Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, inaugurated its new Global Competence Center for Automotive & Synthetic Dyeing in Korschenbroich, Germany. The site is part of former M. Dohmen, an international group specialising in the production of textile dyes and chemicals for the automotive, carpet and apparel sectors that Archroma acquired between 2014 and 2018. It will continue to operate as a specialist production and laboratory facility specialising in dyes and auxiliaries for synthetic fibers and wool, such as the Dorospers®, Dorolan® and Fadex® ranges.

The center will be a global hub for technical expertise, market knowledge, technology and creativity. It will strive to create the new innovative and sustainable system solutions that its customers need to win on their markets. Its exceptional combination of global experts, R&D laboratory and production will help manufacturers of automotive and synthetic textiles to optimise their productivity and create value in their markets.

Experts of the new Archroma Global Competence Center for Automotive & Synthetic Dyeing will participate in the upcoming Techtextil exhibition to introduce the latest of its innovations: Fadex® AS New, a new “super UV protector” to make automotive & transportation textiles more resistant to light.

"To exploit its dominance in cotton production, Turkey now plans to develop colored cotton. The country will produce two completely natural and colored cotton known asx‘sarı gelin’ (yellow bride) and ‘gelincik’ (poppy). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to produce fabrics by using both natural and colored cotton as they do not need to be dyed."

To exploit its dominance in cotton production, Turkey now plans to develop colored cotton. The country will produce two completely natural and colored cotton known asx‘sarı gelin’ (yellow bride) and ‘gelincik’ (poppy). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to produce fabrics by using both natural and colored cotton as they do not need to be dyed.

The ministry recently collaborated with a textile company for the mass production of the coloured cotton developed by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM). This company will produce in an area of 25,000 sq. mt. in 2019, and that after 2020 production with a more extensive contract will be established. As this cotton is natural, it does not have a carcinogenic effect, is environmentally harmless, organic and important for children’s clothing.

Saves water, energy, chemicals and time

The naturally colored cotton was produced in India, Pakistan, Egypt and Peru in B.C. 2700. The colors and shades of this cotton vary according to the climate and soil characteristics of the cultivation area. Its most common tone is yellowish brown. These cottons are either naturally derived from colored seeds or produced by breeding studies of universities and institutes.

Naturally colored cotton refers to brown and green cotton in different shades. As these cotton fibers do not need to be dyed, they eliminate the use of water, energy, chemicals and time spent for dyeing. They also prevent waste and pollution reducing the dyeing and finishing cost by almost half.

Market continues to grow

The fastness values of colored cotton are similar to those of the white cotton. The spinning of this cotton also demonstrate similar good values. Also, the color of this coloured cotton takes longer to fade after washing. It is therefore, considered as a value-add to the original white cotton.

The market for colored cotton market continues to grow with important researches being conducted on seeds and fibers across the world. Various universities and institutes have also introduced important studies in the field of colored cotton. For example, the Nazilli Cotton Research Institute produces colored cotton. Its patent for Nazilli DT15 type buff naturally colored cotton was obtained in 2005.

Another point working on colored cotton production in Turkey is Kahramanmaraş. After a long period of research, the production of colored cotton in this region began in the early 2000s with the Eastern Mediterranean Passage Agricultural Research Station Directorate and the Kahramanmaraş University Department of Agricultural Engineering with the production of three-different colors of cotton. Another institute that carries out studies on this subject is the Çukurova University Agricultural Engineering Department.

Total cotton production increased to 502,000 hectares in the 2017/18 season in Turkey. Cultivation of cotton, which was 2 million 100,000 ton in 2016/17 season, increased to 2 million 570,000 ton in 2017/18 season. For the 2018/19 season, it is estimated to be around 2 million 200,000 tonne over 525,000 hectare.

BGMEA has invested around $ 4 billion to ensure workplace safety and occupational health. Around 80 green garment factories currently in operation in the country are completely LEED-certified, and additional 300 are in the process of getting the certification. The inspection of Accord and Alliance has helped remediate garments factories and prompted factory owners to emphasise on workplace safety.

