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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.
Bangladesh wants to boost exports to Asia. Removing non-tariff barriers, signing trade-friendly bilateral agreements and proper use of preferential trade deals can boost Bangladesh’s exports to the region. Bangladesh’s exports to Asian countries in fiscal 2016-17 were 12 per cent of its total exports. At the same time European Union imported 55.83 per cent of Bangladesh’s total exports and the United States 21.19 per cent.
For a developing country, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress as an exporter of manufactured goods, especially readymade garments, but it’s highly reliant on the markets of developed countries.
Since there is an economic meltdown in traditional export destinations like Europe and the US, Bangladesh will have to find new markets. Grabbing more Asian markets can help reduce dependency on developed countries. With similarities in culture and taste, the markets of some Asian nations can help Bangladesh boost its export sector. Asia’s population is 59.6 per cent of the global total.
Bangladeshi apparel products are sold in China, Japan, Indonesia and some other countries, but not all of that is exported directly. International buyers import from Bangladesh and then sell the products in these countries. Bangladesh hopes to do more exports to the Japanese and other South Asian markets in the near future.
AM Silk is an industrial supplier of synthetic silk biopolymers. It has made a breakthrough with bioengineered spider silk, a new material which is will open new possibilities for applications throughout the medical, cosmetic and textile industries.
The synthetic silk an highly innovative product, has the potential to disrupt industries and provide substantial added value for AM Silk’s partners. The company has achieved what was long regarded as impossible: to learn from nature and produce spider silk artificially. Now it is possible to produce incredibly robust, skin friendly and at the same time environmentally friendly clothes.
Based in Germany, AM Silk is the first industrial supplier of synthetic silk biopolymers. Sustainably produced using a patented biotechnological process, AM Silk high performance biopolymers can be used in multiple ways including in medical or technical products as well as cosmetic ingredients. Among other things, the polymers are biocompatible, breathable and especially robust.
AM Silk’s high performance biopolymers are distributed in the form of Silkbeads (microparticles), Silkgel (hydrogel) or Biosteel fibers. They are currently used in coatings for medical technology products, in the textiles industry and as an ingredient in cosmetic products.
The company was chosen by the German edition of MIT Technology Review as one of the 50 most innovative companies in the world.
"Licensing has been finding increased importance in fashion fraternity these days. Same has been captured by a recent Euromonitor study, ‘Global Licensing Trends in Adult Fashion’. Licensing has spread across all aspects of the apparel and footwear business and across all demographics, ages and regions. As fast fashion and athleisure drive growth, fashion house and character collaborations reach new heights. While adult fashion is diverse in terms of licensing types, character is still one of the biggest licensing types in the industry."
Licensing has been finding increased importance in fashion fraternity these days. Same has been captured by a recent Euromonitor study, ‘Global Licensing Trends in Adult Fashion’. Licensing has spread across all aspects of the apparel and footwear business and across all demographics, ages and regions. As fast fashion and athleisure drive growth, fashion house and character collaborations reach new heights. While adult fashion is diverse in terms of licensing types, character is still one of the biggest licensing types in the industry. Adult-targeted classic characters’ appeal benefits from a nostalgia factor, and even some child-orientated franchises are marketed secondarily to adults by creating a ‘cool’ factor around them.
Fast fashion players such as Primark and H&M are highly active in licensing world. Direct-to-retail has enabled Primark to offer trendy DC Comics and Harry Potter licensed merchandise at very low prices, which it would not have been able to do otherwise. It is the largest retailer partner for Harry Potter themed products, while other collections also include Star Wars, Minions, Looney Tunes and Family Guy. In 2016, Primark was Western Europe’s third largest apparel brand, up from fourth place in 2013.
Athleisure defining trend of the decade
Athleisure is fuelled by consumers’ growing desire to prioritise wellbeing. The relaxation of dress codes has also played a huge role in its rise. Sportswear’s growth has intensified in recent years, recording a CAGR of 6 per cent over 2011-2016, compared to 4 per cent for apparel and footwear overall. The trend filters into licensed adult fashion. In April 2017, Warner Bros Consumer Products, the world’s fifth biggest licensor, partnered Her Universe for a range of superhero-themed women’s activewear. Sportswear has been identified by the industry as a key growth area for licensed adult fashion in coming years.
Character licensing
In womenswear, franchises increasingly target leading fashion shows. Disney, the world’s biggest licensor by far, has been very active in creating a larger space for its Minnie Mouse licence in fashion. In menswear, while Star Wars fever continues to be felt with new licensed fashion collections by Columbia Sportswear and Selfridges, Fun.com brought much needed excitement to formal and winter-wear thanks to its partnership with Marvel and DC Comics, launching an exclusive range in November 2016.
Untapped categories
Apart from this, there are various different categories that are still untapped. Categories, including suits and jeans could potentially offer good opportunities for expansion and growth. Licensing businesses need to be more creative, thinking outside the box and not limiting their merchandise just to tops and t-shirts. In categories that are not traditionally associated with licensing, subtle details could be used in a garment, allowing fans to connect with their favourite characters and franchises.
Partnerships between designers and character franchises are expected to continue, as these properties increasingly use designers’ credibility to enter and expand into adult fashion, reports Euromonitor.
