The EPCH India Pavilion at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, launched on September 4, 2023. The event showcased Indian culture and handicrafts, and ran from September 3 to 6. R. K. Verma, EPCH Executive Director, noted the involvement of regional member exporters, while Dr. Shashank Vikram, Consul General, praised EPCH's global promotion of Indian handicrafts. 

Dileep Baid, EPCH Chairman, highlighted the Pavilion's diversity. 

The UK market potential was emphasized, offering sourcing opportunities from India. EPCH is a handicraft export promoter that achieved Rs. 30,019.24 Crores ($3,728.47 Million) in exports during 2022-23.

The ITMA textile machinery exhibition in Milan this June was a major success, with over 111,000 visitors. This is great news for both textile finishing technology specialist Monforts and one of its major customers, GtA.

GtA specializes in technical textiles for the digital printing market, and 70% of its business is related to trade fairs and major public events. The company was forced to go on short-time work during the pandemic, but it is now back to running 24 hours a day to meet unprecedented demand.

Monforts is also pleased to see the return of global exhibitions. The company has been investing in new technologies and equipment to meet the demands of the digital printing market. It is also working with GtA to develop new ways to save energy in the textile finishing process.

New York City's premier destination for men's fashion, Sartoria Studio, has announced a partnership with renowned bespoke tailor Sartoria Carfora. The partnership will bring Carfora's fresh perspective on Italian bespoke suiting to Soho, with a permanent presence at Sartoria Studio's lounge.

To celebrate the collaboration, Carfora will be hosting a trunk show event on October 12-14, 2023. Clients will have the opportunity to meet Carfora and get fitted for a bespoke garment.

Sartoria Studio is known for its curated selection of men's fashion, including custom clothing, premium off-the-rack attire, and accessories. The partnership with Carfora marks the downtown haberdashery's inaugural venture into the bespoke suiting arena.

The 2023 Intex Sri Lanka textile sourcing fair was a huge success, with an all-time high attendance of 4,780 visitors. 

The fair brought together professionals from around the world, making it the premier textile sourcing event in the Sri Lankan and South Asian textile and apparel industry. 

The fair featured a dynamic platform for networking, learning, and business collaboration, and it set new standards for excellence, diversity, and global engagement. The next edition of Intex will take place in India from December 7th to 9th, 2023.

The next edition of Intex will take place in India from December 7th to 9th, 2023.

Shamim Ahmed was re-elected as the president for a one-year term (2023-2024). 

The election board chairman of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA), Abdur Razzaque, announced the results of the election held at the association's head office in Paltan yesterday. 

KM Iqbal Hossain was elected as the senior vice-president, while Quazi Anwarul Haque and Md Enamul Haque were elected vice-presidents. Seven new directors were also elected to the board of directors.

Nanán, the global brand for children's products, has recently opened two new boutiques. One is located in the Dubai Mall, Dubai, and the other is in the heart of Rome's city center.

The Dubai boutique is strategically located in the world's largest shopping mall, with over 1,200 stores. It is designed with a warm and inviting atmosphere, with pastel tones and neutral hues. The Rome boutique is located in the city's historic center and is designed with sophistication and elegance.

Both boutiques offer a wide range of Nanán products, including furniture, clothing, strollers, cosmetics, and accessories. The brand is known for its high quality and stylish designs, and the new boutiques are sure to be a hit with parents and children alike.

 

CENTRESTAGE, the annual Asian fashion extravaganza, commenced today with an exciting four-day lineup at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event's first two days are reserved exclusively for buyers, while the remaining two, from September 8th to 9th, are open to industry professionals and the general public. This year's theme, "Radiant Wellness," underscores fashion's potential impact on individual well-being.

Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) with sponsorship from Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), CENTRESTAGE, now in its eighth year, has become an iconic event in the Asia-Pacific region. With the reopening of the Hong Kong-Mainland China border, the 2023 edition boasts increased international participation, featuring over 240 brands from 19 countries and regions.

Hong Kong's own talent is on full display, with brands like REDEMPTIVE, Barney Cheng Couture, and Kowloon City Boy showcasing their latest collections. International brands like FETICO (Japan), SAMSARA (Japan), and CHILLOSOPHY (India) bring their unique styles to the event.

The four-day extravaganza also promises a series of captivating fashion shows, starting with the CENTRESTAGE ELITES fashion show, featuring the Spring/Summer 2024 collections of Hong Kong's REDEMPTIVE and Japan's FETICO. Notable celebrities, including Hanna Chan and Pete, will grace the runway, highlighting the fusion of fashion and artificial intelligence.

Fashion enthusiasts can anticipate the Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show, an interdisciplinary blend of fashion and ballet, and the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC) 2023 finale, showcasing the budding talents shaping the future of Hong Kong's fashion scene. With sustainability and inclusivity at the forefront, this year's YDC finale promises to be a spectacular finale to CENTRESTAGE 2023.

