Denim manufacturer Isko has launched Light on the Land 2.0, its new capsule designed by Miles Johnson, former design director at Levi Strauss & Co. and senior creative director of product design and development at Patagonia, Inc. The first round of this collection was launched in September 2020 and now it is followed by this second release.

As per Sportswear International, the collection incorporates responsible design principles such as Cadica’s innovative trims, made of vegan apple “leather,” and has been developed using eco-conscious finishing techniques. The collection also features other sustainable facets such as efficient low-waste pattern cutting and design, efficient sewing methods, removable rivets for end-of-life and biodegradable thread that can be removed with high heat.

Due to the present global health emergency, the collection was entirely developed through remote working and creative solutions to ensure the safety and health of all parties involved. To this end, everyone working at this project was kept safe thanks to Isko Vital+ reusable and eco-friendly organic cotton face covers.

American fashion retailer JC Penney, which emerged from bankruptcy earlier this month, plans to close down 15 more stores by the end of March next year.

The retailer was recently acquired by Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., after it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year.

The fresh closure of 15 stores is a part of the store optimization strategy that the retailer had started in June with financial revamping.

Notably, the liquidation sales of these stores will start later in December and will close to the public in March 2021.

JCPenney’s store optimization strategy aims to help the retailer achieve growth that’s both profitable and sustainable.

The renowned fashion retailer had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in May 2020 and ever since has been the most talked about fashion retailer till it was bought by mall owners earlier this month.

The spring edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held in a hybrid format from March 10 - 12, 2021. To be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai), the fair will serve as a reliable sourcing platform, both in-person and virtually, for the textile industry to connect and recover.

Intertextile’s country and regional pavilions and dedicated product zones will offer a comprehensive range of products to help buyers meet their specific souring needs. The fair will take place as China’s textile market continues to show signs of quick recovery from the effects of the pandemic. With industrial output continuing to remain strong, Chinese consumer confidence is also starting to rebound. According to a McKinsey study, net optimism of consumers is now at 54 per cent, the highest compared to respondents from other countries. This recovery in the economy and consumer demand was also observed by exhibitors from the 2020 Autumn edition, who expressed how the fair provided a much-need trading platform for making up lost business.

Fashion for Good plans to extend its presence in South Asia through a partnership with Birla Cellulose.

The organization has launched the South Asia Innovation Program and has since witnessed the graduation of nine first batch start-ups, as well as the addition of its latest regional partner, Birla Cellulose – part of the Aditya Birla Group.

Fashion for Good has worked thoroughly with important supply chain companies and identified the critical challenges modeled to the circular transformation in the region; the absence of knowledge around circular solutions, the lack of capacity to work with innovations, the lack of funds to invest in new technologies, and the limited engagement from major fashion brands throughout the year.

Inspecting over 300 innovators from the region, the South Asia Innovation Program launched early this year with its first selection of nine innovators and welcomed an extra nine into its second batch in July.

Aiming to scale these technologies through initiating opportunities with industry players, the Program has orchestrated over 16 pilots and tests over the past 12 months.

As per a survey by the Transparency International Bangladesh, the stimulus package announced by the government has failed to reach over 42 per cent of garment workers despite being one of the poorest segments of the population and hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic

The TIB study—RMG sector in Covid-19 crisis: governance challenges and way forward—was carried out between May and November, reports the Daily Star.

The total allocation of the stimulus packages for the garment sector was Tk 62,879 crore, out of which Tk 59,090 crore came as a soft loan from the government and Tk 3,789 crore as financial assistance from development agencies, brands, the European Union and countries such as Germany.

Of the sum, 16 per cent was meant for paying salaries and wages to the workers. So far, Tk 9,000 crore has been disbursed as the wages and allowances, the TIB said.

A majority of the micro, small and medium-sized factories are engaged in subcontracting, he said.

A significant delay in the disbursement of fund to the micro, small and medium enterprises is the main reason for the 42 per cent workers not being able to benefit from the assistance, Iftekharuzzaman said.

So far, banks and other financial institutions could disburse only 29 per cent of the Tk 20,000 crore allocated for the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSMEs).

Local Jaipur exporters and their associations are stepping up efforts – at the individual level as well as government level to boost exports. As per Vimal Shah, President, Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR), exporters are trying their best to become eco-friendly and follow sustainability. As per an Apparel Resources report, exporters have also urged the state government to support the development of green textile park in the state to ensure the usage of recycled yarn and every possible aspect of the green supply chain. Dinesh Gupta, CEO, Sekawati Impex, foresees good expansion plans in the next two years. The company’s currently focuses on GOTS-certified products now.

