Author: Sandeep Agarwal

Frame Denim Fall Winter 2015 Lookbook

The new Fall Winter 2015 denim collection of Frame Denim, designed by co-founders Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson, seeâ€™s them bringing a gorgeous Autumn colour palette to the table, mixing browns and creams with classic shades of denim blue which are just so inviting. The designers of Frame Denim , for their Fall Winter 2015 collection,Â were intent on it being â€œa sportswear collection with its heart in denim for fallâ€. They bring out theÂ cinematic style of 70s , designing slinky Henleys, a belted shirt dress, boyish sweaters and a gorgeous pair of suede bell-bottoms, along with a suede wrap trench.

Cool styles from the collection were a denim mini skirt with a buttoned closure , dark washed denim overalls and of course we see flares now in most collections. Denim overalls hadÂ But on the whole the collection was subdued andÂ missing the distressing, patchworks and other elements.

August 8, 2015
Boro: Japanese Folk Fabric

What is Boro? Traditionally, itâ€™s mending ragged textiles with 19^th century, indigo died, hand-loomed, natural fibers such as cotton or hemp. Boro is a Japanese word meaning â€œtattered ragsâ€ and itâ€™s the term frequently used to describe lovingly patched and repaired cotton bedding and clothing, used much longer than the normal expected life cycle. Like early North American patchwork quilts, boro textiles revealed much about the Japanese family’s living standards and the nature of the economy of their time.Once clothing was made, it would be maintained throughout the ownerâ€™s lifetime, or perhaps even longer. Cotton was scarce in Japan, but hemp was abundant. Hemp would be homespun and woven into beautiful patterns. Cotton could be woven through the hemp fabrics to make it warmer. The diversity of patches on any given piece is a veritable encyclopedia of hand loomed cotton indigo from old Japan. In most cases, the beautiful arrangement of patches and mending stitches is borne of necessity and happenstance, and was not planned by the maker.

Boro was born of forgotten values of â€˜mottainaiâ€™ or â€˜too good to wasteâ€™. An idea dangerously lacking in the modern consumer lifestyle.When creating your Boro think, messy is best and rough is lovely. Boro is the clothing that was worn by peasants, merchants or artisans in Japan from Edo up to early Showa (17th â€“ early 19th century). In feudal times, the majority were peasant farmers. Not everyone could afford the lavish silk kimono and vivid obi worn by the aristocracy. Clothes were crafted from cheaper materials, but were no less beautiful than those worn by the upper classes.
Boro art has been influencing the modern denim distressing looks. Only the Japanese could make something that literally translates to â€œtattered ragsâ€ so upscale and luxurious.It easy to recognize something that has been mended in this style; usually in indigo, multiple patches and fabrics of the same color or hue are woven together, creating a garment that looks old and patched together, but beautifully handcrafted at the same time.

We think its in place to have some cool indigo looks and different styles from this unique craft for our denim aficionado readers !

Handmade Japanese Indigo Boro Scarf Denim Sashiko Japan

Boro Scarf | Vintage Japanese Aizome Indigo Cotton With Sashiko

Found on etsy.com

Intricate Boro Repairing

Found on stylesight.com

Hishizashi Monpe Pants

The beauty of boro fabric is the highly sophisticated sewing and weaving techniques used by the women who made it. For peasant families, each garment would last long enough to be passed down through generations. Daily use would require frequent repair.The pattern woven into the fabric of these trousers is known as hishizashi. Women would invent their own designs and compete with friends.

An interesting item is the DONJA below .It is a very large, and extremely heavy sleeping coat. Today, we might think this inappropriate, but parents and children would sleep naked together inside it. Wrapped in layer upon layer of boro scraps and wadding, shared body heat would protect them from the dangerously cold winter.

Donja

Source furugistarjapan.wordpress.com

The BODOKO (below) is translated as â€˜life-clothâ€™. It was actually a bed sheet. However, it was also used when giving birth. Women would hang from ropes fastened to the ceiling and kneel on the bodoko. Layers of rags worn by ancestors would be the first thing the baby would touch.

Bodoko

Some more cool Boros.

Found on womanwithwingsblog.blogspot.com

Japanese Indigo Boro (below) is a rare boro and was composed in 1900 but made of earlier fragments of Shibori, Katazome and Kasuri.

Found on estherfitzgerald.com

There is no end to the Boro designs that we like . Here are some more boro visuals .

August 4, 2015

The 10 Biggest Clothing Companies In The US

Apparel brands have cut across the global borders and have reached to billion of people across the world. From fashion to sports to casual wear, these apparel brands have a huge brand equity. Here is a list of the top 10 apparel companies in the USA in 2014. The list has been determined using net revenue as a parameter.

THE 10 BIGGEST U.S. APPAREL COMPANIES 2014
Rank	Name of Company	Annual Revenue (In Billion)
1	Nike	$30.60
2	Ralph Lauren	$7.60
3	Old Navy	$6.60
4	Gap	$6.20
5	Levi Strauss & Co.	$4.80
6	Michael Kors	$4.40
7	Coach	$4.30
8	Tommy Hilfiger	$3.60
9	American Eagle	$3.30
10	Under Armour	$3.10

1. Nike:

NIKE, Inc. (NIKE), incorporated on September 8, 1969, is engaged in design, development, marketing and selling of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. NIKE is a seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel across the world. The Company sells its products to retail accounts, through NIKE owned retail stores and internet websites and through distributors and licensees across the world. Nike Is the Largest Apparel Company in the U.S. by a Huge Margin. Nike, Inc. is the world’s largest supplier and manufacturer of athletic shoes, apparel and other sports equipment. The company employed about 56,500 people worldwide and in 2014, Nike’srevenue amounted to aboutÂ US$30.60 billion .

