The 7th edition of Texfusion to be held from March 20 to 21, 2018 at the Business Design Centre, Londin. More than 100 international exhibitors will be visiting London for Texfusion, which happen to be the first trade fair within the UK catering exclusively to international fashion fabrics and accessories, home textiles, functional fabrics and garment manufacturers and a new section completely dedicated to denim. The show attracts top UK buyers, with an increasing interest from European designers and manufacturers.
Featuring the best international manufacturers, the show attracts industry professionals from sportswear to casualwear such as garment retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, chain stores. It is dedicated to international garment manufacturers and features menswear, womenswear, childrenwear, events/evening, sportswear, lingerie, swimwear, accessories, scarves and a lot more.
This February in Las Vegas, Sourcing at Magic will focus on the most important topic for 2018 –digitalisation of manufacturing. Digital Apparel Micro Factories, which can create apparel on demand and in extremely short periods of time, gives designers and producers powerful ‘concept-to-creation’ capabilities. In five steps you can go from design to product – CAD/Design to printing to cutting to sewing. Christopher Griffin, President, Sourcing at Magic says, “Automation will ultimately change where and how all apparel is produced. We are at a tipping point in terms of the technology necessary to move this forward. Sourcing at Magic felt it was a very compelling focus category that all buyers, brands and factories are interested in and are seeking guidance.”
The Process: Create and prepare a garment prototype using 3D renderings; Convert designs into printing data and transfer to digital printer; Pick fabric using colour management software and you are now ready to digitally print. Send design to a ‘heat press’ which transfers the design directly onto fabric; and Automated cutters cut the patterns (sewbots).
Sourcing at Magic will host a micro-factory on the show floor, featuring live demonstrations of apparel production (the micro factory will produce T-shirts onsite). The micro-factory will consist of machinery from EFI, Optitex, EFI Reggiani, Klieverik, Zund and Eton System along with robots and sewing from Henderson. Several specialists will lead panels discussions on functionalities and the benefits behind automated technology.
South Africa is fighting to revive its frayed clothing industry, which at one time was a key provider of jobs in a country that had high unemployment due to the fact that a tsunami of cheap imports forced local factories to shut down and lay off workers. The glut of cheap products from China has led to the loss of nearly two-thirds of the sector’s jobs in the past two decades.
The clothing factory in Verulam, north of the port city of Durban, shut down post many years of fighting low demand for its products. The grim situation forced the government to intervene while business has called for a radical policy overhaul to stem the crisis. Inside a factory, workers sat in front of rows of sewing machines, stitching at a brisk pace to fulfil daily orders from a local chain store. It is one of the producers benefitting from government grants and loans designed to help companies recapitalise their operations.
Christopher Kinross, who runs a clothing company that bears his name and employs 253 people says, “We’ve had a very rocky ride, and we have lost ground to the rest of the world. The industry is stagnant at the moment.” The government’s scheme had brought some stability. However, more needs to be done to promote competition and create jobs.
One of the main challenges facing the industry is a tax on importing raw materials essential for manufacturers. “We pay 22 per cent duty on imported fabrics. If they remove that duty, our businesses could grow in a spectacular fashion,” he said. Years of talks to remove the duty have been unsuccessful and there are no quotas on clothing imports.
South Africa’s textiles and clothing sector contributes 3.3 per cent to the nation’s overall economic output and is heavily reliant on domestic consumption. Foreign investment in apparel has skipped South Africa and gone to Lesotho, Swaziland and Madagascar, among other African nations.
A steep 11 per cent rise in cotton prices during the past two months in India has spiralled up raw material costs for mills, making export unviable and uncompetitive. International cotton prices are also up 17 per cent but 2.7 per cent appreciation in the Indian rupee has nullified all gains to be had from international cotton prices. While cotton yarn and cotton fabric exports have seen a pathetic growth of 0.38 per cent year-on-year in dollar terms in December 2017, however, for man-made yarn and fabrics it grew by 6.77 per cent.
Central government's quick estimates of exports for some of the major commodities for December 2017 are: cotton yarn, cotton fabrics, cotton made-ups and handloom products, among others, grew by 0.38 per cent to stand at $938.57 million, up from $935.05 million in December 2016. On the other hand, man-made yarn, man-made fabrics and made-ups, among others saw a decent growth of 6.77 per cent in December 2017 at $416.91 million, as against $390.47 million in the corresponding month last year.
Paritosh Aggarwal, MD of Suryalakshmi Cotton Mills says, "With Bangladesh being able to export on free trade basis, India's cotton exports have become even more uncompetitive. Hence, price rise as well as dearth of incentives from government post GST has made exports growth difficult." Arvind Raichura of Balkrishna Ginning and Pressing Factory, says domestic sales and exports in December were also low due to lesser capacity utilisation. "This is owing to festive mood in the latter part of December when capacity utilisation fell. Moreover, with export demand lagging, fabric manufacturing companies reduced demand from spinning and ginning mills." Lack of export incentives hit the cotton ready-made garments (RMG) the most, posting a decline of 8.08 per cent in December 2017 as against December 2016. Cotton-based RMG exports stood at $1,336.63 million in December 2017 as against $1,454.17 million in December 2016.
