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Japanese used-clothing retailers are looking at enhancing exports in Southeast Asia. These retailers purchase unneeded clothes from consumers and resell them at their stores — which used to be mainly in Japan. Today they have seen that Southeast Asian markets are eagerly waiting to lap up used clothing. The Japan discards/burns around 1 million tonnes of clothes annually, however, by ensuring new markets, the efforts to encourage reuse of what would eventually be thrown away helps reduce environment pollution.
Don Don Up, a second-hand clothing store chain located in the Iwate Prefecture in Northern Japan, launched its Dondondown on Wednesday store in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh in 2014. It now operates 12 stores in Cambodia aiming to increase it to around 50 by 2021. The retailer also plans to expand its footprint into Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in the region.
Don Don Up’s President Akifumi Okamoto says most people in Cambodia, even those who are strapped for cash, have smartphones, they now have access to sufficient information and have become conscious about what they wear and how they wear it. International fast-fashion brands are hardly seen in the country. This is another reason for the Japanese retailer to expand its footprint in this market where there is a rising demand for used clothing.
The retailer's policy is to ‘buy anything, other than underwear.’ At its 51 stores across Japan, the retailer never refuses to buy clothes brought in by consumers, even those other second-hand retailers would not accept, such as heavily damaged or stained items, as well as clothing with personal names marked on them. For ordinary clothing, Don Don Up pays up to 500 yen ($4.42) per kilogram. Branded clothing are priced separately. The retailer picks what it wants to resell in Japan. The rest are sent to its overseas outlets. Some of them are remade into different items. Don Don Up exported 2,865 tons of used clothing in the year through September. Treasure Factory, another second-hand retail clothing shop in Japan, now sells such used items in Thailand. In a smart move, the retailer's Thai outlet buys second-hand clothes locally and resells them to consumers there.
The Nigerian Textile Manufacturing Association (MTMA) lobbied for a ban on export of cotton from the country. MTMA’s Acting Director-General, Hamman Kwajaffa, points out such restriction was required as locally produced cottons are just enough for manufacturers of textile materials in the country. Kwajaffa spoke at a public hearing organised by the Abubakar Moriki led House of Representatives committee on industry considering a Bill for an Act to establish the national cotton, textile and garment (CTG) development council and standardization in CTG value chain and ways to achieving CTG self sufficiency in Nigeria.
Kwajaffa described the move to establish the CTG development council as a step in the right direction since it would create a suitable environment for the economy to grow. Stakeholders in the garment industry have welcomed the plan to establish CTG, as it would boost cotton production in the country.
Decrying the reliance on imported fabrics by Nigerians, she said it was unfortunate that Nigeria is yet to reap the benefits derivable from the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) due to the reverses suffered by the textile and garment sector of the economy over the years.
The J.Crew Group disclosed another sales drop in its third quarter, despite strong Madewell sales which continues to be a profit making entity the struggling company. The Goup also announced plans to close 50 stores this year, up from a previous target of 30. The American retailer reported a 5 per cent drop in total revenues for the three-month period ending October 28, falling to $566.7 million. Comparable company sales decreased 9 per cent, following a fall of 8 per cent in the third quarter last year.
Sales fell 12 per cent at the New York-based company’s flagship brand in the third quarter, however, robust growth was delivered for its Madewell brand.
Madewell sales increased 22 per cent to $107.5 million, while comparable sales enhanced by 13 per cent. Despite this fact, Madewell sales were too minimal to alleviate J. Crew’s woes, which it has been fighting for the last two years.
Jim Brett, Chief Executive Officer of the Group said, "Our goal is to reinvigorate the J.Crew Brand to reflect the America of today and to continue to drive strong momentum in the Madewell Brand. During the third quarter of fiscal 2017, we drove gross margin expansion and reduced SG&A by delivering on our expense initiatives. As we solidify longer term strategies, we will continue to leverage our strong brand equity and unique capabilities to expand our reach, accelerate growth and maximise profitability.”
As of November 21, 2017, the company operates 269 J.Crew retail stores, 121 Madewell stores and 182 factory stores.
ITMACH India, the largest textile machinery exhibition in the country will be launched in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Participants are expected from all over the world. The four-day exhibition will take place from December 7 to 10, 2017 at a modern venue ‘The Exhibition Centre’. The show will host over 350 exhibitors from 10 countries and occupy 40,000 sq. mt. area.
