The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) plans to design, prototype and pilot a new technology platform based on IBM technologies. As per Innovation in Textiles, UKFT has collaborated with IBM, Tech Data, and the Future Fashion Factory for the project that will help the UK fashion and textile industry to drive sustainability and profitability through increased transparency within the supply chain.

The project will also include retailers Next, H&M’s COS brand, N Brown, New Look and yarn manufacturer Laxton. Known as the Sustainable Supply Chain Optimization, the project will be developed with £1.4 million funds from Innovate UK, a part of UK Research and Innovation, on behalf of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge.

The new technology platform will combine a number of emerging technologies like blockchain, AI and sensors to digitize the key processes in the supply-chain, creating a shared system of data that the different parties can trust and easily act upon.

It will provide a better understanding of where and how each garment’s fabric was processed and finished, by whom and in what conditions. It will enable manufacturers to spot potential disruptions before they have a chance to affect delivery. They will also be able to better monitor production processes and flows resulting in a real chance to reduce waste and optimize stock.

The nine-month project will deliver a solution built on a combination of IBM’s blockchain and AI technologies running on IBM Cloud. The blockchain technology will enable increased transparency in the supply chain and the AI technology will facilitate the detection and response to supply chain disruption and provide the insights for real-time analysis of current business performance, rapid problem solving and optimization of business flows.

Vietnam has temporarily shut around 35 per cent of textile and garment factories due to COVID-19, says Vu Duc Giang, Chairman, Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). Du Giang expects these factories to remain closed for a longer time as they do not have enough funds to pay for three-on-site working arrangements to support employees to return to work.

In addition, the vaccination rate of Vietnam's textile and garment industry is still very low, particularly in key production areas in the southwestern and southeastern provinces, he adds.

The total export turnover of these provinces in the central region accounted for 62 percent of the total export turnover of the industry.

The export value of the textile and garment industry reached $18.7 billion in the first six months of the year, while the target for the whole year is $39 billion.

The textile and garment enterprises in the country are under huge pressure due to the as they failed to ensure the production situation as planned. They are also worried about the worker exodus in Ho Chi Minh City. Their failure to return could cause a serious labor shortage in Vietnam in future, adds Du Giang.

Cambodia’s Council for Development of Cambodia (CDC) has approved eight new projects worth a combined value of 71.4 million. Six of these projects are dedicated to the garment, travel bag and shoe industries. They are slated to create nearly 10,000 new jobs. The remaining two projects are worth $8.5 million and will generate 1,500 new jobs

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) has welcomed these investments in the garment industry as a heartening development, particularly during this difficult pandemic period.

One approved projects includes a factory by Gianni Vince Bags (Cambodia) Co in Kandal province. Its parent company, based in Guangzhou, China, will commit $4.4 million to constructing the facility and employ 1,171 people, according to the CDC. The second project approved is Sen Wang Ying New Material Co hoe factory in Kampong Speu province. It is valued at $4.1 million and will create 403 jobs.

German fashion house Hugo Boss’ sales recovered to pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter and the brand expects this rebound to continue in the second half of the year as well. Hugo Boss’ sales recovered in key markets such as Britain and China during the quarter. However, sales its core Boss brand declined by a currency-adjusted 5 per cent while sales at Hug brand rose by 2 per cent.

Hugo Boss also recorded a recovery in formalwear sales due to pent-up demand for business and party fashion. Its formalwear sales in the UK increased by 7 per cent while those in mainland China surged by 33 per cent. Meanwhile, sales in Europe declined 4 per cent below 2019 levels, and sales in Americas declined by 5 per cent. Around 20 per cent of the company’s global store network remained closed during the second quarter.

The company expects currency-adjusted group sales in fiscal year 2021 to increase by between 30 per cent and 35 per cent

World’s leading industrial thread company Coats’ H1 2021 revenues increased to $732 million compared to $536 million of H1 2020. As per Apparel Resources, the company’s organic revenues increased by 1 per cent compared to 2019 and 34 per cent compared to 2020, despite recent lockdown impacts in India in May and June which have now ended.

Revenue in its core thread business increased 41 per cent compared to 2020. Its markets across the US, Europe and Asia performed well in the sports and athleisure segments. Revenues in the performance materials segment grew 19 per cent compared to 2020), with all segments performing strongly apart from personal protection, which continues to be impacted by US labour availability issues.

Coats also launched 12 new products in the first half, generating $ 11 million of incremental revenue. One of the most significant of its launches include EcoRegen, a biodegradable thread supporting the brand’s drive towards a circular economy, says Rajiv Sharma, CEO

In the second half of the year, Coats will continue to focus on profitable sales growth, strong customer relationships, digital, innovation and sustainability credentials and ongoing pricing and productivity actions.

The sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in China has compelled Messe Franfurt (HK) to postpone the Autumn editions of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles and Yarn Expo to October 09-11, 2021. The textile fairs were originally scheduled to open at the end of August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.

Messe Frankfurt co-organizes Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics alongwith the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT and the China Textile Information Centre. Yarn Expo is co-organized in association with the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT and. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is co-organized alongiwth Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

These fair form a part of Messe Frankfurt’s Texpertise Network, which consists of some 50 fairs around the world.

As per August 2021 edition of Cotton This Month by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), global cotton production is expected to increase by 3 per cent to 25 million tonne in 2021/22 Consumption is expected to increase by 12.4 per cent during the year.

Production by the US is projected to increase by 22 per cent to 3.8 million tonne from the season before. India’s production is expected to remain high at 5.9 million tonne, and Brazil’s production is expected to reach about 2.3 million tonne.

Global cotton consumption is expected to increase by 12.4 per cent to reach 25.5 million tonne in 2021/22. However, the resurgence in COVID-19 cases leading to factory closures and shipping problems threatens to derail consumption.

Revenues of Lenzing Group, an Austrian leader in sustainable specialty fibers, grew by 27.5 per cent to €1.03 billion in H1 FY21 ended on June 1, 2021, compared to €810.2 million in the same period of previous fiscal.

The group’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) during the six months doubled to €217.8 million from €95.6 million. It mainly attributes this growth in revenue to higher viscose prices, which stood at more than RMB 15,000 in May thanks to significantly higher demand for fibres, especially in Asia. The group’s focus on wood-based specialty fibers such as Tencel, Lenzing Ecovero and Veocel branded fibers also led to 72.8 per cent rise in the share of specialty fibres in its fibre revenues during the period.

For the six-month period, the group’s net profit rose to €96.1 million while CAPEX surged to €426.0 million. In FY21, Lenzing expects demand for its sustainably produced fibers to continue growing from the textile and apparel industry as well as for the hygiene and medical industry.

Growing awareness about sustainability and urgent pleas to stop animal cruelty have spiked demand for faux leather in the luxury fashion market. Influential players in the industry are partnering emerging biomaterials companies to introduce new products made of leather altearnativesa. For instance, Adidas, Stella McCartney, Lululemon and Kering collaborated with Silicon Valley material solutions firm Bolt Threads in late 2020, to launch products made with leather substitute Mylo, derived from mushroom roots.

Lululemon is also launching a new range of Mylo yoga mats and bags. As per a Glossy report, brands like Chanel and Hugo Boss have been making accessories from Pinatex’s leather alternative since 2019.

Mushroom threads as leather substitutes

San Francisco-based MycoWorks, which inducted Patrick Thomas, Ex CEO, Hermes, into board of directors, makes a leather-like material form mushroom threads or mycelium. The company customizes this material called Reishi as per specifications around thickness, weight and shape, among other features. The material is then tanned and converted into a finished product by traditional leather craftspeople in Spain.

In November MycoWorks raised $45 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Taiwan’s WTT Investment and California’s DCVC Bio. Other investors included Natalie Portman, John Legend and several undisclosed fashion brands. In June, MycoWorks attended the startup and tech conference VivaTech by setting up a stall in an LVMH-hosted booth.

Leather-free initiatives

Luxury brands are launching new initiatives to uphold their customers’ values. In June, Neiman Marcus announced plans to go fur-free by 2023. Similarly, Puig-owned Carolina Herrera, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dries Van Noten resolved to stop using exotic skins.

As seen from LVMH’s earning for H1 FY2021, leather goods are big business for luxury brands. Brands in its fashion and leather goods division witnessed an 81 per cent rise in revenues in 2021. The group has lined up several sustainability-focused changes in its products.

The industry is also likely to witness several, material-focused changes in future, adds Thomas. New materials to boost brands’ creativity and product development will be introduced.

By 2030, India’s cotton production is projected to expand to 7.2 mt (approximately 43 million bales of 170 kg each) by 2030 compared with current output of 6 mt equivalent to roughly 36 million bales. As per the latest OECD-FAQ report on Agriculture Outlook 2021-2030, India will contribute to as much as 40 per cent global increase in cotton production during the outlook period.

India, China, the US and Brazil will dominate global cotton production during the decade, the report says. Global cotton production will reach 28.4 million tonne (mt) with Asian countries China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam —accounting for 75 per cent of the total mill consumption (28.3 mt) during the period.

World cotton export is expected to expand by 25 per cent to surpass the 11 mt mark by the end of this decade, by which time sub-Saharan Africa with a share of 15 per cent is set to occupy the third position after US and Brazil, edging India down to the fourth position. Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Turkey and Indonesia will continue to be major importers of the fibre.

India will continue to be the world’s largest cotton producer with the increase in production resting mostly on relatively higher yields, while area expansion is expected to be limited in line with recent trends.