Denimandjeans | Global Trends, News and Reports | Worldwide

Author: Sandeep Agarwal

Global AW17 Denim Trends–US, Europe , Asia | Leopoldo Durante

Adding to the list of FIRSTS at our Denimsandjeans.com Bangladesh show was the LIVE VIDEOÂ presentation by Leopoldo Durante from Italy . Leopoldo, a veteran in denim industry who has worked with some of the most respected brands in the industry including Evisu, Versace, D&G, Martelli, Miss Sixty and a host of other names in his 25 years of career, agreed to present his vision for denims in AW17 directly from his office in Italy to our visitors and audience in Dhaka through a skype presentation on 10 x 8 feet wide screen at our show. It was an experiment by us and as in all new experiments there is an element of fear of something unexpected to happen. However, the presentation went through like a cakewalk and Leopoldoâ€™s larger than life image on the screen , his booming Italian voice and his deep knowledge on denim impressed the audience very much. The presentation, which lasted over 30 minutes , enabled the audience to directly see what was Leopoldoâ€™s vision of denim becoming in the Fall â€˜17 .
We are giving here below the text of the presentation that he made along with some slides from his presentation. But the best part is to check out the video on this page where a part of his presentation is uploaded on YouTube here or just click on image below .

Actual text of Leopoldoâ€™s Skype Presentation

I am a designer. I used to travel a lot around the world. I went to Los Angeles and New York, London, Berlin. I went to Tokyo. I live in Italy. We have three different continents with three different visions on indigo, denim and jeans. The US is a huge market. Europe is a great market. In Asia the denim market and production is concentrated in Japan. In the US brands are focused on celebrities denim. Europe is obsessed with designer denim. Asia is focused on vintage denim.

In the US the market is focused on womenâ€™s wear. They have women as ambassadors. The market is not focused on quality but on celebrities who wear denim. And they call it premium. But I feel itâ€™s not true. Itâ€™s not premium in the sense we call it. It is called premium because itâ€™s worn by the wealthy. I would not call it jeans, I would call it pants. And this is ironical because the American people invented denim. But what they do is sell super stretch for women at astronomical prices. And it is not even denim. It is just a pair of pants.

The situation in Europe is more focused on the design. Itâ€™s about designers and not about brands. There are French luxury brands and historic denim brands. Diesel is moving from pure denim to designer denim. I also have my own brand. Europeans add things like Swarovski. They do strong washing.

Asia is focused on vintage. Asia, Europe and the US have a different approach to the denim market. Asia is more focused on tradition, heavy fabrics, non stretch fabrics, classic looks. They use selvedge and rigid ones. This is particularly true of the Japanese market. In Europe they think of the value of the brand and value of the design. America is focused on beauty, super stretch.

In future denim and jeans will be back to their roots. Fabrics will be heavy and not super stretch. We will have real denim made on a shuttle loom, even selvedge. New technology will be applied on denim. Stretch will be on the warp and not the weft to guarantee comfort. The look will be of real jeans. I am talking of 13 or 14 ounce. Jeans will reflect a more mature concept of fashion. We are going back to a very nice time for our market.

March 25, 2016
First Global Online Laser Design Shop Launched by Tonello

Tonello, the Italian garment washing technology provider has upped the ante in the field of Laser washing by opening an online shop with laser designs and graphics . The first of its kind portal stocks a wide variety of images with different laser designs. TheÂ extensive gallery of images, simple or complex, that can be used with any machine, for small or large samples: combined washes, dyes and finishes and enableÂ to create unique garments in a short time, without costly investments in equipment and staff. All this is always available around the clock.

Besides the online facility , Tonello will also assist customers in creating designs from the images of washes that customers might want to send to them. This will enable customers to also get tailor made solutions for their laser design requirements. Its noteworthy that these designs can be used on any kind of laser machines and not restricted to the machines by Tonello .Â There will be also seasonal updates on the designs with new ones being added regularly.

Another interesting aspect of the portal wil be that alongside the files for laser, there will be a data sheet for washing tips . This will give ideas to customers on how they can combine right washing with laser to achieve best results.

The design cost varies from product to product and also depends on complexity.Â The designs on jeans currently look to be around Euro 190 + per design while those on t-shirts start from Euro 90. We bring below some of the designs available online on the shop with some interesting looks like Japanese Boro and Vintage looks .