Jaipur’s apparel manufacturers and especially exporters have also urged the government to support for the establishment of a research or development centre where one can avail live demo of all kinds of available technology. Timely release of refund, clearing subsidies and ease of doing business should be top priority of Government says Aseem Singla, Director, Fashion Images Overseas which caters to the buyers of Japan as well as Australia.

Exporters are also focusing more on home products. As far as specific products are concerned, tunics still dominate the domestic industry and are expected to remain so in the near future also as from last few years. Anuj Mundra, CMD, Nandani Creation, who owns the platform www.jaipurkurti.com and has seen three times growth in the last few months as far as the online sales are concerned.

As per Siddharth Rajgopal, Executive Director, Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (CTEPC) cotton textile exports are expected to grow by 10 per cent in the next few months to complete the year with exports matching last year’s level.

Rajgopal said, according to the quick estimates released by the Ministry of Commerce, cotton textile exports grew 8.54 per cent to $869 million in November from a year earlier. Readymade garment exports stood at $1,043 million compared with $1,056 million last November. Exports of cotton textiles in the April- November period declined 12.7 per cent. Rajagopal attributed this to the slump in exports in April and May this year.

A Sakthivel, Chairman, AEPC, said garment exports in September and October were good and in November, they were almost equal to the level seen in the year earlier period. Exporters are getting orders for medical textiles from regular markets, he added.

As per the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), over 1,000 stores were shuttered in New York this year due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the largest number of closures recorded by the think tank in the 13 years since it began tracking the figure. There are currently 6,891 chain stores operating across New York’s five boroughs, down 13.3 per cent from 7,948 at the end of 2019. By comparison, the decrease in retail store numbers between 2018 and 2019 was only 3.7 per cent. It is worth noting, however, that 2020 is the first year that CUF has included 160 temporary closures in its count.

Out of the five boroughs, Manhattan saw the biggest number of chain store closures in 2020, accounting for 520 of the total 1,057 closures in the city, or 49%.

Both clothing and accessories stores and beauty destinations have closed 22 per cebt of their locations in New York over the last twelve months. Among the clothing and accessories retailers shuttering their New York locations, BCBG Max Azria permanently closed all six of its stores, as did tween fashion chain Justice, sold to Bluestar Alliance by Ascena in November, as part of the latter’s bankruptcy process.

Other brands that shuttered all of their New York locations in 2020 include New York & Co, which ran 17 stores in the city at the end of 2019, Brooklyn Industries, Lucky Brand Jeans and Motherhood Maternity, while Jimmy Jazz currently lists all 26 of its stores as temporarily closed.

The number of chain beauty stores and salons in New York fell from 148 to 116 in 2020, with a large number of closures contributed by MAC Cosmetics, which cut its fleet in the city from 34 locations to 9.

Around, 193 international buyers from 20 countries, will hold virtual business appointments with ProColumbia between January 18 and February 5. The international delegation is led to a greater extent by the United States, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Guatemala. From Europe there will be buyers from Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, among other destinations.

Among the categories that international buyers will be looking for the most in virtual appointments, are textile fibers, technical textiles and a complete package of casual clothing, formal wear, jeanswear, underwear and swimwear, mainly. Likewise, there will be the presence of VIP buyers such as Super Éxito, Almacenes De Prati, Etafashion, Marathon Sports, El ÉxitoBetancur, among others.

Similarly, ProColombia will carry out commercial agendas with about 12 buyer companies from The United States, Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala, who will come to see the facilities of companies in the fashion sector in Colombia. It is worth noting that, between January and November 2020, fashion exports reached $ 605 million, according to figures from Dane with analysis from ProColombia. The main purchasing countries were the United States, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil and Chile. While the garments most in demand abroad were fabrics and fabrics, girdles and control clothing, jeans, women’s underwear and leather manufacturers.

The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) organized a webinar to promote import substitution of polyester fabric and to explore new sources in association with Reliance Industries (RIL). Titled ‘Sourcing of Polyester Fabric’, the seminar was attended by 50 industry players.

Reliance Industries partners shared their fabric supply chain to India and updated on new fabric sourcing at the webinar. Ritesh Sharma, Head-Brand & Retail, Reliance Industries informed, his company has launched the Hub Excellence Program to enable the entire value chain to take advantage of the manufacturing and technical support, quality and supply assurance, access to innovative products, manufacturing support, and one-stop solution for all requirements.

Roshan Baid, Paragon Apparels said, the importance MMF fibre textiles is increasing across the world as a substitute for cotton. World trade in MMF fibre garments is estimated at $500 billion. However, India’s share of MMF garments in its apparel exports is just 10 per cent.

Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman, Export Promotion Sub Committee, AEPC, appealed to Reliance Industries to divert its focus from production of fibers to high-end fabrics.