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The Russian ministry of industry and trade say the share of natural fabrics and materials in the Russian textiles industry is slowly falling in favour of their synthetic counterparts, however, plans are afoot to expand the raw materials base for technical textiles, including the reintroduction of hemp fibre for technical textile applications. In the last five years, the annual growth of natural fibre and yarn consumption in Russia was equivalent to 5-6 per cent per year, as against 13-15 per cent in the case of synthetics and the difference continues to grow in favour of synthetics.
This same trend is seen worldwide where, according to analysts’, the share of synthetic and man-made fibres in global consumption will increase from 45 per cent to 65-70 per cent by 2025. In Russia, last year, the local synthetic and man-made fibres market exceeded 650,000 tonnes in volume and $950 million in value. Trade analysts predict further market growth this year.
Currently, most of Russian demand for synthetic fibres is met through imports, mostly from China. However, the situation may change in coming years with the Russian government announcing plans to increase domestic production.
Andrei Razbrodin, President of Russian Association of Textile and Light Industry Producers (RATLIP) disclosed, “The countries of East Asia have long placed a stake on the production and export of their synthetic fibres and yarns abroad. This is reflected by statistics which shows that today this region provides about half of the world production of these materials. Obviously, high competitiveness of Asian producers in the international arena is mainly related to the ability of their producers to save on costs. Due to this, Russian manufacturers may find it difficult to compete with Asian rivals in the coming years, even in the domestic market.”
Despite this, the production of synthetic fibres and yarns in Russia has significantly increased in recent years. Currently, domestic producers cover around 35 per cent of the country’s demand and there is a possibility that these figures will continue to grow in years to come.
For decades, the donation bin has offered consumers in rich countries a guilt-free way to unload their old clothing. In a virtuous and profitable cycle, a global network of traders would collect these garments, grade them, and transport them around the world to be recycled, worn again, or turned into rags and stuffing.
Fashion trends are accelerating, new clothes are becoming as cheap as used ones, and poor countries are turning their backs on the secondhand trade. Without significant changes in the way that clothes are made and marketed, this could add up to an environmental disaster in the making.
Located 55 miles north of Delhi, the dusty city of 450,000 has served as the world's largest recycler of woolen garments for at least two decades, becoming a crucial outlet for the $4 billion used-clothing trade.
Panipat's mills specialize in a cloth known as shoddy, which is made from low-quality yarn recycled from woolen garments. Much of what they produce is used to make cheap blankets for disaster-relief operations.
What's good for Panipat and its customers is bad news for donors and the environment. Even if Panipat were producing shoddy at its peak, it probably couldn't manage the growing flood of used clothing entering the market in search of a second life.
The good news is that nobody has a bigger incentive to address this problem than the industry itself. By raising temperatures and intensifying droughts, climate change could substantially reduce cotton yields and thus make garment production less predictable and far more expensive. Industry executives are clearly concerned.
None of these options can replace Panipat and the other mill towns that once transformed rich people's rags into cheap clothes for the poor. But, like it or not, that era is coming to an end. Now the challenge is to stitch together a new set of solutions.
Over 200 Pakistani companies took part in the four-day Heimtextil Fair, the world’s biggest exhibition of home textile. They had a stall in the state owned Trade Development Authority of Pakistan where the Pakistan exhibitors were well received with an encouraging response from European consumers, however, in many instances, regional players edged out Pakistani companies as they held a cost advantage. They are lost orders to companies from China, Bangladesh, Turkey, Vietnam, India and Egypt.
Besides home textiles such as bed linen and towels, European buyers were interested in textile products used in health facilities. However, on the flip side increase in prices of yarn and cotton which were key staples in textile production, has spiralled up production cost by 15 to 20 per cent making it difficult for the exporters to finalise orders at competitive prices.
Shahab Textile Mills Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Ali Ahmed Sadiq blamed the government for its “lack of attention” and high production cost of businesses, saying exporters had got dragged down because of these factors. Sadiq a regular participant at Heimtextil feels it is a great platform for interacting and forging links with big textile buyers.
With the business cost staying high, exporters also could not reap the rewards of the rupee’s sharp depreciation against the dollar in December 2017.
A weaker currency gives price advantage to exporters in the international market, but at the same time it makes imports expensive for businesses. Europe, the US, Middle East and Africa were big markets for such textile goods. Canada was a major consumer of healthcare textile products but it had levied 18 per cent duty on exports from Pakistan. On the other hand, Bangladeshi exporters enjoy duty-free status. Some Spanish buyers were willing to offer a 3 to 4 per cent higher price compared to the previous order, but over the past year production cost in Pakistan had gone up in the range of 15 to 20 per cent, he said. Even if they minimise their margins, the goods will still be expensive by around 10 per cent making it difficult for them to get orders, he said while pointing out that new buyers from Spain, Poland and Albania had also expressed interest in Pakistan’s home textiles.
