From the Sector

As a leading company in workwear, flame retardant and defence and security fabrics, Carrington Textiles announced their commitment to sustainability by pledging exclusive support for the Better Cotton initiative with all our products containing cotton.

The announcement was made on the occasion of World Cotton Day on 7th October 2024, an ideal opportunity to highlight the commitment to developing workwear fabrics that not only offer high levels of quality and performance, but also support the production of responsibly sourced cotton globally.

Better Cotton is an initiative that promotes sustainable cotton farming practices to improve the environment and the livelihoods of farmers while ensuring high-quality cotton for consumers.
In 2019-2020, Better Cotton licensed over 2.4 million farmers from 23 countries across five continents. Together, these farmers produced 23% of the world’s cotton.

Better Cotton is sourced via a chain of custody model called mass balance. This means that Better Cotton is not physically traceable to end products, however, Better Cotton Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those sourced.

When customers buy any of Carrington Textiles fabrics containing cotton, Better Cotton Credits or BCCUs are generated. These BCCUs can be claimed by a registered company directly on the Better Cotton Platform and used to communicate the responsibly source nature of the fabric’s cotton by using hang tags, labels and other marketing materials.

Neil Davey, Carrington Textiles' Managing Director, announced this commitment to sustainability reflecting the company's dedication to reducing its environmental footprint and providing customers with responsibly sourced materials.

Neil stated, "With 99% of fabrics from our FR, workwear and defence ranges containing cotton, this is a huge step towards our sustainability efforts, all of which we are proud to cover in our latest Sustainability Report. This initiative is expected to have a lasting positive impact on our products and the planet."

Haelixa has partnered with Italian fashion brand OVS for the second consecutive year. This collaboration aims to mark and trace cotton grown in Italy, ensuring trust throughout the supply chain.

Haelixa has integrated its DNA markers into the existing operations for OVS's cotton. The cotton is grown in Italy and marked with the DNA markers at the gin, close to the farm. The fibers are tested during the entire manufacturing process, ensuring that the cotton used in this OVS collection is ethically and sustainably sourced. This partnership is a testament to their commitment to promoting responsible and transparent practices in the fashion industry, providing customers with the assurance of the cotton's origin.

Traceability has become crucial in the fashion industry, with consumers demanding more information about the products they purchase. By partnering with Haelixa, OVS continues to meet this demand and set a new standard for cotton in the industry. This alliance will benefit customers and the farmers in Italy, giving them fair recognition for their work.

Simone Colombo, Head of Corporate Sustainability, says, “In 2024, we have continued with Swiss DNA Traceability supplier Haelixa in marking and tracing our OVS Cotone Italiano for the second year. Our goal is to approach 5% of our cotton requirements from cultivation in Italy within a few years.”

The collaboration between Haelixa and OVS has boosted the transparency of their supply chain. With the help of traceability provided by Haelixa, OVS is working towards improving its products' social and environmental impacts. OVS is firmly committed to sustainable and ethical practices and aspires to enhance its operations yearly. The partnership with Haelixa is a testament to their dedication to improving traceability in the fashion industry.

As Interfilière Paris is approaching, ROICA™ introduces its three partners that will exhibit at the fair focusing on intimate wear: Iluna Group, Innova Fabrics and Lauma Elastic.

Iluna Group
Iluna Group is specialized in the production of lingerie and fine fabrics. The company is known for its commitment to sustainability, using eco-high-tech materials and adopting responsible production practices. Its product line includes a wide range of lace, embroidery, and delicate fabrics.

Innova Fabrics
Innova Fabrics produces innovative and high-quality fabrics. It stands out for its ability to combine textile tradition with advanced technologies and offering a range of fabrics for various applications, as fashion, furnishings, and technical textiles.
I LOVE RF: the residual free (RF) line, aimed at reducing the impact of microplastics, is made with 84% Sensil Biocare polyamide and16% ROICA™ V550. PARIS SPECIAL V550: it weighs 180 g/m2, has a height of 160 cm and is composed of 86% TENCEL and 14% ROICA™ V550. RYON RF: part of the “residual free” (RF) line, the Ryon RF fabric is developed using Sensil Biocare polyamide and ROICA™ V550. This combination is designed to minimize the residual persistence of polyamide and elastomer in the environment.

