FW
Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC) and Groz-Beckert will launch a CSR initiative for vocational training at ATDC, Chandigarh. Groz-Beckert is known for technology leadership. The Germany-based company, is the world’s leading provider of industrial needles, precision components and tools as well as systems and services for the production and joining of textiles.
ATDC’s focus on CSR has been on designing and deploying sustainable programs, where the community takes ownership of the programs in a spirit of participatory development. There is sharper emphasis on capacity building of the community, which leads to a better impact of the programs for skill development for both men and women.
ATDC is India’s largest quality vocational training provider for the apparel industry. It has over 200 centers pan India which offers the entire range of apparel-related vocational courses. These include 65 ATDC vocational institutes and over 135 ATDC-SMART centers and skill camps offering state-of the- art vocational programs. The courses are focused on downstream apparel export and domestic manufacturing industries.
Apparel Training and Design Centre is probably the single largest training provider for any vocation in India and the single largest beneficiary or nodal agency for implementation of a government’s skill development scheme.
Archroma has entered into a partnership with Mehran University, Pakistan, to foster research in textiles. The partnership will explore research projects on basic indigenous textile dyes at Mehran towards smart methodologies in the processing of textile dyes. Mehran students will get access to hands-on training programs at Archroma’s center in the country.
Archroma is a global leader in color and specialty chemicals. The company’s non-halogenated portfolio includes select products that are assessed for compliance with global requirements for industrial and consumer safety.
Archroma’s portfolio of water-based, solvent-free polymers allows handle and surface adaptations, from soft to hard, elastic to rigid, hydrophilic to hydrophobic, heat sealable to highly durable, impermeable to breathable, with low or no formaldehyde content. These products allow for more sustainable, tailor-made coating solutions for applications such as technical textiles, automotive, nonwoven, personal protective equipment and sportswear.
Archroma's innovative next-gen fluorochemical products provide long-lasting and excellent repellency and release effects. They are easy to handle and non-sensitive regarding compatibility with other finishing chemicals. They allow covering the full spectrum of repellency and release needs in technical textile applications. Smartrepel Hydro keeps cotton, polyester and polyamide textiles dry. The unique technology offers exceptional, durable water repellency and is not based on fluorine. Smartrepel Hydro produces a soft hand feel and outstanding breathability – perfect for any weatherproof garment.
The global denim market is worth about $56 billion, says Statistic Brain. And the denim industry was expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6.5 per cent from 2015 to 2020, as per Technavio. The US accounts for $13.7 billion of that. Euromonitor International study says, jeans is growing not just in the US but also in China and Mexico. In the United States, jeans showed slight growth both in volume and current value terms in 2016, after declining over the previous two years. In China, jeans registered current value growth of 5 per cent in China in 2016, with sales approaching $11.8 billion. In Mexico, standard and premium denim saw the fastest growth in 2016, increasing 8 per cent in current value terms.
In the US, jeans made a slow comeback in 2016 as consumers began investing in denim again after the athleisure trend matured a little. Millennials are willing to spend on clothing and accessories, Euromonitor International remarks. They tend to be more aware of the latest fashion trends and are looking for clothing and accessories to personalise their fashion style and update their look. This generation supported growth in sales of economy and standard jeans.
Denim has continued to adapt to ever-changing trends with new innovations in fabrics and the adoption of new silhouettes not typically designed for denim. Fabric mills keep up with the demand for more performance functionality and comfort with the development of innovative fabric blends and weaves. Dio Kurazawa, Director-Denim, WGSN, believes the denim industry is on track for even the newest market trend — sportcore. Sportcore embraces a more streetstyle approach to athleisure.
Functional fabric
Kurazawa says denim makers were smart to increase denim’s comfort, as it helped them compete better against the athleisure influx. Stretch (denim) fabrics are relied upon from all three regions. The latest advancements in stretch technology allow for greater recovery than previously experienced. This is important for those consumers looking to achieve control and comfort without losing shape. Men’s skinny jean purchases have increased year-over-year (2016 to 2017 S/S) in the US, following its success in the EU.
Ripped denim with a relaxed cut also witnessed good sales in China in 2016, with rompers becoming a trending item there, as well. In Mexico, skinny jeans continue to be popular with women, and are increasingly so among men. Moreover, personalisation seems to be a growing trend in jeans, with brands offering many different types of washed out and ripped jeans, as well as stenciling and ripping.
