Author: Sandeep Agarwal

Topshop Announces New Trend-On Denim Styles
Top Shop launches 8 new denims styles from Â£29.99 which celebrate individuality and self- expression through what Topshop is calling the â€˜fabric of youâ€™.

With a move towards more trend-led styles, Topshop brings out new heritage denim but with fresh styles and designs for 2020.

The new collection ensures that customers can easily get a pair what they are looking for, according to their body size and shape.This season denim jeans no longer feel like a staple used to complete a look, instead they take center stage.

Topshop’s SS20 Denim range –

Their collection eight new jeans styles includes – Topshop One, Two, Three and Four, Relaxed Flare, Baggy, Jamie flare and 90â€™s Straight.
- Topshop One – High waisted, oversized Mom jeans, rigid denim, double turn-up hem
- Topshop Two – 90â€™s-inspired, high waisted, flared leg, rigid denim
- Topshop Three – High waisted, super skinny flare leg, super stretch denim, double button detailing
- Topshop Four – High waisted, skinny jeans in mid blue stretch denim
- Relaxed Flare – High waisted, flare leg with stay press, comfort stretch denim
- Baggy – High rise, voluminous leg, rigid denim
- Jamie Flare – High rise, flared leg, power stretch Jamie denim
- 90â€™s Straight – High waisted, straight leg, slim through the hip
Senior Jeans Buyer at Topshop,Lucy Willans, said:

“Weâ€™ve seen a resurgence of noughties and nineties denim across social media, primarily Instagram and weâ€™re so excited to extend our offering into eight new styles across multiple washes.We are confident that there is a pair of jeans for every Topshop girlâ€
February 18, 2020
Prps X HÅl Collection

RePRPS/Artisans Series is a collaborative design program focused on highlighting sustainability which aims to support innovative artisans and makers. Under this series PRPS recently launched PRPS X HÅl collection, the latest collaboration of this series .

HÅl repurpused and re-engineered iconic PRPS designs into one of kind jeans, hoodies, jackets and tees destined to become collectorâ€™s items.

Aizome Skirt

PRPS Women’s Tie Dye Midi Denim Skirt featuring hand dyed, organic indigo.

Carbon Aizome Cord

Tie Dye Corduroy Jeans featuring hand processing, dye extract and organic indigo overdye.

Hybrid Athletic

The Future Is With PURPOSE Vintage Jogger/Paint Splatter Denim Hybrid featuring cut and splice repairing.

Hybrid Jogger Uptown

The Future Is With PURPOSE Vintage Jogger/Rip & Repair Denim Hybrid featuring cut and splice repairing.

Hybrid Short Chino

Two-Toned Tie Dye Cargo Pants featuring hand processed, dye extract, organic indigo overdye and cut and splice repairing.

Aizome Garden Trouser

PRPS Women’s Pleated Tie Dye Denim Trouser featuring cut and splice repairing.

Carbon Cord

Two-Toned Tie Dye Corduroy Jeans featuring hand processing, dye extract and organic indigo overdye.

Carbon Denim

Two-Toned, Tie Dye Jeans featuring hand processed dye extract.

Aizome Garden Crop

PRPS Women’s Cropped Tie Dye Denim Shirt featuring cut and splice repairing.

February 15, 2020
European Parliament Finally Ratifies EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)

Finally ! the much awaited EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement along with EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) ratified on Feb 12, 2019 in the EU Parliament with 401 votes for, 192 against and 40 absentions. The negotiation for which started in Oct 2010 finally culminated in the ratification of the treaty. The agreement was signed on June 30 last year and was expected to be effective soon. After the European ratification, both the agreements are expected to be passed in the upcoming session of the Viá»‡t Nam’s Nation Assembly in April-May and likely to come into effect from July this year in Viá»‡t Nam. The agreement will be opening up opportunities for the Vietnam to enter into a huge market which has GDP value worth $18 trillion. This is going to be a major push for Vietnamâ€™s exports and will allow the global players to expand their businesses into one of the fastest economies of SEA. Currently VietNam is the EU’s second largest trading partner in the ASEAN region with trade value of â‚¬49.3 billion for goods and over â‚¬3 billion for services.

At a press conference on this event held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in HÃ Ná»™i the same day, Minister of Industry and Trade Tráº§n Tuáº¥n Anh said:

“This is a meaningful result for Viá»‡t Nam and the EU, two comprehensive strategic partners.â€

The agreement will remove virtually all tariffs between the two parties ( EU and Viet Nam) in ten years. Under this agreement, Viá»‡t Nam will reduce 65 per cent of import tarrif on EU commodities after it comes into effect, while the rest will be erased over a 10-year period. Meanwhile, the EU will cut more than 70 per cent of tariffs on Viá»‡t Namâ€™s commodities , and the rest will be abolished over the seven subsequent years. According to research by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the two deals will help Viá»‡t Nam increase its GDP by 4.6 per cent and its exports to the EU by 42.7 per cent by 2025. Meanwhile, the European Commission has projected the EUâ€™s GDP to increase by $29.5 billion and its exports to Viá»‡t Nam by 29 per cent by 2035.

