FW
The 2017 autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is all set to exceed last year’s sourcing options, 80 per cent of the available exhibition space has already been booked. The event will take place in China from October 11-13.
This year the hall layout will make it easier to navigate around the fairground. All international exhibitors will be located on level 2 including in the International Halls (5.2 & 6.2), Beyond Denim (hall 7.2) and Accessories Vision (hall 4.2) – the latter two shared with domestic exhibitors.
The International Halls will host overseas exhibitors covering a diverse selection of quality products from around the globe, and include various SalonEurope featuring Italy’s Milano Unica Pavilion, France Pavilion, Germany Pavilion and numerous exhibitors from Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and elsewhere, which will gather an impressive range of premium European-made fabrics and accessories. Asian Pavilions from Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand will expand the sourcing options on offer.
In the meantime accessories and one of the two women wear fabric halls on level 2 all domestic exhibitors can be found on level 1, which will be further categorised by product end-use.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is a comprehensive platform to showcase your supreme apparel fabrics and accessories. There are lots of business chances to meet potential customer, explore new market opportunities, learn about next season’s trends, and add value to your business. It is currently one of the biggest and most comprehensive apparel fabric and accessories exhibitions in the world, says Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt.
Intertextiles will reveal the autumn/winter 2018-19 international trends through exhibitors’ products and its marginal programme will contain Intertextile Directions Trend Forum envisioned by top trend forecasters from France, Italy, Japan and the US.
Various opportunities will explain the upcoming trends in different consumer markets. Industry topics, seminars and panel discussions will also be held by worldwide industry associations and leading experts. Exhibitors can present their latest products and innovations through this events valuable platform. Innotex-Space, which is a display zone, will be set up for innovative textile applications and technologies. China International Fabrics Design & Fabrics Creation Competition, will be held to recognise the design talents and innovators in the local market.
Planet Textiles has made a big supportable request at one-day conference on environmental and social issues in the textile sector. There were more than 340 delegates from 25 countries present at the conference among them were two-day Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) annual members meeting and the SAC manufacturers’ forum. There were discussion on textile wastewater pollution, chemical management and natural resource conservation for both energy and water use.
Manoj Gulati, executive director, India, from international NGO Water.org stated that the value of the Indian textiles industry, currently at $108 billion, is expected to reach $223 billion by 2021. Presently, the Indian textiles sector consumes around 830 million cubic litres of water per annum
Tracy Nilsson, senior director of social environmental affairs at Adidas during the conference emphasized the significance of reducing water use at a minimum of 20 per cent by 2020.During the breakout sessions a solution on practical sustainable, solutions for textile wet processing, chemical management and discharge, and pollution were also discussed.
He further stated the importance of water in life and industry. With an increase and ever growing issue of water scarcity, we have developed an overall approach to address water efficiency, improve wastewater quality and provide better accessibility to water in communities, Nilsson added.
According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) Vietnam’s textile-garment industry still depends on heavily on imported materials, with domestic producers importing 86 percent of their fabrics.
As per the Ministry of Trade and Industry the country imported 3.3 million USD worth of fabrics in the first four months of 2017, up 6.75 percent compared to 2016, largely because Vietnamese-made fabrics are still below the standards of foreign markets. With China accounting for 52 percent of the imports the fabrics were mostly originated from Asian countries.
The tariffs on textile and garment products from Vietnam will be eliminated by EU only if the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement comes into force, Though, the agreement will impose long transition phase of up to 7 years for textiles and garments as it is among products sensitive to EU producers.
The move main purpose is to cut inputs from suppliers in countries outside of the agreement.Furthermore, Vietnam will have to satisfy “double transformation” rules-of-origin in return for full-fledged tariff removal that requires weaving and sewing and all subsequent manufacturing stages to be carried out within Vietnam thus it will stop Vietnamese manufacturers from directlyprofiting from the deal.
The Tirupur textile hub has recorded a rise in revenue of Rs 2000 crores in the past year.The export revenue in 2016-17 was Rs 26,000 crores against Rs 24,000 crores in 2015-16. The target however, was Rs 30,000 crores but that could not be achieved because of Brexit and the fall in the euro.
After the euro fell, clients from Europe wanted to buy at a reduced price that was not feasible for manufacturers. So customers reduced the quantity of orders. Demonetisation did not have a direct impact on revenue from exports. The problem was to shift from cash to wire transactions. It took more than two months for many industries in Tirupur to settle down. So, more than demonetisation, it was Brexit and the fall in the euro that impacted exports.
Meanwhile Tirupur apparel exporters fear the GST rates set for different segments of the knitwear production chain can create complexities and erode profit margins.
The differing GST scales fixed for various processes in the apparel production chain can have ramifications considering that the production chain in the Tirupur cluster remains mostly fragmented.
Complexity will arise as job work is going to be taxed at 18 per cent even though garments attract only five per cent. In Tirupur, processes like dyeing, knitting, fabrication and printing among many others are being carried out as job works.
Raliza Koleva is Chief Compliance Officer at Puma. She will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the company’s auditing and corporate policies. The 38-year-old executive will also continue in her advisory role as head of governance for Puma’s managing directors and the board of directors.
