FW
Pitti Filati’s autumn/winter 2018-19 show showcased developments in yarn designs for knitwear and their importance to the industry. All concerns of encompassed which include: sustainable development, color trends, new, innovative performance yarns, yarns developed specifically for needs, such as the rapid growth of athleisure, fashion which works for the individual.
Fluffy brushed looks were popular. Designers fluffed up and increased the volume of yarns for a soft, winter feel. Animal fibers with intrinsic qualities of knops, twists and individual structures were highly prized in knits.
In addition to wool, mohair and cashmere, this year’s choices included baby camel, yak, and alpaca, sometimes mixed together in various combinations. Alpaca is the fiber for the new winter season. It is being used in pure form or mixed with other fibers to enhance the natural hues which occur, putting alpaca firmly into the limelight for knitwear, knitted dresses and outerwear.
Special effects with fringing, printing, differential dyeing and brushing included metallic looks, sparkle, and the mixing of various colors in shiny yarns like mohair and silk. Dramatic color choices included dark navy and black. Surfaces were cosy and volume made greater by means of knops, bouclés and twists as well as by brushing and teasing in wool collections. Melanges and mixes were frequent in order to achieve unusual color effects.
The latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reveals cotton yarn valued at $1.134 billion was exported during 11 months of last fiscal 2016-17 as against the corresponding period last year. During the period from July-May, 2016-17, about 4,13,749 metric tons of cotton yarn valued at $1.134 billion was exported as compared to exports of 3,92,302 metric tons valued at $1.176 billion during the same period last year. Exports of cotton yarn during the period under review decreased by 3.64 per cent, as against exports during the same period last year, however exports of cotton carded recorded an increase of 71.94 percent touching $2, 39,000 as against exports of $14,000 during same period last year. In last 11 months, 237 metric tons of cotton carded or combed was exported from the country as against the 143 metric tons during same period last year.
During the period from July-May, 2016-17, about 23,451 metric tons of raw cotton worth $40.169 million was exported as compared to exports of 48,961 metric tons valued at $75.996 million during the same period of last year.
Bed wear exports from the country grew 3.22 per cent and touched $1.922 billion, as against exports of $1.86 billion during the same period last year. In last eleven months of the fiscal 2016-17, about 3,18,070 metric tons of bed wear were exported as against the exports of 3,03,054 metric tons during same period last year.
However, textile group exports from the country during last 11 months of financial year 2016-17 had recorded 1.98 percent negative growth and were recorded at $11.234 billion as compared to exports of $11.46 billion during the same period last year.
India’s technical textiles industry is growing at a fast pace, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 9.6 per cent between 2014 and 2023. In addition, India accounts for roughly 14 per cent of the world’s production of textile yarns and fibers. It is the world’s largest producer of jute, second largest producer of silk and cotton, and the third largest of cellulosic fiber. The readymade garment sector is currently the largest contributor to India’s total textile and apparel exports, accounting for roughly 41 per cent.
India’s growth rate has been boosted by initiatives, including its recent establishment of 75 apparel training and design centers to improve technical skills and offer training. The vast majority of technical textiles comes from Asia-Pacific, which accounts for almost half of the global technical textiles market.
China is the largest producer of both woven and nonwoven technical textiles in the region, and is currently responsible for 30 per cent of global production. A large workforce, strong domestic market and the advances it has experienced in textile technology make the country a very strong competitor in the global industry.
China’s leading position is followed by the Americas with 19 per cent of global production, India with 18 per cent, the EU with 16 per cent and the rest of the world with 17 per cent.
Vietnam’s garment and textile revenue increased for the first half of this year but experts say growth has not yet become sustainable. The national garment and textiles export value in the first half of the year grew 11.3 per cent year-on-year to $14.58 billion, higher than the growth rate of 6.1 per cent year-on-year in the same period of 2016.
