From the Sector

Focus on Sustainability and Climate Change

Passion for Cotton: The 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen starts on 25 March in the Hanseatic city’s historic Town Hall. But before subject-specific questions are discussed in depth in the individual sessions, the concise and inspiring keynotes by leading business experts from science and industry will draw attention to the current trends and challenges in the industry at the start of the conference. A large part of the presentations is shaped by the current discussion on environmental and sustainability issues and the resulting consequences for the global economy.

Climate Change and Sustainability

“Climate change - a storm in a teacup?” asks Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, Washington D.C., USA, in a provocative speech. The aim of his presentation is to work out the challenges of climate change especially for agriculture and cotton production. This should form the basis for later discussion on concrete approaches and solutions within the cotton community.

With his lecture “The HUGO BOSS sustainability programme ... and what our customer has to do with it” Andreas Streubig, Director of Global Sustainability at Hugo Boss AG, Metzingen, Germany, rolls up the textile value chain from a different angle, starting at the consumer level. As a representative of a premium brand for women's and men's clothing, Streubig discusses sustainability as a strategic element of the corporate strategy and provides information on how elements of the strategy are being implemented at Hugo Boss.

Rüdiger Senft, Head of Sustainability at Commerzbank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, looks at the changing role of banks in financing the cotton market. In addition to a general introduction to the topic of sustainability and banking regulation, Senft's presentation deals with the financing of the cotton trade from a social and ecological point of view.
The opening session on 25 March is hosted by Bill Ballenden, founder and owner of Dragontree, Swindon, UK, an online auction platform for the cotton trade. As a former cotton manager for Louis Dreyfus in Europe and Asia, Bill Ballenden has many years of experience in the industry.

Cross-Cutting Issues: Digitalisation, Gender, Value Chains

The subsequent session in the conference programme with the headline “A Wider View” is devoted to currently defining trends and important cross-cutting issues in the industry. This goes far beyond classic cotton themes.

A lecture by Mark Messura, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain Marketing for Cotton Incorporated, Cary, North Carolina, deals with the role of cotton in an increasingly digitally controlled supply chain. Significant keywords here are faster delivery times, vertical integration, transparency and traceability.

The presentation by Roger Gilmartin, Managing Director of Tri-Blend Consulting, Charlotte, USA, entitled “The secret recipe for timely, cost-optimised and high-quality cotton clothing” promises exciting and enlightening insights. Tri-Blend Consulting conducts studies on the performance of different cotton varieties during the entire consumption process to the finished yarn and evaluates them from an economic point of view.

Amy Jackson, from the Better Cotton Initiative, London, UK, presents ICA Liverpool's “Women in Cotton” initiative. With this commitment, the initiative aims to increase the influence of women in the cotton industry and give them a stronger voice, for example by building networks in cooperation.

Navdeep Singh Sodhi, International Strategic Management Consultant at the Gherzi Textile Organisation, Switzerland, gives an insight into the current development of the value chain for cotton, textiles and clothing in Africa. Looking ahead to the coming decades, also in view of population growth, Africa is seen as having a high potential for building economic structures to improve income and prosperity.

Thomas Schneider, Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and active in the field of production planning and control, textile materials and materials testing will host the session. A leading light in his field, Thomas Schneider has more than 30 years of experience in scientific and application-oriented research in the textile and fibre sector, including at the Fibre Institute Bremen e.V.

THE S/S 2021 SMART COLLECTION AND STRATEGY: “TEAMING UP IS THE RESPONSIBLE WAY FORWARD”
At Première Vision in Paris, February 11th – 13th Jersey manufacturer TINTEX presents its S/S 2021 collection and a new strategic approach to make the world a better place, a garment at a time in  Hall 5 Booth R50/S43, and Hall 3 Smart Creation Booth S7. “That’s why we decided to update our statement-motto in Naturally Advanced Evolution: a promise and an invitation to work together to develop further collections combining an environment-driven approach with cutting-edge technology.” Says Ricardo Silva, Head of Operations of TINTEX.