Boro

Bluewave

Coco

Ham

Gershwin

Tunstall

Jem

Superhero

March 17, 2016
First Denim Sportswear Show In Vietnam | June 2016

After holding five successful and consecutives denim shows in Bangladesh, Denimsandjeans eyes the potential of Vietnamese Apparel and Textile Industry. This exhibition will bring some of the most reputed local and international mills and supply chain partners together at one platform keeping Denim and Sportswear segment in the focus.

Increasing approximately at 19 per cent compared to 2013, Vietnamâ€™s textile and garment exports have crossed US$ 24 billion in 2015 says the largest textile group in Vietnam â€“ Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) . Denim is a growing segment of apparel sourced from Vietnam and is likely to witness significant growth in coming years. The Vietnamese textile industry, with more than 3,800 companies, is the countryâ€™s leading export sector. The country ranks fifth worldwide in textile and apparel exports and has a labor force in that sector of more than 2 million people, of whom 1.3 million are working directly in the industry. Many textile and garment companies in the region have already begun to move production to Vietnam. Major U.S. retailers such as Sara Lee, JC Penney, Express, the Gap, Macyâ€™s, Nordstromâ€™s, Mast Industries and American Eagle source a sizeable portion of their imports from Vietnam.

According to reports, the focus of Vietnam is not only US as Vietnam is also negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) with several other countries including the EU. The duties on exports to EU from Vietnam are likely to reduce to zero over the next few years. The exact details of the duty structures would be available soon as the FTA with the EU is inked. Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, the most awaited bilateral trade instrument which is expected to be signed somewhere next year has already charged the market of speculations. Experts predict that the TPP would likely raise Vietnamâ€™s garment and textile exports to the US to US$55 billion by 2025.

This agreement with US is very close to finalization and it is under their top most priority in order to bring the garment and apparel industry of Vietnam on top. One of the tough competitors, China is lagging behind because of its expensive labor cost and in meanwhile this agreement with US will be an icing on cake for Vietnam as it unfolds new opportunities for Vietnam.

China presently accounts for a 37 percent share in the US textile and apparel market, while Vietnam only has an 8 percent share. If the TPP deal is inked, it would help Vietnam to manage to take away 10 percent points share from China, as Vietnamese textiles and apparels would then enjoy greater benefits than products from China, which does not form a part of the TPP agreement. This is likely to give huge push to the industry.

Denim and sportswear is an important part of the whole apparel industry in US , EU and worldwide. With increased apparel activity in Vietnam, this sub sector is likely to witness decent growth.

To focus on the sportswear industry, Denimsandjeans.com brings out its maiden show in Vietnam on 16th and 17th June at HCMC and shall bring some of the most reputed local fabric and apparel manufacturers, and international mills, chemical and accessory suppliers in the supply chain together at one place. The event shall aim to be a premium sourcing location for a large number of international buyers coming to Vietnam to look for apparel sourcing.

The show shall be held at Gem Centre â€“ a beautiful venue with an amazing wooden architecture and completely aligned with the theme of denim. Denimsandjeans.com hopes the event shall serve as a platform for the sportswear supply chain industry in this region.

March 16, 2016
PRPS Japan – Spring 2016 Denim Key Looks

Donwan Harrell, theÂ founder of PRPS , is the first American designer to bring Japanese denim jeans to the United States. Established in 2002, Donwan was instrumental inÂ creating the rise of the Japanese luxury denim jeans business in America.

He doesnâ€™t simply just make washed & selvedge jeans, Donwan constantly researches, selects premium denim and uses revolutionary washes that has changed the face of men’s fashion & celebrity fashion as we know it. PRPS has collections that are shaping the menâ€™s fashion industry. Every characteristic of every garment produced by PRPS is representative of Donwanâ€™s penchant for meticulousness. No detail, no matter how minute, goes overlooked; creating the best jeans to date.

His Denim can be considered as a mix of being aÂ â€œDistressed, de-constructed, patched, repaired, painted on, sewn and glued together jeans â€œ.

