Global Fashion Summit was held in Singapore, November 3, 2022.

It assembled over 250 stakeholders representing manufacturers, garment workers, retailers, brands, suppliers, NGOs, policy, and innovators and built on dialogues from the June edition in Copenhagen and gathered leaders from across the entire value chain to elevate diverse voices and foster alliances within the fashion industry and beyond to drive sustainable impact.

The edition facilitated conversations with manufacturer and supply chain voices to discuss crucial challenges and opportunities around working collaboratively with brands on equal terms. The program featured bold panels, case studies, masterclasses and leadership roundtables reflecting on topics including data scarcity, better wage systems, community and circularity, connecting the EU textiles strategy with the value chain and energy transformation.

Global Fashion Summit was held outside of Copenhagen for the first time in its 13-year history. The summit was presented by Global Fashion Agenda, which is a non-profit organisation that fosters industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion to accelerate impact. With the vision of a net positive fashion industry, it drives action by mobilising, inspiring, influencing and educating all stakeholders. The organisation has been leading the movement since 2009.

Global Fashion Agenda will build upon summit discussions to reflect on how the industry can accurately measure and communicate sustainability performance.

Pakistan targets to be net zero carbon by 2050. The Net Zero Pakistan program aims at forming a national coalition of pioneering companies, public institutions, and sectoral experts.

This year, 2022, Pakistan had devastating climate related floods which resulted in damage to Pakistan’s cotton crop. How far private industry in Pakistan is willing to commit to the idea of netzero is unknown. About 30 per cent of Pakistan’s textile production capacity for exports has been hampered because of cotton and energy shortages. Pakistan’s textile sector, which exports about 60 per cent of its production, is also facing poor demand in the domestic market due to fragile economic conditions.

As of now Pakistan emits just one per cent of global carbon emissions but faces the risk of being removed from the global supplychain as a result of its carbon footprint. When the whole world moves towards net zero, Pakistan doesn’t want to be left behind in the global supplychain. Cotton crops are being lost as a result of climate devastation.

For Pakistan, the spend is in the range of billions of dollars and now the step is about finding solutions or ideas that can help the country mobilise that kind of capital and avoid future disasters.

China is the top supplier of apparel to the Middle East. During January 2022 to June 2022, China ranked first on the suppliers’ list followed by Bangladesh, Turkey, Italy and India. Supplies from the top five countries to the region surged in the first six months of 2022 over the same period of the previous year.

Imports from China grew by 31 per cent from January 2022 to June 2022 on a yearly basis, compared to the mild growth of 0.88 per cent in January 2021 to June 2021. Middle East’s apparel imports from Bangladesh rose to 62 per cent in the first half of this year from 0.46 per cent during the same period of last year. The share of Bangladesh in the total imports by Middle East in the first half of this year was 11 per cent. The share of Turkey, Italy and India stood at nine per cent, six per cent and five per cent respectively. Morocco, Vietnam, Georgia, Spain, and Cambodia take the next five spots on the list of the top ten apparel supplier countries to the Middle East.

Asia-Pacific was the largest sourcing region for the Middle East with imports amounting to 62 per cent of total imports. The Asia-Pacific region supplies about two-thirds of the total apparel imported by the Middle East.

Home textile manufacturers are struggling to get export orders. They foresee tough times for almost six months, due to high raw material prices and high inflation in key exports markets such as Europe and the US. The US accounts for more than 55 per cent of India’s home textile exports. The home textile business has seen high inflation affecting demand from the US and Europe. High inflation has resulted in lower inventory for supermarkets in the US and Europe and retail consumer spending has decreased.

Margins have fallen significantly and even after the start of the new cotton season, the situation has not improved. Gujarat is a large manufacturer of home textiles and around 80 per cent of the production is meant for export. However, order levels are currently low. High raw material costs and low demand has affected margins of manufacturers significantly.

Once cotton prices stabilize, Indian players are expected to be in a better situation. This year, Indian cotton was more expensive than global rates so the playing field was not level for Indian manufacturers. But demand is expected to improve in the coming months and exporters are hopeful of getting the advantage of lower cotton prices with strong cotton arrivals this season.

Also, India’s share in the global home textiles market is low, so there is a huge opportunity for Indian manufacturers.

Some 20 key enterprises from Hubei will be present at Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada.

Hubei is a prominent apparel and textile manufacturing province in China. These enterprises are from weaving, printing, dyeing, cloth trade, clothing design, and manufacturing. With a marketing strategy that focuses on professional development and standardization of their products, they are preparing to expand their market share at ATSC.