Le Tien Trưong, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Garment and Textile Group (Vinatex), says the results were a praiseworthy effort in the context of the unstable global economy. The country earned $6 billion from exports to the US, surging nearly 9 per cent; $2.3 billion to the EU, up 8 per cent; and $1.5 billion to Japan, up 12 per cent. Vietnam outstripped its competitors in garment exports during the period. According to the Trade Map, China experienced a decline of more than 5 per cent year-on-year, while Bangladesh saw a drop of 3.5 per cent, and Indonesia was down 5 per cent.
However, trade protectionism policy of US President Donald Trump’s administration and interest rate adjustment from the US Federal Reserve will threaten sustainable export growth. There is a high possibility that Vietnam’s competitors will further devalue domestic currencies to support exports as they did in 2016, says Truong.
The biggest hurdle for Vietnamese garments is competitors, especially China with large scale production and low costs. Vietnamese enterprises need to join the global supply chain with fastidious requirements of quality, prices and time of good delivery. Moreover, the auxiliary industry for the textile and garment sector has not yet developed. Low capacity in weaving and dyeing has led to local demand for textile fabric being unsatisfied. The domestic garment industry must import 70 per cent of fabric, causing unbalanced development.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese garment enterprises are mostly small- and medium-sized limited ability in accessing domestic and foreign markets. If they do not link with some large enterprises, these firms will find it difficult to survive and never have the ability to compete internationally.
India’s garment exports are expected to register a 15 to 18 per cent growth in fiscal year ’18. Rebate on state levies have been introduced to encourage exports. There is an additional 10 per cent subsidy for the garment and made-up segments, which means the home textile industry will effectively get 25 per cent capital investment subsidy on new machines they bring in, leading to efficiency and modernisation of the sector.
Subsidies have proved be beneficial for the sector and led to an increase in employment and attracted huge investments. The industry is looking at entering into CIS, Africa and Far East markets to increase garment exports, apart from its traditional markets of US and Europe.
The 18 per cent GST is expected to be a major blow to the small manufacturers, most of whom follow the job work basis of manufacturing. India’s readymade garment exports registered a positive growth of just 8.06 per cent in May compared to the corresponding period last year. The decline in growth is attributed to many reasons. One, though exporters are happy with the new rates announced under GST, they need to ensure compliance with GST for input credit for the already existing stock on June 30, which has lead to curtailment in production.
India is facing deficient rainfall in major cotton growing areas. While the middle, northern and eastern parts of India received above normal rainfall, the western and southern parts remained deficient. So, farmers are fearing a decline in yield. They had achieved record productivity and got better prices last year despite lower acreage. Encouraged by last year’s realisation, farmers have slowed down the speed of cotton sowing after over 50 per cent increase in acreage early this season.
The crop is projected to get delayed by at least a month and the yield prospect has got affected due to a delay in sowing. A delay in upcoming crop may prompt immediate bargains. The demand for cotton has been good. Therefore, cotton prices may rise further and may sustain the prevailing range of Rs 42,500 to Rs 44,500 a ton.
Farmers have increased sowing of cotton. During most of last year, cotton prices remained above the minimum support price. Prompted by last year's realization, farmers have increased their cotton sowing area by a staggering 45 per cent so far this season. There may be re-sowing of cotton seeds in the areas where rainfalls remained have deficient so far this season and crops damaged thereupon.
Cherokee the global brand marketing platform with a portfolio of fashion and lifestyle brands, says it has entered into license agreements for its Hi-Tec and 50 Peaks brands in several key growth categories. The new licensing agreements with the Tharanco Group for men's and women's apparel and Interbrand for accessories including socks, gloves, and hats, mark a significant step toward broadening the Hi-Tec and 50 Peaks brands beyond footwear leveraging the brands' existing strong position in the outdoor and active markets.
Tharanco specializes in providing fashionable clothing that utilizes the latest trends and fabric technologies. The company is a name in the apparel and retail industry through its broad distribution of men’s and women’s brands in all retail tiers throughout North America and internationally.
