Could you tell us something about the history of Orta Anadolu..

Orta started manufacturing fabrics 55 years ago and during the early 80s the owners decided to focus on denim production only. The vision was not just to produce denim fabrics but to work with the best brand names in the industry. Soon Orta Anadolu became a preferred manufacturer to worldwide recognised jeanswear brand names. Levis appointed Orta Anadolu as a 01 fabric manufacturer confirming the quality of the vintage denim production capability and as the market evolved Orta Anadolu proactively started offering fabrics and services for the sportswear brands as well as the fashion brands.

Today the production capacity reaches 60 million meters with the 2 vertical plants in Kayseri Turkey and Manama Bahrain. The company headquarters is in Istanbul and through the global sales and marketing operation Orta Anadolu serves brands and manufacturers in Europe, USA, Colombia, Australia, Bangladesh, Japan, North Africa and Turkey. The focus remains on strong partnership understanding with the customers who are valued as the main asset of the company. The production infrastructure is updated according to the needs of the market. Denimservices within the Kayseri premises provides garment making/finishing possibilities to evaluate the newly developed fabrics promptly with a capacity to produce 25,000 garments to present the line. Orta Blu is the sustainibility division of Orta Anadolu established in 2011 and follows and shares social missions and promotes a sustainable life style.

Orta is among the most reputed denim mill around the world. What makes it tick ??

Orta focuses on long-term relations with its customers rather then operating on transaction bases. The expert consultants and the management team aim to provide proactive solutions for its global customers. The Orta staff turnover is very low both in white and blue collar teams and this enables the company to specialise in manufacturing skills as well as customer relations. Product development and constant innovation for the jeanswear market as well as the fashion market are key driving factors for the sucess of the company. Orta team makes it happen.

c)You come out with innovative products at regular intervals. Can you tell us something about the latest ones..

Slowfit concept is one of the latests innovations. Where we use combination of methods to achieve soft but high performance jeans. Combinations of different fiber like tencel , cupro, viscose etc. for softness and combination of PES, PA, Elastane for higher performances.

Consumers will be much more happy with super soft high performance fabrics.

HD = high definition denim. We have a concept of fabrics where customers can easily get surface abrasion after scraping. We offer this concept especially for waterless garment finishes. Most of the customers having problem to get a nice natural look after waterless finishes on garments. This technology creates easy clean abrasion after scraping and washing. Compared to normal fabrics you clearly see and HD look.

The Alchemy finished products from Orta has some great supersoft capabilities – I had reviewed this earlier.. Can you throw some more light on this special finish. How long does it last in home laundries ?

Alchemy finish will stand home laundry washes all the lifecycle of the fabric. Alchemy gives a permanent softness. When we compare alchemy and nonalchemy fabrics ; we see that the touch difference of nonalchemy fabrics after home laundry washes is much more than alchemy fabrics. Means alchemy fabrics will stay soft even after homelaundry washes.

e)I am sure you deal with most of the reputed denim brands. Could you name some of the reputed customers..

Levis, Lee, Wrangler Diesel, DSquared, Replay, Guess, Armani, Miss Sixty, Energie, Meltin Pot, Fornarina, Sisley, Benetton, Met Jeans, J Brand, GAP, J Crew, Banana Republic, Paige, Mother Jeans, Seven for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, True Religion, Current Elliot, Hudson, G-Star, Denham, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Scotch&Soda, Paul Smith, Burberry , Uniqlo, Tennis etc.

Orta Anadolu is known for its social missions. What is the philosophy behind it ?

Orta Anadolu has always made donations however in 2011 it decided that it should share its experiences and build sustainable communities globally if it wanted to give back to the world that we all share. Thus Orta Blu was establised both as an on-line and off-line platform. Orta’s main business is making and selling fabrics however the expertise behind the production as well as the global philosopical vision enables it to promote models of sustainable communities which can use its core product and create value-added approaches. In its first social mission Orta Anadolu has teamed up with UNICEF in Italy and Beirut and has created a production unit to support a project based on turn-back to school for girls in a rural village in Akkar. The project enabled 80 girls to go back to school, 15 women to learn how to make garments and 1000 uniforms were distributed to the school children in need.
Orta is not simply making and selling fabrics but creating sustainable projects around the world.

What do you think about the Asian markets – particularly India, China etc ? Do you see these markets developing well over the next few years ?

