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Established in 1962 Shima Seiki has become a brand to be reckoned with. Shima Seiki Japan is the leading manufacturer in the computerized flatbed knitting machine industry, with the largest worldwide market share. With over 100 attendees and 50 companies participating at the previous edition, G3D seminars and workshops has been seen positive response. The purpose of the symposium is to bring together representatives from all across the apparel industry to focus on the future of the industry.
On display will be Shima Seiki’s flagship Mach2XS Wholegarment knitting machine featuring the original Slide Needle™ on four needle beds and spring-type moveable sinkers. Mach2XS offers high efficiency and stability with extended patterning capability while knitting wholegarment items. The compact SWG061N2 Wholegarment knitting machine offers flexible production as well as the capability for producing technical textiles for sports, medical and other industrial applications. The new SVR123SP computerized flat knitting machine features a loop presser bed with inlay capability, offering new and exciting possibilities in hybrid knit-weave textiles. The compact SSR112 workhorse machine will also be on display to demonstrate the leading edge in computerized shaped knitting technology.
Also on show will be the SDS-ONE APEX3 3D design system that is at the core of Shima Seiki’s “Total Fashion System” concept integrating knit production into one smooth and efficient workflow from planning and design to machine programming, production and even sales promotion.
Football mega-star Cristiano Ronaldo has announced the launch of new CR7 Denim line in June. The superstar already designs and models male underwear for his own fashion label, CR7, and now hopes to score with quality jeans that move as easily as he does.
It’s being produced and distributed by Uniti Fashion, a sourcing and manufacturing company founded in South Africa. The line is designed around the premise of comfort and high-fashion influences. He wished these jeans to be made to be lived in. A longtime fan of skinny jeans, his new collection offers denim junkies four styles modern straight, slim straight, tapered and super skinny.
The men’s denim collection is made from three types of fabric that either include stretch or are washed down to allow full movement. The assortment includes a core, signature and fashion collection. The 32-year-old says he believes in constantly moving forward and progressing in life, both on and off the playing field. The star actually wore them in a brand campaign film, and haven’t been able to take them off since. The line, to be available from June 1, will also include denim shirts, jackets and shorts
Brand Finance has rated Brandix as Sri Lanka’s most valuable export brand for the third consecutive year. Brandix leads a group of highly respected export brands in apparel, IT, tea, manufacturing, processed foods, services and printing. The group has been Sri Lanka’s top exporter across all industries for the past four years. In all, it has won 25 presidential export awards to date.
Brand Finance considers attributes like a brand’s corporate vision, reputation and image, leadership and people, degree of innovation and quality consciousness. The pioneer of the concept of total solutions in Sri Lanka’s apparel sector, and a preferred supplier to top retail brands in the US and Europe, Brandix is also a benchmark and international award winner for eco-friendly manufacture and commitment to environmental best practice.
Brandix has set up a textile park in Andhra Pradesh. The workforce comprises mostly women from rural areas, with a schooling ranging between seventh and tenth grades. They are trained to manufacture products for international brands and labels. The park produces over two lakh pieces of intimate apparel in a day. The unique, integrated apparel supply chain city is spread over 1,000 acres and brings alive an avant garde fiber to store concept. It brings together world class apparel chain partners from the design table to consumer brands in flawless integration. It includes spinning, fabric manufacturing, apparel production, accessories, finishing to warehousing and logistics.
Birla Century has been awarded the STeP by Oeko-Tex certification by Hohenstein for sustainable textile production. Birla Century is the first fabric manufacturer in India to get this award and is a division of Century Textiles & Industries. The certification on sustainable production means that a large volume of textiles produced by Century Textiles & Industries would now be considered eco-friendly or sustainable. The certification covers the whole chain of manufacturing, right from spinning to weaving to yarn processing and to fabric processing.
