From the Sector

• Deep Insights into the Multifaceted World of Cotton
• Quality, Innovation and Digitalisation are Crucial

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, the international cotton industry came together in the historic Bremen Town Hall, under the motto "Cotton Insights". More than 500 participants from almost 40 countries came to exchange views on the latest trends in the natural raw material as part of the conference organised by the Bremen Cotton Exchange in cooperation with the Fibre Institute Bremen. The 34th International Cotton Conference provided a varied, in-depth programme which addressed the current and burning issues within the industry.

Summarising his visit to the conference, Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in Washington said “The Bremen Cotton Conference is unique because it brings the diverse world of cotton together in one place. It is always a great opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, talk to cotton merchants and get an overview of the industry".

Sustainability and Cotton
This year, the conference developed into a whole week of diverse events around the entire cotton supply chain. With the “SUSTAIN” event, which was organised in cooperation with the Weser-Kurier newspaper, it was possible to build a bridge between the issue of sustainability and the end consumer.
With the focus on Africa, the emerging continent, which also has a special significance for cotton, became the centre of attention.

In his opening speech, Henning Hammer, President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, made it clear that sustainability is also of great importance during the Cotton Conference: "The three pillars of sustainability – the environment, the economy and social issues – were already playing a role in the cotton industry when the word sustainability was far from being on everyone's lips.
Many changes that are being demanded in the sense of responsible agriculture and responsible trade take their time, many are already in the starting blocks and a lot already exists. We have a very alert, active agricultural research worldwide."

The Keynotes
The keynote session, moderated by the journalist Lisa Boekhoff from the newspaper Weser-Kurier, gave participants an overview, with an informative analysis of the current cotton situation. Kai Hughes, executive director of ICAC, emphasised in his keynote address the need to provide credible facts and figures which should be the basis for the entire supply chain. The marketing of cotton and changing consumer habits in a globalised and digitalised world were the subject of lectures by Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated and Robert Antoshak, Olah Inc. Eugen Weinberg and Michael Alt from Commerzbank took a look at the raw material from a stock market perspective.

Traceability and Digitalisation
Digitalisation is also a cross-cutting issue that runs through the entire supply chain of the cotton industry. In his opening speech, Prof. Axel S. Hermann, Head of the Fibre Institute Bremen, emphasised the importance of digitalisation for the industry. “It enables new approaches in cotton cultivation and textile processing, but also influences consumer behaviour and thus the necessary changes in the textile industry.” The focus is on the status quo of the implementation, as well as the opportunities and risks of digitally controlled, vertically integrated procurement and sales processes and the associated challenges at retail level.

Another current topic is traceability, which is also closely linked to sustainability. More and more buyers want to know whether their suppliers are meeting the promised sustainability criteria for their products, also textile products. Consequently, the conference presented various techniques for testing the authenticity of a cotton provided in the finished textile, such as DNA testing, fingerprint analysis technique, marker methods and block-chain processes.

Cotton Quality
In addition to current subjects such as digitalisation and traceability, questions of cotton quality have traditionally been an essential element of the Cotton Conference, which was further reinforced this year with the "Spinners Seminar". The spinning mill seminar, which was carried out by the Cotton Exchange and the Fibre Institute in cooperation with the ITMF and IVGT associations, far exceeded expectations.

More than 70 participants discussed the handling of impurities in supplied cotton in the manufacturing process.
In addition, in a high-level expert session, there was an exchange of the latest research results which determine the future of cotton production and the processing of cotton into innovative products.

• Confirming a Circular Economy focus
• 2 additional million investment in highly specialized process technology
• Launch of first ECOTEC® Smart Knitwear innovations
• New Market Partnerships

The ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi transformation into excellence yarns is back at Première Vision sharing amazing new steps in its journey towards smart innovation within a circular economy approach. 

First of all the company is proud to announce a 2 million euros investment in highly specialized process technology always aiming at improving ECOTEC® process and its yarn product range. This is another confirmation about the real ongoing commitment from Marchi & Fildi to position ECOTEC® as a key player in the world of responsible innovation.

On top of this, ECOTEC® is also widening its portfolio range thanks to the introduction of special yarns with counts and styles designed for Knitwear production: 

• ECOTEC® Moulinè and micromoulinè yarns: offering amazing colour effects and precious touch always fresh and cool. Considering that ECOTEC® yarns are not dyed, it is quite a smart look and achievement!
• ECOTEC® cable: soft twists for full body hand, authentic touch and amazing colour cards available. 

More technology, new applications… these facts are opening up the doors also to new ECOTEC® partners in the market. It is essential to offer brands and designers a wider and interesting choice in terms of ECOTEC® fabrics.

