Guess Inc returned to profit for fiscal 2022, riding on solid fourth quarter revenues. Fourth-quarter sales of the Los Angeles-based company increased 23.4 per cent to $799.9 million, from $648.5 million in the same prior-year quarter. Its net earnings fell to $68.4 million, a 2.8 per cent decrease from $70.4 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021.

For the full year, Guess revenues increased 38.1 per cent to $2.59 billion, from $1.88 billion in fiscal 2021, while net earnings surged to $171.4 million, compared to a net loss of $81.2 million. Guess has also made certain structural changes within the organization. It appointed Dennis Secor interim chief financial officer, effective April 1. He will replace Katie Anderson, who is stepping down to pursue another opportunity at a privately-held company as CFO. Guess plans to initiate a search for a permanent chief financial officer, with the assistance of an executive search firm.

Katie has played an important role in Guess’s ongoing business transformation, including strengthening its balance sheet, implementing cost savings measures and delivering for its shareholders, says Carlos Alberini, CEO, Guess Inc.

Many fashion companies in China that didn’t consider themselves vulnerable to political changes in the country, have ended up in trouble, says Andrew Gilholm, Analyst, Control Risks. The latest example is Swedish retail giant H&M facing government’s ire for banning cotton sourced from the Xianjiang region. The decision has resulted in retail being wiped off the country’s e-commerce sites, maps and social media platforms. As per a Bloomsberg report, the brand’s sales in the country declined almost 41 per cent in the most recent quarter.

Social media to the rescue

H&M’s sales in China have declining since 2019. The fast fashion giant isn’t particularly famous amongst Chinese authorities. Neither does it contribute significantly to the tax basket of the country nor sponsors any government-backed events. Hence, other companies looking to foray in China need to be careful as the country has turned inwards to avoid the global backlash. The Stockholm-based apparel giant has reduced focus on China but is still amongst its top 10 markets listed by country. It is the company’s biggest manufacturing hub, where more than a third of its suppliers are based.

Hence, the company’s China leaders have decided to regain the confidence of buyers, customers and business partners in the country. They are posting new messages on social media campaign. H&M’s visibility on Chinese social media had slumped since the Xinjiang controversy. The company’s decade-long efforts to nurture a social-media relationship with the nation’s consumers have also been obliterated. Data analysis by Bloomberg News shows at least 10,000 Weibo posts were published between 2011 and 2021 by H&M, compared to about 1,700 posts by Nike.

Personalized communication with buyers

H&M is now emphasizing on personalized communication with buyers especially in China. The brand has hired more employees to communicate directly with shoppers via private WeChat groups and shares information about new products and discounts on an official WeChat account, where most material is only visible to members. H&M’s first Weibo post after the Xinjiang incident trumpeted its donations to a flood-recovery effort in Henan province.

Plan more CSR Events

To return to normal operations, H&M now plans to win China’s approval to operate in the country. It also aims to increase the number of corporate social responsibility events it undertakes the country. The brand is currently holding weekly talks with Alibaba Group Holding about returning to Taobao’s Tmall platform. The retail sector in China is becoming more competitive with local brands such as Urban Revivo, boosting their portfolios. This may make it difficult for H&M to rival high-end names such as Coach, Kate Spade, etc to make a mark in the country. Yet, the brand cannot ignore the growth potential offered by China.

A highly edited showcase of select international and sartorial brands, Society for International Menswear will be launched by the US-based Wainscot Media on July 17 and 18, 2022, in New York City at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

The event marks the return of the men’s fashion trade shows to New York after a two-year hiatus. The event will be managed by Lizette Chin and Coleman McCartan, Former Executives, InformaFashionaa

In July, Society will launch in sync with the Spring/Summer buying season for top-tier retailers. It aims to be the gateway for international brands wanting to do business in the American market, says Chin, VP and Group Publisher, Wainscott.

These partnership will be instrumental in helping them create strategies to return to business as they recover and rebuild from the pandemic, adds Mark Dowden, CEO, Wainscot Media.

At the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), .Vietnam's textile and garment industry leaders said, they currently aim to reach their green production target and reduce emissions to help implement the Government’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

As per a SRTEPC report, the global fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors toclimate change. Hence, many well-known fashion brands and textile manufacturers worldwide have set goals related to climate and the environment. To support Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises to reduce emissions and increase use of natural resources and energy, and chemical management, the German Development Cooperation Organisation (GIZ) and French sporting goods retailer Decathlon signed anMoU on cooperation in improving the environmental performance of Vietnamese garment and textile suppliers.

Accordingly, GIZ partners with Decathlon Vietnam through its projects, “Climate protection through sustainable bioenergy markets in Vietnam’ (BEM) and ‘Fostering and advancing sustainable business and responsible industrial practices in the clothing industry in Asia’ (FABRIC), to help Decathlon's Vietnamese suppliers improve their ability in climate change adaptation, efficiently use of water and energy, and manage chemicals at factories in 2022.

