Nigerian craftsmen have urged the government to boost buy their handmade fabrics and export them to the world.

In 2017, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, filling in for the president, had ordered the government to prioritize products made in Nigeria when buying uniforms and footwear. John Adaji, President, National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, urged the government to expand this policy.

Nigeria has been producing traditional, handmade, beautiful fabric designs for centuries. But preservers of the ancient art say modern manufacturing and cheap Chinese imports threaten this way of life. Kano’s Kofar Mata dye pit is one of the last surviving hand-coloring textile makers in Nigeria. Over the years, the workers at the pit have become fewer and fewer due to reduced patronage.

Hamma Kwajaffa, Director General, Nigerian Textile Manufacturers’ Association, blames the decline in locally made fabrics on Chinese imports, which he says are often smuggled into the country. 

Nigeria’s Central Bank said last month that it has provided cotton producers with more than $300 million in loans in recent years to support the domestic textile industry, once Africa’s largest.  

Levi’s has launched a new limited-edition collection with Angelo Baque, Founder, Awake and Former Director, Supreme.

Centered around Levi’s Authorized Vintage, the lineup features classic garments like Levi’s Trucker Type III Trucker jackets and 501 jeans, upcycled with ’90s design influences.

For the collection, Baque has created a collage of patchwork stripes, polka dots, animal prints and other patterns that add vibrant colors to the vintage garments. Each patch of shirt fabric is stitched onto the denim using black thread, creating a “perfectly imperfect” homemade effect that Levi’s describes as “one part ’90s thrift store, one part rebellious modern youth culture.”

The result is one-of-a-kind, upcycled Levi’s Authorized Vintage Truckers and jeans that blends creativity and sustainability.

For the accompanying campaign photographed by Quil Lemons, Baque wanted to tell the underrepresented story of Black families. Lemons shot the campaign in his hometown of Philadelphia and featured his own family in the photos.

The campaign reflects Levi’s latest sentiments in support of Black and minority communities. In January, Levi’s partnered with Denim Tears founder Tremaine Emory on a collection based on the story of cotton in the U.S. and a legacy intertwined with slavery.

JW Anderson and Uniqlo have collaborated to launch a collection of beanies, socks, scarves and gloves. Crafted from the Japanese brand’s signature Heattech technology, the retro knit styles boast classic diamond and honeycomb patterns available in colorways inspired by Christmas. Guaranteed to keep you warm this winter, these pieces will go well with a basic sweater paired with pants or a knee-length skirt and statement boots. Take a closer look at what to expect in the gallery above.

This season’s collection also offers a variety of knits for little ones. Our soufflé yarn separates provide soft, lightweight comfort for sensitive skin. New winter favorites are likely to include the crew neck jumper, which echoes the women’s version but is offered in a special color palette; and the zipped jumper, which is similar to the men’s half-zipped style and features a color-coordinated zipper and the signature embroidered ‘JW’ logo. JW Anderson x UNIQLO’s accessories collection ranges from $6.90 to $19.90 USD and will be available in adult and kid sizes.

Designer Anita Dongre, who has long promoted sustainable fashion, believes the pandemic has given designers a chance to reset the industry and urges them to take responsibility of their production process.

Owner of the sustainable brand Grassroot along with a number of other brands, Dongre recently released a line of handwoven silk sarees for Grassroo. Other recent launches include garments hand block printed in Rajasthan and others dyed with indigo.

She believes, designers can use this collective pause as a re-thinking strategy. They should start at the core of their brand and re-evaluate the principles that govern their design choices. Dongre also encourages fellow designers to seek out more ethical raw materials and make sure the end product justifies its means of production.

The designer urges brands and consumers alike to get rid of their cost-cutting mentality which has led to poor labour conditions for workers and materials that are harmful to the environment.

C.L.AS.S. ecohub, the platform empowering professionals to grow more sustainable and competitive in the fashion and textile business, has partnered with the start-up Smartex for its Future Devices area.