“Textile producers and fashion brands should develop their partnership in a much more collaborative way.” Say Says Ricardo Silva, Head of Operations of TINTEX. In a move towards his partners, the company has re-organised its products collection into 4 distinct categories and further evolved its production process in order to guarantee the highest quality and performance of its fabrics and, at the same time, to become more competitive and to allow its clients to orientate better and easily find the most suitable and practical solution. COLLECTION focuses on seasonal proposals while EXPRESSIONS includes a range for all-year-round collections.

THE SS 2021 COLLECTION is imbued with sustainability, innovation and a collaborative attitude. The new range comprises 24 new references built focusing on responsible materials – including recycled or recyclable (100% same raw material), tactile finishes and active performances with smart and cutting-edge technical background. “The main area we developed for the S/S 2021 collection was carefully selected starting from the inputs we had from our partners during some of the most successful collaborations in the past 2 years,” adds Ana Eusebio, designer.

And just to keep the conversation about sharing innovation at best, TINTEX is officially shading the light on its Coating Unit that, thanks to continuous investments, will be able to deliver Naturally Advance Solutions in terms of finishings, not just for TINTEX but also for woven producers that are aligned with the corporate commitment. Come to discover TINTEX portfolio of smartly developed coatings at its booth at Smart Creation, hall 3.

At the Swiss-Egyptian Investment Forum which took place on February 3 in Cairo (Egypt), the Cotton & Textiles Holding Company and Rieter signed additional contracts related to the modernization program for the Egyptian textile industry.

Further Orders from Egypt:

• Contracts for additional projects signed in Cairo
• Order volume is around 30 million Swiss francs
• Order intake in the first half year of 2020 expected

The total volume of the contracts sums up to around 210 million Swiss Francs, including the contracts which had been signed at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona and which represent a volume of around 180 million Swiss Francs.

Rieter expects the full amount of orders to be booked as order intake in the first half year of 2020. So far, 165 million Swiss Francs have been booked.

The Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment will be presenting itself at the Egy Stitch & Tex 2020 between March 5 and 8, 2020 in Cairo – with a clear focus on the needs of the African market. In Hall 1, Stand B2 The Oerlikon Barmag and Oerlikon Neumag experts will also be showcasing the comprehensive product and service portfolio of the world market leader for manmade fiber systems at the stand of Oerlikon’s representative ATAG Export & Import.

The spotlight of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment’s trade fair attendance will be on two core technologies: the new generation of Oerlikon Barmag eAFK Evo texturing machines is to be unveiled within the African market for the very first time. It promises higher speeds and productivity with consistently high product quality, along with lower energy consumption and simpler operation vis-à-vis comparable market solutions. In particular, the numerous value-added features include two that convince with cutting-edge technology: the optimized, innovative EvoHeater and the EvoCooler, a completely newly-developed active cooling unit.

The second technology focus offers new opportunities for the Egyptian market and the Middle Eastern markets in particular: with Oerlikon Neumag’s BCF S8 monocolor and tricolor system, the segment will be unveiling its new carpet yarn production flagship. Superlative spinning speeds, up to 700 individual filaments, finer titers of up to 2.5 dpf – the performance data and technological finesse of the new system have already made a huge impression at numerous trade fairs and roadshows over the past year. The tricolor’s core component is the new, patent-pending Color Pop Compacting unit (CPC-T) for even more flexible and more even color separation. With the CPC-T, individually-controllable air pressures for each color provide pre-tangling, which accentuates the colors and hence makes more than 200,000 different shades possible. Whereas it has been very difficult to manufacture strongly color-separated or color-accentuated BCF yarns from polyamide 6 to date, this will in future be possible thanks to the CPC-T system. As a result of the new design, the CPC-T is now also suitable for processes with low yarn tensions.
 