The graduate lawyer has experience in international corporations and is a proven expert in the fields of corporate, capital market law and compliance. She joined Puma's legal department in 2014.
Sporting goods manufacturer Puma is based in Germany. Founded in 1948, it designs, develops and markets footwear, apparel and accessories. Puma offers performance and lifestyle products in team sports, running and training, golf and motorsport. It also has a dedicated line of golf equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories.
The brand has established a history of making fast products designed for the fastest athletes on the planet in their respective sports, such as Usain Bolt and the Arsenal football club, which is perfectly aligned with its new brand positioning — Forever Faster.
Today Puma is one of the world’s leading sneaker companies, with models ranging from innovative shoes such as the lightweight Faas running shoe to the heritage of the classic Clyde & Suede models. Its sport performance and lifestyle labels include categories such as football, running, motorsports, golf and sailing.
Luxury brands are struggling in the US due to a variety of factors including the dominance of e-commerce over brick and mortar. Despite efforts to improve productivity and building brand recognition , still store closings continue and high-end brand stocks remain beaten down.
Apparel, home, accessories and fragrances company Ralph Lauren has seen its shares decline 15.8 per cent in the recent one-month period after posting mixed quarterly earnings in May. Revenue fell short of expectations. Same store sales sank 12 per cent year-on-year.
High-end fashion company Michael Kors’ current quarter guidance was below expectations. While fiscal fourth quarter results surpassed estimates, the stock is down 5.7 per cent after recovering slightly from the initial sell-off.
Shares of the fashion brand Burberry hit a three-month low in April on weaker-than-expected second-half sales growth, dragged down by weakness in North America. But the firm had stronger-than-expected full-year earnings. In mid-May, the British maker of luxury apparel and accessories announced more cost cuts and share buybacks in its preliminary 2016-17 report as it completed its transition year amid a fast changing luxury market. Revenue down two per cent was boosted by a three per cent gain in retail, while adjusted profit before tax fell 21 per cent. The firm plans to double down on building its brand strength and its digital presence.
According to BMI Research, a Fitch group company, India is among the top five consumer markets in Asia offering retailers the strongest consumer spending growth of an average of 6.1 per cent over the next five years. The other four countries are China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia.
As per the report, the real consumer spending growth in 2017 will be 6.2 per cent. The factors responsible for increase in consumer spending in India include increase in access to consumer credit, lower inflation and favourable regulatory environment for foreign owned retailers. These factors will continue to boost India’s consumer sectors in the coming years. India’s thriving e-commerce segment is expected to grow at double-digit rates in the forecast period up to 2021.
The report has observed that due to the limitations of activities for overseas retailers, e-commerce has been dominating. Bricks-and-mortar retailers have also began to foray into the e-commerce segment supported by the high mobile penetration in the country.
On the other hand, the report also stated that Amazon announced USD 500 mn investment to roll-out and fuel online retailing in India and due to the high mobile penetration in the country Bricks-and-mortar retailers are entering the e/m-commerce segment.
Ahmad Jawad, Chairman of Regional Standing Committee, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), has sought concerted efforts to diversify exports of the country. An urgent and comprehensive measures were needed to contain decline in the exports as it would, otherwise, lead to negative balance of payments says Ahmed.
The FPCCI office-bearer stated that the country's current exports must be transformed into value added goods. Ahmad Jawad suggested prudence in prompt identification of export opportunities with equal attention towards sensitization of investors and the public. This was crucial to enhance their participation in the value creation process also there existed several other opportunities to strengthen supply chain of finished products pertaining to the country's untapped sector of horticulture.
There was a sizable presence of skilled human force. "Philippines, a country with half the population ours has roughly $25 billion of exports in the global out-sourcing industry (part of service sector)," says Ahmad. Similarly, he also stated, attention was needed to be paid towards tourism center and referred to Dubai that earned $36.4 of foreign exchange through tourism in 2015. "The country has got some breath-taking scenery, palatable food, and a wonderful cultural history for the global tourists, Ahmad Jawad added.
He agreed that Gwadar once developed in a proper way with foolproof security of the beaches could emerge among the best beaches in the world. Reiterating that the government needed to adopt a liberal view for export promotion, he commented that a holistic approach was needed to be adopted. Ahmad Jawad also suggested there should be a need to support entrepreneurship and to create new avenues for growth through proper guidance of the youth. Entrepreneurship creates a virtuous cycle of prosperity as the people not only get employed, create value for the society and the economy but also promote employment opportunities, he stated. The FPCCI stated that the spectacular growth of the US economy had only been possible through the culture of entrepreneurship which entailed taking risks for new ventures and not fearing from failure.