Interbrand is a global accessories company with specific expertise in socks, headwear, gloves, scarves, and leather goods. Interbrand designs, markets and distributes products in over 35 countries through department stores, regional specialty, national athletic, big box outdoor, mass retailers and wholesale clubs in over 8,000 doors nationally. Hi-Tec is a sports and outdoor footwear brand.
Cherokee is partnering with industry-leading footwear, apparel and accessories specialists to ensure that the full potential of its Hi-Tec portfolio is realized. Partners like Carolina Footwear, Tharanco and Interbrand will allow Cherokee to quickly scale its newest outdoor and active lifestyle brands across multiple channels and categories.
The new collections will be available in national department stores and specialty and outdoor retailers throughout North America beginning early 2018. Cherokee, founded in 1973, is an American family brand offering classic and California casual comfort.
The sudden closure of a garment factory linked to UK and Canadian brands has left 208 workers in Cambodia without jobs, salaries or compensation. A year later these workers, largely women, are still fighting for justice and are in a desperate situation. Since they worked for UK brands Marks & Spencer and Bonmarche and Canadian brand Nygard, the workers are demanding these companies take responsibility and make due payments as their supplier failed compensate them.
One year ago, on July 1, 2016, 208 workers of Chung Fai Knitwear Factory suddenly found themselves unemployed, without notice, without severance pay and without receiving their salaries for the previous month. Well over half of these workers, 126, had been employed at the factory for 10+ years. The workers claim $$550,000 is needed to cover their final month’s salaries and lawful severance pay.
After their sudden dismissal, the workers –majority of them women – were left to fend for themselves and in retaliation they prevented the owners from selling the remaining assets of the factory and further took legal measures which resulted in a local court issuing an injunction order which temporarily froze the factory’s assets. The workers continued to urge the brands sourcing from their factory to intervene.
The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) clearly stipulates the responsibility of companies to ‘avoid causing or contributing to’ as well as ‘seek to prevent, or mitigate adverse human rights impacts’ linked to their business relations. That covers all workers in their supply chain
Bangladesh can meet only three per cent of its garment industry’s demand for cotton. The rest needs to be imported that makes Bangladesh one of the largest cotton importers in the world. To meet the growing demand of the garment industry, currently the country has to spend some $4.5 billion a year on import of cotton.
Now, the country has taken an initiative to increase raw cotton production specifically Genetically Modified Organism cotton or BT cotton. As the harmful pest bollworm is the main impediment in raising cotton production in the conventional method, Bangladesh has initiated biotechnology based BT cultivation to boost cotton production. But this has to be done in such a way that food production is not hampered.
Training has been provided to 60,000 farmers on modern cotton cultivation and 3,050 demonstration plots have been set up under a project for increasing cotton production in the country. Bangladesh hopes to produce a million bales of cotton on 2,00,000 hectares of land and save on some 15 per cent of import costs.
Cotton is the main raw material for textile industries. The country has 5000 garment factories and 450 spinning mills. Bangladesh produced 0.16 million bales of cotton in 2016-17 fiscal.
European garment buyers feel Bangladesh should focus more on value added, high-end apparel items rather than basic, traditional products to make business sustainable amidst fierce competition in global garment trade. The European fashion market is rebounding as retail sales of garment items have been increasing by 3-4 per cent year-on-year over the last few years.
Sale of denim products is especially on the rise. Bangladesh's performance with denim has been strong having already overtaken China and capturing 21.8 per cent of the market share, so this is a new opportunity. Bangladesh exports over $1 billion-worth denim products to European markets in a year and one out of every three jeans being worn is from Bangladesh.
The cost of production in Bangladesh has been increasing and the price of basic garment items is not so high. So, value added items can make the business more sustainable for Bangladesh. Bangladesh's opportunity has been increasing in European markets as China, the world's largest apparel supplier, is losing its global market share due to a dearth of skilled manpower and higher cost of production.
The end customers do not want to see these kinds of explosions, collapse of buildings and death of workers. The customers want to know about the environmental impact of industrial production in Bangladesh.