Orta is looking at the Asian markets and is building strategies to serve the jeanswear garment manufacturers which serve global markets as well as the growing local retail brands needs in these regions. Orta expects major growth in Chinese as well as Indian markets. The global luxury brands are moving in Asian markets since 5 years and as the buying power of consumers in these markets increase the demand for advanced fabrics will grow. The e-commerce in China is expected to grow to 60 billion usd in 5 years and this will invigorate the growth of the fashion industry.

Here are some product images and videos from the company

Video: This is a back stage action at Orta Anadolu "Slow-Fit" stretch denim shoot with Sumo Wrestlers..!

Alchemy Fabric Video :

Contact Ebru / Burak  Here

First lets see how were the imports of denim apparel into US were faring in the last 5 years from 2006 to 2010. As we can see below, the imports only fell in 2007 and thereafter there has been a steady increase in the quantities of imported products. However, the average price did fell in 2009 and 2010.

Now, for 2011

Total quantity : 521 million pieces
Value : $4,344 million
Average Price per piece : $8.33

The average prices for the imports rose significantly in 2011 due to average increase in prices of cotton and other fibers. The increase in price was actually huge – about +16.5%

The countries which lost out the most during 2011 were the following :

Among the gainers  or the countries not much affected were
Mexico and Nicaragua  and some other countries like Lesotho , Guatemala etc.

The statistics give an indication that the concept of near sourcing is catching on with the buyers in US. The effect of the rising costs in China is particularly being felt and though the options of shifting bases to countries in Asia like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam etc remains, the buyers also want to put more eggs in the South American markets !!

Exports of Denim Apparel to US Under Special Programmes : 2010 -2011

As we can see from the table above, there is almost no change when we see the value of the imports to USA including the special programmes. The exports under special programmes has risen by a few % points whereas those without any programmes have gone down . The shipments under various special programmes is about 40% and without these programmes is about 60% .

Let’s see the values in terms of quantities

Export of denim apparel quantities from various special regions to USA

In terms of quantity , we can see that the shipments under special programmes have increased by about 3% at the expense of non-programmes countries. The total shpments of denim apparel to US has however fallen by about 14% in 2011 as compared to 2010. This is substantial and tells the situation of the US market.
Some regions like Colombia, Mexico and Nicaragua are worth noting because these regions are making shipments under both special programmes and without. The shipments made without the programmes indicates that the countries can buy fabrics from anywhere and ship to US – thus indicating a market for fabrics from areas outside the special regions.

“Levi’s® has always been about embracing the energy and events of our time. Today, fashion is more democratic and accessible than ever, making New York Fashion Week the perfect moment in time for the Levi’s® brand to launch our first global collection,” said Len Peltier, Global Vice President of Creative Direction.

The Levi’s® Fall/Winter 2012 collection is based on a more refined and tailored look, for both men and women. The designs were inspired by the idea of craftsmanship, honesty and authenticity – honoring tradition while defying convention, redefining the norm and re-crafting and re-creating iconic Levi’s® styles.

Fall/Winter 2012 Denim Collection

Steeped in the authenticity and craftsmanship that the brand is known for, the collection is built around classic and refined styles with sharp clean aesthetics, which have been tailored to perfection.

The key trend for men this season is the tapered look, for a great flattering fit that sits just below the waist, is slouchy on the top and has a slim tailored leg. The colors of indigo seem to have gotten lighter, brighter and shinier  . The stitching threads were normally non-contrasting and going along the same shades as the denim or even white. So the focus is “Formal and Crafted Wear” taking their denim collection  away from the distressed looks and washes that we have been seeing for years. Also could be seen bike messenger length pants ,

For women, the key look for the season is the Bootcut Skinny, which the Levi’s® brand claims to have completely reinvented. As per Levi’s , this look is

“..no longer your mother’s bootcut denim, this season will see the launch of this new take on a classic – a sexy, modern skinny fit making you forever think differently about the bootcut.”

Here is a video from the runway ….

