Some 300 textile industry and 3,000 chemical plants in the European Union will have to comply with new legal norms to reduce their environmental impact.

In the case of the textile sector, the environmental legislative changes concern in particular the wet processing of textiles, which include treatments such as bleaching, dyeing, or finishing treatment to give specific properties to the textile, like water repellence.

The new norm is part of the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles which aims to create a greener, more competitive textiles sector. The new norm for the textile sector has a particular emphasis on emissions to air and to water and targets over 20 air and water pollutants including formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds, dust as well as ammonia for emissions to air or metals for emissions to water.The new norm focuses also on environmental issues relevant to circular economy—including energy efficiency and resource efficiency (water consumption, chemicals consumption, waste generation).

It also promotes more sustainable industrial production through the substitution of chemicals that are hazardous, harmful, or have a high environmental impact by introducing an approach underpinned by a chemical management system. Particular attention is paid to carcinogenic or toxic substances. In addition, they introduce a new approach based on a management system for preventing, reducing, and quantifying diffuse emissions.

India’s revenues from the export of leather apparel and accessories, including bags, belts, and harnesses, may fall by seven to eight per cent in the fiscal year 2024.So says Crisil.

The decline in revenue is expected because of the slowdown in consumer demand in Europe and the United States, which are key markets for Indian exporters. Much of the leather apparel and accessories produced in the country are exported, with Europe and North America accounting for 75 per cent of orders.

Demand for discretionary goods in key export markets — essentially the advanced western economies — has been shrinking because of pinching inflation and rising recession fears.Though domestic demand for the leather apparels and accessories segment remains resilient, the overall sectoral revenue is seen declining in the medium term.

As costs remain high, operating margins of companies are expected to compress by 150 basis points this fiscal and will remain range bound at six per cent to 6.5 per cent over the medium term. Given the increased raw material cost, inventory holding has become costlier. Additionally, due to lower cash generation, the working capital requirement at the sector level will be 15 per cent to 20 per cent higher in the near term.

India’s exports in December 2022 have fallen 12 per cent from a year ago. This is the second time in three months that the value of outbound merchandise shipments has tanked yearonyear.

In October 2022, exports fell 16 per cent for the first time in 21 months. Shipments to as many as 19 of 30 major exporting sectors shrank in December 2022, including cotton yarn and handlooms (by 40 per cent), handicrafts ( by 36 per cent), petroleum products ( by 26 per cent), plastic and linoleum (by 26 per cent), gems and jewellery ( by 15 per cent). Engineering goods exports, the mainstay of India’s exports in recent years, dropped nearly 12 per cent in December 2022. Overall engineering exports are down three per cent so far in 2022-23 following six consecutive months of contraction.

Exports of Indian apparels and textiles got a major hit due to recessionary trend in major economies. Given the cumulative growth until December 2022, and the indicators of the slowdown in global economic activity, there is cautious optimism on international trade in the last quarter of the current financial year. Despite a dip in two months, merchandise exports in the first nine months of 2022-23 are still nine per cent higher than a year ago. Goods imports, on the other hand, are up 25 per cent.

European Fashion Alliance aims to make a significant contribution to achieving a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, non-toxic and fully circular textile industry and to raise awareness among fashion producers, designers and consumers.

The alliance, composed of 29 organizations, including numerous fashion councils, fashion weeks and research and educational institutes, represents more than 10,000 European companies in the fashion industry and gathers from micro enterprises to large corporations.

EFA believes that sustainability and digital transformation, along with innovation, education and labor market measures, will be the factors that will drive the fashion industry to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable.To accelerate this transition process, EFA will also focus on exchanges and mutual interactions among creatives and support young talents as drivers of change through actions, research and campaigns.

For the period from 2023 to 2027, the European Fashion Alliance has defined four pillars of action: the establishment of an ethical, social and sustainable code of conduct for EFA members and, by extension, for the fashion industry; the creation of a new Green Deal for fashion at the European level based on a Europe-wide circular and social fashion ecosystem based on shared data and measurement; the creation and application of sustainable, technological and socially and culturally responsible training practices for key EFA stakeholders; and the empowerment of the younger generation as driving forces toward the digital, circular and social transition of the fashion industry.

The global textile auxiliaries market is growing at five per cent a year. The expanding textile chemical market is predicted to bolster the growth of the textile auxiliaries market. Specialty chemicals that are applied in different steps in the fabrication of textiles and fabrics are categorized as textile chemicals.

These chemicals have the capacity to make fabric stronger, more adaptable, and further improve its original characteristics.The constant demand and growth of the textile chemicals industry is a prime growth driver of the global textile auxiliaries market.

In addition to this, the increasing adoption of technical textiles in various industries is likely to promote the growth of the textile auxiliaries market. Technical textiles provide strength, resistance, and ensure protection from different pollutants and environmental factors.These textiles are in high demand from rising infrastructural development and rapid urbanization. This is because technical textiles are more durable and effective as compared to traditional textile materials. This ultimately leads to the expansion of the target market.The expanding automotive sector, increasing environmental awareness and rising application of technical textiles in environmental protection initiatives like erosion protection, waste treatment/recycling, and domestic water sewerage plants are some of the other factors that are promoting the growth of the textile auxiliaries market.

