ICGTITD 2020, the international conference on global textile industry and textile design aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of the global textile industry and textile design. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of global textile industry and textile design.

ICGTITD 2020 has teamed up with the Special Journal Issue on global textile industry and textile design. According to this alliance, a number of selected high-impact full text papers will be considered for the special journal issues. All submitted papers will have the opportunity to be considered for this Special Journal Issue. The paper selection will be carried out during the peer review process as well as at the conference presentation stage. The final decision for paper selection will be made based on peer review reports by the Guest Editors and the Editor-in-Chief jointly. Selected full-text papers will be published online free of charge.

As per China customs, in June 2020, China's exports of uncombed polyester staple fiber declined 43 per cent year-on-year to 48,600 tonne while imports increased by 33.6 per cent to 17,400 tonne. In the first half of 2020, China’s exports declined 32.5 per cent to 334,000 tonne while imports declined 1.6 per cent to 98,400 tonne.

Imports from Vietnam reached 19,196 tonne in 2019. In Jan-Jun, 2020, imports from the country reached 8,400 tonne. Imports from Thailand tripled in 2019 compared to 2016, to 45,000 tonne during the Jan-June period, its imports reached 24,913 tonne.

China’s imports from the whole Southeast Asia reached 43,754 tonne during Jan-Jun 2020 while the country improted 98,390 tonne in 2019. Imports from The African market has also gradually risen in recent years. Especially in 2018-2019, some domestic production lines have also been transferred to Africa. Shandong Shenrunfa transfered its 17kt/year capacity to Nigeria, Guangdong Junfu’s 40 kt/year capacity to Nigeria and Guangdong Sanlong’s 20kt/year to South Africa.　

In 2020, China aims to increase its imports from Ethiopia. In June, the country imported 98 tonne of uncombed polyester fiber from Ethiopia.

According to the US Department of Commerce, US apparel imports from China dropped from almost 30 per cent in value to 20 per cent in the first half of 2020. The erosion of the Chinese position in the US fashion supply chain partially reflects growing tensions, as American fashion firms are forced to reduce their exposure to Chinese suppliers in response to the trade war, Coronavirus pandemic and deteriorating bilateral relations.

A survey by the United States Fashion Industry Association, which polled 25 executives from leading fashion companies in the second quarter, found while most imported from a mixture of countries, including China and Vietnam, 29 per cent said they sourced more from Vietnam this year. Concerns over forced labor within the clothing manufacturing industry in China’s far western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been the latest obstacle holding back US imports of apparel and other textile goods from China.

Worsening ties between the US and China has also accelerated the move of Chinese manufacturers and exporters to shift some productions out of China to nearby countries to take advantage of lower labour costs and avoid American import tariffs. While US fashion firms have been reducing their reliance on Chinese products for several years, it will remain a key base for sourcing in the near future, particularly after the coronavirus pushed many firms to cut costs dramatically. Around 70 per cent of respondents to to survey expected to decrease their sourcing from China through 2022.

US’ apparel imports from NAFTA countries, Canada, Mexico fell by 38.22 per cent on yearly basis during the first half of 2020, according to OTEXA. These apparel imports were valued at $1.16 million during the period. However, as markets in the US picked up from late May this year, the US’ imports from these two countries increased by 90.65 per cent in June ’20 over May ’20.

US’ apparel shipments from Mexico totaled $1 billion falling by 37.21 per cent on Y-o-Y basis during H1 2020, while in June ’20, Mexico’s shipments grew by over 90 per cent to $179.46 million garments. On the other hand, Canada apparel’s shipments grew by 87.78 per cent growth in June ’20 to $19.63 million while the country fell in its apparel shipment by 43.91 per cent on yearly note in January-June ’20 period.

Many Asian workers working for suppliers to global fashion brands retailers including Hennes & Mauritz, Topshop and Gap, have allegedly received only partial or no wages at all in the three months ending May, according to a report by labor union alliance Clean Clothes Campaign. The average worker in the 50 million strong Asian supply chain for garments has lost about a fifth of pay, representing roughly $5.8 billion in unpaid or lost wages, says the data gathered by the group.

When pandemic lockdowns hit Europe and the US, many of the world’s largest retailers demanded heavy retroactive discounts or refused to pay for orders, as they struggled to sell clothes and revenues slumped. Reports of workers’ pay being withheld began in February, after the pandemic broke out in China and severely hampered the flow of textiles, zippers, buttons and other accessories used in the Asian garment industry. As per Christie Miedema, Clean Clothes Campaign, things worsened after this as Bangladesh manufacturers lost out on more than $3 billion in payments for clothes already produced or sourced, according to the BGMEA.

In March, nearly 1million Bangladeshi garment makers were sent home without any pay at all, with suppliers reporting that the vast majority of buyers refused to contribute to severance pay. In some parts of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the average garment worker made roughly half of normal pay in the three months ending May.

Excluding China, where workers have access to more support from the government, garment workers in Asia have seen their pay drop by more than a third, representing roughly $3.2 billion in unpaid or lost wages, the report found.

Organizers of Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW) have unveiled its new digital platform, CPHFW72H, designed to stream this season’s 72 hours of shows, talks, and events.

The spring/summer 2021 edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week will feature 32 shows and presentations including Ganni, Stine Goya, Holzweiler and Rixo, kicking off with a digital show from Swedish brand Whyred aired at 10 am CET on Monday, August 10, while Henrik Vibskov will officially close fashion week with a physical presentation to be live streamed on August 12.

