The Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme will enhance competitiveness of apparel exporters and boost outbound shipments, says A Sakthivel Chairman, AEPC. The scheme is the backbone of policy support for the industry and will restore industry competitiveness and positive sentiments for achieving higher export targets.

The scheme will help the sector, which has been hit hard by the lockdowns, global depression in demand, increasing defaults due to bankruptcies and huge increase in logistics and transactional costs, regain its position in the global markets.

Although the year so far has seen double digit declines in exports during April (-91.04 per cent), May (-66.19 per cent), June (-34.84 per cent) and July (-22.09 per cent), this scheme will be an important milestone in changing the export trends, Sakthivel said.

Innatex, the international trade fair for sustainable textiles, witnessed 20 per cent less brand participation compared to the previous editions. Organized by Muevo, the show was held from September 5 to 7, 2020 in the Rhein Main Wallau Exhibition Center in Hofheim am Taunus, Germany. It was attended by brands such s Wunenwerk, Vaude and Genesis who were able to acquire new clients at the fair.

Recycling and up-cycling were the most important trends at Innatex. The fair showcased backpacks made of PET bottles by Gotbag, swimwear made of plastic waste by Boochen and clothes in bohemian style by Souldaze

One of the prominent exhibitors at the fair included Dutch label Blueloop Originals which focuses on the recycling of denim. With a consistent recycling concept and its own development of the material Denimcel, the label aims to make the recycling of jeans as common as that of glass.

Tiffany has filed a suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery to compel LVMH to abide by its contractual obligation and complete the planned $16.2 billion acquisition of the American jeweler. Tiffany noted the deal has taken longer than initially expected and concerns have been growing in some quarters that LVMH was slow walking the process of obtaining regulatory approval. According to the brand, COVID-19 pandemic has not prevented other dealmakers from making antitrust filings and that, of the 10 biggest transactions announced since the beginning of the fourth quarter, this is the only deal that hasn’t been formally filed for antitrust approval in the European Union.

The Tiffany deal, secured before the world was upended by COVID-19, was seen as giving LVMH a tighter grip on the lucrative high-end jewelry segment. Combining the financial firepower of the world’s largest luxury group with the iconic American house — known globally for its robin’s egg-colored packaging and classic engagement ring settings — was seen as creating a more robust competitor to the leading jewelry label Cartier, which belongs to Compagnie Financière Richemont.

GII Apparel Group anticipates its revenues to decline between 28 per cent and 33 per cent during the second half of the year, compared with the same period in 2019. The manufacturer and retailer, parent to brands like DKNY and Donna Karan , reported a 54 per cent loss to $297 million in first quarter. The group’s revenues from its Wilsons Leather and G H Bass businesses declined to $19.7 million for the quarter, compared with $53.6 million during the same period a year earlier.

The company — which also includes Vilebrequin, Eliza J, Jessica Howard, Andrew Marc and Marc New York in the greater portfolio, in addition to fashion licenses under the Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan, Guess, Vince Camuto, Levi’s and Dockers brands — lost nearly $15 million as a result, compared with profits of more than $11 million a year ago. That’s on top of more than $39 million in losses from the quarter before that.

The losses included about $25.6 million in lease termination fees, severance costs, store liquidation expenses and legal fees, among other things, as a result of the 110 Wilsons Leather and 89 G.H. Bass store closures, which commenced during the quarter.

To help cut costs, the company refinanced its balance sheet, extended the maturity of its revolving credit facility and term debt to 2025 and reduced SG&A expenses by approximately 40 percent in the most recent quarter, or $16 million. The 20 percent staff reduction will also lead to roughly $22 million in annual savings.

G-III ended the quarter with nearly $253 million in cash and equivalents and about $409 million in long-term debt.

Fashion resale platform Vestiaire Collective is spearheading a new ‘Sustainable September’ campaign in Hong Kong, which encourages consumers to opt for second-hand clothes only this month. Similar to Oxfam’s #SecondhandSeptember, which the charity reignited this year to influence more considered apparel purchases, Vestiaire’s campaign has teamed up with environmental charity EcoDrive to slow the cycle of fast fashion.