Here is a description of some key from  the show(denim and others) :

1. repurposed tailored sack coat
indigo-striped highway trucker shirt jacket
cinch back pantaloon…………….
2. tailored chambray workshirt
melton wool military jacket
508™ sta-prest™ khaki short…………..
3. bonded parka in rifle green-safari
1950s khaki twill sports coat…………….
513™ sta-prest™ slim in harvest pumpkin
4.electric blue plaid flannel workshirt
oversized engineered blue and yellow striped tee
repurposed vintage performance trucker jacket
511™ sta-prest™ cropped skinny in olive…………
5. made & crafted wide leg chino
made & crafted custom type 2 suede trucker jacket….
6. hooded commuter trucker jacket in olive twill
engineered striped cardigan with contrast buttons
commuter workshirt……………………………..
508™ commuter cropped taper in charcoal
7. commuter workshirt in white
heather grey sweatshirt
511™ sta-prest™ cropped pant…………
8.coated indigo tencel low-slung dungaree
crisp white french cuff button down…………..
9. coated indigo tencel pleated tap short
crisp white french cuff button down……………
10. coated minimal zip front trucker jacket in jet black
coated cotton workshirt………………………..
505® commuter straight cropped in carolina blue
11.coated indigo tencel pleated prairie skirt
crisp white french cuff button down…………
12. heather grey heritage tshirt
sta-prest™ trucker in braveheart twill
japanese indigo checked plaid jacket.
511™ sta-prest™ skinny electric blue pant
striped yellow and blue d ring belt
13. natural canvas trucker shirt
engineered 3-pocket work vest
engineered type 2 trucker jacket
cinch back engineered carpenter pants….
14.tuxedo shirt in indigo tencel
re-crafted tailored flare…………………
15. red & blue color-blocked ripstop vest
red & blue color-blocked hooded track jacket
black fishtail parka jacket……………….
508™ sta-prest™ taper in khaki
16. levis® curve id skinny bootcut with customized
tencel godets.coated indigo tencel dress shirt
cropped single button rinsed denim blazer……….
17. oversized workwear jumper with asymmetrical pockets………………………..
18. commuter workshirt in black poplin
black bomber in melton wool & canvas
extreme drop taper pant…………………
19. diamond stitched indigo bomber
dip-dyed indigo dress shirt.511™ skinny raw denim pant
black belt………………………….
20. gypsy print legging crisp white french button down
21. coated indigo tencel a-line duster skirt
wool herringbone blazer crisp white french cuff button down
22. lvc 1920s sunset henley in dark grey melee
lvc 1930s twill britches
lvc 1915 striped suspenders
lvc 1912 blanket wool mackinaw coat
23. lvc 1950s shorthorn checked flannel shirt
lvc 1920s chinos
24. lvc 1918 women’s all-in-one freedomalls
25.lvc 1920s wool sack coat
lvc 1920s wool buckle back trousers
lvc 1950s shorthorn blanket striped flannel shirt
26. lvc 1960s 519 sta-prest™, burnt henna 812 corduroys
lvc 1930s button-neck sportswear sweater
lvc black and red woven leather belt
27. made & crafted yellow blanket lined sack coat
made & crafted striped print trucker jacket
lvc 1920s corduroy trousers
28. made & crafted ochre drill cotton linen chino
made & crafted cotton linen, bright blue, shawlcollared sack coat made & crafted wool herringbone checked workshirt
29. made & crafted tailored indigo sack coat…………..
made & crafted indigo flannel sailor trousers
made & crafted short shirt in golden yellow and mazarine blue
30. made & crafted wool checked trucker shirt
made & crafted rigid sack coat
made & crafted striped wool type 2 vest
made & crafted cinch back carpenter pants
31. made & crafted type 1 indigo wool jacket with striped weft made & crafted hi-rise cropped five pocket wool pants
32. made & crafted aztec lambswool v-neck
made & crafted suede type 2 jacket customized us military jacket lvc 1920s teal chino
33. u.s. navy shirt (vintage)
508™ sta-prest™ short in harvest gold
34. trucker shirt jacket in japanese indigo blue and white hemp vest .505® bedford cord
35. french awning striped hemp jacket double-faced engineered workshirt cropped selvedge carpenter jeans with leather -backed hammer loop
36. selvedge wool denim slim jeans diamond stitched herringbone sack coat diamond stitched wool waistcoat
grandfather tailored shirt 37. clean rigid button down with articulated pockets clean rigid high-waisted a-line skirt
38. soft-constructed two-button blazer modern chambray workshirt  562™ loose creased with tailored cuff
39.520™ overall in japanese selvedge twill, charcoal grey ,japanese selvedge twill two-button snap front tailored blazer,japanese selvedge twill tailored shirt with hidden placket

Sponsored link:
Reproducible Effects in Finishing of Denim

Here is a report from Stylesight – the leading trend agency worldwide – on the trends from Denim By PV held in Dec’11.

