The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will host a series of seven exhibitions and conferences in April to showcase various lifestyle sectors.

The events, which will run concurrently from 19-22 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, will include the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, Home InStyle, the Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair, Fashion InStyle, the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair, the Hong Kong International Licensing Show and Asian Licensing Conference.

The EXHIBITION+ hybrid model will allow exhibitors and buyers to participate both physically and via the Click2Match platform until 29 April.

Over 3,800 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions will attend, with 70% being non-local exhibitors who will participate in person. The HKTDC expects participation from 170 buying missions from 50 countries and regions.

The fairs will feature a brand-new Cultural & Creative Corner to promote designer brands and products with a unique cultural touch. The events will also host several themed zones, pavilions, and seminars covering various topics.

Bangladesh has emerged as a major manufacturing hub for winter jackets, as production orders shift away from China due to higher costs and a shortage of skilled workers.

International brands and retailers are taking notice of Bangladesh's competitive prices, improved production capacity, and ability to supply high-end value-added garments. This trend has been driven by local apparel makers diversifying their product offerings in recent years. Although winter jackets were a relatively new export sector in the country, nearly 50 local apparel exporters are currently producing jackets priced between $30 and $50, a segment that did not exist five years ago.

Leading jacket exporters like Snowtex and TEAM Group are receiving a lot of work orders from international retailers and brands. Snowtex currently has the capacity to export between $25 million and $30 million worth of jackets each month, while TEAM Group ships winter jackets worth $10 million every month. Another major apparel manufacturer, Fakir Apparels Limited, has set up a new jacket manufacturing unit in Narayanganj to meet the rising demand. With this added capacity, the company can ship 150,000 jackets abroad each month.

In addition to traditional export destinations like the US and Europe, Bangladesh's winter jackets are also being sent to some Scandinavian countries and Russia. The country's garment makers aim to earn better prices by supplying value-added items, according to the president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Man-made fibers are a favorite choice amongst Indian weavers and spinners and it is expected that in the short term, the market will be driven by demand for viscose fiber from the fashion apparel sector. Analysts feel although the growth of synthetic fibers, in general, may hamper market expansion of viscose fibers in particular, there will be more future market opportunities from the growing usage of these fibers in the medical sector. However, the Asia-Pacific region is still strong in the man-made thread market and is also estimated to record the fastest CAGR over the next few years.

VSF and VFY demand is expected to rise soon

According to a recent insight report by the CCF Group- a leading consultancy and data provider group in China -the January-February beginning of 2023 has not been very promising for Indian markets as the export performance of VSF, VFY, and rayon yarn has been rather unsatisfactory. Export of VSF was only 35.4kt which was a year-on-year decrease of 37.52 per cent that hit new lows since 2017, while the export of VFY was 13.6kt, which was a 8 per cent year-on-year decrease than the same period in 2021 at 15.5 per cent.

Export of rayon single yarn was around 15.5kt, a year-on-year decrease of 16.6 per cent, and falling 44.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2021. Export of polyester/rayon yarn was 6.778kt, a year-on-year decrease of 16 per cent . Analysts remain unsure whether it is a short-term or a long-term trend, as these low export figures don’t look optimistic even in March, it remains to be seen whether the major viscose consumer markets will warm up after Ramadan after a sharp decline in exports. In a post-Covid unstable market, recent problems such as the earthquake in Turkey, foreign exchange tension in Pakistan and Ramadan in India have all negatively affected the viscose market.

However, the increase in the trade volume of polyester products is a little more than that of viscose products. Lower consumption levels in all links of the end-user market to the upper sections of the industrial chain, using a lower grade of raw materials to bring down costs and ensure profit margins of manufacturers and the gradual maturing of the weaving and dyeing industry in Southeast Asian countries, have all affected the viscose and man-made fiber market.

