FW
Bangladesh’s garment exports to non-traditional markets increased 3.4 per cent year-on-year in July to December of the current fiscal year. For Bangladesh, non-traditional markets are markets other than the European Union, US and Canada.
The newer markets mean a lot for the country, not just for sustaining the huge industry and the employment it provides to millions, but also for maintaining its robust contribution to the economy. Bangladesh’s largest export destination is Japan. The other markets that have demonstrated good prospects include Australia, China, Turkey and Russia.
Exporters were more focused on bulk orders from their known markets - the US and the EU. But prospects of exporting to newer and non-traditional markets on an increased scale are equally rewarding. One factor that has helped this is the cash incentive given to exporters. Another is market exploration efforts. And some importing countries have simplified the Rules of Origin.
Bangladesh began giving cash incentives on garment exports to emerging markets to offset the fallout from the financial meltdown the world faced in 2007. These cash incentives on export to non-traditional markets drove growth over the years. The cash incentive for apparel exporters was five per cent in 2009-10, four per cent in 2010-11 and two per cent in 2011-12.
The International Conference on Apparel & Home Textiles (ICAHT) will be held in New Delhi, September 9, 2017.
The theme of the conference this time isPeople, purpose and Passion:The pathway to success. The idea is to explore creativity and the creative process through the lenses of imagination and innovation.
Renowned speakers from different organizations across the globe will share their learning in the form of presentations and workshops on various topics connected with the textile and apparel industry.
The event is being organized by the Okhla Garment and Textile Cluster (OGTC). OGTC organizes ICAHT every year.
So far OGTC has organized 12 editions of ICAHT, invited 57 international speakers and 123 Indian speakers (35 from industry, 36 from academic institutions and 52 eminent consultants).
The conference is a great opportunity for the international trade fraternity to know the dual strengths that India can offer, not only as a great supplier base, but also as a fashion destination for international brands. Further, it provides an opportunity to share knowledge on state of the art experiences in global fashion marketing as well as supply chain management.
The conference is intended to cover all aspects of the apparel industry, including the problems of small-scale enterprises in the developing world, barriers which are hindering the growth of this industry, strengths and weaknesses of manufacturers in different regions, globalization issues, resource and manpower scarcity, quality of the product, trade laws, adopting new techniques to improve productivity, managing the global supply chain and changing apparel industry trends.
"Techtextil, International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens and Texprocess, International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials will be held in Frankfurt between May 9th to 12th May, 2017."
Techtextil, International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens and Texprocess, International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials will be held in Frankfurt between May 9th to 12th May, 2017.
Under the heading ‘Living in Space’, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Centre ,the two fairs will illustrate the broad spectrum of applications for technical textiles with examples from the aerospace sector.
“Space fascinates people all over the world. All our space missions are backed by many years of research and innovation in which new materials and processing technologies played a decisive role”, says Frank Salzgeber, Head of ESA Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) on the collaboration with Techtextil and Texprocess.
Dr Rolf-Dieter Fischer, Director, DLR Technology Marketing, adds, “Thanks to their extreme durability and temperature resistance, many of the materials developed for space travel are finding their way into everyday products, and vice versa. This is particularly true of fibre-based materials with materials developed for space suits that regulate heat and moisture now being used in sports shoes, garments and home textiles.”
“It will take several years before we can hold fairs on Mars. Until then, we will show at Techtextil and Texprocess products and processes covering almost all aspects of human life, from clothing, via building and mobility, to safety, medicine and agricultural technology – in other words, all those fields that are necessary for travel and survival in space”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.
Techtextil to present high-tech textiles and textile processing technologies
In addition to a space-oriented area in the vicinity of exhibitors for functional apparel textiles, insights into the start-up scene and expert lectures are planned. Based on the areas of application for technical textiles, Techtextil will present high-tech textiles and textile processing technologies from and for the space sector revolving around four main themes. ‘Mobility’ brings together examples of applications relating to locomotion in space, e.g., lightweight structures for space capsules and parachute fabrics. ‘Clothing’ covers the subject of functional garment textiles such as space-inspired high-tech fashion. ‘Civilization’ stands for textile products for survival, e.g., geotextiles for growing foodstuffs and textiles for medical applications, as well as for energy production or filtration. ‘Architecture’ presents applications for dwellings and the infrastructure.
According to the German Aerospace Industries Association, the German aerospace industry generates annual revenues of 34.7 billion euros and is set to expand further. With a growth rate of 12 percent a year, aerospace is one of the world’s driving forces for growth in the field of carbon-fibre reinforced plastics. Used in components of space capsules and fuel tanks, this heat and deformation resistant material cuts weight and, therefore, transport costs. Fibre-reinforced composites are also used in the folding antennae of communication, which can be as much as 30 metres in diameter when opened, and earth observation satellites. Just to mention, a space suit consists of numerous layers of high-tech textiles that protect the astronaut from heat and radiation at the same time as regulating the body temperature.
