One of the leading importers of apparels goods in the world, the US’ import knitted apparels however, fell from $48 million in 2019 to $38 million in 2020 due to the pandemic. US’ imports from China declined to $9million during 2020 from $14 million in 2019. One reason for this was the ban imposed by US on imports from China, says a Textile Value Chain report. However, despite the decline, China continued to dominate US’ apparel imports with a global share of 24.44 per cent. Vietnam was the second largest exporter of knitted apparels with exports worth $7 million in both the years with 19.38 per cent global share.

Knitted apparels imports expected to rise soon

US imports of knitted apparels from India declined from $2 million in 2019 to $1.5 million in 2020. The country had a 4.03 per cent share in global exports of knitted apparels to the US in 2019 and 2020. Apart from the top 10 countries, imports of knitted apparels from the rest of the world was $23.74 per cent which was less than China’s total share. Bangladesh share in US imports of knitted apparels was 4.39 per cent amounting to $1.6 million in both years. Though US imports of knitted apparels dropped during 2020, it is eventually expected rise with the pandemic under control.

China also dominated US imports of woven apparels in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, US imported woven apparels worth $12 million from China which declined to $10 million in 2020. The country’s imports from China amounted to 30.96 per cent of its total global imports of woven apparels.

Vietnam was the second largest exporter of woven apparels to the US with 17.51 per cent share and exports totaling $5 million each in both years. The third largest exporter was Bangladesh with imports worth $4 million and $3 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively. On the other hand, US imported woven apparels worth $2 million from Indonesia in 2019 and $1 million in 2020. The country’s share in US’ total imports was 5.22 per cent. India’s export to US mirrored Indonesia’s with exports of woven apparels worth $2 million in 2019 and $1 million in 2020, respectively.

Robust yarn making capacity boosts Bangladesh garment exports

In 2019, US’ apparel imports from El Salvador, Indonesia and Mexico declined but its imports from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Honduras, India, and Vietnam increased. In the first five months of 2020, US’ imports from Bangladesh amounted to 9.40 per cent of its total global exports, despite COVID-19 and the US-China trade war.

The country’s robust yarn making capacity helped boost garment exports. However, the country also lost garment orders worth $3.2 billion due to pandemic, reveals Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Manufacturers have currently requested upto 180 to 210 days to finish their orders.

As the textile and fashion sector is expected to drive West Africa’s economic recovery post COVID-19, key players are exploring ways to make the industry more sustainable. As per an Investorsking report, textile and apparel companies are adopting new and sustainable means of production. For instance, UK-based, Africa-focused online fashion retailer Jendaya has decided to shun plastic use and package goods in recyclable cardboards. The company has also decided to cut production to made-to-order clothes only. This will help reduce waste and manage inventory efficiently.

Promoters of made-to-order business models

Other African companies promoting made-to-order models include Nehanda & Co in Zimbabwe, Naked Ape in South Africa, Nkwo in Nigeria and Awa Meite in Mall. The companies are using natural materials in their garments. The model is also being supported on an institutional level by Fashionomics Africa, an initiative developed by the African Development Bank. Promoting the use of renewable materials and recycling clothes, the model aims to develop a sustainable textile value chain across the country.

Amongst other companies driving sustainable solutions across the West African textiles industry is the India-headquartered Arise. The company is constructing two textiles parks in Togo and Benin that will adhere to all environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards of production.

The textile park in Togo will process 100 per cent sustainably sourced cotton, under Cotton Made in Africa standards besides using 100 per cent renewable electricity, offsetting 20 tons of carbon emissions per day. It will also reuse 90-95 per cent of the water used during processing and comply with independent international certifications when it comes to dyeing and finishing fabrics.

Bhavin Vyas, Chief ESF Officer, Arise affirms, the textile industry in Africa needs to adopt responsible production models and fair labor practices besides ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. This will help the sector to boost economic growth in the region post COVID-19, he adds.

Driving future sustainable growth

In April this year, the government-led coalition, African Circular Economy Alliance, classified the African textiles and fashion industry as one the ‘Five Big Bets’ that could drive sustainable development in the continent in future. The continent mainly produces unprocessed cotton that is shipped to South and East Asia for processing. Every year, West African cotton-producing nations Benin, Burkina-Faso and Mali export 1.8 million tons of unprocessed cotton worth $922 million to these countries. This cotton is then processed and finished cotton textiles and apparels worth $2.4 billion are re-exported to West Africa.

To help West Africa reduce these processing costs, Arise’s textile park in Togo aims to convert 56,000 tons of cotton fibers valued at $73 million into apparels worth $1.5 billion. The project will also enable the company create 20,000 direct and 80,000 indirect job.

On the other hand, the Benin government has imposed a ban on 30 per cent of cotton lint exports by the 2021-end. This will it help boost production of domestic cotton garments. The ban will be further increased to 100 per cent of lint exports by 2023.