Annual revenue: $30.60 billion

2. Ralph Lauren:

Â Ralph Lauren Corp. engages in the design, marketing andÂ distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. The company’s brand names, which include Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, RRL, RLX, Ralph Lauren Children wear, Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren, Chaps and Club Monaco. It operates in three business segments: Wholesale, Retail and Licensing. The company was founded by Ralph Lauren in 1967 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Annual revenue: $7.6 billion

3. Old Navy:

Old Navy is a popular clothing and accessories retailer owned by American multinational corporation Gap Inc. Old Navy is currently doing better than its parent brand, the Gap. It has lower prices and tends to stay on brand, targeting the right consumers with affordable styles.Â As one of the largest apparel brands in the USA,Â they offer customers fabulous fashion online as well inÂ 1,000+ stores around the world.

Annual revenue: $6.60 billion

4. Gap:

The Gap, Inc., commonly known as Gap Inc. or Gap, is an American multinational clothing and accessories retailer.Gap Inc. is a leading global retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women and children under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix brands. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase in more than 90 countries worldwide through about 3,300 company-operated stores, almost 400 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites.

Annual revenue: $6.20 billion

5. Levi Strauss & Co.:

Anyone can make a pair of blue jeans, but Levi Strauss & Co. made the first blue jean â€“â€“ in 1873. And they draw upon our heritage to continually reinvent the blue jean for generation after generation.Levi’s jeans have become one of the most recognizable and widely imitated clothing in the world, capturing the imagination and loyalty of generations of diverse individuals in over 110 countries.

Annual revenue: $4.8 billion

6. Michael Kors :

Â Michael Kors is a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear brand. Behind thisÂ burgeoningÂ empire stands a singular designer which is most popular in USA and all around the world. Michael Kors Holdings Limited (KORS), which deals in fashion accessories.Â

Annual revenue: $4.4 billion

7. Coach:

Coach, Inc. is a luxury fashion company based in New York City. The company is known for accessories and gifts for women and men, including handbags, men’s bags, women’s and men’s small leather goods, footwear, outerwear, ready-to-wear, watches, travel accessories, scarves, sun wear, fragrance, jewelry, and other accessories.

Annual revenue: $4.3 billion

8. Tommy Hilfiger :

Tommy Hilfiger is one of the worldâ€™s leading designer lifestyle brands and is internationally recognized for celebrating the essence of classic American cool style, featuring preppy with a twist designs.Tommy Hilfiger is an American fashion, apparel, design, fragrance retail company, offering consumers low end products including menâ€™s, womenâ€™s and childrenâ€™s apparel, sportswear, denim, and a range of licensed products such as accessories, jewelry, watches, fragrances and home furnishings.

Annual revenue: $3.6 billion

9. American Eagle:

American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer. The Company offers clothing, accessories and personal care products. The Company operates under the American Eagle Outfitters and aerie by American Eagle Outfitters brands. The American Eagle Outfitters brand offers denims, pants, shorts, sweaters, fleece, outerwear, graphic t-shirts, footwear and accessories. The aerie brand is a collection of intimates and personal care products for women, such as bras and undies at the core, and offerings in sleep, swim and apparel. The Company offers its products online at ae.com and aerie.com and at various international store locations managed by third-party operators. The Company operates around 1,000 retail stores in the United States and internationally. The Company has stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom.

Annual revenue: $3.3 billion

10. Under Armour :

Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of sportswear and casual apparel. Under Armour began offering footwear in 2006.The sports retailer made more than $3 billion in revenue last year. It may be far from eclipsing Nike’s global empire, but it continues to grow and sign major deals with impressive athletes, like Stephen Curry and Jordan Spieth.

Annual revenue: $3.1 billion

August 3, 2015

Levi’s Tries To Survive In Yoga Era

The athleisure trend has been very strong for last few years and is confounding pundits who were considering it to be just a fad . Yoga has been one of the main components of the increasing affinity to activewear and is affecting clothing lines tremendously. The denim industry is definitely influenced by this trend as sales of jeans â€“particularly women- were strongly affected specially in US where they fell about 8% last year as per NPD group figures. Companies like Leviâ€™s have been particularly affected as their sales of womenâ€™s jeans went down by 10%. By mid 2014, with sales of athletic pants had risen 62 per cent from 2010â€”and athleisure apparel started looking less like a fad and more like a permanent addition to women’s closets. Eva Mendes, the actress and style icon, spoke for many women when she told a fashion blog that if she was seen wearing jeans, it could only mean that her softer pants were dirty.

Activewear has grown faster than the overall apparel market during the past two years as more people wear exercise clothing casually. Analysts at Barclays estimate it may grow by almost 50% in U.S. to more than $100 billion at retail by 2020. A small comparison below in a report on Bloomberg shows how a small company Lulemon has grown over last few years selling yoga clothes and has actually a market capitalization of over $9 billion.

2 decades ago, Leviâ€™s was bigger than Nike at over $ 7 billion , but now Nike crosses $30 billion in revenues and Leviâ€™s fell to $4 billion.

At Levi’s, the yoga pants scourge is especially vexing, disrupting a turnaround plan by a new chief executive officer that had been showing signs of success. Leviâ€™s is , however, not sleeping . It has focused its efforts on R&D to tackle the athleisure onslaught. At the foot of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, in a renovated grain mill with soaring ceilings and wooden beams, Bart Sights , senior Director for technical innovation is refining his recipes for denim. In his hands, stained dark blue from day after day of plunging fabric into buckets of indigo dye, he tries to work out the correct look and feel for a new skinny jeans for women using different combinations of fibers, weaves and finishes. He tries to replicate a second hand womenâ€™s jeans bought in Thailand which after years of wear has developed unique patterns all over. Artificially reproducing the wear is easy, done with sandpaper, oxygen baths, and rocks. “The trick,” Sights says, “is to get a look like this on a very modern fabricâ€”a fabric with a lot of stretch in it.”