Texprocess: A clothing industry hotspot for technology
“It is well worth our while continually developing Texprocess further, with regard to the technologies and processes on display, the hall layout and the complementary programme.” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.
Texprocess reports growing sign up numbers, particularly in the CAD/CAM and Cutting, Making, Trimming (CMT) product groups. Technologies and material for Sewing, Joining and Fastening are growing steadily, too. The range of products at Texprocess once again covers all stages in the value-creation chain for textile goods, from design, IT, cutting out, sewing, seaming, embroidery and knitting to finishing, textile printing and logistics.
Premiére: Digital Textile Micro Factory
One of the highlights at the upcoming event will be the ‘Digital Textile Micro Factory’ presenting a live demonstration of an integrated production chain for apparel. In collaboration with the German Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research in Denkendorf and a number of well-known companies in the textile sector, Texprocess will, in the micro factory, demonstrate the entire networked production of items of clothing – from the design stage to digital printing, automatic cutting out and fabrication.
“The demand for individualised products necessitates making the entire production process more flexible. Serial production with, at the same time, smaller and smaller batches, right down to batches of just one, is only possible with industrially manufactured individual products. These fully automated and networked processes can now be implemented through the use of digitalisation,” adds Elgar Straub, General Manager of the VDMA’s Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies Division.
Industry partners of the Digital Textile Micro Factory at Texprocess are Assyst, Human Solutions, Coldenhove, Duerkopp Adler, Ergosoft, Eschler Textil, Mimaki, Monti Antonio, Schoeller Textil, Seripress, and Zuend.
Focus on Digital Printing
Digital Printing will be one of the thematic focuses of the Texprocess complimentary programme. The sector’s information service, the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) will, for the first time, be organising the European Digital Textile Conference at Texprocess. The conference will centre round technologies for digital printing on textiles and will be held on Wednesday 10th May.
Catwalk for innovative processing technologies
Following on from the success of its first edition, the Innovative Apparel Show is to be continued and set on an international footing. For the first time there will be a German university, and three European universities / colleges from outside Germany, showcasing, on the catwalk, their fashion designs from functional textiles and the processing stages that go into making them. The show will take place on each day of the trade fair.
With the Texprocess Innovation Award, Messe Frankfurt seeks, for the fourth time, to honour the best new technological developments in the field. The awards in the various categories will be presented during the joint opening ceremony for Texprocess and Techtextil, on 9th May 2017.
Texprocess will again be taking place in parallel to Techtextil, leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens (also from 9th to 12th May 2017). In all, 1,662 exhibitors from 54 different countries attended Texprocess and Techtextil in 2015, together with a total of 42,000 trade visitors. Over 13,300 of them came to see Texprocess. Added to that, there were around 7,600 additional visitors, who came across from the concurrently held Techtextil.
"Nearly 1,213 exhibitors, of 400 from 21 nations and regions outside China, presented their new collections from March 15-17, at CHIC Shanghai (Spring), Asia’s leading fashion trade show. CHIC covered 107,200 sq. mt. area at the National Exhibition & Convention Centre, Shangahi. And 108,164 trade visitors registered at the fair, among them were leading department stores, shopping malls, increasingly multi-brand stores, etc."
Nearly 1,213 exhibitors, of 400 from 21 nations and regions outside China, presented their new collections from March 15-17, at CHIC Shanghai (Spring), Asia’s leading fashion trade show. CHIC covered 107,200 sq. mt. area at the National Exhibition & Convention Centre, Shangahi. And 108,164 trade visitors registered at the fair, among them were leading department stores, shopping malls, increasingly multi-brand stores, etc. Special focus was given to innovations and inspiration. To be different’ – looking different than others remains one of the most important claims for the fashion conscious Chinese consumers.
Chen Depend, Head of CHIC and President of China National Garment Association, explains, “Prime importance in the fashion & textile industry is given to technical developments, also in the view of increasing labour costs. New designs increase demand and incite desire; fashion enriches cultural diversity. A special demand is also given to ecological fashion with high fashion level. And lastly, no more brand image defines the success, but the combination and relationship of individual design, quality and price.”
Growing China’s retail expanse
The retail market in China is still growing. In 2016, the market noted an increase of 6.8 per cent in stationary trade and even 18.6 per cent in online shopping compared to the last year. For 2017, growth is pegged at 10 per cent. CHIC registered this year many department stores, which have expanded to China such as House of Fraser or the Greek Folli Folli New Concept Store Hong Kong.