Expanded product offering for manufacturing carpet yarns
Know-how covering all relevant technologies deployed in manmade fiber spinning plants enables Oerlikon – as the world’s only manufacturer – to expand its range of products and services for making carpet yarns. The POY- and texturing-based system concept is designed for a carpet and home textiles segment that demands particularly soft and bulky polyester yarns with BCF-like properties. Here, the aim is to produce yarns with titers of max. 1300dtex and typically more than 1,000 filaments, with typical products including, for example, 1300dtex f1152, 660dtex f1152 and 990dtex f768. The machine concept comprises the well-known WINGS HD POY winder, along with the eAFK Big-V texturing machine.

The must-have fabrics platform for activewear and sportswear apparel, developed by ISKO, will be featuring in the Munich arena showcasing its Responsible Innovation™ approach resulting once more in groundbreaking performance properties.

ISKO returns once again to ISPO, Hall C1 – Booth 401, to present its pioneering innovation in the world of sportswear and activewear. The leading denim ingredient brand will be presenting the latest edition of ARQUAS™, the much-loved fabrics platform set to bring about an even more responsible era.

Featuring 35 fabrics, most of which are made with certified recycled materials, ARQUAS™ 6.0 combines high-performance properties with the mill’s Responsible Innovation™ approach – a holistic vision based on creativity, competence and citizenship that constantly defines new standards.

Although many of the textile concepts included in the collection may have the look and hand feel of knitted fabrics, they are all woven, thus ensuring superior durability and greater recovery. Among the many qualities that come with ARQUAS™ 6.0, moisture management, UV and wind protection, heat retention, water and stain repellency stand out. Nylon, which is used for the first time in this edition, allows for super light woven and cozy outdoor fabrics, reversible and packable styles, as well as patented fabrics, such as 4 waystretch ISKO Blue Skin™ for a 360° elasticity. Finally, the collection offers super compact fabrics that are made suitable also for fully bonded garments with body shaping and high recovery properties.

To provide trailblazing inspiration to its customers, ISKO’s world-class design team have created both a men’s and women’s garment collection based on three lifestyles – active, outdoor and club sports.

ACTIVE: Ideal for a wide range of sports from yoga to fitness to running. Whether participating in highor low-impact activities, these fabrics perfectly fulfill the technical requirements of athleisure and performance-wear apparel.

OUTDOOR:
Fabrics that stand for superior comfort, durability, water repellency and breathability, protecting the wearer from the elements of nature in any kind of setting.

CLUB SPORTS:
From the perfect golf swing to a wild horse ride, essential features such as maximum flexibility, fit and performance make these the ultimate textile concepts for the sportswear market.

The Oerlikon Nonwoven experts will be presenting efficient solutions and comprehensive technology know-how for challenging filtration tasks to an international trade audience at the FiltXPO 2020 in Chicago, USA (Stand # 420), taking place between February 26 and 28.

Meltblown technology is one of the most efficient methods for producing very fine and highly-separating filter media made from manmade fibers. New, unique and highly-sophisticated filter media are easy to manufacture thanks to Oerlikon Nonwoven’s optimized meltblown technology. This process is characterized by its constant melt pressure distribution and consistent dwell time across the entire width of the spinning beam, Furthermore, the novel guidance and distribution of the process air outside the coathanger distributor offered by the Oerlikon Nonwoven technology prevents so-called hotspots, which overall ensures particularly homogeneous nonwoven properties and basis weights even in the case of delicate raw materials.

The Oerlikon Nonwoven charging unit stands out against other concepts currently available on the market. Users can freely choose from a large number of variation possibilities and set the optimum charging method depending on the filter application, allowing the Oerlikon Nonwoven charging unit to also be used for the manufacture of EPA- and HEPA-class filter media.

The new forming section ensures improved nonwoven formation evenness across the entire width, even in the case of high spinning speeds, special polymers and polymer combinations. In addition to this, the newly-designed system also ensures that nonwovens only require minimal edge trimming at the end of the production process. The newly-developed mixedfiber technology enables the combining of various filament cross-sections and polymers, in order to set ideal filtering and pleating performances, for example.

As a member of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association, Saurer will give visitors the opportunity to learn about the company and to gain an overview of its spinning and embroidery offerings at ITME Africa from 14 to 16 February 2020. At the exhibition, visitors will learn more about Saurer’s extensive spinning offerings, which enable customers to process a wide range of fibres depending on their needs using ring-, worsted- and compact- or rotor-spinning technologies. Autoairo, the group’s new double-sided air-spinning machine, will also be introduced to prospective clients.