With pre-loved items from influential figures in Hong Kong to be resold on Vestiaire’s online platform, a portion of the proceeds will be funneled through to EcoDrive. All board members of EcoDrive, along with various other sustainable fashion advocates in the country, have agreed to donate pre-loved fashion items for resale, as to broaden the offering on Vestiaire’s platform.

Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) continued to increase cotton sales floor price after active transaction in August, while reducing discounts and restricting trading volumes. This move is reducing CCI's cotton price advantage, and weaking sales in September. According to CCI announcement, the average floor prices of CCI's cotton stocks on September 7 was Rs 35,340 per candy for 2018/19 cotton and Rs 36,600 per candy for 2019/20, which are all increased by Rs 100 compared to the price announced on September 1.

There will be maximum quantitative ceiling of 2 lakh bales per day and total sale of 10 lakh bales in a cotton season to any single buyer for sale of cotton bales. A discount of Rs 300/- per candy in sale rate will be given to MSME spinning mills, KVIC Units & Co-operative Spinning Mills. However, there will be a quantity limit of 15,000 bales in a cotton season for this segment (excluding KVIC/Government Mills).

Bangladesh, which reported recorded breaking apparel exports in July, fears set-backs in August that could cost garment worker jobs.

Bangladesh’s native news outlets reported a record-breaking export high of $3.91 billion in July. Brands and retailers, that had shunned payments to suppliers for goods in-production at the height of the pandemic, aim to rebuild bridges by sourcing in vast quantities once more.

On a large part, Bangladesh’s garment manufacturing exports rely on to boost the economy, accounting for 84 per cent in total. Though there’s been a collective sigh of relief over the past month, it’s feared hard times may be yet to come.

Rooting out workers' rights abuses in the fashion industry is easier said than done. Time and again brands have pledged to guard workers against human rights abuse but failed to deliver on their promise. Last month, the US imposed sanctions on some Chinese companies for violation human rights. Similarly, regulators forced Dov Charney’s Los Angeles Apparel to close after hundreds of workers fell ill with COVID-19.

However, these incidents defy the idea that the fashion industry can stop worker exploitation on its own. Labor abuse is a complex, opaque and multifaceted issue that requires a bigger and bolder commitment to ethical sourcing. The current system fails to weed out the problem as it is based on corporate codes of conduct enforced by private audits and certifications. As per a new research from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relation, current audits are based on unreliable or falsified information. There is no evidence of their validity. Hence, the industry needs to introduce a government supported audit system.

Offer better prices

A report by the UK House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee says, buying practices of e-commerce players, including Boohoo, compel UK manufacturers to pay illegally low wages. In their search for best prices, brands often shift to geographies that offer fewer worker protections. Hence, brands, governments, manufacturers need to play an equal role in driving change.

The pandemic has increased union busting. However, it has also increased initiatives that give workers a bigger voice. The Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT) initiative formed by 20 major brands in collaboration with IndustriALL Global Union aims to form collective bargaining agreements to secure minimum living wages in key manufacturing countries. Brands participating in this agreement have to ensure that they offer sufficient prices to support the pay increases, and their suppliers allow unions and freedom of association.

While such initiatives show promise, not many participate in them. Boohoo has consistently failed to participate in industry efforts to address working practices in Leicester.

Encourage transparency

Fashion Transparency Index’s latest report shows, the industry remains opaque about their social and environmental policies and practices. Though the 250 companies covered in the report are transparent about their policies and commitments, they do not demonstrate any real outcome. Hence critics believe, brands monitor their supply chains only if they are penalized for defaulting. Laws intended to protect workers are often ignored as brands are rarely held accountable for labor abuses in supplier factories.

In UK, allegations around poor working conditions in Leicester have sparked calls to provide authorities with more powers to enforce labor rights. In lieu of this, the European Union plans to introduce mandatory human rights due diligence legislation in 2021.

The luxury industry’s shift to sophisticated menswear has been halted by the pandemic and the industry is retreating back to streetwear and casual wardrobes. Though small luxury menswear brands are sticking to menswear, large brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton are balancing customized garments alongside streetwear.

