Wrangler launches fall/winter 2021 advertising campaign
A global icon in jeanswear and casual apparel, Wrangler® has launched its fall/winter 2021 advertising campaign, ‘For the Ride of Life.’ Inspired by the resilience it takes to see challenges as opportunities and leave nothing on the table, the campaign is styled by Hollywood’s sought-after Heidi Bivens and serves as a springboard for a heightened level of western-inspired fashion and culture that is more relevant worldwide than ever before. The integrated “For the Ride of Life” campaign will launch with broadcast commercials across cable and network TV the week of September 13.
“For the Ride of Life” is anchored by an inspirational campaign film narrated by rising country music star and long-time friend of the brand, Orville Peck. The film features a diverse array of real people following their passions, from a rap crew to a roller girl gang; an eSports player, skateboarder and cowgirl; to young families and an older couple starting a new life together. The result is a celebration of those who live with optimism, joy and courage, no matter where their ride of life may lead.
The campaign represents Wrangler’s continued evolution as a brand balancing dedication to western heritage with strategic growth that is true to its roots. In recent years, Wrangler has expanded its focus to include a broader base of consumers fueled by category expansions in outdoor and female, and geographic expansion with the launch of the Wrangler brand in China. With its 75th anniversary in 2022, the Wrangler brand will launch a year-long celebration, honoring its longstanding presence in music, fashion and rodeo while also celebrating the courage, optimism and triumph of western culture.
Kindred Apparel shifts business model of Indian supplier
Saanich-based Kindred Apparel Inc has shifted the business model of its supplier in India. The Canadian distributor for the company, formerly known as Freeset, completed the shift on September 17. The new company is called Joyye and targets the problems such as sex trafficking and addiction. It also focuses on providing sustainable employment for all genders.
Coinciding with the Joyye launch, Alexandra Bouchard, Under President, Kindred also upgraded the company’s website. Along with larger businesses and groups, the company now also caters to orders by smaller companies. On the company’s website, customers can trace an item from its stock of organic custom apparel back to Joyye to its fabric provider and even in many cases back to the farm the cotton was harvested from.
Prada to hold two simultaneous live runway shows
Luxury brand Prada plans to hold two simultaneous live runway shows this month in Milan and Shanghai respectively. As per a Woman’s Wear Daily report, these shows will be held on September 24 and unveil the brand’s Spring 2022 women’s collection designed by co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons.
Named ‘Synchronic Views,’ the shows will be held in a hybrid format with models in both shows showing exactly the same collection while visitors in complementary sets, enjoying the simultaneous runway event through video screens. The shows will also be streamed on prada.com with viewers having access to a live edit collecting views of the two parallel shows.
The shows will mark Prada’s return to the physical format, after presenting its men’s and women’s collections through videos due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.
Pakistan textile exports surge by 45.19% in August 2021
Pakistan’s textile exports grew 45.19 per cent on a year-on-year basis from $1,007.509 million in August 2020 to $1462.753 million in August 2021. However, exports dropped by 0.57 per cent on a month-on-month basis in August 2021 from $1471.185 million in July 2021, shows data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
From July-August 2021-22, Pakistan’s textile exports increased 27.59 per cent as compared to the corresponding months of last year. Exports from the country stood at $4.573 billion during July-August (2021-22), as against the exports of $3.584 billion recorded during July-August (2020-21), showing growth of 27.59 percent. As per report Associated Press of Pakistan, growth was fuelled by rise in exports of cotton yarn, which increased by 67.97 per cent from $115.136 million last year to $193.389 million during the current year. Export of yarn cotton cloth grew 24.74 percent, from $294.724 million to $367.624 million whereas, exports of cotton (carded of combed) surged by 100 percent to 0.770 million. Export of yarn increased 123.73 per cent, from $3.473 million to $7.770 million whereas the exports of knitwear went up by 34.12 percent, from $564.343 million to $756.883 million and bed wear by 24.50 percent, from $424.187 to $528.109 million.
The commodities whose exports declined during the period included raw cotton, exports of which decreased by cent percent whereas the exports of tents, canvas and trapulin declined by 37.19 percent, from $19.504 million to $12.250 million. Pakistan’s textile imports during these two months also increased by 72.59 percent from $6.990 billion last year to $12.064 billion in July-August 2021-22.
Bangladesh: Terry towel exporters urge mill owners to accelerate yarn imports
In a recent meeting in Bangladesh, terry towel exporters urged textile mills owners to increase investments in the yarn sector to boost exports. The meeting was attended by Mohammad Ali Khokon, President, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and Shahadat Hossain Sohel, Chairman, Bangladesh Terry Towel & Linen Exporters Association (BTTLMEA) alongwith other senior leaders of both the organizations.