The International Woolmark Prize is teaming with American singer-songwriter Solange Knowles’ creative firm Saint Heron to highlight the work of this year’s six finalists in a digital format, which includes all visuals, website design and a fashion film being released Thursday.

Concepted by Knowles, the film “Passage” features a diverse cast of artists showcasing looks from Bethany Williams, Casablanca, Kenneth Ize, MattyBovan and The be Magugu, who were selected from more than 380 applicants from 55 countries.

The winners will be revealed June 10. The recipients of the grand prize and Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation will receive 200,000 and 100,000 Australian dollars, respectively.

A new prize, the Woolmark Supply Chain Award, will also be given to recognize the outstanding contribution by a trade partner and presented to a member of the supply chain.

This year’s finalists have received 60,000 Australian dollars funding to create a six-look merino wool collection with a “less is more” approach to celebrate slow and responsibly produced fashion and craftsmanship.

They have also been participating in a yearlong mentoring program from IWP’s innovation academy, which offers finalists access to 43 supply-chain partners and mentors, product development support, textile research and development, business and sustainability strategies.

Some of them help a designer enrich their brand’s digital journey, such as the virtual ready-to-wear design system Hologarment, which produces an interactive AR showroom experience, and Blue Bite, which empowers brands to create digital experiences out of their physical products.

Clovia has roped in Sharen Jester Turney, Former President and CEO, Victoria’s Secret as its new advisor.

As per Economic Times, Turney is currently a board member and advisor to several global retail and techology brands and philanthropic organizations. Her expertise and advisory roles span the globe including London-based Marks and Spencer, Gloria Jeans in Russia, Cosmo Lady in China, Sweden-based global brand Happy Socks, , and New Store Omnichannel platform in the USA, to name a few.

She was president and CEO of the global lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret for nearly two decades.

Women’s innerwear, loungewear, and personal care brand Clovia has been one of the key branded players in the Indian direct-to-consumer space, which has been scaling profitably on the back of extensive use of technology and data in all its business areas.

Turney will support the organization support across functions like business strategy, category expansion like personal care, market insights, strengthening of brand positioning and experience, and international expansion.

Rent the Runway is expanding into resale to enable customers to buy used designer clothes from the business in addition to renting them.

As per CNBC reports, customers will not require any membership to bu these clothes as Rent the Runway looks to broaden its reach and give shoppers more feasible entry points. Previously, only paying members were able to buy gently used Rebecca Minkoff dresses, Tory Burch tops and even Lululemon leggings from Rent the Runway, at a discount.

The launch comes as Rent the Runway is clawing its way back from the effects of the COVID pandemic. The company said that getting into the resale market offers another engine of growth and a fuller realization of our value proposition. It added that it has noticed twice as many customers self-reporting that they’re coming to Rent the Runway for sustainable fashion solutions, compared with 15 months ago, a sign that shoppers’ appetite to add secondhand apparel to their closets is growing.

With the launch, Rent the Runway positions itself as a closer competitor to already established resale marketplaces including Poshmark, ThredUp, TheRealReal and StockX. The latter, known for landing coveted sneakers, is expected to go public later this year. E-commerce marketplace Etsy plans to buy secondhand fashion app Depop for $1.62 billion

The total resale market in the U.S. will be worth more than $33 billion by the end of this year and is on track to top $64 billion by 2024, according to GlobalData.

Analysts say thrifting for clothing, accessories and home goods could be an even more compelling value proposition coming out of the health crisis, especially as Americans look to clean out their closets to make room for new styles, potentially in new sizes.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association has opposed discrete elements of California's Senate Bill No. 62 (SB 62) related to employment in garment manufacturing sector. Although well-intentioned, the bill, in its current form, would, among other things, impose unprecedented joint liability on businesses with no control over garment workers, AAFA said.

Though there are elements of this bill that AAFA supports, the brand guarantor provision, creating joint and severable liability, represents an extraordinary misunderstanding of who is responsible for the payment of workers’ wages and will worsen the situation of garment workers by creating an exodus of brands from California and subsequent job loss, the letter said.

Presently, all businesses engaged in garment manufacturing must register with the California labour commissioner and pay a registration fee. If a worker experiences aalabour violation, his employer as well as any manufacturer who contracts directly with the employer is jointly liable. SB 62 significantly expands this joint liability by creating per se joint liability between the employer, manufacturer and any other company in the garment supply chain, including licensors.

The bill, as currently drafted, does not recognise that brands or buyers may have little to no control over how a particular garment factory employer manages their payroll or enterprise finances. Further, any ‘brand guarantor’ would be liable for the worker’s entire wage claim, not only wages for time spent on garments related to their brand, adds Lamar.