Source : Bloomberg.com

Sightsâ€™s team began tearing apart wet suits and other unconventional garments. â€œNeoprene is supercomfortable in the water because it allows movement, but itâ€™s also superforgiving, it recovers well,â€ he says. â€œAnd there are some fibers in lingerie that bring these really valuable comfort attributes.â€. Leviâ€™s is trying to use such fibers in their jeans.

Bloomberg in their report makes a mention of shoppers such as Kate Slattery, 25, a data scientist in San Francisco, one of dozens of women interviewed for this story, says she hasn’t bought a new pair of jeans in more than a year but did splurge on Lululemons. She loves their clever pockets. Asked for her take on Levi’s, Slattery draws a blank. “My view of Levi’s is probably 15 years old,” she says, “because I just haven’t even considered shopping there since my mom shopped with me.”

Source:Bloomberg.com

Leviâ€™s developed a new line called Lot 700.-a nod to the original women’s jean, Lady Levi’s Lot 701, introduced in 1934. The new one features the retro “Two Horse” leather logo patch on the rear waistband and adds larger back pockets to accentuate the seat. Another style, Lot 300, uses a more girdle-like design for a different shaping effect. The 501ct can be worn in a looser fit.To blunt its sales decline, Levi’s rushed some of the new materials that Sights was working on to market in the summer of last year, infusing skinny and midrise jeans with additional soft and stretchy material.

Levi’s finally introduced the new women’s line earlier this month, at an event in Manhattan’s clubby Meatpacking District. Large photographs displayed up-and-coming female artists wearing Levi’s, and six models stood like mannequins wearing the Lot 700 line. Holding court near the door, James Curleigh, Levi’s president, said he expected the women’s reboot to help the company increase wholesale prices over the next three years. Macy’s is doubling the amount of space for the brand in its flagship store in Manhattan and adding floor space at stores across the U.S., according to Louis Mastrogiacomo, who manages the women’s ready-to-wear category for Macy’s. Feedbacks from customers seem to be good , though whether these jeans will make them abandon yoga pants is doubtful and remains to be seen.

July 29, 2015
Cone Denim Celebrates 110 Years Of White Oak Plant

Cone Denim recently celebrated 110th year of operation. Still true to its heritage, the White Oak Plant operates today creating Cone Denimâ€™s authentic premium and vintage denimÂ on Vintage 1940s Fly Shuttle Looms as well as state of the art modern looms. Innovation and heritage combine to create the celebrated denims, White Oak originals.

In 1905 brothers Moses and Ceasar Cone embarked on what would become an icon in the denim industry, a mill called White Oak. The turn of the century brought a new energy and excitement to America, and denim fabrics gained popularity as a favored â€œworkwearâ€. The first bobbin of White Oak yarn was produced on April 20, 1905.

Cone denim celebrates 110 years of manufacturingÂ with the release of a special T-shirtÂ and 100% profits from the sale of this T-shirt would go to support

the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Greensboro .

â€œWe are returning to our roots with the unveiling of Natural Indigo Selvage Denim, produced exclusively at its historic White OakÂ® mill in Greensboro, NC. The Natural Indigo Collection is â€œCrafted with Care in the USAâ€ and created in celebration of White Oakâ€™s 110 year anniversary â€“Cone denim says’â€.

â€œThis is one of our most exciting developments,â€ says Kara Nicholas, Vice President Product Development + Marketing. â€œThe celebration of White Oakâ€™s 110 year anniversary made this the perfect time to bring together White Oakâ€™s heritage and authentic selvage denims with new innovation in bio based natural dyes from plant based – US farmed indigo. As far as we know, this is the first time that natural indigo has been used in scalable production in the United States in over 100 years.â€

Some Cool Cone Products

Coming out with their Top Secret line of Selvedges to commemorate their 110 years Cone denim White Oak brings out some cool natural indigo colors and fabric structures to give a very different look and feel to the selvedges (see pics below).

Cone denim Detail shots of knees and whiskers for month 4 of the W660 WhiteOak110 selvage denim wear test

WhiteOak110 collection style 7237 “Floral” shirting fabric is finally here in a 6.25 oz 100% cotton Dobby weave woven at the one n only White Oak mill.

Some Vintage Garments From Cone Collection

We also bring below some of iconic heritage garments from Cone collection â€“ some of which are over 100 years old and listed by Cone.

The mid-1900’s waist overall is from an unknown brand and the owner practically wore them to pieces, as evident by the extensive hand-mending and patchwork seen throughout, not to mention the lack of indigo left in yarns. These appear to be heavily customized by the wearer as well- the single needle stitching, unfinished seams and miscellaneous suspender buttons sewn onto the waist band all suggest that at one point these could’ve been started life as bib overalls and turned into a version more closely resembling the 5-pocket denim jeans.

A pair of heavily worn bib overalls from Blue Bell brand back in the ’40’s. This low back model has heavy hand-stitched patchwork repairs throughout, triangular suspender reinforcement, and printed “Blue Bell” label. There were several versions of Blue Bell’s label and the layout of this particular one indicates it is an earlier design. On later model garments the bell on the label is slightly tilted at an angle. Branded buttons read either “SANFORIZED” or “BLUE BELL.” The suspender straps were taken from an Anvil brand garment.

A hickorystripe popover style work wear shirt with chambray trim along the bottom circa 1940. The patchwork, hand-stitched repairs and lack of industrial fasteners, together with the “one operation” style of seeing indicates that this shirt was either homemade, or fashioned by a local seamstress. The front and back of the garment shows the sun-bleached outline of the bib and straps of the overalls the wearer paired it with.

Heavy hand repairs with a missing back left leg exposing cross sections of patchwork mending give way to a two back pocket bib design low back model with triangular suspender reinforcements.

And given below is a video from CONE proudly declaring that their fabrics are â€˜STILL MADE IN AMERICAâ€™ !