The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has also been taking up the matter with the government, having made representation for restoration of duty drawback and other incentives that the industry was dependent on for exports.
A new industry agreement for the prevention of microplastic release from synthetic textiles washing was launched and endorsed by the European Commission. The European Textile and Apparel Confederation (EURATEX), the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.), the European Outdoor Group (EOG), the European Man Made Fibres Association (CIRFS) and the Federation of European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) struck an agreement to address the release of microplastic in the aquatic environment.
The group of European industry associations, representing the global value chain of garments and their associated maintenance, agreed that viable solutions need to be found to the release of microplastic into global marine and freshwater during the entire lifecycle of textiles — which is highlighted as one of the sources of microplastic.
As per an Ernst & Young’s report, ‘The Luxury and Cosmetics Financial Factbook 2017’ that the global luxury market is expected to reach sales of over €490 billion ($599bn) by 2020, after achieving sales of €419 billion ($512bn) in 2016. The company expects growth in the sector to be driven by emerging markets and development of online channels.
Patricia Fernandez Mesa, Head of Fashion Retail at EY says, “Trends in the luxury sector are changing rapidly, driven by the new digital consumer who sees fashion from a different perspective and demands a more personalised relationship with brands. We are in a deeply disruptive moment in which, far from identifying a great trend that guides the sector’s evolution, we are seeing different behaviours according to different categories and markets.”
The global luxury market was worth €269 billion ($328bn) in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4 per cent by 2020. This is higher than the 2.8 per cent rate recorded in the 2012-2016 period, but contrasts with a strong CAGR of 11.7 per cent experienced between 2009 and 2012.
According to EY, the luxury market is slowing down due to a shift in consumer behaviour as more consumers are now combining high-end products with more affordable items. This is coupled with the disruption of digital age which indicates a direct impact on the global sales of the sector due to greater transparency and the ability to compare prices online. It has also contributed to a fall in footfall and in-store traffic, says the report. Meanwhile, the premium and entry-to-luxury segment was worth €101 billion ($123bn) in 2016, with a CAGR of 4.4 per cent between 2012 and 2016.
The EY report also notes the change in the market in favour of these two segments has been fuelled by the rise of the middle class in countries including China and India, an increase in the price range of luxury products, traditional luxury consumers increasingly adding premium and fast-fashion products to their wardrobes and the rise of casualwear.
Bangladesh has become a major source for garment accessories, as direct export of such items increased by 66.67 per cent year-on-year to $1 billion in the last fiscal. Earlier, the country was a net importer of garment accessories largely from Hong Kong and China, Bangladesh now produces numerous such items, with spiralling demand coming from international buyers of many garment-making countries. Manufacturers from Bangladesh have been exporting key parts of apparel items to Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Malaysia.
Accessories such as buttons, zippers, labels, price tags and washing instructions are used in making finished garment products. For example, of a T-shirt is sold at $5, the share of accessories is 15 per cent. Currently, around 1,600 factories are producing accessories and some are directly exporting to other countries.
The Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) reports earnings from apparel accessories skyrocketed to $600 million in 2015-16 as against $300 million in the previous year. As Shahadat Hossain Kiron, Chairman of Dekko Group, a leading garment exporter says, “The prospect of direct accessories export is very bright. I started exporting the items as some buyers have made it mandatory for garment makers in countries outside of Bangladesh to use accessories produced in my factory.” While Kiron had previously been producing accessories only for use in his own garment factory, today he supplies garment items to C&A, M&S, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger and Next.
Md Abdul Kader Khan, President of BGAPMEA, the accessory makers' platform reveals the total investment in the accessory making sector is over Tk 30,000 crore. The number of workers in this sub-sector is 4.5 lakh and it plays a key role in the garment sector.
Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, has announced the appointment of Akihiko Tanaka as Managing Director, Lectra Japan. Based in Osaka, Akihiko Tanaka’s role is to support Lectra’s Japanese fashion and apparel and automotive customers as they undergo transformations related to Industry 4.0. For over 30 years, Lectra has given big names in the fashion industry in the archipelago and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) the means to meet their ambitions in global markets.
Tanaka has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hitotsubashi in Japan. He also followed the Concordia program delivered by ESCP Europe. He has over 20 years of experience as a sales director in the automotive and electronic industries. From 1994 to 2000, he worked in France as sales director of Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) in charge of commercializing automation equipment to the automotive and electronic industries, and then went back to Japan in early 2000. In 2001, he joined INCS, a consulting and engineering company, to develop the footprint of a 3D CAD offer, initially within Japanese markets, then elsewhere in Asia, and Europe. In 2005, Akihiko Tanaka joined Dassault Systemes where he successively held the roles of Business Developer for PLM solutions.
