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"Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp., announced the opening of new Calvin Klein multi-brand lifestyle stores in Shanghai, China and Düsseldorf, Germany. Each store is a flagship and features the brand’s latest retail design concepts."
Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp., announced the opening of new Calvin Klein multi-brand lifestyle stores in Shanghai, China and Düsseldorf, Germany. Each store is a flagship and features the brand’s latest retail design concepts.
The 6,000 square foot, two-story Shanghai store is located in Raffles City whereas store in Düsseldorf is located on Königsallee Boulevard and spans three floors and over 3,500 square feet. These stores offer most of Calvin Klein brands like CK Calvin Klein, CK JEANS, CK UNDERWEAR, CK SWIMWEAR and CK PERFORMANCE.
The new design concept for each of these retail locations communicates the brand’s minimal, modern aesthetic with a fresh addition of color and sumptuous materials to enhance the consumer experience. Vibrant cobalt blue curtains frame the entrance, while geometric-shaped lush rugs in soft pink set a luxurious tone and contribute an elegant counterpoint to the gray concrete. Digital technology is also utilized throughout the stores, offering consumers the opportunity to actively participate in a personalized shopping experience and engage with the products. Interactive video and denim fit guide walls allow consumers to browse items featured in the brand’s current campaign and make selections to try on in-store. In the Shanghai location, an interactive video table invites consumers to explore the brand on a deeper level via newspaper, magazine and online articles on the brand, key milestones, runway show videos and recent events, as well as the brand’s official social media platforms.
“Our new flagship stores in Shanghai and Düsseldorf represent Calvin Klein’s commitment to strong consumer experience, technological innovation, and unmatched brand equity for our global audience,” said Steve Shiffman, Chief Executive Officer, Calvin Klein, Inc. “As we continue to focus on expanding Calvin Klein’s global footprint, it is our objective to bring a best-in-class retail experience to key markets and shopping destinations around the world.”
Calvin Klein’s is a global lifestyle brand that exemplifies bold, progressive ideals and a seductive, and often minimal, aesthetic. Founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein is a leader in American. Global retail sales of Calvin Klein brand products exceeded $8 billion in 2016 and were distributed in over 110 countries. Calvin Klein employs over 10,000 associates globally. Calvin Klein was acquired by PVH Corp. in 2003.
AI-led fashion intelligence platform Stylumia is set to go global with its entry into the UK and European markets. The platform has customers spanning all genres of brands and retailers across men, women, shoes, western and ethnic.
The company has entered into the growth phase and is targeting a customer base of one or two lakhs over the next five or seven years. It is in the last stages of finalising a US partner.
The platform is targeted at fashion professionals, manufacturers, brands and retailers. It started with the Indian market and has over 40 paid customers on an annual subscription model.
Since its launch in June 2016, Stylumia has been adopted by over 40 large and small brands and retailers in India, including Wrangler, Pepe Jeans, Jack & Jones, Aeropostale, Myntra, Wrogn, Fastrack, W, Biba and Global Desi.
It provides actionable intelligence from structured and unstructured consumer data sourced from the web and directly from consumers, which fashion decision makers can use to come up with styles that customers love in shorter cycle times.
Stylumia is democratising fashion intelligence, as its customers range from small to big brands, even start-ups with no revenue stream are using Stylumia to develop products.
With the goal of helping its members meet their current needs while making the world a better place for future generations, the U.S. cotton industry is setting goals aimed to build upon the strong environmental gains already achieved over the past 30 years.
Task Force Chairman Ted Schneider, a Louisiana cotton producer, says that the actual sustainability resolution that the Council adopted earlier this year called for the creation of the sustainability task force and specified that it collaborate with U.S. cotton industry associations “on developing industry wide goals for measurable continual improvements in environmental stewardship, farm productivity, and resource efficiency such as land, water, air, input, and energy use.
Dahlen Hancock, chairman of Cotton Incorporated whose scientists have worked diligently to develop and refine U.S. cotton’s sustainability initiative, they believe the United States may be the only country in the world with these kind of specific, measurable, quantified goals.
As the unifying force of the U.S. cotton industry, the Memphis-based National Cotton Council of America has a mission of ensuring the ability of the U.S. cotton industry’s seven segments to compete effectively and profitably in the raw cotton, oil seed and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.
