The next edition of World Fashion Convention will be held in Pakistan, November 12 to 13, 2019. This will attract global apparel industry leaders and is an unique fashion industry event, bringing the topics that matter and the speakers that count under one roof with both the supply and demand side of the fashion industry.

Previous editions were held in Istanbul, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Porto, Shanghai and Maastricht. This year, Pakistan was chosen as the host because it has a significant textiles and apparel industry and because the potential for further growth is large following an important improvement in the safety situation in the country. The convention draws on an average 300 delegates usually coming from over 20 countries.

The event is organized by the International Apparel Federation (IAF), the only global federation of its kind representing apparel associations from 60 countries, representing over 1,50,000 companies. The IAF convention caters to apparel industry leaders from across the supply chain, from all continents. The convention will show many inspiring examples of a smarter apparel supply chain. Top speakers from across the globe will cover the width of the supply chain, from raw materials to apparel sourcing and from production to retail trends. On top of that, the convention will provide an excellent opportunity to meet the global industry in one location.

American children with disabilities have clothing specially made for them.The aim is to make the clothing industry more inclusive of children with disabilities. These clothing have features such as sensory-friendly and wheelchair-friendly options. The product development teams take great care in thoughtfully designing features for ease and functionality.

Asos offers a rainbow tie-dyed waterproof jumpsuit engineered for those who use a wheelchair for mobility. The jumpsuit was designed with input from Chloe Ball-Hopkins, a Paralympian. Target has introduced such apparel to its assortment for toddlers as well as children with disabilities. Zappos has launched a similar line. Kohl’s will debut clothing for disabled children in its three biggest children’s brands.

Adaptive clothing, as it is called, can be very expensive, and Target keeps prices down by leveraging fabric that it has in production as well as making large quantities of clothing. Target also debuted Halloween costumes such as a princess costume that has a wheelchair cover that has a carriage-like appearance. The retailer took in insights from shoppers as well as organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind and Pageant of Hope, which has beauty pageants for children who have disabilities, when it launched its adaptive line.

The world economy will expand by just 3.3 per cent this year, says the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Global markets remain vulnerable to shocks in confidence or sentiment this year.

The main reason is the US’ trade battle with China. The US has imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, and China has responded in kind by targeting US exports. As well as reducing trade between the two countries, this has also damaged confidence and made companies worldwide more wary. Other problems include a surge in oil prices.

When oil prices rise, the economy takes a hit because firms and consumers have to pay more for the fuel and therefore have less cash to spend elsewhere. The European car market has stumbled, too, with sales slumping 7.9 per cent in June compared to a year earlier. Huge numbers of customers are abandoning diesel due to fears over the amount of pollution it causes. Car manufacturing is hugely important to the European economy. The damage done has been felt particularly keenly in Germany, where growth is expected to be just 0.5 per cent this year. In the developing world, the collapse of Venezuela's economy and a currency crisis in Turkey have also caused damage.

World cotton production next year is expected to be five per cent above last year.World cotton mill use is forecast to resume its growth after a 1.3 per cent decline last year. Global cotton consumption is projected at 2.6 per cent above last year. Mill use is projected to increase in each of the leading raw cotton spinners, with China accounting for nearly one-third of the world total. Cotton production projections for the major-producing countries are mixed, with the increases more than offsetting the decreases. World cotton harvested area is forecast at 3.5 per cent above this year.

Global cotton production continues to be concentrated in a few countries. The top five cotton-producing countries are forecast to account for more than 78 per cent of total production. India is forecast to be the leading producer, contributing to 23 per cent of global production. India is projected to produce 29 million bales of cotton, nine per cent above last year. Area under cultivation is forecast to be unchanged.

China and the United States are projected to account for 22 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. Brazil is expected to contribute ten per cent and Pakistan six per cent. Pakistan’s crop is driven by higher area and a nearly unchanged yield.

Materials Show will be held in the US, August 6 to 7, in Portland, Ore. and August 14 to 15, in Willmington, Mass. Buyers, designers, and thought leaders in the footwear industry can mix, mingle and source material and components. The semi-annual Materials Show is one of the most forward-thinking trade expos in the industry. Footwear designers seek out inspiration for upcoming seasons, and buyers source the practical components, textiles and processes they need to turn those designs into reality.

The event is designed to position attendees and exhibitors at the forefront of what’s happening in the footwear industry. This is the only event in the US focused on helping professionals better understand current and emerging materials and development at an in-depth technical level.

Attendees will participate in sessions led by suppliers and professors with decades of material expertise. Materials and innovation leaders from top footwear companies will discuss current trends, challenges and best practices. Attendees can tour textile development labs, learn about new materials, and explore how to better manage cost and quality issues. Presentations will explore key socio-cultural and aesthetic influences uncovered through extensive research and summarize the mindsets, desires, societal pressures, and other factors brands should expect to see exerting a force on the market in three or five years.

