The Pakistan-based textile mill Soorty recently achieved one gold certification and one core certification status of its business from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), making it the first company to attain this status in the country across all sectors.

Equipped with innovative water recycling plants, Soorty reuses the majority of water consumed during everyday operations. The minimal waste that’s produced is then treated so it’s classified as drinkable water before it makes its way back to land.

The company also carries a gold certification from Cradle to Cradle for its Pure D fabric, which is made using proprietary Zero Waste Water dyeing technology, and was an early adopter of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project, a universal framework for circular denim production. When Soorty joined in 2019, the organization extended its guidelines requiring fabric mills to implement ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) wastewater guidelines, including testing and reporting, and to produce no more than 0.025 cubic meters of wastewater per yard.

More than 500 global brands have committed to using the latest version of the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), a value chain sustainability assessment tool released today by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and its technology partner Higg. Walmart; Patagonia; Nike, Inc.; H&M; and VF Corporation are among the companies that will use the Higg BRM over the next two years to gain a deeper understanding of their own operations and their value chain practices with the goal of improving social and environmental impacts and working together to fight the climate crisis.

Starting today through June 30, SAC member brands and retailers have the opportunity to use the Higg BRM to self-assess the social and environmental sustainability performance of their 2020 business and value chain operations. Then, from May to December, companies have the option to verify their self-assessments through an approved third-party verification body.

One of the five Higg Index sustainability measurement tools, the Higg BRM enables evaluation of the social and environmental impacts of brands across a wide range of business operations, from packaging and transportation of goods, to the environmental impact of stores and offices and the well-being of factory employees. The assessment measures 11 environmental impact areas and 16 social impact areas. Through the Higg sustainability platform, companies of all sizes can uncover opportunities to improve their supply chains, from lowering carbon emissions, reducing water use, and ensuring supply chain workers are treated fairly.

Stoll plans to organize a webinar on March 22, 2021 through the online platform of Fashion Council Germany on the topic of digitalisation and sustainability in STOLL flat knitting.

The FCG is the patron to strengthen the German fashion and design landscape for a visionary, technological & sustainable future in a global market. It represents the interests of fashion "designed in Germany". Founded in January 2015 in BerlinItpromotes German fashion design as a cultural and economic asset and supports young designers from Germany. In addition to the promotion of young designers, special attention is paid to education, sustainability and fashion technology as well as to the promotion of cross-disciplinary dialogue and networking. Against this background, the Council carries out essential lobbying work in politics, business and culture, strives for visibility and emphasises the global relevance of fashion design and Germany as a fashion location at home and abroad.

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government has invited Vietnamese players to invest in the textile sector and offered incentives like easing tax compliance for setting up MSME units in the state, schemes like One District One Product (ODOP) for the organizations that wish to invest in the state.

Addressing a virtual event India-Vietnam Trade and Investment Connect, NavneetSehgal, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME of the state said that UP has liberalised the policies and brought many changes in the ecosystem with various potential growth areas for tie-ups.

The event was jointly organised by the Indian Industries Association (IIA) and Embassy of Vietnam in India.

This virtual meet made entrepreneurs aware of the opportunities and scope of investment for expanding their business in Vietnam which will help them to make their presence in the global market.

Organised by environmental NGO Redress with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor, the Redress Design Award has partnered with VF Corporation and its Timberland brand for its 11th edition

The Timberland prize partnership forms part of a wider long-term strategic relationship between the Redress Design Award and VF. This is the third cycle of collaboration working to drive meaningful change among the future leaders of fashion through education, which forms the backbone of the programme, with over 50,000 individuals worldwide having benefitted from educational content and activities throughout the competition’s history. The partnership will also include a design challenge for all ten finalists later this year plus collaboration on key content around circular design in action for the Redress Design Award 2021 open access LEARN platform.

The first prize winner of the Redress Design Award 2021 will join VF Corporation’s Timberland team to collaborate on a design project, and will have the opportunity to work closely with VF’s Sustainability & Responsibility team to gain exciting insights from across the supply chain from sourcing to product development, while deepening their skills and understanding around sustainable production and marketing.

In addition to this career-boosting prize, the first prize winner will be awarded HK$50,000 (US$6,400) as development funding. The Runner-up and Hong Kong Best winners of this cycle will also each receive HK$15,000 (US$1,900) as development funding – a first in the Redress Design Award’s history – among other notable prizes.

The online application for the Redress Design Award 2021 is open until 15 March 2021 for emerging designers around the world with less than four years’ professional experience. Thirty semi-finalists will be announced on 22 April and then the ten finalists on 13 May. The finalists will show their collections in Hong Kong in early September 2021 at the livestreamed Grand Final Show, and winners will be announced.

Associated with Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), this year’s Commonwealth Business Forum will be held in Kigali, Rwanda from June 22-24, 2021. As per Business of Fashion, members of the Commonwealth Fashion Council such as Omoyemi Akelere, Founder, Lagos Fashion Week, Claudia Lumor, Founder, Glitz Africa Magazine and the Glitz Style Awards, and Sheena Frida from the Kenyan Fashion Council will hold panel discussions on re-thinking pan-Commonwealth cooperation.

As a part of the forum’s program on global economic recovery, which spans issues such as supply chain disruptions and digital infrastructure, one session will be dedicated to the future of the textile industries in Commonwealth economies that were severely impacted by the pandemic.