Sri Lanka’s export earnings in July 2017 registered a year-on-year growth of 13.9 per cent.The growth in exports was mainly driven by industrial exports followed by agricultural exports.
Earnings from industrial exports grew by 11.6 per cent year-on-year, led by increased exports of textiles and garments. Indicating a reversal of negative growth experienced in the previous two months, export earnings from textiles and garments increased by 9.6 per cent year-on-year compared to July 2016, registering the highest monthly value recorded so far during the year. Garment exports to the EU market increased by 10.6 per cent year-on-year in July 2017 signaling the positive impact of the restoration of the GSP Plus facility in May 2017.
During the month, garment exports to the USA and non-traditional markets also grew by 7.9 per cent and 6.5 per cent year-on-year respectively. Export earnings from food, beverages and tobacco increased significantly by 46.8 per cent. Export earnings from rubber products increased by 15.2 per cent in July 2017. Due to higher export volumes and prices of bunker and aviation fuel, earnings from export of petroleum products increased significantly by 21.5 per cent. However export earnings from leather, travel goods and footwear, and gems, diamonds and jewelry declined in July 2017.
Indonesia’s textile exports rose 2.71 per cent in the first half of 2017.
The national textile industry is going in for product innovation and advances in manufacturing technology. The industry now no longer meets the needs of clothing and fashion but has entered technical textiles such as geo textiles, medical textiles, automotive industry, and nonwoven.
The industry is going in for product diversification.
With the development effort, it can reduce its import dependence and save foreign exchange at the same time.
Value addition has become the norm. Currently, the textile industry is already integrated and 90 per cent of the market’s needs is produced domestically. Therefore the increase of value addition in Indonesia is also important to meet the domestic market, in addition to exports.
The country hopes that by the end of 2017 textile exports will reach 12.09 billion dollars and 15 billion dollars by 2019.
In the first half of 2017, the growth rate of the export-oriented labor-intensive sector increased by 1.92 per cent year on year. In the same period of the previous year, the industry’s exports were at minus 0.13 per cent.
Indonesia is working to improve competitiveness and productivity in the textile industry, facilitating logistical access and strengthening local branding.
India is considering over branding its cotton to fetch premium prices overseas after seeing the success of branded Egyptian and US cotton. Work is under way to revise the ‘Technology Mission on Cotton’ (TMC) to accommodate branding of cotton and contract farming of the natural fibre, which, experts feel, are needed for better realisation in export markets.
Several meetings with various stakeholders have been held by textiles commissioner Kavita Gupta to draft guidelines for revising the TMC, which will allow exporters to improve the quality of Indian cotton, with less contamination, trash and staple length in the raw fibre, according to a report in a business daily.
Initiated in 2000, the TMC aimed at improving cotton yield and quality through the use of improved seeds and integrated water, nutrient and pest management technologies.
Under contract farming, seeds, fertilisers, advice and required markets for selling the produce are offered by private firms. Farmers, who own the land, dedicate labour to receive an assured annual income from their produce.
Many companies are interested in cotton contract farming, but are awaiting enabling regulations, says Ujwal Lahoti, chairman of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil). He also stated that Vardhman Textiles has made a beginning with contract farming and has been growing cotton for captive consumption in some areas in Rajasthan.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to launch the second phase of its advisory service—Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT)—in Bangladesh with an aim to achieve sustainable textile production.The factories will need to invest 63 million dollars.
Under the program, garment and textile makers are advised to adopt modern technologies in factories and changing attitudes to reduce water and energy consumption in the next four years.
During the second phase, the World Bank arm targets to annually save 32 million cubic meters of water and 3.8 million megawatt hours of electricity in 250 weaving, spinning, wet dyeing and finishing factories.
It aims to annually reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 701,588 tons, wastewater discharge by 28.8 million cubic meters and chemical use by 10,000 tons.
Two hundred factories got back the 39.1 million dollars they invested in just ten months and in turn saved 16.3 million dollars every year, under the PaCT’s first phase adopted in 2014.
They also annually saved 21.6 million cubic meters of groundwater, which 8,40,000 Bangladeshis use on an average per year, and 2.5 million megawatt hours of electricity, which was 5.4 per cent of the national grid’s output in 2015-16.
