Momad is being held in Spain, February 8 to 10, 2019. This is the largest trade and trend forum for the fashion industry in the Iberian peninsula. Nearly 800 brands are presenting their offers for autumn/winter and spring/summer, classified by fashion styles, in the sectors leather and coat; urban; casual; man; party; contemporary; metro space; footwear, accessories; lingerie and bath; large sizes; sustainable fashion and Momad 4.0.

New strategies for the fashion business based on digitalization and sustainability, among other topics, will be analysed, and a preview of the new season’s trends will be presented. The program of activities will be completed by Momad catwalk parades as well as various training activities, workshops and events.

After working for the past few years as the umbrella brand that encompassed the Momad Metropolis and Momad Shoes shows, Momad is evolving as a brand and from this edition on it will give its name to the leading fair for professionals in the fashion and clothing sector, where footwear and accessories brands that wish to associate with fashion retail also have a place.

In this edition, the fair is strengthening its commitment to sustainable fashion. About 30 companies are committed to an environmentally-friendly production will participate. The sectors represented in this area are women, men, children, footwear, leather goods, swimwear, jewelry, accessories, glasses and watches.

Levi Strauss’s net revenues grew 14 per cent this fiscal year. The company’s strategies to diversify the product portfolio, expand the direct-to-consumer business and deepen its connection with consumers worldwide have worked, resulting in both higher annual revenues and gross margins.

The company had 74 more company-operated stores at the end of fiscal 2018 than it did the previous year. Levi Strauss, based in San Francisco, is known for Levi’s jeans.

While revenue grew in 2018, net income for the fiscal year remained flat. That was due to higher operating income, lower interest expense, gains on hedging contracts in the current year as well as a debt refinancing charge in the prior year. For the fourth quarter, net revenue grew nine per cent with net income declining 17 per cent from the previous year. Profits were affected by an increase in selling and general and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter. The increase in costs reflected the expansion of the company’s direct-to-consumer business, higher compensation expenses reflecting the company’s stronger performance and higher advertising expenses.

During fiscal 2018, net revenues for the Americas were up 10 per cent. Sales in Europe grew 25 per cent. Sales in Asia grew eight per cent.

The global garments market is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.4 per cent. High-end luxury brands are capitalizing on consumers’ inclination toward discretionary expenditure and instant gratification by moving toward a see-now-buy-now model.

Demand for garments is mostly influenced by disposable income and overall economic conditions of a region. Most of the demand for garments is from developed and developing countries due to rising disposable incomes and changes in lifestyle patterns. Consumers prefer to buy garments in bulk at lower prices, which has benefited the global garments market. Key industry players in developed countries have been able to maintain profit margins by offshoring the production process to less developed countries. This has led to a reduction in the cost of production due to the low labor costs which have eventually translated to a fall in the price of garments. The demand for garments has increased significantly due to offshoring.

The global garments market is divided on the basis of gender, type of product and distribution channel. Women’s and men’s garments account for 63.8 per cent of the revenue, and the rest is generated by hosiery, sports and swimwear, intimate apparel, and clothing accessories. The market is still dominated by brick and mortar stores.

Garment Machinery Manufacturers and Suppliers Association (GMMSA) was held in Ludhiana from January 25 to 28, 2019. This is a show dedicated to knitting and sewing technology. It had a good number of players displaying value addition machinery, be it embroidery, printing or laser cutting. Many Chinese companies exhibited circular and flat knitting machines. There were some players offering chemicals, inks and trims.

Visitors included big as well as emerging garment firms of Ludhiana. Exhibitors and visitors felt that currently overall business is good and they are hopeful about the coming months too. Some players in Ludhiana are continuously focusing on new offerings and product developments. As survival is all about offering newness in products, they are going in for advanced infrastructure.

Apparel manufacturers of Ludhiana are geared up for growth considering the good winter season. But city’s manufacturers have realized for for survival advanced infrastructure, focus on product development and a changed mindset is a must. Many garment manufacturers are facing issues of long credit periods, as in the domestic market they have a payment cycle of almost six months. To manage the payment cycle they need to have enough resources. As this factor also increases costs, they are now seriously working to reduce the credit period.

