The Australian Human Rights Commission has released new human rights guidelines for the apparel and footwear industry in Vietnam in partnership with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The guidelines aim to support businesses in understanding some of the key human rights challenges in the apparel and footwear industry and how to appropriately respond.

Vietnam’s apparel and footwear industry accounts for nearly 20 per cent of exports and employment of approximately 2.5 million people. The industry faces many challenges related to realization of human rights, particularly following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines were developed under the ‘Advancing Responsible Business Conduct’ Project, collaboration between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Commission. The program is supported by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) reports, nearly $5 billion worth of Vietnam’s exports to the EU benefited from preferential tariffs under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The MoIT said FTAs have helped the country achieve fast and sustainable exports, gradually reducing its dependence on single or certain markets. Certificates of origin have helped it achieve about 32-34 per cent of annual export revenue benefit from preferential treatment under FTAs, showing that Vietnamese businesses and goods are increasingly tapping into concessionary tariffs in the markets having FTAs with the country

As per the MoIT, from August 1, 2020, when the EVFTA took effect, to April 4 this year, authorized agencies and organizations in Vietnam granted about 127,300 sets of the certificate of origin form EUR 1 for nearly $4.8 billion of exports to the 27 EU countries.

Besides, enterprises shipping goods to the EU also conducted self-certification of origin for more than $10.88 million worth commodities to utilize preferential tariffs. The beneficiary items were mainly footwear, aquatic products, textile-garment, farm produce, and electronic products, the MoIT said.

Organizers of textile and garment technology exhibition, ITMA expect the 2023 edition of the exhibition to be as successful as the 2015 edition held in Milan. They have expanded R&D efforts to launch new machines at the upcoming exhibition. It also aims to conduct face-to-face interactions with its customers and partners, says Beat Meienberger, CEO, Benninger AG/

The organizers aim to profile their products more prominently besides launching innovative solutions in warp knitting, flat knitting, warp preparation and digitalization. CEMATEX, the industry

ITMA is attended by decision-makers from the world's top textile and garment producers and leading brand owners to gather market intelligence and forge collaborative partnerships. ITMA 2023 will set the stage for the world’s top manufacturers of textile and garment technologies to unveil exciting innovations to a global audience across four key pillars; advanced materials, automation and digital future, innovative technologies and sustainability and circularity.

Gerber Technology has upgraded its software offerings AccuMark® Product Family and CutWorks which will help manufactuers reduce costs and optimize the manufacturing process. Gerber’s latest software releases will enable manufacturers to handle price rise by making processes more transparent and traceable. It will help them reduce errors, improve sustainability, increase material utilizations via a unique nesting algorithm and reduce costs.

Gerber’s CutWorks software is designed to be customized based on business needs. The software accepts pattern data in a variety of formats and turns it into a cut job for a cutter. The V13 release of the software focuses heavily on improving nesting engines, maximizing precision with enhancements to ManualNest and offering more visibility into the supply chain. CutWorks allows companies to design to cost faster and without error. Gerber will offer enhanced training to ensure all operators are able to get up to speed quickly.

Gerber has enhanced its AccuMark product range includes AccuMark, AccuPlan™ and AccuNest™, The newest release focuses on adding more integration and automation for a streamlined, CAD to cut room workflow that seamlessly connects with your ERP system and other tools you’re already using. With the latest version of the AccuMark Product Family, manufacturers will not only accelerate time to market but also improve quality, reduce errors and provide better control over their final product. The latest version of Gerber’s cut planning software, AccuPlan, and automated nesting software, AccuNest, boost productivity by as much as 80% and offer an average fabric saving cost of 1.5 percent.

The Pakistan government has refused monetary compensation for the cotton sector for export orders it booked on the presumption that Pak Rupee would further depreciate against the US dollar. Government said, the consequences of their decisions need to be borne by commercial entities themselves.

Some VAS representatives recently met Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce Textile and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood to seek compensation for their losses. These representatives contended that they did not book the rupees in advance presuming rupee depreciation would continue. However, the unprecedented depreciation of the US dollar and appreciation of Pak Rupee from 165 to 152 has inflicted loss to the VAS exporters.