Sohel said, local textile mills will have to import more yarn to meet growing demands. The association will seek the cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce to facilitate these imports, he added. Fazlul Hoque, Vice-President, BTMA, said, terry tower exporters have received many orders. However, they have been unable to supply yarn according to needs.
Another leader present at the meeting said, it is difficult for exporters to import yarn as 75 per cent members do not have a bond license. As a result, they will not be able to import yarn with duty free facility. In that case the imported goods may have to be redeemed with a bank guarantee.
Next signs deal to manage Gap’s UK website
UK retailer Next has signed a deal with struggling US fashion giant Gap to manage its UK website and place concessions in some stores. As per a BBC report, the move will preserve some of Gap's physical presence on the high street as the company announced plans to close all UK stores in July.
Next also aims to expand the brands available on its online platform. The retailer will own 51 per cent of the new venture, while Gap will own 49 per cent. The deal will enable customers to use Next's click-and-collect service at its 500 stores. Founded in 1969 in the US, Gap has been credited with shifting cultural norms around clothes. The brand is favored by people of all ages for its laidback clothes such as hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, khaki trousers, jeans and polo shirts. The brand opened its first store in London in 1987 and had set up 127 stores across UK by 2013.
In recent years however, the brand has struggled as most of its shoppers have moved online. The brand’s stores and clothes have also been criticized for failing to keep up with changing trends.
Karnataka expresses interest in Centre’s mega textile parks scheme
The Karnataka government is interested in central government’s scheme to set up set up seven mega textile parks across India. The state government has sent a proposal to set up textile parks but is yet to receive a reply from the centre. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Principal Secretary, Karnataka says, the parks will be set up on 1,000 acre in states offering investor friendly policies, good connectivity through road, rail and port, regular water and power supply.
The Centre has also launched the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) where it will offer incentives for five years to the textile industry, adds UP Singh, Secretary to the Textile Ministry. Through this scheme, industries with Rs 600 crore turnover can avail 15 per cent incentive in the first year, which decreases year on year by one per cent for five years. Those with Rs 200 crore turnover can avail 11 per cent incentive every year, which decreases by one per cent each year for five years when the scheme ends. The government has set up a fund limit of Rs 10,683 crore for five years.
Four Paws publishes letter highlighting brands’ commitment to end mulesing
Four Paws has published an open letter signed by more than 30 clothing brands, including Adidas, Kathmandu and Patagonia, vowing to end the use of mulesed wool by 2030. As per an ABC news report, Mulesing is a process that involves surgically removing wrinkly skin from around the breech and tail area of a sheep to keep the area from being infested with blowflies, a condition that can result in a painful death for sheep.
Jo Hall, President, Wool Producers, Australia, says, producers in her country are making the change to stop mulesing. Currently around 14 per cent of Australian wool is non-mulesed, she adds. Baderloo Poll Merinos breeds merino sheep that do not need mulesing, and are sold to farmers for their breeding programs. Daniel Hammat, Stud Principle says, they have transitioned away from sheep that needed mulesing. It currently breeds wrinkle-free sheep.
However, Jock Laurie, Chairman, Australian Wool Innovation says, despite the interest in non-mulesed wool there was still plenty of demand for mulesed wool as well. He informs, Australia produces about 300 million tonne of wool a year.
US’ rising clothing purchases cause environmental disaster in Ghana
Five-fold rise in clothing purchases by Americans over the last three decades has led to more garments being shipped to Ghana than ever, as per a CBS report. Many Americans donate their used clothing under the assumption that it will be reused. But with increasing amount of items being discarded, and the poorer quality of fast fashion, millions of garments are put into bales and shipped abroad every year, says Liz Ricketts, Co-founder and Director, OR Foundation.
Most of these clothes are shipped to Ghana's Kamanto market where around 15 million items of used clothing from Western countries arrive every week. The entire population of Ghana is only 30 million. Trucks offload bales of textiles — called Obroni Wawu, or ‘Dead White Man's Clothes’ — arrive at the market, which is a seven-acre maze of over 5,000 stalls. The bales are purchased by market traders — who do not know ahead of time what's in them — for between $25 and $500 each they then clean, tailor, and re-dye what they can of the clothing to give it new life.
Upcycling these clothes is difficult because of the poor quality of fast fashion garments, says Samuel Oteng, Project Manager, OR Foundation. Ultimately, they end up in landfills, he adds. The upcycling work of traders at Katamanto is not enough to reduce the glut of clothing created by America's addiction to fast fashion. It is estimated that 40 percent of all the clothing bales sent to Ghana end up in landfills.
Circular Systems partners Tintex for premium knits collection
Circular Systems has partnered Portugal-based sustainable textiles company Tintex, to launch a premium knits collection. Designed with Texloop RCOT Primo high quality recycled cotton yarns, the collection uses Tintex's Colorau Natural Dyeing Processing, some of the lowest impact materials and processing available on the market.
