The American Denim Clothing company , J Brand is very popular for their skinny collection worldwide. They have been working since long for various sustainable process in jeans manufacturing. Their collaboration with London based designer Michael Halpern brought out a runway collection in Feb and is now in stores . The collection was created in J Brand’s LA studio where Halpern experimented with many different eco washes to bring out some designed sustainable looks !
“This collaboration has given me the opportunity to express myself in a way I haven’t previously. It was so exciting to be able to use such incredible materials, like J Brand’s brilliant eco foil denim and embossed leather snakeskin, to create a capsule collection epitomizing the Halpern aesthetic: true glamour whilst kissing classic Americana.†– Michael Halpern
The designer used the iconic denims from the brand and turned them into eye catching masterpieces with his unique stylings.
J BRAND X HALPERN TAILORED DENIM JACKET
A cool office wear denim jacket inspired by the iconic fitted blazers sported by chic working women of the ‘70s. Features a deep V-neck with exaggerated lapels and a triple-button front closure. Offered in the sustainable denim of J Brand , which is made with up to 30% recycled cotton and washed with an average of 90% less water.
J BRAND X HALPERN DRAPED JULIA
This is a Julia high-rise flare fit which is among the most beloved by the fashion set, and this ultra-special version with a beautiful draped sash on one side is sure to make even more waves. Again with same sustainable credentials.
J BRAND X HALPERN MARIA HIGH-RISE SKINNY
This unique concept is One pant, two personalities. Michael Halpern took the J Brand’s iconic Maria high-rise skinny fit, and reimagined it in two high-impact foil halves: one gold, one rust. This denim is coated with a special high-shine material to achieve the look, while the denim underneath is still as comfortable and flattering as ever. The wash uses an average of 90% less water.
J BRAND X HALPERN SUPER WIDE VALENTINA
The designer Michael Halpern took the J Brand’s Valentina high-rise flare fit—already a statement-making piece with wide leg openings—and reimagined it with an extreme, even more exaggerated flare to the bottom hems. Offered in the buttery soft 100% Napa leather ( not denim but equally inspiring) , which is then dyed to an emerald green hue and printed with a classic snake print for a major statement.
J BRAND X HALPERN NATASHA SKY HIGH SKINNY
THe Natasha sky-high skinny fit gets a high-fashion makeover via a unique coating to give the entire pant a leather-like high shine. The wash used again is eco friendly with water savings as claimed by J Brand.
Mark D’Sa is a reputed apparel sourcing and supply chain professional with a career of over 4 decades . He has performed senior management roles in global retailers like GAP, Levi’s , Ralph Lauren etc. For the last many years, he has been involved in helping the US and Haiti Govt. in implementing the Caracol Industrial Park – which has been really successful and has provided over 14.500 jobs to the locals and helping Haiti reach an apparel export turnover crossed $1 billion in 2019 !
Sandeep Agarwal from Denimsandjeans spoke to him to get his perspective on various aspects of apparel sourcing with a focus on denim sourcing and how it has been changing over the years and how it is expected to change in near future , specially with the critical covid situation . The full interview will be streamed on Denimsandjeans Virtual show on Oct 14-15 and we bring excerpts from the same below.
Sandeep Agarwal Do you think that there was already a change in apparel sourcing patterns happening over the last few years?
Mark D’Sa Sourcing patterns have always been cyclical and there are constant change and movement in sourcing strategies every few years. In the 80s and 90s, new manufacturing locations were constantly opened up because of the quota limitations.
When quotas in China and HK were saturated, production moved to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, etc. Later NAFTA was enacted in the early 90s and US sourcing patterns focused on Mexico. Soon after that, the Caribbean Basin Initiative was implemented and that saw some sourcing move to the Caribbean countries.Â
Again in 2005 when quotas were eliminated, the sourcing pendulum moved in a big way from Mexico and the Caribbean to China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. From 2006 to 2010 the passage of CAFTA, ATPA, and HOPE/HELP created some traction in the Latin American region. In the last fifteen years, the growth and transformation in China as an emerging economy precipitated pricing challenges which forced retailers and buyers to migrate products to Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Pakistan, India, and so on.
The underlying driver of the shift in sourcing strategies, I mean the root cause, is always price and profitability, followed by quality, lead time, and sustainability. This overriding drive for margins and profitability found Chinese competitiveness, great service levels, product development very attractive and over time it led to a heavy dependence on China which proved to be detrimental and very damaging to the retail supply chains when the tariff wars erupted and further exacerbated when the pandemic lockdown was imposed. Today , once again , every brand, importer, and retailer is strategizing, planning, and creating roadmaps for new strategies that are diversified, dispersed, and not heavily dependent on China.
You are particularly interested in denim and jeans and you can do an overlay of the history of offshoring of denim jeans which began in the 70s and the proliferation of brands designer jeans as dry processing and complex washes evolved.