Cambodia's garment industry is confronted with some major challenges. The most pressing concern is a new rule that workers are entitled to seniority bonuses twice a year. Workers support the plan but fear that employers will somehow find a way to pay them less than entitlement.

Workers have questions about the size of the bonus and how much they will receive if they have worked at a factory for six or seven years. Workers, who form a massive voting bloc, were promised more protection and higher incomes during last year’s elections.

Another threat lies with the possible suspension of Cambodia from the Everything But Arms (EBA) trade scheme between the European Union and the world's least developed nations. The EBA allows Cambodia to export its products tariff-free to EU countries.

Cambodia would suffer badly if suspended from the EBA. Garment factories in the country which supply to major brands such as H&M, Adidas, Nike, C&E and Puma employ more than 7,00,000 Cambodians. The EU is by far the country's most important export market. A loss of trade preferences could mean that fashion brands turn away from Cambodian factories. Although the suspension won't start before 2020, workers already fear the impact.

China has overtaken India’s lead in cotton production. At the end of the 2018-2019 season, China will be again the world’s largest producer of this raw material. China’s cotton production will increase by one per cent. India, by contrast, will reduce it by seven per cent due to lack of rain.

India had maintained leadership for the last two years, since China changed its policy of incentives to cotton. Meanwhile consumption of cotton in general will not be affected by the trade war between the United States and China, but could have an impact on the textile trade if it slows down economic development. On the other hand, the increase of production in countries such as China, Brazil, regions of West Africa, Turkey and Uzbekistan will not be enough to compensate for the fall in the United States, India, Australia and Pakistan.

The increase in cotton prices is directly related to the decrease in production and the increase in demand, which will cause a reduction in global stocks during 2019. In fact, cotton reserves will decrease by 6.6 per cent in the 2018-2019 season. This is the lowest figure since the financial year 2011-2012 when crops in the United States and China were affected by climatic factors and the price of cotton registered historic peaks.

Bangladesh is looking to enhance ties with Poland. The country is encouraging Polish investment in sectors like energy, leather and footwear, agro-processing, food processing and packaging. Poland is ready to consider investing in Bangladesh’s mining sectors including coal mining. Poland has been urged to recruit Bangladesh’s semi-skilled and skilled workers and professionals in sectors like health care, construction, agriculture, industries and tourism to tide over the labor shortage in Poland.

The two countries have friendly relations and have stressed on enhancing cooperation particularly in sectors including science and technology, industry, trade and commerce. Bangladesh is looking to expand apparel exports to Poland. In addition to apparel items, Bangladesh is also looking to expand exports of medicine and other pharmaceutical products.

Poland has been urged to consider easing visa procedures for Bangladeshi businessmen, visitors and students. The two countries may explore possible areas of cooperation in the promising blue economy sector. During fiscal 2017-18, Bangladesh exported apparel worth $95 million to the central European country. Knitwear fetched $59.5 million and wovens fetched $35.7 million.

During the first six months of fiscal 2018-19, Bangladesh’s apparel exports to Poland amounted to $502 million with knitwear logging in $315 million and wovens fetching $187 million.

"Though fashion provides consumers with a mode of self-expression, a celebration of originality and fine craftsmanship, or a temporary pleasure, it is also one of the world’s most polluting and wasteful industries. As a recent report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation reveals, global textile production has more than doubled in the past 15 years, while the average shopper holds on to clothing for half that long. Over 85 per cent of discarded clothing in the US ends up in landfills, and this cycle of make/use/waste comes at a considerable cost as the industry generates more greenhouse gas emissions than do international maritime shipping and aviation combined."

Though fashion provides consumers with a mode of self-expression, a celebration of originality and fine craftsmanship, or a temporary pleasure, it is also one of the world’s most polluting and wasteful industries. As a recent report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation reveals, global textile production has more than doubled in the past 15 years, while the average shopper holds on to clothing for half that long. Over 85 per cent of discarded clothing in the US ends up in landfills, and this cycle of make/use/waste comes at a considerable cost as the industry generates more greenhouse gas emissions than do international maritime shipping and aviation combined.

