Digitization has entered the supply chain of the fashion sector.

This opens the door to new metrics, the simplification of processes and greater coordination with the rest of the actors. Digitization implies the incorporation of new systems in factories. Digitizing the supply chain implies accelerating personalization, traceability and transparency. One major digital challenge is traceability: the union of all points of an ultra-fragmented value chain. Traceability involves migrating to more flat and digitized chains that allow distribution groups to have control. Each of the links in the chain has to give value to suppliers, manufacturers, traders, purchasing agents and logistics. The data will not only help make internal measurements but also to unite different actors of the value chain.

Access to data and its management allows the relationship between the consumer, the brand and suppliers to be much narrower and more individualized. The idea is for brands to adapt their products to users who are looking for more and more specific information. Technology ensures macro to become micro without repercussion on speed or cost.

One of the technological pillars of this new model is the application of programming interfaces, systems connectors that exchange the information of a company with its suppliers.

Consumers the world over plan to switch brands if another brand acts more environmentally.

But the fashion industry is still far from sustainable. Fashion companies are not implementing sustainable solutions fast enough to counterbalance the negative environmental and social impacts of the rapidly growing fashion industry. Companies in the first quartile slowed in their trajectory this year due to increased challenges in scaling up proven measures into deeper tiers of their supply chains, in inventing and scaling transformative technologies and in achieving tangible results from collaborative initiatives. The required resources, capabilities, funding and advanced technologies in the aforementioned areas are not yet fully established.

Nevertheless, efforts are visible. Companies are investing in supplier relationships, supply chain traceability, an improved material mix and changes to their business model towards circularity. In the third performance quartile he largest year-on-year improvements were mainly driven by small mid-price and medium-entry-price players by adopting sustainable strategy development and governance, by setting targets in energy, chemicals and water savings, and by aligning association affiliations.

The fashion industry must overcome its roadblocks to achieve more substantial improvements that lead to a systemic change. Solving the challenges of scaling and innovating disruptive technologies is a necessity for future progress.

Bangladesh’s sweater manufacturers are switching over to an automated production system. The main purpose is to grab the growing demand for value-added items. Also because complexities over worker payments are being faced by the knits segment and automation is taking place. An automated jacquard machine is not only able to produce diversified and fashionable products, it can also fabricate critical designs, not possible with the manual ones. Though automation results in job loss, it increases productivity, helps produce more designed-based sweaters with embroidery and value-addition. While a manual machine costs $300 to $700 dollars, an automated jacquard machine ranges between $2,000 to $30,000. While a manual machine needs one operator and can produce a maximum of five pieces a day, an automatic machine, operated by a single operator, can produce about 30 pieces a day.

Bangladesh has about 786 sweater factories, employing around 7,00,000 workers. Sweaters are among the top five readymade garment exports of Bangladesh. Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans and waistcoats are the major items shipped to the European Union, the US and Canada. France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain and Poland are the major EU markets while Japan and Russia are the potential non-traditional markets for sweaters.

Versace, the fast fashion brand from Italy, plans to expand its store network across Asia with focus on China. The brand will soon open its largest ever store in China. It also plans to launch dozens of outlets every year, besides revamping all its old stores. The entire objective is to the increase the annual sales of the brand by two times and the opening of the biggest store in Beijing is one step in that direction.

Of its existing 188 stores globally, over half of them is in Asia alone, with China incredibly boasting 40 of them. The brand now plans to increase the number of global stores to 300 by the year 2022, and yet again the focus is on Asia. The brand will invest a lot on its marketing as it now plans to go beyond its apparel products and focus on accessories as well. Notably, accessories at present account for only 30 per cent of company’s sales, which Versace soon intends to increase to 60 per cent.

Emerging as a global textile hub with huge potential, India needs to develop man-made fibre to remain competitive in the global market. The country aims to be a $350 billion textile industry by 2025 The country also aims to increase its textile exports to around $100 billion from the current $40 billion. It will focus on quality and other aspects to improve its competitiveness in the global market.

For this, India needs to create trade barriers for China to prevent it from dumping cheap textile products into India. It needs to address the issue of being cost driven rather than innovation driven. It also needs to develop and grow man-made fibre to remain competitive in the global market.

In order for manufacturers to attain competitiveness, the concepts of Textile 4.0 need to be integrated with manufacturing excellence. There is a lot of emphasis on sustainability and the world is looking at factories to reduce the use of resources and water. Companies should also reduce carbon footprints. India should present itself as a competitive manufacturing nation.

PolyU, or the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has signed a collaborative agreement with Wuyi University, China to endorse and promote green and healthy textiles. The agreement states both PolyU and the Chinese university will invest in the research and development of green and healthy textiles for a period extending up to three years.

The collaborative deal will help the experts of both universities to introduce new dyeing and finishing technologies for fabrics in order to minimise or eliminate the ill-effects caused by fibers and its associated processes on environment. What makes the agreement stand out is the methodologies that the research will study to enhance the antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti fungal textile properties. The agreement would help PolyU in successfully developing the next generation of green and healthy fabrics.