The offshoring and nearshoring of denim are very clear patterns going back 50 years. At first, it was the pioneering brands of Levi, Lee, Wrangler, Brittania, and Jordache. In 1969 Gap arrived on the scene and that was a game-changer. About the same Gloria Vanderbilt jeans were created and produced in Hong Kong. Soon a number of other labels like Pegasus, Gitano, Limited, Lane Bryant, Pepe, Point Zero, Diesel, Guess began sourcing in Mexico and Asia to feed the growing demand. By 2006 there were more than 4,000 denim labels worldwide.
Sandeep Agarwal With Covid what is the major change you see in sourcing direction?
Mark D’Sa Great question! Trust- Trade Policy – Technology – Sustainability and how do you build back better? The first major change in the post COVID era has to be rebuilding trust, redefining terms of engagement, and reciprocity.
Trust will drive the change and relationships must be rebuilt. The swift and shocking reaction of several retailers and importers to the pandemic and sweeping cancellations; with no regard for the consequences, caused a huge breach of trust. The majority of retailers and brands have vetting processes and compliance policies that are meant to protect the welfare of the workers and their livelihoods. In defense of the retailers, the COVID lockdown was unexpected, they were unprepared and it forced them to into in a self-preservation mode.
The ensuing unilateral cancellations to protect their own interests with no apparent regard for the welfare of the workers and the business owners received strong negative reactions. The dichotomy that was displayed has impacted relationships and trust must be re-established.
The combination of COVID and the US trade confrontation with China will compel US retailers to move apparel production away from China. Vietnam and Bangladesh may be the initial beneficiaries in the short term, while the supply chain will continue to be heavily dependent on Chinese textiles.
In the medium and long term as textile capacity ramps up, if prices are competitive, if quality, sustainability, traceability, compliance, and governance all meet the buyer’s standards, then more of the South and Southeast Asian countries may see growth opportunity. Sustainability will be a priority. In denim, the effluent treatment, water reduction in the laundries, management of sludge will all be points of focus.
Driven by e-Commerce there will be other opportunities too, in the post COVID environment. Customer fulfillment, changing configurations in styles and quantities, new consumer behavior, and retail purchasing patterns may create opportunities for the Latin American region because of their proximity, available capacity, duty-free preferences, etc. However, Latin America has a limited range of products to offer focused on denim jeans, workwear, knits, athleisure, tailored suits, and a very small amount of outerwear. Woven shirts, dresses, rough wear, and other woven products are challenging to produce due to the lack of raw material. The core strength of the LatAm region is knits and denim.
There have been disruptors in merchandising and retailing years before COVID. Companies like Modcloth, Stitch Fix, Bonobos, Komposite with it’s predecessor Bombsheller and several others have leveraged the D2C (Direct to Customer) model with varying degrees of success. I think there are many valuable learnings from these disruptors which will feed the new normal.
Technology will be another major driver of change. Digitized platforms and blockchain technology will allow transparency and traceability of raw materials. For example, the Cotton Trust Protocol, E3 and Myfarm, could allow retailers to successfully navigate the Xinjiang cotton boycott and comply with CBP stipulations.
Compression of product development and sample approvals could shave off weeks, or months of a merchandising calendar with 3D CAD systems from Gerber and Tukatech that several manufacturers have adopted. Labdip approvals, shade bands for jeans, separation of dye lots, could all be accelerated and expedited with digital color management systems. Technology will help retailers and manufacturers to be more resilient and agile to face future shocks.
In denim jeans, the adoption of lasers eliminates the time, effort, and pollution. Lasers allow you to do away with the old hand abrasion, sandblasting, use of Dremel tools to create distress effects, and more. Technology will be a huge enabler in the manufacturing and supply chain as we move forward.
Sandeep Agarwal How do you think the sourcing mix in terms of regions might change. Which regions or countries would be the biggest winners.
Mark D’sa
The retail calendar and seasons are changing. Right now, the COVID-19 is still causing a lot of uncertainty and upheaval. BTS was confusing and chaotic– some schools opened while others will conduct remote learning. That affected retail sales and BTS is a big season.
The largest single shopping day of the year is the day after Thanksgiving – Black Friday. Many stores have already announced they will not open for Thanksgiving this year, but Thanksgiving promotions and discounts will begin online and in-store from early October. So you see, the patterns are changing and sales are unpredictable.
Approximately 6,300 stores are scheduled to be shut in 2020 and the retailers may focus on online sales. Retail is getting complicated and expensive with curbside deliveries, sanitization of in-store merchandise, trial rooms, social distancing, contactless payments, etc. So inventory flows and demands will change.Â
The health of the US economy, customer perceptions of sustainability, consumer behavior, the handling of the pandemic, the development of a vaccine, and other factors will drive the new normal, or new normals. There may be more than one normal emerging in 2021.
Some Latin American vendors are positioning themselves to take advantage of these changes. The potential definitely exists. Honduras is one country where some very strategic investments are taking place and interesting new developments are in the pipeline. Honduran manufacturers were also quick to pivot and leverage the opportunity to produce PPEs during the height of the pandemic. Â
Those manufacturers who are resilient and agile, who offer options and flexibility to meet whatever the new normal will require are the ones who will benefit and come out on top.
Sandeep Agarwal How do you think the Haiti project of the US govt that you are involved in is going on in the current situation?