The prices of his jeans was never cheap and starts from around $350 and go upto $1000 a piece !
His latest collection of jeans displays intricate washing techniques , huge amount of patchwork in many pieces, overdyed jeans, exceptionally washed twills with denim effect. Also included are intricately washed denim shirts at $350 euphemistically named â€“ â€œPeasant Shirts!â€

March 13, 2016
Smart Jeans : Levis Joins Project Jacquard By Google
Textile & Technology are again coming together to bring one of the major revolution in the field of Innovations and this time its Google and Levi Strauss ,who are teaming up to develop a wearable technology that involves super fabrics.The eyes are on to develop smart fabrics that could make any clothes smart, turning trousers into touchpads and jackets into joysticks. The smart thread developed by the firm can be woven into existing clothing. Button sized computers will then allow it to communicate with a mobile phone and other devices.

The innovation named as Project Jacquard,which has been defined as the next step in wearable technology, could lead to smart clothes or high-tech carpet with touchscreens that function like smartphone gadgets. Utilizing a new system for weaving technology into fabric by creating conductive yarn, the initiative incorporates touch and gesture interactivity into any textile made using standard, industrial looms .With Jacquard, the innovators are looking at how the access could be provided to the most important features of our phone in a way that enables us to maintain eye contact with the person across the table from us. Jacquard yarn structures combine thin, metallic alloys with natural and synthetic yarns like cotton, polyester, or silk, making the yarn strong enough to be woven on any industrial loom.Jacquard yarns are indistinguishable from the traditional yarns that are used to produce fabrics today.

At the Google I/O Conference 2015 for developers, the search engine giant announced its partnership with Levi’s. It is a Google Advanced Technology and Projects unit experimental program, according to Quartz. Textile makers in Japan will team up with Google to develop the “conductive fabric” that allows electricity to pass through. Amazingly the smart fabrics would be stretchable and washable like today’s standard fabrics.

The new Google wearable product would be made onÂ regular industrial looms, but the touch-screen fabric could store data, according to News Quench. It could thus receive gesture or touch commands. Google’s smart fabric could have several applications. The tap of a shirt’s chest pocket could make a call, or stepping on a particular spot of a smart carpet could change the room temperature. Other applications included controlling smartphone music and smart light bulbs.

Wearable gadgets have become a hot trend in the tech world. Google Glass, one of the first wearable electronics products, featured applications such as making videos and reading data. It has been a rocky road for the wearable market, with Google Glass being discontinued, and “fantastic” Apple Watch sales figures being unreleased. However, the Google-Levi’s partnership seems to imply that tech companies think that wearable tech is the thing of the future.

Â ‘If you can weave interactivity and input methods into the fabric, that’s the first step towards a wearable computer,’ said Ivan Poupyrev, who is leading Project Jacquard

In a Nutshell , the entire innovation can be briefed as :
- Smart thread developed by the firm can be woven into existing clothing
- Button sized computers allow it to communicate with a mobile phone
- Users can control their phones by swiping their hand across the fabric
Â

We let our imagination run loose and visualize some future activities that our futuristicÂ jeans might be used for :
- Getting a message from the jeans when itÂ is getting â€œPlease wash me !â€ . No unnecessary washing !
- By pressing the jeans at certain points, a girl can send a message to the police if she is being harassed . We hope she does not do it by mistake when with boyfriend â€¦..
- Jeans reading out our Blood pressure, Pulse rate etc at intervals â€“ would be awkward if it does it at a wrong time ! .
- For those interested in spying â€“ a small hidden camera starts recording at the touch at special place .
- When we start to eat , our waistline is being monitored and get reprimanded if we are crossing our eating limit – â€œHey Fatso ! Stop eatingâ€
On a serious note, the technology has great potential and could possibly be used in myriad ways to integrate with our growing smart lives . It will perhaps make significant impact and effect theÂ ways in whichÂ products are made and used. Perhaps we could also see the lives of the apparel getting increased as users get digitally attached to their clothes ! . The possibilities are limitless..
March 11, 2016
Miu Miu FW 16/17 Looks

Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women’s clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Milan, Italy .From its inception in 1993 Miu Miu was a private territory of expression and a creative playground, fittingly christened with Miuccia Pradaâ€™s family nickname. At a time when Prada was at its most minimalist, Miu Miu offered a counterpoint: a sensual, rebellious take on dressing-up.