"At the Open venue, there are no gender-specific garments, just clothing. This Pitti Uomo space offers unisex fashion where brands propose pieces to both sexes. Genderless is redefining the rules and Open offers a sophisticated approach with an array of experimental collections and accessories. It’s about youth, style, fashion, mood boards, inspiration, men, women, responsibility. Brands here rarely create clothes for just one gender. Instead, their inspiration pushes them to make clothes that can be worn by anyone. Here are certain defining trends at Pitti:"
At Pitti Uomo’s ‘Open’ venue, there are no gender-specific garments, just clothing. This Pitti Uomo space offers unisex fashion where brands propose pieces to both sexes. Genderless is redefining the rules and Open offers a sophisticated approach with an array of experimental collections and accessories. It’s about youth, style, fashion, mood boards, inspiration, men, women, responsibility. Brands here rarely create clothes for just one gender. Instead, their inspiration pushes them to make clothes that can be worn by anyone. Certain defining trends at Pitti are below:
An bloom: it is a collection of Haori jackets and unisex kimonos, entirely artisan made. Agender and seasonless, all the garments are made in a workshops of Bavaria and use exclusive materials such as pure linen, silk and velvet. All the processes, from printing to dyeing are done by hand and each piece calls for hours of work
Emyun: The acronym of Elegance Makes You Unique and Natural, this young Swiss brand follows through a concept of contemporary elegance that looks to the Running Couture. Everyday athletes’ uniforms are made up of garments created to generate well-being, comfortable, with a wealth of properties in heat-regulating fabrics with top-level finish details.
EOE glasses: This is the first ecological, organic eyewear brand to come out of Scandinavia. A collection, that originates in the extraordinary nature of Nordic countries and their unique series of seasons, which dedicates the names of its models to tiny villages or to elements from local tradition. It’s a biodegradable, recyclable eyewear designed in Lapland and hand made in Italy or Japan.
Marvielab: Founded by Mariavittoria Sargentini in 2006, Marvielab sees design as a reflection of aware dressing. The new ‘re_mind’ collection is a synthesis of its projects so far. Garments selected from the archive share the concepts of agender and seasonless. Volumes are generous and soft, constructions are all about free bodies, in movement, comfortable. Cuts and details are reduced to the minimum, focussing on the silhouette.
Opaline: The brand owes its beauty to the combination of unique prints on simple models with comfy fit, a mix also applied to a simple garment like pyjamas. Fabrics are natural, interpreted with a fair-trade policy: 100 per cent Indian cotton and modal, royan dobby, tulle and Broderie Anglaise lace are embellished with embroidered details and fringes. Inspiration comes from collages of patterns taken from ancient Indian books.
Period features: Period Features: This derives from the creativity of Japanese designer and fashion director Masakatsu Tsumura, inspired by a trip to India. Masakatsu was first fascinated by the art of making fabrics by hand in West Bengal. Colourful, precious, with unique textures that are delicate to the touch, they have become the very soul of his creations. Tsumura is launching the Period Features collection with the focus on men's shirts, created using sustainable local production.
Wanna Maria Fiori: It’s a collection of unisex bags and footwear that refute schemes and trends to bring alive a recognisable, timeless style. The brand follows ethics that safeguard a production chain that is healthy from start to finish, with production entirely made in Italy, based in Civitanova Marche. Understated shapes and natural leathers write the history of a young brand that targets the men, women and children of today.
Maison Jejia: It’s a timeless and ageless, a chic and cosmopolitan lifestyle, an understated, measured luxury, made with love for details and experimentation. These are the style codes of the Jejia world. Invisible details, tiny touches of elegance. Maison Jejia is a way of being, conveyed in garments that become loyal companions for every day wear.
Rumisu: A project that arose from the creativity of two sisters, Pinar and Deniz, set in a world of beauty and imbued with love for the earth. Each scarf is a unique piece, illustrated by hand and then printed on silk and cotton; the border is hand-rolled and decorated with the technique typical of the traditional Turkish art of Oya, in collaboration with a UNDP project aimed at fostering the economic and sustainable development of women in the Southeast of Turkey.
Bananatime: It’s the everyday luxury collection from Amsterdam, a line of unisex garments to be worn wherever – at home, on the beach, when travelling or every day. The key concept is versatility teamed with comfort, for a range in pure silk (easy care and machine washable) enlivened with eccentric prints.
The manmade fiber textile industry is disappointed with the GST rates.
It feels lack of uniformity in GST rates for the textile sector will adversely affect growth sentiments and exports and badly hit employment generation.
The manmade fiber textile sector has been pleading for a uniform tax rate of five per cent across the value chain to rejuvenate the entire textile sector. It says the high GST rates of 18 per cent for manmade fiber and yarn, dyeing and printing units and 12 per cent on embroidery items can lead to an increase in input costs and will affect the entire textile value chain adversely.
The industry wants a revision of the higher GST rates announced for manmade fiber products—either an uniform rate with other verticals or lowered to 12 per cent from the current 18 per cent.
India already is reeling under a huge competitive disadvantage in the international textile market when it comes to manmade fiber based textile products. Competitors like China, Vietnam and Bangladesh are ahead in global exports of manmade fiber textiles.
Another area of concern for the industry is the non-allowance of refund of accumulated credit for the textile sector. It says this will affect the entire processing, embroidery and job works segments since the job works segment is the weakest link in the entire value chain of the textile sector.
