From the Sector

Itema held the first Itema Denim Day on the 12th of April, a full day dedicated to deepen trends and challenges throughout the denim sector, with a focus on how to meet sustainable perspectives by presenting and introducing new business models and innovations. The event provided the unique opportunity to share ideas, experiences and best practices. This one-day event shed light on the most recent green innovations through a market and customer-oriented approach.

The whole supply chain was the centre of a lively debate which highlighted the connections between ethics and business, the most recent product and process innovations, key technologies, as well as a survey of the digitalisation in the value chain for the textile sector. The event also highlighted the most recent rapier, air-jet and projectile weaving innovations designed and developed by Itema for denim fabrics. The innovations presented, tailored and customized for denim production, attracted great interest from denim mills delegates attending the event, impressed by the considerable costs saving, user-friendliness and unparalleled innovative content of the Itema looms.

This year’s Annual General Meeting of Lenzing AG resolved today, Thursday, April 17, 2019, to distribute a dividend of EUR 3.00 per share as well as a special dividend totaling EUR 2.00 per share. On balance, the dividend will amount to EUR 5.00 per no-par value share for the 2018 financial year (compared to EUR 5.00 per share in the previous year). The dividend payment is scheduled to take place on April 25, 2019, whereas ex-dividend day is on April 23, 2019.

The Annual General Meeting also adopted a resolution discharging the members of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board for the 2018 financial year, and also resolved upon the remuneration to be paid to the Supervisory Board members for the 2018 and 2019 financial years. KPMG Austria GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungs- u. Steuerberatungsgesellschaft was appointed to serve as the auditor of the annual and consolidated financial statements for the 2019 financial year.

Effective at the end of this Annual General Meeting, Hanno Bästlein, the previous Chairman of the Supervisory Board, as well as Christoph Kollatz have retired from the Supervisory Board at their own request. “We would like to thank Hanno Bästlein and Christoph Kollatz for their dedicated work on the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG. Thanks to their expertise, they made a major contribution to important strategic decisions in the company. During his four years as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Hanno Bästlein decisively supported the strategy of the Lenzing Group and thus contributed to the enhanced resilience of the company based on the expansion with specialty fibers”, says Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing AG.

Anita Tillmann on the new season, new topics and a new generation.

“We’re feeling a special vibe in Berlin at the moment. The new generation is cool, fresh, engaged. Despite the fact that we, in our 40s, 50s and up, wear the same sneakers and almost the same look as our children, it's a long time since we topped the cool list. We need the young crowd, these stars of tomorrow, their style, their ideas and their unconventional and open ways of thinking. Everyone should come to Berlin to meet them, listen to them, or at least watch them. If you only look to the past you won't create a good future.”

CRAFTING STORIES.
“Berlin feels reckless, flexible, sometimes wonderfully aimless, unconstrained and unpredictable, which gives my creativity a huge boost. I am fascinated by always meeting people from all over the world who have chosen to make Berlin their base so that they can be free and creative, because Berlin offers the space to do that – whether in a studio, or at WeWork or Berghain.”

CHANGING STORIES.
“Only 9 per cent of the 9.1 billion tonnes of waste plastic that accumulates around the world was recycled and 12 per cent was incinerated. We give talks daily on the theme of avoiding plastic and we are working with the City of Berlin on concepts for a plastic-free Fashion Week. Only together can we shake things up.”

TELLING STORIES.
“Emotionalisation begins at the trade show stand rather than in-store. If the sparks don't fly at the trade show it will be tricky to tell the brand story or implement the presentation of the brands across the sales areas. Firstly, the aim is to use key looks and storytelling to capture buyers’ attention and make statements. We are working together with the brands on showcasing differentiating factors and genuinely presenting something new. Secondly, we recommend bringing young sales staff along to Berlin as well, to internalise this dynamic as well as the brand stories; and to then make these stories come alive for end consumers across the sales areas.”

• New game-changing Kornit NeoPoly Technology with industry-first innovation for industrial polyester printing that prevents dye migration.
• New Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro system unveiled at events during April, commercially available immediately.

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global market leader in digital textile printing innovation, unveiled the game-changing Kornit NeoPoly Technology, which is the industry’s first digital, industrial process for high-quality printing on polyester.

Polyester is the second largest category in the overall T-shirt market, it is key in the sport segment, and is growing in the athleisure and functional apparel segments. Currently polyester is printed predominantly by analog solutions, which creates major technological, cost and sustainability challenges.  

The new ground-breaking Kornit NeoPoly Technology addresses these challenges with a new process and ink set implemented in the renowned Kornit NeoPigmentTM process. Kornit’s new process handles polyester applications without compromising on design, run size, substrate or labor.

