From the Sector

• In course of the succession planning, Christian Straubhaar will take on the position as Senior Vice President Sales at Rieter Machines & Systems in Winterthur on January 1, 2021.
• Straubhaar will succeed Reto Thom who will retire.

Christian Straubhaar holds an Engineering Master’s Degree in Industrial Management from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and is a sales executive with 20 years of extensive experience in the textile industry. Recently, Straubhaar was responsible as Group Sales & Marketing Director at Itema for the world-wide sales of machines and spare parts. Prior, he held various positions in Operations and as Business Unit Head in Itema and other global textile companies.

His professional career shows a solid track record in identifying new market potentials and growing the business for the company. Straubhaar has a longstanding experience in selling to both large and small customers and developing key accounts within our industry.

Reto Thom has very successfully lead the Sales department at Rieter Machines & Systems for many years and made an enormous contribution to the success of the company.

• Technology, creativity and sustainability
• Recycled materials, bright colours, eclectic shapes: excellence is in the details, and the new creations by the Italian-Swiss group have plenty to say.

Mendrisio – Looking at the new Fall-Winter 2021-2022 collection of the Riri Group, it almost seems as if the difficult months to which the pandemic has forced the whole world, have been another new – though unwanted – challenge for the Italian-Swiss company. A testbed that sparked the mind and lit the fire of creativity. Therefore, today, the brand ingredient which for over 80 years has embellished the
garments designed by major fashion system brands with top-quality zips and buttons, also introduces a wide range of heterogeneous creations, intended to cover different aesthetic and functional requirements on the market.

This collection has been divided into three macro-topics; it is a new chapter in the history of the Group.

LIFE SERVING
Keyword: sustainability. Or, more romantically, “Reuse with love”. From the use of materials produced using organic waste and recycled plastics to actual destocking – the re-introduction on the market of unsold items to give them new life through a restyled shape: the topic of “life serving”, for Riri, translates into the meticulous and constant search for materials with a low environmental impact and in the committed attempt to reduce the use of plastic to a minimum. This is why the Group has decided to use recycled polyester tapes, made with new organic cotton, pullers coated with cork, created using 100% recycled plastics or rubber taken from the sole of shoes. Stainless steel – an exceptionally resistant and sturdy material, as well being subject to no galvanic treatments and highly recyclable – characterizes chains and pullers, while the Nylon zip consists of fully recycled tape and chain, and Decor introduces a new 100% polyamide version. On the button side, “life serving” includes buttons with a cork coating, the Zero button with coating made of recycled Meryl polyamide and the F4 with a 100% recycled Nylon head and the heads made of APILON 52 (rubber made of 65% vegetable oils and energy from renewable sources) coated with microfiber from the company Alcantara.

ENGINEERING
This is definitely the most rigorous yet progressive section in the collection, drawing on technological innovation and on uncertainties related to the current situation, to play with shapes, colours and materials. Between zips and buttons there is a prevalence of squared and minimal shapes, also on the tapes of the zips through sublimation and digital printing techniques. The leading colour is grey in its variation of hues, where the insertion of coloured tones sometimes stands out. The leading material, on the other hand, is metal.

OVER SHOCK
A creative topic where “exaggeration” is the keyword, a trend whose style and character somehow remind us of Gen-Z, apart from being especially suitable for outdoors. “Over state” uses the hip hop mood and settings of the Nineties, taking them to the extreme, enlarging shapes and focusing on bright and fluorescent colours such as purple, yellow, blue, orange or green. An example of this is Storm Evo, a zip which is popular in the outdoor sector for its high levels of water resistance and strength, which features a new electric blue chain and tape with reflecting side strips. Also outstanding in terms of originality is the new purple puller, with its anti-theft shape, fixed onto a fluorescent yellow chain. The perfect expression of this category are zippers such as Decor, Nylon and Aquazip, especially recommended for the outdoor sector in general.

COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS: RESTYLING AND INNOVATION
All the macro-categories selected for the FW 21-22 seasons are included in some special product innovations, most notably the even more minimal and thin shapes of some buttons and the introduction of five different colours for the small synthetic ring, a real point of strength in Cobrax pressure buttons. Also the range of magnetic buttons is complemented by the addition of two extra snaps. As regards zips, the Riri Group team has been working on careful restyling of shapes, more specifically in the shapes of Decor zip bodies – ideal for the luggage industry – further improved from both an aesthetic and functional viewpoint.

For more than 50 years, vehicle manufacturers have relied within their model development on Autoneum’s measuring systems for vehicle acoustics. With ATLAS, Autoneum has now added another particularly powerful device to the portfolio: Thanks to the efficient and reliable measurement methodology, noise-reducing vehicle components and materials can be analyzed and developed faster and with a significantly lower need for resources in the future.