As per a Knitting Industry report, the collaboration uses breakthrough patented process that replaces synthetic dyes with natural extracts combining with fabric milled with yarns with up to 50 per cent recycled cotton. The Colorau natural dyeing process incorporates compounds of natural origin like plants into substrates to produce functional, ecological, and sustainable technology. The technology also focuses on its environmental impact by eliminating potentially toxic effluents generated by synthetic dyestuffs.
The use of low temperatures in the dyeing process and the substitution of traditional auxiliaries with natural occurring alternatives, also contribute to the impact reduction of the process. Additionally, there is no sacrifice in color durability, as Colorau is focused on natural extracts with inherent color fastness properties that can be also antimicrobial. This unique technology is designed to mimic the beauty and authenticity of nature. The collection will be available in Thyme, Chestnut Tree, Gambier and Morus Tinctoria colors.
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Cambodia garment exports rise by 3.3% during Jan-Aug 2021
Cambodia's garment exports surged 3.3-per cent in the first eight months of 2021, shows a report from the Ministry of Commerce. As per reports, the Southeast Asian nation exported products worth $5.02 billion during the January-August period this year as against $4.86 billion exported over the same period last year. Growth is being attributed to the high COVID-19 vaccination rates and controllable COVID-19 situation. Cambodia launched a COVID-19 inoculation campaign in February, with China being the key vaccine supplier.
As of September 17, it had vaccinated around 11.6 million people, or 72.5 percent of the kingdom's 16 million population, with one vaccine dose, while 10.1 million, or 63.2 percent, had obtained both required shots and 815,581, or 5 percent, had got a third dose or booster dose. The country reported total 103,482 COVID-19 cases with official death toll reaching 2,096.
Nilite unveils Corporate Sustainability Report
A global company specialized in producing Nylon 6.6 for apparel and owner of Sensil, its own branded nylon fiber, Nilite has unveiled its Corporate Sustainability report titled ‘Making Nylon Sustainable,’ for the period 2017-2020. As per a Spin Off report, the document details the company’s achievements to improve its environmental footprint and explains its plans to positively influence the textile and apparel industry.
The report shares Nilit’s accomplishments and the company’s ongoing plans to continuously improve the ecological and social influence of its operations and practices in the market and in the communities where it operates. Through collaboration with brands, retailers, customers, employees and vendors, Nilit has developed a large portfolio of sustainable premium Nylon 6.6 products under its Sensil consumer brand. The Sensil portfolio includes performance products manufactured while controlling water and energy consumption, waste reduction, use of recycled inputs and impact to ecosystems.
Nilit has achieved some sustainability goals in its facilities around the world, especially its innovations in clean energy cogeneration that reduced CO2 by 40% and eliminated emissions of toxic gases.
The company also introduced QR codes in all Sensil hangtags. Produced with FSC paper and distributed on certified garments from brands worldwide, these hangtags guarantee authenticity and provide more information to consumers about the technologies and benefits of premium nylon.
Kenz appoints Sylvian Blanc as new CEO
French luxury fashion house Kenz has appointed Sylvian Blanc as its new CEO. As per a Fashion Network report, Blanc’s appointment is effective October 18, two weeks after the end of the next Paris Fashion Week, where Kenzo is not scheduled to stage a show.
Blanc will succeed Sylvie Colin, who is moving on to pursue a personal project abroad. Blanc began his career as deputy to the merchandising director of Printemps department store, before becoming head of strategic planning for stores. He later joined The Koopies as vice president, Europe, Middle East and Asia. He is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and of the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris, also known as Mines ParisTech. Since 2018, Blanc has been CEO of Undiz.
The fashion house also named Tomoaki 'Nigo' Nagao of The Bathing Ape as new artistic director. He succeeds Felipe Oliveira Baptista, who left Kenzo last June after just two years at the house.
Manufacturers’ initiative publishes White Paper on Commercial Compliance
A global textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers’ initiative has published a White Paper on Commercial Compliance.
Led by the STAR Network, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the Better Buying Institute, the initiative is supported by GIZ Fabric and consists of 13 industry associations from nine countries facing similar challenges regarding purchasing practices in the textile and garment industry. Through a process of consultation, these associations have now jointly agreed on the text of the white paper that is published today. This marks the first joint manufacturers’ position on the improvement of purchasing practices.
The white paper establishes commercial compliance as a leading principle for the manufacturer’s perspective on the improvement of purchasing practices. STTI defines it as ‘purchasing practices that do not cause obvious and avoidable harm to manufacturers’. The white paper lists ‘key recommendations’, defining what purchasing practices manufacturers consider to be breaches of their definition of commercial compliance. The associations participating in the initiative recognize that the breaches of these key recommendations seriously impair their ability to run a commercially viable business, let alone to contribute to stronger and more sustainable supply chains.
