Automation can help Sri Lankan firms stay competitive with regional peers such as Bangladesh, who are relying on cheap and abundant labor as their competitive edge.

With automation, they can do precision cutting, manufacture high quality, which means they can get higher prices. With a small number of people, it’s possible to produce higher quality apparels. Automation would help fast track the export targets of Sri Lanka’s apparel industry. As of now it’s mostly the top apparel manufacturing firms in the country that have been utilising automation. Lower end firms can rely on automation for high value addition while bringing down their costs affiliated to labor-intensive manufacturing.

Automation solutions have revolutionised the fashion industry, enabling firms to develop their fashion ideas into products within a few days, compared to traditional value chains, which take 42 weeks on an average. Automation has also enabled firms to develop new ideas into products at a considerable lower cost allowing these firms to supply new designs to the changing fashion industry at a faster pace.

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry has an export target of $8 billion by 2025. The country’s apparel exporters are exploring developed markets such as Japan and Australia to diversify their markets.

Redress Design Award has chosen 30 semi finalists. These 30 designers are from across six continents and are applying circular thinking, presenting innovative ways to minimise textile waste. This is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition. For the first time in the competition’s nine-year history men’s wear designers were included alongside unisex and women’s wear designers, expanding the scope of Redress’ global search for talent.

Ambitious young designers are working to tackle the environmental challenges of fashion industry. As the world wakes up to the enormity of fashion’s negative footprint, from carbon emissions, water pollution and chemical use to spiraling over-consumption and waste, the Redress Design Award showcases the critical role designers can play in finding solutions.

Redress is a NGO working to cut waste out of fashion. It is an environmental charity with a mission to prevent and transform textile waste to catalyse a circular economy and reduce fashion’s water, chemical and carbon footprints. Their programs work to change mindsets and practices to stop the creation of textile waste now and in the future, as well as creating systems and partnerships that generate and showcase value in existing waste. Working directly with designers, manufacturers, brands, educational bodies, government and consumers, Redress aims at creating lasting environmental change in fashion.

Bangladeshi garments accessories and packaging makers have made massive investments of around Tk. 1,000 crore to push up export and meet the demands of the apparel sector. This investment is driven by the accessibility of the workforce at reasonable wages, duty-free market access in major export destination and preferential location in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region.

Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of apparel products in the world after China, and offers a huge investment opportunity. The sector, last year, attracted investments worth Tk. 1,200-1,500 crore with more projects waiting in the pipeline. The government’s decision to reduce corporate tax rate from 15 per cent to 12 per cent in the RMG sector has also spurred investments in the sector.

Since demand for accessories is growing at a faster rate in Bangladesh, around 100 new factories started operations this year. Presently, around 1,200 factories produce accessories in the country. The accessories produced include woven labels, leather badges, stone and metal motifs, rubber patches, gum tapes, satin and cotton ribbon hangers, price tags, buttons and zippers.

These accessories contribute to $7.10 billion worth of exports in the country. Of this, $1.42 billion are directly exported to the Middle-East, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Europe, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

Turkish denim specialist ISKO has joined Textile Exchange to further expand its vision of a responsible and sustainable landscape in the industry. ISKO plans to support Textile Exchange in developing more sustainable ways to tackle textile production. ISKO is already a member of several industry bodies and regulators, including ZDHC, SAC, SEDEX, Ethical Trade Initiative and Social & Labour Convergence Project. It now joins its parent company Sanko in joining Textile Exchange.

The Turkish firm desires to engender and maintain an open dialogue with all the different stakeholders, in order to shape and develop more sustainable business models and more efficient practices. It also aims to create a sustainable business model based on tangible proof and actual. ISKO also praised Textile Exchange for ensuring the authenticity of its sustainability and their effects on the society.

Interfilière Paris will be held July 6 to 8, 2019. This is a trade fair for fabrics and accessories for lingerie, swimwear and active wear. This edition with 260 exhibitors will present latest trends, including a sporty athletic take on swimwear. The show will also present a new wave of creative young designers who have created eco-friendly collections. Around 20 exhibitors will participate in a specialised swimwear fashion show that will bring their most beautiful collections to life and make iconic garments out from them. The theme is the perfect wardrobe for elegance at sea, from morning through to evening.

International suppliers, including swimwear, sport and lingerie market specialists, will present a preview of autumn/winter 2020/2021 trends. The show will provide a new space to learn about the latest technical innovations from expert manufacturers and discover student projects or start-ups inspired by uses and functions that are essential to water sports. The technical zone will reveal expertise and test exhibitors on rare water sports. The challenge is to define the ideal sport swimsuit using criteria such as hand-feel, comfort, and look. The fast-forward zone will offer visitors a future-focused vision of the swimwear and sport markets by presenting new raw materials, new processes (connected or 3D), new tools, and more.

The Union commerce ministry and the industrialists in the Tirupur knitwear industry differ on the value of RMG exports in 2018. As per Tirupur Exporters Associations, RMG exports increased by 8.3 per cent in Tirupur in 2018-19 compared to the last fiscal year. However, the Union Commerce Ministry notes that the RMG exports declined by 3.4 per cent to account for $16.137 billion in 2018-19.