Cheat Sheet

1. Soft touch remains a key focus for many mills Cellulose TENCEL® and Modal fibers become essential Soft-focus looks for peached surfaces and dense, tactile hands.
2. Growing each season, eco-friendly technology remains key for S/S 13
   Recycled yarns become more widely used and aesthetically pleasing
   Low-impact technologies, fibers and processes remain priorities for mills.
3. Finishes and treatments evolve shine for S/S 13 Pearlescent and iridescent looks move on from traditional resin shine. Two-tone and shot silk looks create fashion-forward denim surfaces.

1.Engineered Herringbone

Herringbone evolves for S/S 13 with new 3-D weaves. Graphic and pronounced herringbones create cord-like surfaces / Deep ridged textures offer tactile touch / New take on the engineered stripe trend / Workwear and tailoring references / Double weaves and double-faced fabrics.

2.Dobby Weaves

A trend that emerged at last winter!s show, dobby weaves had a stronger presence this season. Small, intricate designs created using dobby attachments on looms / Allover geometric designs / Raised, extra
yarn weaves create 3-D looks / Honeycomb and waffle appearances / Broken twill variations / Strong white weft presence on fabric faces.

3.Duck Canvas

A trend that emerged two seasons ago at niche mills, duck canvas offerings grow to meet demand.Clean and durable canvas constructions, reminiscent of workwear fabrics / Neutral shades of ecru and mustard /Indigo overdyes and yarn dyes / Premium selvedge canvas as chino alternative / Popular visual texture with rugged associations.

4.Salt+Pepper wefts

Tweedy textures emerged two seasons ago and continue their importance for S/S 13.Switching focus to weft yarns, creates a more subtle, wearable fabric / Weft textures add visual interest to denim faces after wash-down / Twisted yarn alternative with a more menswear and heritage feel / Cozy denim look for summerweight denims.

5.Marled Grey

Mélanges create a summery textured yarn for S/S 13.Neppy, textured and flecked greys / Jersey denim looks / Inspired by retro marls and activewear / Cone Denim!s recycled yarns / Twisted yarns and slubby surfaces / Menswear-centric story.

6.Knit Indigo

Jersey-look indigo or indigo-look knits emerge for S/S 13.Knit indigo is making big waves in denim / Focus on comfort denim with soft and stretch capabilities / Indigo knits at Isko led to Diesel!s “Jogg Jeans” range / Bossa, Calik and Montebello are all experimenting / Ultra-high stretch / Improved recovery and super-soft hands / Activedenim hybrid fabrics for casualwear.

7.Tencel Stretch

Stretch continues to be a key denim initiative with new TENCEL® blends for S/S 13. Super stretchy blends merge the fluidity and softness of cellulose / Orta Slow Fit TENCEL® and cupro blends have memory stretch / Huge range of TENCEL® stretch fabrics by Italdenim includes colored denims / Surfacesare glossy, super-soft and malleable / Second skin feeling.

8.Soft Focus

Focusing on hand, mills look to finish, weave and fiber advancements for increased tactility.Brushed cottons have peached surfaces / Sateen weaves remain important / Tightly constructed, dense stretch weaves/Soft moleskin looks and fluffy appearances.

9.Dense+Compact

Clean, compact fabrics have smooth and refined denim finishes.Premium looks with clean and compact surfaces / Durable, dry and dense weaves / Deadstock raws and clean constructions / Dry and flat finishes give denim smooth shine.

10.cellulose updates

Cellulose alternatives to traditional cotton are flooding the denim market.
New innovations continue to drive these denims forward / Lyocell expert Royo offers colored, laundered and treated blends for S/S 13/ Cone explores unexpectedly authentic yet super-soft blends, proving denim does not have to be lightweight and fluid / Black TENCEL® denims emerge.

11.Vintage Drape

Open construction and drape offer comfortable hands and summery, vintage attitude. Lightweights reemerge for summer / Focus on open, fluid and unstable weaves / Crosshatch lightweights remain an important texture story from S/S 12 / Comfortably worn-in fabrics create an “old favorite” jean feeling / Bias cuts enhance drape.

12.Recycled Yarns

Working toward a sustainable future, mills highlight recycled denims.
Reused denim scrap waste from fabric and garment manufacturing stages / Cone Denim!s EarthSPUN wefts made from recycled green, brown and blue plastic bottles / Eco-premium recycled selvedge denim from Nihonmenpu / Paper wefts at Calik Denim / Unique indigo shades and neppy constructions / Textured fill yarn qualities.