Based on this Marchi & Fildi is presenting:  

The ECOTEC® COLLECTION an exclusive seasonal range of ECOTEC® fabrics created by ECOTEC® partners including Ledatex (booth 5N29), Nalya (booth 5L52), 3C Company S.r.l., Sidònios Knitwear (booth 5P32-5R13), O’Jersey (booth 5N22) alongside longstanding accredited partners such as Lanificio COMATEX (booth 5H54, 5J53), Manifattura CBM, Euromaglia Srl (booth 5P17), Tessuti & Tessuti srl (booth 5M30), RDD and Tintex Textiles (booth 5N56, 5P55).

That is not all, this season ECOTEC® is proud to present an exclusive range of smart textile design solutions from the Marchi & Fildi research and development center in cooperation with the UK expert textile trend forecaster Sandy Mac Lennan.  It is called ECOTEC ® INNOVATION , and it is an  inspiring line  developed with the clear goal of highlighting ECOTEC® uniqueness with solutions that are real avant-garde in fashion trends. Pegasus (80% ECOTEC® cotton, 20% cotton), Chagall (50% ECOTEC® cotton, 40% cotton, 10% cashmere) and Phoenix (52% ECOTEC® cotton, 48% recycled polyester) are the fundamentals that gave birth to 10 exclusive innovative qualities. Nets, knits, patterned woven, degradè, plissè, new tonal summer plaids and bold stripings on fine grounds. An inspiring contemporary range, dedicated to ECOTEC® partners, which brings ECOTEC® at the forefront of textile design.  Something to explore at 360° degrees!

Recent ECOTEC® brand adoptions include Jan’n June, the German brand, founded in 2014, whose aim is to offer garments that are fashionable, affordable and environmentally responsible. Produced by a family owned company in Poland, Jan’n June operate s a strong transparency policy with printed QR-Codes on the hangtags to give its customer’s all the key information about fabrics, production values and certification for every garment.

Furthermore there is Mundotextil, a Portuguese home textiles manufacturer. Mundotêxtil, together with ECOTEC® has just launched, with great success at Heimtextil, a market-first, world unique and responsibly made cotton towel innovation that really saves on water use, energy and CO2 emissions.

Lectra brings together partnership schools and industry experts to discuss how changing professions
in fashion are impacting training programs

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather,
technical textiles and composite materials, recently welcomed partners from the world of
education to the company’s Bordeaux-Cestas campus for its eighth education congress. The
event was dedicated to the mega trends shaping the fashion industry and impacting
professions from design to production.

Over fifty representatives from among the most important fashion schools in Germany, Canada, China,
USA, France, Hong Kong, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden, participated
in this biannual meeting between industry experts and teaching professionals.

Fashion professions are evolving as companies make their first steps towards Industry 4.0, adopting 3D
and rationalizing the lifecycle management for their collections thanks to PLM. Lectra’s congress enabled
schools to discuss the developing role of designers and patternmakers, and the new elements to be
integrated into training programs.

Lectra illustrated future changes through presentations on design, patternmaking, 3D prototyping, and PLM.
“It is fundamental to bring innovation experts in the industry together with fashion schools, because
students will drive the evolution of this industry,” stated Pascal Denizart, Managing Director of the Centre
européen des textiles innovants (CETI).

Working with schools to design courses which meet the needs of fashion companies has always been at
the heart of Lectra’s education program. During the event, the company presented collaborative
experiences between partner schools and fashion brands, such as the competitions organised by Lectra
with Missoni, Balenciaga, and Armani in Italy, as well as Peacebird in China and JC Penney in the United
States.

In the United Kingdom, Lectra collaborated with COS (H&M group) and the Arts University Bournemouth
(AUB) for a competition centred on the design of a collection with zero waste.
“The process was totally digital, from design to the creation of a virtual prototype in 3D. Our students learnt
to optimize each stage of the process. By leveraging the use of Kaledo®, Modaris® and Diamino®, the
collaborative work between AUB, COS and Lectra is exactly the type of project that enormously motivates
our students. Live briefs developed with leading fashion brands and Lectra offer excellent opportunities
which directly inform industry currency and student employability,” explained Penny Norman, a lecturer at
AUB.

The event also shone the spotlight on China and its major role in the evolution of the fashion industry.
Li Min, Vice-Dean of the fashion and design faculty at Donghua university in Shanghai spoke of the event,
organized by Lectra, which brought together major Chinese companies, experts, and representatives from
the biggest schools in China.

“Exchanges on the impact of the Made in China 2025 plan on the fashion industry can better prepare
students for tomorrow’s professions, where digital and automation will occupy a far more central position
than today,” testified Li Min.