Mark D’Sa
COVID took a toll in Haiti. Out of approx. 34 companies employing 60,000 people, two Korean companies in Port Au prince closed their doors during the pandemic lockdown. In addition several of the factories saw a reduction in orders which has led to a workforce reduction of about 9,000 workers. But Haiti has very flexible rules of origin under the HELP act and investors continue to be bullish about the prospects for Haiti.
The project I was involved in, is the Caracol Industrial Park in Northern Haiti and funded by the Inter American Development Bank and USAID. The project fortunately is doing very well and diversified with apparel exporters, a paint producer and a sisal rope manufacturing facility. It employs 14,500 people and exported U$ 210 million in 2019.
None of the companies in that location were affected by COVID and their business picked up without skipping a beat after a six-week national shutdown of factories. In fact, the Sri Lankan company MAS and the Korean company Sae-A have booked additional space for expansion of approx. 5,000 jobs which are a clear sign of commitment to future growth in the Caribbean region. In a country with a volatile political climate and frequent disruption, this project has proved to be successful, robust, resilient, and agile.
Of course, at the global level, the shift from China to Latin America will be very small compared to the transfer of programs to Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan who are likely to benefit the most. The future is going hold a lot of potential as new models of retailing and merchandising are tested, developed and consolidated
The 2nd Edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show comes back with many new features for both buyers as well as suppliers. Do not miss to attend the show, to visit the show, please register at https://lnkd.in/ekpaVrG
Maurizio Donadi , creative Director and Vintage Collector , continues his mission to share his passion of vintage and archival clothing with the world and, in the process, promote new responsible thinking and practices through his latest consumer e-commerce venture, Transnomadica. Transnomadica is an ode to all things well lived. The goal is to create a significant and relevant marketplace for repurposed clothing. With a highly curated and authenticated assortment, Transnomadica is a destination for exchanging ideas and advancing the perception of vintage apparel and objects. Through Donadi’s creative direction and his 30-plus years of fashion industry experience, Transnomadica’s own standards of superior quality and craft set itself apart through a gallery-like presentation of relevant brands and unique designs across a wide-range of price points. Transnomadica is based on Donadi’s 8,000-piece archive that he’s collected over the past 30 years, housing some of the world’s most relevant and unique clothing items. Spanning a multitude of categories, Transnomadica features archival pieces from denim, military, sports, fashion and iconic 20th century styles. Until now, the archive has been utilized and available as a source of inspiration by select creative directors, designers, textile experts, collectors, and other industry professionals.
“In continuing in my search for the most responsible business practices, I see recycling as a natural step. My experience with global brands has allowed me to see that good design is engineering solutions with beauty. My last project, Atelier & Repairs, proved that one can build a brand without producing anything, but instead transforming what already exists. Inspired by these experiences, Transnomadica provides a stage for objects that are beautiful and well-made, that are still in enduring condition, that have acquired more value over time.†-Maurizio Donadi, Founder
In an effort to tell a story that conveys the history, culture and relevance of these items, Transnomadica will present products as Chapters, further establishing that vintage is non-seasonal. Launching with The Blue Chapter, Transnomadica presents an extensive assortment anchored by denim and other items in the color blue, ranging from iconic blue jeans to archival fashion apparel, home decor and highly collectible pieces. Transnomadica is motivated by the idea that the most sustainable clothes are those that are not produced, aiming to create a more seamless and functional model for the reselling of vintage and other staple apparel and goods, while conserving natural resources.
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We were amazed at the size of his collection of 8000 pcs ! and asked him how much time he took to build it , plus how he categorized his collection. he shared some more details –
” I have been collecting for over 30 years but I would say that during the last 12/15 years I have become much more focused on what was relevant for my vision.
There are 3 categories I have invested a great deal of time and effort in:
1. The Blue Color: Mainly Blue Jeans from Japanese denim brands. All faded from raw and all selvedge. The best jeans in the marketplace.
2. The Green Color: Korea and Vietnam War combat uniform. The best clothes to travel with.
3. The Khakis Color, from military chinos to safari, hunting and fishing jackets.”
About Transnomadica, LLC.
Founded by Maurizio Donadi in 2020, Transnomadica is a destination that celebrates cultural artistry and the beauty of imperfection across time and place. Transnomadica aims to become a key destination for a highly curated, respected and inclusive circular marketplace for select vintage, fashion archival styles and quality objects. Co-Founder and the driving creative force behind Atelier & Repairs and with commercial brand experience that includes positions at Diesel, Levi’s, Armani and Ralph Lauren, to name a few, Donadi is well-known amongst denim and vintage aficionados for his influence on the modern premium denim landscape. Check out the cool vintage collection of Transnomadica at https://www.transnomadica.com
For more info , you can also write to Maurizio at maurizio@transnomadica.com
Monki , a value clothing brand of H&M , is known for its apparel and accessories collection. They have a special focus on sustainability and align themselves to ‘be kind to the world’ and ‘be empowering’ with two of the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 5 — Gender equality
SDG 12 — Sustainable consumption and production
Most of their products seem to have a sustainable connection – in this particular set – Organic denim. The brand created some cool organic Denim jumpsuits and dungarees. These include casual wear long and short suits wit Boiler suit, jumpsuit , Dungarees etc. Very contemporary and fitting into the current times well with loose fits and comfort stylings. We check out some of them !