Companies focused on the fibre to fabric supply chain as well as apparel, footwear and textile manufacturers such as Hussain Mills, Ravi Spinning Mills, MAS Holdings, Brandix, Hirdaramani Group, KAD Manufacturing, Shasha Denims, Nishat Group, Ha-meem Group, DBL Group and Plexus Cotton will attend the forum from across the Commonwealth coutnries.

Rwanda is one of 19 African members of the Commonwealth. Despite a recent trade dispute with the US and a fashion manufacturing sector that is significantly smaller than some of its neighbours on the continent, Rwanda has earmarked the development of the apparel and textile sector as a priority for exports.

Pakistan may allow cotton imports from India through land route as prospects of gradual restoration of bilateral trade ties have brightened the new ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control. As per a SRTEPC report, the issue of cotton shortfall has already been brought to the notice of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who also holds the commerce ministry. Once a principled decision is taken, a formal order will be presented before the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet.

India and Pakistan issued a joint statement on Thursday to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the LoC and other sectors after the hotline discussions by their Director Generals of Military Operations. As per reports, the trade ties between both the countries can help minimize cost of production in Pakistan and ensure sustained food supplies.

There is a minimum shortfall of six million bales and Pakistan has so far imported roughly 688,305 metric tonne of cotton and yarn, costing $1.1 billion, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. There is still a gap of about 3.5 million bales that needs to be filled through imports.

Due to shortage of cotton and yarn, the users were compelled to import them from the United States, Brazil and Uzbekistan. However, imports from India would be far cheaper and would reach Pakistan within three to four days.

France’s Vestiaire Collective has launched a new €178 million ($ 216 million) financing round backed by Kering and US-based Tiger Global Management. Kering now has roughly 5 per cent stake in Vestiaire Collective. The group aims to seize this opportunity to enhance the value it offers customers and influence the industry towards more innovative and sustainable practices.

Besides Kering and Tiger, the latest funding includes a number of illustrious names including Max Bittner, CEO, Vestiaire Collective, Bpifrance (Large Venture), Condé Nast, the Eurazeo Group, funds managed by Fidelity International, Korelya Capital, Luxury Tech Fund via LTF & Cuir Invest and Vitruvian Partners.

Vestiaire Collective, the pre-owned fashion sector has clocked in rapid growth over the last three years with a further acceleration during the pandemic. This has been predominantly driven by younger consumers' increased focus on sustainability and a growing trend for social shopping and online communities. The company itself has enjoyed a powerful growth curve. Founded during the 2008 crisis, the model has clearly demonstrated its ability to continue to thrive during challenging conditions.

As per the Manufacturing Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) ‘Report on Business’, the manufacturing purchasing manager’s index (PMI) for January declined by 1.8 per cent to 58.7 percent. Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 16 reported growth in January, including apparel, leather and allied products, and textile mills. Thirteen reported growth in new orders in January and two reporting a decline in new orders, including textile mills.

The Production Index registered 60.7 per cent in January, a 4 per cent decline from the prior month but indicating growth for the eighth consecutive month. An index above 52.1 per cent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board’s Industrial Production figures.

Twelve industries reported growth in production during the month, and two reported decreased production, including textile mills. The delivery performance of suppliers to manufacturing organizations was slower in January, as the Supplier Deliveries Index registered 68.2 per cent. This is 0.5 percentage point higher than the 67.7 per cent in December. A reading below 50 per cent indicates faster deliveries, while a reading above 50 per cent indicates slower deliveries.

Seventeen industries reported slower supplier deliveries in January, led by apparel, leather and allied Products and including textile mills.

The Inventories Index registered 50.8 per cent in January, 0.2 per cent lower than December. Inventories grew for a fourth consecutive month after three months of contraction. An Inventories Index greater than 44.5 per cent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis figures on overall manufacturing inventories.

The seven industries reporting higher inventories in January were topped by textile mills. Seven industries, including apparel and leather, reported no change in January compared to December.

At the 15th Annual Conference of the China Textile Roundtable Forum hosted by the China National Textile and Apparel Council, Gao Yong, Party Secretary and Secretary-General, China National Textile and Apparel Council, stated that despite the pandemic’s impact, Chinese textile industry grew as it benefited from online sales, intelligent manufacturing and stable supply chain.

GaoYoung said, the Chinese textile industry can develop further during the 14th Five-Year Plan period by strengthening independent innovation of cutting-edge technology, brand and fashion soft power, green development leadership, control ability of international supply chain, etc., strengthen the advantages of the manufacturing system, and solve the shortcomings of the industrial chain supply chain.

According to Shan Zhongde, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering and President, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China needs to promote research and development of intelligent high-quality textile equipment, improve efficiency, performance and digital level, truly realize automatic perception, intelligent decision-making, and automatic execution. At the same time, actively develop service-oriented textile manufacturing and promote personalized customized production models.

As per China Textile, the country’s textile and apparel exports grew 9.6 per cent in 2020 to $291.22 billion. The total volume of textile industry declined year-on-year, but benefiting from online sales, intelligent manufacturing and stable supply chain of the industrial chain, the textile industry still has outstanding performance in the operation:

Domestic textile market recovered in the second half of last year. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the year-on-year decline in retail sales of clothing, footwear, hats and knitted textiles of enterprises above designated size gradually narrowed from more than 30 per cent at the beginning of the year to 7.9 per cent in previous November.