All showcases, whether physical, digital or a combination of the both will be presented on Copenhagenfashionweek.com , where organizers have stated that they have shared a “no rules dictating show format” and that has resulted in a range of pre-produced and live presentations – including adapted runway shows, presentations, films, exhibitions, and installations.

Brands scheduled to hold a physical catwalk show, presentation, exhibition or event, include Berlin-based MalaikaRaiss, sustainable Danish fashion brand Designers Remix, Mark Kenly Domino Tan, activewear label 7 Days Active, Copenhagen-based Soulland, Ganni, Danish designer Soeren Le Schmidt, luxury ready-to-wear label Munthe, Samsøe and Samsøe, Danish designer Stine Goya, Rains, Remain Birger Christensen, Copenhagen-based Lovechild 1979, Baum und Pferdgarten, Danish sustainable fashion brand Skall Studio, Helmstedt, menswear label Mfpen, Bestseller brand Selected, By Malene Birger, Henrik Vibskov and Copenhagen-based outerwear brand Saks Potts.

Copenhagen Fashion Week is quick to stress that while it is able to host physical events, this edition of fashion week will “naturally be adapted in compliance with the COVID-19 health and safety measures.

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered massive job losses, especially for women, in the readymade garment sector of Bangladesh, says an information note by the WTO.

On account of future order cancellations and customer refusals to pay for current orders, more than a million garment workers in Bangladesh have already been dismissed or furloughed, indicate recent surveys, underlined the WTO of which, orders received by garment manufacturing units in Bangladesh declined by 45.8 per cent over the first quarter of 2020.

Titled ‘The effects of COVID-19 on Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector’, a box item in the information note pointed out that there was a marked effect on employment subsequent to contraction in demand and order cancellations. Around 81 per cent contraction was experienced in April alone.

Further, an information note, titled ‘The economic impact of COVID-19 on women in vulnerable sectors and economies’, maintained that subsequent to order cancellations and temporary closure of retail shops, many garment manufacturing units in countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia had to shut down operations thereby causing substantial job loss.

Organizers of Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW) have unveiled its new digital platform, CPHFW72H, designed to stream this season’s 72 hours of shows, talks, and events.

The spring/summer 2021 edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week will feature 32 shows and presentations including Ganni, Stine Goya, Holzweiler and Rixo, kicking off with a digital show from Swedish brand Whyred aired at 10 am CET on Monday, August 10, while Henrik Vibskov will officially close fashion week with a physical presentation to be live streamed on August 12.

All showcases, whether physical, digital or a combination of the both will be presented on Copenhagenfashionweek.com , where organizers have stated that they have shared a “no rules dictating show format” and that has resulted in a range of pre-produced and live presentations – including adapted runway shows, presentations, films, exhibitions, and installations.

Brands scheduled to hold a physical catwalk show, presentation, exhibition or event, include Berlin-based MalaikaRaiss, sustainable Danish fashion brand Designers Remix, Mark Kenly Domino Tan, activewear label 7 Days Active, Copenhagen-based Soulland, Ganni, Danish designer Soeren Le Schmidt, luxury ready-to-wear label Munthe, Samsøe and Samsøe, Danish designer Stine Goya, Rains, Remain Birger Christensen, Copenhagen-based Lovechild 1979, Baum und Pferdgarten, Danish sustainable fashion brand Skall Studio, Helmstedt, menswear label Mfpen, Bestseller brand Selected, By Malene Birger, Henrik Vibskov and Copenhagen-based outerwear brand Saks Potts.

Copenhagen Fashion Week is quick to stress that while it is able to host physical events, this edition of fashion week will “naturally be adapted in compliance with the COVID-19 health and safety measures.

Coats, the world’s leading industrial thread company has launched Coats Armoren™, a range of cut protect yarns engineered for both protection and comfort in gloves and which offers game-changing solutions to the hand safety industry.

Coats Armoren uses a pioneering engineered yarn technology developed by Coats that incorporates cutting edge innovation for hand safety. New generation stretch fibres and high quality core yarn coverage create laser-fine gloves that are comfortable and have ultimate tactile dexterity. The proprietary helical core construction provides the power of extreme cut resistance; multi-risk and arc flash protection; and high contact heat resistance – even at fine knitting gauges.

Armoren Ultracut has proprietary reinforced core constructions to meet extreme laceration hazards. Armoren Ultralight has extra-soft fibres engineered which provide yarns for laser-fine knitted gloves that offer ultimate dexterity and protection.

Also being brought under the Coats Armoren range are two existing products. Armoren X13 incorporates the latest fibre and spinning technology to provide superior cut resistance and high durability. Armoren X14 has a special fiber blend with cooling technology that wicks moisture and reduces body heat.

Fashion giant H&M has suspended a few of its employees for using racist language to describe the name of a hat to be sold at stores of its & Other Stories brand.

In 2018, the Swedish company was forced to apologize for an advert that was perceived as using racist language.H&M acknowledged that it had challenges with the diversity of some of its own teams.

It said it would also take further measures including specific targets for boosting diversity in its major markets by the end of 2020 and the creation of an external advisory council to consult on its business direction.

H&M's & Other Stories has 70 stores in 17 markets in Europe, the United States and Asia.