In a letter sent to the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has reiterated the US apparel and footwear industry’s strong support for the Sri Lankan garment industry during this time of crisis and transition.
Steve Lamar, President, says, AAFA recognizes any significant changes in sourcing during this time could have a major impact on Sri Lanka’s garment industry, the hundreds of thousands of workers the industry employs, their families, and the Sri Lankan economy. Therefore, he says the organization commits to being cognisant and mindful of the current situation, and the industry’s ongoing commitment to consider the impact on workers, in any sourcing decisions.
Meanwhile, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), Fair Wear Foundation, Fair Labor Association and British Retail Consortium have signed a joint call to action, encouraging companies sourcing from Sri Lanka to take specific steps to support workers, suppliers, and the sector at large, during this difficult period.
The ETI says it has been engaging with economists, industry associations, worker representatives, and member companies operating in Sri Lanka, to better understand implications on workers and the industry at large. These meetings have helped to present a clearer picture of the current crisis and steps stakeholders are taking to alleviate risks to workers and suppliers, it says.
Bluesign is developing a partnership with Higg. They partnership is aimed at developing stronger data and service offerings for their customers to eliminate redundancies and accelerate environmental performance in the supply chain.
The parties aim at more advanced integration of data for their customers in order to help textile manufacturers improve chemical management, reduce the risk of water toxicity, better understand and address human health impacts, and eliminate chemicals of concern from upstream production processes.
Through their new collaboration, Higg and Bluesign intend to develop stronger data and services offerings for their customers to eliminate redundancies and support Bluesign’s impact services. The companies will explore how mutual customers can share data between the platforms, with Bluesign facilities gaining access to Higg’s facility tools.
Launched in 2019, Higg delivers software and services for measuring, managing, and sharing supply chain performance data. From materials to products, from facilities to stores, from emission to working conditions, Higg unlocks a complete view of a business’s social and environmental impact.
Bluesign, founded in 2000, is the solution for sustainable textile production. It eliminates harmful substances right from the start of the manufacturing process and sets and controls standards for environmentally friendly and safe production and ensures that the final textile product meets stringent consumer safety requirements worldwide.
Indonesia aims to achieve textile and garment exports worth $13-14 billion this year, according to the country’s Industry Minister AgusGumiwang Kartasasmita.
The existence of Making Indonesia 4.0 will encourage the transformation of the textile industry to make it more competitive and innovate in an effort to compete and answer global market demands.
To accelerate the implementation of the Fourth Industry Revolution, the textile industry will utilize several key technologies to beat the global competition, including artificial intelligence, novel fabrics, Internet of Things (IoT), rapid data analysis for quick adaptation, mobile commerce, virtual and augmented reality (VR), online vector editors, 3D printing, blockchain technology, and sustainable practices.
The Industry Ministry has initiated a strategic step in the form of a 35% import substitution program in 2022 to encourage the increased utilisation of existing industries, as well as boost investment in Indonesia. It is also carrying out a machine and equipment restructuring programme in the fabric refinement and fabric printing industries.
According to Kartasasmita, this effort has been proven to increase production capacity, production realization and energy efficiency by 21.75 per cent, 21.22 per cent and 11.86 per cent respectively, as well as raise sales volume, both domestically and via export, by 6.65 per cent.
Largely ignored till now, sports bras are getting the attention they deserve from activewear companies. Adidas for example has launched its most robust sports bra collection offering 42 new styles in 72 sizes, says a Business of Fashion report. Last Fall, brand ThirdLove launched a sports bra collection with half-cup sizing and adjustable hook-and-eye closures. Launched in October, Under Armor’s collection-SmartForm Rush bra, incorporates infrared technology that enhances performance. The bras in this collection have adaptive cups that mould to the body. Another brand Gymshark is launching a new sports bras collection with improved sizes and materials.
Global sports bra sales grew 54 per cent to hit $3 billion in 2021, says a NPD Group report. Overall sportswear market reached $325 billion during the year. McKinsey & Co projects, the market will grow 8 to 10 per cent annually. This encourages sportswear brands to develop new sports bras styles. Adidas for example is attracting female shoppers with new product assortment, says Amy Charlton, Senior Director and Head-Global Product, Adidas.
Evolution of sports bras
Earlier, made from mundane materials in typical small, medium and large sizes, sports bras are now being developed more scientifically. Brands are teaming up with biomechanical scientists to launch bras that withstand various durability tests. Adidas has joined hands with Joanna Wakefield Scurr, Professor, University of Portsmouth and a pioneer in breast health research.
In fact, brands are offering a variety of sports bras for different activities. Adidas has launched different bras for running, yoga or high-intensity training. Brands are also focusing on consumers’ movement, function and durability while launching products. Some leading brands in this space are: Lululemon, Athleta, Nike, Under Armor, Victoria’s Secret and American Eagle’s Aerie. Emerging direct-to-consumer brands like Girlfriend Collective, Alo Yoga, Vuori, Gymshark and Oner Active are also responding to demands with new fits and materials, says Nina Marston, Senior Analyst, Euromonitor. And larger lingerie brands are positioning sports bras as a part of their loungewear collection.
Adopting size-inclusivity
Feedback from social media is making sports bra product development easier for brands. Last summer, Brand Brooks Running added mesh to the back of sports bras besides strategically placing a perforation around cleavage. Meanwhile, brands are also focusing on the needs of plus-size women and launching different types of bras for activities like boxing or horseback riding.
Minute product details like seams and closures are being paid attention to while designing. Brands like Under Armor and Lululemon are laminating their bra seams to make them more comfortable. However, brands need to focus on making their bras more functional and easier to wear.
The pandemic has created new opportunities for activewear brands like Vuori and Gymshark. Demand for sportswear is expected to increase from €295 billion ($384 billion) in 2021 to €395 billion by 2025, says a McKinsey & Company report However, foraying in this market can be challenging as newcomers have to compete with global distribution and high-budget marketing campaigns of Nike and Adidas. They have to also convince lifelong customers of these established retailers of offering better quality products, indicates a Business of Fashion report.
From a local niche retailer selling men’s yoga clothes in 2015, Vuori has grown an average of 250 per cent every year. The company launched new categories and expanding into womenwer too. Last year, the Joe Kudla-led brand also received funds worth $400 mllion from Softbank’s Vision Fund, which valued it at $4 billion. Like other activewear labels like Alo Yoga, Gymshark and Fabletics, Vuori has been successfully grabbing market share from top players. The brand created specialized, fashion-forward products and built communities around underserved interests.
Tapping into special interest community
Gymshark, too made a name for itself by tapping into the humble local gym, one trainer or amateur bodybuilder at a time, relying on them to be ambassadors for the brand on social media. On its social channels, Gymshark posts relatable memes and catchy hashtags. In gyms around the world, the company has held open workout sessions, building its base of die-hard fans.
Tapping into a special-interest community in order scale a brand isn’t a new idea for sportswear brand. The same approach was deployed by Nike with runners in its hometown Portland, Ore. in the 1970s and Lululemon with yoga — back then, a hot new trend — in the ’90s. Creating a product that’s tailored to a specific need also enables brands to tap into that initial community of “super fans” and stand out among generic sportswear makers, says Richard Kestenbaum, a retail and consumer investment banker and co-founder of Triangle Capital.
Providing appropriate eyewear
Entrepreneurs Tom Daly and Max Vallot often lamented the lack of appropriate eyewear in the US market. The pair was unable to find specialized sunglasses for running. Hence, in 2015 it launched District Vision, a range of comfortable, stylish and oil and water resistant sunglasses. The company also sells apparels now. It works with a few luxury retailers including Ssense, Dover Street Market and Browns. Last year, the brand doubled its shares.
Brands are also differentiating themselves with social messaging. Gymshark promotes a message of belonging to that tribe of fellow gym junkies, rather than needing to be the best, the strongest or the fastest, says Nick Geoghegan, Strategy Director, Eatbigfish, a consultancy specializing in challenger brands. District Vision, also highlights the importance of mental health by offering customers courses on mindfulness.
Recent data from the NPD Group ranks Levi’s, AG, Amiri, Burnello Cuccinelli and Goria Vanderbilt as some of the top-selling denim brands of 2021. As per a Sourcing Journal report, these brands were ranked on the basis of their performance in respective categories. For instance, AG was awarded for launching best jeans priced $100 and above while Gloria Vanderbilt was honored for best women’s plus size jeans and Amiri was awarded for being the best men’s luxury jeans brand.
Innovations hailed by NPD Group
Ranked for earning its highest revenues since 1998, Levi’s was also awarded for launching the ‘best fitting jeans’ by IT technology company True Fit in 2020. It also ranked in 2021 Global RepTrak 100’s list of most reputable companies.
On its 20th anniversary in 2021, premium denim brand AG’ announced the launch of unique washes and environmentally conscious design. Gloria Vanderbilt collaborated with Christian Siriano, Designer, CFDA, to launch a jeans collection that would be presented at New York Fashion Week in September.
Luxury fashion brand Amiri adopted a Tulip-powered cloud-based mobile retail solution to expand its brick-and-mortar network. Its parent company, the OTB Group launched a new business unit -- Brave Virtual Xperience (BVX), in December to launch metaverse-inspired products to help create new business opportunities for the company. Brunello Cuccinelli’s revenue increased 19.6 per cent in Q1 2022. The company expects revenues of the entire year to rise 12 per cent and another 10 per cent in 2023.
Scaling new heights
Growing trend of casualization post pandemic has penetrated the global denim market. More consumers chose to shop for jeans in 2021, reports NPD Group as seen from the 36 per cent rise in US jeans sales in 2021. Sales of men’s denim went up 12 per cent during the year while women’s denim increased 9 per cent, says the report.
Denim manufacturers continue to be leaders of innovation as seen from the variety of styles and options offered to consumers in 2021, says Susan Merrill, President-Fashion Apparel, NPD Group.
The denim market will continue to scale new heights and reach $76.1 billion by 2026 from $57.3 billion in 2020, indicates data from Research and Markets. The market analyst names US as the biggest consumer of denim jeans across the world, and also one of the wealthiest.
Turkiye’s apparel exports increased by 14.71 per cent year-on-year in January-February 2022, according to the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute and the country’s Ministry of Trade. During the first two months of the current year, Turkiye exported apparel worth $3.074 billion, compared to exports of $2.680 billion during the same period of 2021.
Exports of knitted and crocheted clothing and accessories (HS chapter 61) grew by 15,9 per cent to $1.738 billion in January-February 2022 as against $1.5 billion registered during the same months of the previous year.
Exports of non-knitted apparel and accessories (HS chapter 62) increased by 13.2 per cent to $1.335 billion compared to $1.179 billion exports made in January-February 2021.
Exports of old clothing and other textile articles and rags (HS chapter 63) also grew by 10.3 per cent year-on-year to $512.822 million during the period under discussion.
However, exports of carpets, mats matting and tapestries (HS chapter 57) fell by 6,2 per cent to $459.120 million during the two-month period.
Meanwhile, Turkiye’s imports of cotton, cotton yarn and cotton textiles (HS chapter 52) increased by a sharp 110.4 per cent to $831.355 million, over $395.214 million in the first two months of 2021.
Likewise, man-made filament imports too shot up by 89.0 per cent year-on-year to $535.601 million, the data showed.
Huntsman Textile Effects, a global leader in innovative solutions and environmentally sustainable products, will feature high-performance end-to-end systems for protection effects and sustainable solutions for any wear at Performance Days at Stand E09, Hall C1 and virtually at Performance Days Loop on April 27-28, 2022, in Munich, Germany.
Huntsman will introduce the Avitera SE Fast process at Performance Days. The revolutionary technology delivers the lowest environmental impact for dyeing polyester-cellulosic (PES-CO) blends. It combines alkali-clearable Terasil W/WW disperse dyes and Avitera SE reactive dyes to cut processing time from around nine hours to just six, helps mills reduce the water and energy required for production by up to 50 per cent and increases output by up to 25 per cent or more while delivering outstanding wet-fastness to ensure that sportswear will not bleed or stain during home laundering, or while in storage or transit, the company said in a press release.
In partnership with Chemours, Huntsman will present the new eco-friendly finishes that repel water and stains, and help garments looking new for longer. Teflon EcoElite with Zelan R3 technology contains 63 per cent plant-based materials and is the industry’s first renewably sourced water-repellent finish. It exceeds performance levels possible with traditional fluorinated technologies, with excellent water repellency and durability while reserving breathability.
Huntsman will also showcase revolutionary antimicrobial and odour-control solutions as part of their partnership with Sciessent. Sciessent’s latest anti-odour technology – Nobo specifically developed to reduce odours in natural and synthetic fabrics. It can be incorporated into virtually any fabric – from base layer and activewear tops to socks and underwear to jeans and chinos. It offers a cost-effective way to upgrade everyday garments.
In addition, the partners will also present Sciessent’sAgion Active X2, a next-generation odour-control solution that combines advanced antimicrobial and odour-absorbing technologies to both capture and fight odour-causing bacteria, and Lava X2, a standalone odour adsorption product and key component of Agion Active X2 that attracts, absorbs and degrades odours for long-lasting odour protection.
The production-linked incentive scheme, or PLI, for textiles, seeks to rectify some disadvantages that India suffers vis-à-vis countries upcoming countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh by way of costlier power and labour. Last week, the Indian government selected 61 companies from a list of 67 applicants who are eligible to get incentives, if they bring in one scheme, at least Rs 300 crore of investment and achieve Rs 600 crore of turnover by the first year of performance, which is FY25.
Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, says, if India wants to make a mark in the international market, it needs to produce more MMF and technical textiles. ArvindSinghal, Chairman, Technopak Advisors, adds, India need to step up focus on the overall ecosystem to do with manmade textile. India unfortunately has a minuscule share of that particular market. It is predominantly focused on cotton
Few more steps are essential to make the PLI scheme an unqualified success, adds Singhal. He advises the Indian industry to focus on attracting the biggest companies in the world.
NarendraGoenka, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC)said, the council has launched several initiatives to promote brand India at various global platforms by showcasing its strength on sustainability, ethical sourcing and manufacturing, labor standards, and women employment.
The council organized a two-day Fashion Meet Expo 2022 to bring together the entire textile ecosystem from fiber-to-fashion including manufacturers, accessories players, dyes, machine makers, startups, designers, buying agents, exporters, and fashion institutes.
The fair was inaugurated by DarshanaJardosh, Minister of State for Textiles at Apparel House Gurugram on April 21.
India’s RMG exports increased by 30.4 per cent to $16 billionduring 2021-22. It mainly exported textile and apparel products to the US, EU Asia and Middle East. India’s exports in the sector were enhanced via signing of free trade agreements with the UAE, and Australia, added Goenka.
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