Rise in cotton prices increased viscose use in garments

According to Textile Value Chain (TVC), viscose staple fiber imports into India have increased significantly in previous years. With prices of cotton having reached an all-time high in April 2022, garment manufacturers moved away from cotton and towards viscose, causing imports to soar to a new high last year. All through the 11 months of January-November 2022, India imported 93.071 million kg of viscose worth $221.348 million and viscose imports also surged in value and volume by more than 50 per cent. Indonesia was the main provider while accounting for 29.57 per cent of the total imports, followed by Austria, Hong Kong, China and Singapore as the main five suppliers.

Even though India has a tiny 4-5 per cent market share in the textile industry globally, it is still the second largest employment segment with over 35.22 lakh handloom workers. Within the textile sector, man-made fibre market is slowly becoming an emerging sub-section, especially in the rise in demand for technical and medical textiles in post-covid times. With the high prices of cotton, many weavers and spinners have started blending man-made fibres with cotton and other raw materials to stay cost competitive.

Moreover since cotton growth is dependent on geographical factors such as weather conditions and crop yields, fibres such as viscose and polyester are great alternatives to spinners in lull periods. They are also extremely flexible and durable and can endure high-tech machinery with multiple uses in apparel manufacturing due to having hydrophobic properties.

As Indian small-scale spinning and weaving industries benefit from the world’s shift away from China, it is time for man-made fiber production to be pushed to the top of the export basket, with a sophisticated end-to-end supply chain and government help in this segment.

Pakistan's textile industry is facing a severe crisis, as the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has warned that exports could fall by $3 billion this year compared to last year.

Textile exports for February 2023 stood at $1.2 billion, whereas the industry could generate $1.7 billion per month in line with last year's exports. Despite investing $5 billion in additional capacity, the industry remains non-operational due to forex issues and a lack of energy.

The moratorium on the import of raw materials and essential spare parts, a lack of adequate energy supply, and the failure of the sales tax refund system have contributed significantly to the closure of over 50% of the industry. Pakistan could fall short by $3 billion in textile exports from last year's $19.4 billion exports, is crisis is not dealt with.

Furthermore, APTMA urged the authorities to clear all imports of the export-oriented sector and allow them to open Letters of Credit without hindrance for raw materials, machinery, spare parts, and other items to restore the industry's supply line.

The crisis in Pakistan's textile industry is occurring against the backdrop of a dire economic situation, characterized by a balance-of-payments crisis as the country struggles to service high levels of external debt amid political chaos and deteriorating security. The country is also grappling with skyrocketing inflation, a plummeting rupee, and a severe shortage of US dollars, which has led to a decline in industry.

Fashion retail technology company, EDITED, has analysed emerging trends for 2023, highlighting the continuing popularity of Balletcore and Bikercore styles while predicting a return to Normcore fashion.

Balletcore styles such as legwarmers and tulle skirts, and pink and white bodysuits, have experienced triple-digit sell-out increases. Meanwhile, Bikercore subculture, boosted by celebrity endorsements, has increased interest in accompanying products.

Leather trousers and the moto jacket have sold well. In contrast, biker boots have seen a fall in demand, while lace has overtaken leather as the standout material for pre-fall. Normcore, characterised by unfussy wardrobe staples and 90s nostalgia, has seen a comeback. Baggy silhouettes have outpaced straight fits, and white sneakers are dropping off consumers’ radars. The move is linked to the likely recession in the US and a shift away from maximalist styles.

Bhadresh Dodhia has been appointed as the new Chairman of The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC), one of India's oldest Export Promotion Councils. Bhadresh previously held the position of Vice Chairman of the council.

Bhadresh , Dodhia Group Director brings to the table extensive experience in the textile industry and is an expert in international trade and policy matters. He takes over from Dhiraj Shah, who served as the Chairman of the Council from 2021 to 2023.

With its establishment in 1954, SRTEPC has been working towards the growth of manmade Fibre (MMF) and technical textiles in India. His appointment is expected to provide a significant boost to the growth and development of the Indian textile industry, particularly in the field of manmade fibres and technical textiles.