Specifically, the GIZ FABRIC project will offer free e-learning courses namely “Climate Action Training” and “Chemical Management Training (e-REMC), via the platform www.atingi.org.

Global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, VF Corporation has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies.

As per a Business Wire report, VF has been recognized for the past six years and is one of only two honorees in the apparel industry to be named this year. In 2022, 135 honorees were recognized spanning 22 countries and 45 industries.

Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe.

The global market for textile printing market is projected to reach a revised size of 28.2 billion sq m by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 4.3 per cent over the period analysis period. As per the latest report by ResearchAndMarkets.com, Screen printing,segment is projected to grow at a 2.8 per cent CAGR to reach 24.6 billion square meters by the end of the analysis period.

After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the digital printing segment is readjusted to a revised 16.5 per cent CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 7.8 per cent share of the global Textile Printing market.

The market for traditional textile screen printing, which is a labor-intensive technique, has witnessed growth led by steady population growth, rising consumer spending of people across the world, and rapidly changing fashion trends. However, with the emergence of digital textile printing and its fast adoption in the global market, the conventional screen printing method is facing stiff competition.

Growth in digital printing segment will be driven by digital printing technology`s ability to address technical limitations that are encountered in conventional printing applications, and its use in small-volume productions involving varied designs, which proves to be inefficient in the case of traditional printing.

India’s leading power dressing brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL), Van Heusenhas launched a new sub-brand “Flex”. Van Heusen Flex i for modern-day professionals who seamlessly shift between work and play. The brand has also launched a distinctive campaign ‘Fashion meets performance’ to announce its entry into the active wear category.

Targeted at young professionals, the Van Heusen Flex range is designed to look sharp and engineered to provide true freedom of movement and is infused with superb style and comfort. The international brand stands for fashion and functionality, with each item of clothing a perfect blend of comfort and performance.

Van Heusen Flex offers an entire range of t-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, shorts, and track pants for men. The collection uses anti-microbial technology to keep odour out, Easy Dry Technology with quick-drying fabric, ergonomic design, high stretchability, and durability. It also has an innovative “reflect technology” with reflective elements that look normal during the day but glow in the dark.

The brand’s new campaign is live across its social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The highlights of the campaign were also featured in the recent India-South Africa cricket series, which was live on Disney Hotstar. The campaign was also visible through high impact properties like live squeeze-ups and branded cards during the Test and ODI matches.

Designed to drive forward new collaborations and opportunities for a regenerative future facing the fashion industry in Australia, circular sourcing event RAW TO A T will be held in Melbourne, Australia from May 24-26 2022,

RAW TO A T is designed to deliberately challenge the status quo. The organizers RawAssembly, and its collaborating partners, are curating an immersive, innovative and circular design fashion and textile event, designed to stimulate and drive tangible changes to the way fashion is produced and consumed.”

Part conference, part experience, this event, the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, brings a diverse range of stakeholders across the ecosystem together to explore how, what and when the fashion industry can transform its current model of production and consumption to a system that better protects people and the planet.

With leading industry speakers, the jammed packed content program will tackle some of the key issues the industry is working hard to resolve today. From New York, London, Europe through to Australia and New Zealand the global panels and presentations will bring discussion, debate and action centre stage.

Stussy has named Shein in a trademark infringement and counterfeiting lawsuit. filed in a federal court in California, As per The Fashion Law report, Stussy alleges that its trademarks – including (but not limited to) its stylized brand name – are being knowingly and intentionally infringed by Shein to cause confusion and divert customers” away from Stussy for its own benefit.

Stussy claims that Shein is on the hook for trademark infringement and counterfeiting, trademark dilution, and unfair competition in connection with its sale of products that bear “copies and close reproductions of the Stussy trade marks.” By making use of the Stussy mark in a way that is “virtually identical to the genuine Stussy marks” on apparel and footwear, Stussy claims that the Chinese fast fashion giant’s use goes beyond trademark infringement and meets the higher bar of counterfeiting. However, “in order to hide [its] counterfeit products, Shein avoids using the term Stussy’ in connection with [the listings for its counterfeit Stussy products, claims Shein

A world leader in sustainable and eco-efficient technology development, Jeanologia has launched Colorbox, a revolutionary technology for garment dying transforming the traditional way that garments are dyed in an efficient and faster process that respects the environment.

Colorboxreduces the environmental impact of the garment dying process, reducing resource use and pollution load of wastewater.

Through the perfect combination of Jeanologia technologies, the company provides the industry with advanced technical solutions, guaranteeing better production results at a lower environmental and production cost.

Enrique Silla, CEO, Jeanologia, says. Colorbox considerably reduces water, chemical, energy and salts use in comparison with traditional garment dying processes, allowing a low EIM score. The average saving for water and chemicals is 60 per cent, 45 per cent for energy and 76 per cent for salt in garment dying.

Jeanologia creates a new eco-efficient operating model for garment dying. This technology makes it is possible to dye the product, not only at the beginning of the process, but at any point during the manufacturing of the product, responding quickly to customer demands.