Tirupur has introduced a GreenCo rating system for apparel units. They are validated with bronze, silver, gold and platinum certificates based on their performance in parameters such as effective use of energy, water conservation, waste minimization and reuse, and installation of renewable energy. Ratings are done by giving more weightage to the performances in utilization of energy and resources instead of the system adopted in the units, which should renew the certificate every three years.

Since the introduction of the system, five industrial units in the Tirupur apparel cluster have obtained them. Last year, two units got them while three others including two knitwear exporters and a dyeing unit obtained them this year. These three apparel units have obtained a GreenCo rating certification given by the Confederation of Indian Industry this year in Tirupur.

However in the Tirupur cluster 90 per cent are micro, small and medium units. They rarely audit the energy and resources used. So Tirupur has also launched an audit program. This program will help the industry to eliminate audit fatigue, avoid duplication and reduce the number of social and labor audits by replacing current proprietary assessment tools, increase the opportunity for greater comparability of social and labor data and redeploy resources to improvement actions.

Most of the machines in Indian jute mills are from China. Some of the key clusters where active jute mills are present are Champdany, Delta, Howrah, Kamarhatty, Kanoria, Mahadeo, Rameswaram, Tirupati and Titaghur. The Indian jute industry employs 4,00,000 mill workers and supports an estimated four million families. The market for diversified, value-added jute products is estimated at Rs 400 crores. It is growing 20 per cent year-on-year. The Jute Corporation of India is planning a tie-up with Patanjali for branding and promotion of jute products such as shopping bags and some fashion items. Amid a global push to reduce the use of plastic for environmental reasons, India is promoting jute as a material for reusable shopping bags, home furnishings, clothing, even diapers and women’s sanitary pads.

Jute is a natural fiber with a golden and silky shine. It is the second most important vegetable fiber after cotton, in terms of use, global consumption, production and availability. It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of fabrics. Jute fiber is 100 per cent bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmental-friendly. It is one of the most versatile natural fibers that has been used in raw materials for packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. It is used to make good quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks.

Thermore’s revolutionary Ecodown Fibers Marble brings insulation to a new era. Jackets will never look the same. Each garment will be unique. There won’t be two identical garments. With Thermore’s Ecodown Fibers Marble, every jacket is a piece of art with a unique design. Thermore also introduces the new Ecodown Fibers Black product. It provides a 3D color effect using light colored fabrics. Also, it changes the hue of any fabric used, thus creating infinite possibilities and colors.

Ecodown fibers ensure the same loft as high quality 90/10 feathers and can likewise be blown into a garment. The loft of down products is calculated with the fill power test: fibers are blown through a cylinder and their volume is measured. The higher the fill power, the puffier the jacket.

Moreover, this insulation is incredibly durable: its one-of-a-kind multi-shape structure allows high resistance and prevents it from clumping when washed. Not only are Ecodown fibers animal-free, they are also made from 100 per cent PET bottles. Every jacket insulated with Thermore’s fibers allows recycling up to ten post consumer bottles. Along with a warm feel, the insulation achieves a soft touch without the use of microfibers, which would contaminate oceans and, ultimately, food.

At the Brandix India facility in Andhra Pradesh, women are stitching the world’s most fashionable, and expensive, innerwear. These 18,000 women are in India’s single largest producer of Victoria’s Secret products. On their client list are other popular labels as well: Calvin Klein and Marks & Spencer, to name a few.

The lingerie business has, over time, changed the social status of the women, most aged between 18 and 35. Scarred by the battles of domestic violence, starvation and dejection, the job has not only given them financial freedom but earned them respect within the community as well.

Collectively, they ship out millions of panties and bras to the US, Europe, and Japan every month from their work stations. The average salary of the women ranges between Rs 8,000 and Rs 15,000. Almost every week a fresh batch walks in, hoping for a better life. The minimum criteria: Class 7 pass. But there are also intermediates and those with degrees. The facility not only impacts the bottom of the pyramid, women who have just done basic education, but also gives employment to trained professionals in the area of fashion and design. The women staff at the factory are supported through canteen and creche facilities, scholarship schemes, health camps and other such programs.

