From the Sector

Germany-based ZwissTex is a leading manufacturer of textiles with over 150 years of experience, creating innovative and sustainable textile solutions for the automotive and apparel industries. The company also operates in Mexico, to specifically serve the automotive sector across North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) markets. Via OEMs, ZwissTex supplies German automakers including Volkswagen Auto Group, BMW, and Mercedes, as well as American manufacturers in select cases.

Unlike other Kornit customers, ZwissTex had no previous experience printing their own materials, and saw Kornit’s sustainable, single-step, Presto MAX S production system as an effective means of increasing their product capabilities.

“Our textiles were not classically printed in the past, and we did not produce any classical textiles in fashion, which is why we didn’t have any printing experience internally,” said Ralph Moldan, Technical Specialist at ZwissTex, as the system was being installed in their facility. “The only option was to find a system that would enable us to implement the areas in which we are active on the market easily and quickly, without requiring a lot of printing experience.”

One benefit of integrating Kornit technology into the ZwissTex production ecosystem: applying ink only where it is needed and seen, rather than to the full surface of each material. This translates to both reducing the company’s carbon footprint, and minimizing materials waste for a more cost-effective operation.

Prior to making the decision to invest in Kornit, ZwissTex conducted a series of tests and consultations, evaluating possible applications for different materials and engaging with their own key clients to ensure these finished products would meet their rigorous quality and durability standards. This included presenting Kornit-decorated samples at the Techtextil 2022 exhibition in Frankfurt.

Moldan found Kornit’s production capabilities opened new doors to customization of interior areas, a market that continues to grow. He anticipates this technology will create new opportunities with customers they could not reach previously, including new opportunities in sectors such as motor homes, airlines, and aircraft outfitters.

The project "A Dress For Venice" get on the Red Carpet at the Venice Film Festival to advocate for sustainability. September 7th, actress Margot Sikabonyi will wear a dress from the collection designed by conscious designer Tiziano Guardini, illustrated by artist Jacopo Ascari, and produced by Martina Vidal Venezia, with the following materials:

• Bemberg™: The innovative and biodegradable fiber from the Japanese company Asahi Kasei.
• Burano lace: Produced by the historic Martina Vidal Venezia for four generations.

"Returning to Venice and experiencing the emotions of this place and the artists who have enriched it is exhilarating," says Tiziano Guardini. "It's a work based on volumes, shapes, three-dimensionality, colours and materials research… from Mariano Fortuny to the Ottoman Empire's Turcherie."

Illustrator Ascari adds, "I started with a careful study of the works of Canaletto, Guardi and Bellotto, masterpieces of Eighteenth-Century Vedutismo. I portrayed new perspectives on the city's splendour, enhanced by Guardini's vibrant shapes and color choices."

On Thursday, September 7th, at 12:30, in the Veneto Region's room at the Hotel Excelsior on Lido, Elena Donazzan, Councilor for Education, Training, Employment, and Equal Opportunities, will present the project alongside its creators Laura Scarpa and Lorenzo Cinotti of Venezia da Vivere, designer Tiziano Guardini, artist Jacopo Ascari, and actress Margot Sikabonyi.

"We conceived A Dress For Venice for Homo Faber in 2019, to celebrate Venice's 1600 years of craftsmanship," explains Laura Scarpa. "This year, the research extends to sustainable innovation thanks to an international team of designers, artisans and companies," continues Lorenzo Cinotti.

The project reaffirms Venice's role as an international laboratory to reflect on the planet's future. "A Dress For Venice" is a limited-edition collection realized with the support of a network of companies identified by the Tavolo Veneto della Moda (Confartigianato, CNA, Confindustria, Confesercenti and Confcommercio of Veneto), the global platform C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy), the partnership of Camera Buyer Italia and the media partnership of The Italian Rêve.

The presentation of the collection to buyers will take place at the Marina Guidi showroom in mid-September, while it will have its dedicated exhibition on Friday, October 20th, during the Venice Fashion Week.

"A Dress for Venice" is endorsed by the Comune di Venezia, the Regione del Veneto, and Homo Faber - Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, which promotes worldwide high craftsmanship and savoir-faire.

Partners in the project Infinity srl and Tessitura Grisotto, renowned Italian textile manufacturers who expertly craft Bemberg™ fiber into exquisite fabrics. Creazioni Digitali, a specialized company in sublimation digital printing, carries out the prints on Bemberg™ textiles with its unique project GreenDrop; with inks that reduces the water consumption.

