Major Japanese apparel companies are planning to stop using cotton grown in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. As per NHK World, the firms are reviewing their supply chains amid allegations that the material is produced with forced labor.

Apparel company World plans to stop selling items made with cotton from the Xinjiang region. The move will help the company address human-rights issues.

Sporting-goods firm Mizuno also plans to discontinue using cotton products made in Xinjiang and is reviewing its supply chain for the same. But the operator of Muji-brand household-goods stores will continue using Xinjiang cotton in its products as a recent. recent inspection found no major violations, including forced labor.

Allegations that ethnic Uyghur minorities in the Xinjiang region are being subjected to forced labor have drawn worldwide criticism. Beijing denies that the practice is taking place.

There have been boycotts in China of foreign brands that have come out against using Xinjiang cotton.

Growth in the China's garment sector stabilized in the first five months of 2021 as income, profits and production grew, reports MenaFN.

As per the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), from January to May, the combined operating income of 12,451 main enterprises in the sector grew by 13.20 per cent to 525.1 billion yuan.

The total proceeds of these enterprises grew by 27.87 per cent to 23.5 billion yuan in the period, while the production of the companies increased 20.89 percent over one year earlier to 9.075 billion pieces.

China's online retail sales of clothing goods increased 28.2 percent year on year in the first five months, while the country's garment and accessories exports increased by 48.3 percent year on year to $56.6 billion.

British online fashion retailer ASOS has entered into a joint venture with department store Nordstorm to sell brand Topshop garments at its stores in an effort to reach more US and Canadian customers.

As per a Reuters report, US-based Nordstrom will buy a minority interest for an undisclosed sum in the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands, which ASOS bought from the administrators of the collapsed Arcadia Group for $364 million earlier this year.

ASOS, which sells fashion aimed at 20-somethings, would keep operational and creative control over the brands. The joint venture also paves the way for a broader tie-up with Nordstrom to deepen ASOS's presence in North America

Nordstrom would become the British firm's first-ever retail partner, and will look to launch its brands on Nordstrom.com and in select retail stores, ASOS said.

After a gap of two years, leading German sewing technology company Duerkopp Adler will participate in CISMA 2021 which will be held from September 26-29, 2021 at the Shanghai New International Centre in Shanghai, China.

As per Apparel Resources, Duerkopp Adler will be represented in the Shanggong Group (SG Group) booth. The company will focus more on flexible automation products as well as innovative and digital highlight machines and systems. It will showcase new models of the digitalized and highly developed M-TYPE Delta platform.

Duerkopp Adler will also showcase a wide range of special machines and automats for medium-heavy industrial applications as well as for garment production. The product range will be complemented by another highlight – QONDAC – that’s the future shaping network solution for the industry, as claimed by Duerkopp Adler.

It’s worth noting here that CISMA will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) from 26 to 29 September 2021.

The Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) has filed a complaint against fashion brand H&M in Bengaluru for alleged labor abuses at a its supplier factory in 2020. As per Fashion Network, the brand collaborated with several local labor unions for the purpose.

The legal complaints against H&M arose from a report by AFWA which it launched at its online event on July 7, according to the AFWA website. The report was titled ‘Money Heist: COVID-19 Wage Theft in Global Garment Supply Chains’ and looked at alleged labour violations in the garment industry in countries including India and Sri Lanka by brands including Levi’s, Asics, DKNY, and H&M among others.

Using the findings in its report, AFWA has filed a legal complaint in Bengaluru to request that H&M be held jointly liable for what it alleges were labour abuses at one of its garment supplier factories. AFWA argues that H&M had full control of the factory workers’ subsistence and continued employment. Many garment workers faced destitution when clothing companies cancelled orders last year due to the pandemic and they faced no work and no pay without a safety net.

One more retailer is moving away from physical stores to the online platform. US-based Gap Inc has pulled down shutters in the UK to become an online-only retailer, following the footsteps of contemporaries Debenhams, Topshop, etc.

Till 2008, Gap was known as the world’s largest fashion retailer. However, sales declined over the years as it sought to maintain an appealing mid-market product range at right price. As per Fashion Law, the retailer was challenged by growing competition from lower-priced retailers – such as H&M and Primark – and a spurt in online fashion startups.

Stiff competition and changing fashion choices induced downfall

Gap faced stiff competition not just from market leaders like Next, Amazon and ASOS but also smaller and more specialized retailers, such as ultra-fast fashion company Boohoo, Compelled to move online by the pandemic, these companies performed reasonably well during the pandemic. Boohoo acquired high street brands such as Dorothy Perkins and Oasis besides teaming up with several beauty brands.

Another disadvantage for Gap was the moving of younger consumers to social commerce where they could pre-purchase and buy garments and accessories, and engage in post-purchase chat and entertainment thereafter. Some of these consumers also bought fashion items from secondary market sites such as Depop and Vinted.

Gap also struggled to adjust to the online trading environment. The company was unable to cover the lockdown induced losses and considered a smaller player in the market.

Dissatisfactory store experience

Besides, COVID-19 impact and millennial consumers’ changing fashion choices, Gap also suffered from its inability to provide a satisfactory store experience to consumers. On the other hand, new market entrants attracted consumers with more focused and aspirational offers. They also explored augmented reality and virtual reality devices to personalize consumers’ shopping experiences.

