The 18th China (Dalang) International Woollen Knitwear Fair (CIWKF) will be held from November 02-07, 2019 at Dalang Knitwear Trade Center in China. Themed ‘Smart Manufacturing • New Knitwear City,’ this edition will create the best trade communication and technology promotion platform for the woollen industry, and promote the upgrading of the traditional wool industry into a fashion industry by focusing on the development trend of “Original Design, New Yarn, Intelligent Manufacturing”.

Since 2001, Dalang has successfully witnessed 17 editions of the fair, constantly making breakthroughs from form to content, from business to life, and from brand to culture, which plays an important role in promoting the development of Dalang knitwear industry and strengthening regional economic cooperation.

Over the years, CIWKF has become an important platform for publicity and technology promotion of textile machinery enterprises at home and abroad. Seamless looms manufacturers such as Stoll, Shima Seiki, and Cixing are attracted to the fair as it helps them to establish sales and display centers in Dalang, including that of Cixing in Dalang Global Trade Plaza, covering over 1,000 square meters.

This edition will also reserve a special hall for machinery in response to the theme of “Smart Manufacturing”. It is introduced that there are about 2,000 booths, and the exhibits cover the entire industrial chain, including sweaters, machinery, yarns, accessories and spare parts, further promoting the transformation and upgrading of Dalang knitwear to smart manufacturing industry, fashion industry and cultural industry.

In addition to creating new highlights, Dalang will also strengthen the promotion of the fair by participating in the PH Value in Shanghai and holding the “Dalang Knitwear Domestic Tour” for the popularity of the fair.

According to a new report from global fashion search platform, Lyst, blue jeans are still the most sought after fashion item more than 140 years after they were patented by Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss, with seven out of 10 online shoppers searching for blue jeans in the last 12 months.

Lyst tracked more than 60 million denim related searches over the year, crunching the queries, page views and sales data across 5 million fashion products from 12,000 designers and stores. And the results reveal several emerging trends and new opportunities for brands and retailers beyond the basic skinny jean.

As per Lyst’s data, straight leg jeans are also gaining momentum, naming it the most popular fit at present. Relaxed fits like boyfriend jeans and mom jeans—which were searched for by more than 200,000 shoppers a month over the past year—are also gunning for the No. 1 spot. And more signs indicate denim is moving into an early aughts cycle. Lyst found that searches for low cut and hipster jeans have increased in the last six months.

"More than 4,000 trade visitors from Australia’s large fashion retailers, niche fashion brands, start-up labels, online outlets and independent fashion designers are expected to attend the event."

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) will be represented as a major partner at the 10th edition of International Sourcing Expo Australia 2019 to showcase the strength of India’s apparel and textile exporters for the seventh continuous year.

The expo, to be held from November 12-14, 2019 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will attract some of the world’s leading apparel, accessories, textiles and footwear suppliers. 

More than 4,000 trade visitors from Australia’s large fashion retailers, niche fashion brands, start-up labels, online outlets and independent fashion designers are expected to attend the event. 

The popular runway program, the Global Runway will showcase the collections of emerging and established fashion designers. Positioned on the show floor, the runway show will feature designs from across the globe and are enjoyed by a fashion focused buying audience from Australia and beyond.

Insightful seminars for valuable market insights

An insightful series of the Global Sourcing Seminars will provide valuable market insights and business tips to Australian buyers. The comprehensive three-day program led by international industry experts and keynote speakers is a major attraction for the visitors. The show will also feature seminars that will teach the exhibitors different methods to target the Australian market and understand more local trends and seasonality.

The 2019 edition of the show is expected to attract a wider participation than its 2018 edition. India’s participation across both the International Sourcing Expo and Footwear & Leather Expo was the largest of all national representations in 2018 with a total participation of 130 companies across the two events. FIEO has led the very strong participation by Indian export organisations and exhibiting companies at the show. In 2018 participation included Apparel Export Promotion Council, Wool and Woollen Export Promotion Council, and Handloom Export Promotion Council. This strong and enduring presence confirms India’s continued focus on the Australian market and opportunities. Council for Leather Exports India was a major drawcard in the co-located Footwear and Leather Show

“FIEO is committed to facilitating exposure for its members across the globe, and International Sourcing Expo Australia provides an unrivalled opportunity for this in the growing Australian and New Zealand markets,” said Dr. Sahai

India is well-regarded in Australia as a quality and reliable supplier of textiles and apparel, and with a membership body of 100,000 exporters from every goods and services sector in the country, FIEO is uniquely positioned to showcase India’s prosperous industry. We are thrilled to be returning to International Sourcing Expo Australia for the seventh time in 2019,” said  Ajay Sahai, Director General & CEO, FIEO.

"Australian buyers today seek long term partnerships with reliable suppliers besides a transparent supply chain. Since the last two years there has been a growth in the number of visitors insisting on certifications and details of manufacturing and supply chains of a product. There is also a significant interest in organic and eco friendly textiles."

