FW
Guess? Inc. has managed to rope in legendary models for years including Claudia Schiffer in 1992, Anna Nicole Smith in 1993, and Paris Hilton in 2004. Now the brand has managed to sign up superstar Jennifer Lopez to be the face of their Spring 2018 campaign. Lopez is thrilled and excited to be a part of such an iconic brand that she has loved since a teenager.
The campaign, art directed by Paul Marciano, was shot by fashion photographer Tatiana Gerusova. It draws inspiration from Lopez’s life as a performer in Las Vegas and a Hollywood actress. Shot in a villa, the images evoke classic Guess campaigns with influences of her aesthetic and personal style. Marciano points out, “Jennifer’s impact and influence continues to grow and this campaign celebrates the notion that women get more beautiful and talented as they gain life experience. Her beauty and class shine through this campaign."
Garment exporters expect 6 million jobs to be lost in the coming months if the situation continues. Textile is the largest employer after agriculture and pays Rs 26,000 crore in annual wages. They expect over 15 per cent decline in shipments this financial year to $14 billion on account of reduced incentive on duty drawback and rebate on certain state levies post the rollout of the goods and services tax (GST).
In October and as per exporters exports of readymade garments fell 41 per cent. Exporters expect 6 million jobs to be lost in the coming months if the situation continues. Textile is the largest employer after agriculture and pays Rs 26,000 crore in annual wages. Vinod Dhawan, President, Apparel Exporters and Manufacturers Association (AEMA) says that due to tardy implementation of GST, they are incurring higher expenditure on compliance and other transaction costs.
Various apparel export bodies also voiced concern on competition from Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh and migration of customers to these countries besides the preferential tariff they get in international market. The impact of GST became visible from October and exporters and are seeing a 7 per cent on year decline in order books. Lalit Thukral, President, Noida Apparel Export Cluster stated it is extremely important that the government addresses the issues raised by the industry in order to stem the decline in exports.
Recently, under the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) the government doubled the incentive for garments exporters and made it 4 per cent of value of exports from 2 per cent with effect from November 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018.
American Apparel chief executive Dov Charney new brand Los Angeles Apparel (LAA) kick-starts its retail operations. The brand opened its e-commerce site for direct-to-commerce visitors with an assortment of clean basics. The manufacturing of LAA is based in South-Western LA, the same ethics with which American Apparel was initially launched.
Right before Thanksgiving and just ahead of the black Friday rush, Charney announced LAA’s soft launch through his Facebook and Instagram accounts.
At the moment, the website hosts a line of T-shirts, sweatshirts, bodysuits and leggings with a price range of US $ 25 to US $ 60. The work on further expansion towards denim for women, a canvas bag collection, swimwear and a work wear line for men and women is underway.
Charney launched Los Angeles Apparel earlier this year and the brand looks incredibly similar to his former project.
The brand first cemented a deal with TSC Apparel, a top-tier T-shirt distributor that works with popular corporate and school merchandisers. Similar to American Apparel, where Charney was ousted amidst sexual harassment rumours and sluggish sales, Los Angeles Apparel (LAA) started out with wholesale circulation.
Charney earlier mentioned that both brick and mortar and online stores were on the cards for his new project. He had also stated that LAA will generate US $ 600 million in revenue over the next decade.
Bangladesh knitwear manufacturers are demanded easing of Brazil's visa rules so that more businessmen from Bangladesh can travel frequently to the Latin American country to explore business opportunities. AKM Salim Osman, President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), made the request while speaking at a meeting to discuss issues.
As per a BKMEA statement, the Brazilian Ambassador to Bangladesh, João Tabajara de Oliveira Júnior attended the meeting where Osman urged the envoy to help bilateral investment as Brazil is an important source for Bangladesh for raw cotton. He also proposed a joint venture investment by Bangladesh's knitwear entrepreneurs to import yarn from Brazil.
Regular interactions between Chambers of both countries can help establish warm business relations, the statement added. It may be noted that during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Bangladesh supplied millions of pieces of jerseys to Brazil.
BIGTEX – Bangladesh Int’l Garment & Textile Machinery Expo 2017 will be held in Dhaka from November 30 to December 3 at the International Convention City Bashundhara. This is an international expo on Garment & Textile Machinery. China Textile Machinery Association, (organizer of ITMA + CITME) is the strategic partner of this expo. Garment and textile machinery, equipment, technology and accessories manufacturer, dealers, suppliers and importers will participate at this mega exhibition that is targeted at the entire textile, garment and apparel industry of Bangladesh.