Consinee is China’s largest spinner and exporter of cashmere yarn. Using advanced manufacturing techniques, Consinee has a full-range of ready-to-wear and luxury cashmere yarn capabilities.

The company produces and sells nearly 10,000 tons of high-grade yarns and fabrics annually, including cashmere and other natural raw materials, of which 100 per cent cashmere yarn exceeds 2,000 tons, accounting for 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the world’s pure cashmere raw material production. Founded in 1999, the group is the only large textile yarn manufacturer in China that uses a new imported automation assembly line. In 2017, Consinee, in cooperation with Siemens, became the only enterprise in the textile industry to build a fully intelligent digitization system served by unmanned aerial vehicles. Among Consinee’s customers are Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Max Mara, Chanel and Hermès.

This is the first textile company in China to introduce a recycled production line from Italy. Currently, Consinee sustains two raw material production lines imported from Italy that produce 400 to 500 tons of high-grade natural recycled yarns annually. Consinee is also the first enterprise to advocate conscientious caring for animals and protection-pasture plants. It serves as one of the sponsors of ICCAW, the international cooperation committee for animal welfare.

In view of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), India is looking at different arrangements to give the minimum tariff cuts to Chinese goods and delay the concessions by as many years as possible.

India has considered duty cuts on Chinese goods over a maximum 25 year period. Industries like steel, copper, textiles, aluminium, engineering, pharmaceuticals, leather and food have expressed fears about Chinese dumping. While the textile industry has sought protection of cheap manmade fiber imports from other RCEP members, the auto industry wants 28 sensitive automotive tariff lines to stay on the negative list for all member countries. The aluminium industry wants aluminum and its articles in the negative list or the exceptions to products they want to open up for imports under RCEP and the copper association has sought zero duty on copper ore and concentrate to prevent an inverted duty structure.

RCEP is a regional trade agreement spanning the ten Asean countries and the group’s six free-trade agreement partners — Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, South Korea and India. Though talks on seven of the sixteen chapters of the agreement are complete, the key areas of goods, services and investment are still being negotiated. India wants to know the number of years various industries need to give zero duties to imports from RCEP countries especially China.

A report from the US Fashion Industry Association lists, rising production and sourcing costs and protectionist trade policies have emerged as the fashion companies' top business challenges in 2019. According to the survey, the number of companies holding a positive five-year outlook dropped from 84 per cent in 2018 to 64 per cent in 2019.

The report also noted around 83 per cent of the respondents to the survey plan to reduce their sourcing from China. Only 6.7 per cent of respondents plan to "reduce sourcing significantly" however, demonstrating the continued business value of maintaining a presence in China. Half of the respondents said their Chinese vendors lowered prices in an attempt to keep from losing customers to Vietnam, currently the alternative manufacturing country of choice.

According to the report, during 2018, American fashion brands and retailers paid more than $12 billion in tariffs on apparel and home textiles and another $3 billion on imported footwear. In spite of these costs, the effect on US reshoring has been negligible. The trade war has increased the production costs of textiles and apparel 'Made in the USA,' and to cover these costs these brands will have to increase their prices.

Domestic demand for cotton in Iran currently stands at 120,000 to 130,000 tonne per year in Iran. Around 50 per cent of this, 60,000 tonne -65,000 tonne are expected to be produced domestically as the country aims to become self-sufficient in cotton production within the next six years.

As reported by Fars News Agency, around 86,880 hectares have gone under cotton cultivation this year, which is a 23 per cent increase year-on-year.

The main provinces producing cotton in Iran are Golestan, Khorasan Razavi, Ardabil and North and South Khorasan.

Iran was once an exporter of cotton, besides meeting its own domestic demand. But the situation changed, as land under cotton cultivation in the country declined by 75 per cent from 300,000 to 70,000 hectares during 2001-16.

Japanese firms are scaling up investment in Vietnam’s textile and garment sector. Japanese company Matsuoka produces casual apparel in Vietnam to be exported to Japan and China. Matsuoka Corporation first set foot in Vietnam in 2014. It mainly produces apparels for Uniqlo to be exported back to Japan. The company has chosen Vietnam for capital injection and production expansion in recent years to take advantage of the opportunities anticipated to be brought by new-generation free trade agreements such as the EVFTA and the CPTPP. Matsuoka has three plants in Vietnam with one more coming up. The firm’s medium-term business plan intends at minimising its dependence on China by nearly 50 per cent by March 2021 by shifting its focus to Vietnam from China, where production costs are on the rise.

With around 30 plants in operation, Sakai Amiori, another Japanese company, has opened an export apparel production plant. The plant finished construction in April 2017 and now sees stable production and exports.

The influx of foreign direct investment continuing to flow into export-oriented sectors like textiles and clothing has the dual benefits of helping to boost the sector’s capacity and turning Vietnam into a global manufacturing base.