Founded in 1973, Lectra has 32 subsidiaries across the globe, serving customers in over 100 countries. With more than 1,600 employees, Lectra reported revenues of $288 million in 2016. Lectra is listed on Euronext (LSS).
Brückner is the supplier of dry finishing lines for Stage 1 (denim, non-denim, knitted fabric) for an Algerian textile project. A joint venture between the state-owned Algerian companies Groupe C&H, Texalg, Snta and the Turkish Group Tay with over 40 years’ experience in the textile business, is to build one of the biggest textile mills in the world. This mega project comprises several stages which will be completed within the next few years. The project has far-reaching and multi-purpose aims: Algeria shall become as independent as possible in textile imports in medium term and this project will create many jobs.
Spread over 2.500 sq mt a vertically structured textile plants will be built in the next few years, specialising in various categories of textile end products. The new company will also have a huge internal service and training centre for new workers. It was a long way before Brückner was awarded the contract for supply, installation and commissioning of many machines for dry finishing. The coordination team for the project was selected carefully. The result was a highly experienced and competent crew, to select the suppliers according to many different criteria and always striving for the highest standards.
The selection of possible machine suppliers was made as per three main criteria: Productivity, quality of the products and highest possible energy efficiency. In addition, the team focused on the available local service as well as on fast and flexible after sales services.The first step of the project has been divided into a denim, a non-denim and a knitwear section. The machinery are complete, fully integrated production lines for the production of 12 million trousers, 6 million shirts and 12 million T-shirts each year.
Polyester (PTA) markets moved up further in Asia during first half of January, as crude oil price continued to surge under the influence geo-political situation in Iran while paraxylene markets also rose on the back of growing demand. Asian PTA markers gained $29 with CFR China at $730-732 per metric tonne while in India, prices rose by $10 to $750 per metric tonne CIF. Mono ethylene glycol (MEG) prices had also risen to touch the $1,000 per metric tonne.
Polyester fibre grade (PET) chip prices moved up rapidly on support of rising cost of PTA and MEG in the first fortnight of January. Polyester staple fibre (PSF) prices marginally rose in China as crude oil and PTA-MEG cost began spiralling higher after the New Year Day holiday. Downstream mills and traders made larger procurement, leading to brisk transaction. The hike in fibre price is also backed by strong local currency. In India, producers’ price remained unchanged temporarily as raw material cost saw fresh rise this week.
Polyester filament yarn (PFY) prices were lifted in China following upward fluctuations in crude oil and PTA futures. Overall trading atmosphere was calm somewhat, as downstream mills were less active following the previous procurement. Trading atmosphere weakened, as downstream mills had covered their short positions. Acrylonitrile (ACN) markets warmed up a bit in Asia seeing supply a little tighter amid good demand from downstream. In India, ACN prices remained unchanged at $1,800-1,850 per metric ton CFR.
Acrylic staple fibre markets (ASF) prices being adjusted down at the upper end in China while benchmark offers of Taiwan origin ASF were lowered after 6 weeks of stability. In China, ASF producers sustained stable supply in fear of feedstock changes, as the ACN market warmed up this week. Demand remained healthy, as yarn makers stepped up buying at lower price levels.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Global supply chains scramble in 2025 as US tariffs drive frontloading and sourc…
Year 2025 has seen the global textile and apparel industry facing unprecedented volatility, largely because of the unpredictable US tariff... Read more
Yarn Expo Autumn 2025 to be the ‘Most Comprehensive Edition Yet’
Asia’s premier platform for the yarn and fiber industry, Yarn Expo Autumn will commence on September 2, 2025, at the... Read more
'The BRICS+ Fashion Summit & MSF: A New Era for Global Fashion
The global economic landscape is undergoing a dramatic shift, with the BRICS+ bloc leading the charge. With combined purchasing power... Read more
Made in America? Tariffs fail to spark a comeback in US apparel
The American fashion industry finds itself at a crossroads. What began as an attempt to ‘reshore’ production through punitive tariffs... Read more
Cinte Techtextil China: Connecting Global Markets with Leading Innovations
Cinte Techtextil China is set to be a dynamic industry event in Shanghai, poised to bridge the gap between Asian... Read more
Cotton at a Crossroads: Geopolitics, trade shifts, and the global balancing act
The global cotton market in 2025 is passing through a period of shifting trade relationships, geopolitical tensions, and the rising... Read more
German textile and fashion industry grapples with persistent economic headwinds
The German textile and fashion industry continues to pass through a challenging economic situation. An anticipated recovery remains elusive amidst... Read more
French consumers blinded by fast fashion's allure: Study
A recent study on French consumer habits in the fashion industry throws up a concerning picture, suggesting that the allure... Read more
The great retail shift in the US, private labels emerge as new brand leaders
Once a humble alternative for budget-conscious shoppers, private labels often called store brands have stealthily evolved into a commanding force... Read more
Indian textile sector braces for increased Chinese imports amid diplomatic thaw
Following high-level diplomatic engagements between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a new chapter... Read more
