From the Sector

“When it comes to working on new developments, we always start from new ideas and the constant research that starts from a concept that becomes reality, by increasingly raising the bar of sustainability” said Alice Tonello, R&D and Marketing Director of Tonello. “The research for technologies and solutions have always been part of our DNA, is a daily commitment to the environment, the market, our people and all human beings with their needs.  Based on this vision, two revolutionary patent-pending process, are born, Wake and OBleach, that allow to create incredible and totally responsible effects on garments” continued Alice Tonello.

This is how The Laundry (R)Evolution was born: a radically new conception thought to simplify and optimize the entire garment finishing process.

It involves only 2 technologies in the entire finishing cycle, reducing waste and optimizing resources: LaserBlaze, and The All-in-One-System. Metro is used, a software that processes real data, in real time to check all laundry consumption, optimizing processing times and improving performance.

The All-in-One System performs all washing operations by integrating 4 sustainable technologies into a single machine: ECOfree 2, which uses ozone in both the water and air; NoStone® for authentic and pumice-free stone-wash effects; UP, for washing processes with at least 50% less water; Core, a nebulizing system improving performance and reducing water consumption.

In terms of effects, the latest results of the Laundry (R)evolution are OBleach and Wake.

OBleach is the new Tonello patent-pending process which, by using only ozone, “returns to the future” with an authentic, sustainable and cool Bleach.

Wake is the first totally natural dyeing system. In fact, it uses only plants and vegetable waste, organic items like flowers, berries and roots left to dry and infuse, without harmful chemicals additives.

Tonello will be live during DenimsandJeans Virtual Show on October 14th and 15th.

The textile machinery industry is eagerly awaiting the start of the virtual trade show "Innovate Textile & Apparel". What and how will the more than 160 exhibitors present themselves virtually? How will the approximately 10,000 registered visitors accept the digital offer? WTIN is breaking new ground as organizer with this platform. But one thing is already certain: From 15 to 30 October 2020, they will bring the textile machinery industry a little closer together again in the Corona Pandemic. Oerlikon invites all visitors to take a look into the future of manmade fibers production and get to know the comprehensive range of products and services.

"Reconnecting innovation in the textile & apparel value chain" is the motto of WTIN's virtual trade show. And Oerlikon intends to more than live up to this motto. With more than 50 active experts from sales, customer service and technology as well as partners from its international network of representatives, the Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group will try to be represented around the clock. "It is an interesting experiment for all of us and we would like to see it succeed," explains André Wissenberg, Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. "Our aim is to meet our existing customers again, make new contacts and see 'old friends' from the industry. We have prepared an attractive digital offer for them all. Those of you who missed our roller coaster ride in Barcelona last year can now enjoy the journey through time in peace and quiet from your home office on your digital tour of the fair. And, there are no more waiting times either," promises Wissenberg.

Factory know-how from a single source
From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwovens. From the polycondensation and the processing of PTA and MEG as well as the extrusion of, for example, recycled polyester chips all the way through to hundreds of thousands of packaged and stored or directly-delivered textured bobbins for a market within the textile industry worth billions. From the planning and construction of highly complex production plants to the engineering of large-scale plant projects and competent customer services. This business model runs like a red thread through the self-conception of the Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group. The right partner, especially – but not exclusively – for newcomers to the textile industry. "With us they get everything they need for a successful business: Factory know-how from a single source. And that's what we would like to show our visitors at our virtual trade fair booth," says Wissenberg.

During the Innovate Textile & Apparel (ITA) virtual textile machinery show which will run from October 15th-30th 2020, Monforts will be emphasising its leadership position in three key fields – advanced coating, denim finishing and fabric sanforizing.

With its multi-head capability, the latest Monforts texCoat coating system provides flexibility with an unprecedented range of options and a wide range of modules available.

Refinements
“Since we acquired the coating technology that our systems are based on we have made a lot of refinements and all of them are reflected in higher coating accuracy and the resulting quality of the treated fabrics,” says Monforts Head of Technical Textiles, Jürgen Hanel.
“Our systems have the shortest fabric path from the coating unit into the stenter and we have all variations of coating application systems too – and all of these options are available in wider widths, with the engineering and manufacturing from a single source here in Europe.”

