FW
Moda, the leading UK show for lingerie and swimwear will be held from February 19 to 21 at Birmingham. And this time brand Lycra is returning to the exhibition as the headline sponsor. It will showcase new trends and innovations for 2018.
Ensuring that the Lycra is seen as an industry leader in the lingerie and swimwear segments, the brand will showcase a collection of body wear created to demonstrate the brand’s expertise and variety of technologies. Taking centre-stage for product innovations, the Lycra fibre brand keeps ahead with new product developments and boasts a broad range of fibres and fabric concepts including Lycra fibre, Lycra Beauty and Coolmax fabric technology, the company explains in a statement.
With Invista Fashion Directions turning into being a recognised source of inspiration creating value for brands and retailers alike, the Moda show will host Invista’s 2018 must-have trend capsule collection. The collection will feature seven trends and technologies aiming to revolutionise women’s wardrobes, with one of these trends highlighting the growing athleisure trend engaging with the motto I Am Every Woman.
According to Lycra, athleisure makes a statement with the Optimised Self trend reflecting those that work hard to maintain their body balance. Fabrics are enhanced by compressing muscles and optimising performance with the use of Lycra Power technology. Combined with FreshFX technology by Lycra, this fibre innovation is also said to deliver freshness in wear.
Lingerie can be seen as a perfect understated and luxurious base layer with Flawless Me which focuses on mindfulness, peace and tranquillity. On the other hand, Lycra Beauty Cooling is designed to offer sculptural shaping with comfort and freshness and a palette of pale shades is used to match the softness and subtleness of this trend. Swimwear glorifies strong and athletic-looking shapes with Lycra Shaping technology as a key fibre innovation for the My Wild Side trend. Textiles are lightweight and draping with animal skin and tribal prints with camouflage glamour.
In a letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has addressed the on-going wage concerns, arrests of labour leader and worker terminations. The appeal addresses the fallout from minimum wage disputes in the Ashulia district of Dhaka last month after which 1,600 workers lost their jobs, 600 faced legal charges and 11 garment union leaders were arrested.
The unions also accused security forces with raiding private homes, shutting down union offices and burning membership documents. The AAFA used this opportunity to reaffirm its support for the ‘rights of workers to freely associate, including associated legal protections from harassment, intimidation, and termination for exercising their right to freely associate’. And it says it stands against any illegal actions, be they from workers, labor groups, or factory owners.
AAFA is the latest group to address the ongoing situation including IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union. To quell this and further disputes, the AAFA has suggested regular wage reviews. On behalf of its 1,000 members the organization has called for the swift resolution of the wage issues and arrests in order for the sector to continue to enjoy a healthy relationship with the brands it supplies. The Bangladesh apparel industry employs 4.5 million people and accounts for 83 per cent of the country’s overall exports.
"Ethiopia, the drought-afflicted, landlocked country of 100 million on the Horn of Africa is transforming itself into the lowest rung on the supply chain that pours out fast fashion and five-for-$12.99 tube socks. It is luring companies by tax incentives, state-of-the-art infrastructural investments, and ultracheap labour. Western world who was once outsourcing production to, particularly China and Sri Lanka, are now ramping up production here for Guess, Levi’s, H&M, and other labels. It’s a win-win scenario for both – industrialists as well as the government."
Ethiopia, the drought-afflicted, landlocked country of 100 million on the Horn of Africa is transforming itself into the lowest rung on the supply chain that pours out fast fashion and five-for-$12.99 tube socks. It is luring companies by tax incentives, state-of-the-art infrastructural investments, and ultracheap labour. Western world who was once outsourcing production to, particularly China and Sri Lanka, are now ramping up production here for Guess, Levi’s, H&M, and other labels. It’s a win-win scenario for both – industrialists as well as the government. The recent inauguration of the Hawassa Industrial Park further intensified its positioning. Since 2014, Ethiopia has opened four giant, publicly owned industrial parks; it plans eight more by 2020.
Emerging strong supplier to brands
The industrialists who set up shop here are exempt from income tax for their first five years of business and absolved from duties or taxes on the import of capital goods and construction supplies. Ethiopia can offer such subsidies because it gets lots and lots of money from China: $10.7 billion in loans from 2010 to 2015, according to the China-Africa Research Initiative at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Right now, most of the money is being spent on lucrative contracts for Chinese companies that, with help from Ethiopian labor, are building dams, roads, and cellular networks. This infrastructure, the Ethiopian Government says, will allow the country to join the global middle class. Belachew Mekuria, Ethiopian Investment Commission, stated that the plan is to create a total of 2 million jobs in manufacturing by the end of 2025.