The Maharashtra government has decided to withdraw facility of co-marketing of brands for BT cotton seed companies. A meeting was called by the department recently where seed companies were told they will no longer be permitted to co-market BT seeds under separate brand names, Agriculture Commissioner Sachendra Pratap Singh was reported to have said, “There is no question of any opposition from the seed companies. The circular has been issued and they were called just to know about the guidelines.” This is part of the regulatory framework. The brand marketing licences of around 74 companies has been scrapped.
Until now, seed companies used to co-market the same variety under different brand names making it confusing for the farmer, he added. The government had earlier asked companies to amend their licences issued for co-marketing as per permissions granted by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
Senior Officials noticed several co-marketing companies with distribution rights for a product have been found selling the product under multiple brands to attract farmers. Usually co-marketing rights are granted for a certain amount of packets. But sometimes, these companies sell more than the stipulated amount licensed to them.
There are over 150 companies in the market, which include around 65 seed companies. Usually seed companies enter into distribution arrangement with companies to widen their market reach. Selling Bt seeds that are produced in other states under different brand names is called co-marketing.
Invista Performance Technologies (IPT) and Jiaxing Petrochemical Co, a subsidiary of the Tongkun Group, have announced the successful start-up of Jiaxing Petrochemical’s second PTA Line, using Invista’s latest P8 technology. The first reaction train reached 100 per cent design rate in just 10 days from the first introduction of feedstock.
P8 is the very latest PTA technology platform from Invista, representing industry-leading capital productivity, variable cost and environmental footprint.
It is the latest demonstration of Invista’s 30-year track record of successfully using new generations PTA technology that create competitive advantage for licensees. And as Tongkun Group President says, “We are pleased to see the successful start-up of our second PTA line and the operations are currently running very well. We recognise that Invista’s P8 technology is a world class PTA technology. And the successful start-up is an outcome of close collaboration between the teams of both companies. We look forward to continuous cooperation in the future,” he noted. Mike Pickens, IPT President announced, “We are honoured that the first deployment of our latest P8 technology has been in partnership with Jiaxing Petrochemical and it is appropriate that they will be rewarded by the superior project returns made possible by the advanced P8 technology platform.”
Last year, it was reported that Bangladesh, after China, was the world’s second-largest exporter of ready-made garments, largely due to duty-free access to Western markets and extremely low wages — about R932 per month at the time. In 2013, a multi-storey commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka collapsed, killing 1,135 people and injuring thousands more. The factories that operated inside the building were suppliers to many international fashion brands.
After the Rana Plaza disaster, many international fashion brands signed onto worker protection accords, however, advocacy groups later found out that many factories that supplied brands such as Gap, Walmart and H&M still worked long hours in overheated and dangerous conditions. In 2016, two Swedish investigative journalists published a book detailing how the Swedish fashion brand H&M sourced garments from factories in Myanmar that employed 14 year old children. Oxfam’s research on labour practices in the country’s garment factories found forced overtime and low pay was not uncommon.
Last year Zara was in deep waters over a controversy when shoppers in Turkey found notes from unpaid workers sewn into clothes. Bravo Tekstil, the factory where these notes came from, shuttered shop in 2016 for failing to pay its workers. John Morrison, Chief Executive of the British-based Institute for Human Rights and Business, disclosed Turkish workers of Bravo Tekstil resorted to this desperate plea for help because they were afraid of voicing their concerns on the shop flow. The International Labour Organisation’s research into child labour in the fashion supply chain is damning. At each level of the supply chain – from cotton farming to garment factories, children are employed and often violently abused.
The Dutch-based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) has also conducted research that confirms the same. Customers benefit as fashion retailers deliver these items of clothing at ‘reasonable prices’, but the cost of making them has been heavy on factory workers in countries such as Bangladesh, China and Myanmar. These clothing are cheap to consumers in the West where they are blind to slave labour, child labour and criminally hazardous working conditions. These business models would never be acceptable in Western countries, but ironically is acceptable for Western businesses to implement the very same models, as long as it is done in faraway “shithole countries”.
"Aiming to reach customers faster and grab market share, global brands such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Coach, Helmut Lang, Burberry and Rag & Bone, are working on increased flexibility and faster-paced production windows. Karin Tracy, Head-fashion, luxury and beauty industries, Facebook feels speed is everything right now. For luxury brands, whoever is the fastest right now will have competitive advantage, full stop. They need to step out of the comfort zone of perfection, think about how to move fast and build things to let them do so."
