three-day International Apparel Sourcing Show will be held between February 20 and 22 at Hotel Sheraton Grand at Whitefield in Bengaluru. Organised by Apparel Resources, the event is expected to be a platform curated on three pillars — opportunity, knowledge and inspiration.

The event provides sourcing specialists an opportunity to evaluate global manufacturers, hand-picked for their focus on creativity, quality, deliver commitment and compliance. Despite being the third largest fashion exporter with a growing fashion retail market, India did not have an international sourcing event till the last edition of ASW.

The enthusiastic response at ASW’19 has instilled confidence among fashion retailers. The country has since established itself as a sourcing base for international buyers. Over 1,500 international brands have already established their offices in India.”

Incidentally, India is also emerging as a fashion consumption market. Fashion retail market is estimated at around $50 billion at present and projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7 per cent to reach $115 billion by 2026. There will be a session on circular economy, where in the discussions would hover around reuse, reduce, recycle and repair and another on sustainability practices. These would be the focus points for discussion among others.

The offerings of interior textiles and design at Heimtextil, Frankfurt from January 7 to 10, 2020, are reflecting trends prevalent in society. One particular trend is of Heritage Lux. This takes tradition and kicks it up a notch for the new generation that appreciates it but doesn’t mind the mild modern refresh. It’s about traditional patterns, craft aspects…gold and bronze, very rich shades. Materials and treatments are jacquard, satin, plissé, organic grainy surfaces, traced jacquards, elaborate damasks, organic ripples. Colors are blood red, dark rust, sensuous sapphire, lustrous mother-of-pearl, a warm cork. Maximum Glam is the season’s more is more trend. This theme places the art of textiles on stage. It’s about decoration, adornment, layered techniques, lots of finishings, special coatings, a lot of digital technology used in the patterns. Materials and treatments are fluffy hairs, iridescence, jacquard woven, fantastic fake furs, metal gloss, encrusting, print and lamination. Colors are rich true red, a full-bodied orange, a shocking pink, a luxurious deep turquoise, all balanced by a muted beige neutral.

The trend Active Urban is geared towards the city-dwelling, active younger crowd. Pieces are often upholstered with performance textiles and functional features. Materials and treatments are bonded materials, voluminous materials, graphic patterns, laser-cut foamy textures for enhanced comfort. Colors are bold, primary hues like bright tangerine, uniform blue, caterpillar yellow, stark black, asphalt gray, a warm white.

The international smart textile market is growing at 30.4 per cent. Demand for smart textiles is mainly driven by increasing penetration of smart phones and other high-tech or smart devices. Leading tech giants have already ventured into this field and increased their R&D to lay the initial work for their smart fabric products. Super-fast developments in the field of research and development and increasing adoption of smart fabrics are going to contribute the most to its future growth. Microsoft will embed electronic functionality into yarns that are typically non-electronically functional.

The global smart textile market is anticipated to witness a substantial growth owing to increasing product demand from several applications, such as sports and fitness. Smart fabric fashion is the next upsurge in textiles, alluring consumers with style and innovation. From sports and fitness to medical and healthcare, to automotive and transportation, to safety/military, almost every industry has immense untapped potential in smart textile technology.

The defense and military segment is anticipated to account for the highest market share by 2025, while sports and fitness segment will register the fastest CAGR. North America accounts for over 47 per cent of the overall share, thus leading the global market.

With growing wellness trend among consumers, Lenzing is developing fibers that keep users pleasantly cool and dry with natural comfort and versatility. Tencel Active is a group of cellulose fibers of botanic origin that keep the body pleasantly cool and dry with their natural comfort and versatility, enabling freedom to move with confidence. Lenzing is focused on introducing its award-winning Refibra technology and Lenzing Ecovero fibers to the active wear segment as well as the Lenzing Modal Black solution for colored fibers. Lenzing’s pioneering Refibra technology reinforces circularity through recycling cotton scraps with minimal emissions. The fully sustainable Lenzing Ecovero branded fibers offer transparent identification ensuring these viscose fibers are cleanly sourced and produced.

Water conservation is another environmental concern in the industry. Synthetic materials that are frequently used for sportswear, such as polyester, are naturally hydrophobic, making them more difficult to dye. To tackle this, Lenzing has introduced Lenzing Modal Black fibers, a spun-dyed fiber that incorporates the pigment during the extrusion production process. It can help lower energy and water consumption by 50 per cent compared to conventional dyed fabrics. These fibers are suitable for soft sports garments, such as yoga clothing or athleisure leggings. They are also fade-resistant and show no signs of fading even after up to 50-plus washes.

Heimtextil will begin in Frankfurt, Germany from January 7 to 10, 2020. This trade fair for home and contract textiles has attracted nearly 3,000 companies from 65 countries and regions. More than 600 Chinese companies from various sub sectors are attending the fair. Chinese companies have their own strengths, particular in design and fabric research and development. While many Chinese exhibitors at the fair are manufacturers, Chinese design studios have also started to have a bigger presence at Heimtextil.

This year Heimtextil has included a new area which showcases innovative and even progressive choices of raw materials for textile. In this section, textiles made from pineapple leaf, seaweed and even PET bottles and human hair are being exhibited.

International manufacturers rely on Heimtextil as an attractive platform for export business and as a trendsetting launch event where they can present their new season products at the start of the year. The exhibition has a space which sees exhibits from around 250 international textile designers. Manufacturers of machines for digital printing and textile processing are presenting their innovations. The trade fair is also presenting furnishing solutions and specialist offers specifically aimed at contract furnishing. It offers interior designers, architects and hospitality experts a business and networking forum.