A meticulous assessment was carried out, including the company audit in relation to environmentally friendly production processes and socially responsible working conditions. This entire process also included the handling of various textile chemicals and possible hazardous materials, measurement of environmental performance using a wide range of criteria, the implementation of an environmental management system, as well as the company’s social responsibility in relation to employees, efficient quality management and safety in the workplace.
For customers of Birla Century, the STeP certification will establish a firm basis for placing more trust in the company as a responsible textile producer. The certification allows Birla Century to communicate its commitment to sustainable production to its customers, suppliers and other stakeholders in a credible manner.
Active wear or athleisure has caught on in a big way. It translates effortlessly from gym wear into street wear. The newest entrants in the active wear race are blurring the line between workout and one’s everyday wardrobe. Athleisure has replaced denim as the go-to for everyday casual looks for women.
Global active wear sales have leapt 42 per cent over the past seven years and could jump more than 30 per cent by 2020. So there may soon be 20-somethings who have never owned a pair of jeans. Women are shopping for items that are both fashionable and functional as the athleisure trend complements the busy modern woman’s lifestyle.
Athleisure is a hybrid of business casual and athletic wear, which has essentially created an entirely new category of clothing. Many of the clothes that people now consider work-appropriate incorporate sports-inspired materials like spandex, Lycra, and other synthetic fibers.
While athletic wear was created for a specific use - sports or athletics- athleisure clothing isn't. And it's this versatility that has attracted many consumers to the category. It can be worn in most offices and social situations. It's also generally more durable, with properties like wrinkle and odor resistance incorporated into its tech-infused fibers.
Accord and Alliance have so far severed business relations with 217 Bangladeshi readymade garment factories on grounds of unsafe working conditions. Alliance is a coalition of North American retailers. Accord is a grouping of EU retailers. The groups are interested in structural, electrical and fire safety initiatives at the factories from where they procure products. They have conducted safety inspections at more than 2,600 factories in Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza building collapse in April 2013.
The Accord conducted initial safety assessment at 1,850 factories while the Alliance inspected 775 readymade garment units. During the inspection, Accord and Alliance referred 150 factories to a government-set review panel consisting of representatives from the government, Accord, Alliance, suggesting evacuation as the retailers’ inspection teams got critical findings in the units.
Out of the 150 factories, 39 were closed, 42 factories were partially closed and 69 factories were allowed to operate with some conditions. After completing the initial assessment the initiatives provided corrective action plans to the factory owners with certain timeframe to fix the safety faults. According to them most the factories remain behind schedule. Accord said a total of 207 factories completed all structural safety remediation. Alliance said 75 per cent of all safety issues including 68 per cent of all high priority issues were fixed in its listed factories.
"The 32nd HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair and the 8th HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair drew to a close on April 23 with marked visitor attendance. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two four-day brought together together more than 2,500 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions to showcase the latest housewares, home textiles and furnishing products. The fairs welcomed more than 48,000 buyers from 111 countries, up approximately 2 per cent over last year."
The 32nd HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair and the 8th HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair drew to a close on April 23 with marked visitor attendance. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two four-day brought together together more than 2,500 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions to showcase the latest housewares, home textiles and furnishing products. The fairs welcomed more than 48,000 buyers from 111 countries, up approximately 2 per cent over last year. More than 29,000 buyers visited the Houseware Fair, while ua close to 19,000 buyers attended the Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair. Attendance from Australia and Korea and emerging markets like Chinese mainland, Brazil, Russia, Malaysia and the Philippines saw double-digit percentage growth
LIFE theme highlights the latest design trends
The largest event of its kind in Asia, the Hong Kong Houseware Fair welcomed nearly 2,280 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions. This year’s main theme was LIFE, which stands for four themed zones: Lifestyle, Interior, Feast and Enrich. To highlight these themes, the HKTDC is collaborating for the first time with A+A Design Studio, a well-known Italian trend forecasting agency, set up four trend forecast displays under the themes: ‘Count on Copper’, ‘Own Jungle’, ‘Visual Illusion’ and ‘Bamboology’. These 2018 Spring/Summer design trends were illustrated with a wide spectrum of houseware and interior design elements. New zones introduced at the Houseware Fair include: Coffee Alley under Lifestyle, HORECA under Feast, as well as World of Building & Hardware under Enrich, which brought together 60 exhibitors to showcase quality building materials, hardware & DIY tools and sanitary ware. To create more opportunities for the industry, the HKTDC organised 128 buying missions comprising more than 7,100 buyers to visit the fairs.