Plus-sized brands are increasingly finding market in Mexico. The Euromonitor International cites Levi’s leading the way with its Shaping Plus line, targetted at curvy women and featuring renowned singer Carla Morrison as brand ambassador.
Denim diversity
Monitor™ Research highlights the diversity in denim is important in the Mexican market as consumers there wear jeans just over 4 days a week. This is significantly more than the 3 days a week consumers wear denim in the US and China. Mexican consumers also own the most denim garments (which includes jeans, jackets, shirts and skirts) at about 12 items. This is significantly more than denim ownership in the US (9) and China (7). Mexican consumers also own the most denim jeans on average at about 7 pairs, followed by the US at 7 and China at 3.
In the US, consumer interest lies with more authentic and comfortable-looking jeans, said Kurazawa. Consumers are no longer as interested in over-washed and processed jeans. The desire for real vintage jeans has begun to overshadow the factory-washed looks with their imitation distressing and whiskers. The EU market has seen a decline in the sale of these jeans as consumers opt for the true vintage experience. This trend will be followed in China too as they are often not far behind the North America market.
The United States may impose trade sanctions on China. It feels China’s intellectual property laws are unreasonable and discriminatory and harm American intellectual property, innovation and technology. The US could take its case to the World Trade Organization or settle it outside.
Under Section 301 of the US Trade Act 1974, the United States can impose trade sanctions on foreign countries that either violate trade agreements or engage in other unfair trade practices. A US trade sanction against China was long in the offing, consistent with Donald Trump’s election promises of cutting America’s ballooning trade deficit with China and punish the Asian nation for policies and unfair trade practices such as artificially keeping its currency depressed to boost exports. The United States estimates theft of intellectual property costs the American economy 600 billion dollars a year, and feels China is a major contributor, employing unfair trade practices and industrial policies such as forced technology transfer, which are damaging.
American companies say they are being unfairly forced to enter into joint ventures with Chinese companies if they want to do business in China and also, as part of these joint ventures, have to turn over their intellectual and other proprietary information.
For the first half of 2017, VF’s sales value stood at $4941.26 million. Improvements were seen in outdoor and action sports and the image wear segments. Both increased around three per cent. These were the only bright spots in the otherwise bleak picture. Jeanswear, once the mainstay of VF, was down a significant 6.83 per cent and seems to be sliding down with each passing quarter. Outdoor and action sports are now the mainstay of VF with about 64 per cent of sales.
Earnings declined seven per cent. Outdoor and action sports managed to keep their profitability. The major decline has been reported in jeanswear, which is 18 per cent. Jeanswear profits fell three times as fast as jeanswear revenues. Per unit profit of jeans has fallen to drastically low levels.
Sportswear profits also fell by seven per cent by the end of the half year in 2017. Based on the strength of the first half of 2017, and its expectations for the second half of the year, VF Corp is making growth-focused investments in its largest brands and platforms to generate additional value for shareholders both in the near and long term. VF’s second quarter revenue from continuing operations increased two per cent.
China’s health and wellness boom has driven sportswear growth to a point where it threatens to overtake luxury goods by 2020. In response, the active wear market is rapidly starting to diversify, making room for smaller brands, hoping to capture an increasingly discerning group of Chinese consumers.
This Chinese market is going to be one of the biggest, and people want to have options. The market is shifting in that consumers really want to express themselves and not have the same item as everyone else. For active wear shoppers, working out is less of an event and more of a lifestyle.
Gyms are becoming platforms for fashion and fitness experiences. The luxury and fitness markets seem to have merged. Gyms have members that include famous CEOs of big-name brands. The definition of luxury is changing for China’s rising middle class.
In the past, people bought luxury goods because they wanted to be seen carrying something that represented them and they needed the items to prove their status. But now Chinese consumers are more willing to invest in themselves, such as by traveling, going to cooking classes, or exercising. So it’s not about a bag to show that they have money but more about mental enrichment.
The Ministry of textiles has set up institutional mechanisms to synergize efforts related to ministries and state governments to enable the textile industry achieve its full potential of production, exports and employment. Textiles India 2017, held in Gandhinagar last month, hosted a series of roundtables (26) and international conferences where delegates deliberated on various opportunities for sectors growth.