Still Made In America from Cone Denim on Vimeo.

July 28, 2015
Closed Denim Fall Winter 2015 Women’s Lookbook

The Italian brand CLOSED comes out some of the common variations in styles , designing and washing including patchworks, 3D looks , double denim looks, dressy shirts, skinnies and the coming back in trend flares. Something new was the designed/frayedÂ hems in some of the pieces. On the whole, the stress was on double denim looks .

July 26, 2015

Jeans Market In UK | 2010-2014

In the previous reportÂ on German market of denim jeans, we had a look at some of the important aspects ofÂ that market including its trade quantities within EU and outside with the entire world.Â The detailed analysis also helped to find out the consumption of jeans in German market .
We do another analysis for the UK market also . UK is again an important country in the EU with a population of over 64 million and a per capita income of about $38,000 which is less than that of Germany. UK has some large clothing retailers including M&S , Next , Tesco and many others â€“ most of them being important players in denim industry as well. Letâ€™s have a look at some important figures from the UK market to understand more about the denim market there including :

Table of imports of jeans intoÂ UK from 2010 to 2014 from within EU and respective share of important countries from EU in UK market. 2 tables and 3 graphs.
Imports of Jeans from EU27 into UK and their prices from different exporting countries.
Table of imports of jeans intoÂ UK from 2010 to 2014 from around the world â€“ table and graph.
Table for % share of UK market of EU27 vs â€˜Rest of the worldâ€™ with a graph.
Table of % share of exporting countries in the market of UKÂ 2010-2014
Table of % share of exports from and outside the EU 2010-2014
Table for exports of jeans out of UK into EU countries 2010-2014
Table for exports of jeans to rest of the world 2010-2014
Net consumption of jeans in UK 2010-2014
Per capita consumption of jeans in UK 2010 vs 2014Â

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EU27 COUNTRIES

Letâ€™s begin by starting to look at figures for imports of jeans into UK from within EU.Â In the table below, we can see that UK imported about 7 million pcs of jeans from countries within EU â€“ highest among them being from Spain. Other important countries are Germany, Poland, Sweden etc. However, it needs to remembered that these jeans could have been the ones that are re-distributed after importing from other countries or a part of them having been produced in EU. Its interesting to note that the total jeans imported from within EU has increased from 5 million pcs to over 7 million pcs.

Import Jeans into UK 2010-2014
Country	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	% of 2014
Spain (ES)	1.08	1.21	1.35	1.47	2.08	21.62%
Netherlands (NL)	1.38	1.53	1.35	1.30	1.47	15.26%
Italy (IT)	1.95	1.58	1.60	1.55	1.32	13.69%
Germany (DE)	1.09	1.11	0.96	1.03	1.17	12.11%
Poland (PL)	0.29	0.31	0.78	0.93	0.76	7.88%
Sweden (SE)	0.16	0.38	0.48	0.63	0.72	7.46%
Belgium (BE)	1.54	0.93	0.44	0.54	0.69	7.11%
Czech Republic (CZ)	0.22	0.32	0.55	0.45	0.54	5.58%
Denmark (DK)	0.28	0.36	0.47	0.38	0.51	5.24%
Ireland (IE)	0.49	0.45	0.47	0.44	0.32	3.31%
Portugal (PT)	0.01	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.06	0.62%
Others	0.21	0.11	0.07	0.02	0.01	0.12%
Total	8.69	8.31	8.57	8.74	9.64	100.00%

Spain holds 29% of UK market from within EU and Germany holds about 16% and Poland about 10%.

The table below shows the average price of jeans imported into UK from EU countries. The average price of import in 2014 is Euro 25 and the prices from individual countries are given alongwith. The table and the graph below show the details of prices from important EU countries. Spain again is the most expensive .

Imports of Jeans Into UK from Within EU -2014
Country	Qty (million pcs)	Price (Euro/pc)
Spain (ES)	2.08	12.10
Netherlands (NL)	1.47	26.07
Italy (IT)	1.32	36.18
Germany (DE)	1.17	20.86
Poland (PL)	0.76	14.60
Sweden (SE)	0.72	19.04
Belgium (BE)	0.69	20.42
Czech Republic (CZ)	0.54	23.32
Denmark (DK)	0.51	21.66
Ireland (IE)	0.32	10.69
Portugal (PT)	0.06	20.16
Others	0.01
Total	9.64	21.09

WORLD

Without looking at the picture of imports of Jeans from around the world , we cannot have the true picture of what is happening in the UK market because most of the jeans are coming from out of EU. Bangladesh holds the largest share of 24.54% of UK market in 2014 whereas China , Pakistan and Egypt come next with 23%, 19% and 4% share. The total quantity imported in 2014 was about 86 million pcs whereas in 2010 it was about 78million pieces showing a growth of 10% in 5 years which is a decent increase.

Rest of the World \| Imports of Jeans in UK 2010-2014
Country	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	% of 2014
Bangladesh	20.07	21.05	22.06	21.74	21.24	24.54
China	29.51	24.51	22.50	18.39	19.96	23.07
Pakistan	12.19	10.63	10.94	15.05	16.61	19.19
Egypt	1.84	2.56	3.52	3.44	3.60	4.16
Cambodia	0.69	2.31	4.55	4.91	3.49	4.04
Shri Lanka	2.17	2.24	1.76	1.41	1.25	1.45
India	1.54	1.22	0.77	0.56	0.52	0.60
Morocco	0.17	0.28	0.32	0.20	0.30	0.34
Honkong	0.47	0.54	0.25	0.27	0.27	0.31
Indonesia	0.47	0.54	0.25	0.27	0.27	0.31
Tunisia	0.48	0.38	0.24	0.28	0.22	0.26
Mauritius	0.39	0.09	0.08	0.13	0.11	0.13
Sub Total	69.98	66.36	67.23	66.65	67.83	78.39
others	4.38	4.79	6.87	7.84	9.35	10.81
World	74.37	71.15	74.10	74.49	77.19	89.19
World Total	78.75	75.93	80.98	82.33	86.54	100

The graph below shows the breakup of market among the key players in 2014.