As a new C.L.A.S.S. partner, Smartex is included in the section of Future Devices, in which are featured smart tools and innovations to manufacture, communicate, raise awareness and promote in the Digital Age. A Savings Report based on TINTEX Textiles production in Portugal showed up to 21.613 liters of water can be spared if Smartex intervenes directly in the very first stage, avoiding defective production. Indeed, most of the times defected textile rolls proceed to the dyeing and finishing stage, wasting time, water and many other resources. The innovative technology has even allowed to spare 132 kg of defective fabrics’ weight per month per machine as well as saving 228 kg of CO2 and the usage of natural resources.

The company joins C.L.A.S.S. smart line up of innovators striving for a more responsible way of making and communicating fashion to reach out companies, brands and even the end consumers committed to make a difference for a better future.

Bangladesh has opposed the move by Indonesia to impose safeguard duty on apparel imports from Bangladesh.

According to reports, the apex garment makers’ body – the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC), during a recent hearing conducted by the Indonesian Safeguards Committee (KPPI), presented their observations and arguments on the matter.

The KPPI, following request from the Indonesia Textile Association against the import of apparels, reportedly initiated the investigation into the viability of a safeguard duty on garment shipments from Bangladesh.

However, the hearing where BTTC and BGMEA presented their views, was held on 20 November, which was more than one-and-a-half months after the initiation of the investigation.

The BTTC, in its submission on behalf of the Government reportedly cited provisions in the GATT (General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade) and the WTO Agreement on Safeguard to try and explain imposing such measures does not fulfil the conditions set in the related treaties.

Both the BTTC and the BGMEA in their observations reportedly highlighted that levying safeguard duty would hurt the shipment of garments, which is Bangladesh’s main export commodity.

In the 2018-19 fiscal, Bangladesh has earned around US $ 30 million from apparel exports to Indonesia.

Asics SportStyle, the athletic inspired footwear, apparel, and accessories brand, has launched the international 'Her Heritage' campaign in India to announce the launch of the first female-focused release from Asics SportStyle with actor and author Soha Ali Khan.

The campaign celebrates women who pursue their passions unapologetically. This collection of sneakers has been created for all generations of women who challenge boundaries and make waves in the world, one step at a time. The campaign film features Soha Ali Khan describing her heritage and the role her mother has played in her life throughout the years.

The collection includes three ASICS SportStyle silhouettes: the trail-inspired GEL-Nandi, the supremely comfortable GEL-Quantum 360 6, and the Japan S PF. The wide variety of styles within the new womenswear offering allows for the wearer to choose a silhouette that reflects and compliments them in their endeavors to experiment with the world around them.

The legal spat between Amazon.com Inc and Reliance Industries over the Reliance-Future deal has invoked a xenophobic fervor amongst watchers by sparking a foreign vs local debate. Amazon has accused the Future Group of violating a contract by agreeing to a sale to the Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Industries. The dispute has reached the Delhi High Court which is now contemplating if Amazon has any legal rights to object to this transaction. On its part, Amazon urged the high court to impose a business contract in this commercial dispute. The e-commerce giant alleged if Future is allowed to default on its contract with Amazon, it might scare off global investors. India cannot afford to let this happen at a stage when it needs foreign investments the most.

Deal to give Reliance undisputed market share

The deal holds utmost significance for Reliance as it assures the company an undisputed share in the Indian market. However, Amazon is not willing to cede this advantage to Reliance as India with its billion-plus consumers, is one its biggest markets. In the court hearing, Harish Salve, the celebrity lawyer representing Future Retail accused Amazon of threatening Future to either deal only with the e-commerce giant or shut down. And that aborting the Future-Reliance at its current stage would lead to thousands of job losses and bankruptcy. He argued as Amazon has no investment in Future Retail, Reliance is not obliged to seek permission to buy a stake in the company.

Amazon’s counter arguments

Countering these allegations, Gopal Subramanium, Amazon’s lawyer and India’s former attorney general said, Amazon had the right to block this deal as the e-tailer has already introduced Future Retail to a prospective investor to ease its distress. The company also has invested $6.5 billion in India so far besides creating thousands of jobs in the country.

Salve replied the Indian laws do not recognize the transaction between the e-commerce company and the Singapore arbitration tribunal, and the Reliance-Future deal will help save Future Retail from collapse. The lawyer filed a legal petition after Amazon apprised India’s market and antitrust regulators of the Singapore arbitration order of an interim stay.