Furthermore, the legislation includes intellectual property licensors, who do not issue purchase orders or set prices,he adds.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged retailers to ban alpaca wool altogether as Textile Exchange’s Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) fails to prevent animal suffering.

Laura Shields, Corporate Responsibility Manager, PETA says, Textile Exchange’s RAS was created in response to the animal welfare group’s undercover investigation allegedly showing workers hitting, kicking, tying down and mutilating pregnant alpacas. She says, though the RAS claimed to treat the animals responsibly and respect their freedom, it fails to protect the basic welfare of alpacas in substantial ways.

Textile Exchange refuted many of PETA’s claims, but did acknowledge others. It said in contrast to PETA’s claim, if farmers are responsible for transporting alpacas, they must meet the standards of transport within the Responsible Alpaca Standard. These cover all aspects of transport from the condition of the vehicle, loading the animals, space in transport and transport duration.

On pain relief, Textile Exchange said while there is no therapeutic currently licensed for alpacas, it is actively working on a project to address the limitations of licensed pain-relieving products for all fiber animals across the countries where these are not available through the work with our stakeholders on the Animal Fibers Round Table.

Munich Fabric Start has cancelled fabric show View Premium Selection, scheduled to be held on July 13 and 14, 2021.The show has been cancelled due to the Bavarian government extending the current ban on events beyond July 14, 2021. In line with the Bavarian Ministry of State's decree, the organizer now wants to focus on planning Munich Fabric Start from August 31 - September 02, 2021, as well as Bluezone from August 31 to September 01, 2021, affirms Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director, Munich Fabric Start.

The organizer’s aim is to present the familiar exhibitor portfolio at MOC Munich for the Fabrics, Additionals, Bluezone, Keyhouse, Design Studios, Sourcing, ReSource and Sustainable Innovations segments at Munich Fabric Start. Also at Bluezone, visitors can expect the proven spectrum of international denim weavers and manufacturers at the Zenith Areal, together with the newly staged innovation hub Keyhouse.

In April 2021, Pakistan’s textile and apparel exports increased 231.2 per cent year-on-year but declined 1.3 per cent month-on-month, and rose by 17.4 per cent compared with that in same period of 2019. As per the CCF Group report, Pakistan’s export of knitwear, bedding and towels rose 238.2 per cent, 181.9 per cent and 308.4 per cent in volume respectively compared with the same period of last year. Compared with the same period of 2019, the export volume increased by 36.5 per cent, 24.7 per cent and 12.9 per cent respectively, indicating that the above three have recovered to the pre-pandemic level, and even achieved double-digit rises.

However, Pakistan’s apparel, cotton yarn and cotton fabric exports declined in varying degrees by 18.4 per cent, 17.6 per cent and 84.5 per cent respectively, indicating that the above three have not yet recovered, among which the export of cotton fabric had a larger decline.

From the perspective of cumulative exports from January to April, compared with the same period in 2019, total export volume of textile and apparel increased by 17.1 per cent, in which the cumulative export volume of knitted fabrics, bedding and towels rose by 31.6 per cent, 20 per cent and 14.3 per cent respectively while that of apparel, cotton yarn and cotton fabric dropped by 21.1 per cent, 2.8 per cent and 81.2 per cent respectively.

Leading flat knitting solutions provider Shima Seiki Mfg has confirmed its participation in ITMA Asia +CITME 2020 exhibition along with Hong Kong subsidiary Shima Seiki (Hong Kong). As per Knitting Industry reports, the exhition will be held at the national Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, later this month. The theme of the exhibition will be ‘Step Beyond’ through which Shima Seiki will present its vision of the future, besides addressing a variety of solutions in factory automation, digital transformation (DX), and various online solutions.

One of Shima Seiki’S exhibits will include the wholegarment knitting machines; MACH2XS which features the proprietary four-needle bed and Slideneedle technology combined with spring-type moveable sinkers and i-DSCS+DTC Digital Stitch Control System with Intelligence and Dynamic Tension Control, and capable of all-needle knitting of wholegarment items.

The other machine to be exhibited includes the MACH2VS, a flexible V-bed machine capable of knitting Whole garment knitwear using every other needle, or conventional shaped knitting using all needles. It also features spring-type moveable sinkers and i-DSCS+DTC Digital Stitch Control System with Intelligence and Dynamic Tension Control. MACH2VS is presented in ultrafine 18 gauge with auto yarn carriers as a prototype option.

ITMA Asia will also launch the next-Generation 4-bed whole garment knitting technology in the form of SWG-XR which adopts the SWG moniker from the first-generation whole garment knitting machine introduced back in 1995. The ‘X’ represents 4 needle beds arranged in an X- shaped formation as per the original SWG-X machine, while ‘R’ stands for Reborn and Revolution Shima Seiki will also showcase three new online services at ITMA Asia. These include APEXFiz subscription-based design software; yarn bank digital yarn sourcing web service; and Shimanavi e-learning service.