Bestseller intensifies partnership with BSR HERproject
Bestseller has intensified its long-term partnership with BSR's HERproject™, a collaborative initiative that strives to empower low-income women working in global supply chains. The new strategic partnership will help Bestseller accelerate towards its Fashion FWD goal of supporting 100,000 women in Tier 1 factories to achieve workplace empowerment and improved life skills.
In addition, Bestseller has become a Catalyst Member of HERproject™, making it possible to take a leading role in furthering the impact of HERproject™ by providing strategic advice and thought leadership to steer the direction of the program. BSR's HERproject™ is a collaborative initiative that strives to empower low-income women working in global supply chains. Through its HERhealth™ and HERfinance™ programs, women develop knowledge and skills on health issues and financial management topics. The HERrespect program focuses on addressing the root causes of violence and sexual harassment against women in the workplace.
To date, Bestseller’s work with HERproject™ has reached more than 37,000 women in Bestseller’s supply chain across Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam. Factoring in HERproject™ programmes supported by other brands, the total number of women in Bestseller’s supply chain is just over 50,000.
Tiruppur Export Association welcomes Rs 1,224 crore budget allocation
The Tiruppur Export Association (TEA) has welcomed the Budget allocation of Rs 1,224 crore to the development of handlooms and textiles businesses in Tamil Nadu. The association welcomed the expanding of benefits available under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and the Unemployed Youth Employment Generation Programme (UYEGP). The budget also enhanced the existing project size limit of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh and eligible subsidy under the scheme to Rs 2.5 lakh. The provision for this scheme has been enhanced to Rs 33 crore in the Budget estimates 2020-21.
The budget also allocated Rs 500 crore for environmental clearance under the Athikadavu-Avinashi irrigation scheme. Interest subvention under the Technology Upgradation Scheme and the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust scheme has been increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent. He appreciated enhancing of the maximum capital subsidy under the NEEDS scheme from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and the Rs 100 crore fund allocation for this scheme in the Budget estimates 2020-21. Reduction in stamp duty for rental agreements under the new Tenancy Act to 0.25 per cent from 1 per cent and registration charges on such agreements to 0.25 per cent from 1 per cent subject to a maximum of Rs 5,000 was also seen as a welcome move.
14th edition of Liberty Fairs held in Las Vegas
The 14th edition of Liberty Fairs trade show was held from February 4-6 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas. The recent show marked one of the only times that the contemporary dual-gender trade show ran solo as its sibling show, Agenda, was on hiatus. The February Liberty show also worked on a different schedule. It started a day before the MAGIC trade show, which ran February 5 to 7, 2020.
The show enjoyed a major surge of buyer traffic on February 6, the last day of the show. Its sprawling 2,500 sq. ft. section exhibited brands such as a resurgent Ed Hardy, which experienced a plummet in popularity shortly after the Great Recession. T&A exhibited a preview of the once wildly popular brand at Liberty in August 2019. For the most recent show, it exhibited a wider selection of the tattoo-inspired Ed Hardy along with a stable of other brands including Le Cruz, Oren Kash and Oublier Collective.
Brands exhibiting at the show ranged from suiting from the Pal Zillieri label and John Varvatos Signature Tailored, motorcycle jackets from Schott NYC, denim from Levi’s, Naked & Famous, Neuw Denim and Railcar Fine Goods, as well as streetwear from Billionaire Boys Club and Defend Brooklyn.
Vendors also produced big activations such as a coffee lounge put together by Calik Denim, a custom-T-shirt station produced by Jack & Jones and Re/Up screen-printing its sustainable T-shirts.The show also hosted a vintage cash-and-carry section.
TEXPROCIL appreciates revision of duty drawback rates
K V Srinivasan, Chairman of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) has appreciated the government’s move to revise duty drawbacks rates from February 4, 2020. He feels, this will improve competitiveness of these products in the export markets.
The increase in the drawback rates is on account of various factors such as the changes in the duties, price (CIF) of imported inputs, FOB value of exports, import intensity etc. Srinivasan feels, the announcement comes as a huge relief to exporters who are already reeling under various types of pressures both internally and externally. Srinivasan further urged the government to reimburse all other taxes and duties that remain un-neutralised through the new scheme RODTEP (Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products), which should cover the entire value chain of Cotton textiles.