Other partners include Marina Iremonger, Camera Buyer Italia, and the Tavolo Veneto della Moda, representing Confartigianato, CNA, Confindustria, Confcommercio, and Confesercenti.

Basics wie T-Shirts, Poloshirts kommen als Arbeitskleidung in fast allen Branchen zum Einsatz. Ob im Bereich Service, in der Produktion oder im Handwerk – ein gut sitzendes Shirt mit Unternehmenslogo gehört zur Standard-Ausrüstung fast jedes Unternehmens mit Mitarbeitenden im Kundenkontakt. Damit es dabei auch nachhaltig zugeht, bietet CWS Workwear nun mit den PRObasics ein Angebot aus T-Shirts und Poloshirts mit Kurz- und Langarm und Rundhals und V-Ausschnitt mit fair gehandelter Baumwolle. Dabei gibt es Damen- und Herrenvarianten und unterschiedliche Farbkombinationen. Ob einfarbig oder zweifarbig mit Reglanarm – die neuen Shirts bieten für fast alle Unternehmen und Branchen die passende Lösung. Je nach Modell bestehen die T-Shirts aus 70 % Fairtrade-Baumwolle und 30 % Polyester oder 50 % Fairtrade-Baumwolle und 50 % Polyester.

Das Angebot der CWS PRObasics enthält außerdem Hoodies und Sweatshirts mit Rundhals in zahlreichen Farben sowie zweifarbige Sweatshirts mit Reißverschluss. Die Sweatshirts und Hoodies lassen sich auch ideal mit einer Arbeitsweste kombinieren. Die Varianten bestehen aus 60 % Fairtrade-Baumwolle und 40 % Polyester beziehungsweise 50 % Fairtrade-Baumwolle und 50 % Polyester.

Damit die CWS Arbeitskleidung lange im Kreislaufmodell hält und in Form bleibt, wird sie aus hochwertigen, nachhaltigen Materialien für eine lange Lebensdauer hergestellt. Die Arbeitskleidung wird für Unternehmen gewaschen, repariert und gepflegt. „Unser Ziel bis 2025 ist es, 90 % nachhaltige Arbeitskleidung anzubieten. Die neuen PRObasics Teile mit Fairtrade-Baumwolle tragen ihren Teil dazu bei. Unternehmen, die auf nahhaltige Arbeitskleidung setzen, können damit ihre Nachhaltigkeitsbilanz verbessern und gleichzeitig den fairen Handel von Baumwolle unterstützen“, erklärt Astrid Wozniak, Lead International Product Communications bei CWS Workwear.

CWS Arbeitskleidung aus Fairtrade-Baumwolle trägt ein Fairtrade-Siegel. Dieses schwarze Label an der PROBasics Kleidung zeigt an, dass das Material aus fair produzierter und gehandelter Baumwolle stammt. Bereits seit 2016 setzt CWS Workwear auf Fairtrade-Baumwolle in der Arbeitskleidung. Die Baumwollbauern erhalten einen fairen Preis für ihre Baumwolle und zusätzlich eine Fairtrade-Prämie, die auf den Verkaufspreis der Baumwolle aufgeschlagen wird. Diese Prämie können die Produzenten für soziale, ökologische oder wirtschaftliche Gemeinschaftsprojekte verwenden.

Harnessing the synergy of the Texpertise Network of Messe Frankfurt and its global apparel flagship, the co-organisers of the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) recently held a joint press conference on 28 August 2023, the first day of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition. Discussing the inaugural fair’s comprehensive, business-friendly nature, representatives of both Messe Frankfurt  and VIETRADE spoke in glowing terms about the potential of ASEAN’s new platform for the entire textile industry. Set to launch the spring sourcing season, the fair will take place from 28 February – 1 March 2024 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

For its first edition, the fair is expected to attract over 500 exhibitors and around 35,000 visitors to an 18,000 sqm exhibition space. Ms Wendy Wen, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, considered the show’s importance on a worldwide scale: “Serving as a supplementary trade fair to our existing events in China, VIATT will effectively extend our market reach into South East Asia. We’ve designed it to reinforce our global Texpertise Network, spanning the entire textile value chain. The network, which links over half a million textile professionals globally and organises more than 50 international textile trade fairs across 11 different countries, will lend its full support to the fair.”
 
She continued: “In line with this commitment, we will harness our more than 30 years of experience organising Intertextile in China, and extend to the fast-growing textile sector in Vietnam. Intertexile has grown to be by far the most influential series within our Texpertise Network, covering a broad range of resources in apparel fabrics, home and contract textiles."
 
