FW
PVH’s net sales for Q2 increased six per cent compared to the same period last year. The corporation also saw its stock reach its highest level yet in 2017, jumping 3.5 per cent.
This was possible thanks to increased sales from Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Sales for Calvin Klein increased eight per cent compared to the same period last year, while Tommy Hilfiger revenues grew four per cent.
While the Tommy Hilfiger brand saw strong sales in Europe and Asia with a nine per cent increase in international sales overall, its North American revenues fell two per cent. Calvin Klein’s sales also fell in North America by one per cent, mostly due to its deconsolidation in Mexico.
PVH has raised its full year earnings outlook based on its second quarter outperformance and an improvement in foreign currency rates. The strength of its brands will continue to drive its second half performance.
PVH will also devote more funds to its major brands after reviewing the second quarter results. In addition, in line with its projected full year sales increase, it is planning to invest an additional ten million dollars in marketing during the second half of this year.
Nigeria is planning textile and garment clusters, which would generate jobs and revive the textile industry in the country. Most of the sophisticated equipment to start the production hubs is being put together in China and Italy.
These will showcase the country’s professionalism in tailoring. Nigeria doesn’t have any tailoring that is mass produced. In Nigeria, textile manufacturing is a key local industry, supported by a chain of suppliers such as cotton growers and natural dye makers. However, traditional methods of dyeing fabrics are threatened by cheap imports from abroad.
Nigerians have a love of naturally dyed fabrics with many prints based on traditional motifs. In northern regions, it is common for cloth to be a single color, such as indigo. Dyers use dye-pits (two or three meters deep). The cloth is left in these for a day or two, before being rinsed and left to dry. Sometimes, indigo cloth is beaten and given an extra coating of indigo powder to give a deeper shade and a glossy shine or sheen. Nigeria's textile industry used to be the third largest in Africa.
Now the country spends about 100 billion naira annually on importing clothing materials. If half of this could be made locally, the drain of foreign exchange could be stopped. Jobs could be created. Buying home made goods can stimulate the domestic economy.
Mainetti is a benchmark in sustainability. Each hanger the company produces is from energy-efficient machines. The company’s plant at Chennai has achieved a closed loop water system, with zero discharge of water, and also attained the level of zero land filled plant. In its naturally illuminated and ventilated plant, efforts are undertaken to reduce Co2 emissions at the rate of three per cent to five per cent year-on-year.
This series of initiatives is also helping Mainetti in saving on various fronts. It has been able to establish savings of over 50 per cent by using state-of-the-art machines, highly efficient cooling systems, best in class LEDs and maximum utilization of natural resources such as daylight and cross ventilation. By the use of low flow fixtures, re-cycled water usage and waterless urinals, it has also ensured over 65 per cent water savings compared to conventional units.
Italy-based Mainetti is spread across the world. Good environmental practice has always been a prime consideration in Mainetti’s development, leading it to seek practical solutions to avoid the production of waste.
Improvement in the existing system and adoption of the latest technology are continuous practices for the company as it reduces power consumption by moving from conventional systems to electrical systems or battery-operated systems.
Khadi sales grew 24 per cent in 2016-17. In 2015-16, total khadi sales stood at Rs 42,000 crores while the figure was a little over Rs 33,000 crores in 2014-15. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is working towards opening khadi stores in Dubai, Paris and London. The Indian community abroad may be encouraged and given incentives to open and run khadi outlets and shops. Khadi will be exhibited at embassies and consulate offices with information on how they are produced.
India has a network of around 7,050 khadi outlets. Sale outlets under the Khadi and Village Industries Corporation will be granted a financial assistance of Rs 25 lakhs per unit in urban areas and Rs 20 lakhs in rural areas for renovation and modernization.
Corporates like Arvind are getting into khadi. Arvind will acquire khadi from KVIC and sell designer khadi products like denim with the khadi mark. Similarly, Raymond, Allen Solly, and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail have also started promoting khadi. The involvement of corporates is expected to help artisans boost their income and provide more employment opportunities as demand increases. There is a collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology, which will provide design development and training at different khadi institutions.
Karl Mayer is a world leader in production of warp knitting and warp preparation machines. Over the last five years, Karl Mayer has invested extensively in improving competitiveness of its high-tech locations in Germany, Italy and Japan. Progressive solutions have enabled the company to grow. The company is working on sustainability and efficient use of resources.
All products from Karl Mayer are of highest quality and the result of ultra-modern production processes in application. In 2014, Karl Mayer started a comprehensive investment program with the objective to strengthen the company’s production section in order to face challenges of the future. The answer was a comprehensive reorganization of the processes, modernization of the buildings and investments in a state-of-the-art machine equipment.
The warp preparation business unit consists of Prosize sizing machine and the Multi-Matic. The Prosize features a novel, well-thought out process guiding, thus ensuring the highest efficiency in weaving and the smallest possible sizing liquor volume. In this way, it makes a significant contribution to the concept of sustainability. The Multi-Matic has high flexibility during sampling and short-warp production.
When it comes to manufacture of composite materials made from glass fibers, for example, the multiaxial warp knitting machine Cop Max and the fiber spreading unit UD 700 are technical solutions of highest perfection.
US textile industry has lost a formidable leader, as 66 years old Robert H Chapman III, Chairman, CEO and treasurer of fabric maker Inman Mills. Chapman passed away suddenly. The fourth generation of the family to run the 116-year-old company, joined Inman Mills as a management trainee in 1976. He moved up to plant manager, director, assistant vice president and vice president before becoming president and treasurer in 1991. In 2003, he was named chairman, CEO and treasurer.