US show Sourcing Magic exhibits ecologically sound goods
Sourcing at Magic was held in the US from February 4 to 7, 2020. Representing Madagasar’s female artisans, a group of first-time attendees exhibited ecologically sound goods that promoted fair wages and elevating the status of women in the region who are economically challenged. The brand, Kapuau’i, based in Hawai, which makes scarves and kimono tops, found potential partners in Vrijesh Natural Fiber and Fabrics and Kish from India to source fabrics from. The Purple Store is celebrating its 15th anniversary and sells only purple items. Yana, which makes soft, quality T-shirts, was searching for supply-chain partners. It wants to shift its US manufacturing to production in Mexico or with a South American partner. The Common Link offered options for brands of all sizes, whether they sought domestic manufacturing or production abroad.
The 2019 trade show focused on sustainability through technology and featured innovative VR experiences as well as the latest in production and design tech and sourcing tools. It explored both smart design and advanced manufacturing as well as ways of making the fashion industry more efficient and sustainable, displaying new devices presenting breakthroughs in 3D to 2D digital pattern rendering, virtual inventories, digital direct-to-garment printing and on-demand manufacturing.
US apparel retailers face a drop in sales
The apparel industry in the US has had a tough start to 2020. Consumers are buying fewer and fewer items to stock their closets, and companies that typically sell tons of winter coats and sweaters faced cold January.
Receipts at clothing stores dropped 3.1 per cent last month, the most since March 2009. Women’s apparel was its weakest category during the holidays. Retailers are reworking some of their private label apparel brands in a bid to win back shoppers. Tops, dresses and pants are lying unsold in stores. Baby boomers are aging and buying less clothing than they used to. Millennials are not inclined to spend as much on their wardrobes. Instead, new options like Rent the Runway — where users can pay a monthly fee to rent items to wear to work, to the gym, on vacation and on the weekends — and Stitch Fix — where customers pay to have personalized boxes of clothes shipped to them — are gaining in popularity. The casualization of the workplace also means women and men aren’t buying expensive suits and skirts to wear around the office. Instead, many can get by with jeans and jogger pants. Second-hand apparel is also in style, as shoppers are increasingly thinking about how they can create less waste when they shop.
US jeans imports from China falls, Vietnam sees a rise
Women’s and girls’ jeans imports into the US have seen dramatic swings in 2019. Jeans imports from top supplier China fell 21.2 per cent while imports from Vietnam jumped 34.23 per cent. Bangladesh saw its imports inch up 0.9 per cent last year. Among the rest, increases were registered by Pakistan, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, while decreases were posted by Mexico, Egypt, Indonesia and Jordan. In dresses, imports from China decreased 7.98 per cent in 2019, with Vietnam’s shipments falling 1.79 per cent. Indonesia’s imports were flat for the year. In skirts, China’s shipments dipped 1.19 per cent for the year, as imports from Vietnam fell 3.71 per cent.
Retail apparel prices in the US rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7 per cent in January compared to December. The monthly increase was led by a 2.3 per cent hike in men’s wear, a 1.8 per cent rise in girls’ apparel and a gain of 1.2 per cent in infants’ and toddlers’ clothes, while women’s wear prices inched down 0.1 per cent and boys’ apparel sold for 5.8 per cent less.
UK hosts textile automotive event TOAI
Textile Opportunities in a changing Automotive Industry (TOAI) was held in the UK, February 5 to 6, 2020. The conference showcased the best innovations and collaborative action from automotive brand leaders and their supply chain to dramatically reduce material, production energy and process water waste. It illustrated the sheer diversity of end-use applications for textiles in the automotive industry that already exist, and the potential for further growth, both through car manufacturers seeking to lower weight to reduce CO2 emissions and the push to develop alternatives to the internal combustion engine.
Textiles and nonwovens are contributing to the new mobility era by providing, for example, textile interiors with high levels of comfort for the occupant while reducing the impact of manufacturing on the environment. New processes are offering waste-free recycled lightweight materials for interiors. With natural fibers and new materials come new benefits such as higher tensile strength, inherent heating/cooling, moisture wicking properties and anti- soiling solutions. In addition, the perception of luxury is changing, and sustainability is becoming an ever-more important factor in consumer-purchasing decisions.
New concepts and techniques were described, which sparked informative discussion during the forum sessions. There were ample networking opportunities for participants. TOAI offered valuable and interesting content and praised the high quality of the individual presentations in a well-structured program.