CYD
Denim finishing is meanwhile a field in which Monforts has an undisputed lead and it has been working closely with its many partners in the key denim manufacturing countries of Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Mexico Pakistan and Turkey to develop advanced solutions. The latest of these is the CYD yarn dyeing system.
“CYD is based on the proven Econtrol® dyeing system for fabrics*,” explains Monforts Head of Denim Hans Wroblowski. “It integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparatory processes – spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – in order to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity. The CYD system has been developed in response to a very strong market demand.”

Pre-shrinking
Monforts has also recently delivered a significant number of its latest Monfortex sanforizing lines to customers around the world.
Sanforizing is vital to final fabric quality, pre-shrinking it by compressing prior to washing, to limit any residual or further shrinkage in a made-up finished garment to less than 1%, for perfect comfort and fit over an extended lifetime.

As with industry-leading Montex stenters, Monfortex lines benefit from the latest Qualitex 800 control system which allows all parameters to be easily automated via the 24-inch colour touchscreen, including production speed, control of all fabric feed devices, rotation spray or steaming cylinder options, the width of the stretching field and the rubber belt pressure. Up to 10,000 separate process parameter records can be generated and stored by the data manager.

*Econtrol® is a registered mark of DyStar Colours Distribution GmbH, Germany.

Asia’s leading trade platform for the home and contract textile industry, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, is ready to welcome over 600 exhibitors to China’s commercial hub from 24 – 26 August. As China’s economy continues its recovery, the upcoming fair will serve as a key platform for the industry to reconnect and prepare for the seasons ahead. Taking consideration of current international travel restrictions, Intertextile has launched a brand new online business matching platform, enabling participation for those who cannot travel to Shanghai.

Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd commented: “2020 has been a difficult and unpredictable year for every business and industry across the world, so we are pleased to be providing a platform for the home textile industry to connect and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is the first physical trade event for the sector held by Messe Frankfurt since January, so we hope that the fair assists the sector to join forces and overcome this challenging year together.”

Ms Wen continued: “Our first priority is to create a clean and hygienic space for all participants to source and network. To achieve this goal, the fair will implement extra health care and hygiene precautions onsite. On the other hand, we are aware that a number of travel restrictions are still in place across the world. With this in mind, Intertextile will offer a series of online services for those who are unable to travel to Shanghai, allowing the fair to reach as wide an audience as possible.”

2020 fair highlights

To provide buyers with greater efficiency, the fair, which covers four halls, will be divided clearly by product categories: Household Hall (hall 3), International Brands / Upholstery Hall (hall 4.1), Brand Fabrics Hall (hall 5.1) and Sofa Fabrics Hall (hall 6.1).

In addition, the Contract Business 360° concept will return this year, with over 40 premier upholstery exhibitors presenting their latest textile products and furnishing solutions for contract use. Exhibitors include Guangzhou Yuanzhicheng Home Textile, Haining Julai Textile, JAB, Morgan Shanghai, Symphony Mills, Suzhou Roufang, Ter Molst International, Zhejiang Hexin and Zhejiang Maya Fabric. Furthermore, top brands such as Agmamito from Poland and Wollsdorf Leather from Austria will be exhibiting for the first time at Intertextile.

Online business matching platform offers new sourcing landscape

Although face-to-face interaction is irreplaceable, a virtual complement has become more important as a result of the worldwide pandemic. To support the industry during these unprecedented times, Intertextile has launched a brand new online business matching platform. With this free service, participants are able to source and network at their fingertips. The virtual platform will offer many new features including:

• Easy sourcing: exhibitors are categorised by product groups including Sofa / Decorative Fabrics, Curtains and Accessories, Bedding and Finished products, Shading and Accessories, and Editors
• Live-streamed product presentations of exhibitors
• Smart recommendations: pre-selected exhibitor lists will be provided to buyers based on their personal preferences and interests
• Convenience: participants are able to use the service through computers or portable devices without the need to download any software

High quality fringe programme covers comprehensive topics
 
The fair’s event programme will once again provide the industry with the latest trends and insights in four topics: Design Inspiration, Business O2O, Textile & Technology and Industry Empowerment. One of the highlights will be the 2021 Intertextile Trend Forum, led by Shen Lei, the Chinese representative of the Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend Committee. The forum will bring together five prominent Chinese designers including Ben Chen, Ben Wu, Meng Ye, Paul Pang and Xie Ke, who will delve into the theme of 2021 Intertextile Trends–“BOUND”, as well as the Chinese market conditions. The event will be held on day 1 of the fair, from 14:00 – 17:00 in hall 5.1 booth C18, and streamed live online.