He served in many leadership roles in the textile industry, including chairman of the National Council of Textile Organizations in 2016-17. During his career, he also served on the boards of more than 30 entities. Chapman was a strong voice and a longtime textile industry leader whose contributions to the industry and Spartanburg County were innumerable
Rob Chapman was a fearless and tireless advocate for manufacturing in South Carolina, working diligently to ensure that this state maintained a pro-manufacturing business environment. He was a recipient of the Roger Milliken Defender of Manufacturing Award.
A true Southern gentleman, he was passionate about manufacturing, fearless in his advocacy for manufacturing associates and dedicated to his industry and his community.
He is a graduate in economics and has completed programs from various textile and management institutes.
Inman Mills was founded in 1901. The company’s specialty is high-quality greige or unfinished fabrics and yarns sold for home furnishings, apparel and technical uses.
Bangladesh will continue to enjoy duty-free and quota-free access to the European market under the Everything But Arms (EBA) regime. Bangladesh earned $18.68 billion from its exports to EU in 2015-16, which was 54.57 per cent of the total receipts for the fiscal year. Of the $18.68 billion, $17.15 billion was from apparel shipments alone. Once Bangladesh becomes a middle-income country, it can hope for GSP Plus.
Access to GSP Plus isn’t an automatic process. But in practical terms GSP Plus is almost the same as GSP under EBA. There will be little difference in terms of access to the EU market.
Bangladesh will not lose the GSP benefit under EBA the day it becomes a middle-income country but will enjoy the duty-free and quota-free benefit for three years during the transition period.
Meanwhile the country is aligning itself with international labor conventions like establishing trade unions and allowing trade unions to operate freely and respecting international conventions on human and labor rights and environmental protection and good governance.
Also, the country must not have formulated reservations which are prohibited by these conventions and the monitoring bodies under those conventions must not have identified any serious failure to effectively implement them.
Munich Fabric Start will be held in Germany from September 5 to 7, 2017. This is an international fabric trade fair and a leading textile trade fairs for fashion and garment industry in Europe. The portfolio covers: women’s wear, men’s wear, children’s wear, denim, street wear and sportswear.
Trending colors, patterns, prints, materials and accessories of the coming season will be shown. From ultra-light materials to high-tech coatings and ready-to-wear fabrics and collections, an extensive product range of fashionable textiles as well as the complete range of suppliers for ribbons, buttons and labels is presented. The fair is accompanied by an extensive program of lectures, panel discussions as well as fashion shows and presentations.
Stability, reliability and continuity are among the reasons for Munich Fabric Start’s steady growth. The show earlier this year, January 31 to February 2, communicated great energy to visitors and insiders with a series of seminars and events and a pool of innovative ideas and products. The Bluezone area - with refreshed trend areas and booths – registered a lively attendance. The Catalyst and Keyhouse – confirming their focus on high-quality manufacturers, mostly from Europe – also attracted attention from denim and fashion insiders.
In volume terms the European Union’s apparel imports from January to May ’17 fell 1.05 per cent. This includes a drop by 0.78 per cent in knitwear and 1.39 per cent in wovens. In value terms, EU’s apparel imports surged 1.03 per cent. The knitted segment saw a rise of 1.85 per cent whereas the woven segment was up by 0.28 per cent. The rise shows the EU is spending more value on the imported products. During the same period, unit value realisation was up 2.09 per cent against the same period last year. This shows prices are rising.
Clothing demand in the EU is declining continuously. Consumer trends are shifting from store purchases to digital shopping. Major apparel exporters including China, India and Bangladesh were down in their volume-wise apparel exports to the EU. The countries’ exports tumbled by 1.18 per cent, 1.22 per cent and 0.17 per cent respectively.
Amid falling exports, Bangladesh still witnessed an increase in the exported value by 4.25 per cent during the period. The weak euro for the second largest apparel exporter in the world proved to be the main factor behind the rising export value.
Though Bangladesh has been open to global and local improvement initiatives and has actively participated and helped them, the government is now under pressure to allow trade unions in factories inside and outside the ‘Export Processing Zones’. The body of European buyers Accord has unilaterally increased the tenure of its function in Bangladesh. Meanwhile Alliance has informed they have no intention to stay further after the end of its current term by 2018.
Recently the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) based in Brussels, issued a letter to Bangladesh urging the country to cooperate with international bodies such as the European Union (EU) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to resolving the outstanding labor problems in textile sector more specifically in RMG sector.
Faruque Hasan, Senior Vice President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer & Export Association (BGMEA) and Managing Director of Giant Group says Accord can’t impose their unethical decision on a sovereign country. On the other hand the EU has warned Bangladesh they might risk losing trade performances granted under the EU’s Everything But Arms initiative if it did not address standing issues. It has increasingly pressure on Bangladesh to do more to align national laws and practice ILO recommendations. Many others urged for an effective initiative to be led by Bangladesh government as if the country has its own control on its industry. Recently BGMEA drafted the outline of such a platform called ‘Shonman’ (respect). The platform will be run by the Prime Minister’s office. Its steering committee will comprise representatives from BGMEA, BKMEA, ILO, brands, trade unions and corresponding ministries. Insiders expect that an effective platform would take charge of all regulations and requirements and there will be harmony on that and there will no ambiguity and duplication in system of governance.
In the meantime, an FTA Round Table is also scheduled for mid-November which will look at the labor issues in Bangladesh FTA has offered its support to both the EU and Bangladesh in facilitating dialogue on the outstanding issues with the hope of arriving to a positive result for all actors involved.