TOTAL IMPORTS

The total imports of jeansÂ into UK can be now summed up in the table below with shipments coming from both within EU and from outside. The share of EU in the UK market is about 9% and 91% comes from rest of the world in 2014. The quantities at 86.6 million pcs is about 7% higher than that in 2010 . But it is interesting to note that the increase in shipments comes from both within EU and rest of the world. Normally one would have expected within EU shipments to have been reduced .

Imports Into UK From World and EU \| 2010-2014
	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	% of 2014
World	74.37	71.15	74.10	74.49	77.19	90.8
EU	7.60	7.20	7.61	7.71	8.47	9.2
Total Import	81.97	78.35	81.71	83.20	86.66	100.00

TOTAL CONSUMPTION

The total consumption of jeans in UK can be calculated with the table below. The first two columns show the exports of jeans to rest of the world and to EU countries. The shipments to EU countries are much higher- of course UK also has important distribution chains of many important stores . UK also has a small manufacturing setup for jeans but we have not considered it in our report. TheÂ shipments to EU27 countries increase every year and go upto 18 million pcs in 2014. When we balance the exports and imports , the net consumption comes to about 65 million pcs in 2014

Exports and Imports from And Into UK \| 2010-2014 (million pcs)
	Exports outside EU27	Exports to EU27 countries	Total Exports	Total Imports	Balance consumed
2010	3.28	11.21	14.49	81.97	67.48
2011	2.26	10.47	12.73	78.35	65.62
2012	1.72	12.42	14.14	81.71	67.57
2013	2.09	14.98	17.07	82.20	65.13
2014	2.17	18.37	20.54	85.66	65.12

PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION

The per capita consumption of jeans in UK can be calculated below:

2010

Total net consumption : 67.48 million pcs

Total populationÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â : 62.26 million

Per capita consumptionÂ : 1.08 jeans per person/p.a

2014

Total net consumption : 65.12 million pcs

Total populationÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â : 67.13 million

Per capita consumptionÂ : 0.97 jeans per person/p.a

From the above we can clearly see falling standards of jeans consumption in UK where per capita consumption has decreased by over 10% and even the absolute consumption has decreased . Not a great sign for the industry. But of course, some exporting countries would still be happy to have taken a larger pie of the market after having dislocated others !

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July 21, 2015

Gap Looses US Market Share
US retail market is highly competitive and a large number of Speciality stores, Brand Stores, Discount stores, Departmental Stores compete with each other â€“ continuously striving to get the attention of the American customer who is not increasing his spending but is reallocating his funds between different brands and retailers. This reallocation of money by buyers is benefitting some retailers while others are losing . Gap , unfortunately, is finding its place among the latter. The most sought after casual brand in US may not remain so in the coming years as Gapâ€™s share of US apparel market fell from 5.1% to 4.7% over the past five years with a recovery not in sight. Letâ€™s see how Gap stacks in comparison to other apparel retailers in US.

1. Multi brand retail chain Macyâ€™s : 9% approx.
2. General Merchandise retailers
- Wal Mart â€“ 7% approx.
- Target â€“ 5.4%
- Gap â€“ 4.7%
- JC Penny â€“ 3.3%
- American Eagle, Aeropostale and A&F â€“ 2% each approx.
The remaining 65% share is held by a number of private label brands , pure online players, fast fashion players , department stores etc. Here is a break up of the market share as per Forbes.

Source : Forbes.com

Source: Forbes.com

Whereas Gapâ€™s market share has reduced from 1.71% is 2009 to 1.41% is 2014, that of Old Navy and Banana Republic has also fallen. The reason for growth of share from 4.34% in 2012 to 4.71% in 2014 has been the growth driver brands Athleta and the acquisition of Intermix.

One of the major reasons for Gap losing its market share has been the growth of fast fashion retailers like the Inditex , H&M and to some extent Forever 21. There has been a constant movement of buyers from casual clothing to affordable fast fashion. Todayâ€™s teenagers are getting less attached to brands and are more concerned over having a fresh look every few days. Technology is pushing this trend. With the proliferation of â€˜Whatsappâ€™, â€˜Viberâ€™,’Facebookâ€™ and the likes , the SELFIE culture is becoming a dominant youth phenomenon constantly pushing these young ones to look better and share . This trend is helping fast fashion retailers like Inditex and hurting the long established ones like GAP. This has become one major factor affecting GAPâ€™s performance .And related to this has been the other reason of underperformance â€“ poor performance of GAPâ€™s womenâ€™s business â€“ while its other business including men, kids and baby are doing reasonably well.

The result has been clear for GAP. It has planned to close 175 of its speciality GAP Inc stores â€“with 140 going down this year and balance in the year next. After these closures it will have about 800 stores in US. It is expected to lose about $300 million from these closures- an amount which is expected to be covered from better performance from other channels including Online.
July 19, 2015
ISKO I-Skool Digital Prize 2015
The ISKO I-SKOOLâ„¢ Denim Design Award is the cultural initiative organized by ISKO â€“ Turkey- to promote education in the sector and make a practical contribution to training those young people destined to become tomorrow’s leading players in the fashion world. It involved thousands of students from 16 international fashion schools around the world. Each school was given four moods: Bohemian Blue, Couture Denim, Active Jeanswear and Future Fit. Iskoâ€™s own creative hub Creative Room led the operational part of the project, shortlisted studentsâ€™ best works and invited them to their showroom in Castelfranco Veneto (Italy) to learn how to improve their denim creations. Letâ€™s see a bit about the four moods :

Mood 1: Bohemian Blue

This mood required students to re-interpret the Boho-chic fashion movement, that became especially popular in 2004-5 associated with actress Sienna Miller and Kate Moss. Vintage washes, delicate embroidery, comfy silhouettes, layering and mix and match are the focal point of this collection mood. The students are asked to create a total look, either menswear or womenswear, made of maximum of three items, using ISKO fabrics.