The breakthrough technological innovation is achieved by an innovative ink set and a physical and chemical process specifically developed for low temperature curing, and polyester enhancing functionalities developed to maintain fabric characteristics and provide superior fastness. This unique process prevents dye migration on polyester.  The inks are Oeko-Tex and Eco-Passport certified and do not contain PVCs or other toxic ingredients.

The first system equipped with the Kornit NeoPoly Technology is the new Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro, a member of Kornit’s world-class reliable, highly productive industrial platform. The single-step Poly Pro is the perfect system for the industry, enabling easy and cost effective short-runs and on-demand printing on polyester garments.

Outgoing 2018-19 National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman Marty Moran delivered the trade association’s 2019 State of the U.S. Textile Industry overview at NCTO’s 16th Annual Meeting on March 21st at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.

Mr. Moran’s speech outlined (1) U.S. textile supply chain economic, employment and trade data, (2) the 2019 policy priorities of domestic textile manufacturers, and (3) other NCTO activities.  

A link to his remarks as prepared for delivery are included in this press statement along with a link to a data infographic prepared by NCTO illustrating the current economic status of the U.S. textile industry.

Mr. Moran is CEO of Buhler Quality Yarns, Corp., a fine-count yarn supplier headquartered in Jefferson, Georgia with plants and/or offices in America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.  

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.  
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.  
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.  
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

• Exclusive market insights, best practices and inspirational thoughts, alongside previews of Kornit’s new dedicated polyester printing technology

Kornit Digital, (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global market leader in digital textile printing technology, invites all textile printers, garment decorators, Kornit users, prospective customers and anyone who is curious about the latest trends and technology in digital textile printing, to its “Kornit Discover” events.

Taking place April 3-4 in the New York Metropolitan area, April 11-12 in Duesseldorf, Germany and April 15-17 in Hong Kong, each event will feature educational workshops with real-world insights delivered by high-level guest speakers. Highlighting the North American event will be a keynote by Breakaway Sports owner Scott Goldstone, multiple case study presentations, and a panel discussion with editors of key publications serving the imprinted apparel industry. The European event will feature a keynote called “The Future of Retail” by futurist Kai Gondlach, a digital transformation review of the textile industry by Tansy Fall, editor-in-chief of Digital Textile 4.0 and an insightful chat with Kornit user Shirtracer, Nuremburg. The Asian instance will feature Ron Gilboa as main speaker and Kornit’s customer Paintory.

Omer Kulka, Kornit Digital’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy, said: “There are still a lot of perceptions and opinions in the market about direct-to-garment printing and what its opportunities and limitations are. Printing on dark polyester is a prime example: there is an opinion in the market that digital printing and dark poly don’t go well together, and we just lifted this barrier. With Kornit Discover, we are creating an industry event that will challenge these established thinking patterns. In fact, we will transform the way visitors think and print!”

FONG’S EUROPE, based in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its flagship THEN brand for advanced dyeing technology with a special reception for customers and agents at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona.

The company, which has been a member of the CHTC FONG’S group since 2004, has its origins in the German city of Chemnitz, where back in 1919 Rudolf Then founded a barrel-making business which soon branched out into piece dyeing machines.

The company’s reputation for innovation began early, with the introduction of ceramic linings for dye baths, which were then made of wood, in order to avoid staining and allow easy cleaning. At the end of the 1920s, Rudolf Then was also quick to recognise the acid-resistant advantages of stainless steel for dyeing vessels.

Relocating to West Germany after World War 2, Rudolf Then ran a number of businesses in Schwäbisch Hall, eventually founding THEN in 1955 with partner Karl Kurz, who later took over the business specialising in dye vats and other textile equipment.

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the company continued to further improve its technologies, but it was the introduction of the first THEN AIRFLOW system at ITMA 1983 in Milan which significantly boosted the company’s fortunes, representing a milestone in the development of dyeing machines.

Prior to this, the dyeing of just one kilo of fabric required around 150 litres of water and THEN’s AIRFLOW system, invented by engineer Wilhelm Christ and colleagues, drastically reduced the requirement to between just 35-40 litres. Instead of the traditional dye liquor used for hydraulic fabric transport it efficiently distributed much smaller amounts of dye liquor via aerosol. This technology has subsequently been further developed in successive machine models and has made an enormous impact on sustainable dyeing operations.

Now, as FONG’S EUROPE, the company continues to innovate, and at ITMA 2019 is showcasing the THEN SMARTFLOW TSF hydraulic high temperature dyeing machine, designed to achieve the lowest possible energy and water consumption rates available on the market for jet dyeing.

The company has a number of patents pending on the innovative new features of this machine, including the SMARTFLOW’s fabric transport design. This is based on a smart, winchless fabric transport system which eliminates the need for a loading rope, and a circular plaiter with programmable rotation speeds which provides full filling of the drop zone.