For example, Shunfu Textile specializes in the R&D of denim fabrics. RoadStar is a sports brand focusing on skating equipment. Consumers expect brands to adopt digital solutions to enhance services and provide consumers with a better and more convenient experience. This exhibition is a key step for Hubei’s textile and garment industry to achieve a digital breakthrough in going global.

Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) will be held November 7 to 9, 2022. The exhibition has attracted more than 150 exhibitors from China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mongolia, Canada, the United States and other countries and regions. ATSC is the only international sourcing event focused on the Canadian and North American apparel, textile and fashion sectors. The product profile covers fashion accessories, men’s and women’sapparels, garments, children’sapparels, intimate wear, denim, home textile and decor, bedding and bath, leather and footwear, apparel fabrics and yarn, shawls, scarves, knits, cotton, garment accessories and many more.

Karnataka is inviting a series of investments in the textile sector. Manjushree Garments has committed Rs 340 crores and Shahi Exports Rs 150 crores.

The sector is expected to generate 36,457 jobs in the coming years. The state is offering incentives such as five per cent interest subsidy to mega industries and micro, small and medium units, incentives and concessions up to 100 per cent, and enhancement of wage subsidy, which varies across regions.

Four textile parks based on the PPP model are being set up in areas beyond Bangalore, for which tenders will be called shortly. Out of seven mega parks planned by the Centre one isexpected to come up in Karnataka. The state is taking a big leap in becoming the garment capital of the country since it is only the garment industry that gives back 30 per cent of its revenue to the communities.

However the industry in the state has a long way to go as all machinery, including sewing and knitting machines, is being imported. All raw materials, especially dyes, are from China. No textile machine, except spinning machinery from Coimbatore, is being made in India and huge amounts are being paid to import them.

Diesel’s new flagship store in Japan aims to mark a new high for the brand. The store’s first floor boasts a sprawling bright space with bone-white and red walls, reminiscent of the brand’s iconic red logo hue, and galvanized metal racks that line the perimeter of the store. Sculptural shelving, modern-industrial modules and ample beanbag seating can be found throughout the open shopping area.Along with that the open see-through façade generates an inside-out feeling amplifying the retail experience.The entire space underlines elements of renewal, disruption and transformation that can be seen all through the store. The space contains reality captured elements to re-create scenes of the everyday life with the aim to generate a unique shopping experience.

The store carries Diesel's fall /winter 2022 collection, featuring a wide range of items for men and women and a selection of looks from the fall/winter 2022 runway show. The offer includes also the six looks capsule Red Look unveiled during the fall/winter 2022 runway show held last June, which are exclusive to Diesel Ginza and will be available for pre-sale.

For Diesel, Japan is one of its most important markets and Diesel has more than 100 direct operated stores in Japan.

Worldwide, the textile sector is bracing itself for a challenging time ahead. Whilst industry pundits are assuring that is a short term challenge, the repercussions of the impending recession in the Western world are beginning to hurt nations that rely on textile export for revenue and employment. The pandemic and the Russo-Ukraine crises have disrupted supply chains, seen raw material prices soar and demands drop. Now, Western consumers are tightening their belts, prioritizing for food and energy and apparel then becomes a distant priority.

Bangladesh a case in point

Small and fragile economies are struggling in this new scenario and Bangladesh is a good case study. Readymade garments and textiles are lead export items and the local textile industry is stressed. Global recession and inflation means drastic drop in demand for clothes; it also affects affordability of raw material, current trade policies unfavorable towards its industry and internal security concerns is playing havoc.

Around the world millions of textile and garment workers have been affected with manufacturers either operating at lower capacity or just closing their units down. Predictions state that loss of jobs within one of the largest sectors will be followed by increase in local crime. There is optimism that this crisis is a short-term one and recovery could start as early as the third quarter of 2023 but Bangladesh has major challenges in restoring normalcy. A silver lining is global home textiles is growing at an annual rate of 3.51 per cent and this growth is expected to continue up until 2025 – Bangladesh is now considering diversifying into this segment to help raise its sinking sector.

India, Pakistan face similar challenges

In India, textile exports face challenges like its neighbors due to a decrease in demand from traditional buyers in the West and China. However, India enjoys a comparative advantage in terms of skilled manpower and in cost of production, relative to major textile producing countries. There was an expectation that India would be able to seize the opportunity when China shed its textile exports but unfortunately, India missed the bus as Bangladesh and Vietnam were quicker to respond. The Indian government has been proactively encouraging growth in this sector with many beneficial policies. It allows for 100 per cent FDI in the textile sector and introduced production-linked incentives schemes worth $1.44 billion for manmade fiber and technical textiles over a five-year period.