ITMACH India is an ideal opportunity for investors and machinery marketers to interact. It is worth noting that Gujarat recently extended its flagship Textile Policy to draw investment for the sector and backed it up by an unique Apparel Policy that incentivise garment making and employment in the state. Further, incentive policies from the Centre and other states (Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana etc,) for the textile industry offers a conducive environment for growth in the post GST era.
ITMACH India would bring together latest textile machinery and technology worldwide. Machinery from each segment of the industry from spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing and processing will be showcased during the show days. Visitors will get to learn about the latest trends, developments and opportunities to share their knowledge and fine-tune their ideas. The mega event will ensure that a wide range of business ideas will be discussed and ensure facilitation of dynamic business networking.
This season, Eurovet, a leading organiser of lingerie, swimwear and activewear network events, reinvents the show experience offering numerous new elements for its two January shows: Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris, which are comprehensive showcase of the market and its innovations. Organisers of the shows say, “Faced with markets undergoing profound shifts, Eurovet trade shows support key stakeholders and visitors in dealing with these changes. Breaking with traditional rules of the game, the Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris shows will share their vision and innovative ideas from 20 to 22 January at Paris Expo – Porte de Versailles.”
The Interfilière Paris show offers a preview of innovations processes and experimental research while offering flexibility for brands and retail platforms. The objective of this edition is highlighting expertise and new technology for the world of lingerie. Today, shopping is no longer a purchasing process, rather it is a yearning for a fun filled experience in a meaningful setting and a desire to socialise and have fun.
Nearly 400 brands are expected to participate in the Salon International de la Lingerie which brings together brands, offering a diverse selection that includes essential labels, venerable craftsmanship and multifaceted creativity: luxury collections from designers, young creative brands, must haves names in lingerie and corsetry, sleepwear, loungewear, home wear and ready-to-wear brands, alternative labels, bold ranges and men’s collections. Nearly 180 exhibiting companies will be coming to display their latest innovations at Interfilière Paris.
The lingerie and loungewear selection is expected to showcase innovative designs with the arrival of new European accessory firms such as Soyelle (France) and Preformatex (Spain). New technical stakeholders who were in Paris in July, such as Japanese company Seiren, a seamless shape wear specialist, and Italian company Cadica, an innovative label and packaging specialist, have also confirmed their participation for this session. This year at the Salon International de la Lingerie Wacoal, a Japanese brand is presenting lingerie that is all about beauty, serenity, and innovation.
GOTS hosted a pre-conference to the 19th Organic World Congress of IFOAM - Organics International in New Delhi. The conference was a first of its kind, solely focused on ‘Social Compliance Issues in the Organic Textile Supply Chain’. The GOTS accredited independent Certification Bodies report over 1.4 million people working in GOTS certified facilities.
More than 80 high profile attendees and speakers from 12 countries – including scholars, CSR managers and HR representatives of companies, certification bodies, standard setters, government and NGOs discussed on hot spots like income equality within countries and globally, land grabbing, dealing with non-compliances or how certification as a diagnostic tool could be supplemented by instruments or measures which provide a measurable continuous improvement process.
Three main outcomes were agreed upon to put to larger scale in presenting them in Track 7.A of the 19th Organic World Congress (OWC) by GOTS representatives Christopher Stopes and Satoko Miyoshi. These were: Social criteria in sustainability standards help improving working conditions. Improve standards with measurable criteria and keep inspection/certification as a diagnostic tool; In addition or – if possible – in combination find and apply suitable aspirational approaches and tools; Find and apply efficient means to draw the big brands and retailers into utilising their responsibility for sustainability of the textile industry.
GOTS is the stringent voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest processing (including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing and manufacturing) of apparel and home textiles made with organic fibre (such as organic cotton and organic wool), and includes both environmental and social criteria. GOTS was developed by leading international standard setters - Organic Trade Association (US), Japan Organic Cotton Association, International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany), and Soil Association (UK) - in order to define globally-recognised requirements that ensure the organic status of textiles.
The global cooling fabrics market size is expected to touch $3.24 billion by 2025, reveals a new report by Grand View Research. Growing focus on fitness, sports, and leisure activities along with increasing health consciousness of people worldwide is expected to expand market growth. The numerous benefits of cooling garments such as moisture wicking, sweat evaporation, breathability, and ventilation have enhanced its use among athletes.