Denim Jumpsuit
A classic and cute jumpsuit in 100% organic cotton. Featuring two front pockets, one breast pocket and a drawstring waist.
Oversized fit
Wide leg
Cropped
Tie waist : Made from organic cotton
Denim Playsuit
A soft denim playsuit or dungaree if u like. Featuring tie-up adjustable spaghetti straps, two side pockets and a relaxed silhouette.
Regular fit
Spaghetti straps
Made with organic cotton
Pinafore Denim Dungaree
A pinafore style pair of denim dungarees with a cropped wide leg, two front pockets and two back pockets. Featuring metal button hardware on the straps and sides.
Regular fit
Wide leg
Cropped
Unstructured
Made from organic cotton
Denim Dungaree Dress
This trusty denim dress has pockets and sturdy fastenings . It’s made from 100% organic cotton and this classic blue wash is a wardrobe must have.
• Regular fit
• Mini length
• Adjustable shoulder straps
• Functional pockets
Long Denim Dungaree Dress
A denim dungaree dress with two front pockets, a midi length and metal buttons. Made with organic cotton!
Regular fit
Midi length
Adjustable straps
Button-up
Made with organic cotton
Boiler Suit
A cotton jumpsuit that features two breast pockets, two front pockets and two back pockets. Cute and comfy!
• Regular fit
• Slightly tapered leg
• Front-zip closure
• Stretch waistband
• Front and back pockets
• Elasticated cuffs
• Monki cares: Made from organic cotton
The renowned American brand , 7 For All Mankind , known for its denims has just had its latest arrivals for AW20 coming out . With different coated as well as flare jeans collection , the new designs surely give a sense of experimentation in these covid times. Let us have a look at the different styles .
Coated High Waist Ankle Skinny in Merlot
Sleek and sophisticated, but still luxuriously soft. Denim gets dressed up this season in their coated capsule. With a luxe leather-like texture and the familiar comfort stretch of 7s, this hard-working piece elevates with a rich merlot shade .
Coated B(air) High Waist Ankle Skinny with Faux Pockets in Black
Another coated style but in black. 7s seems to be putting forward strong visual looks with these reflective coats.
Coated 50/50 High Waist Ankle Skinny in Blue Nova
Twice the style and still luxuriously soft. In a sanded sapphire blue and coated black mixed fabric style, the high-waist ankle skinny kicks tradition for something cooler. For some time fabric mixes have been becoming popular and we need to see how these perform in current times.
Coated 50/50 Denim Miniskirt in Black
A little rock, a little roll, and a whole lot of cool. With a high-rise A-line silhouette, matte black and nickel hardware and two-toned appeal, it looks equally as good paired with a breezy blouse as it does with sweaters and boots.
Mega Flare Pleated Jean in Greenwich
Not expecting rigid denim to be a choice of many brands , but cool looks come out of this high-waisted jean with extra-wide flares that nod to ’60s-era style. Heavy whiskering and fading down the legs and through the flares creates a cool, dimensional effect.
Pleated Mega Flare
Taking the universally-flattering flare to another level, the mega flare commands attention. With pleat details for added sophistication, this statement jean is both eye-catching and functional with a leg-lengthening silhouette. Again , great flares !
The luxury Canadian denim brand , Naked & Famous known for its raw denim in the global market has launched its FW2020 collection. Naked & Famous was founded in 2008 by Brandon Svarc, a Canadian native with family background connected in denim industry from over 65 years.The philosophy of the brand lies in the Japanese raw denim. They have launched various innovative collection in the past and now has come up with another selvedge denim collection this season. The “Denim†version of Japanese culture has been portrayed in the designs. Let us have a look at the different designs:
TATAMI DENIM
Tatami is the name of the woven straws used for flooring in Japan , even used in the Martial Art training. This Rope-dyed Japanese indigo concept is now made to produce denim by the brand. The Tatami Denim is for people who love fabrics and want something different than denim. They replaced the straw with indigo-dyed cotton yarns, which are woven loosely across the face of the fabric to produce a fascinating design in the denim .
OKAYAMA SPIRIT 4
The Okayama Spirit series is made to pay tribute to the decades-long attention to denim craftsmanship in Okayama. It represents how the individual yarns are spun.To create such a richly textured fabric, the individual cotton yarns need to be spun at different speeds: slow speeds yielding thickness or ‘slubs’ in the yarn and faster speeds yielding thinness. These warp yarns are rope-dyed in indigo vats over and over again until they achieve a dark shade of indigo, but because of the shape of the yarn, the indigo doesn’t absorb evenly. Then master craftspeople using low-tension weaving on old shuttle looms turn the yarns into rolls of Japanese selvedge denim. The brand has created a new evolution in denim industry with this series.