Last week, Amazon suffered its first setback in the case as the deal was approved by the Competition Commission of India. Reliance now aims to finalize the deal as soon as possible.

Meanwhile media reports suggest, Future Retail’s plea to be excluded from being a party to the Amazon-Future Coupons' arbitration proceedings has been turned down by Court of Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) which has ordered the arbitration to proceed. The buzz is FRL had approached SIAC with its pleas the arbitration proceedings were part of a contract to which the company is not a party pleading it be excluded from being a party on account of jurisdiction objection. SIAC says an Economic Times report has decided “the arbitration process shall proceed and accordingly, a tribunal will be constituted in this matter.”

Post COVID-19, the idea of a regional supply chain is taking roots amongst fashion brands. Searching for new alternatives for their current faulty operational systems, brands are increasingly shifting to circular supply chain that also considers environmental impact of clothes, says Imran Ahmed, Founder and CEO, Business of Fashion.

Regional supply chains operate within a certain region rather than being spread out around the globe. They process materials and manufacture clothes within one area of the world. Such an operating system is beneficial for designers, CEOs, and industry leaders. It keeps them connected with customers by ensuring transparency in operations.

Challenges of a regional supply chain

However, regional supply chains also face certain challenges. Use of innovative materials are quite challenging for brands. For instance, designers are unable to use materials like Piñatex, Muskin, and Zoa™due to their inaccessibility. Such materials are available in only certain parts of the world and are expensive.

However, many other technological advancement can benefit brands. For example, The Renewal Workshop offers state-of-the-art technologies that help brands get their businesses off the ground faster, shares Nicole Bassett, Co-Founder. These off-the shelf tools and applications are customized according to brands’ need. The Renewal Workshop also has fully equipped facility to handle all its production in house.

Similarly, Back Beat Co had also hoped to achieve this kind of production initially. However, it soon found the concept quite unsustainable and decided to spread suppliers across the globe with a few local options.

Alliance vs independence

By building such quasi-independent supply chains in the America and Europe, companies like The Renewal Workshop and Back Beat Co aim to provide their suppliers a hedge against future shocks. Such supply chains enable them to easily shift production of key components from one region to another. This combination of thoughtful outsourcing, intentional use of technology and local operations will continue to prevail in future too.

It will create opportunities for small and local manufacturers to imbibe technical innovations, affirms Bassett. To achieve this, brands would need to not just find like-minded international partners but also invest in local materials and production. The future of the industry will hinge on collaboration rather than competition.

According to the New York Times, the cancellation of VAT refunds came as a major shock to UK luxury brands and retailers that have come to depend on spending by foreign travelers as a critical part of their annual sales. Although they make up only 5 per cent of non-E.U. travelers in the United Kingdom, Chinese tourists tip the scales in terms of high-end spending, accounting for nearly a third of VAT refunds. For luxury retailers, the concern for 2021 and beyond is that, even if Chinese tourists are able to resume international travel, they may eschew luxury shopping in London for Paris, Madrid, or somewhere else (including, as we’ve seen this year, at home in China).

While some British brands and department stores are likely to say that the loss of the refund program won’t hurt their business — believing that tourists will still seek out the “experience” of in-in person shopping from quintessentially British brands — this move will be a massive post-holiday “gift” for brands and retailers elsewhere in the European Union.

While some Chinese tourists will buy from British luxury brands that have a small or nonexistent retail presence outside of their home country, department stores such as Harrods and Selfridges, outlet malls like Bicester Village, and multi-brand retailers like Watches of Switzerland will almost certainly see a painful drop in sales to Chinese tourists once tourism to Britain gets back on its feet. And why wouldn’t this be the case?

Witha growing number of luxury watch brands joining Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion, it is feasible that these brands could team up with tourism authorities to collaboratively promote pilgrimages to famed watchmaking regions such as Switzerland’s Jura Arc or Glashütte across various platforms including Taobao Live, or even consider content-commerce avenues such as custom reality shows or discreetly sponsored films and television programs. The sky is the limit — and, ultimately, it is Europe that holds the cards rather than post-Brexit Britain.