With Vietnam’s largest international airport and seaport, and its proximity to other textile producing countries and regions, Ho Chi Minh City is strategically located to hold an event of this nature. The city attracts 35%^[1] of Vietnam’s foreign direct investment projects, and is the venue of choice for a significant portion of the country’s trade fairs.
 
Discussing the event’s potential, Mr Vu Ba Phu, Director General of Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), said: “Vietnam has emerged as one of the leading textiles exporting countries worldwide, with particularly high growth in the past 10 years, ranging from 15% to 20% yearly. As companies seek to diversify supply chains, and Vietnam introduces lucrative trade agreements, the market is predicted to attract even more investments. A big importer of textile machinery, fabrics, and yarns and fibres, green production and durable goods have become increasingly important. VIATT 2024 will be an important hub helping suppliers and buyers in all categories to meet, source and unleash the full potential of this market.”
 
A comprehensive Vietnam-based textile fair is an attractive proposition for manufacturers and sourcing professionals alike. Exhibitors from around the world will showcase a full spectrum of apparel fabrics, yarns and fibres, and garments; the latest innovations in technical textiles and nonwovens, textile processing, and printing technology; as well as a wide range of home and contract textiles.
 
Apparel fabrics, yarns and fibres, and garments
This sector will contain quality exhibitors from Vietnam, ASEAN, and beyond, providing buyers with numerous, diverse sourcing options in apparel textile sub-categories such as accessories, casualwear, denim, lace and embroidery, ladieswear, pattern designs, shirting, sportswear, suiting, and many more.
 
Technical textiles and nonwovens, textile processing, and printing technology
With application areas that include everything from automotive, aerospace and shipping, to construction, healthcare and safety, products on display will include innovative machinery, as well as some of the latest developments in smart textiles, such as wearable technology, sensors, and advanced materials.
 
Home textiles
Exhibitors will feature high-quality bed linens, towels, curtains, and much more, suitable for visitors sourcing for both residential and commercial applications. The diverse collections of home textiles will be enhanced by globally on-trend interior designs and in-demand, organic materials.
 
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 inaugural edition will be held from 28 February – 1 March 2024 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

^[1] ‘Investing in Ho Chi Minh City’, October 2022, Vietnam Briefing, retrieved August 2023, https://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/investing-in-ho-chi-minh-city-why-the-megacitys-industry-economy-and-policy-are-key-to-developmen.html/

As part of the 12-piece collection, adidas introduces the SST Jacket – for men and women – as well as the Avacourt in a refreshed look. Both pieces share a bold blue hue – synonymous with the outfit that Billie Jean King wore in the Battle of the Sexes match – which is applied throughout the collection as a consistent design story.

The SST Jacket is inspired by the classic adidas tennis tracksuits from the era when Billie Jean King was at the height of her career, changing tennis on and off the court for years to come.

The Avacourt, having originally launched in 2022, is created and engineered to best support women when playing tennis – featuring a women’s specific last, increased torsion, softer materials and a midfoot support saddle. Updates for the 2023 season bridge today’s silhouette with the one worn by Billie Jean King 50 years ago – which was adidas’ first ever signature tennis shoe for women – via its color story, as well as key material updates. The suede leather tongue has a retro feel and soft premium touch, with the toe guard made from a synthetic suede finishing. Adding to the comfort, the heel collar is lined with terry cloth – a fabric synonymous with the era.

Other key pieces in the collection include the Tennis Modular Leotard AEROREADY Pro with detachable skirt, the Tennis Transformative AEROREADY Dress Pro that evolves into two different styles, and the Tennis Reversible AEROREADY Match Skirt Pro with Tennis HEAT.RDY Short Tight Pro layered underneath. For men, key pieces include the Tennis HEAT.RDY Freelift Polo Shirt Pro, the Tennis Reversible AEROREADY Freelift T-Shirt Pro and the Tennis AEROREADY 2 IN 1 Short Pro.

Mit einem ereignisreichen Jubiläumswochenende am 01. und 02. September bedankt sich Breuninger Düsseldorf gemeinsam mit der Architektur-Ikone Kö-Bogen für zehn Jahre Fashion und Lifestyle am Rhein. Herzstück des Events sind acht Fashion Shows mit den aktuellen Herbst-/Winterkollektionen verschiedener Premium- und Luxusmarken. Neben den Modeschauen erwarten die Besucher:innen weitere Highlights wie exklusive Shopping-Aktionen, Late Night Shopping bis 22 Uhr, musikalische und künstlerische Live Acts sowie die Neuinterpretation des goldenen Breuni-Bären von Steffen Mumm.