“Duck Canvas†is used to refer to the heavy fabric used primarily for outerwear and protective workwear garments. The brand has come up with this durable fabric which is used in everything from ship sails to furniture upholstery. What makes Duck Canvas so tough is its construction, tightly woven 2×1 plain weave, two exterior-facing warp yarns go over each single interior-facing weft yarn. This creates a smooth surface that will not pull or rip easily. This product is a 10oz Japanese selvedge duck canvas dyed with a blend of steel grey and black.
Pic Credits : Naked And Famous
Note: The latest trends are first uploaded to our DE-Brands platform – the 1st global B2B denim platform with over 50 denim supply chain companies and over 200 buying companies. Not yet on it ?? Download and register free fro iOS http://bit.ly/dbrandsios and Android phones http://bit.ly/dbrandsandroid . Once registered, you can also login to our web platform DE-Brands.com
Kapital , Japan , has a strong reputation of bringing some real cool and innovative products to the market and inspiring others. We review their latest ‘feather denim’ a literal ‘birdy’ look for those who want to feel light besides a 3 tone dress, some sweaters and fleece jacket.
12oz Feather Denim 3rd JKT
A jacket made from denim jacquard with a three-dimensional and luxurious feather motif. It’s a quaint point like a vintage item such as a fringe with a volume on the hem. Its heavy but good weight for a jacket , jacquard gives it more volume than it has. *This product uses IDG dye. Color may adhere to other clothing when worn.
Feather Denim Kapital | Denimsandjeans.com
8oz Denim 3Tone Lamp Dress
A dress with a beautiful gradation that became 3 tones of 8oz denim. With a deep slit on the front and back, it has a three-part structure that looks like a goodwill screen, and the swaying hem looks elegant. The gradation is elegantly handled with right fabric mixes .
7G BORO GAUDY Crew Sweater
A crew sweater with a soothing monotone color that accentuates the beauty of a three-dimensional, intricate knitted fabric.Though not denim , its design expresses the charm of the soup made by joining various fabrics. *This product is a rough knitted fabric, so be careful of catching and fraying when wearing it.
7G BORO GAUDY Cardigan
A cardigan with a soothing monotone color that accentuates the beauty of a three-dimensional, intricate knitted fabric. A loose silhouette that is easy to wear. Product note : This product is a rough knitted fabric, so be careful of catching and fraying when wearing it.
TOP fleece x American quilt COUNTRY 2TONE BIG sweatshirt
A fleece sweatshirt using an American quilt on the back. A large silhouette with a large volume, a combination of acute country-style American quilt and a soft-textured fleece fabric gives a warm impression.
Denimsandjeans is happy to announce the 2nd edition of its virtual show to be held on Oct 14-15 bringing together global denim supply chain companies at one platform again.
After the innovative concept used in the first edition where the buyers and suppliers came face 2 face and had fruitful meetings, this time there will be additional features for even better interaction opportunities among the participants. To visit, please register at https://virtual.denimsandjeans.com/vi… or contact us at info@denimsanjeans.com
Ribbontex SRL, based in Italy, is one of the well known manufactures of accessories from Europe. The company produces ribbons, tapes, and patches in various categories.
We’ve had a brief Q&A with Ms. Gloria Crivellaro from Ribbontex, where we tried to get perspective of the accessories industry in Italy and how they are trying to cater to sustainability requirements in this segment by buyers around the world.
Europe witnessed a complete lockdown due to COVID 19, how’s your experience and what did Ribbontex do during the lockdown time?
Gloria Crivellaro (Ribbontex)
I am proud to say that we took advantage of this time of “greater” calm to grow and improve. It is during the difficult times that you can show your value. So we started to produce even protective masks, we started to work on the new collection and at the same time, we moved to a new and bigger building, able to meet the needs of our customers.
All this, enhancing the concept of digitization and implementing the research for eco-sustainable materials. I always quote Darwin’s sentence.. so fitting for these hard times.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”.
And as I think that life is a dance between free will and destiny, we have to accept destiny when it is impossible to do otherwise, but without ever stopping to do and choose what we like.
I believe that this experience has had and still will have many repercussions: for sure economically, but also humanly, socially, and emotionally. To be honest, especially in the beginning, it was a very difficult time. For a person like me, used to travel a lot, the sudden and total stop was a real shock.
But, belonging to a Latin people, also the fact of not being able to shake the hands of friends, customers, acquaintances, of not being able to greet each other with a hug, the fact of looking at and talking to each other wearing a mask , was a shock.
Personally I think that those weeks of closure at home and also the change in the habits of each of us forced us to see things differently. It forced us to deal with ourselves, our personality, our deepest, and most hidden fears. It made us discover unexplored “sides” of ourselves, forcing us to search, to “dig” inside instead of outside, to find new stimuli.
Yes, each of us is a complex set of several and different facets. But I am convinced that this experience has highlighted some that we did not even know we had. And this can be seen as a positive aspect.
Just as it is really positive that we all felt empathy for the rest of the world. We really felt closer despite the distance.
What do you think makes Ribbontex SRL a different company from other accessory companies?
Surely one of the strengths of our company is the top quality of our products, thanks to the raw materials used and the knowledge and the experience of our operators.