Raghav Pattar, VP, Indochine International, says barely six months since the Hawassa Industrial Park opened, and already he has 1,400 locals at work. Pattar is planning to employ 20,000 Ethiopians by 2019. Twenty-four months ago, the land on which the factory is developed was farm fields. Which country can change in 24 months, Pattar asks. He feels, the government is determined towards enhancing industrialisation. Workers toiled 24 hours, day and night, to build the place. And there is no corruption. Hawassa Industrial Park did come up quite fast, thanks to a state-owned Chinese construction company that banged out 56 identical hangar-size, red-and-gray metal sheds devoted to textile production in nine months, for $250 million, according to the Ethiopian Investment Commission. Belay Hailemichael, park manager, helps companies in getting import & export licenses and executive visas and processes prospective workers.
Traditional manufacturing industries are turning to highly automated production modes, like intelligent and efficient textile technology, to enhance efficiency. Through ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), smart production line is able to automatically control, measure and associate all production processes, with the advantages of costs saving, high efficiency and one-stop management for internal resources.
As most traditional enterprises still use tangible documents to exchange internal information, ERP helps enterprises set up an information system by sharing of data. It effectively ensures the accuracy, completion and immediacy of data. It also consolidates the overall process of purchase, production, orders, sales, transportation and storage, achieving a dynamic balance among different sections of business operations.
With different fabrics and structures as compared to traditional knitwear, functional knitted garments may have more elements that could affect the wearing experience. Ensuring full function while maximizing comfort is the key consideration in functional knitwear development.
With continuous and rapid developments in digital printing technology, digital printing design has become an up-and-coming trend. Digital printing allows flexibility in production, complexity in design, shorter production lead times and energy conservation and green production. Making full use of the Internet in traditional textile and garment production and management processes can greatly enhance competitiveness.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is the world’s largest apparel fabrics and accessories Fairs. It is held biannually in March (Spring Edition) and October (Autumn Edition). Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that in the upcoming edition many of the biggest names are set to return following strong responses at last year’s two fairs and reports of continued strong demand in China.
The distinctive product zones that have been well-appreciated by exhibitors return again, with the International Hall featuring All About Sustainability, Functional Lab, Premium Wool Zone and Verve for Design. Besides, Accessories Vision and Beyond Denim will also be there. The Premium Wool Zone perhaps best encapsulates the benefits of exhibiting at the Fair for high-end overseas suppliers. Many exhibitors at the last edition reported growth remained strong in China and orders were still being placed at the Fair including Harrisons of Edinburgh who returns this March.
Many exhibitors in the Premium Wool Zone last year emphasised differences in consumer preferences around wool products in China, making the Fair vital to understand the market’s needs. Some of the wool and cashmere fabrics exhibitors from Peru and the UK have already confirmed to partake in the Fair. They include Aris Industrial, Beijing Vitality Textiles, Harrisons of Edinburgh, Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, Loa Hai Shing, Merino Brothers and Scabal.
While the Premium Wool Zone has been a mainstay for a number of years, Beyond Denim is a relative newcomer reflecting its growing importance in the industry. This edition’s Beyond Denim is expected to see 100 exhibitors from China and abroad.
Again, some of the industry’s leading producers will feature here such as Orta Anadolu from Turkey, China’s Advance Denim, Changzhou Henglun Textile, Jiangsu Zhongheng Dyeing & Finishing, Knit Denim Hengliang Textile and Prosperity Textile, while from Pakistan Diamond Denim by Sapphire, Diamond Fabrics and Indigo Textile are amongst those exhibiting.
Recently, Inditex chairman and CEO Pablo Isla met film star Matt Damon and Gary White, co-founders of Water.org, an international organisation the mission of which is to provide safe water and sanitation to people in need. He reaffirmed the Spanish apparel retail giant's commitment to Water.org that carries out water projects in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia.
With the goal of directly improving the health of more than 160,000 people, Inditex provided an initial €3.7 million to support projects in Bangladesh and Cambodia in late 2015. Water.org is a hugely effective vehicle to deliver change around the critical issue of water management particularly in vulnerable regions. After reviewing the progress and success during the first year working together, Damon and White thanked Inditex for its support. Work has been done to support the successful implementation of WaterCredit that brings small, affordable loans to those who need access to financing and expert resources to make household water and sanitation solutions a reality.
Progress in Bangladesh includes identifying and partnering with several micro-finance institutions and training their loan officers to market and support these life-changing loans. On the other hand in Cambodia, more than 6,000 people have gained critical access to safe water and/or improved sanitation. The work being done through Water.org's New Ventures Fund which is a principal source of innovation funding was also discussed.
Inditex has earmarked one-quarter of its contribution to Water.org to researching new resources and approaches designed to combat the world's water crisis. The World Economic Forum has deemed water management one of the world's biggest problems, one which already affects more than 660 million people worldwide.