New products’, satisfied exhibitors
Special interest registered the company Saint Andrew who presented innovation via intelligent clouds. This new system enables customers to develop their own style and have it afterwards produced as individual piece. As in the past, Turkey participated in Heritage (leatherwear section) and presented its high-end leatherwear, fur and shoe companies. A new performance was given by an international leather handbags exhibition where around 40 exhibitors showed their new collections. Among them were Calvin Klein, Hello Kitty, National Geographic, Travelbox.
Surely the exhibitors were a happy lot as Roby Spernanzoni, Owner, Spernanzoni Srl, Italy pointed out, “Chic is the only fashion fair that we participate in China as we regard it a valuable event and an effective way to access the Chinese market. This is our sixth time to join this fair. This year we found the Chinese market is changing. More and more Chinese clients are searching products at high quality regardless the fame of the brand and are more willing to insert some brands with good products even the brand names are not so familiar to the Chinese consumers. The arrangement of the runway show is a very nice approach to increase the visibility of our goods. After six editions' participation, we still believe the Chic Show will assist our brands to know more and manage better in this potential market.” In the same vein, Stefano De Angelis, Calzaturificio Giovanni Fabiani Srl, Italy, said, “All of Giovanni Fabiani’s know-how on the femininity front has been pured into the contemporary collection for next Fall/Winter at CHIC, the most influential and professional fair in China. We collected during the CHIC Spring edition a great feedback from the customers and the Chinese operators especially for our quality supply and the high level of the presentation of our F/W collection.”
Messe Offenbach, Arnd Hinrich Kappe, CEO, ILM, Germany, shared, they made good new contacts with retailers at CHIC. Global attendance at ILM is growing through international presentations like this. Javier Roca, Owner, Jose Roca, Spain, informed, “It is second time at CHIC and we made many contacts we have to follow-up after the fair. Our location is very good, how we proceed will depend on the result of this time’s participation.”
Ginning Wu, ing Brand Management, Distributor China, Amazonas, Brazil, said, “We made contacts to new clients this time again and received good orders. We find at CHIC a good mix of fashion people visiting of all distribution channels, offline and online. We will come back again in October.” Six times participant, Raymond Lam, Owner, Vendula London, UK, said, “It’s being a great show for us, we received very positive response. Many of our old clients came and we made numerous contacts to new customers like House of Fraser or Wanda Plaza. In October, we will be back at CHIC again.”
Sanikai, a young Swiss designer label of vegan designer Sanaa Akaaouf remarked, “Coming to China through CHIC was a very big step for us and we are proud that we realized it this time. We received a lot of contacts from all over China, as well from Singapore and Malaysia. We do see it as well as a kind of mission to introduce our PET collection to China and want to contribute to a change of mind in one of the world’s biggest consumer markets. We noted a very big interest in our ecological fashion.”
Special Activities during CHIC
CHIC as service platform assists international participants by realizing special activities such as match-makings. The China Fashion Business Forum (Spring) devoted its topics to optimizing supply chains and accessing to cloud-intelligent manufacturing. But also trend seminars belonged to the program. A special highlight was the 25 brand fashion shows which enabled visitors to get an overall idea on new brands and new trends. At the same time and same location further trade shows took place: Intertextile, China International Trade Fair for Textiles and Accessories, Yarn Expo and PH Value. This parallelism is possible due to the enormous size of the fairground with over 400,000 sq. mt. indoor. The next show is slated to held from October 2017, 11-13.
Bangladesh’s garment and apparel exports in the fiscal year 2015-16 were up 10.21 per cent over the previous year. Growth was mainly attributed to political calmness during the year, increased productivity, entrepreneurs’ resilience and improvement of workers’ safety standards in factories.
The country is the world’s second largest readymade garment exporter with advantages like a low labor cost, favorable business climate, and well-established transport facility. The readymade garment sector is the country’s largest source for export earnings. Readymade garments exported from Bangladesh represent around six per cent of the global clothing market.
Fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Gap and Levi’s are already manufacturing and importing clothes from Bangladesh. The industry employs around four million citizens and is one industry where women are in high numbers, almost 90 per cent of the workforce.
Efforts are being made to further boost and promote the country’s readymade garment sector by facilitating a healthier business environment, training more skilled workers, improving social compliance status and improving coordination among the manufacturers, exporters and importers. Bangladesh exports around $30 billion of readymade garments a year. The vision is to achieve $50 billion of readymade garment exports by 2021.
The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), a government-based firm, will host its first Japan Textile Salon on January 17 and 18, in New York City. The event will take place at The Altman Building. An exclusive selection of 22 textile exhibitors was chosen to showcase design techniques and the use of various fabrication and materials. The aim of the show is to increase sales and distribution channels within the US market for each exhibitor, states JETRO.