13.Linen/cotton

A key S/S 13 development, mills look to linen to update traditional all cotton denim.Air-dried and creased looks have casual summer attitude / Linen wefts bring cooling properties / Glossy yet relaxed surfaces / Neppy and slubby yarns / Used on 7 to 12oz. denims.

14.Slub chambray

Chambray looks rustic with slubby and neppy textures.Vertical and horizontal slub yarns / Rustic updates for plain weaves / Exaggerated crosshatches are key / Skyblue indigo shades / Vintage loom defects nod to the Dust Bowl era.

15.Summer greens

Last season!s green-cast denims become laundered and muted for S/S 13.
More obvious, cleaner greens take over from tinted green indigos of last season / Chambrays and textured,neppy denims / Rustic weaves and vintage laundries / Pale pastel looks and recycled wefts at Cone Denim /
Unisex denim story mixes vintage with fashion.

16.Pastel wash

Pale shades are two-tone, diffused and laundered.Soft palette of baby blue, mint green, peach and pink / Whitened colors and coated pales / Pastel shades bleed through at seams / Colored wefts with white warps / Breakages and surface distressing create interest.

17.Pearlescent

For S/S 13, resin finishes become pastel and pearlescent.New stretch coatings offer summer alternatives to leather / Super shiny / Glitter particles / Color ranges from pastels to girly brights / Pearlescent resin finishes suit Juniors and Tweens.

18.Luminescence

Distinctly purple-cast, two-tone denims emerge for S/S 13.Two-tone indigo replicates shot silk / Colored wefts with indigo warps / Iridescent yarns and glossy TENCEL® /Focus on glossy surface sheen.

19.Lurex shine

The shiny denim trend strengthens with metallic yarns, wefts and treatments expanding offerings.Liquid gold and silver effects add dazzling glamour to denim / Iridescent metallic lightweights at Kuroki / Metallic
coatings become malleable, lighter weight and fluid for summer / High stretch constructions.

20.Plastic people

Clear resins give new plastic shine to black and indigo fabrics.Polished looks achieved with new resin layers / Flattened constructions create a starched and pressed effect /Shine creates sculptural and molded relief to denim / Clean, classic denims transform with sophisticated finishes.

21.Color explosion

Attendees could not ignore the vast color ranges for S/S 13.Color stories show no sign of abating for S/S 13 / Colored wefts in significantly brighter shades / Saturated brights and gemstone palettes / Quirky contrast red, purple and green wefts against blue.

“Rather than doing the conventional trend spotting , we find inspiration in other cultural fields such as movies and music. We also find it in the inexhaustible history of denim , and we get it from all the dedicated users wearing our dry jeans until they fall apart . The Swedish work culture and the melting pot of modern Scandinavia culture also meet and merge in the collections.”

This is what the Swedish denim brand Nudie Jeans have to say about their collections. They do not go for any trend spottings and follow their own instincts and derive inspiration from culture and history to make the new collections.
The Spring Summer 2012 denim range is divided into Dry, Worn and Worn Authentic – simply after the amount of washing treatments given at the laundry.
The Nudie Jeans Indigo tops range is a selection of indigo dyed knitwear , shirts, T-shirts and washed denim jackets – a range where indigo shows its diversity in shades and intensity.

1. DRY

Dry Flat Selvedge : Dry Italian 13.25oz selvedge denim with a little red cast. Its compact and regular with a smooth flat surface.

12oz Dry Selvedge Italian denim . It has a very open construction allowing weft to shine through. The surface is dry  and flat, shiny with a little bit of streakiness.

Dry Orange Selvedge :

Made of 13.5oz japanese denim , the warp has been dipped in 13 indigo baths on top of sulphur to create a green cast . The fabric is slubby and with a tight weaving. For an authentic look, the weft has a beige shade. And by the way , buttons and rivets are made of silver !

Organic Dry Twill : 11.5oz organic Turkish power stretch. Clean flat surface and dry hand feel and  low red cast

Recycle Dry Navy : 11.5oz power stretch denim from Turkey made with both organic cotton and recycled cotton. It’s a red cast with tight construction , smooth shiny surface and is neppy. 68% Organic cotton, 29% recycled cotton and 3% elastane.

Black Black :
12oz Turkish power stretch with super blue indigo overdyed with black .