With the ongoing electrification of vehicles and trends like autonomous driving, future car generations will no longer be used solely for transport – remote working and recreation will equally play a key role. This requires a vehicle interior that is as noiseless as possible. In order to identify and insulate potential internal and external sound sources already in the pre-development of new models, car manufacturers around the world rely on Autoneum’s highly specialized measurement tools. The newly launched ATLAS – short for “Airborne Transmission Loss Analysis System” – measures the acoustic insulation and transmission loss of components such as carpets, inner dashes and floor insulators. This allows customers to assess noise-reducing parts within minutes and select acoustic components tailored to their needs.

ATLAS sets new testing standards in this regard. While developers previously had to analyze the NVH behavior (noise, vibration, harshness) of interior parts using material samples of around one square meter in size, ATLAS makes this process faster, cheaper and more environmentally-friendly. It enables measurements of small samples with a diameter of no more than ten centimeters, which substantially decreases the amount of material used. Thanks to its four highly sensitive microphones, only two trials are required to collect precise and valid test data, making the system developed at Autoneum’s research center in the Swiss city of Winterthur especially suitable for quality assurance and repeatability of the results obtained. Users also benefit from time savings of up to 50 percent compared to the previous testing standard.

Autoneum’s measurement systems represent the global industry standard and are used successfully by vehicle manufacturers, automotive suppliers and research institutions alike. The Company is therefore not only making a significant contribution to the mobility of the future with its noise-reducing products, but now with ATLAS as well.

• All motions approved
• Dividend of CHF 4.50 agreed
• COVID-19

In relation to participation in the Annual General Meeting on April 16, 2020, the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd. arranged exclusively written or electronic voting and the granting of power of attorney to the independent proxy. In taking this approach, the Board of Directors relied on Article 6a, lit. b of Ordinance 2 of the Swiss Federal Council (Measures to Combat the Coronavirus of March 16, 2020). Physical participation by the shareholders was therefore not possible. The Annual General Meeting was held on the premises of Rieter Holding Ltd. at the company’s headquarters in Winterthur.

At the Annual General Meeting of Rieter Holding Ltd. on April 16, 2020, the independent proxy represented a total of 2 025 shareholders who hold 64.3% of the share capital.

A dividend of CHF 4.50 per share was agreed. The shareholders approved the proposed maximum total amounts of the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and of the Group Executive Committee for fiscal year 2021.

The Chairman of the Board, Bernhard Jucker, and the members of the Board of Directors This E. Schneider, Michael Pieper, Hans-Peter Schwald, Peter Spuhler, Roger Baillod, Carl Illi and Luc Tack were confirmed for an additional one-year term of office.
Furthermore, This E. Schneider, Hans-Peter Schwald and Bernhard Jucker, the members of the Remuneration Committee who were standing for election, were also each re-elected for a one-year term of office.

Shareholders also adopted all other motions proposed by the Board of Directors, namely approval of the annual report, the financial statements and the consolidated financial statements for 2019, and formal approval of the actions of the members of the Board of Directors and those of the Group Executive Committee in the year under review. In addition, the authorized capital was extended for a further two years.

COVID-19
At present, it is not possible to predict how the global COVID-19 pandemic will affect Rieter’s sales and earnings in the first and second half of 2020, and thus also for 2020 as a whole.

Rieter therefore refrains from providing an outlook for financial year 2020 and will issue the relevant information as part of the semi-annual report on July 16, 2020.
The company has taken the necessary measures to protect employees and to meet commitments to customers as far as possible.

Thanks to long-standing customer relationships, a focus on innovation, global positioning and the company’s financial stability, Rieter will successfully overcome the challenges.

• Discontinuation of assembly at the Winterthur location confirmed
• Reduction of 87 jobs
• Comprehensive social plan in place

On January 29, 2020, Rieter announced its intention to discontinue the assembly of machines at the Winterthur location due to structural changes in the market situation. The consultation process with employee representatives was completed March 11, 2020. After intensive discussion and detailed examination of the submitted proposals, the discontinuation of assembly and the associated reduction of 87 jobs was confirmed.

The final position was communicated to the employee representatives and the Office for Economy and Labor of the Canton of Zurich. Rieter’s employees were informed of the result. The decision will be implemented gradually during 2020.

Rieter has a comprehensive social plan. The focus is on the reintegration of affected employees with the support of the Regional Employment Centre (RAV) as well as a job center and the avoidance of hardship cases. The company intends to reduce the headcount by means of workforce turnover and early retirement, however some layoffs will be unavoidable.