BCI retailer and brands including Hennes & Mauritz AB, IKEA Supply AG, Gap Inc., adidas AG, and Nike Inc. sourced 45 per cent more Better Cotton in 2018 than in 2017. This enabled BCI to invest in training and support for an increased number of farmers.

In the 2017-18 cotton season, the organisation along with its 69 on-the-ground partners trained two million cotton farmers in 21 countries on sustainable agricultural practices. This drove the volume of more sustainably produced cotton available on the global market to a new level.

By 2020, BCI aims to train 5 million cotton farmers in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices and improving their livelihoods. To achieve this, it will focus on the diverse social, environmental and economic challenges faced by cotton farmers around the world, from drought in Australia to flooding in China and gender equality in Pakistan.

Gap has announced it will derive 100 per cent of its cotton from more sustainable sources by 2025. Cotton’s strong fibers are used in a significant portion of products across Gap Inc. brands, and its cultivation spurs economic opportunity by supporting livelihoods in many communities.

However, much of the world’s cotton is grown in areas where people have difficulty accessing clean water due to pollution and droughts – a situation further exacerbated by climate change. By sourcing sustainably farmed and sourced cotton, the company is supporting farmers who use water efficiently through better irrigation practices.

Gap’s commitment to sustainability includes sourcing Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton, and cotton that is organic, recycled, and verified American or Australian grown.Gap began sourcing Better Cotton in 2016. BCI is a long-term multi-stakeholder initiative that develops and promotes good farm practices, allowing more cotton to be grown while reducing water and chemical use and protecting both working conditions and biodiversity.

In BCI’s latest global ranking of top companies who source sustainably grown BCI cotton by volume, Gap Inc. ranked on the fourth position. The company also plans to conserve a total of 10 billion liters of water by the end of 2020.

"Pure London, the Festival of Fashion scheduled from July 21 to 23, 2019 at Olympia London, will showcase the S/S ’20 collections of new brands and designers. The event, alongwith 700 brands, will feature inspiring and educational content, talks and keynote speakers discussing topics including sustainability, the circular economy, social media and e-commerce strategies, new technology and retail innovations, and sustainable styling sessions."

Pure London, the Festival of Fashion scheduled from July 21 to 23, 2019 at Olympia London, will showcase the S/S ’20 collections of new brands and designers. The event, alongwith 700 brands, will feature inspiring and educational content, talks and keynote speakers discussing topics including sustainability, the circular economy, social media and e-commerce strategies, new technology and retail innovations, and sustainable styling sessions.

The Pure Conscious Section, with its focus on supporting and championing responsible fashion and sustainable brands, will offer the best in ethical fashion. Pioneers of ethical and sustainable fashion, People Tree alongside responsible brands including Ulsto, Komodo, Menestho, Mimush, AfterLife Project, Scarabaeus Sacer, and Raw Angel Apparel will display their offerings at the event.

Exciting new premium designers, and ready to wear women’s wear brands will include Didriksons, Nightporter, Magnolia Pearl, Valentina Poltronieri, Caraclan, Two Point Two, Yaaf London, Hera Concept, Lang N Lu, Concreto, and STAŠA, alongside favourites including Religion, Rino&Pelle, Thais & Stroe, Vilagallo, Bitte Kai Rand, POM Amsterdam, Thought, Pour Moi, Sofie Schnoor, indi & Cold, Moutaki, Soaked in Luxury, Nice Things, Onjenu, Yerse, Saint Tropez and Godske. After a successful first season in February, MOS MOSH returns with its sought-after collection of luxury jeans, tailoring, delicate tops, rugged jackets and fine leather garments.

The event will also feature accessories and footwear brands including: Decielis, iDeal of Sweden, Kookii B, and Fay Bijoux. Visitors will also see returning footwear and accessory favourites Bulaggi, CARA, Alpe, Ipanema, One Hundred Stars, Lemon Collections, Powder, Tilley & Grace, Belle & Flo, Eliza Gracious, Seeberger, Sence Copenhagen, Nour, Big Metal, Love Rocks, and Christina Brampti. Women’s ski label H. Holderness joins the Athleisure section alongside Cheekfrills, MilaVitsa, and NUX.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) have opposed the proposed tariff escalation for all US imports from Mexico. These organisations have sent a letter to the American President Donald Trump stating that raising tariffs on US imports from Mexico will hurt US workers. Currently, hundreds of thousands of American workers are deployed in production and other key value chains that depend on the North American trade partnership with Mexico, which is the market for half of all U.S. textile exports.

These planned tariffs will also disrupt and distract congressional passage of the pending U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a key administration priority. Besides, it threatens the country’s trade relationship with Mexico and the competitive advantage it offers in terms of thousands of American jobs in the apparel, footwear, travel goods, and textile industries.