Another not-to-be-missed event is the Ride the Storm – Home Textile Digital Printing Forum, which will include an array of educating seminars that cover the latest digital textile printing trends and technologies. The forum will be held on day 2 of the fair, from 13:20 – 17:20 in hall 3, booth M12.

Furthermore, joining forces with Tmall Global, the largest cross border B2C online retail platform in China, the fair will host a series of seminars delivering the solutions and strategies for industry digitalisation during the afternoon of day 1. In addition, the well-received Furniture & Home Textile Direct Negotiation Event will return to provide an excellent opportunity for furniture companies and fabric brands to collaborate.

Additional health care and hygiene precautions will be in place

As trade fair co-organisers, Messe Frankfurt’s number one priority always remains the health and safety of fairgoers. To maintain a clean and hygienic environment for visitors and exhibitors to meet in, extra measures will be in practice at the fair. These include: real-name registration, onsite temperature checks, frequent sterilisation of public areas and distancing measures for forum / seminar audiences, amongst others.

Sustainable solutions that pack a punch  

With over 6,500 visitors and more than 2,000 participants at a total of 720 minutes of live presentation sessions and with many potential new customers in the live info chat, the virtual interpack conference organised by Sappi was a resounding success. Sappi presented its latest developments, future prospects and current range of packaging and speciality papers at the event. In addition to further networking opportunities, the visitors took full advantage of the chance to get in contact with the Sales team.

• For the packaging of the future: sustainable, high-quality paper
• Second-generation barrier papers ensure optimal protection of goods as food packaging
• Providing what the world wants: fully recyclable packaging

Based on the motto ‘Pro Planet: Paper Packaging – welcome to the new pack-age’, the market leader in functional paper packaging presented numerous opportunities at its virtual interpack 2020 conference for its customers to package their food or non-food products in sustainable, premium packaging. In doing so, the company is contributing to the UN’s sustainability objectives. With the Sappi Guard range, Sappi presented barrier papers that render additional special coatings and laminations redundant and can be recycled in the paper stream. Featuring integrated barriers, they ensure that the product quality of foods and other goods is preserved. The second generation of barrier papers, now even more environmentally friendly, was also introduced at the virtual event. Another area of focus of the virtual interpack event was sealable papers, suitable for a wide range of packaging applications in the food and non-food sectors.

Of course, the concept of sustainability was also a key issue at the conference. As a home-compostable paper, Algro Nature meets the current demand for fully recyclable packaging. Sappi thus remains true to its goal of presenting its customers with more and more environmentally friendly solutions for the benefit of people and the environment.

‘We were overwhelmed by the success of our first virtual interpack conference, but we look forward to having direct contact again in spring 2021 in Düsseldorf,’ says Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President Sales & Marketing Packaging and Speciality Papers at Sappi Europe, with regard to the delayed interpack conference.

The conference on sustainability in production, trade and consumption will take a second round: On March 24, 2020, the Weser-Kurier’s conference SUSTAIN will take place in the run-up to the International Cotton Conference once more. The Bremen Cotton Exchange is again cooperating partner of this event. The theme “City and Change – the Future of the Textile Retail Trade” is on focus this year.

Shirt and trpousers or blouse and skirt – clothing is an instrument of expression, a social must and a major factor of consumption. Internet and debates on climate change have changed the indicators. On the one hand, textile online trade is booming, while local stores have come under pressure to an increasing degree and cities are on the search for new ideas. On the other hand, consumers increasingly ask for products considering aspects of fairness and ecology during production. Manufacturers and stores have to react. These subjects are on focus during the Sustain that takes place on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Bremen in the Glocke.