Another one is the reactivity to customers’ requests. I think we are extremely flexible, proactive, and always willing to find a meeting point to satisfy our clients. This is because human relationships and mutual trust are and will always be extremely important values for us.
How important is sustainability for the accessories companies and how has been Ribbontex contributing its bit towards this? Any specific products would you like to mention?
I can’t think of a split between clothing and accessories. In fact, if the first is designed to be eco-friendly, the second must be the same.
Sustainability is not a nice word to use to get more support. Sustainability is a lifestyle, a broader concept that Ribbontex already embraced many years ago. We have such a huge range of sustainable items, that it is practically impossible not to find something interesting and inspiring in it.
Due to this ongoing pandemic, there have changes in consumer behavior and also in the overall buying attitude, What changes do you see in the requirements of buyers in recent times, and how you have adjusted to them?
Certainly there have been many changes in the overall buying attitude and in my opinion many more will be in the coming months.
The demands are more and more targeted and specific. I would sum up by saying that the request was simplified in terms of the number of items but undoubtedly it was articulated in terms of refinement and prestige of the same ones.
What has an extra plus survives, the superfluous has been practically canceled by the new normal. How have we adjusted to these changes? We continued to produce high-quality products and at the same time we enhanced the concept of digitization and we implemented the research for eco-friendly materials.
We want to be ready and prepared, whatever may be required in the near future. And as I think life is a dance between free will and destiny, we have accept things and adapt to them BUT never stopping to do and choose what we like.
Please tell us about your latest sustainable collection?
Ribbontex has always had an eye on ethical and sustainability aspects.
This result , just to name a few examples, in the use of energy from renewable sources, in the use of raw materials with less environmental impact, in the banning of solvent inks for printing and the replacing with water-based ones.
And obviously, in this perspective, our product and style manager, Mr. Raouik, my close friend for almost 15 years, created a truly fantastic sustainable collection. Inside there are amazing accessories produced by using biodegradable materials, hemp, organic cotton, materials recycled from plastic bottles, materials coming from vegetable oils, eco leathers, solvent-free etc…
In this report, we’ve listed the major denim fabric importers in MEXICO for the month of June 2020 and analyzed the volume and average price along with the countries from where they are buying. Also, the comparison has been made with May 2020 figures. The contents of this report are as below:
PARTICULARS
TABLE SHOWING THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO MEXICO ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE AND % SHARE
GRAPH SHOWING THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO MEXICO
GRAPH SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO MEXICO
GRAPH SHOWING THE % SHARE OF COUNTRIES IN TOTAL IMPORTS BY MEXICO
TABLE SHOWING THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF MEXICO ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE AND % SHARE
GRAPH SHOWING THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF MEXICO
GRAPH SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OFÂ MEXICO
TOP COUNTRIES SUPPLYING DENIM FABRICS TOÂ MEXICOÂ IN JUNE 2020
In the month of June 2020, Mexico has imported approx. 5.88 lacs sqm of denim fabrics.
CHINA is the biggest exporter of Denim Fabric to Mexico with a total share of 84%, In May 2020, it was 53%. India reduced to 0 from 32%.
Country
% Share in May 2020
% Share in June 2020
China
53%
84%
India
32%
0%
Others
15%
16%
(Note: this data has been captured from various govt organizations including customs. the actual imports are likely to be higher than this figure. Also, we need to understand that the prices are sometimes not correct representations as in Mexico there are many suppliers under-reporting the actual price for custom benefits )
Country
Quantity
Av Price
% Share
China
499238
1.02
84.77%
Italy
3,298
4.59
0.56%
Spain
4,383
4.61
0.74%
United States
82,031
2.16
13.93%
Total
588950
1.23
1
As far as the average price is concerned, China reported the lowest price of $1.02/sqm however Spain exported at the most expensive price of $4.61/sqm.
TOP COMPANIES IMPORTING DENIM IN MEXICO
So far as the import of denim fabric by different companies are concerned, MAQUILADORA SPORTand BORDERS APPAREL are the two biggest importers of denim fabric into Mexico with 1.66 lacs sqm and 89,584 sqm of denim fabric respectively.
After the global outrage, China has been facing a unique global withdrawal as many of the countries have decided to move part of their operations as well as manufacturing from China due to known reasons.
Moving away operations and manufacturing set up from China is very difficult as well as the complex task however there are many companies including Apple, Nike, and Hyundai have already started the process and will complete the shift in a phased manner within a few years. Japan, on the other hand, asked the factory owners based in China to bring back the factories in Japan and they will be subsidized for the same. Japan announced a package of $2.2 billion to Japanese manufacturers to help them relocate their overseas factories. China is one of the biggest trade partners in Japan.
But the million dollar question here is if NO CHINA, THEN WHO?
Near-shoring is something which was widely talked and the buying countries had shown some indication that they might prefer the local sourcing however in a society where the consumer is largely price-driven, a reasonable change in average price may affect the brand sale therefore most of the countries are now looking for a long term alternative to CHINA.
Among others, India and Vietnam are two prominent countries that are being considered to attracting shifting projects.