Miu Miu crystalized elegance and sophistication with a new meaning from its early shows in 2006.It played on diverse masculine and feminine inspirations to bring out a modern take on most items. For the FW16 it creates some refreshing looks inÂ denim for the modern woman with its own take and tweaks on jackets, and long skirts adding a touch of not-denim fabrics to add to the glamour of denims.

March 10, 2016
Givenchy Fall 2016 Denim Trends

PhilosophicalÂ musings on the bomber jackets was the highlight of the Givenchy FW16 collection. The jackets were rhinestoned with large copper rivets, newly minted coins at all places possible â€“ surface of coats and jackets, the seams and groin of the trousers and almost everywhere. The collection was heavy on metal and contrasted with the super dark blue and black denims (some of them were probably indigo wefts as well ). On the whole, the collection was â€˜partyishâ€™.

March 9, 2016
Embroidered Men’s Denims From Dolce & Gabbana For Fall 2016

Dolce & GabbanaÂ FW16 collection was a splash of embroideries for the men. The designer label abundantly heaped emborideries uponÂ theirÂ collection . including topcoats and trucker jackets .Â Typically using the double denims, the blue continuum was sought to be broken by the large emboridered motifs, animals (even cats!) and plants -quite unlike something which men would normally like to show off on their denims ! . Embroidered destruction â€“ distressing combined with embroidered looks could be seen on some pieces.

February 24, 2016
GAP Inc Stock Drops After Company Reports Big Fall In Sales
The San Francisco-based company has been struggling to keep pace with the ,so-called ,fast apparel retailers such as UNIQLO and H&M in recent years. The loss of Old Navy boss Stefan Larsson to head luxury fashion brand Ralph Lauren in September hasnâ€™t helped. Larsson was widely credited with turning around Gapâ€™s budget retail brand.

Old Navy sales dropped 8 percent in the three months ending in January, down from 11 percent growth in the same quarter of the previous year, the company said . Banana Republic revenue dropped 14 percent compared with 1 percent year-over-year growth. Gap brand sales narrowed losses, to negative 3 percent from negative 6 percent, indicating some stabilization in the companyâ€™s namesake brand. Net sales in January were $813 million, down from $888 million in the same month last year.

The overall revenue of the company is almost stable with a slight increase though in 2015 increasing to $16.43 billion. However, this reflects poorly when compared with growth in companies like Uniqlo and H&M.

Net income fell from $1.28 billion to $1.24 billion showing the pressure the company is facing in its margins.

However, 2016 is more disturbing for the company and sales expected to go down further this year. As far as the January Comparable Sales Results is concerned ,Gap Inc.â€™s comparable sales for January 2016 were down 8 percent versus negative 3 percent last year. Comparable sales by global brand for January 2016 were as follows:
- Gap Global: negative 6 percent versus negative 9 percent last year
- Banana Republic Global: negative 17 percent versus positive 2 percent last year
- Old Navy Global: negative 6 percent versus positive 3 percent last year
Looking at the Gap Inc.â€™s comparable sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015 , we find that these show the same trend as we see in Janâ€™2016. Sales were down 7 percent versus positive 2 percent last year. Comparable sales by global brand for the fourth quarter were as follows:
- Gap Global: negative 3 percent versus negative 6 percent last year
- Banana Republic Global: negative 14 percent versus positive 1 percent last year
- Old Navy Global: negative 8 percent versus positive 11 percent last year
Gap Inc. shares reported lower year-over-year sales and its share price reached to the lowest level at $25.45 . Grim quarterly sales numbers suggest the problems facing the companyâ€™s Gap and Banana Republic outlets might be spreading to Old Navy, which had performed well through most of last year.

It seems that GAP needs to urgently revamp its sales strategies in view of competition from Fast-Retailers and changing consumer tastes. The consumers are losing their appetite for long established brands in favor of quick fashion and high quality clothing and all the established retailers need to take that into consideration.

About GAP Inc.

