FW
Bangladesh’s exports in August rose 10.7 per cent from a year earlier, driven by stronger garment sales. Garments are a key foreign exchange earner for the South Asian nation, whose low wages and duty-free access to western markets have helped make it the world’s second largest apparel exporter after China.
Exports for July and August of 2017-2018 financial year, rose 13.8 per cent from a year earlier. Sales of garments, comprising knitwear and woven items, were up 14 per cent from a year earlier. The garment industry, which supplies to many Western brands, came under scrutiny after a string of fatal factory accidents, including a 2013 building collapse that killed more than 1,130 people.
The export target for the 2017-18 financial year is $37.5 billion, with readymade garments earning $30.16 billion dollars. Exports in previous financial year that ended in June rose 1.7 per cent from a year earlier, but that was the slowest growth in 15 years, with garment sales up just 0.2 per cent.
Reasons for the lackluster growth the previous financial year include sluggish demand in key markets, structural reforms in the garment sector, a weak euro and appreciation of the local currency against the dollar.
In 2016, EU’s apparel imports from Bangladesh rose in volume for the ninth consecutive year. Bangladesh’s share of EU apparel imports from all sources has grown over a nine-year period from 12.2 per cent to 23.4 per cent.
China, by contrast, saw a dip in share in 2016. China’s share of EU apparel imports fell in volume terms for the sixth consecutive year. In 2010 over half of the volume of EU apparel imports came from China but by 2016 barely a third -- reflecting a sustained trend by EU buyers towards sourcing from alternative locations.
In an attempt to hold on to their market share, Chinese exporters are cutting prices. In 2016 alone, the average price of EU apparel imports from China fell by a sharp 8.2 per cent. However a strategy of holding on to market share by cutting prices is unsustainable for a country in which labor costs are rising significantly and shortages of labor are a growing problem.
In 2016 Bangladesh was the second cheapest supplier of apparel to the EU. Further, it was the cheapest supplier among the leading 10 suppliers in 12 individual apparel categories.
Baldwin Technology, a world leader in providing process automation solutions, consumables and services to the print, textile and film industries, is acquiring Ahlbrandt. The acquisition is expected to strengthen its market position and product portfolio. It is looking to expand its footprint in Germany.
Germany-based Ahlbrandt is known for spray coating and hot air drying products and innovation in surface finishing. Ahlbrandt’s expertise in developing and producing top-quality equipment and systems is a complement to Baldwin’s broad product portfolio. The partnership presents an opportunity for Ahlbrandt team to expand its business to new geographical markets and customers. The acquisition is expected to have a positive influence on Ahlbrandt’s new Serviceplus growth strategy.
The move will strengthen Baldwin’s ability to provide value to its customers through broader technology and service offerings. The investment underscores Baldwin’s commitment to a strategy that blends organic and acquisition growth to enhance its global footprint and the technology it can deliver to customers.
Ahlbrandt is Baldwin’s third acquisition since it joined the BW Forsyth Partners’ family of companies in 2012. In 2014, Baldwin acquired Web Printing Controls; in January of 2017, Air Motion Systems. Baldwin’s continued focus on strategic acquisitions has positioned the company for even greater success and created enormous opportunity for the company’s team members around the world.
Cotton Incorporated and Bloomingdale’s have launched an app that brings cotton apparel from the catwalk to the closet with a click. Shoppers can select outfits, access product information, share via social media platforms and purchase items directly from the runway. Customers will also be able purchase looks from the collection at Bloomingdale’s stores across the US.
Millennials and Generation Z are seeking style and comfort in their clothing and convenience in their shopping experience. Generation App spends a great deal of time on mobile devices. Seven in ten Generation Z consumers and eight in ten millennial consumers browse for clothing on their smart phones, significantly higher than that of consumers overall.
The collection is also in line with Generation Z and millennial apparel preferences. Pieces embody the on-trend street wear aesthetic of the season with an emphasis on transitional items including denim, outerwear and athleisure – all with the common thread of cotton. Shoppers can select from more than 80 cotton pieces for both men and women, including items from contemporary brands such as J. Brand, Adidas, Rag & Bone, Theory, Michael Kors, Burberry, Paige and more.
Together with Cotton Incorporated, Bloomingdale’s is giving consumers the on-trend looks they want, made with their favorite fabric and available in an instant.
The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has welcomed the extension of Gujarat's textile policy. The policy which was set to expire on September 2017 will now remain in force till September 2018.
AEPC, the apex body for apparel exporters in India has already submitted a set of recommendations. It has asked for the availability of plug and play infrastructure for apparel manufacturing in the form of readymade sheds for apparel factories in select locations either on long-term lease or on a rental basis.
The council has also asked for incentives in the form of infrastructure and project cost assistance for setting up a mega apparel park in the state and exemption of stamp duty for the developer of the park and enterprises on purchase of land.