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said:

“I welcome the decision taken today by EU Member States. After Singapore, the agreements with Viet Nam are the second to have been concluded between the EU and a Southeast Asian country, and represent stepping stones to a greater engagement between Europe and the region. It is also a political statement by two partners and friends standing together for open, fair and rules-based trade.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Trade Cecilia MalmstrÃ¶m said:

“I am very pleased to see that Member States have given a green light to our trade and investment agreements with Viet Nam. Viet Nam is a vibrant and promising market of more than 95 million consumers and both sides have much to gain from stronger trade relations.â€

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.

SEA countries have signed 13 FTAs with external partners, of which EVFTA and CPTPP are considered the â€œnew-generationâ€ deals with higher and broader commitments. The Government estimated that the CPTPP, which took effect since January 14, 2019, will help increase Viet Namâ€™s GDP by 1.3% and export value by 4% by 2035. You can refer the below infographic to understand the number of FTAs Vietnam right now have. Vietnam is now one of the biggest exporters of garments to the USA now, with this EVFTA, Vietnam is going to increase its presence in EU countries very strongly. Garment exports would be one of the biggest beneficiary industry under this agreement . Vietnam is , in any case, being benefited due to increasing costs in China and many customers have shifted their sourcing base . Once duty benefits are available , huge benefits are expected to accrue to Vietnam .

February 14, 2020
Lee Jeans introduces ‘For A World That Works’ Initiative

Lee Jeans introduces ‘For A World That Works’ , an initiative that unites Leeâ€™s values and heritage, with a new vision for the future,Â aims to redefine how Lee operates. Through purposeful design, meaningful partnerships, and a commitment to the planet, Lee will bring people together to create a more sustainable future.

Lee Jeans saysâ€“

â€œSince 1889, our founder H.D. Lee has empowered the working world towards a brighter future. We celebrate this legacy by weaving purpose into everything we do, how we act and what we believe in. Sustainability is core to this. We all know the urgency. We all feel the responsibility. Thatâ€™s why we strive to use the most sustainable options, from responsible sourcing to cleaner manufacturing and eco-innovations. If thereâ€™s a more sustainable option, weâ€™ll go after it. So, stand tall for what you believe in. We do at Lee. We passionately challenge ourselves and bring people together to create a stronger and more sustainable future. For people. For planet. For A World That Works™.â€

‘For A World That Works™ brings together Lee Jeansâ€™ ongoing sustainable initiatives with a series of innovative products, all designed to reflect the brandâ€™s commitment to working toward a brighter future for people and the planet. The first three styles, highlighted here, are Indigood Denim, Back to Nature and Sustainable Selvage.

Indigood Denim

Indigood Denim is made from fabrics dyed through a foam dyeing process that does not use water and features 89% fewer chemicals and 65% less energy than traditional dyeing. Certain machine makers and denim mills have been working on this technology and enables Lee Jeans to develop a range . It will also feature signature design details including a black biodegradable patch, a tonal Lazy S on back pockets and recycled hardware. Introduced for Spring Preview â€™20 (SP20), Indigood Denim features on two different washes on the popular slim tapered Luke fit menâ€™s jean.

Back to Nature

The Back to Nature Innovation features pieces that are completely biodegradable. Made using entirely compostable linen-cotton yarns, and no rivets, when the garment is no longer needed, the buttons can be unscrewed for re-use and the rest can be thrown into the compost, where it will biodegrade and return to the Earth. Featured in Back to Nature are the menâ€™s iconic Rider Jacket and Rider jeans in a rigid ecru denim. For women an elongated and belted version of the Rider Jacket features alongside wide leg jeans in rigid ecru denim.

Sustainable Selvage

Sustainable Selvage is an ongoing collaboration with Italian denim mill Candiani. The result is a series of jeans created using less energy, water and chemicals. Sustainable production and finishing processes include the use of Kitotex dyeing, derived from the food waste industry, Indigo Juice dyeing â€“ a more superficial yarn dye; and mineral dyeing, using the N-Denim nitrogen dye and Earthcolours dye, which comes from unused natural waste. Sustainable laundry treatments include lasering that does not use chemicals, E-Flow which uses less chemicals and water, and PP spray (used for creating worn effects) has been replaced with an eco-friendly bleaching additive.