Auf das Re-Opening des Erdgeschosses im Frühjahr 2023 folgt mit dem 10-jährigen Jubiläum das nächste Highlight im „Haus der schönen Dinge". Seit 2013 hat sich Breuninger mit einem Mix aus Fashion & Lifestyle, Entertainment, Gastronomie und Services in Düsseldorf positioniert und etabliert. Persönliche Beratung, ein kuratiertes Angebot an Premium- und Luxusmarken sowie die Verzahnung von online-offline Services überzeugt Rheinländerinnen und Rheinländer bereits seit einem Jahrzehnt.

Umgeben von den geschwungenen Fassaden des vom New Yorker Stararchitekten Daniel Libeskind entworfenen Kö Bogens präsentieren 32 Models des Fashion- und Lifestyle-Unternehmens die neuesten Designer-Kreationen für Herbst-Winter 2023 auf einem 228 Meter langen Open Air Catwalk. In diesem Jahr wurde der Laufsteg hinter der Brücke um 35 Meter verlängert und schafft somit eine insgesamte Laufsteglänge auf dem Wasser von 112 Metern.

Anlässlich des Jubiläums bemalt der Künstler Steffen Mumm den Breuni-Bären, das seit 1952 bestehende Maskottchen des Mode- und Lifestyle-Unternehmens Breuninger. Der Düsseldorfer ist bekannt für seinen auffälligen Stil, der sich durch eine einzigartige Kombination aus Graffiti, Kalligrafie und Illustration auszeichnet und dabei Detailgenauigkeit und Intuition harmonisch vereint. Steffen Mumm orientiert sich bei der Gestaltung am Jubiläumslogo von Breuninger und greift damit die Düsseldorfer Stadtfarben und den traditionsreichen Bergischen Löwen auf.

AlphaTauri, Premium-Fashion Brand von Red Bull, launcht die neue Herbst / Winter 2023 Kampagne mit ausgewählten Red Bull Athleten. „Friends of the Brand“ von AlphaTauri erhalten so erstmalig eine Plattform im direkten Markenumfeld.

In der neuen AW23 Kampagne “Driven by” erzählen F1® Fahrer Yuki Tsunoda der Scuderia AlphaTauri, die Handballspielerin Tess Lieder sowie die Feldhockeyspielerin Anne Veenendaal, was sie antreibt.

Die Kampagne unterstützt die strategische Ausrichtung der Premium Fashion Brand, die globale Awareness der Marke sowie die Positionierung im Premium Lifestyle Bereich zu stärken.

Im Zentrum der Kampagne stehen drei Charaktere. Sie geben individuelle Einblicke in das, was sie motiviert, was Mode für sie bedeutet und was es heißt, Teil der AlphaTauri Familie zu sein. Die Protagonisten und deren Persönlichkeiten werden in reduzierter schwarz/weiß-Ästhetik portraitiert. Was die unterschiedlichen Individuen vereint, ist der stetige Anreiz zu bester Performance und Perfektion, sowie die Begeisterung für Innovationen. Die persönliche Einblicke der Talente repräsentieren gleichzeitig den Markenkern von AlphaTauri. Fotografiert wurde die neue Herbst / Winter 2023 Kampagne in London von dem Fotografen Laurent Humbert.

Die Kampagne unterstützt die strategische Ausrichtung der Premium Fashion Brand, die globale Awareness der Marke sowie die Positionierung im Premium Lifestyle Bereich zu stärken.

The Munich-based startup Sizekick launches a new technology and attracts well-known brands and retailers to reduce size-related returns in e-commerce. With the apparel technology know-how of the strategic partner and investor Hohenstein and the AI-based technology of Sizekick, more sustainable shopping in e-commerce with less CO₂ emissions will be made possible. The technology company is now celebrating a successful market entry: The newly developed sizing AI is now available for fashion e-commerce stores and is pleased about the first successfully acquired customers. The first customers to join the company include the Swiss multi-brand store for sustainable fashion, Rrrevolve, the premium outdoor brand Black Diamond from the USA, and Marc Cain, a global brand with German roots in the premium sector.