The Indonesian government has announced that it will place restrictions on the import of textile and footwear products, in a bid to protect domestic producers from unfair competition.

The move comes after the Indonesian Textile Association (API) revealed that unrecorded imports of textile products had reached 31%, posing a serious threat to the country's domestic market.

It is observed that Indonesia has been weak in protecting its domestic market from imported legal and illegal products, and government needs to tighten control over goods entering Indonesia, as imported products can kill domestic products and dominate the domestic market.

The government is considering imposing the necessary restrictions. Importing textiles illegally is considered to make local textile cloth producers unable to compete, and this move will help protect their interests.

The API has suggested that thrifting businesses can help market domestic textile industry products. This is better than selling used imported products, which are illegal in Indonesia.

According to API, local brands are quite competitive in terms of quality with foreign products, and the thrifting business can help sell products from the Indonesian textile industry. This will create a broad economic impact, as production and labor requirements will automatically increase when demand in the industry runs smoothly.

The Indonesian government has announced that it will place restrictions on the import of textile and footwear products, in a bid to protect domestic producers from unfair competition.

The move comes after the Indonesian Textile Association (API) revealed that unrecorded imports of textile products had reached 31%, posing a serious threat to the country's domestic market.

It is observed that Indonesia has been weak in protecting its domestic market from imported legal and illegal products, and government needs to tighten control over goods entering Indonesia, as imported products can kill domestic products and dominate the domestic market.

The government is considering imposing the necessary restrictions. Importing textiles illegally is considered to make local textile cloth producers unable to compete, and this move will help protect their interests.

The API has suggested that thrifting businesses can help market domestic textile industry products. This is better than selling used imported products, which are illegal in Indonesia.

According to API, local brands are quite competitive in terms of quality with foreign products, and the thrifting business can help sell products from the Indonesian textile industry. This will create a broad economic impact, as production and labor requirements will automatically increase when demand in the industry runs smoothly.

Hugo Boss, a leading global apparel brand, has taken a bold step into the Metaverse with the launch of its virtual showroom.

The move comes on the heels of a critically acclaimed Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Show in Miami, and the Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) provided the perfect platform to showcase Boss 's innovative concept. An immersive and interactive experience can be felt, exploring the Boss showroom and discovering the brand's latest products in a new and engaging way.

The Metaverse showroom, which serves as a digital extension of the Boss Miami Fashion Show, featured a visual identity that contrasts the event's aquatic theme against brutalist architectural elements. The five looks displayed in the space are shoppable and are linked to the relevant product pages on the BOSS online store. The outfits feature hero pieces from the runway, along with additional menswear and womenswear styles that celebrate BOSS's design codes, such as timeless tailoring and effortless separates. The brand's hallmark black, white, and camel color palette is interspersed with pops of soft blue, as seen in Miami.

To enhance the user experience, Boss had integrated a layer of gamification into the virtual showroom.

Hugo Boss sees the Metaverse concept as an additional sales channel within the company's future omnichannel strategy. Hugo Boss is one of the leading companies positioned in the premium segment of the global apparel market, offering collections in 132 countries at around 7,400 points of sale. With approximately 17,000 employees worldwide, the company posted sales of EUR 3.7 billion in the fiscal year 2022.

Better Cotton, one of the world's largest cotton sustainability initiatives, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tajikistan, as first Central Asian country to enhance their partnership and promote the production of sustainable cotton.

The MoU was signed at the Tajikistan Investment and Development Forum in London. The partnership aims to expand sustainable cotton production in Tajikistan with a focus on environmental, social outcomes and overall agricultural sustainability. Both parties will develop a strategic roadmap for sustainable cotton production in Tajikistan based on the Better Cotton Standard System and the requirements of the global market.

Tajikistan is the first country in Central Asia to work with the Better Cotton Initiative. The country already hosts 1,057 licensed farmers, producing 14,000 tons of better cotton harvested on 14,000 hectares of land. Better is engaging with other stakeholders to boost demand for Tajikistan's more sustainably grown cotton and further support its cotton farming sector.