Startup zone debuts
In line with the Hong Kong SAR government’s policy to nurture start-up companies and move towards high value-added production, the Houseware Fair launched a Startup zone this year, allowing start-ups to exhibit at the fair at lower costs and connecting them with buyers and potential business partners. Ten start-up companies participated, showcasing products such as Fun & Fair’s Scooter table lamp and Harmonia Life’s natural skin care products.
“Start-ups need support and advice in a number of areas, such as the fine-tuning of product prototypes, brand promotion or positioning, and capital needs. The Houseware Fair and Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair attracted more than 47,000 international buyers last year. Start-ups can use the opportunity to seek support and advice for their business at the fair. Start-ups can also present their business ideas at the ‘Startup. Smart Launch’ session and explore more business opportunities,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau.
Concurrent events
Held concurrently with the Houseware Fair, the Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair attracted 300 exhibitors from eight countries. This year’s event featured new exhibitors from Belgium and Vietnam. Nantong in the Chinese mainland province of Jiangsu – a city dubbed ‘the Hometown of Textiles’ – as well as a number of Indian textile associations returned to set up group pavilions to showcase their quality textiles. Similar to the Houseware Fair, the Home Textiles and Furnishings events adopted the ‘Interior’ theme to showcase a variety of home textiles, upholstery and furnishing products. The premium ‘Hall of Glamour’ features quality brands and designer collections, covering products such as bedding, curtains, carpets and towels.
Knowledge Seminars added attraction
The HKTDC also organized a series of seminars and networking events to help stakeholders keep abreast with latest trends in the houseware and home textiles space. Highlights include: ‘WGSN Trendtalk: Houseware & Home Textiles 2018 Forecast’ led by expert trend forecaster WGSN. Other seminars include pet supplies industry trends in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, houseware product testing, certification and inspection services as well as building inspection.
A number of product demo & launch pad sessions were organised. The ‘International Kitchenette’ featured chefs preparing Turkish, Korean and Chinese dishes using latest kitchenware. A number of baristas also participated in ‘Latte Art Performance’ events to make delicious coffees for participants.
As per an onsite survey by HKTDC at the fair eco-friendly products, furniture, kitchenware and gadgets are the product categories with the highest growth potential; while simple designs (45 per cent), trendy designs (30 per cent) and multi-function products (29 per cent) are seen as the most outstanding product styles this year. The survey done on 550 buyers and exhibitors, found the industry cautiously optimistic about market prospects, with 36 per cent respondents expecting overall sales to grow and 51 per cent expecting sales to remain steady. More than 40 per cent of respondents said the major challenges facing the industry in 2017 are increased operating costs (42 per cent) and price fluctuations of raw materials (40 per cent).
Gifts and premium fair
Next the world’s largest gifts fair, the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair will welcome more than 4,300 exhibitors from 31 countries. The Hong Kong Exporters’ Association set up ‘Smart Design Village’, ‘Brand Oasis’ and ‘Isle of Originality’ zones to showcase quality products from Hong Kong companies. Winning pieces selected in the Hong Kong Smart Design Awards will be on display to present exquisite local designs to buyers.
The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair takes place from April 27-30 at the HKCEC, while the concurrent Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair, jointly organised with CIEC Exhibition Company (HK), will be held at AsiaWorld-Expo. The four fairs will welcome more than 7,300 exhibitors from 36 countries and regions. The HKTDC has organised about 300 buying missions comprising more than 14,000 companies from around the world to visit the four fairs.
