Circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie has developed machines focused on sports. The MJ 3.2 E is an electronic single jersey machine that specialises in the production of mesh and body mapping structures, both of which are very much in demand for sports and athleisure fashion wear. The OVJA 1.1 EETT’s focus is on the manufacture of shoe upper fabrics and sports outerwear. It combines double electronics and bidirectional transfer selection and can knit an almost infinite variety of patterns, including hole structures. It can also knit multi-colored spacer fabrics. The OVJA 2.4 EM makes a special contribution toward optimal post-sport regeneration. This new member of the OVJA family is the most productive machine in the market for the manufacture of mattress cover fabrics.

An established machine with new features is the Spinit 3.0 E. This now also processes polyester, is capable of a higher working speed and is linked to the knitlink digital platform makes the spinning and knitting machine an even more attractive proposition. The knitlink platform allows the recording and evaluation of machine data. New service offers such as remote service and a more efficient collaboration via mixed reality glasses are also part of the package just like a web shop.

Global shipment of new short-staple spindles and open-end rotors increased 1.5 per cent and 13 per cent respectively in 2018. The number of shipped draw-texturing spindles rose by 50 per cent and deliveries of shuttle-less looms improved by 39 per cent. Shipments of long-staple spindles, circular knitting machines and electronic flat knitting machines decreased 27 per cent, four per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

Most of the new short-staple spindles were shipped to Asia and Oceania. The most dynamic destinations recorded in 2018 were Korea, Turkey, Vietnam and Egypt with increases of 834 per cent, 306 per cent, 290 per cent and 285 per cent respectively. The six largest investors in the short-staple segment were China, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

China, the world’s largest investor in open-end rotors, increased its investments by seven per cent in 2018. The main destination for shuttle-less looms in 2018 was Asia and Oceania with 93 per cent of all worldwide deliveries. Almost 92 per cent of all water-jet looms, 83 per cent of all rapier/projectile looms and 99 per cent of all air-jet looms went to that region. The main investors were China and India in all the three categories.

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has collaborated with Turkey’s textile brand, K1vanç Tekstil, to manufacture and market R|Elan™ GreenGold, a sustainable and innovative fabric 2.0, to leading apparel brands and consumers across the world. R|Elan GreenGold, made from recycled PET, substantially reduces emission of greenhouse gases. The fabric is being made from pre-dyed fibers and doesn’t need much water. It uses bio-fuels and is one of the few recycled brands that provides end-to-end traceability throughout the supply chain, right from PET bottles to fibres.

Besides manufacturing and marketing R|Elan™ GreenGold fabrics, K1vanç will also distribute Recron® GreenGold fibres to spinners, yarn manufactures and knitters across Turkey. This arrangement will enable RIL and K1vanç to offer the best quality eco-friendly textile solutions to brands and retailers, sourcing their requirements from Turkey, to meet the ever-growing demand of environment-friendly apparels.

Manufacturing excellence of K1vanç will be further enhanced by the high quality GreenGold fibres, as well as by the support of RIL’s efficient technical team. K1vanç Tekstil is known worldwide for its professional work ethics. It caters to major European and American fashion brands and retailers. Vertically integrated across spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing, K1vanç produces 18 million meters of blended fabrics per annum. Its yield comprises a wide range of blends straddling polyester, cotton, viscose, linen, tencel, modal and wool, and is lapped up by leading global brands engaged in making formal and casual wear apparels for both men and women.

Volcom, the men’s, women’s and children’s brand known for its skater influences has adopted sustainable production methods in its new collection “Water Aware.” The collection uses a water-saving wash and finishing process that saves an average 13 liters of water for each pair of jeans. It also uses conservation techniques initiated by Levi’s “Open Source: Water Innovation Guide besides laser technology, which can eliminate thousands of chemical formulations from the finishing process. It also eliminates the use of pumice stones in the wash process, resulting in cleaner waste and less water and energy usage—a technique Neuw Denim recently began using in its Zero collection.

These sustainable methods are just one part of the brand’s Eco-True initiatives, which include a Fair Labor Association accreditation and the introduction of more sustainable materials.

The Water Aware line is part of its Fall ’19 collection and includes men’s, women’s and children’s jeans in slim, modern, skinny, regular and leggings fits.

Wingfly Textile has a wide range of wholesale selvedge denim fabrics in its collection. The company supplies fabrics that are the best in style and quality and are also durable. One can stitch these denim fabrics to wear jeans in different styles, including straight jeans, skinny jeans, motorbike jeans and others. This includes selvedge skinny jeans fabric, slub denim fabric and stretch selvedge denim fabric. Wingfly has classic denim fabric in indigo color for men. With white and red selvedge, the fabric is made of cotton and spandex materials. The fabric is popular because of the new fashion of selvedge denim clothing.