The solution promises to add value for both brands and consumers when shopping online by taking individual body measurements into account when recommending the right clothing size. The AI-based technology always offers two options to help arrive at the appropriate size recommendation. With BodyFinder, the AI suggests realistic body shapes to choose from. Alternatively, the video-based BodyScanner option enables a body scan via the smartphone's video function. All it takes to do this is to turn around in front of the phone's camera. Fashion brands and fashion retailers now have easy access to the new technology, as integration in the e-commerce store takes just a few minutes.

Hohenstein's expertise helped the Sizekick team to link accurate body measurements with the right product properties. Hohenstein is considered a leader in the field of size & fit and has been advising companies in the textile industry for over 75 years. The Sizekick fit analysis not only supports the brands' product teams, but is also used as direct input for Sizekick AI.

• Currency-neutral revenues flat versus the prior-year level
• Top-line development reflects improved sell-out trends and conservative sell-in strategy
• Gross margin up 0.6pp to 50.9%; strong improvement compared to Q1 reflecting better sell-through and less discounting
• Operating profit of € 176 million includes extraordinary expenses of around € 160 million related to one-off costs, donations and accruals for future donations
• Inventory position improves substantially versus Q1 level to € 5.5 billion; now up only 1% year-over-year

In the second quarter of 2023, currency-neutral revenues were flat versus the prior-year level. The top-line development continued to be impacted by the company’s conservative sell-in approach in order to reduce high inventory levels, particularly in North America and Greater China. At the same time, adidas second quarter revenues benefited from the first sale of some of its Yeezy inventory. The initial product drop in June generated revenues of around € 400 million in Q2, which is largely in line with the Yeezy sales generated in the prior year’s quarter.

Footwear revenues grew 1% during the quarter, reflecting strong growth in football, basketball, tennis and US sports. Apparel sales declined 3% in the second quarter. As the apparel market continues to be particularly overstocked, the company continued its conservative sell-in strategy to improve sell-through and margins in the medium term. Accessories grew 8% during the quarter driven by growth in football.  

Lifestyle revenues were down during the quarter despite extraordinary demand for the company’s Samba, Gazelle and Campus franchises. While adidas slowly started to scale its offering for these product families during the second quarter, the total volume still only represents a small portion of the company’s overall business. Sales in the adidas Performance categories continued to show positive momentum. This reflects strong demand for new product introductions such as the latest iterations of its Predator, X and Copa football boots, as well as jerseys for both the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and the company’s unique portfolio of football teams ahead of the start of the European club season. In addition, the Adizero product family in running continued to gain a lot of attention around marathon races across the world, translating into higher demand. At the same time, the brand’s Barricade tennis franchise grew strongly, leveraging the excitement around major tournaments.

In euro terms, the company’s revenues declined 5% to € 5.343 billion in the second quarter (2022: € 5.596 billion).

Stronger sell-out trends and conservative sell-in
As a result of the company’s initiatives to reduce high inventory levels, currency-neutral sales in wholesale declined 10% despite double-digit growth in Greater China and Latin America. At the same time, direct-to-consumer (DTC) revenues grew 16% versus the prior year. This development was driven by strong growth in both the company’s e-commerce business (+14%) as well as own retail stores (+19%), reflecting continued strong sell-out trends across most regions. The outperformance of the company’s DTC channel versus the wholesale business was also related to the first sale of the Yeezy inventory, which was done exclusively through adidas’ own e-commerce channel.

Double-digit growth in Greater China and Latin America
Currency-neutral sales in North America declined 16% during the quarter. The region is particularly affected by elevated inventory levels in the market and – in response to this – the company’s significantly reduced sell-in. Revenues in Greater China grew 16% in Q2, reflecting double-digit sell-out growth in both wholesale and own retail. Sales in EMEA were down slightly (-1%) despite double-digit DTC growth. While the company’s initiatives to reduce inventory levels and discounting weighed on the overall top-line development in the region, adidas recorded significantly improving full-price trends during the quarter. Revenues in Asia-Pacific increased 7% during the quarter, driven by strong double-digit growth in DTC. Latin America continued to increase at a double-digit rate (+30%), reflecting strong growth in both wholesale and DTC.

Gross margin improves to 50.9%
The company’s second quarter gross margin increased 0.6 percentage points to 50.9% (2022: 50.3%). This improvement was mainly driven by price increases the company has implemented as well as by an improved channel mix. At the same time, higher supply chain costs and unfavorable currency movements continued to strongly weigh on the gross margin development. While still adversely impacting the company’s gross margin in the quarter, discounting levels significantly improved compared to the first quarter of the year.  