In its recommendations, the council has asked for an interest subsidy to apparel units that have availed of benefits under TUFS with small and medium units having the option to choose availing of the assistance of capital investment subsidy or assistance for interest subsidy as per the state scheme of assistance to MSMEs. AEPC has made a request for power tariff subsidy to those enterprises which operate at an average 75 per cent capacity in the trailing 12 months.
DEMO. The contemporary classic- SS18 collection – Boys, be flowers
DEMO has always been inspired by contradictories. The traditional character in courtesan, oiran appears as the protagonist of the season spring summer 2018. "Ordinary flowers bloom in spring, only plum blossoms in the winter, effloresces prior to all, and it's called Oiran."
This season, DEMO reinterprets the beauty of the oiran and her culture with the brand's contemporary classic style. Integrating design elements of men's suits and Japanese costumes, the collection presents, with sophisticated lines and relief silhouettes, a touch of elegance with a scent of delicacy.
KA WA Key-Designers: Ka Wa Key Chow & Jarno Leppanen
KA WA Key’s work explores the relationship between soft masculinity and the identity of Asian men with the roots of their sensuous cultures and aesthetics. His personal design process involves the hybridities in; Eastern and Western clothing, masculine and feminine representations and the traditional textile crafts with the latest fashion technology. All fabrics are crafted in-house in London.
SS18 Collection-“Fried Rice in the Closet” (Fried Rice means sex in Chinese slang) A young guy who dresses up sportswear as he wants to hide his sexuality.
Kurt Ho- Monologue
Whilst traces of living can be found within what one's wearing, I try to reflect, reveal my most intimate stories and thoughts throughout the collection - loudly, proudly, yet still attempting to keep it low - humbly, quietly, and remorsefully. This is my monologue.
HANG –Mim Mak
Ama is a very ancient occupation of history, refers to women who do not have auxiliary breathing apparatus, and are submerged into seafood such as sea lobster, scallops, abalone, conch and other seafood. Design inspiration from the sea of the women, a group of fishing to survive the women. They used nets, hemp to fishing seafood. These tools have become the main garment element in this collection, Nets line with surface of fabric shows sense of space.
NECRO POON
NECRO POON is a contemporary menswear designer brand which was established in 2015.
“I believe that fashion is a medium through which I can make my dreams into reality,” explains Poon. His designs are inspired by the concepts of global political awareness and contradiction, which in turn derive from his belief in liberty, independent and equality. Through his designs, he hopes to reach out to people who share his values, as well as influence those who perhaps do not.
Poon believes that clothing must be wearable and comfortable, that it is clothing first and foremost. To that end, he develops and utilizes technical, functional materials to incorporate into his garments. Poon hopes that all those who wear his designs will feel fashionable yet comfortable, and moreover inspired by his sense of social concern
NelsonBlackle -Nelson Leung
“ You are not just wear it, but also play with it! ” This is the vision of NelsonBlackle, to have a joyful life with our outfit. ”NelsonBlackle”, mainly focus on menswear. He combines elements of glamour and sophistication with bold tailoring techniques.
Nelsonblackle ss18 collection is inspired by tsuguharu foujita, a Japanese – French painter and printmaker. He create a very unique painting skill which is being criticized by the other Japanese artist at that moment. But he persistently use his own technique to create his work, and now he is a legendary artist in the world.
From Clothing Of- Shirley Wong
Inspired by Joe Hishaashi’s ‘The Rain’, Shireley’s latest collectionsymbolises her never ending fashion odyssey and persistence in subverting the stereotypical narrative of faminity. The SS 2018 collection consolidates the brand’s aesthetic style and incorporates several pieces of travel clothing, such as windbreakers and multi-pocket pants into everyday wear
Lapeewee
The theme of Lapeewee S/S 2018 is “Mini-Miss”, idea is extracted from the American movie “The Little Sunshine”, in which a family decided to take a road trip to get a seven-year-old girl into the child beauty pageant.
The new collection sticks to its philosophy by creating a collection that tailored with a modern twist and an easily carried color palette. A particular favorite aspect, is the use of baby-doll and empire-waist cuttings, combining with girdle details. Likewise, blue and white colors’ hand drawn prints are commonly used in the collection, with colors ranged from navy blue, beige and apricot colors, while embellished with yellow color.
"As a stepping stone, textile companies have taken the onus on themselves to ensure sustainable development. While on the other hand, a new ban on scrap textile imports in China could curb global textile recycling progress. In one of the first initiatives, a recent life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a waterborne polyurethane (PU) technology, Insqin, created by high-tech polymer company Covestro, has been found to reduce the carbon footprint of textile coating by 45 per cent compared to conventional solvent-based technology."
As a stepping stone, textile companies have taken the onus on themselves to ensure sustainable development. While on the other hand, a new ban on scrap textile imports in China could curb global textile recycling progress. In one of the first initiatives, a recent life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a waterborne polyurethane (PU) technology, Insqin, created by high-tech polymer company Covestro, has been found to reduce the carbon footprint of textile coating by 45 per cent compared to conventional solvent-based technology. Nick Smith, Global Head of Textiles and Coatings at Covestro, says LCA provides an extra layer of assurance in the environmental performance of INSQIN. It shows brands that this technology can help them reach sustainability targets. Achievements in carbon footprint reduction will be important to not only fashion and sportswear brands, but also the automotive and furniture industries.