Better Cotton Initiative has joined the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. Better Cotton Initiative is a non profit that promotes better standards in cotton farming. By signing the charter, the Better Cotton Initiative is demonstrating its will to ensure cotton production is on the path to a low-carbon future.

The charter is a series of targets with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2050. Launched in December, in Poland, the charter has been signed by over 40 companies such as H&M, Stella McCartney, Adidas, Inditex, Hugo Boss, PVH and Levi Strauss. Levi Strauss is a vocal advocate for environmental protection. Levi Strauss runs a program in five major markets - Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany - that gives customers a 15 per cent discount on a new Levi’s item if they donate any old clothes (they don’t have to be Levi’s) to be recycled. By 2025, Levi Strauss plans to manufacture all of its products from recycled cotton. It would be the first company to do so.

Climate change has devastating effects on the apparel industry, the communities in which the industry operates, and the world at large.

Chic will be held in China, September 25 to 27, 2019.

This will give insights into the latest developments and trends in the Chinese fashion market, from retail concepts to technological novelties to progressive design trends. Some of the segments are designer brands, accessories, women’s wear, men’s wear, street wear, bespoke, bags and shoes, children’s wear, leather, fur, technological innovations and knits. Individual international exhibitors will present their collections to Chinese professional buyers and make the relevant business contacts for entering the Chinese fashion market. Chic provides a holistic promotion for business deals, product release, trend forecasting, and industrial analysis. Special marketing activities accurately connect exhibitors and Chinese market players.

China is focusing on domestic consumption, long-term and reliable growth. Fashion consumers are hungry for premium brands and individual accessories. Sales of premium brands are showing significant growth. The young generation is a strong economic driving force. Their preferences and consumption patterns are now differentiated into more and more specific clusters. The growing Chinese middle class is hungry for individual expression through fashion and accessories. Consumers are increasingly willing to trade up for quality products. Disposable income rose by eight per cent in 2018. Until 2025 China will probably account for 41 per cent of global luxury consumption. Fashion, accessories, cosmetics and jewelry are especially in demand.

China’s retail e-commerce sales are set to grow by 27 per cent in 2019, says market research firm eMarketer. These days, retail growth in China is occurring online and on mobile. Chinese consumers are purchasing goods online, even some big-ticket luxury products. With the newest technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality and data analytics tools in place, e-commerce companies are providing advanced retail solutions to completely alter the way that luxury, fashion, and beauty retailers serve customers.

Prada has formed a partnership with JD.com and Secoo, a specialty luxury e-tailer. Burberry has been operating on Alibaba’s Tmall marketplace for over five years now. A handful of high-end beauty brands from Estee Lauder, Lancôme, La Mer to Givenchy Beauty are benefiting from Alibaba’s retail solutions to spur sales in China, while Chanel Beauty will launch an official flagship store with Tmall.

Another significant retail trend booming in China is the convergence of e-commerce and social media. For the luxury and fashion industries that traditionally places an emphasis on content marketing. But a majority of the purchases will still be made in brick-and-mortar in the foreseeable future. So an omnichannel strategy augmented by technology is essential, especially in China.

Bangladesh’s earnings from leather exports fell 6.06 per cent this fiscal year. This comprises leather, leather goods and leather footwear, Of the total earnings from the leather sector, earnings from leather products were down by 26.58 per cent. Earnings from processed leather exports declined 10 per cent against the same period a year ago. However, exports earning from leather footwear posted a 7.48 per cent growth.

The leather sector is Bangladesh’s second largest earner of foreign currency after the readymade garment sector. The sector is not yet seen as compliant and environment-friendly and that is holding back foreign buyers. Plans for a central effluent treatment plant are yet to be executed. The Leather Working Group (LWG) certification, which makes it easier to sell goods to global buyers, is hard to obtain due to the absence of a fully operational central effluent treatment plant. Lack of proper compliance, especially in environmental issues, means that Bangladeshi manufacturers are not getting the certificate from the LWG, which assesses environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers. As a result, export earnings from the sector saw a downtrend. Also, consumers are shifting to non-leather shoes — another reason for the fall in earnings of overall exports from the leather sector.