Eco-friendly materials to promote sustainability

This colossal irresponsibility on part of the brands sparked the idea for Veja, the footwear industry’s initiative for sustainable fashion. In 2005, while other brands set up their online stores, François-Ghislain Morillion and Sébastien Kopp opted for physical stores. These two entrepreneurs devoted all their resources to a sustainably manufactured product. Today, they also use upcycled tilapia hides; recycled plastic bottles; and flannel, silk, and other eco-friendly materials for their shoes. Till date, they have sold nearly 2 million pairs of shoes around the world and continue to push and emphasise the importance of a sustainable business.

Bringing transparency to the luxury business

However, legacy brands, with their embedded supply chains and manufacturing facilities, face a bigger challenge. Kering, publicly announced its quantitative objectives in sustainability through 2025. Chief among them included reducing its environmental footprint overall by 40 per cent. The rest of its actions, which touch every step of the supply chain, as well as manufacturing, distribution, and R&D, are explicitly outlined online, suggesting transparency is no longer an enemy to luxury’s aura of exclusivity.

Though traditionally, change was unlikely in the rarefied world of high-end jewelry, Place Vendome, the Parisian mecca of the world’s most prestigious and jewelery brands, is currently facing disruption. Courbet was launched in May as the first 100 per cent ethical and sustainable line, using recycled, traceable gold and lab-grown diamonds of the highest color grade. These are 30 per cent less expensive than mined diamonds—the latter producing 15,000 times the pollution of lab-grown ones, which are made with solar- powered machines. Department stores world-wide have already started placing with the local interest being instantaneous.

However, in an attempt to protect the environment, brands are ignoring the aesthetic value of their products. This is why many eco-only brands have failed to attract their consumers. As for a product to sell, it has to be pleasing both in manner and appearance.

Monforts is advancing in the field of Industry 4.0 and automation, with its latest Qualitex 800 control system and the Web-UI app for remote visualisation of Monforts technologies via smart phones and tablet devices. The new Monforts Thermex Econtrol continuous dyeing line considerably shortens processing times for heavier fabrics. It’s an extremely versatile range and allows easy movement between reactive and disperse dyeing, for example.

The Thermex Econtrol range has a working width of 1.8 meters and allows the single-bath continuous dyeing of cotton and polyester fabrics with selected reactive and dispersion dyestuffs as well as cotton-polyester blends to be processed without reductive intermediate cleaning, eliminating the need for a steamer.

Other processes, such as the use of indanthren vat dyes for enhanced wash and boil fastness, or the over-dyeing on reactive-dyed cotton fabrics to achieve an extremely broad range of color effects, can also be carried out on the range.

Turkish dyehouse Istanbul Boyahanesi has invested in new Monforts technology. The company is the only dyehouse in Turkey with its own proprietary software for virtual control of all operations via smartphone or TV from the boardroom. It provides real-time information on all machine parameters and operator activity.

For the seven month period of this financial year Bangladesh’s exports of readymade garments grew by 14.51 per cent. After garments, the other leading products are agricultural products, leather and leather goods, leather footwear, pharmaceuticals, shrimps, jute and jute yarns, bed and kitchen toiletries, home textiles and engineering products.

However, as prices are competitive in the international market, Bangladesh despite its growing volume is not earning much due to low prices. The country’s exporters want the currency devalued against the dollar and incentives so that they can target more markets.

Bangladesh’s export growth during the first seven months of the current financial year was 13.39 per cent and in January the export growth was 7.95 per cent over the corresponding month of the last financial year.

India, Brazil, Mexico and Chile are also turning into major export destinations for Bangladesh. Similarly, China, the largest apparel supplier worldwide, has also been turning into a major export destination for Bangladesh. China also allows duty-free access to over 5,000 Bangladeshi products, most of which are garment items.

Bangladesh’s garment exports to non-traditional markets have been growing since 2010-11 and have been made possible by a stimulus package and duty-free market access. Apart from the US, European Union and Canada all others are considered non-traditional or emerging markets for Bangladesh.