Aiming to reach customers faster and grab market share, global brands such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Coach, Helmut Lang, Burberry and Rag & Bone, are working on increased flexibility and faster-paced production windows. Karin Tracy, Head-fashion, luxury and beauty industries, Facebook feels speed is everything right now. For luxury brands, whoever is the fastest right now will have competitive advantage, full stop. They need to step out of the comfort zone of perfection, think about how to move fast and build things to let them do so.
A recent study by Alvanon stated this fast-moving trend has been brought in by brands like Zara, which releases new items four to five times faster than a traditional retail brand. To grasp the change, luxury brands have opted for various strategies with some chucking the traditional fashion calendar and moving over to see-now-buy-now concept. On this note, Caitlin Aylward, Director, Research, L2, says in order to really perform like Zara does, or go with an immediate fashion calendar, these brands will have to consider an overhaul. There are other steps that can be taken to improve speed-to-market.
Enhancing production
With the intent to speed up the rate at which new capsule collections can be released, Kering recently announced the launch of Gucci Art Lab. This will be a 35,000-sq. ft. space in Italy specialising in manufacturing leather goods and shoes, and source its own sustainable materials to bring the Gucci supply chain closer to home. Jean-Marc Duplaix, CFO, Kering, says this is a step toward internalisation of production, especially leather goods. Over time, there will be better control over product development, sampling and material development.
The same strategy was implemented by labels like Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger because of which they were able to shift their production schedules to an in-season model in a short span of time. Vertically integrated supply chains offer brands flexibility that other brands don’t have, particularly on the smaller scale.
Invest in technology
In order to spruce up production process, companies must leverage on technology tools like 3D design, automation and robotics that will also help in reducing turnaround time in the supply chain. Ed Gribbins, president, Alvanon, averred that luxury brands could all do a better job of adapting technology to aid the production process. There are brands that are just now starting to test 3D product development software, and that’s going to change the way all retailers go to market, eventually. Kate Twist, the chief digital officer of Xcel Brands elaborated that they are working on identifying new technologies that can impact all areas of the business.
Tackling complexities
According to Gribbins, internal decisiveness is probably the single biggest challenge in terms of speed to market. Luxury has been nimble at making decisions than, say, department stores or specialty retailers, which have been on an 18-month cycle. That doesn’t work anymore.
Processing customer data and using that feedback to aid in faster decision making is also a cause for concern for luxury brands. Since many still make the majority of sales through wholesale channels like boutiques and department stores, there’s a degree of separation between customer feedback and the brand. Gribbins opined that data is the hardest because brands don’t own the customer, in many cases, and if they don’t connect as directly to the end user, they struggle to get that data. On top of that, millennials, as a group, don’t seem to value brands in the same respect that their parents might have. In lieu to this, Antony Karabus, CEO, HRC Retail Advisory, suggested that luxury retail needs to get a much closer and tighter understanding of the customer, including the ones buying, what’s being bought and how they want to interact with you. Then they can react.
The three-day expo on linencare – Laundrex India 2018 is set to display the latest technology and systems in textile care and dry-cleaning. To be held along with Clean India Pulire, Waste Technology Expo and Car Care Expo from January 18th to 20th. This year’s Laundrex India Expo will also have an international one-day conference organised jointly by Texcare India Forum and LaundrexNet on January 20 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.
The conference will organise discussions and presentations from national and international textile care experts and laundry and dry-cleaning products, equipment and technologies service providers. There will be panel discussions and presentations on laundry and textile care – global scenario and trends; new approach to laundry and textile care, start-ups and best practises, strategising success through technology, online laundry business, etc.
The speakers include: Ruth Lorenz, VP Technology, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH; Elgar Straub, MD VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies; Xavier Salas, International Sales Director, Girbau SA; Anand Dubey, Regional Sales Manager, Alliance Laundry Systems; Andrew Glassford, Director, NewGen Business Services, UK; John Hacker, Director of Sales Asia Pacific, Herbert Kannegisser GmbH; Balachandar R, Founder & CEO, Wassup Laundry; Rachit Ahuja, Co-Founder, Quick Dry Clean Software.
Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding announced, “With a keen eye on one of the fastest emerging markets in the world organised laundering and textile care, the Texacare brand launches in India with this one-day conference on Laundry, Dry-cleaning & Textile Care. This new partnership between Texcare and Laundrex, India’s leading trade show for the Laundering industry is certainly going to be a successful platform for both the parties to combine strengths and contribute to the growth of the sector. The unorganised and fragmented Indian laundry market holds a huge scope for growth and development with immense opportunities for international players to bring best practices and structure to the sector.”