"The fashion industry is evolving so fast that sharing insights and best practices with experts and other
fashion schools has become vital to ensure we offer the best learning experience and technology tools to
our students", said Dr. Trevor J. Little, Professor of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management in
the College of Textiles at NC State University.

“Lectra’s eighth education congress confirms the company’s commitment to our partner schools. We
shared our analysis of the market, the digitalization of the eco-system, and how Industry 4.0 principles can
be applied to the fashion industry. We also discussed mass customization and the role of PLM. While these
are key subjects for our customers, many schools are only now approaching them. We are preparing
tomorrow, today: Lectra is supporting our customers, and schools to play an essential role,” concludes
Céline Choussy Bedouet, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Lectra.

• Lectra’s latest PLM solution selected by Jinfa Labi to improve its product development process through supply chain digitization

Paris – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, is pleased to announce that Jinfa Labi, one of the first publicly listed maternity and infant clothing companies in China, has chosen Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 to help digitally transform their supply chain, making it more efficient, integrated and connected.

Spurred by the continued growth of the Chinese economy, young Chinese parents are now demanding maternity and baby products that are more personalized and sophisticated in terms of material and design. To meet these new market needs, Jinfa Labi has chosen to implement Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 after researching on all PLM vendors in the market. With the help of this solution, the company aims to further improve their product development process by digitizing their entire supply chain, from design to production, enhancing business agility and collaboration. By embracing digitalization, the company hopes to make progress in adopting the government initiative “Made in China 2025”.

Lectra’s ultimate collaborative platform—Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0—gives fashion and apparel companies the extra speed and agility they need to tackle the challenges of Industry 4.0 head on. With the widest functional scope on the market, this technology serves as the intelligent backbone for the digital supply chain, facilitating the entire design-to-production process. This ensures a consistent flow of error-free data between process, technology and people, thus enabling organizations to quickly adapt to different business models and keep pace with the latest trends.

“As one of the first domestic companies to engage in R&D, design, production and distribution of baby clothing, Jinfa Labi is now growing exponentially. We are looking for a partner with a worldwide perspective and in-depth knowledge on the industry’s best practices,” said Lin Ruowen, General Manager, Jinfa Labi. “And Lectra fits the bill. Their latest PLM solution connects CAD, industry-standard software, company IT systems and external suppliers together, allowing us to fully digitize our supply chain by covering all production stages. We can then focus on improving our core competencies.”

“We are confident that Lectra will help Jinfa Labi make their mark for “Made in China 2025”. This Industry 4.0-based initiative will not only revolutionize the way in which manufacturers operate but also change the way in which the brands and retailers run their businesses. Lectra is committed to providing the technology and support that our customers need to thrive in this new digital era,” said Andreas A. Kim, Managing Director, Lectra, Greater China. “Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 is the only PLM solution purpose-designed for the fashion industry that covers the entire value chain. We hope to leverage our 44 years of experience in the fashion industry to help Jinfa Labi succeed through operational excellence.”
 

As a combined effort of the CSI color team and DyStar’s technical experts, DyStar and CSI are launching the first 2 issues of the Sustainable Color and Trend magazine with Cadira® color palettes.

This new magazine inspires Designers and Color Managers by offering palettes and color combinations that are Eco-friendly and Inspired by Nature. Not only does the magazine include a wide range of color palettes, but also color validation in CSI’s Relative Color Popularity (RCP) information as well as sustainable dye recipes that have been formulated based on the Cadira resource optimization process.

The Cadira Concept is a module in DyStar’s Resource Efficiency program. It helps to considerably shorten lead times and reduce water, waste and energy consumption. Cadira Concepts have been developed for different substrates and dyeing procedures. This launch focuses on both reactive dyeing of cotton as well as polyester & recycled polyester dyeing.

The reactive-issue – Inspired by Nature – offers color palettes with softer, muted tones, levels of neutrals and earthy shades of green. The recipes are based on DyStar Levafix® and Remazol® combined with Sera® chemicals for an optimized dyeing and wash-off process.

The Polyester issue offers more vibrant color options with saturated colors and brights for active wear and outdoor clothing and accessories. The recipes are based on Dianix® dyes and the dyeing process can be optimized by use of the Optidye® PES program.

“We are conscious about our environment so we wanted to create a magazine with an ecological color and optimized processes so that our customers can pick the right color that will help them reduce their environmental impact in the design process.” Says Ron Pedemonte, VP of Sales and Marketing Americas.

CSI will fcus more on color palettes with ecological dyes and low impact processes when offering color and trend information to customers in the future. More eco-friendly color palettes will be available very soon.