Lauma Elastic
Lauma Elastic is a brand for quality textile and medical materials with a long heritage and constant innovation. Today Lauma is focused on innovation and committed to introducing environmentally friendly, new technologies into the textiles industry. The company presents its fabric 323309 with Tencel™ (84%) and ROICA™ V550 (16%), weight 165cm x 350g, primarily used for sports and yoga leggings for its characteristics of softness and durability.

Computerized textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the 30th edition of the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics show in Shanghai, China this month. It will exhibit as part of the newly established Digital Solutions Zone which allows visitors to capture various opportunities available as part of the digital revolution that is currently making waves in the apparel industry.

SHIMA SEIKI will be showing its APEXFiz® subscription-based design software which supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that eventually go to waste. The remarkable realism of textile simulation is achieved by using scanned data of actual yarn to virtually weave or knit, creating an image that resembles real fabric. These fabrics can be utilized in various 3D simulation software including APEXFiz® to create realistic product images. Should the design be approved for production, machine data can be generated to allow smooth communication for digitally bridging the gap between the studio and factory. APEXFiz® thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

The product planning capability of APEXFiz® is enhanced by several web services featured as part of the SHIMA SEIKI Online Services (SHIMA online) web platform. These include SHIMA Datamall™ digital content web service that allows users to search, browse and purchase a variety of useful data for streamlining the planning and production of fashion items, as well as the yarnbank® digital yarn sourcing web service that offers digitized yarn data by yarn companies from around the world for download and use in virtual sampling.

Knitwear samples produced on the latest lineup of computerized flatbed knitting machines and exclusive to SHIMA SEIKI computerized knitting technology will also be on display, including WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear that can be produced in their entirety without linking or sewing, as well as hybrid knit-weave samples proposed as an alternative to wovens.

After a initial launch in 2022, global denim company Wrangler® launches the second installment of Wrangler Reborn™ – the latest collection to celebrate the upcycling of denim. The newest Wrangler Reborn™ sees the brand collaborate with BVH Services’ brand Beyond Retro, for the first time. BVH are one of the largest vintage retailers across Europe with a reputation for producing on-trend fashion without a hefty carbon footprint making them the perfect partner to give the collection a new dimension and even greater scale globally.

Purposefully crafted with circularity and sustainability in mind, the latest Wrangler Reborn™ Collection features a sustainable twist on some of its classic styles, including the Greensboro Straight Leg Jean, Reworked Short, Icon Jacket and Heritage Shirt that provide consumers with wardrobe staples they can wear for years to come while simultaneously diverting textile waste from landfills. To create the collection, Wrangler revived discarded denim and transformed it into apparel tough enough to stand the test of time that can be repurposed and re-loved, providing consumers the opportunity to buy better.

Wrangler’s commitment to durability and long-lasting quality products has helped to keep waste out of landfills since 1947. Wrangler Reborn™ enhances that commitment and is an additional step towards the brand’s WeCare Wrangler™ goals, crafted to create a better future through its commitment to sustainability.

After navigating the challenges of 2023, Vietnam's textile and garment exports have been gradually recovering. Additionally, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam during the first five months of this year reached USD 11 billion, a 2% year-on-year increase, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). To cater to Vietnam’s renewed business opportunities, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will return from 26 – 28 February 2025 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC).