The first phase's achievements surpassed targets by a huge margin.
An office of the International Apparel Federation (IAF) has opened in Pakistan. The office will help local garment manufacturers establish B2B contacts with international buyers. It would give a boost to the textile and garment industry of Pakistan besides paving the way for growing the business and ensuring easy access of Pakistani exporters to European markets.
Sialkot, where the IAF office is located, is one of top export hubs of Pakistan. It is dotted with cottage industries producing garments, uniforms, surgical instruments, sports goods and musical instruments. Sialkot is also a sourcing hub for top international brands and its artisan and craftsmanship is acclaimed throughout the world.
The Sialkot IFA office will grant membership to Pakistan’s garment manufacturers and also help in holding B2B meetings with importers and exporters.
The International Apparel Federation is based in the Netherlands. The regional office in Pakistan would be the first ever IAF office in South Asia.
The International Apparel Federation is a politically neutral global association, open to entrepreneurs and executives from the apparel chain worldwide. Its membership includes national clothing associations and companies whose core business is sourcing, designing, development, manufacturing, distribution, and retailing of apparel products. In addition the IAF welcomes, as associate members, educational institutions and companies that supply textiles, accessories, equipment, technology, and services to the apparel industry.
Portugal seems to be on the road to recovery with a GDP growth rate of 2.8 per cent in 2017. This is the decade-high growth rate clocked by Portugal on the back of expanded private investment and increased consumer spending. The major growth factor seems to be tourism welcoming close to 7.1 million visitors in July 2017 alone, according to The National Statistics Institute. While Spanish luxury is dominated by consumers from China, Russia and the US — who come to purchase pieces at a lower cost than their home countries — the high net-worth clients in Portugal are often Angolans, a former colony. This aspect has fueled the opening of new concept stores and designer labels in Portugal.
Menswear store Slou in Lisbon stocks edgy and streetwear brands such as Gosha Rubchinskiy and Stone Island, while online platform Les Filles specialises in supporting young Spanish and Portuguese designers like Moisés Nieto and Alexandra Moura. Paulo Vaz, General Director-Portuguese Textile and Apparel Association, says exports in the sector amounted to €3.17 billion last year, a 4.3 per cent year-on-year increase. Reduced margins post-crisis meant survival of the fittest for Portuguese textile and apparel firms, forcing ‘each cent to count’, to achieve results and stay afloat. But upon recovery, streamlined structures and highly skilled workers meant international private labels could turn to the country’s manufacturers for more than raw materials.
But while the ‘Made in Portugal’ leather, footwear and textile manufacturing is well-established — having long produced for European luxury houses including Prada and Gucci — much of the 4.4 per cent year-on-year growth of the country’s apparel market is owed to fast-fashion brands attracting low-income consumers. According to Euromonitor, Inditex holds the overwhelming majority of the market, at 18.3 per cent.
Domestic consumption drives Spanish market
While overall apparel market size grew year-on-year to €20.85 billion in 2016, a 0.8 per cent increase, Spanish barometer Acotex, which records monthly sales in apparel, reported a 2017 growth of only 0.1 percent, compared to 3.39 per cent in 2016. Having said that, Spanish market is in recovery mode; real GDP growth is forecast at 2.5 per cent in 2018, down slightly from robust 3.1 per cent estimated in 2017, according to BMI Research. Josh Holmes, senior consumer analyst at BMI Research, stated that overseas investor sentiment towards Spanish companies and assets have generally turned more positive… in line with the wider economy. Private equity firms have been able to acquire Spanish brands that have been seeking buyers to help pay down debt and/or fund expansion plans. The luxury goods industry reached €5 billion in sales in 2016, according to the Spanish Luxury Association, but it still falls behind markets like the France, where sales of luxury goods reached €18 billion in the same year. With luxury players finding increasing interest in Spanish cities, Christian Louboutin is setting up shop in Madrid. The year 2017 saw brands including Sonia Rykiel, Fendi and Isabel Marant open stores.