Exciting keynote speakers and panel guest from fashion, science and the textile industry
Sustain will feature outstanding speakers from the economy, politics and society discussing for instance the possibilities of new techniques in stationary retail trade, the compatibility of fair production with business interests of manufacturers as well as the question whether consumers are willing to pay the additional costs of sustainability. These are themes that influence the vitality of the cities just as the purchase decisions of the consumers.

Prof. Dr Niko Paech, Professor of Economics, Wolfgang Krogmann, Advisory Director Primark, Urs-Stefan Kinting, Managing Partner of the Zero Group, Model & TV Presenter Alena Gerber, Rolf Heimann, CEO Hessnatur Stiftung, Kai Falk, Managing Director Communication of the German retail association Handelsverband Deutschland and many others confirmed their participation.

At ISPO, AKA – Asahi Kasei Advance keeps the planet fit and healthy at the same time. The cutting edge department of global material innovator Asahi Kasei, unveils ECOSENSOR™, the cutting-edge fabric collection boosting responsible innovation with a “New Eco High-tech Force of Nature” new generation of performance.

Harnessing AKA expertise in yarning a smarter future, the new range focuses on sportwear, urban and athleisure fabrics. “At ISPO we launch the energetic protein fitting perfectly in textiles for clothes with an active imprint, comfort touch and smooth style. From-yarn-to-dyeing and along the whole supply chain, the collection is 100% traceable.” Says Nishizawa Akira, President & Representative Director Asahi Kasei Advance corporation.

Such goals were scored thanks to the renown expertise of Research & Development and energized by constantly and strictly controlled processes that aim to save energy, water and Green House gases emissions. The result is a high-performative collection combining maximum comfort with durability and stretch-ability.

With ECOSENSOR™, Asahi Kasei Advance truly innovates at ISPO as the very first producers choosing the high-performance path with sustainable values. “Like a truly complete athlete, ECOSENSOR™ wins both during the sprint and all along its performance. It’s outstanding light & stretch features match durability.”

Indeed, the flexible and multitasking range is the high-tech solution for sportwear, outerwear and beyond. The collection embraces the casual and sporty mood of active urban surfers as well as that easy-to-wear attitude for a relaxing free-time at home.

Excellent stretch and high-performative features match the adventurous temperament of extreme explorers, while durability and resistance are the key features to weave fabrics for outdoor activities. The target of ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei is to push at maximum the choice towards bluesign® approved and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified ingredients and production processes, and GRS (Global Recycled Standard) for recycled ingredients, showing the path to sustainability.

Working with the best like-minded apparel partners, AKA has achieved unsurpassed active climate control materials. The unique high-tech and low-impact functionality has been designed to make a real, sustainable difference a better future.

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.

At EuroShop 2020 from 16 to 20 February, ECOpark will focus on energy storage solutions, cost reduction and climate protection
In future, the ENERGY STORAGE EUROPE (ESE) trade fair will cooperate with EuroShop, the world’s leading trade fair for retail investment requirements. As part of this cooperation, commercial enterprises will receive information on how they can use storage systems to implement energy saving measures, which in turn help them secure competitive advantages and commit to climate protection. ESE is expanding the user initiative that was started last year and which also comprises the cooperation with ProWein, the world’s leading trade fair for wines and spirits, as well as GNTM, the world’s leading trade fairs for metallurgy and foundry technology. The next ENERGY STORAGE EUROPE will take place in Düsseldorf from 10 to 12 March 2020.

“Our analyses show that many commercial users in retail, the metal industry and viticulture currently don't see storage as an integrated part of their energy systems and thus do not tap potentials for energy efficiency and climate protection,” says Andreas Moerke, Director ESE. “By cooperating with the leading trade fairs in these industries, we can show thousands of companies how energy storage can contribute to climate protection. In the coming months, we will approach the numerous customers of these trade fairs and connect them to energy storage system providers at ESE.”

• Bangladesh’s biggest denim expo takes place 5-6 November
• The show runs concurrently with the Sustainable Apparel Forum Bangladesh
• From 4-6 November, Bangladesh becomes the perfect meeting point for stakeholders in the global apparel industry

DHAKA - Responsibility is the theme of the 11th Bangladesh Denim Expo which takes place on 5th and 6th November at International Convention City in Bashundhara, Dhaka. The event, now firmly established as one of the world’s leading denim trade shows, runs alongside the Bangladesh Sustainable Apparel Forum.