How many jackets do you need to get through all the shifts in temperature during fall and winter? The moment may have arrived where just one jacket will do. And how cool would it be if everyone could optimise the warmth of their jacket individually and adapt it to their personal feel-good factor? And all in a product without compromises, where sophisticated design and intelligent fabrics join forces with technological competence? For this ambitious aim, these three leading companies put their heads and their core competencies together.

The Heatable Capsule Collection is on its way
Today, Telekom, AlphaTauri and Schoeller are launching a technological innovation together: the Heatable Capsule Collection. While Telekom is bringing its technological components to the table, AlphaTauri designed the collection and Schoeller developed the heating technologies and fabrics as well as the electronic components. The Heatable Capsule Collection kicks off with a jacket and a gilet in two different colourways. Wearers decide the level of warmth for themselves in the jacket or gilet. The clothing items are operated by app. Individual zones around the pocket and kidney areas can be heated.

The collection, for men and women, targets the lifestyle and technology-oriented consumer segment, the so-called “urban explorer”. The apparel is cross-seasonal, suitable for all cooler types of weather, and practical when travelling, hiking or for other sports. The partially heatable gilet can be worn alone or under a jacket.

The ideal feel-good temperature can be selected from two heating levels in the jacket and gilet. Thanks to Schoeller® E-Soft-Shell heating technology the heat function is completely integrated into the fabric and localised as close as possible to the wearer’s body. Beyond that, the inbuilt sensors can measure the microclimate temperature inside the jacket.

The jacket is already being further developed with additional features, where connectivity and AI will become increasingly relevant.

Following an in-depth analysis of the current business situation conducted by the new Group Management, Autoneum expects a net loss in the high double-digit million range for the full year 2019 due to the situation in North America and related one-time charges from impairments. Therefore, achieving the communicated mid-term targets will take more time.

A comprehensive assessment by the new Group Management focusing on Business Group North America and taking into account the course of business from January to November 2019 led to a revaluation of the situation. It has become apparent that the problems in North America are not limited to two US plants and deficient ramp-ups there. Accordingly, a comprehensive turnaround program focusing on operational excellence and the improvement of cost structures is being developed and implemented in Business Group North America.

As a result of the slowdown in the automotive industry and the continuing low market level forecasted in the medium term, the cost structure at the Group’s headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland, has been adjusted, among other things, by selective staff reduction. To further reinforce new mobility activities, they will be concentrated at the Research and Technology Center in Winterthur. This will include the relocation of the Competence Center New Mobility from Sunnyvale (CA), USA, to Winterthur.

Due to the continuing losses of Business Group North America, Autoneum expects a net loss for the financial year 2019 in the high double-digit million range. In addition to current operating losses, this also includes one-time charges from impairments which are not cash-effective. To achieve the Group’s mid-term targets announced in March (“2019 Year of tidying, 2020 Year of transition, 2021 Return to sound profitability level), an additional year will therefore be needed.

• Circularity at the centre

PG DENIM, the designer project by Paolo Gnutti, is ready for several important events scheduled for the autumn with ground-breaking interpretations and a new – increasingly green – business model. The occasion is its participation in the Blue Zone at Munich Fabric Start (Munich, 3-5 September 2019), a space which is increasingly often reserved for companies and projects with a high innovation rate in the world of denim.

PG DENIM at the German exhibition will be presenting important product innovations, but most notably new concepts developed for the S/S 2021 season. The focus here is on circularity, seen from a dual perspective: the product with the no longer traditional alternation of seasons, and a sustainabilityoriented approach.

Seasons meet

The new PG DENIM approach is geared towards overlapping seasonality, with less and less marked separations between projects dedicated to the spring-summer and fall-winter lines. The collections by PG DENIM can thus be increasingly defined as a “mix of products without seasonality”. Its focal points are innovation alongside the concept behind the initial idea, as opposed to just the season. This trend, explains Paolo Gnutti, CEO and R&D Head at PG DENIM, is also due to registering the fact that seasonality – in terms of environment and trends – is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. As a response to this situation, the choice has been made to design new collections starting from macro-trends and presenting fabrics for garments which are “easy to wear”, suitable for both warm and cold temperatures, in a true melting pot  of weights and sizes.

The lines for the previous season are thus reintroduced and restyled playing with weights and sizes, within a range where flock meets ultra-light fabric bases, or where vinyl is combined with typically summer weights which shift the fabric towards the world of “paper” with crispy touches, resulting in extraordinarily lightweight and strong items at the same time. Also the GARAGE DENIM has been upgraded with fluid and smoothed touched for garments which are easy to wear and have a strong personality.

