The Havaianas brand, which is known all over the world for its rubber flip-flops, has opened a new chapter in its history with the launch of its first ready-to-wear collection for the 2020 spring-season.

Over the years, Havaianas has considerably expanded its range of rubber-soled summer shoes. But the brand has now embarked in a new direction for the 2020 spring-summer season with the presentation of its very first ready-to-wear collection for men and women, which is mainly composed of beachwear.

Not surprisingly, this first collection launched in Europe is inspired by the Brazilian style so dear to Havaianas, which emphasizes vibrant colors and comfort as do the brand's flip-flops.

The collection consists of a wide selection of swimsuits, pool shorts, T-shirts (in short, fitted, and oversize styles), dresses, shorts, and jumpsuits. Note that some of the designs in the ready-to-wear collection perfectly match those of Havaianas flip-flop models.

Havaianas is already selling a selection of these beachwear pieces in its online store.

Japan's Renown Inc, part of Chinese fashion empire Shandong Ruyi, filed for bankruptcy with 13.9 billion yen ($130 million) in debt, the country's highest-profile business to collapse amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Renown, a century-old textile company which sells clothes under brands such as Arnold Palmer, Hiroko Koshino and D'Urban filed for bankruptcy protection after a month-long closure of department stores brought the already-struggling business to its knees.

It joins a list of global fashion companies, including retailers such as J. Crew and Neiman Marcus, which have collapsed due to the pandemic.

Renown, which at one point owned British clothier Aquascutum, had reported losses for years. Shandong Ruyi emerged as a leading shareholder in Renown a decade ago and has since become its majority stakeholder.

Earlier this year, Renown was seen struggling to collect more than 5 billion yen ($45.2 million) in debts from its Chinese parent. Its top executives were also recently voted out of its board by the parent firm.

The Chinese group has been facing increasing refinancing pressure after spending billions of dollars to buy a range of European luxury brands and Asian labels, including French fashion house SMCP and Aquascutum.

So far more than 140 Japanese companies have gone bankrupt since February due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, according to research company Tokyo Shoko Research.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government last month declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus crisis. While this did not involve a strict lockdown as seen in other countries, department stores and bars have been closed.

Labor advocates are questioning if Bangladesh’s garment sector, which employs 4 million workers, is lifting restrictions too soon.

More than 1,750 factories in Bangladesh have come back online despite the nationwide lockdown. BGMEA inspectors have found the reopened factories by and large satisfactory, but union leaders warn that many of them fail to follow safety measures meant to protect workers from the spread of the contagion.

According to the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity, only 20 percent of the factories are maintaining social distancing and that’s because they are big factories and they have the space. The rest are focusing on the other aspects of the health guidelines such as providing soap or measuring the temperature of workers before they enter.

At least 100 factories have struggled to maintain social distancing, particularly when workers enter and leave the premises, said Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, a union representing more than 100,000 workers.

Since the outbreak began in January, Bangladesh has officially clocked 18,863 positive cases and 283 deaths. Under dispute, however, is the number of garment workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 since factories began opening on a limited scale on April 25.

Malaysia-listed lingerie maker Caely Holdings Bhd has branched out into manufacturing of face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) for Germany, the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia and India markets.

The company sees this diversification as a good opportunity to broaden revenue streams under its manufacturing segment, as well as obtain income sources from new product types other than its traditional undergarment business.

Caely currently deals in manufacturing, retail, export and direct sales of undergarments, household products and property development and construction.

Its wholly-owned Marywah Industries (M) Sdn Bhd recently signed a product manufacturing agreement with Ni Hsin Marketing Sdn Bhd (NHM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ni Hsin Resources Bhd.

According to this agreement, Marywah will be the original equipment manufacturer of NHM's brand name products which mainly consist of fabric face masks and PPE.

The face masks that the company produces would help protect against virus transmission and are washable for up to 30 times after each use. The company is also currently manufacturing protective suits which are urgently needed for healthcare workers and certain frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.

American fashion label Nike has collaborated with 7-Eleven to launch co-branded sneakers, which will have latter’s unique logo colors.

Reportedly, Nike SB Dunk Lows along with 7-Eleven sneakers will include an exquisite colour-blocking design in orange, green and red.

There will be 3 packs of extra laces to match the beautiful colours – each of these comprising stripes in 3 logo colours. That’s something to rejoice for Nike and 7-Eleven lovers.

While Nike’s logo will appear on the sides of the sneaker, 7-Eleven’s logo will be embroidered on the lateral heel. Notably, the midsole will be using Nike Air technology, which will help in optimal cushioning.

The co-branded sneakers will initially be launched only in Japan, but considering the reach that 7-Eleven currently has across the globe, including Asia, it would be soon launched in some other countries too.

Lucky Brand is preparing to return to work with a new code of ethics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the denim brand prepares to reopen select retail locations, it’s continuing the community outreach and employee support it began at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In March, the brand partnered with community organizations such as Suay Sew and LA-based factory partner New Fashion to provide materials and support for mask production.