Key players include: Coolcore LLC; Kraton Corporation; Invista; Ahlstrom Corporation; Nilit Ltd.; Polartec LLC; Nan Ya Plastics Corporation; Tex-Ray Industrial Co., Ltd.; Formosa Taffeta Co., Ltd.; HexArmor; Adidas AG; and Nike, Inc. These companies key focus is on extensive innovation and increasing their production capacities to fulfil international product demand.
Demand for cooling fabrics in military and industrial applications is increasing. This is due to its benefits such as temperature regulation, resistance from harmful UV rays and pollutants, as well as the protection they provide to the wearer in case of excessive heat exposure. The augmenting demand from healthcare and fashion industries is anticipated to enhance market growth.
The sports apparel segment is expected to account for 44.5 per cent of the global market in 2025. This can be attributed to heat, moisture, and perspiration resistant, light weight, smart, and easy to carry wearables which help in regulating the wearer's body temperature in line with the outside temperature.
Increasing R&D activities and various government incentives are projected to accelerate the production, thereby enhancing market demand. Various EU funded projects have drawn a large number of manufacturers to the market for the development of innovative products to stay competitive. Additionally, these fabrics also address sustainability issues by saving energy that is required to heat or cool the environment around the wearer. North America is the leading market for cooling fabrics owing to the early adoption and augmenting sports and outdoor activities in the region.
Hismer Bio-Tech based in Ningyang County, Tai'an City, in east China's Shandong Province, is manufacturing biomass fibre from shrimp and crab shells. Textile companies have long been dependent on crude oil when making common synthetic materials such as nylon or polyester but that could soon change with companies turning to biomass fibres.
Indeed, piles of shrimp and crab shells emit a strong odour but after going through the company's processing machine, the shells are turned from food waste to chitosan fibre that is indistinguishable from other synthetic fibres The biomass fibre can wean textile companies' off their reliance on crude oil.
Hu said Hismer collects 10,000 tonnes of the shell waste from seafood processing companies in China's ports of Qingdao, Yantai, Dalian and Ningbo a year for the production of some 6,000 tonnes of biomass fibre. The fibre is then used by a variety of garment producers. The fabric is not only used for making socks, underwear, bedding but also medical products such as masks and sanitary pads as well as special cloth used in aerospace planes, Hu said.
Innovation has saved the textile company from going bankrupt. The factory was in financial trouble due to rising cost at home and stagnant export market. Five years ago, the textile producer developed production technology and equipment for making the biomass material.
The company has developed materials used in China's "Shenzhou" manned spacecraft and "Tiangong" space lab, as they are mildew-proof and resistant to fire, static electricity and odour.
‘Blossom Première Vision’ will unveil the latest developments, innovative materials and colour trends for spring/summer ’19 on December 12-13 at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. This bi-annual event, dedicated to the launch of collections for creative, luxury and high-end fashion brands, will unveil fabric, leather and accessory pre-collections from 93 exhibitors for the spring-summer 19 season. All were selected by Première Vision for the quality and creativity of their products.
For spring/summer ’19, Blossom Première Vision strengthens its offer through collections and creative directions from 93 rigorously selected exhibitors: new product developments, the latest material innovations, colour trends an offer perfectly suited to the requirements of leather good, footwear and apparel designers, enriched this season with the presence of 14 new companies. 61 weavers including eight newcomers; 26 tanners including; 6 accessory and component makers, including 1 newcomer for clothing, jewellery, and leather goods et al will be present.
Bangladesh will amend labour laws and the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) law to comply with recommendations of the European Union (EU) to retain trade benefits. Law Minister Annisul Huq has said the laws will be amended considering the interest of the country along with conditions given by the European Union as they are the largest buyer of our garments.
New laws will be introduced in Parliament this winter. Referring to the labour’s right to have trade union in Export Processing Zone (EPZ), the minister said existing worker welfare association will work as trade union there. Earlier, the EU called on Bangladesh to show tangible progress on labour rights to avoid temporarily losing the generalised system of preferences (GSP) benefit that permits the country duty-free export to the 28-nation economic bloc. This will be essential for Bangladesh to remain eligible for everything but arms regime.
EU had said they will need to monitor the situation more closely in the context of the GSP regulation, including through a dedicated mission to Bangladesh. Such monitoring could eventually lead to the launching of a formal investigation, which could result in temporary withdrawal of preferences. In the fiscal 2015-16, Bangladesh exported goods worth $18.68bn to the EU, which was 54.57 per cent of the total receipts for the year.