Indian merchandise exports fall for past six months
India’s merchandise exports fell for the sixth consecutive month in January 2020. Trade deficit has risen to a seven-month high. The increase in the January merchandise trade deficit has primarily been led by a sharp rise in crude oil imports, which will subside in February because of the correction in crude oil prices.
During the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, exports have contracted 1.9 per cent while imports have shrunk 8.1 per cent. Weakening external sector will put additional pressure on India’s fledgling economic growth, which is estimated to decelerate to an 11-year low of five per cent this year. Out of the 30 major items each in India’s export and import baskets, 21 export items and 17 imported goods witnessed contraction. While exports of readymade garments fell by five per cent, gems and jewelry dropped by 11.6 per cent and engineering goods lost four per cent during the month. However exports of pharmaceuticals, electronics goods, petroleum products and chemicals made a recovery. Among major imports, coal fell by 24.4 per cent, chemicals by 12 per cent, gold by 31.5 per cent and electronics goods shrank by 4.7 per cent. However, signaling a recovery in domestic industrial activity, imports of machinery and transport equipment rose.
Gartex Texprocess India 2020 to launch in Mumbai
Renowned tradeshow on garment textile machinery ‘Gartex Texprocess India’, held annually in New Delhi, will launch its March 2020 edition in Mumbai, owing to the demand generated by garment and textile manufacturing industry in Indian and overseas markets.
Exhibitors, who have signed up for the event, will present latest innovations, machines, plants, processes and services to various stakeholders in the industry, including manufacturers and suppliers. The show is scheduled to be held from March 19-21 2020 at the Bombay Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The highlights of the show include ‘Garmenting & Apparel Machinery’ that will provide insights on the technological developments in the garment & apparel manufacturing sector. Besides this, innovative products and technologies, defining latest trends in the industry, will be showcased to the visitors at the four concurrent shows – Denim Show, India Laundry Show, Fabrics & Trims Show and Digitex Show during the three-day event.
The event is also aimed at providing business opportunities to the international and national suppliers as well as trade visitors through networking sessions with industry experts and engaging in investment opportunities during the show.
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Premiere Vision in Paris presents low impact fabrics
Première Vision was held in Paris from February 11 to 13, 2020. Some exhibiting denim manufacturers offered new materials and low-impact fabrics. Among them, Prosperity presented an enlarged selection of its Stella Blu line, which offers indigo fabrics characterized by new textures, weights and end-uses. Evlox focused on Redenim, its overall offer of eco-friendly denim. Kipas Denim presented eco-friendly denim made by using organic cotton, preconsumer and postconsumer recycled denim, and eco-friendly fibers such as hemp and other sustainable resources. Bossa presented a selection of indigo corduroys and bright earthy hue fabrics.
Advance Denim showed a new series of denims available in a vast selection of blue hues produced according to a less resource consuming and an eco-friendly dyeing system. While conventional dyeing techniques use 15 to 17 different steps, out of which about ten are dyeing dipping steps, Advance Denim’s system uses four steps for its dyeing process and a single dyeing bath. This way water, electricity, chemical can be reduced as well as gas and wastewater production. Albini, a shirting fabric specialist, and Iluna, a high-end lace manufacturer, presented their products dyed with vegetal natural dyes. Limonta offered a selection of fabrics made with recycled nylon fibers, while Marzotto hawked a line of fabrics made with Tencel and wool, and Tencel and linen delivering great silky aspects, wrinkle-free and easy-care characteristics.
EUFTA may benefit Vietnam marginally
The free trade agreement with the EU is likely to have a marginal impact on Vietnam’s textile industry in the short term. This is despite the fact that the textile and garment industry is expected to benefit the most from the agreement. The average tariff applied by Europe on these products is at nine per cent which will be eliminated within three years or right after the FTA comes into force for less sensitive products. Under the tariff reduction roadmap, tariffs on most yarn and fabric products will be immediately exempted while tariffs on garments will gradually decrease to zero in the next six to eight years.
But the agreement only opens up opportunities for businesses with material autonomy as well as those with large EU groups of customers. The lack of local suppliers for input materials is proving to be a major challenge for Vietnam’s textile and garment industry to enjoy preferential treatment from the agreement as it fails to comply with the rules of origin. At present, nearly 90 per cent of the inputs for the industry is currently being imported from countries which are not members of the EU or those which the bloc has signed trade deals with.
Infrastructural development, youth employment to boost Indian productivity
Growing employment is a serious issue in the Indian apparel industry. “To solve this issue, the industry needs to introduce certain measures. Anil Anand, Director, HCA, elaborates on these.