Several key recommendations emerged from the deliberations. To carry forward the recommendations, the Ministry has set up institutional mechanisms involving relevant ministries, state governments and industry partners like a Steering Committee has been set up to oversee implementation of a Knowledge Network Management System (KNMS) to facilitate exchange of knowledge amongst academia, farming community and the industry on the productivity of natural fibres and diversification of their bye-products. The Committee under the chairmanship of additional secretary, Ministry of Textiles will have senior functionaries from the agriculture ministry and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
To enhance growth and competitiveness of MMF industry in India an Inter-Ministerial Synergy Group on Man-Made Fibre (MMF) comprising senior officers from Ministry of Petrochemicals etc has been set up under the chairmanship of secretary, textiles to formulate policy interventions. Also a task force on textiles India, chaired by secretary, textiles and consisting of representatives of DIPP, Consumer Affairs, Heavy Industry etc TC India, representatives of Partner/Focus states of Textiles India 2017, Export Promotion Councils, Textiles Associations and representatives from Consumer Associations has been set up to steer follow-up action on various outcomes of Textiles India 2017.
The textile sector in India is witnessing huge FDI inflows. FDI of up to 100 per cent is allowed in the textiles sector through the automatic route. Growth in FDI inflows into the textile sector has also led to a growth in job prospects in the country. Currently the textile industry employs about 51 million people directly and 68 million people indirectly and this is expected to grow further.
Textile, one of the oldest industries in the Indian economy, dates back several centuries. The sector currently contributes about 14 per cent to industrial production, four per cent to GDP, and 17 per cent to the country’s export earnings. The industry accounts for nearly 12 per cent of the country’s total exports.
The Indian textile industry is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven textiles at one end of the spectrum, and capital intensive sophisticated mills at the other end. Some of the initiatives taken to promote the industry include introduction of a mega package for the power loom sector, including social welfare schemes, insurance cover, cluster development, and upgradation of obsolete looms. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with over 20 e-commerce companies, aimed at providing a platform to artisans. A slew of labor-friendly reforms has been announced.
Ethiopia's textile and garment sector export revenue during the fiscal year 2016-17 that ended on July 8 was a third of planned revenue. Ethiopia earned $89.3 million out of a the estimated goal of US$271 million during the previous Ethiopian fiscal Year. Despite the below expectation performance, Ethiopia plans to become the top textile manufacturing country in Africa.
As Assefa Tesfaye, Corporate Communications Director at Ethiopia Ministry of Industry (MoI) , insufficient supply of inputs, delay in commissioning several industries contributed to the underachievement of textile sector. Ethiopia is building or has commissioned more than a dozen industrial parks across the country with a view to become a light manufacturing hub in Africa by 2025 especially in textile and garments.
It in particular Ethiopia had its ambitions set on the Hawassa Industrial Park, located in southern part of Ethiopia, to revolutionize its budding textile and garment sector. However, the Ethiopian ministry of industry says a pause in commissioning some textile and garment plants in the Hawassa Industrial Park contributed to the disappointing export results. Once operational at full potential, the park is expected to generate $1 billion for Ethiopia mainly from textile and garment products.
Noida-based Escott Apparels offers knitted fabric and digital printing services. The firm is looking to expand its digital printing capacity as it has already got the good infrastructure for pre- and post-processing services, increased capacity will further help it serve clients better.
Working as a job worker for digital printing, Escott currently has a printing capacity of 1,500 meters a day. The company now plans to more than double its print production to nearly 4,000 meters a day. Escott treats digital printing as a commodity rather than fashion to get volume orders. Despite challenges and cost issues involved in digital printing, job work units like Escott Apparels are expanding their digital printing capacities by investing in new and advanced printers. Global digital textile printing equipment and ink sales are projected to grow 39 per cent by 2018.
As an alternative to PVC vinyl and rigid materials, printed textiles are versatile and appeal strongly to commercial customers. They typically find the softer, sleeker look and feel and more natural, fluid movement of textiles aesthetically appealing – whether for soft signage and graphics in retail, hospitality, or event environments.
The shift towards digital textile printing is also enabling new levels of customization and increased design complexity.