Operating profit of € 176 million, resulting in an operating margin of 3.3%
Other operating expenses were up 3% to € 2.582 billion (2022: € 2.501 billion). As a percentage of sales, other operating expenses increased 3.6 percentage points to 48.3% (2022: 44.7%). Marketing and point-of-sale expenses decreased 7% to € 617 million (2022: € 663 million). As a percentage of sales, marketing and point-of-sale expenses slightly decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 11.5% (2022: 11.8%). Operating overhead expenses were up 7% to € 1.965 billion (2022: € 1.838 billion), reflecting higher logistics expenses. In addition, the company recorded one-off costs of around € 50 million related to the strategic review the company is currently conducting as well as donations and accruals for further donations in an amount of around € 110 million. As a percentage of sales, operating overhead expenses increased 3.9 percentage points to 36.8% (2022: 32.8%). The company’s operating profit amounted to € 176 million (2022: € 392 million) in the quarter. This amount includes the extraordinary expenses of in total around € 160 million reflecting the one-off costs related to the strategic review as well as the donations and accruals for further donations. The sale of the Yeezy product positively impacted adidas’ operating profit by an incremental amount of around € 150 million in Q2. The operating margin reached 3.3% in the quarter (2022: 7.0%).

Net income from continuing operations of € 96 million
After taxes, the company’s net income from continuing operations amounted to € 96 million (2022: € 360 million), while basic EPS from continuing operations decreased to € 0.48 (2022: € 1.88).

Outlook

adidas expects revenues to decline at a mid-single-digit rate
On July 24, adidas had adjusted its full year financial guidance to reflect the positive impact of the first sale of some of its Yeezy inventory and a slightly better-than-expected development of the adidas business in the first half of the year. At the same time, macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions persist. Elevated recession risks in North America and Europe as well as uncertainty around the recovery in Greater China continue to exist. In addition, the company’s revenue development will continue to be impacted by the initiatives to significantly reduce high inventory levels. As a result, adidas now expects currency-neutral revenues to decline at a mid-single-digit rate in 2023 (previously: decline at a high-single-digit rate).

Underlying operating profit anticipated to be around the break-even level
The company’s underlying operating profit – excluding any one-offs related to Yeezy and the ongoing strategic review – is still anticipated to be around the break-even level. Including the positive impact from the first Yeezy drop of around € 150 million, the potential write-off of the remaining Yeezy inventory of now € 400 million (previously: € 500 million) and one-off costs related to the strategic review of up to € 200 million (unchanged), the company now expects to report an operating loss of € 450 million in 2023 (previously: loss of € 700 million).

On August 2, the company launched a second drop of Yeezy inventory. Throughout the month of August, adidas is making a range of existing products available through both its own e-commerce channel as well as the digital platforms of selected wholesale partners. If successful, this second drop would further improve the company’s results. However, as the results of this drop are yet unknown, it is not accounted for in the company’s current top- and bottom-line outlook for 2023.

• Green Fashion community increasingly ‘thinking out of the box’

Networking and agility are in greater demand than ever – that was the conclusion at the close of the 52nd INNATEX which took place from 29 to 31 July 2023. 244 Green Fashion labels presented their collections to 1500 visitors at the international trade fair for sustainable textiles. Audience figures thus matched the level at the previous summer edition of the fair in 2022. With 244 brands, INNATEX again delivered remarkable variety, with many new exhibitors and fresh looks.

“We're pleased that our figures are remaining constant,” says Jens Frey, Managing Director of trade fair organiser MUVEO GmbH. “Undeniably, sustainable brands and the retail trade are currently living through a long period of challenges. But from our point of view, the Green Fashion sector is responding with extraordinary willpower and perseverance. Why? Out of a sense of conviction and because sustainability is the future.”

Future-related topics were also the subject of panel talks and personal discussions at various points. A key aspect was the urgent need for cooperation agreements and networks to open up new sales channels and fields of activity. Experts at the fair also recommended an honest review of business strategies that may have outlived their usefulness. As Dr Eva Stüber of Cologne’s Institute for Retail Studies (IFH Köln) points out, “The pandemic, the war of aggression, inflation, digitalisation – there are many factors prompting a change in lifestyles and demands. What is required now is creativity. Brands and retailers can exploit new potential by, for example, checking their ranges for market relevance, being sharper in their targeting, making shopping a social event, joining up with people from entirely different areas and not immediately rejecting apparently mad ideas.”

From August 20^th to 21^st, 2023, the INNATEX Showroom will take place in Bern.

The 53^rd INNATEX fair will be held from January 20^th to January 22^nd, 2024.