As per a study, the global vegan fashion market is growing at a CAGR of 7.1 per cent a year till 2030. The global vegan fashion market sine is valued at US$ 451.7 Bn in 2021 to US$ 835.7 by 2030. Increasing demand for vegan products in the market such as footwear, clothing, cosmetics, and others in emerging economies is expected to drive the global vegan fashion market.

Rising demand for vegan products given its various benefits to the hair and skin such as chemical-free and environmental-friendly can help propel the vegan fashion market growth. Due to the wide variety of product types, vegan fashion has seen essential growth.

Vegan fashion manufacturing companies are continuously incorporating vegan products in a variety of cosmetics, footwear, clothing, and others that can help boost sales of vegan products in the coming years. The increasing number of new startups offering vegan fashion products and the expansion of the vegan industry will further drive the global vegan fashion market growth in the upcoming years.

In China, the vegan fashion market is anticipated to expand at a robust pace over the next ten years, due to the increasing number of plant-based alternative startups. Major players are using different strategies such as mergers, acquisitions and capacity expansion, owing to the rising demand for global vegan fashion market. Vegan cosmetic manufacturing brands are using vegan phytonutrients with good ingredients.

The Indian denim market is growing between eight to nine per cent a year.

India has long been a leader in denim fabrics and more recently the domestic jeans market has been expanding steadily, in fact, more quickly than the rate of global expansion.

With an annual capacity of over 1600 million meters, India has the second largest installed capacity for denim fabrics in the world, behind China. The estimated total number of denim fabric mills currently in operation in the country is over 50 in the organized segment, which is around 60 per cent greater than it was ten years ago. About 850 million meters to 900 million meters of the total capacity of Indian denim fabric is consumed domestically, including production of local jeans for export. The remaining fabric is exported to nations like Bangladesh, Colombia, Venezuela, Egypt, and Sri Lanka, among others.

In order to expand denim manufacturing capabilities, some mills are also investing in spindles in order to capture additional domestic and international markets and lessen their dependence on the market for yarns. With the aid of this backward integration, businesses have been able to better manage the availability of raw materials and schedule timely, cost-effective manufacturing. Newer businesses are striving to expand while the larger, more recognizable mills continue to consolidate.

Consumers and companies across the planet are increasingly choosing cotton produced in accordance with voluntary sustainability standards such as Better Cotton or Cotton made in Africa. So says the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

Standards-compliant cotton production has doubled every 2.5 years, on an average, since 2008 and though most of the demand is coming from Europe and North America awareness is rising in big developing and emerging markets that suggests the growth will continue.

Farmers in some regions, says IISD, can receive up to 50 per cent higher prices and 20 per cent higher crop incomes for growing standards-compliant cotton compared to conventional cotton. Sustainable cotton is in high demand as customers look to make responsible purchasing decisions and brands use sustainability to differentiate their products in the market. Sustainability standards can help address the environmental and social effects linked to conventional cotton production including water scarcity, soil and water contamination from pesticide runoff, forced labour, and poor working conditions.

Adhering to sustainability standards can affect cotton prices and income received by cotton farmers.Prices and incomes are important because many smallholder cotton farmers live below the poverty line in developing countries. And now the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have forced these struggling farmers to cope with rising input costs, reduced yields, and unpredictable price swings.

Pure London, to be held in the UK, February 12 to 14, 2023, will feature a host of Spanish fashion brands.

Loreto Martinez designs are loaded with personality and flair. With architectural cuts and detailing the unique collection is elegant, fresh, and unique.Virago Barcelona is an independent fashion label with a unique take on femininity, redefining its conventional vision and connecting allure with sexiness, elegance with strength and simplicity with soul.

Drawing on the glamour of traditional Spanish dressing the collection celebrates the strength and power of fashion.Contemporary footwear brand Camper is recognised for its use of technical fabrics, high quality, and modern designs.

Pure London is the UK’s leading trade fashion buying event. Twice a year the brightest minds in the fashion industry come together at Pure London to discover the season’s must-have collections, latest trends, and exclusive business insights. Priding itself on offering unmatched free content, from trend focused catwalks to incredible expert talks, not only is Pure London a fashion buying destination, but is a place to network and learn about key industry issues and topics.

Pure London has the largest women’swear offering in the UK and the largest offering of international brands as well as exciting onsite trend partner and new sustainability initiatives.

Paul Smith has opened a store in Cambodia. The store has a red exterior and three main colours in the interior: white, blue, and yellow. Pictures on the walls throughout the store convey the store’s colourful but elegant character.

The store offers clothes including T-shirts, shirts, suits, shoes and accessories. The store is part of the brand’s wider expansion plan in southeast Asia.

UK fashion retailer Paul Smith has 130 stores in 70 countries and celebrated 50 years of independent design in 2020.Paul Smith is Britain’s leading independent design company. This is a British company with a global outlook. Paul Smith champions positivity, curiosity and creativity. These qualities underpin every Paul Smith design, whether it’s a shirt, a shop or a special collaboration.

Since Paul Smith products are crafted with fifty years of design knowhow, this experience informs everything it makes, from refined yet relaxed tailoring for men and women through to casual trainers, formal shoes and PaulSmith Junior pieces for young customers.

The year 2023 is only a few weeks in, yet the Cambodian retail industry appears to be buoyant, with several international businesses making forays there. MLB, the South Korean streetwear brand, opened its first physical store in Cambodia earlier in January 2023.