Gap has disclosed the list of factories from which it sources shoes and clothing. There are 885 such factories in roughly 30 countries, including China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Guatemala. Other firms that recently made similar disclosures include Marks & Spencer and Dutch clothing chain C&A.
This is a significant step forward for transparency in supply chain management. Full disclosure of suppliers allows civil society groups to monitor and rapidly alert brands to any human rights violations at individual locations as well as keep tabs on attempts by factories to use unlicensed subcontractors.
The issue of subcontractors remains an ongoing concern with Gap as cost pressures at the company grow in the face of stagnating sales. Fast fashion competitors like H&M and Zara have demonstrated an ability to place smaller orders and change up styles to be more fashionable in as little as five weeks. Gap has announced a new product operating model to increase speed, predictability and responsiveness in a bid to replicate the success of its rivals.
Calls for apparel industry reform have grown louder in the wake of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, which killed 1,138 workers. Although Gap was not named as one of the western firms sourcing clothing from the factory, some of the factories it contracts with have been accused of child labor and other violations over the past several years.
Bengaluru will host the first GreenStitched Film Festival featuring a day-long screening of documentaries on sustainable fashion on February 18. The event, supported by National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Bengaluru, will be held at its auditorium in HSR Layout.
The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry next only to oil. Still awareness on the environmental and social impacts of this 1.2 trillion dollar industry is lacking. Through the GreenStitched Film Festival (GFF), the organizers aims to bridge this gap and will invite students, academia, industry professionals and anyone curious to be a part of it.
The audience will also get to interact with the directors and people associated with the films being screened. Sustainability is at the forefront of fashion industry. By supporting an event like the GreenStitched Film Festival, NIFT Bengaluru is involving the academic and industry community to understand the nuances surrounding sustainable fashion,” feels Professor Shivalingam, Director of NIFT Bengaluru.
Prices of Indian cotton saw an unusual rise during the current peak arrival season. While, cotton production all over the world was on the rise, the situation in India is getting serious attention due to steady rise prices. Spot prices of Sankar-6 and MCU-5 varieties range from about Rs 42,500 and 44,000 respectively per candy.
Currently, it is the peak arrival season of cotton in India but arrivals have been lagging behind what it was during the same period last season. While flowering was not good, weather could not be blamed as it has been reasonable for cotton during the growing season. The volatility has been attributed primarily to trading issues and Indian government’s recent banknote demonetisation policy.
A few from cotton marketing, purchasing and spinning expressed the same reasons for sudden increase in cotton prices. The general manager of a 65,000 ring spindle mill in South India stated that his company procures about 40,000 bales (170 Kgs each) of cotton each year at an overall price tag of about Rs 60 crores (Rs 600 million). The variation of about Rs 1000 per candy in a day can result in lot of economic upsets for mills in India. Since December, the price has increased by about Rupees 4,000 per candy.
Arrivals have been about 150,000 bales per day (1.5 lakhs bales per day), which is less by 50,000 during the peak arrival timeframe. Normally, the arrivals are about 200,000 bales per day (2 lakhs bales per day). The view from spinning mills is that yarn prices are stable and there is demand for yarns and made-up goods such as bedspreads in export markets. This increases the demand for cotton and hence there is increase in the price of cotton.
Designers are raising the bar for luxury cashmere. Barrie, one of Scotland’s most highly regarded and historic cashmere manufacturers makes pieces for iconic houses such as Chanel, Hermès, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent, while also creating beautifully designed knits under its own label. For S/S 2017 Barrie’s collection is all about playful colors and prints, showcasing pieces that are sporty and fun. Lightweight sweater dresses, shorts and tanks are offered in easy-to-wear geometric stripes, and cardigans–cropped, hip-length, and floor-length–are accentuated with rows of soft-knit tassels in rainbow hues.
Similarly, Belgian knitwear label Tuinch focuses on structure and creating architectural pieces that are both innovative and timeless. Tuinch uses cashmere from Kashmir and Tibet to create chic knits. This season, the collection has high-waisted, form-fitting cashmere bell bottoms, a floor-length sweater dress with an open back and slim silhouette, a chunky, boxy turtleneck with exaggerated, roomy sleeves, and a gorgeously theatrical boat neck pullover with asymmetrical detailing at the cuffs–one encircled with rings of fabric, the other a dramatic bell sleeve.
Knitwear designer Sally LaPointe creates modern garments highlighted with sumptuous and unexpected details. A tailored cropped turtleneck and trousers combo shimmers with rhinestone motifs at the collar and ankles, while sporty, loose-fitting hoodies in neutral blacks and grays are dressed up with fur detailing on the shoulders and sleeves.