The fair’s inaugural edition attracted 409 exhibitors and 17,262 visits from 17 and 55 countries and regions respectively. Building on this solid foundation, VIATT 2025 will continue to showcase the latest industry trends, and expand its focus on various pertinent areas. This will include the fair’s new Econogy Hub, a dedicated zone to advance the topic of sustainability in the textile industry, and to relate it closely to the demands of economic and social change. Together with the evolving environmental landscape, the fair will also help industry players adapt to the rapid adoption of new technology in the business world with the debut of the Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone. This zone will allow exhibitors to unveil the latest technology and solutions such as AI design, digital manufacturing, big data analytics, and more.

Concurrently, VIATT 2025 will continue to present a diverse range of exhibitors across the apparel, home textile and technical textile sectors, with positive feedback received from many quarters at the fair’s inaugural edition.

Apparel Fabrics & Fashion
In the first four months of 2024, textile and garment exports grew 6.3% year-on-year to over USD 10 billion. The US remains Vietnam’s top export market, followed by the EU, South Korea, China, and Japan. To meet this demand, Vietnam's textile industry continues to import a significant amount of raw materials. At VIATT 2024, yarns, fibres and fabrics for casualwear, sportswear and uniforms, as well as garment accessories, were in high demand.

Home & Contract Textiles
Vietnam’s home textile market is projected to undergo a steady CAGR of 2.4% from 2024 – 2032, driven by the rising need for modern and stylish home textiles, e-commerce expansion, and favourable government initiatives. At the fair’s previous edition, product groups included bedding, loungewear and bathroom textiles, curtains and curtain fabrics, upholstery and sofa fabrics, and home textile accessories.

At VIATT 2025, exhibitors can additionally present their latest offerings in the Home Textiles Display Zone or at dedicated product presentations, to maximise their visibility to potential buyers.

Technical Textiles & Technologies
Across the textile industry, investors are now focusing on optimising production capacity, streamlining supply chains, and enhancing product quality to maintain competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. With the new Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone to supplement the textile technology category, VIATT 2025 is set to play host to providers of textile and nonwoven machinery, CAD/CAM, CMT, and technology for embroidery, knitting, sewing, printing, and more. Exhibitors can draw more attention to their latest solutions by participating in the fair's new innovation showcase area.

The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), covering the entire textile industry value chain. The second edition will be held from 26 – 28 February 2025.

Lifestyle brand Napapijri has released a range of sustainable summer essentials for men, women and kids, using Good Earth Cotton®.

The partnership between Napapijri and Good Earth Cotton® highlights the brand’s aim to source 100% of its materials from regenerative, responsibly sourced, renewable or recycled sources by 2030. The range includes premium knitwear including T-shirts, polos and more.

Good Earth Cotton is a production system verified as having a positive Net Zero position. The Australian-grown program focuses on regenerative farming that improves soil health, enhances biodiversity and sequesters carbon ensuring that it not only has a neutral impact on the environment but net positive one.

One of the most innovative aspects of Good Earth Cotton® is the use of FibreTrace® technology, a real time verification for fibre integrity. Unlike other traceability technologies, FibreTrace® embeds luminescent pigments into the raw cotton, creating a unique signature to verify the fibre and track across the global supply chain. Luminescent pigments are pigments that create physical traceability locked to a scanning device. FibreTrace® also validates the data of the raw cotton fibre and sustainability improvements through the supply chain.

Each product in Napapijri’s Good Earth Cotton® range comes with a QR code on the label which can be scanned to display the products supply chain journey from fibre to store.

Multiple global regulations set to take effect in the coming years have made traceability an imperative for retailers and brands. These include the Digital Product Passport, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and the New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, to name a few.

While companies are aware of the importance of traceability, research indicates that they are not prepared to comply with upcoming legislation. A recent KPMG survey highlighted that 43% of executives at major enterprises had no visibility or were “largely unclear” about the performance of their Tier 1 suppliers. At the same time, only 28% of companies had clear visibility into Tier 2 suppliers.