More information about CSI color trends and the Cadira process is available in the DyStar Website and CSI Website. www.dystar.com / www.csicolors.com

Wohin entwickeln sich aktuell die Farbtrends, welche Colorits erobern schon bald die Innenräume? Die Kreativen von drapilux, dem führenden Anbieter flammhemmender Gardinen und Dekorationsstoffe, sind immer „am Puls der Zeit“: Auf Reisen und Messen holen sie sich regelmäßig Impulse für neue Dessins. Aktuell inspirieren diese acht ausgewählten Trendtöne und sind aus dem Textilbereich nicht wegzudenken.

• Weiß/Creme
  „Für den Interior-Bereich ist Weiß als Basis ein Muss, im Moment ist es sogar besonders gefragt“, erläutert Kirstin Herrmann, Leiterin des Designateliers bei drapilux. Die Nuance zeigt sich als echter Teamplayer: Sie lässt andere Farben leuchten und strahlt dadurch selber.
• Blush Pale Pink
  „Rosé ist jetzt gewissermaßen erwachsen geworden und hat sein leicht kitschiges Prinzessinnen-Image verloren“, erklärt die Designerin. Blush Pale Pink wirkt sanft und entspannend – mit gedeckten Tönen wie Grau erscheint es sehr elegant.
• Coral
  Hip, hipper, coral: Aktuell ist Orangerot einer der wichtigsten Trends – zumindest für Akzente wie Kissen oder Kerzen. Auch das satte Orange ist mit all seiner Intensität und Brillanz zurück, nachdem es in den 70er Jahren erst übermäßig eingesetzt wurde und dann eine ganze Zeit lang aus dem Innenbereich verschwunden war.
• Buttercup-Gelb
  Gelb ist ebenfalls für Akzente stark im Kommen. „In der Fläche wirkt es – ähnlich wie Coral – zu laut und grell, deshalb sollte es immer dosiert, akzentuiert oder kombiniert eingesetzt werden“, rät Kirstin Herrmann. Nachdem es vor einigen Jahren seinen Siegeszug als Lemongrün startete, wurde es von Saison zu Saison gelber und erfrischt nun als kräftiges, sattes Butterblumen-Gelb.
• Infused Pastels
  „Infused Pastels“ enthalten viele Grauanteile und kommen den Non-Colours näher als den süßlichen, pastelligen Candy-Tönen. Die Designerin verdeutlicht: „Neben Pale Pink gehören Leinen und Hellgrau sowie helle Minttöne und angegraute Hellblau-Nuancen in dieses Farbspektrum.“
• Non-Colours
  Schon seit Jahren sind die Non-Colours aus dem Einrichtungsbereich nicht mehr wegzudenken. Kirstin Herrmann weiß: „Das Erfolgsgeheimnis des „Übertrends“ liegt darin, dass die Non-Colours schick, trendy und gleichzeitig gemütlich sind. Dunkel gestrichene Wände wirken nicht mehr trist, sondern verbreiten eine elegante und sehr lifestylige Atmosphäre.“
• Aquablau
  „Blau ist das neue Schwarz“, so Kirstin Herrmann. „Es ist und bleibt als Basis absolut wichtig.“ Im Home-Bereich breitet es sich immer mehr aus: an Wänden, als Couch oder Kissen. Nicht nur das beliebte Marine spielt eine große Rolle. Immer häufiger werden unterschiedliche Blau-Facetten eingesetzt – von Dunkelblau über satte Nuancen bis hin zu wässrigen Aquatönen.
• Metallglanz
  „Metallfarben sind kein neuer Trend: Was mit Kupfer anfing, umfasst inzwischen sämtliche metallischen Töne. Neu sind allerdings glänzende Blau- und Türkisnuancen“, erklärt Kirstin Herrmann die ungebrochene Beliebtheit der glänzenden Highlights.

Lectra achieved record financial results in 2016: €260.2 million in revenues, rising 10%, and € 26.7 million in net income, an increase of 14%. The Group consolidated its positions in automotive, and fashion and apparel, as well as acquired strong positions in furniture. Lectra has entirely transformed itself and today benefits from its bolstered technological advance, the enhanced expertise of its teams, an extended global footprint, and a refurbished campus.

Looking ahead, Lectra is in a strong position to carry out its new strategy, carefully conceived to empower its customers to step into the Industry 4.0 era. In close collaboration with global customers, Lectra has identified four mega trends that will change the business: the Millennials generation, the digitalization of companies, the emergence of Industry 4.0, and profound changes in China’s economy. Their impact, set to intensify, represents considerable challenges. Lectra’s annual report analyses the implications of these mega trends, and outlines the company’s response.
Helping customers to tackle such challenges, Lectra is gearing up to commercialize Software as a Service (SaaS), leveraged by cloud technology. Its expert knowledge of business combined with ten years’ experience in the industrial Internet of Things and rising investments in R&D, means Lectra is in a formidable position to help its customers seize opportunities in the new industrial age.