The Gap, Inc., commonly known as Gap Inc. or Gap, is an American multinational clothing and accessories retailer.It was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris F. Fisher and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company operates five primary divisions: the namesake banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Intermix, and Athleta. Gap Inc. is behind Inditex Group and H&M in the total numbers of international locations. However, it remains the largest specialty retailer in the United States. As of September 2008, the company has approximately 135,000 employees and operates 3,076 stores worldwide, of which 2,551 are located in the U.S
February 22, 2016
Faith Connexion FW’16 Menswear Denim

The Faith ConnexionÂ brought out their FW16 denim looks with aÂ kind of circus cum spookyÂ theme withÂ leathers and denims hand-painted, perforated sweats and destroyed denim had their destruction applied heavily with duffles,Â massively oversize denim pieces and some jumbo cords .The first look at the collection hits you in the faceÂ but had some real detailed design elements in most pieces. Not a cup of cake for all this collection !

February 20, 2016
Rajby – SS17 Collection
Rajby , Pakistan, comes out with their latest range of fabrics for SSâ€™17 focusing on street sports and displaying the strength of recovery and stretch ability in real life situations.

Some key fabrics :
- Power stretches & Super Stretches with super soft hand feel
- Knit stretches for Men
- Poly stretches with Blends like, dual FX, Modal, Tencel, T-400
- Modal, Tencel, and Dual FX blends for Skinny, slim & cropped jeans
- Cotton stretches with inside coating for Men & Women
The R&D team of the company says :

â€œDenim continues to inspire us every day. We are greatly intrigued by the stretch ability of denim and have based our SS17 collection on â€˜Stretch Denimâ€™. We have played with fabrics and tested them to their limit in terms of stretch, recovery and strength while at the same time maintaining the super hand feel. Using different technologies from fiber to finishing with the best providers in the world and combining them with our robust in-house skills, we can proudly say that we have created works of art. After development, the results needed to be tested on ground â€“ in real life situations â€“ and that is what we did. Our photo-shoot took place at an international location where our collection was tested during yoga and sports activities. We are happy to say that we have come out with a beautiful collection of garments focusing on fabric with form and substance. With production of over 1.3 million garment apparels and 1.5 million meters of denim fabric per month, we cannot afford to be lax and need to constantly innovate â€“ and that is what we try to do in the best possible way!â€

We bring to you some of the freshest looks from their Photo Shoot. You can view the entire catalogue by visiting www.rajby.com.

Contact Rajby Denim for information on their company / products by CLICKING HERE
February 17, 2016
FOOLPROOF Denim Introduces by 7 For All Mankind

Resistant to shrinkage or stretch, regardless of wash, dry or wear, FoolProof is the latest in intelligent luxury denim from iconic 7 For All Mankind brand. Wash it Unfazed. Dry without Fear. FoolProof takes the guesswork out of how to care for denim.7 for all Mankind claims that the customized denim weave and fabric finish ensure the stretch and shrink resistance, while the structured stretch denim provides masculine comfort. They further detail:

â€œThe Straight is a modern take on our original Standard straight leg but tapers from the knee down.
Classic Indigo embodies everything our guy looks for in his denim. This jean takes a simplistic resin rinse with 3D whiskers and is washed in softener. The minimal aesthetic this garment captures is the epitome of modern sophistication. Gold stitching contrasts with the rich indigo shade of the fabric highlighting the classic five-pocket silhouette. Pieces are finished with new antique copper dome hardware, zip fly and button closure.â€

In fall 2000, the landscape of premium denim was changed forever. Born in Los Angeles, California, 7 For All Mankind was the first company to bring premium denim to scale, putting L.A. on the map as the fashion authority of the west coast staple.7 For All Mankind quickly earned an immediate following for its innovative use of fabrics, fit and finishes in denim. Taken over by VF, the company still shows robustÂ growth, with extensions into sportswear, men, children, footwear, and accessories.

FOOLPROOF Denim is claimed to be an Intelligent Luxury Denim that is resistant to shrinkage and stretch, regardless of wash, dry or wear. Sevens asks its consumers to Wash it Unfazed and Dry without Fear.

The Mantra is

ShrinkProof + StretchProof = FoolProof Denim

FOOLPROOF DENIM: THE STRAIGHT IN CLASSIC INDIGO

Launching in Spring 2016, FOOLPROOF will be offered in 7 For All Mankindâ€™s top three signature fits, Paxtyn, Slimmy and The Straight, in three indigo washes, Classic Indigo, Alpha and Tribute. Priced from $169 – $189, FOOLPROOF will be available at all 7 For All Mankind retail stores and select wholesalers nationwide.

February 12, 2016