Two more simultaneous exhibitions will take place: The Bangladesh Int’l Fabric & Yarn Expo 2017 and the Bangladesh Int’l Dyes, Pigments and Chemicals Expo 2017. The expo will have almost 180 stalls with products from 12 countries including Bangladesh, China, England, France etc. Bangladesh is the second largest apparel exporter in the world, is the top denim exporter to the EU and has become the world’s second largest knitwear exporter. Every third European wears a T-shirt made in Bangladesh and every fifth American wears jeans manufactured in Bangladesh. To ensure continued growth the industry needs proper machinery and regular supply of raw materials, yarn, fabric, dyes and chemicals.
Bangladesh now has set a goal of earning $60 billion from exports. To achieve this target they need to focus more on value added, high-end apparel items rather than basic, traditional products to make the business sustainable in fiercely competitive markets in the global garment trade.
Bangladesh’s apparel manufacturers are demanding implementation of a clear strategy in energy supply to its industry following fears of a hike in bulk power tariff. Manufacturers feel a need for holistic plan for energy supply as key area of concern for entrepreneurs to take planned investment decisions. The country has already raised the retail power tariff by BDT 0.35 per unit, to be effective from December 2017. The bulk tariff, used by industries, is not yet raised, prior to the hike, Bangladesh’s Power Development Board proposed raising the power tariff by 15 per cent per unit at the bulk level.
Currently, the bulk tariff per unit of electricity is BDT 4.90. The Power Development Board proposed that it should be set at BDT 5.99, however, a final decision is yet to be announced. Mohammed Nasir, Vice President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) points out energy is an absolute prerequisite to tap the potential of the industrial sector, especially the apparel industry. More development requires more energy. Therefore, the government must draw a clear strategy for supply.
All major apparel exporters associations of North India have welcomed the increase in the rates of Merchandise Exports from India scheme (MEIS) and RoSL. The NCR region, comprising Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad, comprises around 35 per cent of the overall apparel manufacturing base of India. While thanking the government for enhancement, the associations in this region - The Apparel Exporters & Manufacturers Association (AEMA), Garments Exporters Association (GEA), Okhla Garment and Textile Cluster (OGTC) and Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) have also expressed disappointment with the dilution of drawback and RoSl benefits to the industry, post GST.
Discussing the enhancement rates of MEIS, Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman, Garment Exporters Association (GEA) said, "The enhancement in MEIS rates will help in the fulfilment of orders for Christmas as it will ease blocked capital." In the wake of dwindling apparel exports, the exporters have requested the government to increase the amount of duty drawback and RoSL from existing rates to mitigate losses. Industry estimates the blockage of taxes is significantly higher than the drawback and RoSL rates announced and therefore, a higher rate of duty drawback and RosL should be announced at the earliest.
PMS Uppal, President OGTC points out the apparel Industry is witnessing a major crisis and to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, the government should increase the rates of duty drawback and RoSL as the sharp reduction in rates have dealt a huge blow to competitiveness. Vinod Dhawan President, AEMA said says major competitors like Vietnam and Bangladesh have several cost advantages on account of competitive wages. On the issue of Issue of preferential tariff, Dhawan said, "India has to pay the duty of 9 per cent in EU vis- a-vis the 0 per cent of Bangladesh and Vietnam besides other logistics and infrastructure benefits."
Fashion designers and movie stars have decided to bat against violence against girls and women as a part of a new social campaign for the fashion conglomerate Kering. The campaign called ‘White Ribbon For Women', it features Hollywood actresses Salma Hayek Pinault, alongside Gucci's Alessandro Michele, Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane, Joseph Altuzarra and Dennis Chan. The star-studded cast is raising awareness about violence against women through the hashtag #ICouldHaveBeen and its complementary website ICouldHaveBeen.org.
The website asks men to imagine who they could have been had they been born female and asks women to imagine being ‘her', highlighting the fact that globally, one in three women/girls is the victim of violence. Michele, Kane, Altuzarra and Chan have each revealed the names their parents would have given them had they been girls, while McCartney and Hayek Pinault take on the moniker ‘Her', inviting social media users, particularly from Generation Z and Y, to do the same before sharing their photos across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and WeChat.
François-Henri Pinault, Chairman & CEO of Kering, and Chairman of the Kering Foundation said, "Being born a girl should not equate to a higher risk of violence yet, unfortunately, it is the case in our world today. We all could have been born a girl, we all must take on this combat. A combat I am proud to confront together with the Kering Foundation, our Houses and their designers via our sixth annual White Ribbon For Women campaign."