The Printing & Packaging Fair will take place alongside the Gifts & Premium Fair, and is expecting more than 430 exhibitors from seven countries and regions. Two new zones will be introduced this year – ‘Innovative Retail Display Solutions’ will feature creative eye-catching display solutions, while ‘Printing and Packaging Solutions for Fashion & Accessories’ will present printing and packaging technologies and services catering to the fashion industry’s distinctive needs. Other highlight zones include the ‘De Luxe Zone’ for high-end packaging products and ‘Green Printing & Packaging Solutions’, which will encompass eco-friendly printing and packaging solutions.
"Dollar Industries celebrated their first listing day on National Stock Exchange last Friday. The event saw the ringing of listing bell at 10:00 am at National Stock Exchange, BKC, Mumbai. The event started with the lighting of traditional lamp in the presence of Dindayal Gupta, Chairman, Dollar; Vinod Gupta, MD, Binay Kumar Gupta, Joint MD; Gaurav Jain, MD, Hem Securities, Advisor to the listing; Ishita Vora, Head Primary Markets, National Stock Exchange; Shashi Agarwal, CFO, Dollar Industries; and Rakesh Biyani, an independent Director with Dollar."
Dollar Industries celebrated their first listing day on National Stock Exchange last Friday. The event saw the ringing of listing bell at 10:00 am at National Stock Exchange, BKC, Mumbai. The event started with the lighting of traditional lamp in the presence of Dindayal Gupta, Chairman, Dollar; Vinod Gupta, MD, Binay Kumar Gupta, Joint MD; Gaurav Jain, MD, Hem Securities, Advisor to the listing; Ishita Vora, Head Primary Markets, National Stock Exchange; Shashi Agarwal, CFO, Dollar Industries; and Rakesh Biyani, an independent Director with Dollar.
Dollar’s journey began in 1972. The proprietary firm Dollar Textiles it became Dollar Textiles Limited in 2005 and Dollar Industries Limited in 2008. Their signature brand is Dollar. Dollar Club had a range of vests and briefs. “We converted that into Dollar Big Boss, which became a sensation in the market. The brand ambassador is Akshay Kumar. It’s been six years with him and our association with Kumar is getting stronger and stronger,” remarks Vinod Gupta, MD, Dollar Industries. “We were the first hosiery company to have micro modal fiber in innerwear. Our overall range has vests, briefs, trunks in the latest cuts and fits. In apparel, we have basic and fashion denim, T-shirts, casual wear like Bermudas and track pants. In winter wear, we have premium thermals for men, women and children.” Dollar has a children’s brand called ‘Champion’ and their women’s wear brand is call Missy also in their basket is casual wear brand called ‘Force’.
Vinod Gupta explains they are the first inner wear company in India to have a fully backward integrated manufacturing unit which is located in Jaipur. Then they have a state of the art processing unit equipped with latest processing technology to produce finished raw material in any possible color. The production capacity is 13.5 tons a day and there is a spinning unit. At Dollar R&D plays a major role to ensure products combine fashion and functionality.
An inspirational journey
Vinod Gupta says while Dollar is playing the value game through progressive premiumisation, they are catering to the economy segment as well through various initiatives. The economy segment accounted for 45 per cent revenues in 2015-16, translating to Rs 360 crores compared to Rs 356 crores in the preceding year.
Talking about their journey Shashi Agarwal, CFO, Dollar Industries says, “It has been a great journey for us in the last 45 years. With constant product diversification, we have grown on an average at 13 per cent for the last five years. Last year revenues grew 30.5 per cent. We have 800 distributors and agents across India. They have helped us go deep into the country. We have a presence across 26 states and are in 80,000 MBOs in 800 cities. Our four manufacturing units are in Tirupur, Kolkata, Delhi, Ludhiana. Innovations are a way of life for Dollar. We will continue with the quest for increasing our market value. We will expand our portfolio and enter new markets and provide customer satisfaction.”