Partnership with The Denim Window

The PG DENIM season is also enhanced by its partnership in The Denim Window project, which has resulted in a limited series of Creative Capsule Collections, derived from the idea of bringing together companies which had already worked or were working together, trying to highlight – through small capsule collections – the best of what had already been produced by traditional businesses. This has resulted  in three trailblazing capsules, two of which designed in partnership by PG DENIM and companies the likes of M&J Group, Cadica and Greenwear. Several copies of these collections have been made to travel the world, and – after the official presentation in July – they will have a special corner, The Denim Window, in the Bluezone at Munich Fabric Start.

The “Circular Programme” and the five “Rs” of sustainability

Also the PG DENIM approach to accountability in production processes has been enhanced by implementing the “Circular Programme”. As part of our corporate vision, Italian-style production is combined with compliance with what have become known as “the five Rs”, that is to say key concepts underlying the design and manufacturing model: Reduce (everything you are not using), Repair (everything you can), Reuse (anything available to you), Recycle (all that is left), Respect (everything around you).

This is the philosophy underlying each individual process at PG DENIM, and leading to new specific programmes which have been its business focus over the past few months:

1) Reducing the environmental impact during the fabric dyeing phase in reaction and sulphurbased processes, where the use of chemicals has been reduced by 40%, water consumption by 50% and CO2 emissions by 60%, which has also resulted in better penetration and a better result in the crocking process. This has led to producing 10 new articles which will be launched on the market.

2) Recycling all waste from processing and after use, creating a range of garments where cotton is actually obtained from regenerating these two kinds of waste. In this regard, PG DENIM for now is the only company on the market able to process with a percentage of recycled product exceeding 60% of the total, whereas the average for this kind of manufacturing is generally about 35%.

As regards regular production, on the other hand, PG DENIM follows stringent international standards, including Dtox, Reach and Gots in all its processing phases, also using BCI cottons and the Organic Cotton Standard for raw materials. Last but not least, it was recently awarded the GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification.

The new advertising campaign for the Fall/Winter 2019 season exalts the most authentic spirit of the Pinko woman, a curious creature who plays with her spontaneous femininity and sensuality to give a rock ‘n roll and metropolitan vibe to the everyday life.

An iconic location, filled with magic and fascination, serves as the background of the images, vibrating with energy and determination, developed by an artistic team including photographers Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, stylist Vanessa Reid and creative director Riccardo Ruini. Hanging between the deep blue of the London sky and the dark waters of the Thames, the Lightship 93, the wonderful fruit of attentive naval recovery and restoration works, with its bold red silhouette becomes the ideal stage for the audacious and strong femininity of the Pinko woman, embodied by the modern, fresh beauty of American model Madison Headrick.

She moves with confidence and a certain frisky attitude among the ship’s red sheets wearing some of the most iconic pieces of the Pinko Fall/Winter 2019 collection. Revealing a seductive silhouette, a suit combines pinstriped Lurex pants with a sartorial blazer showing the waisted shape exalted by a maxi bow, while the utilitarian vibe of a black washed denim ensemble is enriched by the glamorous touch of a logo belt and of the Mini Love bags peppered by metallic accents. Sparkling reflections also steal the spotlight on the tops and skirts embellished with mirror mosaics and reach the climax on the coat where bouclé wool is paired with a metallic coated fabric, which makes the Pinko woman shine bright into the darkest night.

Lookbook: LINK

Color Solutions International, a member of the DyStar® Group, has issued their COLOR ANALYSIS report for Autumn/Winter 2020.

The trend and color experts at CSI are delighted to bring you the sixth issue of the Color Analysis report. New for this season, the experts at Color Solutions International have delved deeper by giving more detail for each color using their proprietary Relative Color Popularity process (RCP). RCP is a marriage of color validation with trend color forecasting. The RCP report has been organized into four categories to help validate your color selection.

In this issue, 54 ColorWall™ colors are featured along with additional color validation, color evolution, and direction by hue. "This season’s Color Analysis for Autumn/Winter 2020 found its inspiration in our heritage and reconnection of our roots. We look from the past to present day reality to shape the themes of trends reflected in the spirit of time we are living in. From a time gone by to this moment of now, themes take shape as they transform historic elements into modern day life, intertwining together to create a new existence full of creative energy and vitality.

Reminiscent of a time gone by, all that we consider heritage to be, has developed into a level of loyalty and trust over time. The quality in make and the care that goes into construction found in the ideas of heritage goods begin to resurface into a lifestyle of quality over quantity. In the present and future looking forward, we also continue to explore innovative lifestyle trends as we are becoming more conscious about the environment and the impact our choices have.