Bangladesh Denim Expo

Around 100 exhibitors from 11 countries, including host Bangladesh, will participate in this year’s denim expo. Other participating countries are china, Japan, Italy, India, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, Pakistan, Turkey and Germany.

H&M Group is collaborating with Bangladesh Denim Expo for the forthcoming 11th edition of the event and a number of guest speakers will be present from the company, including Pierre Borjesson, head of sustainability, global production. Other guest speakers include Andrew Olah, the founder of Kingpins Denim show, Alice Tonello, R&D director with the Tonello Group, world renowned denim designer, Piero Turk and Jordi Juani, Asia regional director with Jeanologia.

Through a series of product displays, presentations, seminar sessions & panel discussions, the Expo will encourage healthy debate and interaction among exhibitors and visitors to champion a more responsible denim industry. One of these, of course, is sustainability and within this sits the issue of responsibility – an overriding theme of this year’s event. Denim manufacture faces huge challenges with regards its social and environmental responsibility, with production techniques having potentially far-reaching ramifications for the environment as well as people involved in the production process.

However, the industry and its supply chain are making impressive progress on these issues with Bangladesh – now the world’s largest producer of denim – leading the way in terms of addressing some of the sustainability challenges relating to denim production, including excessive use of water and chemicals. Mostafiz Uddin is the organiser of Bangladesh Denim Expo. Uddin has watched with interest the evolution of the denim industry, with each Expo marking continued and gradual progress being made by the more progressive players in the industry.

Uddin says: “The way that business and product development is conducted can have far reaching consequences on the environment, on the people that make the product and the product’s end use & life-span. “It is the duty of all stakeholders in the apparel industry to acknowledge this responsibility and to analyse our business practices, for the benefit of all.” Emphasising the theme of responsibility within Denim Expo is the fact that revenues from the expo support the running and presentation of the Sustainable Apparel Forum.

Sustainable Apparel Forum

The Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF) is the biggest annual sustainable apparel event in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) along with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) as co-organiser will jointly carry out the 2nd edition of the SAF on 5th Nov 2019.

This is the second edition of the Sustainable Apparel Forum, with the first-ever forum held in 2017 in Dhaka. The objective of this year’s forum is accelerating the momentum of sustainability in Bangladesh apparel industry.

The forum will see more than 50 speakers gathered from Bangladesh and overseas sharing expert opinions across five panel discussions covering current issues in the country’s apparel industry. These include human resources, transparency in business, water conservation, purchasing practices, sustainable chemical management, waste management, circular economy in textiles and climate change to name a few.

Additionally, the conference will host several knowledge building technical presentations from renowned organisations which will cover different issues relating to sustainability, including waste management, protection of the environment and better working conditions.

Speakers at the show include Md. Shahriar Alam, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, H. E. Benoit Préfonatine High Commissioner, High Commission of Canada, Bangladesh, and Dr. Rubana Huq President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association, Sheikh Fazle Fahim, President, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Pierre Börjesson, Head of Sustainability – Global Production, H&M Group, Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, International Labor Organization, Peter McCallister, Executive Director, Ethical Trading Initiative and H.E. Winnie Estrup Petersen Ambassador, Embassy of Denmark, Bangladesh.

Prior to this year’s conference, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh and the Sweden Embassy in Bangladesh will also co-host two roundtable discussion in collaboration with BAE and in association with BGMEA on 4 November, 2019, while H&M, Better Work Bangladesh and C&A Foundation are partners in the event.
The conference will be followed by showcasing different innovative, sustainable & best work practices in RMG manufacturing factories in Bangladesh. Following the discussions, a series of recommendations will be made, and a Sustainability Roadmap for the Bangladesh apparel industry will be formulated.

This year’s SAF promises to be the biggest yet. Added by Mr Mostafiz Uddin in the recent press briefing for the event: “The title for this year’s Sustainable Apparel Forum is enabling sustainability through policy and leadership. The time for talking on sustainability issues is over. It is now time for actions. That’s why the focus of this year’s show is on practical, pragmatic actions the textile industry can adopt to improve its environmental footprint.”