"United Colors of Benetton (UCB) recently unveiled the July edition of Rolling Stone India at Select Citywalk in Delhi. The cover features Indian comedian, singer, songwriter and YouTube sensation Bhuvan Bam on the cover in a complete Benetton look from the brand’s eclectic Spring Summer 2019 collection. The magazine was unveiled by Ram along with Sundeep Chugh, CEO and MD, Benetton India."

United Colors of Benetton (UCB) recently unveiled the July edition of Rolling Stone India at Select Citywalk in Delhi. The cover features Indian comedian, singer, songwriter and YouTube sensation Bhuvan Bam on the cover in a complete Benetton look from the brand’s eclectic Spring Summer 2019 collection. The magazine was unveiled by Ram along with Sundeep Chugh, CEO and MD, Benetton India.

The Spring Summer’19 collection of the brand encapsulates the essence of Italian fashion with contemporary prints, dynamic denim themes and fun soft floral prints. The collection offers a variety of classic designs in floral, stripes, quirky tees and bold prints in an array of colors and high quality fabric. This season’s collection is all about mixing up colors and prints, with pastels making a rich recurrent story and warm shades that are reminiscent of the autumn gone by. The Spring Summer’19 collection encapsulates the essence of Italian fashion with contemporary prints, dynamic denim themes and fun soft floral prints.

The Color Palate: This summer, pantone being the seasonal inspiration of 2019, the brand offers a wide range in pantone hues. The collections key color palate focuses on pastel shades and a mix of colorful prints in warm color harmonies, material and product application across men’s, women wear.

Benetton Group is one of the best-known fashion companies in the world, present in the most important markets with a network of about 5,000 stores. A responsible group that plans for the future and lives in the present – with a watchful eye to the environment, to human dignity, and to a society in transformation – the Group has a consolidated identity comprised of colour, authentic fashion, quality at democratic prices and passion for its work. These values are reflected in the strong, dynamic personalities of the United Colors of Benetton and Sisley brands.

Sundeep Chugh, CEO & MD, Benetton India said “Benetton has a long history with art. We love to infuse art of any form into fashion and create a collection that is young and positive. Benetton and Rolling Stone have been partners since a long time and we are happy to have a popular youth icon like Bhuvan Bam sport our SS19 collection for India’s leading music magazine.” Styled in Benetton’s vibrant Spring Summer collection, Bam said. “The magazine is known for shaping music and pop culture vibes across the globe and in India and I’m delighted to be featured in the magazine that I have read during my teen years. Benetton feels like a perfect brand to be spotted in for all the work it has done to empower art, culture and music. I have always admired Benetton for their color plays and unique fashion statements. Our cover shoot styled in the new Spring-Summer collection was absolutely fun and I loved tropical summer looks that I was styled in.”

United Colors of Benetton’s commitment to social issues has always been a central feature of the brand that, through its communications campaigns and collaborations with leading non-profit organisations, makes the public reflect on social issues of universal relevance.

Arcadia’s share of the UK women’s wear market is forecast to fall to 4.9 per cent in 2019, a decline of 1.4 percentage points since 2016. The brand mainly targets shoppers over 35. It is known for its brands Topshop and Miss Selfridge. Neither Miss Selfridge nor Topshop stocks clothes over a UK size 18. Both use only slim mannequins and models in store and in their campaigns. Extending their sizing to widen their appeal and projecting a more positive attitude towards body image will help. Arcadia has also fallen behind in celebrity endorsements. The Kate Moss range for Topshop was the height of cool more than a decade ago, and Dorothy Perkins’ exclusive Kardashian Kollection enabled it to tap into a new customer base back in 2012; however these partnerships have taken a backseat in recent years. Investing in bolder marketing, which highlights each brand’s personality, as well as fully using social media to better connect with shoppers, will be essential for Arcadia to remain relevant. Though Arcadia’s brands have released small sustainable ranges, such as Topshop’s vegan footwear collection and Miss Selfridge’s eco denim range, the minimal options within these propositions have limited their impact.

The highly saturated fashion market means it is crucial that retailers invest heavily in marketing to capture shoppers’ attention and drive top of the mind appeal.