India is a huge country with over 1.3 bilion + population, more than half of whom are aged between 21-30 , making its world’s youngest pool of workforce. The country has also abundant resources to produce raw materials as well as a good infrastructure to produce finished goods.
As far as the denim fabrics are concerned, India exports 200-250 million square meters of fabric pre-COVID time, also India is one of the biggest consumers of Jeans worldwide. However as far as the export of garments is concerned, India is way behind than Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam.
On the other hand, Vietnam with a mere 100 million population has become the largest garment exporters to the US and the world’s #1 shoe exporter. Vietnam has been found to be one of the most attractive investment destinations, thanks to bilateral treaties and FTAs with important buying countries/regions including Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, once the EVFTA takes effect, Viet Nam’s export value to the EU is projected to increase by 20% by 2020, 42.75 by 2025, and 44.37% by 2030.
With 100 million people, Vietnamese exports are almost at par with an economy that has 1.3 billion people and has one of the youngest workforces in the world currently.
The Hindu
Vietnam also received a lot of applause for the COVID management, very few casualties, and mere hundreds of active cases now in the country. While India is still struggling to contain the virus. COVID 19 affected both the economy, India’s Q1 GDP growth came into negative while Vietnam’s is still in positive in number by the end of Q2 2020.
The World Bank
“Vietnam’s total merchandise exports grew at an annualized average rate of 18 percent in the last 10 years till 2019, as compared with India’s 5 percent. During the same period, Vietnam attained a trade surplus of $47 billion, which again was a significant improvement over the trade deficit of $13 billion in 2010. While Vietnam started delivering trade surplus, India’s trade deficit increased to $156 billion in 2019 from $130 billion in 2010.”
Vietnam’s crucial FTA with the EU is expected to change the fate of Vietnam as it would give direct exposure to $18 trillion economies to Vietnam and will allow European manufacturers to invest in Vietnam.
A lot of European apparel brands are expected to shift their sourcing base from China to Vietnam due to preferential treaties as well as the anti china sentiment however the rule of origin per se may somehow hurt Vietnam as the country is yet not prepared to cater the raw material demand. However, Vietnam lacks strength in fabric production and is dependent , mainly on China, for most of its fabric imports with over 60% coming from there . In this area, India has specific strength . “
However, India has certain strengths over Vietnam
In raw materials from fibers to fabrics
Huge work force
Skilled workforce dealing in international business
Huge local market which enables brands to also grab share of market here
Lower costs of labor . Vietnam’s labor cost may rise to high levels once more investments kick in .
All these strengths will also enable many companies to put some of their productions in India also . But it is sure that this time, the retailers will not be putting all their eggs in one basket and will diversify their risks by being present in different countries from Vietnam to Bangladesh to Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka , Ethiopia and more . We are going to see a diversified sourcing base where one country will not be able to dominate supply chain.
Levi Strauss was born in the German town of Buttenheim and the museum there to celebrate their famous son turns 20 and they will host a special exhibition by Ian Berry with all his works out of denim – no dye, no bleach, no paint – just layers of jeans.Â
Ian Berry , in turn , celebrates 15 years of working with the material and garments made so popular by the man who emigrated the German town in 1847.
From Sunday (September 13th) until November 8th the exhibition examines the years of artist Ian Berry’s work crafted out of only blue jeans and will show amongst the memories of Levi Strauss who is immortalised in the dedicated museum in the house he was born in.
For any denim lover, it is worth a visit to the home of Levi Strauss to see his fascinating life and materials but to see it with the famed artists’ work is an extra treat.
Levi Strauss was born in 1829 in Buttenheim, the town in the district of Bamberg. In 1847 , he would emigrate to the USA – finally settling in San Francisco and hitting gold with his patented pants with the development alongwith Jacob Davis. Â
The museum opened in September 2000. With the biography of Levi Strauss, visitors can gain an insight into the lives of the rural Franconian Jewish Community, the world of the immigrants, the beginnings of the textile industry, and of course, all about our favorite material – jeans.
Levi Strauss house is one of only a few preserved objects from his life and one of the oldest houses in Buttenheim . The district council bought it in 1987 and today is classified as a historical monument. A wide scale renovation of the dilapidated half-timbered house was done to bring it to as true to the original as possible. Imagine Levi walking around!Â
When the Museum first opened back in 2000, hardly anyone anticipated its rapid success. Nevertheless, both Museum guests and professionals have seen the Levi Strauss Museum become a popular success. Every year, thousands of people visit Buttenheim from all over the world in order to experience the Museum and see where it all began.
This will kick off two years of museum shows for the Yorkshire born artist. Many works will be on display including from the Behind Closed Doors and Hotel California collections that will move on to Holland, to the Museum Rijswijk in November and the National Textile Museum of Sweden (Textil Museet)
During the Covid period his work took on a new life, having spent years portraying isolation. His Behind Closed Doors body of work became life for many of us . He had painstakingly crafted beautiful homes out of only denim but with a haunting scene of loneliness.Â
It will be Berry’s first showing of his work in Germany and he will be there to meet the guests at the opening that will , of course , be under social distancing rules. There will be a projection of his famed #iclapfor project.