In line with the ‘For a World that Works™’ initiative, Lee Jeans has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundationâ€™s Jeans Redesign Guidelines, which set out minimum requirements on garment durability, material health, recyclability and traceability. Using the Jeans Redesign Guidelines as a base framework, Lee is creating a portfolio-level scorecard to measure the sustainability performance of all products. Over the next year, this global tool will empower Lee designers to be at the forefront of change, allowing them to view how Leeâ€™s entire product line is progressing on sustainability attributes. As Lee works to build a better future with ‘For A World That Works™’ , the sustainability scorecard will benchmark the initiativeâ€™s impact for the brandâ€™s stakeholders and help Lee set internal targets for increasing performance over time.

February 13, 2020

Sri Lanka Denim Fabric Imports : August And September 2019

In this report, weâ€™ve listed the major denim fabric importers in SRI LANKA in the months of August and September,2019 and analyzed the volume and average price along with the countries and suppliers from where they are buying. The contents of this report are as below:

PARTICULARS

TABLE SHOWING THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO SRI LANKA ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE AND % SHARE

GRAPH SHOWING THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO SRI LANKA

GRAPH SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO SRI LANKA

GRAPH SHOWING THE % SHARE OF COUNTRIES IN TOTAL IMPORTS BY SRI LANKA

TABLE SHOWING THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF SRI LANKA ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE AND % SHARE

GRAPH SHOWING THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF SRI LANKA

GRAPH SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF SRI LANKA

TABLES SHOWING THE IMPORTS OF DENIM FABRICS BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES INTO SRI LANKA ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE

GRAPHS SHOWING THE IMPORTS OF DENIM FABRICS BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES INTO SRI LANKA

GRAPHS SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF IMPORTS OF DENIM FABRICS BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES INTO SRI LANKA

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TOP COUNTRIES SUPPLYING DENIM FABRICS TO SRILANKA

In the months of august and September 2019, SriLanka has imported approx. 3 million kgs of denim fabrics. Since the data is available not in SQM but in KGS we will have to make deductions on the basis of the same. Therefore, we have represented the graphs on the basis of value in USD in place of volume. Besides, going by the current trends, 3 million kgs of fabric represents about 9 million sq mtrs taking about 10 oz per sq yard as average weight.

CHINA is the biggest exporter of Denim Fabric to SriLanka with a total volume of about 1.5 million kgs at an average price of USD 5.1/kgs. India is the 2nd biggest denim supplier which exported 5.69 lakh kgs of denim fabric at an average price of USD 5.7/kgs. Pakistan contributed 16.5% of the total import of denim fabric of SriLanka with total volume as 4.9 lakh kgs. Egypt on the other hand maintained the highest average price for import at USD 7.6/kgs.

From the above data , we can assume rough figures of export from different countries during these two months :
China – about 4.5 million sq mtrs
India – about 1.6 million sq mtrs
Pakistan – about 1.5 million sq mtrs

(Note: this data has been captured from various govt organizations including customs. the actual imports are likely to be higher than this figure .)

COUNTRY	VOLUME(KGS)	Value(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)	% SHARE
CHINA	1,507,814.17	7,692,828.86	5.1	50.0
INDIA	560,698.13	3,174,081.05	5.7	18.6
PAKISTAN	499,284.93	2,306,849.74	4.6	16.5
HONG KONG	137,024.22	685,778.78	5.0	4.5
EGYPT	91,881.98	697,023.26	7.6	3.0
BRAZIL	67,309.03	249,699.63	3.7	2.2
ETHIOPIA	47,050.28	261,648.11	5.6	1.6
TURKEY	22,982.87	163,668.67	7.1	0.8
VIETNAM	22,775.40	168,816.79	7.4	0.8
OTHERS	60,983.5	485,976.87	8.0	2.0
TOTAL	3,017,804.49	15,886,371.76	5.3	100

TOP COMPANIES IMPORTING DENIM FABRICS IN SRILANKA

So far as the import of denim fabric by different companies are concerned, ORIT TRADING LANKA PVT LTD and HIRDARAMANI INDUSTRIES PVT LTD are the biggest importers of denim fabric into Sri lanka with the total import of 1.2 million kgs ( with value 7.2 million USD) and 5.2 lakh kgs ( with value 3.1 million USD) of denim fabric respectively. Roughly 3.5 million sq mtrs and 1.5 million sq mtrs.