TradeBeyond’s recently published Supply Chain Traceability Guide, the latest installment of its Retail Sourcing Report series, highlights the myriad challenges that companies face in implementing effective traceability programs. This report is relevant for all industries, and is especially topical for the apparel and footwear sectors, which are under increasing scrutiny to enhance traceability to ensure sustainability.

The report highlights retail’s slow progress in achieving transparency, as evidenced by the Fashion Transparency Index, which found that the average transparency score across 250 of the world’s largest brands and retailers was just 23%. That suggests that progress on transparent disclosure of social and environmental data is still lagging.
 
The report shows that brands fall short on most key measures of sustainability and traceability, including publishing a responsible code of conduct and providing visibility into their Scope 3 carbon footprint. The United Nations Economics Commission found that only a third of the top one hundred global clothing companies track their own supply chains. One of the obstacles is complexity. More than two-thirds (69%) of fashion companies report that complexity of their global business networks is an obstacle to visibility.

In addition to a lack of visibility, false sustainability claims are also rampant. Greenpeace found that in the apparel and footwear sector, 39% of sustainability claims are false or deceptive. Lack of third-party verification of ESG measures is also rampant.

The highest scoring brands in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index included luxury brands such as Gucci and retailers such Target Australia, Kmart Australia, OVS, and Benetton. These companies back up their commitment with solid action on multiple measures of traceability.

Along with legislative requirements, consumers are a key driving force pushing companies to improve their traceability initiatives. McKinsey research found that 66% of consumers consider transparency to be a key factor when making a purchase decision and 73% of consumers would pay more for products with transparency into production and sourcing.

The report also highlights key challenges to overcome in the journey to traceability, including effective communication between stakeholders, compliance with new regulations, technology barriers, and data complexity.

On the positive side, the industry is responding with sophisticated technology, including software systems that incorporate artificial intelligence and blockchain-enabled traceability, which provide the required visibility and compliance.

Traceable fiber technology, which allows for traceability from the material origin of a product until its end-life, provides the option of a “fiber-forward” rather than a “product backward” approach to achieving traceability.

Aside from the regulatory and consumer drivers, there is a strong business case for implementing traceability, which includes cost savings, operational efficiency, brand protection and reducing supply chain risk. As such, TradeBeyond expects a rapid evolution in traceability programs across industries, especially in those that lag in best-practices.

While there has been considerable progress in recent years toward accurately tracing the complete origins of products, much more needs to be done. Brands and retailers must intensify their efforts to stay compliant with escalating regulations and align with evolving consumer preferences.

Source Fashion, which takes place at Olympia London from 14th - 16th July 2024, continues to grow its presence of international exhibitors from new sourcing regions, including representation from southeast Asia and Africa.

The first Malaysian manufacturer to be represented at the trade fair is Kualesa Apparel. Kualesa started as a small seed of an idea, with a big ambition and an even bigger purpose. The brand has evolved from a simple set of values to a producer of great-looking and comfortable bamboo apparel that’s challenging fast fashion. Kualesa offer flexible MOQ’s ranging from 250 pieces to high production capacity of 50,000 pieces a month.

Fairs and More Inc from the Philippines returns to the show for a third time, bringing a pavilion of Filipino manufacturers and makers.

The show also welcomes its first ever Nigerian manufacturer, Beyond Clothing. Beyond Clothing is a garment factory, that specialises in crafting premium custom clothing, branded uniforms, corporate uniforms, and sublimated t-shirts. The range also includes promotional apparel, workwear, and PPE personal protective apparel for hospitals.

Returning to Source Fashion, Texpro Corp (a branch of Kassab Group) from Tunisia has grown rapidly to become a fully integrated apparel manufacturer certified with GOTS, BSCI, BCI, and OCS covering the complete production cycle focusing on sustainability through the process from fabrics to manufacturing, washing and dying. The company specialises in denim and flat garment manufacturing and the product portfolio includes casual dresses, shirts, jackets, pants and coats for men, women and kids. Texpro Corp are increasingly partnering with customers to ensure high consistent quality on the products and invest in innovation to help improve the environmental impact by consistently delivering responsibly produced products.