It also launched a mask purchase program, ‘Give 5 Get 5’, that donated five masks for every pack of five purchased. By the end of this week, the brand will have donated more than 20,0000 masks to people in need.

On May 13, Lucky Brand held a “Salute to Heroes” ceremony to pay tribute to the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Hospital and its staff, providing them with camouflage masks and T-shirts. The brand also worked with partner Avery Dennison on 1,000 iron-on patches featuring the word “Hero” to commemorate the VA’s efforts.

As the brand readies a retail relaunch, it’s ensuring this same level of support to its employees, sending health and safety kits with cleaning supplies, sanitizer and reusable face masks to each location. Masks were re-purposed from materials such as promotional bandannas and fabrics from stock supplies.

In an effort to contribute to COVID-19 relief, Ralph Lauren has announced a Polo T-shirt design competition that will allow people to submit their own designs.

Aptly named ‘Polo Project: Design for Good’, the initiative aims to gather as many inspirational designs for their signature Polo shirt out of which 10 finalists will be shortlisted.

A voting procedure will decide the winner of the competition where they will be able to see their designs on store shelves and e-commerce catalogues. All proceeds from this initiative will be donated to World Health Organization’s Solidarity Response Fund to provide relief to people across the world.

One can send their designs with a few quotes of inspiration through e-mail by 20 May 2020. All the details for the participation can be found on Ralph Lauren’s official website.

VF has begun reopening its stores, and now expects all stores to be reopened globally by the mid-calendar year 2020. VF has since reopened its retail stores in its Asia Pacific region, including Mainland China.

VF has also started a phased reopening of its retail stores in its Europe, Middle East and Africa region, and is prepared to start a similar approach for North American stores, subject to the guidance of local authorities. E-commerce remains in operation.

Net revenues of retailer for the quarter ended March 28 fell 10.8 percent to $2.10 billion from $2.36 billion, with the decrease mostly due to lower consumer demand connected with the coronavirus outbreak and temporary store shutdowns as mandated by local authorities.

Gross margin for the period fell 150 basis points to 53.1 percent. That was driven by elevated promotional activity to clear excess inventory, but was partially offset by favorable mix shift toward higher margin businesses.

The company posted a net loss of $483.8 million, or $1.22 a diluted share, versus net income of $128.8 million, or 32 cents, in the year-ago period. The quarter’s results included a loss from discontinued operations, its occupational workwear business and the spin-off a year ago of its jeans business that now operates under the name Kontoor Brands Inc. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share fell 69 percent in constant dollars to 10 cents.

The company expects first-quarter fiscal 2021 revenues to be down slightly more than 50 percent and full-year fiscal 2021 free cash flow to exceed $600 million.

A recent study by FactMR says, the global nylon industry is projected to rise at a healthy CAGR of 5.5 per cent between 2019 and 2029. Increasing application of nylon materials as a substitute to rubbers, steel, bronze, and gunmetal are key factors driving sales. The use of nylon in the production of automotive components such as fuse boxes, timing belts, bearings and more will continue to aid the growth of the nylon market.

Nylon 6 will account for a major market share of 60 per cent of the overall value through 2029. Nylon 66 segment will provide highly remunerative opportunities with a 6.7 per cent CAGR. Automotive applications will maintain a high growth rate, expanding 1.6x through the end of the forecast period. East Asia will remain a leading market with 57 per cent share of the overall market revenue through 2029. South Asia and Oceania will provide highly lucrative growth opportunities with a major 7 per cent CAGR in this duration.

The nylon market is indirectly hit by the ongoing global pandemic. The market’s reliance on the automotive industry is adversely affecting sales due to halted productions in major regions such as China and India. The restrictions in China have interrupted large-scale manufacturing has halted the imports and exports of nylon material, thereby putting pressure on the market players. Adding to the burden, the shortage of manpower is limiting the manufacturing quantity. Akin to the situation in the automotive industry, the COVID-19 scare has led to stores and malls being closed down, hurting the retail sales of nylon textiles as a consequence. However, if social conditions improve in the upcoming quarters, the sales will see a rise.

After hosting a record breaking 543 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, along with over 19,000 visitors from 93 countries and regions in 2019, Yarn Expo Autumn will return to Shanghai from September 23-25, 2020. The fair is expected to occupy 26,000 sq mt of exhibition space at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. It will showcase trending eco-friendly and innovative products amongst a diverse range of high-quality yarns and fibers.

The extensive fringe program and dedicated product zones will enrich the experience for fairgoers. Market trends and information will be shared in forums such as the China Fiber Fashion Trends and seminar which will dive deep into the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the Fancy Yarn Vision zone will return amongst others, following its popularity in the previous edition. The area will gather creative fancy yarn and downstream application products to display the latest innovations from fancy yarn exhibitors.

Yarn Expo Autumn 2020 will be held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, PH Value and CHIC. It will provide a concentrated overview of the latest trends and developments in the sector in one place. The expo will be organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) and the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT.