To liberalise and simplify the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to a number of amendments. Government approval will no longer be required for FDI in Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT). This will, in effect, allow 100 per cent FDI under automatic route for SBRT. “Extant FDI policy on SBRT allows 49 per cent FDI under automatic route, and FDI beyond 49 per cent and up to 100 per cent through government approval route. It has now been decided to permit 100 per cent FDI under automatic route for SBRT,” an official statement said. The government has also decided to permit single brand retail trading entity to set off its incremental sourcing of goods from India for global operations during initial 5 years, beginning April 1 of the year of the opening of first store against the mandatory sourcing requirement of 30 per cent of purchases from India. “For this purpose, incremental sourcing will mean the increase in terms of value of such global sourcing from India for that single brand (in Rupee terms) in a particular financial year over the preceding financial year, by the non-resident entities undertaking single brand retail trading entity, either directly or through their group companies. After completion of this 5-year period, the SBRT entity shall be required to meet the 30 per cent sourcing norms directly towards its India’s operation, on an annual basis,” the statement said. A non-resident entity or entities, whether owner of the brand or otherwise, is permitted to undertake ‘single brand’ product retail trading in India for the specific brand, either directly by the brand owner or through a legally tenable agreement executed between the Indian entity undertaking single brand retail trading and the brand owner. The further liberalisation of FDI policy is aimed at providing ease of doing business in the country. This will lead to larger FDI inflows contributing to growth of investment, income and employment. Commenting on the announcement, Ramesh Kaushik, VP – Brand Experience, Blackberrys, said, “With an expected positive impact on employment, this move should also add more purchasing power and bring larger customer base into the fold. In the prima facie, everyone stands to gain with this move.” “In a market like India, which is one the world’s most opportunistic markets, where the retail industry has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast-paced industries, this news of 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail is one of the most optimistic development. “The country will now see the biggest retail players globally enter the Indian shores as individual brands, which would have a greatly positive impact on the economy as a whole. This would also mean the country would now see a lot more retail footprint from brands all over and there’ll be much more buying in the country which is always a good thing for a retail brand,” said Karan Behal, founder and CEO, PrettySecrets, one of the fastest growing retail brands in the country. “This is great news for the retail industry in particular and India’s economy as a whole. The recent policy reforms and regulations have revived India’s profile as an investment destination. …With this announcement, global investors will have the opportunity to invest into what is one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” said Anshuman Magazine, chairman, India and South East Asia, CBRE. For India, FDI is a major driver of economic growth and a source of non-debt finance for the country’s economic development. Hence, the Indian government has put in place an investor friendly policy on FDI, under which FDI up to 100 per cent is permitted on the automatic route in most sectors/activities. In the recent past, the government has brought FDI policy reforms in a number of sectors, which has resulted in increased FDI inflows in to the country. During the year 2014-15, total FDI inflows received were $45.15 billion as against $36.05 billion in 2013-14. During 2015-16, country received total FDI of $55.46 billion. In the financial year 2016-17, total FDI of $60.08 billion has been received, which is an all-time high. (RKS)
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Economic growth in 2017-18 is estimated to hit a four-year low of 6.5 per cent, against 7.1 per cent in 2016-17 and the pace of agricultural expansion is likely to fall from 4.9 per cent in the previous year to 2.1 per cent in the current fiscal due to decline in kharif output, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The projected growth rate is not only lower than what was forecast by the Economic Survey in the range of 6.75-7.5 per cent, but also slightly higher than the 6.4 per cent registered in 2013-14. However, it is much higher than the 5.5 per cent in 2012-13. The first advance estimate for India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicated massive rural distress as the agricultural output inflation rate is likely to fall to 0.7 per cent, according to a press release from the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. Chief statistician TCA Anant said GDP growth would remain above 7 per cent from the fourth quarter of the current financial year. Growth in gross value added (GVA) is expected to fall to 6.1 per cent this fiscal, much lower than the Reserve Bank of India’s forecast of 6.7 per cent. GVA had risen 6.6 per cent in the previous year. The goods and services tax (GST) not only impacted manufacturing in the second quarter of FY18, when it was rolled out, but also in the first quarter due to pre-implementation jitters. GST also affected net taxes as these are projected to grow only 10.9 per cent in the current fiscal against 12.8 per cent in the previous year. Manufacturing may see a growth rate of just 4.6 per cent in the current year against 7.9 per cent in the previous year. Investment seems to be reviving with gross fixed capital formation forecast to rise by 4.5 per cent against 2.4 per cent. Services are also projected to go higher even as growth in government-backed public administration, defence and others is pegged to fall by 9.4 per cent against 11.3 per cent in the previous year. (DS)
Source : Fibre2Fashion
A meeting of weavers from Erode, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Namakkal was held at Sathyamangalam here on Tuesday. Members said that over one lakh weaving units are functioning in these districts producing silk saris. However, due to steep increase in the price of silk yarn, the industry is facing many challenges. They said that yarn is imported from China and also from Bengaluru. While the price of yarn from China is Rs. 3,600 per kg, yarn from Bengaluru isRs. . 3,300 per kg. However, in the past six months the price has increased to Rs. 4,900 per kg and Rs. 4,500 per kg respectively.
Source: The Hindu
KOLKATA: With an aim to double the export in the next three years, the state has decided to showcase Metiabruz as a hub for ready-made garments at the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) to be held this month. The initiative is a strategic effort to give a boost to this unorganized sector that contributed nearly 28% to 35% to the state export, but is now facing a major slump following demonetisation and implementation of GST. "Bengal is the leader in ready-made garments in the country. Metiabruz contributes to the bulk of these garments supplied across the city . We have made elaborate plans to facilitate traders there so that they can export their products to even foreign countries," an official of the MSME department said. According to a source in the finance department, Bengal's garments export turnover grew to Rs 53,649 crore in 2016-17 against Rs 47,857 crore in 2015-16 and is likely to cross the Rs 1lakh crore mark by 2020-21. "Due to GST and demonetisation three major sectors for export — leather, garments and jewellery — saw a huge setback and we have a fear that it might have an impact on the export market. We are trying to showcase the garments industry so that they can overcome the slump," the official said. The industry directly and indirectly involves 2 crore people, with a financial involvement of more than Rs 10000 crore. "There are some big players who are mainly into export. Condition is pathetic for small and medium scale traders and manufacturers," President of West Bengal Garments Manufacturing Association, Samsuddin Mondal, said.
Source: The Times of India
Tata Group’s luxury e-commerce platform Tata Cliq Luxury has entered into partnership with The Woolmark Company. The unique venture between the two companies is a step towards creating awareness about Merino wool, a luxurious and natural fibre from Australia, among the Indian consumers. Through this association, Tata Cliq Luxury will be the exclusive retail partner in India for larger designer collections that will integrate merino wool in their garments and accessories, and for the International Woolmark Prize. The International Woolmark Prize is a renowned, noteworthy award which celebrates outstanding fashion talent from around the globe to showcase the beauty and versatility of merino wool. The winner’s merino wool capsule collection will be commercialised and sold across the world’s top boutiques and department stores through the International Woolmark Prize’s extensive retail partner network. In India, these products will be exclusively retailed by Tata Cliq Luxury. The Woolmark Company country manager India, Arti Gudal, said that their association with Tata Cliq Luxury will help strengthen the merino wool narrative in India with them. It will also bring new technique and innovation from the global fashion industry to consumers in India. They are delighted to have the brand as their retail partner in India as this enables them to spread awareness on merino wool and also increase its consumption across the wool supply chain through various collaborations. Vikas Purohit, chief operating office, Tata Cliq said.that they are very happy to associate with The Woolmark Company to help and promote the young and talented designers who create innovative and versatile designs with Merino wool. Tata Cliq Luxury endeavours to provide its discerning consumers a differentiated experience and this association is in line with this commitment. The consumers can now access an exclusive merino wool capsule collection by budding designers online through Tata Cliq Luxury.
Source: YarnsandFibers
Hyderabad: Applications are invited for fifth edition of Hyderabad Srimathi Silk Mark 2018, a beauty pageant organised by Silk Mark Organisation of India, promoted by Central Silk board, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Speaking to the presspersons, Y Srinivas Rao, Deputy Director of Central Silk Board said that the event is specially crafted for married woman for promoting Telugu culture and traditional values by depicting the glimpses of Indian Silks and thus spread awareness on silk clothes. Silk Mark is inviting aspirants from all over the country and especially from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states. After scrutiny of applications, eligible participants will be called for first auditions to be held in second week of February. The application can be downloaded from the website www.silkmarkindia.com and the appliucations can be sent to email ID hyderabad@silkmarkindia.com. Interested candidates can contact the mobile number 9573553337 for further information. The last date for applying for Hyderabad Srimathi Silk Mark 2018 is February 10. C S Rama Lakshmi, IFS released the poster on Wednesday. Sharvani Reddy, Sandhya Jella, Manju Reddy,Vennila, Aparna attended the programme.
Source: The Hans India
A promoter of Welspun India on Wednesday sold nearly 5 per cent stake in the textile firm for almost Rs 3.5 billion through an open market transaction. According to the bulk deal data available with NSE, Welspun India's promoter MGN Agro Properties Pvt Ltd offloaded 4.81 crore shares, amounting to 4.79 per cent stake in the firm. The shares were disposed of at an average price of Rs 72.71 apiece, valuing the transaction at Rs 3.5 billion, the data showed. Among the buyers of the shares were DSP BlackRock Mutual Fund's -- 'Balanced Fund', 'Micro Cap Fund', 'Opportunities Fund' and 'Tax Saver Fund'. The four entities together bought 37.2 million shares at an average price of Rs 72.7 per scrip, taking the total value of the transaction to Rs 2.7 billion. The shares of Welspun India settled 4.16 per cent higher at Rs 76.45 apiece on NSE today.
Source: Business Standard
Mrs. Smriti Zubin Irani Union Textile Minister yesterday exhorted the home textile exporting community participating at the Heimtextil Frankfurt exhibition to leverage the power of Indian textiles and hoped that the on-going expo brings humungous order to the Indian exhibitors and the exporters go back home with heavy order books.”While lauding Messe Frankfurt for organising Heimtextil expo she said that India was grateful to Messe Frankfurt who has support Indian exhibitors some of whom have been participating at the Heimtextil exhibitors over the last 20 years. Addressing a meeting organised by HEPC at Frankfurt fair grounds Mrs. Irani lauded the courage of Indian exhibitors and their spirit of adventure to come to Frankfurt 2 decades ago with hopes of building their home textile business. While congratulating those trail-blazers Textile Minister said that every new exporter and youngster fighting to create a space for themselves in the global home textile arena owe a very big thanks to the Indian home textile pioneers who came to Heimtextil Frankfurt and build up their brands and business. Mrs. Irani informed that the person instrumental in making her come to Heimtextil expo in Frankfurt was Mr. R. K. Dalmia of Birla Century. “The first piece of advice I got when I took over as Textile Ministry was from Mr. Dalmia who suggested that I should travel overseas to prominent textile exhibition in order to support the Indian textile industry and Heimtextil expo was one such exhibition which should where I ought to be and with this visit I have fulfilled the wishes of the industry leaders.” The Textile Minister further informed that she has prevailed upon the Indian Consul General Office in Frankfurt to open a ‘Help Desk’ in their office to help the Indian citizens who come to Frankfurt to participate in Germany. In the times of need and crisis of Indian countrymen the Consulate should stand with the Indian citizen and resolve problems facing by the Indian citizens and exporters Textile Minister stressed.
Source: Tecoya Trends
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has introduced its Recron FS - a fire-retardant textile solutions with diverse features and applications at the ongoing Heimtextil exhibition in Frankfurt Germany. Recron FS a fire-retardant polyester not only brings the highest standard of safety in the fabric by making it fire-retardant but also enhances the aesthetical aspects. Recron FS is RIL’s unique offering to the textile world – the most beautiful and the safest textile. In about a 340 million square metre global fire retardant home textile market fireretardant polyester accounts for 33% or exactly one-third it may be noted here. Recron FS is permanently fire retardant Fabrics play an important role in beautification. And fabrics made from Recron FS not just enhance aesthetics they also enhance safety. Technologies to develop fire retardant fabrics has been in existence since the Seventies. However they were limiting as far as permanency of fire retardancy and toxicity of chemicals used were concerned. Most of these old technologies were restricted to flame retardant levels corresponding to phosphorous contents below 6500 ppm and only manufactured using virgin polyester. But in coming up with Recron FS RIL has developed a new technology that enables flame retardancy from the levels of 7000 ppm to 25000 ppm depending on the end use. RIL’s technology also allows the use of recycled polyester as a feedstock to produce permanently flame-retardant polyester. The technology also does not allow depletion of tenacity. New sustainable technology Recron FS the new-age fire retardant polyester has all ingredients of sustainable technology. Life span cost effectiveness excellent and permanent fire retardant performance permanency of colour and the ability to use recycled polyester make it a sustainable technology. The physical and chemical bonding of phosphorous with polyester matrix makes fire retardancy permanent. This helps in the creation of a textile raw material that doesn’t allow fire to spread easily. And thus fabrics made from Recron FS possess the unique ability to provide everlasting fire safety in any application and every instance. Recron FS is manufactured under the most environment-friendly conditions and is a part of the responsible care product offering from RIL. Use Recron FS where safety is paramount Recron FS is the most sought after fibre for all fire-retardant fabrics largely used in transportation industry – aviation marine and roadways. It is also used in cinemas hospitals hotels banquet halls libraries as well as for household furnishings. Since Recron FS has a large bouquet of variants it can be used in weaving fabrics for curtains carpets and upholstery and offers the same fire-retardant performance across the varied application. It can be easily dyed in various attractive shades and hues. Since the fire retardancy is bound in the molecules it can be washed without fear of losing its fire retardant properties shine colour and texture. Recron FS – Infinite Applications Recron FS gives the desired fire protection for the entire fabric requirement across industries and households. Moreover the lifelong fire retardant nature of the fabric assures higher safety and reduces life cycle cost. It help protect colour of interiors and furnishings from fading and deteriorating from sunlight exposure. It also protects the room from sun glare and help reduces the load on air conditioners. Since it is Oekotex Standard 100 (a stringent worldwide consistent independent testing and certification system for raw semi-finished and finished textile products) certified it can be used to make fabrics that require the most stringent humanecological standards established for baby products. The key features of fibres that weavers look for are all embedded in Recron FS. It aids in the creation of high quality easyto- care and durable end products and offers excellent dye-ability Reliance unveils fire-retardant Recron FS at Heimtextil expo Continued from Page 1 Col 6 easy care and abrasion resistance properties. It does not need any special chemical processing or extra care in washing or drying. Unique Benchmarking and Branding Services In addition to strong technical support and promotional services Recron FS will ensure that all fabrics undergo rigorous fire retardant tests. RIL extends its support to the fabric makers to install a sustainable process to make permanently flameretardant fabrics. In case any fabric does not pass the tests the Recron FS team will work with the fabric maker to identify the problems and find solution for it. Upon successful passing of the requisite tests the fabric maker can manufacture and use the unique Recron FS trademark on the fabrics. This trademark is an assurance to the entire value chain and to the end customers about the quality adherence of standards and high performance of the fabrics. Stringent Tests Add To Recron FS Credentials Recron FS has not only cleared RIL’s in-house tests at its R&D facilities but has also passed stringent tests at independent globally renowned testing centres. Some of the stringent tests that Recron FS has passed are: * Limiting Oxygen Index: ASTM D2863:1987 IS-13501:1992 * Flammability classified as B1 according to DIN 4102 * Flammability Test (Vertical): IS 11871:1986 BS 3119 * Flammability Test (45* Angle): ASTM 1230:1994 * Flammability classified as M1: NF P 92 503 504 505 507 * Flame Propagation Test: NFPA 701:2004 (Class-I) * Flame Spread – Vertical IS: 15758:2007 Part 4 ISO: 15025:2002 (Index 3) * Fire standards for maritime applications as well as for civil aviation.
Source: Tecoya Trends
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met top economists of the country and discussed six key areas including agriculture and employment and said that the government would try to make the best out of their inputs. Government’s think tank NITI Aayog organised the meeting. The Prime Minister and the economists discussed six key areas in the meeting: agriculture and rural development, urban and infrastructure connectivity, health and education, employment, manufacturing and exports, and health and education. After the conclusion of the meeting, Narendra Modi said, “We will attempt to make the best out of your informative suggestions & views which have been presented in new ways through this initiative.” The select group of economists and various sector experts were invited by NITI Aayog for the deliberations with the Prime Minister on ‘Economic Policy: The Road Ahead’. The emphasis was on sharing the views of the experts from all over the country on the road ahead for the economic policy to steer the nation towards a New India envisioned by the Prime Minister. The meeting comes in the backdrop of latest estimates of national income by Central Statistics Office (CSO) which showed that India’s growth is expected to slow down to four- year low of 6.5 per cent this fiscal, the lowest under the Modi-led government. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 7.1 per cent in 2016-17 and 8 per cent in the preceding year. It was 7.5 per cent in 2014-15.
Source: Financial Express
Reversing its two-session steep fall the rupee bounced back to end higher by 11 paise at 63.60 against the US currency on bouts of dollar selling by exporters and corporates. It was a highly volatile session as the forex market suffered a day of wild swings with the Indian currency falling to hit a fresh 2018 low of 63.85 in early breakneck selloff before similarly climbing back. After getting off to a strong start to the year the home currency had hit one-week low yesterday on growing worries over fiscal slippage and higher inflation pressure after international crude oil prices hit a three-year high. The rupee lost a whopping 34 paise in last two days. Further the upbeat trend was supported by unwinding of long dollar positions by speculators and local banks in view of subdued greenback overseas trends.
Source: Tecoya Trends
As costs rise in all sourcing markets, companies need to switch from a supply chain strategy focused on cost-cutting to one focused on value creation says a Kurt Salmon report. Low-cost-country sourcing is no longer a viable long-term strategy for apparel companies, warns the "2017 Global Sourcing Reference" report, which is produced by Kurt Salmon, a division of Accenture Strategy. The report, now in its 13th year, analyzes trends and developments in textile and clothing sourcing across 46 of the most important sourcing markets. Rising sourcing and production costs are heavily impacting margins in the apparel industry, according to the report. However, the traditional response to higher costs—shifting manufacturing operations to another, lower-cost country or region—will only provide a temporary fix to the problem, the report says. That's because production costs are rising in almost all sourcing regions, including low-cost countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Cambodia, according to the consulting firm's research. Instead apparel and fashion companies need to radically change their supply chain strategy model from one focused on cost cutting to one focused on value creation. In particular, the report recommends:
1) increasing investment in product innovation
2) improving time to market and delivery reliability
3) better aligning buying and production volumes with actual consumer demand
4) paying attention to social and environmental responsibility in production
5) strengthening or maintaining product quality compliance and standards
For many companies, this will mean adopting digital technologies that can enable better collaboration, visibility, and control across the entire value chain. For example, advanced analytics will help retailers improve sell-through performance, stock turns, markdown, and gross margins, says the report. On the production side, cut-and-sew robots are improving production efficiency, and 3-D printing is enabling quicker product development.
Source: Supply Chain Quarterly
The price of bitcoin has plummeted following an announcement by the South Korean government that it will ban cryptocurrency trading. Newsagency Reuters reported on Thursday that South Korea’s justice minister Park Sang-ki was preparing a bill that would outlaw the buying and selling of altcoins. “There are great concerns regarding virtual currencies and justice ministry is basically preparing a bill to ban cryptocurrency trading through exchanges,” Reuters reported Mr Park as saying. The announcement followed reports that South Korea’s police and tax authorities raided local exchanges on alleged tax evasion. The news appeared to send bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies plummeting. Bitcoin was down 5.21 per cent on the previous day. Ethereum and Litecoin, two of the biggest altcoins after bitcoin, were down 11.99 per cent and 5.10 per cent respectively. Ripple meanwhile, which last week surpassed Ethereum and Litecoin as the most valuable cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, was down 13.85 per cent. Of 29 cryptocurrencies listed on cryptocompare.com, all but two saw significant losses. The two to post increases were Gatecoin and BitBay. South Koreans are some of the most avid cryptocurrency traders. According to cryptocompare.com, nearly 5 per cent of global Bitcoin trades are in Korean won. That makes South Korea’s currency the fifth biggest currency in the Bitcoin trade, behind the Japanese yen, the US dollar, the Chinese renminbi, and the euro.
Source: The New Daily
NewsComments By Victor Ahiuma-Young FEW days ago, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Issa Aremu, clocked 57 years. Comrade Isa Aremu Aremu who is also the Vice-President of IndustriALL Global Union, Africa Region as well as a former vice of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, rather than mark his birthday with pageantry, decided to use the occasion to reflect on governance crisis in Nigeria using the fuel scarcity as a spring board. At a gathering in Ilorin, Kwara State, to mark the birthday, Aremu told his audience that words alone were not enough to express the pains, the sufferings and hardships Nigerians passed through at the peak of the fuel scarcity especially during the Yelutide. While describing it as “a national scandal,” he asked: “Why would Nigerians for whatever reasons, deny other fellow Nigerians fuel to transport to work, to take school children to schools, market women to market and Nigerians to look for food and means of livelihood? We have on our hands what I call a “country capture” by few petroleum marketers and their official collaborators. I call on compatriots to rise to liberate Nigerians from these greedy profiteers who are as terrible as the dreaded kidnappers. They are indeed nation-kidnappers, not just blackmailers, the President called them. Blackmail and refusal to sell to induce high prices are annual rituals of the marketers just like the periodic episodic deadly rituals of the notorious Badoo criminals in Ikorodu, Lagos.” Governance crisis Aremu commended the two stakeholders’ meetings by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate, saying “Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu listed lack of sufficient reserve, low clearance speed of petrol at the ports and diversion of products as some of the reasons for the ongoing fuel crisis being experienced in the country. All the identified problems show that Nigeria does not have fuel crisis but governance crisis. It is government through the NNPC that must have enough product reserve. It is the government that must clear products timely at the port. It is the government that must fix refineries at home. It is the government that must put an end to criminal corruption-ridden products imports for which Nigeria spends as much as $12 billion annually. “The Federal Government should not only make marketers responsible for every tank of fuel up until point of delivery, but there must also be severe consequences for product diversions. Diversion of critical inelastic indispensable product like petrol must be treated as an act of terrorism. The current fuel crisis shows that there is no substitute for good governance. As we can see, near deregulation over the years means nothing but fuel price increases for the masses, trillions of naira rip-off for the cabals. The point cannot be over stated President Buhari should know that market dogma in terms of deregulation, is no substitute for governance. There is the need for national as well corporate governance in both the upstream and downstream petroleum sectors. There should be prompt sanctions for non-compliance and rewards for those who play by the rules. The National Assembly must make oversight function routine. Legislators must be more proactive. Notwithstanding their latest commendable efforts, their action is still reactive not proactive. “Never again should government at all levels be off duty. Marketers are in business to make profit, which they would do through padded fuel price template or blatant products diversions as revealed not long ago by Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. However, the government is there to ensure the prosperity of the nation and the welfare of the citizens.”
Source: Vogue
'Sustainable’ an adjective that translates to ‘able to be upheld or defend’ is one of the most loosely used terms in fashion. There labels following sustainable practices, eco fashion weeks, CSR projects implemented by brands to clean up their track records and more. But why should you shop consciously? And more importantly, what does it mean when you speak of sustainable fashion, and why should you care? It takes about 6,800 litres of water to grow enough cotton to produce a pair of jeans. Your average high street retailer will sell these between Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,500. The worker who labored over making the pair of jeans makes an approximate of Rs 100 for his work. There are two glaring causes of concern in this model. The first being the excessive use of a natural resource like clean water which will be sparse in the near future. Second is the obvious difference in the money paid to the factory worker versus the money that goes to the large corporation. Why is fast fashion bad for the planet? High street retailers are known to create as many as 24 collections in a year encouraging consumers to buy more than they which results in waste, not to mention the after effects of industrialization. In a nutshell, there’s a whole picture hidden behind that pair of jeans that won’t sit in your closet for longer than a year.
Lives harmed
The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh in which 1,138 workers were killed brought to light the plight of workers in garment factories. while some companies took responsibility for their actions, how much has really changed? Production houses which are often in developing countries like China, Bangladesh and India are forced to keep their costs low in order to attract brands for contracts. This directly impacts worker wages, less than favourable working conditions and little or no support to their families. At the same time, a different picture of what goes on in a factory is painted to the brand reps who visit the facility a few days in a year, leading them to believe that facility is meeting the required standards. Anna Gedda, head of sustainability at H&M explained the complicated logistics of monitoring living wages. “One of the most common questions we are asked is if wages are too low, why don’t we just pay the workers more? Unfortunately, the reality is not that simple. The standard factory set up is that workers sit in rows and each of these rows are working on different brands. It can be brands that are at lower or higher price points than us and no matter, they are paid the same and work in the same living conditions. So, if we are tackling fair work wages, it is not possible to pay the workers working on H&M garments more than their colleagues. When we talk about the cost of creating a garment, we negotiate and fix the labour cost and keep that aside from the other costs of the garment production,” says Gedda. It’s often said that the fashion industry is the second most polluting one in the world.
Toll on the planet
However, the facts to prove this statement are scanty. According to
Racked.com’s inquiry into the subject matter, “the few unproven but legitimate-sounding “facts” get seized upon by well-meaning advocates, wrested out of context, and splashed across the internet, creating a circular feedback loop of bad information.” McKinsey’s detailed report on sustainability reveals that, “We estimate that if 80 percent of the population of emerging economies were to achieve the same clothing-consumption levels as the Western world by 2025, and the apparel industry does not become more environmentally efficient, then the environmental footprint of the apparel industry will become much larger.” When a fashion label categorizes of being sustainable, it is in some way trying to overcome these shortcomings of the trade. We will be exploring more about these practices in our series.
Source: Vogue
It's been a very bad press week for H&M, and all it took was one online advertisement selling a sweatshirt. To sum up, the retailer was selling a hoodie on its U.K. online store that read "Coolest Monkey In The Jungle." The only problem is, the child they used to model the hoodie was black. There were other children's sweatshirts in the collection, like one that read, "Hangrove Jungle Survival Expert," which were modeled by white children. As a result, people were up in arms about why on earth H&M would choose for the black model to don the monkey option. Shoppers and celebrity partners publicly denounced H&M for this children's campaign. | Credit: pulse.ng. As a result, celebrities like LeBron James and Sean Combs publicly denounced the company, according to USA Today. And, its celebrity partners The Weeknd and G-Eazy have ended their relationship with the company. H&M has since pulled the item, while keeping the other two sweatshirts in the collection, and it has issued a statement about The Weeknd's response. "We completely understand and agree with his reaction to the image," H&M said in a statement. "We are deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we also regret the actual print. We will continue the discussion with The Weeknd and his team separately." The company also said it would "look into our internal routines to avoid such situations in the future." There's definitely a lesson to be learned here. Before releasing any promotional apparel, you have to make sure your ad campaign has been thoroughly vetted, too. It's not just about whether or not the apparel could be offensive, it's also about the marketing efforts surrounding it. EHannah Abrams - Hannah Abrams is the senior content editor for Promo Marketing. In her free time, she enjoys coming up with excuses to avoid exercise, visiting her hometown in Los Angeles and rallying for Leonardo DiCaprio to win his first second Academy Award.
Source: Promo Marketing
Checkpoint Systems’ compatible RFID solution is enabling retailers to protect the most delicate fabric garments, including lingerie, from external damage and theft. The global RFID solutions provider has launched NeedleLok, a new high-theft RFID solution that protects delicate apparel, like intimates and thin fabric garments, without leaving punctures. As a single-piece solution, NeedleLok makes application a seamless process, and when not used, it’s covered for optimal safety. Unlike other RFID solutions, NeedleLok protects delicate apparel without a normal hard tag or pin, both of which may leave damaging holes when removed. Available in three locking strengths (S3, Standard Lock and Super Lock), NeedleLok contains a single-piece tag with an integrated needle and provides benefit denial through an integrated Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system and highly visible ink vials. With NeedleLok, retailers can take the precautions needed to prevent theft, without putting the garment’s quality at risk. “Unlike other retail anti-theft solutions that simply aren’t appropriate for fine garments, NeedleLok will gently spread fabric threads instead of piercing them, therefore avoiding leaving a visible hole after removal,” said Stuart Rosenthal, vice president of sales and marketing for Checkpoint’s Alpha High-Theft Solutions. “This, combined with powerful anti-theft features, make it the perfect solution for protecting intimates and other thin/fine fabric garments.” Checkpoint Systems’ new RFID solution comes on the heels of other brick-and-mortar innovations, as retailers use more technology to improve physical store experiences. First Insight, a retail solutions provider, recently introduced a new pricing tool to help retailers have a better grasp on pricing elasticity, product performance and potentially improve margins. Cloud analytics company Manthan also launched an advanced in-store personalization solution for retailers, allowing them to better target consumers in a brick-and-mortar store setting. Additionally, other retail tech startups, including Theatro, are stepping up their use of IoT and other devices to help retailers stay agile in-stores and online. NeedleLok is commercially available to retailers worldwide and Checkpoint Systems has said a Mini NeedleLok version will be introduced at the end of the first quarter.
Source: Sourcing Journal Online
Myant, a producer of connected textile-based products, has unveiled SKIIN, its new smart clothing platform, at CES in Las Vegas. SKIIN apparel is developed with fabric that allows the wearer to connect to the digital world in order to gain insight into their physical and mental wellbeing. Sensors embedded in the fabric are able to read biological factors that provide insight into sleeping patterns, hydration and stress level. These sensors are connected to other smart IoT devices, such as phones, in order that users will be able to keep track of their health and physical activity.The clothing will also reportedly be able to interact with the wearer’s connected environment, such as thermostats and lighting, while they are sleeping.
Mashable Business - Skiin's 'smart' underwear takes fitness tracking to the next level. The first products to be introduced are smart underwear and a smart bra that will be washable and wearable, designed for both style and comfort. While it’s hard to tell if end-users will think that clothing that gives them access to such information is actually intrusive, it’s clear that there is definitely a rise in consumer demand for smart apparel. Smart watches and Fitbits have been popular for a few years now amongst athletes and casual users alike, and simpler devices such as touchscreen gloves have proven useful and sought-out items as well. Smart apparel has been having quite a year as far as research and excitement are concerned. In November, it was announced that researchers from the University of Cambridge had developed a way to print electronic circuits directly into apparel. That same month, University of Washington researchers published their work on smart apparel that could be used to unlock doors and smartphones by storing passcodes. This announcement from Myant adds even more excitement into the mix, showing that big companies are prepared to begin releasing these technologies into the public. If SKIIN manages to tap into the unique success of athleisure in both the promotional and retail apparel markets, it could be a tremendous success.