Its newly-developed nozzles and reel-less transport, in combination with smart controlled circular plaiting and variable chamber adjustment, provide even fabric treatment without entanglements and the highest loading capacity with the lowest kier volume

“Further developments, including the new THEN AIRFLOW PLUS system with a round design are in the development pipeline and will once again result in further reductions in power consumption without sacrificing performance,” says FONG’s Europe Sales Director Richard Fander. “Similar innovations are being made to our hydraulic long shape machine, the THEN SUPRATEC LTM. The ability to transport fabrics with reduced tension and without the need for a transport winch which is being introduced on all of our recent machines will allow new fabrics to be created and further increase the efficiency of textile finishing.

Fong’s Europe will be at stand D101 in Hall 2 at ITMA 2019.

Prompted by the need to offer an adequate in-depth analysis of topics such as the integration of sustainability in fashion and the importance of the transition to the circular economy, the shared journey of C.L.A.S.S., the multi-platformhub, a reference resource since 2007 for smart innovationin fashion and Polimoda, the internationally recognized institute, world-renowned for its independent approach and innovative vision in terms of “fashion education”, as a result of the perfect combination of business and design.

Eight sessionsduring which topicsrelated to smart innovation, the new role of the designer and the importance of a new generation of communication along withthe urgency of a transversalcooperation and the development of new business models strictly linked to a circular economy approach.
An inspirational path,intensive and engaging, aimed at involving Polimoda students of theFashion Design and Design ManagementMasters –in their future role of protagonists of the fashion industry.
A shared project, aimed at fostering the development of punctual knowledges on responsible innovation, which is to consider effective because of that concrete approach that involves the introduction of smart materials with a view to a circular economy approach.
This is how Polimoda, the fashion institute that boasts an innate and strong policy and strategic vision on the fashion universe at 360 °, and C.L.A.S.S, a reference point since 2007, specialized in the integration of smartvalues withinproducts and fashion companies, in addition to education, partneringto givelife to a driving force thattranslates into a culturalbackground for students.

On March 7th, European Commissioner on the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has been welcomed in Prato by the mayor Matteo Bittoni and by the Councilor for Productive Activities Daniela Toccafondi, together with the economic categories for a meeting organized by the Department of Economic Development with reference to the Fashion System.

By the end of the meeting, the only company visit planned has followed, and brought to the Manteco headquarter. Manteco is a firm leader in the production of wool and recycled fabrics since 1943.  Today led by Matteo and Marco Mantellassi, Manteco is able to value territory, sharing economy, sustainability, internationalization and the use of renewable energies – not only as an investment policy but also as a distinctive element for the identification of the company as an international reference point for the fashion textile sector.

The company visit was attended by European Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska, Justina Morek, member of the Commissioner's Cabinet, Beatrice Covassi, director of the Representation of the European Commission in Rome, Slawomir Tokarski, director for advanced and innovative manufacturing in the general direction of the internal market and European Commission industry, MEP Hon. Nicola Danti, dr. Alberto Biginelli, Councilor Daniela Toccafondi; The Mayor of Prato Matteo Bittoni, the Mayor of the Municipality of Montemurlo, Mauro Lorenzini.

The key topic of the meeting has been the circular economy  – that is to consider very close to Manteco – along with some others explored such as the value of Made in Italy, the importance of a responsible approach to reuse and the need for a traceability system. Noteworthy the visit to the Manteco Archive, during which the focus has been on raw materials, with reference to the tradition and experience that today are perfectly combined with the strong innovative drive and creativity. Upon request of the European Commissioner, the corporate approach with a view to circular economy, km0 production system and how it fits into the productive district were also dealt with.
 
«I visited a textile company that recycles or reuses waste materials to produce wool of the highest quality: this is an excellent example of circular economy. The circular economy is an extremely interesting subject everywhere in Europe, because we are leaders in sustainability, and we want our children and ourselves to be able to live in a country that is livable in the future, so that's why it is worthwhile to show stories in Europe of success like this, which is a good practice that we are putting into practice, starting with the big industries and the energy-intensive ones » - Elzbieta Bienkowska -

Hexcel and Arkema have announced that they will open a joint research and development laboratory in Les Avenières (Isère), France in April.

This follows the companies’ previous announcement in March 2018 that they were forming a strategic alliance to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector, combining the expertise of Hexcel in carbon fiber and Arkema in PEKK.

The companies’ objective at this new lab is to develop carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tapes to enable lightweight parts to be produced for future generations of aircraft. These solutions will provide lightweight and cost effective technologies including faster production cycles for customers in the aerospace and the space and defense sectors.

Thanks to Hexcel and Arkema’s close collaboration, an initial industrial pilot line will be installed in the new lab in the coming weeks. The companies expect to start supplying carbon/thermoplastic UD tapes from this pilot line to customers for evaluation beginning in Q3 2019.