As per provisional data by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh exported RMG worth $ 28.49 billion during the July-April period of the current financial year. This was 12.59 per cent increase from $ 25.30 billion worth of RMG exported during the same period of the previous fiscal year. Growth was mainly attributed to its value added products, government policy support, capacity enhancement and completion of 90 per cent of the factory remediation work set by Accord and Alliance.

Of the total export earnings by the apparel sector, knitwear products earned $14.08 billion, which is 12.32 per cent higher than the $12.54 billion earned during the same period of FY2017-18. Woven products earned $ 14.40 billion, up by 12.85 per cent from the earning of $12.76 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year. Specialised textile sector grew by 36 per cent to $125 million from $ 92 million, while the home textile products declined by 3.74 per cent to $723.60 million.

Gilden Activewear, a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel recently purchased a sizeable land in Bangladesh for its project to develop a large-scale vertically-integrated manufacturing unit in South-east Asia. The company’s plan includes development of a large multi-plant manufacturing complex including two large textile facilities and related sewing operations. Once fully operational, this complex is expected to provide capacity to service over $500 million in sales.

Over the next 24 months, the company plans to construct and develop the first textile facility at the complex. Initial production at the facility is expected to start in the latter part of 2021. With the completion of the land acquisition in Bangladesh for approximately $45 million in cash, the company has updated its capital expenditure projection to be approximately $175 million compared to its previous guidance of $125 million. Consequently, free cash flow generation for 2019 is now expected to be in the range of $300 to $350 million compared to $350 to $400 million previously.

Statistics from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reveals, the textile and apparel industry (T&C) in Indonesia grew significantly to 18.98 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, compared to the 7.46 per cent growth registered during the same period last year. Production of large and medium manufacturing industries (IBS) in the first quarter of 2019 rose by 4.45 percent compared to the same period last year.

The increase in IBS production was sustained by the production of the apparel industry sector which skyrocketed to 29.19 percent due to the abundance of orders, especially from the export market. High growth in the textile industry occurred mainly due to the existence of substantial investment in the upstream sector, especially rayon producers. This can be seen from the operation of PT Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) in Riau at the end of 2018, with an investment of Rp11 trillion. The plant adds a production capacity of 240 thousand tonne per year, half of which is oriented to the needs of the export market.

In addition, increasing supply from upstream also encourages performance to the downstream and intermediate industries, so that cumulatively the industry gets more excited. The control policy on imports carried out by the government since February 2017 also led to a decline in imports which reached 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2019. Production also increased due to the support provided by various vocational education and training activities conducted by the Ministry of Industry.

Louis Vuitton owner LVMH will soon launch a new fashion brand with singer Rihanna. The brand-Fenty - after the "Umbrella" hitmaker's full name, Robyn Rihanna Fenty - will build on the singer's existing joint venture in cosmetics with LVMH to offer a full range of clothing, shoes and accessories.

Known for her bold fashion statements at red carpet events, Rihanna had already worked with other labels including sportswear brand Puma on collections under the Fenty name. These included pastel-coloured sneakers with large bows and cropped hoodies. The singer has collaborated with shoemaker Manolo Blahnik and has a lingerie range called Savage X Fenty.

Fenty Beauty, launched under LVMH's umbrella in September 2017, had reached nearly €500 million ($562 million) in sales by the end of 2018. Analysts attribute its success to an offering that included a very wide range of skin tones, catering to a more diverse audience than many make-up brands historically had.

A report by consultancy BCG reveals, even though fashion brands improved their environmental and social impact in 2018, their progress is slower than in the previous year. The report measured brands’ efforts to make and implement various commitments such as reducing carbon emissions and water use, boosting the use of sustainable materials, and paying fairer wages.