Visitors will also discover International Trade Center (ITC), who is returning with a pavilion that includes a debut area for Ghanian producers. With manufacturing in Ethiopia, Shints Co Ltd. is a global producer of high-performance outdoor clothing and camping equipment.

A strong contingency from Europe includes over 25 UK exhibitors, representation from France, Italy and Spain, and a selection of Portuguese exhibitors including Ttantos Textiles, FLM Textil, SMSenra and Lagofra.

Nearly 30 countries, including Peru, Cambodia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Italy, and Greece will be represented. Large pavilions from China, India and Turkey have also been confirmed, as well as Tanzania, Madagascar and Nepal.

Vision and technology are the key ingredients of a ground-breaking school blazer that is showing how businesses can move to a circular textiles economy.  
 
While many brands are grappling with the complexities of inevitable legislation and engrained business models, leading school uniform producer, David Luke, has launched a fully recyclable ‘circular’ school blazer that is designed to be recycled through Project Re:claim, the world’s first commercial-scale polyester recycling plant.
 
Project Re:claim is a joint venture between the UK’s largest charity textile collector, The Salvation Army, and leading circularity specialists Project Plan B. The plant opened in the UK in January 2024, and presents huge opportunities for brands to transition to textile-to-textile manufacturing models.
 
David Luke’s circular blazer has been introduced to the brand’s successful Eco-uniform range which has sold over 1.7 million Eco-blazers in the last decade. Up until 2023, David Luke’s Eco-blazer, like many recycled garments, has been made from recycled plastic bottles. But the company has been working with Tim Cross, CEO of Project Plan B and the Circular Textiles Foundation, to bring the 100% recyclable blazer to market.
 
Tim Cross said: “David Luke has grasped the opportunity to embed 100% recyclable and 100% recycled garments into their range, starting with the school blazer. We now have the technology to enable their blazers to be recycled without any separation of the garment, making it an efficient recycling process. The team at David Luke has worked tirelessly with their manufacturers to create a blazer that does not compromise on design or quality, and yet is much kinder to the environment.”
 
Every detail from the lining, buttons and zips to the inter-linings and adhesives, has been re-thought and re-designed to meet the demands of an everyday school blazer and to recycle the garment once it reaches its end-of-life. Up until now, when the blazers have eventually been handed down to siblings, or given to the local charity shop, there had been no end-of-life solution for polyester garments apart from incineration. Now, Project Re:claim can recycle the blazer to produce polyester pellets, which are then spun into yarn to be used for future David Luke circular blazers.
 
Cross continues: “David Luke has the vision to create a fully circular range, and we have the potential to supply recycled content. The possibilities are infinite in terms of the future of garment design and manufacturing.”
 
Kathryn Shuttleworth, Chief Executive of David Luke, said: “It is a natural next step for us to transition to a textile-to-textile model. We have been producing garments using recycled plastic bottles for 15 years, but we have always had an eye on developments in textile recycling and solutions for end-of-life garments.”
 
In 2020, David Luke was awarded the Queen’s award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development and in January 2023 the David Luke circular blazer achieved Circular Foundation Textile certification.
 
Shuttleworth added: “Our focus will always be on those essential ingredients for parents and children - style, durability and affordability. But we have a responsibility to change our business model to better protect children’s future and the environment. It has become our obsession to make uniforms that meet our customers’ demands. We are really excited about the future as we continue to develop our range.”
 
Majonne Frost, Head of Environment and Sustainability for Salvation Army Trading Company, said: “Our vision is to enable companies to produce uniforms, corporate wear, fashion garments and textile ranges using recycled polyester.  We have the infrastructure to collect donations at scale and we now need companies to step up. This is an opportunity for companies to make a commitment to significantly reduce their environmental impact, and David Luke are showing us how that is possible.”