The Textile Salon will introduce Japanese colour trends for the upcoming spring 2019 season with a focus two themes: Moon Night Diver, a compilation of blues purples and greens that “depict the interplay of light and show;” and Biotech Lab, a “nature-inspired” palette comprised of botanical greens and blue-greens. Notable fabrics on display include organic cotton, Coolmax, premium fabrics made by a special circular loom that employs a traditional silk braiding technology and water-repellent stretch fabrics. Technologies that will be on display include inkjet printing techniques and traditional Japanese hand-printing methods.
Asuka Yatabe, Project Coordinator for JETRO says the exhibitors selected are among the top weavers, design studios and manufacturers as this show is extremely focused. He noted that the companies selected for the salon are “highly compatible” with the global market. Each exhibitor was selected because of his or her contribution to the show’s “uniqueness” regarding novelty in textures, fabric innovation or use of natural materials; craftsmanship in printing techniques or technology; functionality, or utilitarian fabrics, ecology and for the use of sustainable materials.
India is the second largest footwear producer in the world. The country’s footwear production accounts for nine per cent of the global annual production. China has a 60 per cent share in global production.
Footwear exports from India grew at a CAGR of 20 per cent in rupee terms during the last five years. Of the annual production of shoes, 90 per cent is consumed domestically while the remaining is exported to Europe, primarily United Kingdom, Germany, US, Italy and France.
Growth of Indian fashion and lifestyle sector has given an impetus to the footwear industry. From a basic need-based industry, it has now evolved to fashion and style category. The footwear market equally divided between the organised and unorganised players. Organised players cater to about a third of the market. The unorganised segment gained prominence in the Indian context due to its price-competitive products, which are more suitable and attractive to the price-conscious Indian consumer.
With increased household income, shifting consumer behavior from saving to spending, growing brand consciousness, influx of a large number of global brands and penetration into Tier II and III cities by footwear companies, the organised retail footwear market is rapidly evolving and is expected to grow at a higher rate in future.
China International Nonwovens Expo (CINE) will be held from June 21 to 23, 2017. This biennial event was first held in October 2015. The expo last year featured over 80 exhibitors, with nonwovens products for the medical, filtration, building and other industries on display.
The forum, which included two days of seminars and product presentations from overseas and Chinese companies, allowed producers, end-users, academics, industry associations and other stakeholders to have in-depth exchanges on the current market trends, national industry standards and policies, and new product developments, as well as seek out new business opportunities in the Chinese market.
It is ideally suited for companies in the fields of nonwovens and nonwoven products, machinery and ancillaries for nonwovens, raw materials and chemicals for nonwovens, and nonwovens industry related services.
China is the world’s largest producer, exporter and consumer for nonwoven fabrics, and over the past decade, growth in these three areas has been rapid. Between 2011-15, nonwovens output grew on an average annual growth rate of 11.7 per cent, with the country now contributing 40 per cent of global output. During this same period, sales of nonwovens in China grew 21.6 per cent, while exports increased 13.9 per cent. China has been making concerted efforts to reduce industrial pollution in the country, leading to a surge in demand for filtration nonwovens.
Next posted a 3.8 per cent drop in pre-tax profits for the year to the end of January. Next is anticipating another fall in profits. UK’s biggest clothing retailer has been battling a combination of economic, cyclical and internal factors. Next has raised shop prices by four per cent to offset the higher import costs from a weaker pound.
Total sales at the retailer’s 538 shops have fallen by 0.3 per cent, hit by a 4.6 per cent slump in full-price shop sales. The group’s Directory business, long seen as the engine driving its growth, also suffered a lackluster year with its own-brand sales down by 1.8 per cent. However, this was offset by its growing business selling other brands, which lifted its Label sales by 18.9 per cent and boosted total Directory sales by 4.2 per cent.
Next attributed some of its weakness to a reshuffle of its buying operations, which means it can respond to fashion trends faster, but at the expense of omitting some of its best-selling, heartland products from the range. The retailer also bore an increase in costs. Next expects a further increase in costs this year as it absorbs wage rises, the apprenticeship levy, and energy taxes.
Ethiopia is attracting foreign investors. And what’s attracting them is the prevalence of peace, smooth business transaction, a conducive custom and tax system. In addition development of infrastructure such as roads railway and energy is playing a crucial role in encouraging investment flow. Among the investors are, Chinese, Indian and Turkish industries taking the lion's share. Investments from these nations are gaining momentum.
For more than a couple of decades, Ethiopia has been registering high economic growth. As the second most populous country in Africa, Ethiopia provides investors the necessary facilities like labor, land and infrastructure. Industrial parks have been built with customs and banking services, electricity, energy and water services and sewage systems. The availability of air transport, cheap labor and tax holidays provided to investors have made the country attractive for foreign investment.
As a result, job opportunities are being created for hundreds of thousands of people. As a developing country, Ethiopia exports agricultural products and imports capital goods for its industrialization process. The nation needs foreign currency to meet its development ambitions and for that mobilising hard currency from various sources is being done.