Source: Promo Marketing
Frankfurt, Germany – Comfort, performance and luxury are focus points for Trident’s new sheet launches at Heimtextil this week. Sleep Comfort represents Trident’s new generation of wrinkle-free finishing, creating a super soft sheet combined with comfort features like moisture management and breathability. Air Rich yarn makes the sheeting soft and smooth. The collection was developed by applying a special technology that adds to the strength and the plush look will provide a smooth drape that lasts through multiple washings. The Tetra Fine ultimate performance sheet provides an all-in-one offering of four key attributes: moisture management, quick dry comfort, anti-pilling and wrinkle resistance. NectarSoft is finished with a unique yarn and fabric treatment that helps remove the weak cotton tendrils. The result is a lustrous, internally smooth and ultra soft sheet with a graceful drape. Hyde Park is a pure luxury collection made of 100% Egyptian cotton. A high 500-count construction provides strength and lustrous sateen weave. On the towel side of the business, Trident is introducing products that enhance the bath experience, with premium blends and innovation in yarn construction. “Today, the definition of luxury is focused more on our personal quality of life,” the company noted. “Luxury, in its new context, is the enjoyment of the best in life.” Durasoft employs a unique innovation in spinning to create a luxuriously soft, absorbent towel with high resilience and minimal linting. Plush and thick from the start, the towels get softer and better with time. The Tender Touch collection is crafted from a plush blend of luxury cotton, silk and Lenzing Tencel. The towels are breathable and more absorbent than a typical luxury towel as well as lustrous and silky soft. Using the mill’s Twist Management technology, the Feather Touch collection offers an extremely subtle feel along with its eco-friendly attributes. This super thick and thirsty three-ply construction “takes our technology to the next level of luxury and sophistication,” the company said. For the Stellar collection, cashmere is intimately blended with cotton to produce a yarn that's naturally strong and traps moisture with a uniquely soft hand and luxurious appearance. The North American market remains Trident’s largest trade area, and it is expanding in Canada as well as Latin America. In addition, the company is putting a major focus on warehousing and drop ship this year as well as enhancing its design, product development and sales team in the U.S.
Source: Home Textiles Today,
Adhesives act as a glue to stick the surfaces of different substrates together. Adhesives can be applied using different means such as by brush, roller, in beads or by spraying. Adhesives applied by spraying are called spray adhesives. These spray adhesives wet the base of the joining surfaces and uniformly transfers the load between the merged surfaces to enhance better and stronger bonding. These adhesives can also contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are emitted during its application. Regulations from local and national governments of different regions such as North America and Europe have tightened the emission levels for VOCs. For example, in the U.S., the EPA has certain limits for emission of VOCs in adhesives in states such as Virginia, California, and Illinois. Similarly, the European Commission and countries such as Germany and France also have their own regulations controlling the emission of VOCs from adhesives. Spray adhesives are classified into water-based, solvent-base, and hot melt-based adhesives. They can be used on surfaces of materials such as paper, wood, film, leather, fabric, glass, plastic, cardboard, and canvas. It is used in a wide range of applications which include construction, packaging, furniture, automotive, textile, and others. Water-based spray adhesives contain solid adhesive dispersed in an aqueous phase. Materials used to form link between solid adhesive particles and aqueous phase include water-soluble additives such as surfactants, protective colloids, and emulsifiers. These adhesives are based on natural or synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl acetate ethylene copolymers. It contains minimal or no volatile organic compounds. This is driving the demand for water-based spray adhesives in developed regions. These adhesives are used in laminating, packaging, product assembly, and book binding, among other applications. The water-based spray adhesive segment accounted for the largest share of the global spray adhesives market. Stringent environmental regulations in developed countries such as North America Sand Europe are a major factor boosting the demand of water-based spray adhesives in these regions. Solvent-based spray adhesives contain polymers such as polychloroprene, polyurethane, acrylic, silicone, and natural and synthetic polymers dissolved in hydrocarbon solvents which can be flammable. The volume of VOCs in this product is very high. Type of polymer determines the performance of solvent-based spray adhesives. Its applications includes handbag linings, labels in appliances, pipe insulation in construction, attaching fabric to foam in furniture upholstery, and sticking door gaskets in automotive industry. Hot melt-based spray adhesives are thermoplastic adhesives which offer immediate bonding in foam, fabric, thin metals, electronics, etc. It contains thermoplastic polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate and polyolefin or metallocene. They are solid in room temperature and are applied to materials in the molten state. It sets quickly, ranging from a few seconds to a couple of minutes based on the formulation. Handling and packaging of this product is a challenge owing to its tacky nature. The construction industry accounted for a large share of the global spray adhesives market in 2016 and it expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. This industry is followed by furniture, packaging, automotive, and textile industries. The furniture industry is growing due to increased standard of living, which is boosting the demand for superior upholstery materials for furniture.
Source : CMFE News