A leading manufacturer of sewing spares and services in India, Hari Chand Anand and Co. (HCA) has been providing affordable and innovative automation solutions since the last 110 years. One of the major USPs of the company is that it doesn’t work on any automation that is more than one and half to two years old. “That’s never going to pay us back,” says Anil Anand, Director of the company.
According to Anand, the industry can address the issue of unemployment by putting the excess people on the land into garmenting. “Garment makers can set up their factories in catchment areas. However, for this to happen, we need to provide the adequate infrastructure and drawbacks,” he adds.
An apparel manufacturer can control his costs by operating in a textile park. If he moves to a new place, his manufacturing costs are bound to increase. “Though India offers lower manufacturing costs than China, our productivity is also low. We need to boost our productivity in order to increase labor wages,” views Anand.
According to him, a definite way to increase productivity is to make the labor laws more flexible. “Shahi Exports has repositioned itself by amending labor laws. This is an example for others to follow. To be sustainable, brands need to hire young professionals. They need to guide newcomers to this industry,” adds Anand.
Lyst Index: Sustainable luxury rules in Q4 2019
"The fourth quarter of 2019 gave fashion brands with an opportunity to step up their game and they did this in style by focusing on sustainable and other high-end fabrics. The recently released quarterly report of global fashion search platform Lyst revealed luxury brands like Off-White, Gucci, Balenciaga, Moncler and Versace emerged among the hottest for the quarter with Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Saint Laurent and Burberry rounding out the top 10. Small accessories such as Gucci’s men’s wool jacquard scarf and women’s GG logo belt were among the most wanted products during the quarter."
The fourth quarter of 2019 gave fashion brands with an opportunity to step up their game and they did this in style by focusing on sustainable and other high-end fabrics. The recently released quarterly report of global fashion search platform Lyst revealed luxury brands like Off-White, Gucci, Balenciaga, Moncler and Versace emerged among the hottest for the quarter with Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Saint Laurent and Burberry rounding out the top 10. Small accessories such as Gucci’s men’s wool jacquard scarf and women’s GG logo belt were among the most wanted products during the quarter. These products averaged over 165,000 online monthly searches between October and December with the belt being widely recognised as the hottest product of the decade.
Other products that made a mark this quarter were Bottega Veneta’s newly launched mini version of “The
Pouch” leather clutch that grabbed the fifth place on the women’s hottest products list. Search for this popular bag brand increased 32 per cent during the quarter.
Making a powerful return, Yeezy’s 500 stone was ranked fifth on the men’s hottest products list. The brand also re-entered the 20 hottest brands list in Q4, climbing nine places to 16th position. Full price sales drove many of the quarter’s hottest brands within The Lyst Index as shoppers gravitated towards recognizable ‘core’ or non-seasonal products.
Brands announce new sustainability initiatives
The dearth of streetwear brands and products on the list indicated instability in the industry as brands shifted from streetwear-focused fashion to sustainability and enduring designs. These brands ended the year on a positive note by announcing new sustainability initiatives and brand-purpose activities.
While Prada signed a loan to lower its interest rates in exchange for meeting sustainability targets, Burberry announced a partnership deal with resale site The RealReal and Gucci launched the CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge. Pointing towards a wider shift in the industry, these initiatives offset the traditional ‘buy, buy, buy’ mentality of the quarter.
While Offwhite had predicted the death of streetwear in the coming decade, T-shirts, hoodies and sneakers remained some of the most coveted products on the Index with search volume for Off-White hoodies growing by 90 percent over the quarter.
Strong demand for luxury outerwear
Demand for the luxury outerwear brands remained strong throughout the quarter. Luxury puffer coats led the men’s wear category while Moncler’s Maya jacket was regarded as one of the hottest men’s product in Q4 with its searches increasing by 199 percent during the year.
Other brands that outshined competition with their sustainable products were: Arket’s down puffer coat. Made with 100 per cent recycled down feathers, the coat saw 695 per cent spike in page views for the brand in October.
The 126-year-old British heritage label Barbour entered the Lyst Index for the first time with its $141 Chelsea Sportsquilt jacket. Searches for the brand increased by 143 per cent during the year with the jacket ranked as the tenth hottest men’s product. Brand Canada Goose also made its biggest move by climbing up by 14 places to No 18 position during the quarter.