COVID-19 has led to casualization of fashion, says Sarah Willersdorf, Global Head-Luxury, Boston Consulting Group. Ayako Homma, Beauty and Fashion Consultant, Euromonitor International points out, decline in sale of customized menswear will be more pronounced post pandemic as people will continue to work from home.

In 2020, sale of menswear declined 16 per cent from $438 billion in 2019 to $369 billion in 2020, while sales of sportswear-inspired apparel declined 6 per cent to $77 billion. From April to May, demand for hoodies increased 33 per cent, as per global fashion search platform Lyst. Similarly, demand for baseball caps increased by 49 per cent quarter-on-quarter, while that for trainers by 267 per cent quarter-on-quarter.

Since February, men’s fashion is polarized with luxury and streetwear styles outperforming mid-range items, says Willersdorf. This bifurcation of sales will continue in future, as high and low-end items are more protected during economic recessions.

Timing category expansion with care

The pandemic warns menswear brands against chasing trends. These brands can expand into categories like tailored suits. However, they need to be careful about the timing of this expansion. CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up Reese Cooper focuses on core styles, including T-shirts and outerwear, to drive growth. His brand hits categories that it knows will work. It launched its own e-commerce store in March.

Currently, designers are focusing on collaborations to make the most of the challenging moment. Chinese designer Feng Cheng Wang has reduced her inventory volume and focuses more on popular styles. During the lockdown, she launched a capsule collection of hoodies, T-shirts and caps made from previous season’s deadstock. The collection enables her brand to test consumer appetite for different items. Wang eyes more such collaborations with accessible streetwear labels to reach broader consumer bases during these times of increased price sensitivity.

Meanwhile, Craig Green launched a collection of T-shirts and hoodies with streetwear label Champion. The collection was planned pre-Covid-19 but it’s gone on sale at an opportune moment. Champion, which aims to be a $2 billion brand by 2022, is seeing healthy demand during the pandemic, says CEO Joseph Monahan.

Focus on comfort rules menswear demand

With global trends influencing demand, the evolution of menswear largely depends on the current market situation. As Wang says, the Chinese market is still keen on logos and ostentatious streetwear styles. There is desire for flashy logos in this market, says BCG and Altagamma research

However, amidst the battle between streetwear and tailoring clothing, customers are looking for a compromise. Though menswear is returning to tailored clothing, it now aims to focus on the comfort factor also. To bridge this gap, Ami aims to introduce relaxed tailoring in comfortable fabrics and silhouettes, like its popular carrot-fit pant, made from wool with a lowered crotch.

And as Laura Leeb, Director, PwC Strategy& Austria and author of the company’s ‘Streetwear: The New Exclusivity’ report says, combining tailoring and streetwear allows fans to take a more customized approach to luxury. The future of luxury menswear will be a hybrid of both tailored and streetwear styles, sums up Willersdorf.

Despite a slight uptick in July, US imports of blue denim apparel declined by 35.26 percent to $1.08 billion in the first seven months of 2020 compared to a 37.82 percent decline in the first half, according to new data from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA).

Importers have spent most of this period in the throes of an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Most denim brands and retailers have said they have focused on working off inventory stuck in warehouses and stores, while curtailing import orders.

Carlos Alberini, CEO, Guess Inc, said in reporting second-quarter results that the company focused on “optimizing inventory management,” ending the period with inventories down 13 percent compared to last year.

PVH Corp, owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger Jeans, said it continues to tightly manage its inventory, which decreased 12 percent as of the end of the second quarter from the prior-year period. As of the end of fiscal 2020, the company is projecting to carry approximately $125 million of basic inventory into Spring 2021, which is a reduction compared to the prior projection of approximately $250 million.

The result has been a major decline in imports from top producing countries, with every Top 10 supplier except Vietnam and Cambodia registering decreases in year-to-date shipments. The United States’ No. 1 supplier, Mexico, saw its jeans imports fall 53.04 percent in the period to a value of $227.09 million.