Mood 2: Couture Denim

Couture denim included sophisticated silhouettes, suits, tailored jackets, sartorial cuts, polished washes, use of laser and prints and focus the attention on details such as stitches.

Mood 3: Active Jeanswear

Activewear is definitely an emergent trend in fashion industry. The task was to create a total look creating designs that can be worn in gyms, camping, during outdoor activities.

Mood 4 : Future Fit

There are plenty of possible fit for denim pants, but the market is always eager for something new and innovative. Students are challenged to work on both men’s and women’s styles of pants. The focal point is the fit, with additional focus on details that are the same for most of the population such as the shape of the pockets, different points of stitching and any kind of techniques.

The schools that participated were UAL Chelsea (London), ESMOD (Munich), Istituto Marangoni (Milan), Polimoda (Florence, Italy), IUAV (Venice), University of Westminster (London), Artesis Plantijn University College (Antwerp), SCAD (Savannah, USA) and FIDM (Los Angeles), AMFI (Amsterdam), Polimoda (Florence), Sapienza (Rome), University of Pisa (Pisa), AMD (DuÌˆsseldorf) and Viamoda (Warsaw).

The four major Denim Design Awards went to
- Sophie Gauden (Artesis Plantijn University College) for Bohemian Blue
- Chia Yi Hung for The Couture Denim award (ESMOD Munich)
- Violante Toscani (Polimoda) for the Active Jeanswear category
- Franziska Meierhoefer (ESMOD Munich) for the Future Fit award.’
Here are some cool images from designs created under each of the four moods .

Bohemian Blue

Couture Denim

Active Jeanswear

Future Fit
July 13, 2015
Denim Playground Dhaka | Fourth Edition of Denimsandjeans.com Bangladesh Oct. 7-8, 2015

Denim is a playground where the denim artists of the world play and let loose their imaginations on this ever changing canvas of the most beautiful fabric devised. Starting as workwear , the fabric is now facing the â€˜At leisure Threatâ€™ as many would say. But it is only in challenge that denim has thrived. Challenge continuously raises the bar forÂ this versatile fabric and pushes the â€˜Denim Playersâ€™ to jump notches above it as athletes do in a playground. The more they stretch themselves, more the denim evolves !

The fourth edition of Denimsandjeans.com Bangladesh , scheduled to be held on 7th and 8th October (2015) at Radisson Dhaka, derives itsÂ inspiration from these â€˜Denim Playersâ€™ and has aptly selected â€˜Denim Playgroundâ€™ as its theme. The October show shall be a ground whereÂ is scheduled to be held on October 7 and 8 at Hotel Radisson, Dhaka.Â The theme of the show shall be â€˜ Denim Playground Dhakaâ€™ where coolest exhibitors from around the world shall bring out their sporty innovations to the visitors who travel long distances to visit the show. It shall be a â€˜PLAYGROUND FOR DENIM LOVERSâ€™.

Our last editionÂ had over 400 companies visiting the show including some of the most reputed retailers, factories, buying houses , brands etc. Some of these were Tesco, Tom Tailor , C&A , Carrefour , Coolcat , Celio , Charles Voegele , Cortefiel , Uniqlo, S.Oliver, Wal Mart,Debenhams , Dewhirst ,El Corte Ingles , Esprit , Grouppo Coin , H&M , HEMA , Hermes , OTTO , Oâ€™stin, Inditex , Kappahl , Kmart , LCWaikiki(Tema) , Levi Strauss & Co , Li & Fung , Lindex, Marks & Spencer , Mondial , New Times , Next , Perry Ellis , PVH , Redpoint , S. Oliver , Sainsbury`s , Target , VF etc.

We were also fortunate enough to have â€˜The Godfather of Denimâ€™ â€“ Adriano Goldschmied with us in our last edition besides renowned denim consultant â€“ Piero Turk. The comments from Adriano on his first visit to our show (and also to Bangladesh) were very encouraging for us as well for the industry. See the video below.

We were fortunate to have some of the best companies in the world join us at our last show and thank them once again for their continuous support.

Our Esteemed Exhibitors at 3rd Edition On 1st-2nd March, 2015

Sustained focus on Eco Sustainability has always been our mantra through our website as well through our shows. In the last show , we were also fortunate to have GIZ -Deutsche Gesellschaft fÃ¼r Internationale Zusammenarbeit Gmb as our technical partners for the organization of the panel discussion â€œDevelopment Prospects in Denim Production â€“ the Way Forwardâ€ which was a small effort on our part to bring more focus on Eco Sustainability.

And last but not the least was our Fashion in Denim eventÂ â€˜FASHIONIMâ€™ which was sponsored by three of our esteemed exhibitors.

BelowÂ is the video from FASHIONIMÂ telecast onÂ Jamuna TV inÂ Bangladesh.

July 12, 2015
Rajby Men’s Collection AW16/17

RajbyÂ (Pakistan) bring out their AW16/17 collection with a special focus on Authentic vintage fabrics â€“ a revival of classic constructions , colors and red tones ,Burberry bikers â€“ special sheen multi color coatings on comfort stretches- targetedÂ for the biker community and the rough and tough ones, High street fashion super dark denims . The product development team of Rajby mentions that their new collection usesÂ special color combinations with unique dyeing methods and refined finishes . The companyÂ is a verticallyÂ integrated operation from yarn to garments and producesÂ 20 million mtrs of denim fabrics and 18 million denim garments p.a. and provides washing and design support to their buyers alongwith in addition to selling fabrics and garments.