This is the sixth time that Kering has run the ‘White Ribbon for Women' campaign but the luxury brand isn't the only fashion conglomerate to have taken on a cause. In August, French giant Dior teamed up with the WE Charity to support its educational initiative through a new social media campaign called the ‘Dior Love Chain’, recruiting a range of stars, including Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron to spread the message by revealing what they would do for love. For each post hashtagged #DiorLoveChain posted to social media, Parfums Christian Dior pledged to donate $1 to support the WE Schools initiative to provide education for young girls in Kenya up to $2,50,000. The campaign runs through December 31, 2017.
The Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT) has teamed up with Groz-Beckert Asia, NIIFT to train underprivileged in industrial sewing machine course. NIIFT is is giving space for training facility while Groz-Beckert Asia has offered machinery, equipment, furniture and other related installations including IT peripherals. It has set up a skill development and training facility for the underprivileged students which will be used in a free course of the Industrial Sewing Machine Operator.
Moreover, for the smooth functioning of the training facility Groz-Beckert Asia will provide essential financial support. Once the training is over, every pass-out will become employable in the apparel and textile industry. The facility will also help them in finding suitable jobs. The content of the training course has been designed looking at the current and future needs of the industry.
The facility was inaugurated by Anton Reinfelder, Managing Director, Groz-Beckert Asia and Inderjit Singh, Registrar, (NIIFT) in the Ludhiana campus of NIIFT.
"Los Angeles, home to denim labels lie True Religion, Lucky Brand, Hudson and 7 For All Mankind, was once a Mecca for jeans makers in the US. But recent rise in California and Los Angeles’ minimum wage, a move by blue-jeans owners to strengthen profit margins, is having a devastating impact on Los Angeles denim factories. Earlier this month, United Denim informed state employment officials that it planned to lay off 164 of its approximately 200 employees by the end of the year. As per experts, by 2021, the minimum wage will be at $15 an hour."
Los Angeles, home to denim labels lie True Religion, Lucky Brand, Hudson and 7 For All Mankind, was once a Mecca for jeans makers in the US. But recent rise in California and Los Angeles’ minimum wage, a move by blue-jeans owners to strengthen profit margins, is having a devastating impact on Los Angeles denim factories. Earlier this month, United Denim informed state employment officials that it planned to lay off 164 of its approximately 200 employees by the end of the year. As per experts, by 2021, the minimum wage will be at $15 an hour.
Mateo Juarez, owner, United Demin Inc, opines if you make blue jeans in China, including the fabric washes, it is $6. If you do the same jeans in Mexico, you can make it for $10, which includes dropping if off in Los Angeles. And if you do it in the US, you are looking at $40 to $50. That’s a big difference. If 100,000 jeans are manufactured in Mexico, it will cost $1 million. Make those jeans in Los Angeles, the price skyrockets to $4 million. The difference is astronomical and only economically practical if blue jeans are selling for $100 to $200. These days, new leaders in the executive offices are less concerned about that ‘Made in USA’ label and more concerned about return on investments. They are reducing costs by heading to Mexico, Vietnam and India, where labour costs and regulations aren’t as stiff as they are in the US. Ilse Metchek, President, California Fashion Association feels almost all denim in LA is going out the door. It’s because of minimum wage as denim is very labour-intensive.
Finding alternatives
Around five years ago, Atomic Denim employed 1,000 workers in its two Los Angeles factories making blue jeans for True Religion. Today, there is only one factory with 70 to 100 workers who fluctuate with season in their production for Hudson, Tom Ford and Diesel. Last year, to meet lower price demand, Atomic Denim opened a Tijuana, Mexico, factory where the salary for 70 workers is about half of what they are in Los Angeles. Claudia Bae Kye, VP, E&C Fashion, the parent company of Atomic Denim and Pacific Concept Laundry, said large volumes are missing in Los Angeles unlike before. The market is different.
Similarly, three months ago, Steve Rhee took over the 100,000 sq. ft. factory with 600 sewing machines from his parents. Now called Factory One Studio, Rhee has only 75 workers that where he used to employ hundreds earlier. The factory’s biggest clients used to be True Religion and Lucky Brand. One year ago, the factory was rolling out nearly 3,000 pairs of blue jeans a day. Now, the company is making about 1,500 pairs of blue jeans for Diesel, J Brand and Fear of God. Many companies are only interested in making 100 to 200 units at a time. These days, every company is shifting to Mexico. It is hard to find consistent work in Los Angeles.
Last year, True Religion’s business shrunk and blue jeans made up only 20 per cent of production for labels such as Current/Elliott, Joie, Kate Spade and Theory. About 80 per cent of production became army uniforms and the rest was denim. The employee workforce dropped to 100. Also, military-uniform makers only wanted to pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour rather than the higher Los Angeles minimum wage. All these together are forcing companies to move away from LA and find another suitable haven.