The VAS representatives also complained about non-availability of yarn. The officials said that they have been told that not yarn availability but prices have been the bone of contention all along. The officials said All Pakistan Textile Manufacturers Association (APTMA) has already refused to support the VAS demand for monetary compensation for the loss it sustained due to its commercial decisions and its stance on the availability of yarn.

The official said that according to APTMA, all-time high cotton prices in other countries resulted in increasing yarn prices. Currently Indian markets are temporarily having excess yarn due to COVID-19 as last year their exports fell significantly. Indian merchants are willing to sell their inventory at lower prices. Despite this, APTMA has never demanded the government allow import of cotton from India. It believes that the policy on the acquisition of non-operational/ sick/ in-troubled units will address the yarn shortage by adding 1,000 tons per day or 30,000 tons per month due to the addition of 600,000 spindles to operational capacity.

Dario Nardella, Mayor, Florence has urged the Italian government to hold the 100th edition of Pitti Uomo Show physically as it would symbolize the restarting of the Italian economy. As per a Spin-Off report, the in-person edition of Pitti will also mark a restart of all the physical trade shows in Italy, which would obviously respect all security protocols.

Other show and organization mangers such as Claudio Luti, President, Milan Design Week, Antonella Mansi, Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana; Claudio Marenzi, President, Pitti Immagine, and Marino Vago, President, Sistema Moda Italia, have also Nardella’s requests for physical shows.

Nardella also urged the government to change the scheduled dates for the next edition of Pitti Uomo from the current June 15-17 to mid-July. This will give buyers and companies a greater chance of attending the show in Florence, he said.

Raffaello Napoleone, CEO, Pitti Immagine has also agreed to Nardella’s proposals. The time for preparing the men’s show are very tight. The show has its times and costs as buyers need time to arrive from China and Japan also, he said.

Jeanologia has launched its first Road to Mission Zero collection in partnership with Cone Denim. The collection showcases authentic, sustainable options from fabric to finish. The collection will launch at the upcoming Kingspins 24 show.

Cone Denim Mills and Jeanologia will present the first Road to Mission Zero collection, on the Earth Day at Kingpins24, a collection where heritage, sustainability and innovation are present from the fabric to the finish.

The collection has been developed across a full range of sustainable finishes, with a wide scale of wash levels, nice high and lows done with atmospheric finishing and keeping the authenticity of the traditional stone washed look. By integrating Jeanologia technologies and using them as part of the denim eco-system, we can eliminate highly inefficient and hazardous practices and create amazing denim and jeans without sacrificing denim’s authentic look and iconic soul.

Since 1994 Jeanologia’s mission has been to create an ethical, sustainable, and eco-efficient industry through its disruptive technology and know-how. Their laser, G2 ozone, e-flow, Smart Boxes and H2Zero, have revolutionized the textile industry. The company offers infinite design and garment finishing possibilities while saving water, energy, and chemicals, eliminating discharge and toxic emissions. Over 35 per cent of its 5 billion jeans produced worldwide every year are made with their technologies, and the biggest market brands place their trust in Jeanologia, using technology developed by the company.

Fashion Week Istanbul was launched today as virtual four-day event featuring 30 established and upcoming designers, including Dice Kayek and Zeynep Tosun, who have all produced short films to showcase their collections.

This season the biannual event is being relaunched by the Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association (IHKIB), under the leadership of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Trade, after ending their ongoing partnership with Mercedes-Benz.

The fashion event is also being supported by the Turkey Promotion Group (TTG), the Fashion Designers Association (MTD) and Istanbul Fashion Academy (IMA) established under Turkey Exporters Assembly (TIM).

Organizers are looking to introduce Turkish designers and brands to a global audience, as they look to transform Turkey as an important hub in the global fashion industry, beyond its current identity as a leading apparel and textile manufacturer. It hopes to accelerate this through the creation of a Turkish Fashion Council, to not only nurture local talent but to help develop partnerships to drive forward the Turkish fashion industry.

