The biobased textiles segment still remains handicapped by uncompetitive prices, but it appears that after less than a century of market dominance by oil-based synthetic fibres, the textiles industry is returning to fibres made of biomass. Jozef De Coster reports from Ghent, Belgium, where the Third International Conference on Biobased Textiles was held on October 16. Many businesses in Europe have the ambition to introduce and use biobased polymers in textile applications. Biobased polymers

he Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) and the Ethiopian Investment Commission recently briefed a 30-person delegation from Hong Kong on business opportunities in the country. Manufacturing, textile and garments, pharmaceuticals, agro-processing and power generation are priority investment areas in Ethiopia, the delegation was told. The briefing covered land lease, tax, other investment-related services and the continental and international agreements the country

Courtesy: Kodak Kodak, a company focused on imaging, has unveiled Kodalux Technology, a new light control materials which can be coated directly on fabrics for use in the management of light. The technology eliminates the carbon layer common in current blackout technologies replacing it with a simpler solution for delivering various degrees of light blocking performance. Precision Fabrics Group is offering the world’s first Prepared-For-Print (PFP) blackout fabric incorporating Kodalux Ligh

With cities being used by fashion companies as the cornerstone to map out their expansion plans, scoring 625 out of 1,000 points, New York is currently the world’s best city for conventional retailers, says a recent report. Los Angeles takes the runner-up spot with 556 points, while Singapore completes the podium at the third place with a score of 548. The Hot Retail Cities report has provided an inaugural list of the world's 100 most attractive cities for retail based on around 50 criteria

Courtesy: Skechers USA The sales of Skechers, a global footwear leader, in the third quarter of fiscal 2018 rose 7.5 per cent to $1.176 billion as a result of an 11.8 per cent increase in the company’s international wholesale business, and a 10.6 per cent increase in its company-owned global retail business. Meanwhile, its domestic wholesale business decreased 3.0 per cent. Gross margins slightly increased as higher domestic margins from improved retail pricing and product mix were partially

Customer identification is the first step necessary to personalise the shopping experience, yet most in-store shoppers are anonymous until they check out, according to a recent report. It further adds that merely 13 per cent of retailers identify customers when they walk in the store and another 10 per cent identify customers pre-checkout. Retailers fare better online, as 30 per cent identify customers when they enter the website and another 30 per cent identify customers pre-checkout, as pe

Courtesy: VF Corporation In the second quarter of fiscal 2019, revenue from continuing operations at VF Corporation has increased 15 per cent (up 16 per cent in constant dollars) to $3.9 billion. During the reported period, revenue from continuing operations also went up 6 per cent (up 7 per cent in constant dollars) excluding the revenue contribution from acquisitions. Gross margin from continuing operations decreased 10 basis points to 50.1 per cent; on an adjusted basis, gross margin was

Fibre2Fashion.com, a B2B portal for the global textiles, apparel and fashion industry, has released its Industry 4.0 compendium. The hard-bound volume includes among other things vision statements from industry leaders, some best practices and case studies, besides the F2F Ready-Reckoner on the subject. The compendium was released at the recently concluded ITMA Asia + CIMTE 2018 event in Shanghai. Like the earlier compendiums, this edition in the Machinery Compendium series also does two thi

Courtesy: C.L.A.S.SC.L.A.S.S is supporting this year’s Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference which is being held in Milan, Italy from October 22-24, 2018. C.L.A.S.S is a multi-platform hub, specialising in integrating a new generation of eco values into fashion brands. The theme of the conference is United by Action: Accelerating Sustainability in Textiles and Fashion. The conference offers an opportunity to connect with industry pioneers and learn about cutting edge solutions and innov

Courtesy: PrimaLoft PrimaLoft, a leader in technology solutions, has launched PrimaLoft Bio, the first-ever biodegradable synthetic insulation, a proprietary technology that can transform the apparel industry. PrimaLoft Bio will reduce the length of time products remain in or are exposed to landfills and oceans, without compromising PrimaLoft’s product performance standards. Synthetic insulation was originally designed to withstand the outdoors; PrimaLoft Bio is designed to turn insulation