Fashion companies across the price spectrum, from fast-fashion giant H&M to luxury outfits such as Gucci owner Kering SA and LVMH, have announced new commitments on sustainability in recent years. Consumers and regulators alike are increasingly concerned about the costs of the fast-moving industry, whose carbon emissions are estimated to be more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Outcry over some of the industry’s most visible excesses — such as high-end players destroying unsold stock to prevent selling at steep discounts — have led brands such as Burberry Group Plc to ramp up efforts on recycling and reusing materials. Kering is looking for ways to make raw materials such as cotton and cashmere more traceable so that it can impose more rigorous standards on its suppliers.

Surging demand for fashion — led by developing countries particularly China — means these changes are not enough to reduce brands’ environmental impact in absolute terms. One reason for slow growth is that many smaller bargain brands, as well as companies producing clothes sold informally in street markets, are yet to take steps on improving sustainability.

The Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), has urged the government to revive a 2004 law on tropical fabrics that has not been implemented for more than a decade now. Also known as Republic Act 9242, the 2004 law required the government to use Philippine tropical fabrics—such as from abaca and pineapple—for the uniforms of government officials and employees.

The implementation of the law is only a baby step toward reviving the local textile industry, currently dominated by imports. The law’s implementation would translate to more than 1.3 million metric tonne of extracted tropical fabric, excluding cotton. Tropical fabrics are harvested from plants, which are then mixed with cotton in order to manufacturer textiles. These textiles are used to make garments.

A number of factors had played a part in the demise of the local textile industry, which is linked also to the fall of the local garment industry. These factors included the removal of quotas in textile and clothing trade, which scrapped the import quota allocated for these Philippine products since 1995.

According to global market research firm Market Insights Reports, sales of the global denim fabric market are predicted to reach 9,130.1 million metres in 2023, with a CAGR of 4.7 percent. The global denim fabric market was valued at $19.70 billion in 2018 and will reach $25.40 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.2 percent.

Global consumption of denim fabric between 2012 and 2016 increased at a compound annual growth rate of 4.77 percent due to a significant rise in its uses, indicating a brighter future for Bangladesh. Consumption was 6,618.1 million metres in 2016 against 5,493.7 million metres in 2012. Globally the denim fabric market was mainly driven by growing demand for clothing, household items and many other fields. In 2016, the market was led by China, India, Europe and North America. At present, the major manufacturers of denim fabric are concentrated in China and India.

Currently, Bangladesh has 30 denim mills with a capacity to produce 150 million yards of fabric a month. Local suppliers can meet only 40 percent of Bangladesh’s annual demand for denim fabric and the rest is met through imports from China, India and Pakistan. Last fiscal year, Bangladesh exported denim goods worth $3 billion. Bangladeshi entrepreneurs supply denim products to major global retailers, including Levi’s, Diesel, G-Star RAW, H&M, Uniqlo, Tesco, Wrangler, s.Oliver, Hugo Boss, Walmart and Gap.

As per Zaidi Sattar, Chairman, Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), the apparel sector in Bangladesh witnessed fastest growth compared to all other labour-intensive sectors as it creates a free trade channel for exports. Sattar was speaking at a conference styled “Bangladesh-Leveraging Growth Opportunities in the Neighbourhood”. The conference was jointly organised by PRI and the World Bank. According to Sattar, Bangladesh has comparative advantage in many other labour-intensive sectors, but the sectors were weighed down by tariff and non-tariff barriers. On the other hand, the government has been giving benefits in the form of tariffs on imports and subsidies on exports to the garment sector for quite some time.

Wahiduddin Mahmud, a noted economist, recommended developing a tax system for five years, which would be of great help to entrepreneurs. He also informed that the government is developing a business-friendly environment with a view to accelerating trade and investment.

Sanjay Kathuria, lead economist of the WB’s Dhaka office advised industry leaders to have deep engagement with regional and global markets to move to higher income brackets, as it will provide access to deep and elastic markets, technology, foreign direct investment and intra-firm trade.