Dry Black Coated:
The core Nudie jeans denim jacket in a dry black coated denim. Black back pocket stitching at back yoke. Twin needle stitches in black all over and customized copper buttons. 98% cotton , 2% Elastane.

2.Worn:

The worn concept emulates the qualities of worn in dry jeans in many aspects. A shortcut to breaking in own jeans !

3.Worn Authentic

Giving a pair of jeans looks of at least having been worn for one year. The creases on the thighs and the back of knees have to be exactly in the same places. Folded sandpaper with the right grit is used to create streaks on denim . Rasps are used to carefully create holes, which are patched after washing.

Madde Replica: 12oz denim from Italy . The original was broken into to create this look . The jeans has very natural worn in look , mending, great honey combs  and moustaches.

Lab 32
A pair of well worn jeans by a photographer in Stockholm inspires this great looking jeans in a 13.25 oz Italian denim.

Color denim collections

1. Table for import quantities, prices and values of all denim apparel from Egypt into US from 2000-2010.
2. Graph of prices denim apparel from Egypt into US from 2000-2010.
3. 3 large suppliers of denim apparel from Egypt and their contacts and some of their buyers’ details.
4. Table for import quantities, prices and values of men’s denim jeans from Egypt into US from 2000-2010.
5. Table for import quantities, prices and values of women’s denim jeans from Egypt into US from 2000-2010.
6. Table for import quantities, prices and values of all jeans from Egypt into EU from 2000-2010.
7. Table for import quantities, prices and values of men’s denim jeans from Egypt into EU from 2000-2011.
8. Table for import quantities, prices and values of women’s denim jeans from Egypt into EU from 2000-2011.
9. Table for imports of denim fabrics into Egypt from EU and the average prices for the same for 2010 and 2011.

Egypt is an important garmenting location for sourcing a large amount of apparel by companies in US and EU. A large amount of denim apparel is also produced in Egypt and exported to these destinations. Lets have a look at how Egypt has performed in the last 10 years  for different categories of denim products to US and EU .

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Shirting is designed for a free and easy lifestyle – chambrays, linen, stripes are the order of the day..

The riders were outfitted in Edwin denim,: including covetable RV selvage denim jacket., black chambray shirts,  Red Listed selvage and  Rainbow Listed selvage jeans.

About Edwin’s History:

Mr Tsunemi had a passion for denim, which inspired him to import them directly from the United States as no denim was manufactured in Japan at that time. Used, worn-out and dirty denim which had to be laundered and mended by hand in order to sell on to his customers. In 1951 domestically manufactured denim was available for the first time in Japan. This product was expensive and of inferior quality compared to its American counterparts. Mr Tsumeni was driven to create his own denims, with greater sophistication in fits, washes and quality. From this point on in Edwin denim , quality, craftsmanship, innovation and integrity have been paramount to the ethos and aesthetic for the brand. In 1961 Mr. Tsunemi crafted the first pair of Edwin denim jeans. Utilising the letters D, E, N, I & M (reversing the M creating a W) he created the brand name ‘Edwin’. By 1963 Edwin had produced the world’s heaviest(at that time) ringspun denim jean (16oz), featuring the famous three-colour rainbow selvedge, which is still being used today. In the 1970’s Edwin were the first company in the world to develop ‘old wash’ designed to replicate denim which have been worn from its rigid, unwashed state traditionally designed for workwear due to its durability. In the 1980’s Edwin invented ‘stone washing’ which revolutionised the entire denim industry and was a pivotal moment in the evolution of denim manufacturing, thus influencing, every denim company in existence today. In the 1990’s Edwin created the ‘new vintage’ denim concept, which encompasses the subtle beauty of hand replicating vintage washes from archive references pre-dating 1947.

Source: Otexa

The total textile and apparel imports into US in 2010 were about $104 billion and those in 2011 (Jan-Nov) have touched $106 billion. Also when we compare with 2009, the imports increased from $90.5 billion significantly rose to $104 billion in 2010 and continue to rise in 2011. This reflects the inherent strength of the US market that  inspite of the economic recession the textile and apparel imports continue to rise .Though the increased cotton prices may have played some role in increasing the value of these imports, still the sentiment for imports seems positive for the entire industry..

Also, it is interesting to note that almost 15% of all imports fall under the various Free Trade Agreements like CAFTA, AGOA etc. The govt. has been maintaining this figure at around 15% for last 2 years .