Contact Rajby Team by Clicking here

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July 9, 2015

Colombia Denim Report | 2014-15

Colombia, as we have mentioned in our previous reports, Colombia market is a unique market in Latin America and the third largest economy . With a population of about 48 million and a per capita income of about $13000, it has a decent fashion and export market . It results in fabric imports into the country from around the world.
In this report, we will give the following details about Colombia denim market:

1. Top 10 importers of denim fabrics in Colombia in the period Febâ€™2014 to Janâ€™2015

2. The total quantities purchased by them during this period and the average prices at which they bought.

3. Some contact details on these buyers.

4. Top 10 suppliers of denim fabrics to Colombia from around the world during this period.

5. Quantities and prices at which they supplied the denim.

6. Top 10 countries from where denim is coming to Colombia.

7. Quantities and average prices of such exports from these countries to Colombia.

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To begin with, we will start looking at the Table 1 which gives the names of top importers of denim fabrics in Colombia.

Importers of denim fabrics | Febâ€™14- Janâ€™15 â€“ Table 1

Buyer Name	Quantity Purchased (Sq.mtrs)	Cif in Usd	Avg. Price/Sq. Mtr	Avg. Price in linear mtr.(150cm width)
FLORAL S. A	2,884,008.87	61,39,645.94	2.13	3.19
COMERTEX S.A	2,169,702.29	34,38,958.53	1.58	2.38
COLOMBIANA DE COMERCIO S.A	1,566,206.27	29,68,248.98	1.90	2.84
CONTACTO TEXTIL S.A	1,543,971.47	35,36,565.71	2.29	3.44
PRIMATELA S.A	1,476,096.28	37,56,439.64	2.54	3.82
SURTIJEANS S A	1,256,110.8	16,23,100.27	1.29	1.94
STILOTEX S.A.S	1,237,485.04	26,34,950.63	2.13	3.19
PRODUCTORA DE TEXTILES DE TOCANCIPA S A TOPTEX S A	1,048,375.33	13,19,203.3	1.26	1.89
COLECCIONES EXCLUSIVAS DE TEXTILES S. A	1,009,016.7	23,96,823.74	2.38	3.56
PERMODA LTDA	9,11,066.81	40,65,857.7	4.46	6.69

From the above table we can see that almost all the top 10 importers imported over a million sq mtrs of denim fabrics during 12 months. Floral S.A was the largest importer of denim fabrics with over 2.8 million sq mtrs imported from around the world. Its average price of $2.13/sq. mtr was also a decent price compared to many other importers. We have also given the prices of imports in linear mtr with an average width of 150 cm as an assumption to give a rough idea of how the linear mtr price would look like .
Other important importers by quantity were Comertex S.A , Colombiana De Comercio S.A etc. However, the importer who really seems to be importing high quality fabrics is Permoda LTDA. With an average price of $4.46/sq mtr ($6.69/ mtr), the price is the highest among all importers and stands out as a premium buyer. Some of the importers like Productora De Textiles are low value importers importing fabrics at $1.26/sq mtr from countries like Panama.

Some Contact Details on Buyers

FLORALÂ S. A

Cod Uap 600 Nit 800 147 745 2 Carrera 52 No 19 80 Medellin Colombia
Ph: +574-444 8886

COMERTEX S.A

Cra 17 Autopista Palenque Chimita No 60-170; Giron; Santander
Ph: +57-7-6760000
Website: http://www.comertex.com.co/index.php?idi=2

COLOMBIANA DE COMERCIO S.A

CL 11 31 A 42,BOGOTA
Ph : +57-1-3649777

CONTACTO TEXTIL S.A

Cr50 G 10 B S-97 Medellin, Colombia
Ph: +57-4-2856200

PRIMATELA S.A

Kra 63 17b 50; Bogota D.C; Bogota D.C

Ph: +57-1-4137166

SURTIJEANS S A

Carrera 62 # 12-30, BogotÃ¡, Colombia

STILOTEX S.A.S

Cra 106 # 15-25, Manzan 5 Ints. 13-14

Website: http://www.stilotex.com/

PRODUCTORA DE TEXTILES DE TOCANCIPA S A TOPTEX S A

Cra 43 N’ 9-46, Bogota
Ph: +57-7-5663000

COLECCIONES EXCLUSIVAS DE TEXTILES S. A

Carrera 52 # 7 South â€“ 100 Medellin – Colombia

Ph : 57-4-3206320
Fax : 57-4-3206322
Email : info@coletex.com
Website: http://www.coletex.co/

PERMODA LTDA

Calle 17 A # 68D-88. Zona industrial de Montevideo. BogotÃ¡, Colombia
Website: http://www.permoda.com.co/

Top Exporting Countries

Country Of Origin	Sq mtrs	CIF usd	Price	Avg Price in mtr
PANAMA	4,584,748.30	1,13,88,456.24	2.48	3.73
INDIA	4,014,346.99	59,90,298.14	1.49	2.24
CHINA	3,776,192.07	75,03,846.16	1.99	2.98
MEXICO	3,118,984.80	73,50,393.43	2.36	3.53
PAKISTAN	3,043,835.64	70,14,578.83	2.30	3.46
BRAZIL	1,918,847.90	37,29,212.07	1.94	2.92
TURKEY	1,456,509.78	60,49,693.09	4.15	6.23
UNITED STATES	1,344,551.10	28,00,529.43	2.08	3.12
CANADA	5,40,021.06	7,19,198.14	1.33	2.0
GERMANY	5,22,148.00	21,20,181.51	4.06	6.09

From the above table we can see that India , at $1.49/sq mtr, has among the lowest prices when it comes to shipping to Colombia. Canada is still lower, but Canada does not produce any denim- they are only trading. Turkey is highest priced exporter at $4.15/sq mtr. Panama â€“ again a trading company- stands the top exporting country at over 4.5 million sq mtr. India , China and Mexico come next. Germany, again a non-manufacturer- manages to trade half a million .