Tirupur accounts for about 55 per cent of the knitwear exports in the country. Industry experts say the Tirupur industry has recorded an RMG export value of $3.72 billion in 2018-19. Knitwear exports from the cluster is estimated to be Rs 26,000 crore in 2018-19 against Rs 24,000 crore in 2017-18, with a growth rate of 8.3 per cent.

Exports in the cluster have resumed the growth trajectory after two years of struggle. With the continuance of a positive growth trend coupled with the recent increase in RoSCTL (Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies on Export of Garments and Made-ups) rate, and formation of a stable government, exports are poised to surpass Rs 30,000 crore in the financial year 2019-20.

As per Tirupur exporters and manufacturers’ association, the industry is yet to recover from the double blow of demonetisation and GST with many units being closed down in the past two years. With a highly competitive international market, these units here would have to manage with lower margins. Reduction of duty drawback and delay in GST returns and other subsidies would have a detrimental effect on the industry. If a stable government, the association estimates the export value to reach Rs 30,000 this year.

The Asian Chemical Fiber Industry Federation (ACFIF) conference was held in Indonesia from April 11 and 12, 2019. The nine member countries and regions that constitute ACFIF jointly produce around 90 per cent of the world’s manmade fiber. Indonesia has emerged as a major global producer of rayon fiber and the country plans to focus and revitalize its textile industry. Work on standardization of Indonesia’s chemical and fiber product was discussed. Joint steps to establish international standards were laid out.

The fourth industrial revolution and the power of big data, digitalization and internet of things were discussed. Smart textiles and innovation of products to meet future performance demands were presented through a theme paper. Research trends and development direction were shared among delegates at the conference.

The conference theme of sustainability highlighted trends, challenges and solutions for the sustainability of polyester. Review of consumption, factors to ensure the circular economy in recycling products and the issue of micro fibers in the environment were discussed. In an effort toward improving the sustainability of chemical fibers, Europe has regulated the important issues of micro-plastics and recycling. This experience over the last decade in improving the environment and sustainability was shared and was very useful to the delegates.

The market for apparels in India grew at a CAGR of 13.8 per cent in fiscal ’18. While men’s clothing continues to have the biggest chunk of the apparel market, at 41 per cent, children’s wear at 21 per cent of the overall market is the fastest growing segment in India. Women’s wear contributes almost 38 per cent and is largely dominated by ethnic apparel such as saris and suits. However, denim is the fastest growing sub-segment for women’s wear. The robust growth in this segment can be attributed to rising income levels, rising number of working women and more college going women.

Indians spent Rs 5,408 billion on buying clothes in 2018, a jump from the Rs 1,924 billion they spent in 2010, as higher disposable incomes, greater migration to large cities, and brands opening up in non metros helped more people access branded clothing. The overall apparel consuming population in India has gone up in the last decade. A shift in demographics and a rise in the number of people residing in urban areas have helped Indian households access more brands.

Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai are the largest consumers of apparel in India even though less than 20 per cent of India’s population lives in these cities. These markets also have a higher penetration of women’s western wear as compared to Tier I or II cities of the country.

Western retailers are reluctant to pay Bangladesh’s garment manufacturers the proper prices. The cost of production increased 30 per cent from 2014 to 2018, but prices of Bangladesh RMG products fell 7.04 per cent during the same period.

Bangladesh’s exporters do not get fair and reasonable prices for their products. Reasons include lack of negotiation skills. Exporters get lower prices for readymade garment products than what Cambodian and Vietnamese exporters get from global buyers. Buyers do not want to pay higher prices, although the cost of production will go up further with wage hike, port congestion and higher transportation cost. Another issue is that of lead time. This would be a matter in readymade garment exports in future as the country might lose the cost advantage in coming days.

Bangladesh’s readymade garment supply chain still suffers from lack of shared responsibility on the part of global buyers. Very few factories, if at all, have received financial assistance from buyers; instead they have seen reduced prices. The fundamental business model of the garment supply chain has not changed. Production remains an industry with high levels of opportunity for countries to connect to global value chains, but that has come at a price for workers.

AATCC gave away the ‘Future Leaders Award’ to Scientist Apurba Banerjee at the International Conference held in Fort Worth, TX, USA. The Future Leaders Award recognises promising young professionals in the fields of textiles, apparel, and related material sciences.

Banerjee is chief scientist at brrrº Inc. She joined AATCC in 2012 as a student, she presented papers each year from 2013 through 2017 at the AATCC International Conference Herman and Myrtle Goldstein Student Paper Competitions. She also received two AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grants in 2014 and 2017. She served as president of the University of Georgia AATCC Student Chapter from 2014 to 2015, and treasurer from 2015 to 2016. She has co-authored four publications and two patents.

Banerjee currently serves on the AATCC Executive Committee on Research and is the vice chair on AATCC Technical Committee of Research. AATCC is the world’s leading not-for-profit association serving textile professionals since 1921. The association provides test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for members in about 50 countries throughout the world. Nominees for the AATCC Future Leaders Award must be AATCC members who are 39 years old or younger and actively engaged in the greater textile or related industries.