Since Pakistani textiles are mainly exported to China, US, Germany and Spain, it is beginning to feel the backlash of the high inflation and the impending recession about to hit Western importers. Meanwhile China has also steadily declined importing textiles from Pakistan. To add to its woes, domestic production of raw material like cotton has been decreasing and the lack of US dollar reserves makes it difficult for manufacturers to import cotton. More than 100 mills across Pakistan have shut operations as the sector faces an existential crisis. Additionally, small businesses are finding it extremely hard to get credit and the high premium for securing credit is raising operational costs significantly. Due to the huge devaluation of its national currency, Pakistan is unable to import modern machinery for the sector to diversify towards home and smart textiles.

Overall, governments and manufacturers are coming together to find solutions to ride out this crisis as it involves valuable dollar earning and employment. With many innovative solutions being worked on and the hope 2024 will see the end of the recession about to hit the West, things will hopefully recover, albeit slowly.

The global winter wear market is always a lucrative one because as temperatures start to drop, sale of most apparel brands through its retail and online channels keeps rising. Not only the climate change needs a whole new wardrobe, but the festive season of Christmas in Europe, Thanksgiving in America and the wedding season in India among others also makes people splurge on occasion-specific garments during the winter months. c As per latest Future Market Insight study, the global winter wear market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 5 per cent through 2031, surpassing a valuation of $280 billionin 2020. To reduce the volatility of raw material prices, restrain the rise of the market’s volume and satisfy rising demand for premium brands, manufacturers are limiting their efforts on premiumizing their winter wear brands.

When the temperatures start to drop, sales through retail and online channels are projected to grow. Gap, for example, introduced the ‘Hill City’ menswear brand in 2018 to meet increased demand for premium men’s gear that combines highly technical fabrications, style, and high performance throughout the winter months.

Focus on innovation for sports brands

Winter sports as a cold-weather recreation sector is a huge profit-making segment for many brands as the younger generation in their fitness journey and more disposable incomes expect trendy high branded winter wear. The European and the US economy earns billions of dollars each year from winter recreational sports such as hiking, fishing, snow skating, ice fishing and outdoor ice hockey which continue through the long months of low temperatures, and plenty of snowfall. Some of these sports are now catching on in some states of North India as well which has high mountains, although even the general winter clothing industry of thermals and sweaters does extremely well.

To cash in on the winter sports segment, some brands such as Oros Apparel in November 2018, had released Solarcore insulation, a space-based insulation material that makes one of the warmest winter jackets in the market. The company cleverly utilized aerogel material technology, which was originally designed for spacesuits for NASA astronauts into making smart winter wear gear for young people.

Wellness is the key focus this winter

With wellness being the main focus after Covid years, almost all age-groups are now participating in winter activities that includes games and fun in the snow which has increased the demand for a winter portfolio of woollies, jackets, shoes, gloves, socks and many other products. Just like long walks, trekking and picnics in the sun were the highlight in summer, bracing the cold with appropriate clothing while being active is the focus for all age-groups.

The study reveals, stakeholders are focusing on a variety of marketing methods, including celebrity endorsement, product premiumization, marketing campaigns, events, and developing digital presence to engage with customers directly. The market for winter clothing will probably expand faster in the near future as a result of these factors.

The study estimates, the market for winter wear’s jackets and coats accounts for a rather high value share. And throughout the projection period, the category is anticipated to maintain its dominance. In North America, the US is expected to have a significant share of 83 per cent of the market.

The two Covid years made consumer purchasing behavior of winter clothes more thoughtful rather than impulsive and made them suffer losses. However, there is always light at the end of the tunnel as this same pandemic has now increased the profits of winter wear brands as there has been a greater shift to the ease of online shopping along with a greater urge to be out in the snow this winter of 2022.

The Apparel Export Promotion Council has launched Apparel Industry Sustainability Action 2022-2023.

The aim is to encourage textile companies which are working with sustainability as the country’s textile and apparel industry can reduce its footprint on the environment and can bring economic viability through sustainability of its processes.The initiative aims at evaluating the existing status of the Indian garment industry, encouraging wider penetration of these measures among the micro, small and medium units, hand holding these units with demonstrations and solutions, enhancing the brand visibility of sustainable companies on a global platform, and brainstormingthe necessary policy focus towards a wider and smoother adoption of sustainability measures among Indian garment units. AEPC will encourage sustainable companies which will be showcased on the dedicated sustainability social media platform for wide publicity and will finally culminate as Sustainability Awards. The award-winning Indian companies will finally get an opportunity to showcase their collection in a specially curated Sustainability Corner of India Pavilion in Pure London, UK, and Who’s Next, Paris, the world’s biggest fashion hub.

The textile industry is one of the major polluting industries, accounting for four per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and 20 per cent of industrial water pollution globally.