‘When Dr Tanja Roppelt , the curator , got in touch with me a couple of years ago it made sense – the old romantic in me loved the idea of the work showing in the birthplace (of Levi Strauss) . I love the history of denim, especially that of Jacob Davis and Levi and the Rivet.’ – Ian Berry
All of Ian’s plans for the year were shattered with COVID. As he works from photography all the shoots were cancelled in the first week of lockdown so he has had to change his direction for the year. Many people sent him photos of their home isolation and this saw the birth of the Stay Behind Closed Doors project, I myself contributed and you can see in the latest Sportswear International.
Then, along with his son Elliott, 6, he made the two applauding hands. Clapping for the health heroes had been a big part of British life for the first ten weeks of the Covid period.
Ian Berry 2020
Ian’s son was particularly captivated and it enabled Ian to explain more what was going on while he was engaged. What started as a personal project between father and son, ended up being beamed all over the world via projections. It covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and was seen as far as Australia, Colombia, Mexico City and Brazil amongst many others. He was raising money for the NHS and Doctors Without Borders and got fine donations from Cone Denim , Tricia Carey at Lenzing. It became the #iclapfor campaign and a short documentary film will be shown at the museum.
Ian, originally from Huddersfield , lives and works in East London amongst thousands of pairs of jeans that he recycles to create almost photorealistic pieces and installations. He has been named a top 30 artist under 30 in the world and now he will show at a historical home of one of the materials of our time.Â
Advt: Denimsandjeans is happy to announce the 2nd edition of its virtual show to be held on Oct 14-15 bringing to together global denim supply chain companies at one platform again . To visit, please register at: https://virtual.denimsandjeans.com/vi…
Though the second-quarter earning of PVH have shown a fall of 33% in YOY revenue , the company believes that it is a sign of recovery considering the previous quarter result.
The 2nd quarter revenue exceeded the company’s expectations despite continued disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting better than expected performance in all markets and channels. The company is expecting a still better third quarter after experiencing an encouraging trend in China and Europe . However, as per the company, North America business continues to experience pressure due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the lack of international tourist traffic coming to the U.S.
Before we go into deep dive of the Q2 results, here is the snapshot of Q2 earnings.
Revenue Distribution – Brands
Looking at the brand-wise revenue distribution, Tommy Hilfiger is leading the revenue chart with USD 803.7 million accounting for 50.4% of total revenue share. Calvin Klein with USD 590.5 million is the second in the revenue chart accounting for 37% of total revenue. Comparing the same period from the previous year, both brands Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein have registered a massive fall of 28% and 32 % respectively. Overall, the total revenue contracted by 33% which amounted to a total revenue loss of $783 million.
Particulars
Q2 | 2020 (Million USD)
Q2 | 2019(Million USD)
Change((Million USD)
% Change
CALVIN KLEIN
590.5
873.3
-282.8
-32%
TOMMY HILFIGER
803.7
1,110.20
-306.50
-28%
HERITAGE BRANDS
186.5
380.7
-194.2
-51%
TOTAL
1580.7
2364.2
-783.5
-33%
Revenue Distribution – Regions
Calvin Klein
Analysis of the regional distribution of revenue of Calvin Klein shows that revenue from the North America region saw a decline of more than 50% during Q2 2020, revenue fell from $408 million to a mere $199.7 million. Internationally, CK revenue witnessed a fall of 16%. Whereas in 2019 , the revenue from North American and International business was quite close , this time the international revenue is about double that of North American showing clearly that CK suffered more in US.
Particulars
Q2 | 2020 (Million USD)
Q2 | 2019(Million USD)
Change((Million USD)
% Change
Calvin Klein North America
199.7
408.8
-209.1
-51%
Calvin Klein International
390.8
464.5
-73.7
-16%
Tommy Hilfiger
The highest-grossing brand of PVH- Tommy Hilfiger has a similar story, its North American operation has also reported a fall of 51% in its revenue during Q2,2020 however internationally a decline of 14% was reported.
Particulars
Q2 | 2020 (Million USD)
Q2 | 2019(Million USD)
Change((Million USD)
% Change
Tommy Hilfiger North America
202
413
-211
-51%
Tommy Hilfiger International
601.7
697.2
-95.5
-14%
Revenue Distribution – Channels
Whole Sale Channel is beating the retail channel in terms of revenue distribution of Heritage Brands by big margins. Where Retail Channel contributed USD 34.4 Million, the wholesale channel of Heritage Brand contributed USD 152 million during Q2,2020 however both channels were hugely affected and down by 51% during this quarter ended on August 2, 2020.
Particulars
Q2 | 2020 (Million USD)
Q2 | 2019(Million USD)
Change((Million USD)
% Change
Heritage Brand Whole Sale
152.1
310.6
-158.5
-51%
Heritage Brand Retail
34.4
70.1
-35.7
-51%
The Company anticipates its second-half revenue and earnings will continue to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; while the Company expects revenue in the second half to decline approximately 25% compared to the prior-year period, it cannot provide more detailed guidance at this time due to the uncertainty related to the duration and severity of the pandemic.