Upcoming Initiatives
The company is looking to strengthen its aspirational positioning in 2015-16. For years, there were two main segments– economy and premium. During the last fiscal year, the company took the initiative and launched ‘Force NXT’ aimed at the super-premium category. Gupta says, “This extension represents an idea whose time has come. There has been a major rethink on selection of innerwear for super-premium since these products are made of superior yarn fabric and stitched with superior thread. Dollar began to address this segment from the second half of the last fiscal, the benefits will start becoming evident from the current financial year.
Optimism about the future perfect
Talking about future growth prospects, Gupta says, “We are optimistic about generating Rs 1000 crores in revenues in 2016-17 despite economic slowdown and consumer downtrading. The ability to pass on an increase in raw cotton prices should make the achievement of our goal easier in addition to our being able to generate a higher throughput per dealer, address market gaps effectively and increase off take from our premium and super premium categories. In doing so, we believe we would be the fastest in our sector to get to this four-digit benchmark.”
The company keeps tab on latest trends to add value to the Dollar experience. It’s the largest selling Indian inner wear brand in the UAE and Middle East. Dollar owns 15 per cent market share in India, catering to the middle and upper segments. “We want Dollar to be a part of everyone’s life in India and abroad. We want to be a multinational providing trend setting solutions,” sums up Gupta.
For Lenzing sustainability is an integral feature of group strategy. Crucial operational components being implemented include the sustainable procurement of wood and a responsible handling of water.
Lenzing produces functional, aesthetic and emotional products by utilizing the raw material, wood, from carbon dioxide and sunlight. At the end of their useful lives, the fibers are biodegradable and thus once again serve as the basis for new plant growth.
Other key aspects of the sustainability strategy applied by Lenzing are the de carbonisation of production for the sake of improved climate protection as well as the promotion of sustainable innovations designed to replace resource-intensive, environmentally harmful products.
Largely closed chemical cycles ensure the environmentally compatible production of Lenzing fibers. Accordingly, more than 99 per cent of the solvent used to manufacture Tencel fibers is recovered.
This approach is complemented by a close cooperation with the value chain in order to jointly develop and implement systemic solutions. The group closely works with multi-stakeholder initiatives and actively supports a range of NGOs devoted to propagating sustainability principles. With this in mind, Lenzing is pursuing a policy oriented toward the long term which features transparency and mutual trust with all its stakeholders.
Lenzing is a producer of wood-based cellulose fibers.
The US remains the world’s largest sportswear market as it continues to witness significant growth. The size of the US sportswear market is estimated at $44 billion, and expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1per cent over the next five years. Despite the fact that growth of sportswear in China, is quickly catching up, the US’s leading position is likely to be maintained over the next few years, due to steadily increasing sales in the country.
At present, the men’s sports apparel segment is dominating the US market, while children’s sports apparel segment is growing rapidly because of increased demand for children’s sports apparel in the country. Meanwhile, revenue contribution of women’s sports apparel segment is a major driver for growth of the sportswear in the US. Many vendors are targeting women’s sports apparel segment by introducing new product lines for women. The crossover between exercise and fashion is also one of the driving factors in the market.
The high penetration of the sportswear in the US stems from increasing awareness about fitness. In the US 60 to 65 million individuals have been involved in outdoor sports such as running or other fitness activities. Boston being the oldest and most popular marathons in the US hosts close to 30,000 running events annually, including marathons and half marathons. Female participation has been increased considerably in in such events especially in the 25-45 year age group.
Color runs, mud runs, and adventure races are also gaining popularity. All these factors are boosting demand for sportswear, especially running gear, providing the necessary fillip for overall market’s growth in the country. In 2015, nearly 50 million units of running footwear were sold in the US.
Nike, as the world’s largest sportswear company, is leading the growth of the US sportswear market. The US sportswear giant recorded more than $32 billion in sales and $3.8 billion in profit over the fiscal year ending in 2016.