What is the % of denim apparel imports out of these total imports ??
Its around 4% !. Though it looks small, denim is still an important apparel category when viewed in comparison to other categories.

For denim executives that are trying to anticipate the next big fashion trend, there are clear indications of what that trend will be. The indications are that denim in a wide range of colors is emerging as the most promising path to significantly improved denim business by 2013. These are other than the pure Indigo blue, sulfur bottoms, sulfur tops and black shades that dominate the denim market. The availability of denim colors in the world market is presently very small because only a very few denim companies have overcome the technical challenges of dyeing colors on standard denim equipment. These problems along with the route to success in producing colors will be explained in following article.

The technical aspects of controlling colors on Indigo machinery consist of:

1) Understanding affinity factors( the velocity of dye particles) of indigo and sulfur dyeing

2) Control of reduction potential(millivolts) and alkalinity(pH) of indigo and sulfur dye

3)Dye box volumes( larger boxes are better for Indigo, smaller are better for sulfurs)

4) Control of wet pick-up where dyes are applied to dry cotton and the concept of “liquor exchange” where dye is applied to wet cotton

5) Effective washing for maintaining color consistency

6) Control of oxidation, especially with sulfur dyes to avoid strength loss with blacks and the extreme color variation with colors other than black. These will be addressed in detail in the following article.

These color denims are appearing in increasing volumes in higher-fashion retail stores such as Dillards in the U.S. as well as in Europe and Japan. These include yarn-dyed denims with the white weft preserved and garment dyes which can be produced with sulfur dyes, reactives, directs or pigments. One constant in yarns dyed by Indigo machinery is that there will be an undyed, white center in the yarns regardless of which class of dye or dyeing method is used. The reserved, undyed cotton in the center of the yarns is responsible for the unique brightness of denim garments. Light is reflected from the dyed fibers on the outside of the yarns, but also from the white fibers in the center which results in a special brightness that has been described as “blooming”.

Sulfur dyed garments seem to have greater appeal because of the more natural looking “earth tones” that are generated. Reactives have a more intense appearance because of the higher chroma, but are more expensive and are perceived as being artificial. Direct dyes are the lowest cost to use and there are pink and light greens that have penetrated the market, but present colorfastness problems in dark shades. Pigments are relatively easy to apply and since they are a surface coloration, can produce a distressed look, but also present colorfastness problems in darker shades and have a harsher feel than dyed garments. Sulfur colors offer easy application, are very low cost and can produce a wide range of colors that imitate colors in nature which have a more durable appeal in the higher-fashion markets. The basic procedure for producing sulfur dyes is to take “any organic compound with color and react it with sulfur”, so any naturally occurring material can be used to produce sulfur dyes. When sulfur dyes were introduced in the 1870’s, the first colors were brown dyes produced from sawdust, animal blood and horse manure reacted with sulfurs. More sophisticated methods since then have resulted in a full palette of colors with sulfur dyes.

The expression “sulfur colors” refers to colors like browns, greens, yellow, violets, greys, pinks and oranges, colors that will stand out in stores and catch the attention of retail consumers that are ready for something fresh to wear, but are in the unique denim fabric constructions.

The presence of white weft-yarns behind the colored weft yarns makes for a brighter, cleaner appearance and because the weft yarns have not been affected by dyes or chemicals, the feel of natural cotton against the skin is one of the important reasons for the appeal of denim.

Denim colors first became a huge success in the fashion denim area about 20 years ago, when U.S. companies invested in research programs to solve the mysteries of the physical chemistry involved in continuous dyeing on Indigo machinery, which none of the dye suppliers was able to solve. A serious effort is required which involves a basic understanding of color science, the chemistry of dyeing, especially the selection of reducing agents and special buffers to maintain stability in the large dye boxes of Indigo machinery, but the profit margins to be realized will make the effort financially worthwhile, especially for smaller, more flexible and technically capable denim companies.

The business cycle in fashion has always demonstrated that the fabric supplier who enters the market first with an entirely new product gains the greatest share of the profits form product development. Those who try to catch up and wait to follow the leaders will continue to struggle.

This is a guest post by Harry Mercer. Mr. Mercer has 30 years experience in the denim business including 3 prominent U.S. denim companies : Cone, Swift and Graniteville. He is an expert colorist for measurement and color matching as well as textile testing and is considered to be a leading authority  for denim dyeing, finishing and fashion denim development.To contact him, email him or  leave comments below.