On the opening day, New Gen by Istanbul Fashion Academy will place the spotlight on five young talents, Aycan Hakalmaz, Ezgi Yildirim, Beyza Eyuboglu, Avishan Daneshfar, and Essin Baris, followed by fashion films from Mehmet Emiroglu, Ceren Ocak, Niyazi Erdoğan, Nedo by Nedret Taciroğlu, Tagg, Lug Von Siga and Dice Kayek.

Other designers taking part includes Çiğdem Akın, Cihan Nacar, the Museum of Fine Clothing, Hakaan Yıldırım, Hatice Gökçe, Mehtap Elaidi, Meltem Özbek, Mert Erkan, Murat Aytulum, Nej, Nihan Peker, Özgür Masur, Özlem Kaya, Özlem Süer, Sudi Etuz, Red Bears, Tuba Ergin, Tuvanam, Y Plus, Zeynep Erdoğan, and Zeynep Tosun.

Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) plans to increase its production capacity to 600,000 tonne to meet the strong growth potential of viscose staple fiber (VSF) and strengthen its market position in Indonesia and export markets across the region.

The additional capacity will be achieved through improved optimization and efficiencies, and by adding 300,000-tonne viscose production facility in Pangkalan Kerinci – Riau, Indonesia where APR is co-located with sister company and fiber supplier APRIL Group.

The expansion will utilize APRIL’s current rayon grade AE pulp capacity from existing pulp production lines, with fiber supply sourced from APRIL’s existing responsibly managed renewable fiber plantations in compliance with internationally recognized forest certification standards and its sustainability policy and in keeping with the recently announced April 2030 commitments and targets.

Construction of the additional APR production lines is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2021 and will include features such as a chemical recovery process upgrade, slush-pulp processing installation and other investments aimed at reducing APR’s energy use and environmental footprint. Upon the additional lines’ completion in 2023, APR will be the world’s largest single-site integrated viscose manufacturing facility, seamlessly integrating dissolving wood pulp from APRIL’s renewable fiber plantations.

In the webinar titled ‘The Perfect Storm: Future-Proofing Your Fashion Business’, Michael Ho, Marketing & Brand Partnerships Manager, Zalora, described 2020 as a year of expansion. The webinar was a part of the three fashion-related webinars hosted by the Online HKTDC International Sourcing Show recently. Ho said, as consumers were unable to travel during the pandemic, sales at most brand stores plummeted. This encouraged brands to scout for new sales channels. Zalora offered an attractive choice for such brands as it enabled them to cover losses from lack of physical sales but also increased average order frequency to 3.3 times a year.

Focus shifts to safety and comfort

The pandemic also forced industry leaders and consumers to shift focus from aesthetics to safety and comfort, said, Edwin Eeh, CEO, Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) at a webinar tilted ‘What's In for Fashion: Sustainability is the New Normal?’ Consumers have also become more discerning about the materials used in their apparels and the production process, added Eeh. He advised all organizations to introduce practical innovations that can be adapted to the marketplace.

Humanity and morality to define future trends

Separation and loss experienced by many people in 2020 will define future fashion trends, pointed out Michael Leow, Marketing Head-Asia Pacific, Fashion Snoops at the webinar ‘The Visionary Fashion Trends: Lifestyle and Retail’. Leow explained, the four key trends for Spring/Summer 2022 will all be related to the restoration of humanity and morality. The first of this theme will be ‘Essential’ focusing on the emerging simplicity in people’s choices. The second theme ‘Nourish’ will focus on the well-being of consumers; the third ‘Liberte’ will reflect on their desire to be free from the pandemic induced restrictions while the last theme ‘Rebirth’ will focus on brands’ commitment towards environment and fair trade practices.

Matching customers’ requirements

To succeed, brands need to match their products with consumers’ tastes, said Jaana Jatyri, CEO, Trendstop, a trend and consumer taste forecasting agency. Jatyri predicts the industry will lose 50 per cent business and jobs in the next five year and advised fashion suppliers to use trend data to understand latest colors, prints and graphics, materials, shapes and detailing. This will ensure brands produce only items that consumers prefer buying and prevent avoid unwanted products from being dumping into the landfills.

In all, the Online HKTDC International Sourcing Show hosted a total of 17 webinars attended by over 60 industry luminaries.