Gap failed to address these trends in the UK market, and sales and marketing formula based on a broad range of clothing for all ages at reasonable prices also proved to be highly unsuccessful. The retailer’s high store rents and increased operating costs also prevented it from reinventing store and product offerings. Its move to online retail thus seems to be an ideal solution to the current crisis.

The deadline for submitting the second round of bids for purchase of sports brand Reebok from parent company Adidas, has been set on August 02. As per Women’s Wear Daily, Adidas hopes to complete the sale deal by the end of this year.

One of the potential buyers for Reebok includes brand management firm headed by Jamie Salter, the Authentic Brands Group. The group already controls the intellectual property of Shaquille O’Neal, the brand’s ambassador during the 1990s.

Another potential bidder for Reebok is WHP Global, the owner of the Joseph Abboud, Anne Klein and Toys “R” US labels, Headed by Yehuda Shmidman, WHP has received $350 million in equity commitments from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management

Other private equity firms on the short list to buy Reebok include Advent International, Cerberus Capital Management, CVC Capital Partners and Sycamore Partners.

Adidas bought Reebok for $3.8 billion in 2006 and the price tag now is expected to be around $2.4 billion. In its most recent earnings release on May 7, Adidas only said it has incurred costs of 60 million euros related to the intended divestiture of Reebok in the first quarter, and is reporting all income and expenses for the brand as discontinued operations.

Seamless knitting machine manufacturer Santoni has collaborated with Australian Wool Innovation, and a number of yarn and fibre specialists for two new cycling garment collections that demonstrate the full potential of Merino wool used in technical seamless performance apparel.

As per Textile Value Chain, the two cycling clothing ranges have been made using Merino wool yarns from Südwolle Group and Santoni. They offer modern cyclists greater comfort, durability, and performance.

AWI has also launched a range of women’s riding clothing. The set includes a cycling bib, shirt, arm warmers, and socks, resulting in a full, layered gear for maximum riding performance. To develop the collection, AWI collaborated with creative knitwear designer Studio Eva x Carola. It is created from Hildago yarn from the Südwolle Group 83% Merino wool, 17% Nylon knit and Nylon.

Studio Eva x Carola has designed a line of cycling apparel and socks. The short sleeve cycling jersey has a gradient yarn colour application, a closed mesh body for air flow, and a varied density for breathability. The socks are manufactured with Südwolle Group’s Wagin yarn, which is composed of 100% Merino wool of 17.5 micron knitted along with Nylon/Elastane core spun yarn.

AWI created the AWI cycling jersey and short in conjunction with the Hong Kong-based business Chemtax. The men’s seamless cycling clothes were knitted using Santoni’s Top2 Fast technology and a Merino yarn from Südwolle Group and Fulgar’s bio-based EVO yarn. This collection’s burst strength and abrasion resistance have been thoroughly tested.

Ahead of the peak season, Mark & Spencer (M&S) has launched group suit fittings service at twenty-five of its biggest stores.

As per Fashion Network, the new service includes walk-in styling sessions alongside new virtual options. It allows men to book a slot for suit styling and fitting, an option that wasn’t available pre-pandemic.

The brand also offers online consultation featuring video calls and virtual appointments with an “extensive” suit offer. These sessions take place with experienced M&S menswear staff and follow the successful rollout of video consultations for bra fittings and furniture shopping, it said.

Customers fill in a short form ahead of their appointment, allowing the fitter to prepare some options in advance “making the service seamless and convenient”.

As well as exploring different styles and trying on various options, customers are measured “so they can purchase with complete confidence that it’s the correct size”.

And while the service is centred around suits, it also gives the retailer’s online and in-store services the opportunity to introduce customers to more casual items alongside formalwear and how they can be dressed together.

Italian men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing retailer OVS topped the Transparency index scoring 78 per cent of a possible 250 points, an increase of 44 per cent compared to 2020. Compiled by sustainable fashion campaign group Fashion Revolution, the Transparency Index ranked 250 of the world’s largest fashion businesses. As per Textile Today, the companies were ranked on the basis of information disclosed about their sustainability practices.

This year, for the first time, OVS disclosed some of its raw materials suppliers. It was one of only two brands, alongside Patagonia, to publish data on the number of workers in the supply chain that had been paid a living wage.

H&M Group came in second scoring 68 per cent, then Timberland and The North Face which both scored 69 per cent. European fast-fashion retailers C&A and Vans both achieved 65%.

Gucci achieved a score of 56 per cent and is the first luxury brand to enter the index’s top ten since it launched in 2016.

A total of 20 brands received a score of 0 per cent, including surfwear brand Quiksilver, denim brand Pepe Jeans, and luxury brands Max Mara and Tom Ford.

Almost all of the 250 brands included in the index did not disclose the number of workers in their supply chain that have been paid a living wage. Around 96 per cent did not publish a roadmap on how they plan to achieve a living wage for all workers in their supply chain.

While 62 per cent of brands published their carbon footprint in their own facilities, 26 per cent disclosed this information at the processing and manufacturing levels, and 17 per cent at the raw material level.

A total of 18 per cent of the companies in the index published data relating to their order cancellations during the pandemic. Only 14 per cent of brands disclosed the percentage of discounts applied on previously agreed payment terms.