Fast fashion dominance
All 15 top retailers in Spain are fast-fashion brands, according to Euromonitor International, with Zara taking the first spot and Primark and H&M occupying second and third place. When Interbrand released its annual ranking of the best Spanish brands, Zara featured prominently at the top spot, while five other low-cost brands were dispersed alongside Santander bank and football team Real Madrid.
In the Madrid district of Salamanca, a Zara store sits on the same block as the Armani boutique, and Uniqlo plans to take over the first two floors of luxury shopping mall El Jardín de Serrano. Joaquim Bretcha, director at Netquest International, informed that the appropriation of the main shopping districts by the Inditex Group began before the crisis of the expulsion of smaller independent stores from prime retail locations. Inditex and Mango reported €23.3 billion and €2.2 billion in sales for fiscal year 2016, respectively. Chain Desigual reported poor performance in the first half of 2017, year-on-year revenue was down 9.6 per cent to €377.9 million, but retains popularity among Spanish consumers, with over 85 owned stores across the country. In such fast fashion environ, the competition is stiff for independent labels. Additionally, global brands would also need to revisit their strategies or consider reigniting some of their business activities in order to sustain their position.
"Due to labor shortages, developed countries, such as the UK, the US and Japan, had to hire workers from Mexico, China, India and Vietnam. In the era of Industry 4.0, many textile and garment plants in Vietnam, China and India are expected to be moved to the US where robots have replaced humans in many positions. Using robots costs less than hiring manual workers."
Due to labor shortages, developed countries, such as the UK, the US and Japan, had to hire workers from Mexico, China, India and Vietnam. In the era of Industry 4.0, many textile and garment plants in Vietnam, China and India are expected to be moved to the US where robots have replaced humans in many positions. Using robots costs less than hiring manual workers.
A recent International Labor Organization report shows more than two thirds of 9.2 million textile, garment, leather and footwear workers in Southeast Asia are being challenged by the rapid explosion of scientific and technological applications. Large amounts of work being done by humans will be passed on to robots. As a result, low-cost workers who account for about 86 per cent of the total workforce of the Vietnamese textile and garment sector, 88 per cent of that in Cambodia, and 64 per cent of that in Indonesia risk unemployment.
As we move towards tech enhancements and embedding industry 4.0 into our factories of future, times are going to be challenging for countries who are still running on the power of labour. Today skilled manpower who is tech-enabled is the need of the hour to survive the battle. To get ready for Industry 4.0, Vietnamese textile and garment companies should promote technological innovation and human resource development.
Technology over human skills
It’s an accepted fact these days that technology is overpowering human skills when it comes to efficiency and time. For instance, the Viet Thang Jean Company, used to employ about 2,200 workers to operate a production line that creates 10,000 products daily. Now, with the help of automatic equipment, the company needs only 800 workers to operate the production line. However, investment in machine is still costlier. A laser cutting machine that can replace 100 workers per day costs nearly €800,000. To reduce the number of workers required to operate its production line, the company had to spend approximately $10 million. This effectively means that businesses should take into account investment in automation to ensure its highest effectiveness.
Preparing for the big race
Experts say the use of automatic equipment has helped Vietnamese textile and garment companies increase productivity by about 20 per cent. However, machinery cannot replace humans in the field of garment design that requires human creativity. Vietnam currently is the world’s fifth largest textile and garment exporter. In recent years, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar have been able to gain business on the back of cheap labour as compared with Vietnam. However, these countries can compete with Vietnam only in attracting orders that require simple techniques. Vietnam prides itself in having a skilled and experienced workforce, and thereby delivering complex technical requirements.
Saurav Ujjain, Chief Representative of ThreadSol in Southeast Asia, points out garment and fashion companies should make the most of technology and software to increase productivity and save materials. Artificial intelligence and mobile applications should be used to control and minimise material waste. Human resources should be trained in information technology, network security, artificial intelligence, robot technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D printing technology. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, Deputy Secretary General and Head of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association’s Representative Office in Ho Chi Minh City, also felt that businesses need to pay attention to information security when using software and technology in production. They should be careful in choosing the most suitable technologies to help them enhance economic efficiency and contribute to the development of the Vietnamese textile and garment sector. At a macro level, the government needs to increase the application of information technology in institutional and administrative reform to help businesses enhance their competitiveness and invest in Industry 4.0 technologies.