The study
The study compared a comprehensive range of parameters to assess the environmental performance of waterborne PU from extraction of raw materials to coated fabric production versus that of the conventional technology, which involves the use of the solvent dimethylformamide (DMF). The results showed for LCA, 1,000 sqm of PU synthetic made with Insqin has a global warming potential of 6,900 kg CO2-eq, compared to 12,7000 kg CO2-eq in the case of solvent-based PU leather. This implies that it makes perfect sense for the entire textile industry to switch to using this waterborne PU technology.
Around 85 per cent of Insqin’s global warming potential is due to the lower energy consumption of the dry textile coating process that is enabled by the waterborne PU and that replaces conventional wet processing. Using Insqin to coat textiles with PU also has the potential to reduce acidification of water and soil resources by 20 per cent compared to conventional options. The technology also uses 95 per cent less process water than traditional technologies.
Lydia Simon, Global Sustainability Manager for Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties at Covestro, highlighted that life cycle thinking is crucial if we are to overcome key challenges of the future and push sustainability. Life cycle studies help to quantify the potential of technologies to reduce environmental impacts and thus contribute to more sustainable solutions.
Bad news
Now for the bad news, China has banned import of textiles scraps under the guise of reducing pollution despite the growing popularity of using scrap textiles to bolster industry circularity initiatives. After this move, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to ISRI, such a move could impede progress on global textile recycling and prevent China’s manufacturing sector from accessing valuable recyclable materials and minimise other opportunities for recycling.
ISRI fully supports the efforts of the Chinese government to improve environmental protection and standards within its domestic recycling infrastructure. However, the organisation disagreed that a ban on the import of specification-grade scrap materials will help with those efforts. For recycled commodities such as recovered paper and fibre, plastic scrap and copper scrap, China accounts for more than half of the world’s total imports, the organisation noted. With more than $5.2 billion in scrap commodities exported from the US to China last year alone, the trade in specification-grade commodities between the US and China is of critical importance to the health and success of the US-based recycling industry and China’s manufacturing sector, said ISRI. If implemented, a ban on scrap imports will result in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the closure of many recycling businesses throughout the US.
US apparel imports went up 1.37 per cent in volume terms during January to July 2017. Apparel imports from China increased by 2.67 per cent, Vietnam by 11.02 per cent and India by 2.40 per cent. However imports from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Honduras dropped by 0.77 per cent, 1.89 per cent and 0.90 per cent.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the US in the period fell 5.88 per cent in value terms. China has been slashing unit prices to stay competitive in the US and thereby convincing buyers to purchase more quantities. Indian apparel manufacturers are becoming compliant to American buyers’ norms in terms of quality of products, labor conditions, and other legal aspects. Better conditions in India have increased the cost of production for manufacturers. However, US buyers are ready to pay higher prices for garments they import from India. Amid price war between China and Bangladesh, India is steadily growing in its apparel exports to the US.
Despite a surge in quantity of imports, the US did not see a rise in dollar spending. The country’s spend was down 1.90 per cent in the first seven months of the current year as against the corresponding period of 2016.
Togo is the latest African country eligible to enjoy trade benefits under AGOA for textile and apparel products. Togo has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with the shipment of such articles.
Since AGOA came into effect, regional real GDP in Africa has more than doubled and robust economic growth has helped reduce poverty and raise living standards across the continent. US’ imports of textiles and apparel from AGOA nations last year were just a 1.25 per cent increase over 2015. Nearly 33 per cent of that came from Kenya, followed by Lesotho with 28 per cent and Mauritius accounting for 19 per cent.
AGOA still remains largely underutilized, with just 16 countries exporting textiles and apparel to the US of the 26 that are eligible. Separately, the US initiated a review in June of AGOA eligibility for Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, which came about when the East African Community decided to ban imports of secondhand clothing to improve its own industry. As per the US Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, the move to curb incoming used clothing is a barrier to US trade, which goes against certain requirements under AGOA.
Bangladesh’s Nitol-Niloy group plans to invest in India. A spinning mill will be opened in West Bengal to convert India-sourced cotton to yarn for consumption in Bangladesh. The company which has business interests in automobile and engineering is eyeing a joint venture and the investment could be up to Rs 300 crores.
The group is eyeing projects in the specialised garments segment as well as with retail chains across the country. Nitol-Niloy is developing a special economic zone in Bangladesh and is eyeing investments from Indian companies.
The SEZ will have around 80 to 100 plots spread across an area of 103 acres and the focus is on automobile assembly, ancillary industries as well as engineering equipment. The main thrust of the Nitol-Niloy Group comes from marketing Tata commercial vehicles in Bangladesh including buses, trucks, passenger pick-up trucks, and construction equipment. Indian industry has invested around three billion dollars in Bangladesh.