Bemberg presents fabric innovations and collaborations with fashion brands from the US and beyond

Bemberg will present a full range of new fabric innovations at Première Vision New York. These include manufacturers from around the world including Brunello S.p.A. and Cotonificio Albini S.p.A. from Italy, as well as luxury linings already installed at the Bemberg Lining Showroom in the heart of the Garment District hosted by CHH America. Relevant to report, the luxury yarn dyed jacquard linings made in Japan that can be customized following brands’ designs. While usually minimums are not met by emerging brands and start-ups, Bemberg decided to cooperate with a Japanese producer to offer customized yarn dyed Jacquard lining starting from 55 yards, per colour. Indeed, Bemberg will offer attractive designs, precious aesthetic while keeping its usual technical performances and the precious touch.

“On show in New York there is the whole process of sustainable fashion making,” explains Junshu Furusawa, Sales of Bemberg. “Indeed, through these fabric suppliers, we will be showcasing also new premium brand fashion range adoptions and collaborations with brands such as CAALO that is making its mark in the outerwear market with its Sustainably produced Functional-Luxury proposal

The participation at Première Vision New York is the second step of a global tour pointing to some of the most cutting edge design innovations on planet Fashion. #Bember2020 kicked off in Florence for Pitti Uomo, the next appointments will be ISPO in Munich. At each ‘sustainable pit-stop’ the company will showcase a different aspect of its multitasking and sustainable imprint.

Services Galore for a Successful Trade Fair Visit

Interactive hall map +++ My Organizer +++ New Matchmaking Tool +++ EuroShop-App +++ Stage agendas online from January +++ Online Ticketshop open now +++ EuroShop.mag

Less than three months to go before EuroShop 2020, The World’s No.1 Retail Trade Fair, opens its doors. From 16 to 20 February to the tune of 2,300 exhibitors from 60 nations will occupy 16 halls of Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. Trade visitors should also start planning their visit to the trade fair now to leverage the ranges. EuroShop boasts a plethora of services that help trade fair guests from throughout the world make their visit a resounding success.

• Focus on Productivity and Efficiency

MS Printing Solutions at the next Heimtextil will focus on presenting textile printing solutions to boost cost-effective and high-quality productions, answering to Industry leaders in home and contract textile who need: productivity, quality and beneficial production process.

Attendees will see a JP4 EVO 3200 printer at work, with Bellagio reactive ink made by JK Group. This is one of MS' solutions which streamlines printing processes, reduces production times and maintenance costs, improving efficiency by:

• making the best use of production buildings, minimizing the space occupied by printers: JP4 EVO is compact and functional.
• taking full advantage of manufacturing-process, reducing downtime therefore improving productivity-performances: JP4 EVO can be fed by external roll unwinder ensuring timing optimization.
• using inks with a custom-made waveform, lowering the most common defects due to the interaction between ink and printheads, improving your productivity and competitiveness

The show will be the occasion for the Technical and Sales Teams to illustrate all details which characterize Minilario.  The printing machine, launched at the last ITMA, is the ideal choice for those searching for: flexibility, quality, speed, energy efficiency and sustainability, all in one.

The 64 print heads installed on the innovative printing carriage allow Minilario to reach the shocking but real printing speed of 18m/min, fitting the Home and contract textile demand of productivity and quality, applying a cost-effective production process.

The show will offer the opportunity to remark MS's sustainability commitment, started with #transparentaswater project based on the 100/90/10 paradigm aimed to engage the whole Textile Printing Industry in a big change. The commitment continued with MS’s adhesion to the “Sustainable Technologies” project launched by ACIMIT which selects textile machinery and systems manufacturers whose production specifications ensure a low environmental impact, combining sustainability and innovation. MS' printing machines may boast “Green Label” as “Suppliers of Sustainable Technologies” (come and visit us to go deeply inside our sustainability commitment).