Top Exporting Companies

Company	Sq mtrs	CIF usd	Price	Avg Price in mtr
ZHEJIANG TENGMA TEXTILE CO LTD (China)	2,026,636.32	39,93,180.61	1.97	2.96
MANUFACTURAS KALTEX SA DE CVÂ (Mexico)	1,609,853.14	32,44,167.85	2.02	3.02
VICUNHA TEXTIL SA (Brazil)	1,590,129.61	28,84,756.87	1.81	2.72
KASSIM TEXTILES(PVT)LTD (Pakistan)	1,260,705.44	29,27,863.19	2.32	3.48
NANDAN DENIM LTD (India)	1,214,768.81	15,59,907.67	1.28	1.93
POONAM ENTERPRISES (HK) LTD (China)	1,164,449.26	24,82,331.32	2.13	3.20
TIRAYAN CORPORATION (Panama)	1,009,010.30	23,96,753.33	2.38	3.56
GRIGLE TEXTILES SA (Panama)	9,04,411.67	25,17,332.14	2.78	4.18
RELIANCE INTERNATIONAL Z L SA (Panama)	8,60,160.00	11,28,570.00	1.31	1.97
RSWM LTD (India)	8,38,134.77	11,87,190.58	1.42	2.12

Now we come to the Top 10 Exporting countries to Colombia. Its interesting to see that the top exporting company is from China â€“ Zhejiang Tengma and shipped over 2 million sq mtr. Kaltex, from Mexico, stands second at over 1.6 million while Vicunha from Brazil is almost similar at about 1.6 million sq mtrs. Other high quantity importers which exported well were :

Kassim â€“ Pakistan, Nandan Denim and Poonam Enterprises â€“ China.

Its interesting to note that 3 companies from Panama are in top 10 and all these 3 companies are traders and not manufacturers. Two companies are from India whereas two companies are from China . Only Vicunha from Brazil and Kaltex from Mexico are the companies from the Americas which could export in decent quantities to Colombia. Interesting to note that the highest prices are coming from Panama company Grigle Textiles.

Some details on Exporting Companies

ZHEJIANG TENGMA TEXTILE CO LTD

Chunlan Road,Industry Area, Lanxi,Zhejiang,China

Ph : 86 – 579 â€“ 85137738

MANUFACTURAS KALTEX SA DE CV

Ings. Militares No. 2 Col. Empleado Municipal C.P. 53380 Naucalpan,Tepeji 76000 MEXICO

Ph : 52-57265600

VICUNHA TEXTIL SA

Rod Dr Mendel Steinbruch Km 09 â€“ Pa Maracanau Ce 61910000 Brazil

Website: http://www.vicunha.com.br

KASSIM TEXTILES(PVT)LTD

Plot No. 62, 25 Km Main National Highway Landhi-Karachi Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-111- 527746
Fax: +92-21-3500-1610
Email: corporate@kassimdenim.com
Website: http://www.kassimdenim.com/

NANDAN DENIM LTD

Chiripal House, Shivaranjani Cross Road, Satellite, Ahmedabad – 380 015. Gujarat, India

Ph : 91 -79 -26734660
Fax : 91 -79 -2676 8656
Email : info@nandandenim.com
Website: http://www.nandandenim.com/

POONAM ENTERPRISES (HK) LTD

Jin Keqiao Road, Wonder Plaza Bldg a – Rm7158, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China

TIRAYAN CORPORATION

Avenida Samuel Lewis Y Calle Gerard, Panama

Ph : 507-3924928

GRIGLE TEXTILES SA

Calle 60, Obarrio, Edificio Obarrio, Panama

RELIANCE INTERNATIONAL Z L SA

Local 4,4a, Cofrisa 9,Apdo: 30200174, Colon Free Zone, Colon, Republic of Panama

Ph : 507-431-1400
Fax : 507-431 -419
Email : info@reliancezlsa.com
Website: http://reliancezlsa.com/

RSWM LTD

Bhilwara Towers, A-12 Sector I, Noida â€“ 201301, (NCR Delhi), India.

Ph : 91-120-4390300
Fax : 91-120-4277841
Website: http://www.rswm.in/

[/private_special]

July 8, 2015

Author: Sandeep Agarwal

Handmade Japanese Indigo Boro Scarf Denim Sashiko Japan

Boro Scarf | Vintage Japanese Aizome Indigo Cotton With Sashiko

Intricate Boro Repairing

Hishizashi Monpe Pants

Donja

Bodoko

1. Nike:

Annual revenue: $30.60 billion

2. Ralph Lauren:

Annual revenue: $7.6 billion

3. Old Navy:

Annual revenue: $6.60 billion

4. Gap:

Annual revenue: $6.20 billion

5. Levi Strauss & Co.:

Annual revenue: $4.8 billion

6. Michael Kors :

Annual revenue: $4.4 billion

7. Coach:

Annual revenue: $4.3 billion

8. Tommy Hilfiger :

Annual revenue: $3.6 billion

9. American Eagle:

Annual revenue: $3.3 billion

10. Under Armour :

Annual revenue: $3.1 billion

Some Cool Cone Products

Some Vintage Garments From Cone Collection

EU27 COUNTRIES

Import Jeans into UK 2010-2014

Imports of Jeans Into UK from Within EU -2014

WORLD

Rest of the World | Imports of Jeans in UK 2010-2014

TOTAL IMPORTS

Imports Into UK From World and EU | 2010-2014

TOTAL CONSUMPTION

Exports and Imports from And Into UK | 2010-2014 (million pcs)

PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION

Mood 1: Bohemian Blue

Mood 2: Couture Denim

Mood 3: Active Jeanswear

Mood 4 : Future Fit

Bohemian Blue

Couture Denim

Active Jeanswear

Future Fit

Contact Rajby Team by Clicking here