The Melbourne International Exhibition Australia was held from November 22, 2018. This year the event got a huge response from both exhibitors and visitors. Julie Holt, Executive Director, International Sourcing Exhibition Australia speaks to DFU about the show and current Australian market

Please elaborate on the major exhibitors at the show. What was the visitor turnout?

Co-organised by three major exhibitions -- The China Clothing Textile Accessories Expo 18th edition, 3rd Footwear and Leather Show, and 9th International Sourcing Expo -- the Melbourne International Exhibition Australia was attended by over 700 exhibitors from 20 countries. This also included a few new countries and a number of companies from the United States. The show, from being a purely Asia Pacific Indian sub continent show is transitioning to having elements of Africa, Europe and the United States. The quality of the show has also improved over the last two to three years.

Which was the largest participating country?

Besides China, it was definitely India which had about 130 participants from apparel, footwear and leather brands. Many brands have been participating for years and are familiar with the buyers. Along with them several new buyers were also added this year. 

Tell us more about the Australian textile and fashion market. 

Compared to the rest of the world, active wear has a strong growth market in Australia. Since Australians are particular about the quality and narrative of a product, fast fashion is not popular in the country. Hence, we did not have enough exhibitors in that category. However, the market for accessories is strong leading to a large number of exhibitors in this show. 

What is the focus of the exhibition: exports or the domestic market?

The Australian Fashion Council, which co-hosted this show, aims to partner Australian designers in exporting our designs. We hope that some of these Australian designers have captured the attention of international influential companies which will provide them with an export market. AFC aims to not only protect the industry in Australia but also expand it.  

Though the number of exhibitors has grown exponentially, the number of visitors has not grown proportionately. How do you plan to tackle this?

To enhance visitor experience, we introduced many new initiatives such as the global runway and an online business matching platform to connect with exhibitors. We have also increased the number of seminars by 30 per cent.  Rather than increasing the number of exhibitors or visitors to our show, we aim to make them stay longer with us and engage in sourcing activities.

What are Australian buyers looking for?

Australian buyers today seek long term partnerships with reliable suppliers besides a transparent supply chain. Since the last two years there has been a growth in the number of visitors insisting on certifications and details of manufacturing and supply chains of a product. There is also a significant interest in organic and eco friendly textiles. This was evident in the number of exhibitors who displayed signs/handwritten signs saying ‘Got Certified’ on their pavilion. 

What is the status of Chinese market which till now was the largest exporter for Australian apparels?

The Chinese market has reached a threshold and is on the decline. India and Indonesia are the two countries that are likely to see a big jump in buyer activity from Australia. Since some of the garment innovations in these countries are similar to those in Australia, trade with these two countries along with Malaysia is likely to increase. 

What was the highlight of this year’s show?

There were three highlights in this year’s show. First, the number of countries who participated increased to 20. Second, the global runway not only engaged the audience but also made them reflect on the show. The third highlight was the VIP buyer programme combined with online business matching platform.

 What will the next edition offer?

It will be a more engaging opportunity. Opinion will be expanded one way presentation, a more effective business matching platform and a trends area. We expect European participation as well particularly on the runway.

 Any particular new sector which could be addressed?

We need to make navigability of the show easier for buyers; to have more clearly designated products and trend areas.

Do you see the number of Indian participants increasing next year?

There might be a slight increase as we are not actively perusing a larger participation because we want a more dense experience. We want exhibitors and visitors to be more active together. Our seminar program is quite successful compared to other sourcing events. We branded the sourcing program for the first time this year which was well received and offers a lot of value for visitors and exhibitors alike.

Texworld USA will take place from July 22 to 24, 2019. Over 22 product groups from more than 500 companies will be represented at the show. This year’s event is expected to host over 5,000 attendees. Among the product categories are: cotton, denim, embroidery and lace, functional fabrics, knits, wovens, linen, prints, silk, wool, yarn, accessories, findings and trims, jacquard, shirting, faux fur and novelties. The show will feature company pavilions for Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal. Portugal will also join as the first European country pavilion in the show’s history.

India will be represented by home textile manufacturer Amber, Gupta Creations with cushions, throws, rugs, stools, Sai Exports with decorative cushions, rugs and Sri Ganesh Textile with yarn-dyed woven fabrics for upholstery and home furnishings.

The show provides buyers a diversified platform. In order to evolve with industry trends, not only does it feature exhibitors that have the capacity for large orders but also caters to up-and-coming designers by offering low minimum suppliers. Texworld also aims at meeting the needs of the industry with must-have fabrics/prints and color palettes. Sustainability, the rapidly expanding priority for all sectors of the apparel and textile industries, will be well represented at this year’s Texworld USA.