Jayaram Nair, the Chairman, Virtual Info Systems, the organiser of Laundrex India Expo discuses, “Over the past three years, we have been making efforts to bring together the Indian laundry Industry through annual Laundrex India Expo and through Clean India Journal. The commercial laundry and dry-cleaning market is growing very rapidly in India with sectors like healthcare, hospitality, the railways and large industries opting for professional linen care services. The domestic market is also offering wide opportunities.”
Cone Denim, an international leader in denim authenticity and innovation, announces its Cone Denim Parras and Cone Denim Yecapixtla operations in Mexico have received Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification on selected denim products.
The company’s Cone Denim Jiaxing operation in China received certification in 2015. The company is now able to provide Oeko-Tex certified fabrics internationally. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification provides transparency in the textile supply chain and delivers certified products have been produced without the use of illegal, regulated or other known harmful substances. The ‘Confidence in Textiles’ motto designates independent testing for harmful substances for textile products of all types which pose no risk to health.
Steve Maggard, Senior VP, Operations and Manufacturing for Cone Denim explains, “The expansion of our Oeko-Tex certification to denim fabrics produced from our Mexico facilities offers additional confidence in our products and opens new opportunities to our customers worldwide. We remain committed to responsible manufacturing and promoting sustainable practices and components within our products and processes that minimize our environmental footprint while providing our customers the highest level of denim innovation and design. The Oeko-Tex certification provides our customers and the end consumer further validation of our practices and the benefits of Cone Denim’s SustainblueTM line featuring the highest level of environmentally responsible denims, ”he added.
Cone Denim has operated in Mexico since 1995 producing industry-leading denims, both rigid and stretch, including S-Gene products and many other high-performance and sustainable denim styles. Cone Denim Jiaxing facility opened in 2007 in China. This combined global platform is strategically designed to provide customers with innovative and market-driven denims and services from a comprehensive global network of manufacturing platforms. Certified labs and proprietary process control systems are central to producing high quality fabrics with exceptional shade and physical consistency.
Showcasing ways to improve productivity, saving costs, enhancing quality, cutting turnaround time, and much more, the 26th edition of Garment Technology Expo (GTE) 18 will be held from January 19 to22, 2018 at NSIC Exhibition Complex, New Delhi. This edition promises to be bigger and grander with an array of fresh offerings. GTE would be inaugurated by HKL Magu, Chairman, AEPC. This is Indian subcontinent’s largest show for apparel technology, having an unparalleled representation from all segments of the sector, representing over 800 companies and brands from over 22 countries. New country additions this time are Sweden and Switzerland.
Highlights
A major highlight is that a global educative seminar on 'Apparel 4.0' is co-located with this edition jointly organised by GTE & DFU Publications inviting global experts and stakeholders from across the trade and supply chain. This will be held on the 2nd day i.e., January 20. Apart from this, new sections in this edition are fabrics, laser cutting, flat knitting, etc. The event would be held under the enhanced area of close to 70000+ sq. mt. with 350+ exhibitors exhibiting their products and services. The trade expo is slated to attract more than 21,700 visitors during the four days power-packed event. The event has got association tie-ups from GGMA Ahmedabad; GEAR, Jaipur; OGTC, GMMSA, LDH, Knitwear LDH & Textile club. Their delegates would also grace the event.
Exhibiting segments
The show is known for showcasing latest machines and processes. Nearly 85 per cent of the participants in the initial editions of GTE continue to be steadfast. New innovations, product launches, product upgrades, live demonstrations, new materials, etc. remain the cornerstone of each successive show.
Companies from every sphere of textile would be a part of this show. Key categories on display are: sewing machines, dyes and chemicals, dyes and chemicals, home furnishing, embroidery machines, equipment and supplies, laundry equipment, spares and attachments, digital textile printing, accessories and trims, spreading and cutting fancy yarns/fabrics, quilting/packaging, IT enabled services, leather garment making, software solutions, finishing and testing, fusing/dyeing, etc. Major brands lined up to display their products in this edition are: Juki, Swf, Tolkar, Smartex, Red Square & many more. As far as new players are concerned, Stalwart and Star White will be making their entry into the Indian market through this event while making a comeback in this edition are JN Arora, Cheran, Texmart.
Growth in visitors expected
One would find companies and brands from a wide spectrum of textile at the exhibition. This include garment exporters, domestic manufacturers, ordinance factories, home furnishing manufacturers, job workers, traders and suppliers institutional and government bodies, merchandisers, textile designers fashion institutes, shop floor managers, etc. Organisers are expecting a large number of overseas participants with a region wise breakup as follows: Overseas 5 per cent; East India 11 per cent; South India 15 per cent; North India 51 per cent; and West India 18 per cent.