Wingfly is also a large supplier of slub denim fabric that is primarily used for stitching motorcycle denims. The rope dyed fabric looks extra stylish. The fabric is comparatively thicker and can serve the purpose of a thick layer on the human skin to protect it in case of a fall or a mishap. Available in indigo color, the denim fabric flaunts a white/blue/white selvedge made of 100 per cent cotton. The denim fabric is available in the company’s stock for delivery throughout the year. However, one can also request for a sample yardage before placing a wholesale order.

Due to a boycott on Japanese goods, Uniqlo’s sales in South Korea have taken a hit. Japan’s decision to tighten controls on exports of materials that South Korea uses to make semiconductors and smart phone displays has prompted a consumer backlash in Korea, with consumers boycotting Japanese products from beer to pens. Japan has also removed South Korea from a list of favored trading partners. Relations between the two US allies are now at their worst in decades. The dispute is rooted in compensation for forced laborers during Japan’s occupation and South Korea has repeatedly invoked its difficult history with Japan, which colonised the Korean peninsula during World War Two. A South Korean court last year ordered Japanese companies to compensate Koreans who were forced to work for Japanese occupiers during World War Two.

Uniqlo has close to 190 stores in South Korea where its sales comprise 6.6 per cent of its revenue. Uniqlo, known for its simple and affordable clothes such as lightweight down jackets, is battling saturation in its main home market, Japan. It could also come under pressure due to a slowdown in China, where it typically logs a major proportion of its growth. Unseasonably warm weather hit sales of winter clothes.

The Union Textile Minister has assured the Indian Texprenuers Federation that no duties will be imposed on cotton imports and the policy of the Central government will be uniform across the country. Indian Texpreneurs Federation had earlier opposed a proposal by the Maharashtra government to levy import duty on cotton. Prabhu Dhamodharan, Convenor of the Federation labeled these proposals as anti-industry that can change the entire dynamics of the textile value chain.

The Federation feels, the industry needs long term and stable policies to be competitive in the international market. Dhamodharan advised the industry to make value added products to capture the global market and tap the opportunities arising out of the US-China trade war. He also advised the Union Textile Ministry to intervene and ensure there is no such duty on cotton imports.

He comes from Williams-Sonoma, a specialty retailer of home products, where he oversees marketing strategy and operations. He is also responsible for consumer research, marketing analytics, and loyalty programming, and serves as the executive sponsor of Williams-Sonoma’s inclusion and diversity programs. Carbullido has also served in various roles with a number of leading retailers including Macy’s, Banana Republic, Gap, and Smith & Hawken.

Abercrombie & Fitch has invested in loyalty programs and developed direct-to-consumer and omnichannel capabilities. These steps have contributed to an improved top and bottom-line. The company undertook a massive rebranding initiative in 2014, moving away from the reputation it had built over the past decade. The company’s store count has been reduced, stores now have a smaller footprint with larger fitting rooms, and are integrated with technology. The overpowering perfume, which filled the stores earlier, has also been modified to a fresher, cleaner fragrance.

Japanese textile maker Suminoe Textile will set up an electric carpet plant in Vietnam. The factory will produce electric heating appliances such as electric carpets and blankets. Electric heating appliances are one of Suminoe’s key products in the functional goods business. Suminoe made its first foray into the overseas business in 1994 by establishing a plant in Thailand. It now has 14 bases in seven countries, including the United States, India and Indonesia.

Japanese firms are scaling up investment in Vietnam’s textile and garment sector. Japanese company Matsuoka produces casual apparel in Vietnam to be exported to Japan and China. The company has chosen Vietnam for capital injection and production expansion in recent years to take advantage of the opportunities anticipated to be brought by new-generation free trade agreements such as the EVFTA and the CPTPP. Matsuoka has three plants in Vietnam with one more coming up. The firm’s medium-term business plan intends at minimising its dependence on China by nearly 50 per cent by March 2021 by shifting its focus to Vietnam from China, where production costs are on the rise. Sakai Amiori, another Japanese company, has opened an export apparel production plant. The influx of foreign direct investment has the benefit of turning Vietnam into a global manufacturing base.

Indian textile mills are importing cotton as domestic cotton is more expensive. The escalating trade war has led to a slump in global cotton prices. The December new crop cotton contract on ICE Futures US hit a four-year low earlier this week and analysts are expecting another decline due to worsening relations between the US and China, the world's largest exporter and importer respectively.

So far, deals to import around 50,000 bales of cotton have been signed for delivery in October to December, despite the quarter being the peak harvesting season in India. Mills in north India have contracted 6,000 tons to 10,000 tons of cotton, while deals of around 3,000 tons have been signed by mills in southern India. Import deals are being signed mainly with the US, Brazil and West Africa. But prices may fall ahead of the harvest starting in October, which may halt imports. The situation is different from last year, when traders were busy selling the commodity to overseas buyers due to expectations of a bumper domestic crop, which eventually did not materialise.

Global prices have also been hit with an estimate of a rise of around five per cent in cotton output in 2019-20, and slower growth in consumption, which may lead to higher ending stocks for next year.