Welspun is in the midst of a massive transformation driven by sustainability. It is refining systems and processes. But its biggest interventions are around the creation of vibrant and progressive farming communities. In Maharashtra and Gujarat the main cotton producing regions for Welspun farmers are given complete farm management solutions right from the field to the market. This project is spread over 250 villages and indirectly impacts 50,000 farm workers. The ambition is to build models of sustainable farming despite the small plot sizes of most farmers. An entire cut and sew unit is run only by women including the security guard of the unit. At the heart of the sustainability processes at Welspun is a process of chemical fingerprinting to identify the origin of the cotton fiber used. This system allows tracing of cotton from farms to the gin and to the spinning and to the weaving stage as well as the point of sale.

The fashion and textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world, coming second to the oil sector. Global efforts to mitigate carbon emissions to stem the impact of climate change are now shaking up things as almost all big players in the fashion and textile industry are reeling under the ceaseless pressure to transform.

Vietnam’s fabric imports in May 2019 increased 5.8 per cent year-on-year. Garment companies in Vietnam are hugely dependent on imported fabric. In 2017, for instance, two-thirds of the industry’s entire demand for clothes was imported. While the yarn and apparel segments have grown strongly, others like dyeing are poorly developed. Local companies lack proper awareness of the dyeing process. They also lack the technologies, human resources and skills required to develop this sector.

The lopsided development of its various segments and the dependence on imports have weakened the textile industry’s competitiveness and hindered its ability to add value. In fact, the huge fabric imports are a paradox considering two-thirds of the fiber produced in the country are exported every year.

Developing fabric and dyeing segments would be the key factor in the growth of the garment and textile industry. Industrial zones specialising in dyeing and cloth production have to be established. Attracting foreign direct investment in the industry is also necessary for its development. Most garment and textile companies in Vietnam have to hire foreign experts in dyeing, which pushes up their production costs. So investing in the training of human resources is vital to developing the dyeing segment.

Textile imports into the United States were almost eight per cent higher this May compared to the same month a year earlier. Imports from China grew more than seven per cent year over year in May. China is still the number one source of textiles heading into the US by a wide margin. The trade war hasn't really had a large impact on sourcing from China. The fact that sourcing from China continues to increase is a sign companies may be looking to diversify their sourcing rather than move it fully out of China. Between January and May 2019 imports from China rose 2.4 per cent compared to the same period of time in 2018.

Imports from India and Vietnam jumped more than 12 per cent in May, while those from South Korea were up 22 per cent and imports from Cambodia rose 28 per cent. Between January and May 2019 US imports from South Korea rose 24 per cent and imports from India increased by 16 per cent compared to the same period of time in 2018. This shows growth in Chinese textile imports by the US is slightly smaller if viewed as the first five months of the year rather than just May.

Panorama was held in Germany, July 2 to 4, 2019.

The trade show revealed a first look at the fashion themes due to dominate Northern Europe’s high streets. Nostalgia, sustainability and color were at the base of most collections.

Noisy May’s collection for spring/summer 2020 looked like a blast from the past, but with a 21st century focus on sustainability. The contemporary women’s brand has ambitions to increase its commitment to organic cotton. The goal is to have 50 per cent of the entire Noisy May range—denim and non-denim—made with organic cotton within the next year. Bestseller brand channeled the ’80s and ’90s in its spring/summer 2020 collection, where flare jeans and low-waists appeared to be staging a comeback. The throwback designs were complemented with a range of color blocked windbreakers and tees with nostalgic MTV logo. Summer denim staples like chambray shorts and mini-skirts with elastic waists and jeans with raw edges rounded out the collection.

Vero Moda’s collection offered sustainable options in both rigid and soft varieties. The line included rigid cropped, wide-leg jeans made with 100 per cent organic cotton and a range of denim garments made with Tencel, including a knotted top, pleated shorts and paper bag waist trousers.

The July edition of National Garment Fair will be held in Mumbai from July 15 to 18, 2019. Some 882 exhibitors will showcase their latest festive collections. The fair will display leading brands in men’s wear, women’s wear, children’s wear and accessories. About 50,000 retailers and trade visitors from all over India are expected to visit the fair. This B2B fair will be open only to trade visitors and garment retailers. There will be business networking sessions between exhibitors and agents and distributors.

The biggest problem facing Indian garment manufacturers today is the unrestricted duty free imports from Bangladesh and the back door entry of Chinese fabrics via Bangladesh. India has an FTA with Bangladesh, whereby garments can be exported without any duty payment of duty into India. In the absence of any rules of origin, Bangladesh manufacturers import duty-free fabrics from China, convert them to garments, and export to India – thereby virtually providing duty free access to Indian markets for Chinese fabrics. Imports of garments from Bangladesh have been growing at the rate of 82 per cent over last year, and 161 per cent over 2016-17. Ironically, exports of garments from India to Bangladesh are subject to a net duty of almost 125 per cent.