Searock Apparels Ltd., a prominent ready-made garment specialist, has chosen Coats Digital's FastReactPlan to revolutionize its production processes. This move aims to enhance productivity, ensure timely deliveries, and boost profits. The implementation of FastReactPlan is expected to increase productivity by 3%, significantly reducing idle production lines, firefighting, and material wastage. This transformation will also position Searock Apparels for substantial growth.

Established in 2018, Searock Apparels specializes in ready-made outerwear, denim/non-denim bottoms, workwear, and uniforms. With two facilities in Gazipur and Pubail, employing over 1,800 workers, and a monthly production exceeding half a million pieces, the company boasts a monthly turnover of 3 million USD. Notable international clients include Lidl, Norma, Orn International, 5 Star, and Champion Clothing.

Khandokar Fazlay Rabbi, Managing Director of Searock Apparels Ltd., praised FastReactPlan as the garment industry's leading planning tool. The previous manual planning process, reliant on scattered Excel sheets, notes, and emails, hindered visibility, causing over- and underbookings, overtime, excess material costs, and firefighting. FastReactPlan promises to enhance efficiency and profit margins, enabling effective planning and future growth.

FastReactPlan, a part of Coats Digital's Manufacturing Solution Suite, is a dynamic production planning and control tool tailored for footwear and apparel manufacturing. Its visual, flexible approach streamlines planning, integrates capacity, critical paths, and materials into a single system. Mitali Chakrabartty, Business Development Manager at Coats Digital, expressed excitement about Searock Apparels' digital journey and anticipates a 3% productivity boost post-implementation. Coats Digital is committed to supporting Searock Apparels in achieving their long-term business goals.

Recently, India’s textile industry has become one of the most visible sectors as it generated a series of reports that translated to a roller-coaster ride, now up, now down. As the world’s fifth largest economy, India’s contribution to the global textile market as of 2023 is a mere 4 per cent but the growth trajectory was charted between 2019 and 2026 where the projection is for a 10 per cent expansion annually, making it worth $190 billion by the end of projected period. Year 2023 is expected to close at $147 billion should no major global disruption in exports happen. The sector contributes 2 per cent to India’s GDP and in terms of value, its 7 per cent industry output. 

The bull chases the bear away

June 2023 was the month the beleaguered sector in India saw a turnaround in its confidence as it showed signs of revival. In fact, such is the rush of confidence in the Indian stock market about this sector that textile stocks seem to be the new “it” item in bourses across the country. Textile manufacturers are delighted to see their stocks shoot up, a windfall long overdue. 

From Gokaldas Exports, Alok Industries, Himatsingka Seide and Arvind Limited to KPR Mills, Trident, Raymond, Welspun and Vardhaman Textiles, each one breathing a sigh of relief as their stocks are on an adrenalin-charged bull run. ICICI Direct had a strong buy recommendation for Gokaldas Exports, Siyaram Silk Mills, Vardaman Textiles and Nitin Spinners. While in May 2023 KPR Mills was at Rs, 685 a share, the very next month it shot up to Rs 900 per share. Many questioned why ICICI Securities had recommended a buy on Gokaldas as readymade garment exports from India are being bullish at the moment. A senior ICICI Securities executive opined correction of local cotton prices and lower freight costs will help the sector rebound.

Raw material price stabilization has helped

Prices of raw materials not only in the domestic market but also imported ones seems to have stabilized somewhat. In cotton, the stability will continue until the 2023 end of cotton season. Anand Popat, Rajkot-based cotton, yarn and cotton waste trader points out cotton prices will remain range bound as the end of the growing season is here and farmers who held their produce back at the beginning of the season will let their inventory out in the market. Analysts say this is the time for organized players in the sector to call the shots and have a good run. 

Policy interventions worked well

The Indian government has been trying its level best to keep the textile and apparel industry not only buoyant but also growth-oriented. Recently, there has been a push for technical textiles with demand growing worldwide. The many FTAs signed or on the verge of being signed is helping the sector locally but also boosting their confidence. The current slew of schemes such as the PLI, PM-Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel, Silk Sama and Samarth Yojna are all contributing to innovation, more efficient production and an overall positive outlook that has impacted textile stocks in India. 

While things are looking bright at the moment, it may be well be advised to tread the textile stock trade with a pinch of caution as climate change continues to create irregularities for production of raw material, the Russo-Ukraine crisis shows no desire to end and ESG regulations might impact traditional production of raw material soon.

The Textile and Garment Industry of Bangladesh is set to come together once more for three comprehensive international exhibitions hosted by CEMS-Global USA. 

The exhibitions will take place from September 13 to 16 at the newly inaugurated Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center (BBCFEC) located in Dhaka's Purbachal.

The exhibitions will feature over 1,675 worldwide manufacturers representing 37 countries, occupying 2,245 booths and pavilions. 

They will provide a unique and unparalleled B2B networking platform for buyers and sellers, allowing industry visitors to explore a diverse array of cutting-edge textile products and solutions.

The Expo inauguration ceremony will feature Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament, as the Chief Guest and Golam Dastagir Gazi, Birprotik, Minister of the Ministry of Textiles & Jute, as the Guest of Honor.