COMPANY	VOLUME(KGS)	Value(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)	% SHARE
ORIT TRADING LANKA PVT LTD	1,226,715.47	7,244,281.29	5.9	40.6
HIRDARAMANI INDUSTRIES PVT LTD	524,802.92	3,172,570.61	6.0	17.4
DAYA APPAREL EXPORT PVT LTD	154,443.33	639,628.64	4.1	5.1
SPENCERS	131,410.00	293,803.75	2.2	4.4
DIAL TEXTILE INDUSTRIES LTD	100,416.82	786,723.37	7.8	3.3
MIAMI CLOTHING (PVT) LTD	71,522.65	414,269.53	5.8	2.4
OTHERS	808,493.30	3,308,094.57	4.1	26.8
TOTAL	3,017,804.49	15,859,371.76	5.3	100.0

ORIT TRADING LANKA PVT LTD

ORIT TRADING LANKA PVT LTD imported 1,226,715 kgs of denim fabrics in the months of August and September 2019 and it got many suppliers on the board. Out of many suppliers , XINGTAI H AND J TEXTILES CO.,LTD is the biggest supplier with the export volume of 469,240 kgs and total value as 2,682,039.37 USD Average Price at which the company is supplying is USD 5.72/kgs.

Address: Free Trade Zone Rd, Avissawella, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 112 154 254

SUPPLIER	VOLUME(KGS)	VALUE(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)
XINGTAI H AND J TEXTILES CO.,LTD (CHINA)	469,240	2,682,039.37	5.72
DNM TEXTILE SPINNING, WEAVING (EGYPT)	91,881.98	697,023.26	7.59
YIXING LUCKY G AND L DENIM CO.,LTD (CHINA)	71,006.50	486,236.73	6.85
INDOCHINE INT’L TRADING CO ., LTD (CHINA)	67,384.43	404,745.26	6.01
MALWA INDUSTRIES LTD (INDIA)	60,067.72	311,626.75	5.19
KASSIM TEXTILES (PVT) LTD (PAKISTAN)	52,930.32	301,321.67	5.69
OTHERS	414,204.52	2,361,288.25	5.70
TOTAL	1,226,715	7,244,281.29	5.91

HIRDARAMANI INDUSTRIES PVT LTD

HIRDARAMANI INDUSTRIES PVT LTD imported 524,802 kgs of denim fabrics during the months of August and September 2019 and it got many suppliers on the board. Out of all the suppliers,YIXING LUCKY G AND L DENIM CO LTD is the biggest supplier with the export volume of 132,541 kgs at an average price of USD 6.78/kgs and total volue of 899,213.16 USD.

Address:Road, Kuruwita,, Colombo, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 452 263 581

SUPPLIER	VOLUME(KGS)	VALUE(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)
YIXING LUCKY G AND L DENIM CO LTD (CHINA)	132,541	899,213.16	6.78
XINGTAI H AND J TEXTILES CO LTD (CHINA)	131,821	763,633.35	5.79
ARTISTIC MILLINERS PVT LTD (CHINA)	59,048	274,873.75	4.66
RAYMOND UCO DENIM PVT LTD (CHINA)	25,173.85	130,289.12	5.18
OTHERS	176,219.07	1,104,561.23	6.27
TOTAL	524,802.92	3,172,570.61	6.05

DAYA APPAREL EXPORT PVT. LTD.

DAYA APPAREL bought its fabrics majorly from different suppliers. The major companies include REALTEX COMPANY LIMITED , GLOBAL CENTURY (HK) LTD and JIANGYIN NEWKING TEXTILE CO LTD. from where it has bought the major chunk. From REALTEX COMPANY LIMITED , the company has bought the largest volume of 82,923 kgs of denim fabric at an average price of USD 4.39/kgs pertaining to total value of 363,941.16 USD.

Address :Ampara 32000, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 112 813 900

SUPPLIER	VOLUME(KGS)	VALUE(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)
D & A HONG KONG (PVT) LTD.	218.40	1,088.82	4.99
GLOBAL CENTURY (HK) LTD	31,156.52	119,463.12	3.83
JIANGSU ZHONGCHUANG TEXTILE IMPORT AND EXPORT	858.00	5,008.20	5.84
JIANGYIN NEWKING TEXTILE CO LTD.	35,330.00	131,983.45	3.74
REALTEX COMPANY LIMITED	82,923.00	363,941.16	4.39
TCE-VINA DENIM JOINT STOCK COMPANY	79.00	79.00	1.00
ZHEJIANG XINLAN TEXTILE CO LTD.	3,878.41	18,064.90	4.66
TOTAL	154,443.33	639,628.64	4.1

SPENCERS

SPENCERS imported 131,410.00 kgs of denim fabrics in the months of August and September ,19 at an average price of USD 2.2/kgs with total value in USD as 293,803.75 .The company has bought its denim from 4 major suppliers having YIZE INDUSTRY CO., LTD on top with maximum volume of 70,152 kgs.

SUPPLIER	VOLUME(KGS)	VALUE(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)
CHANGZHOU YINGSHIFENG TEXTILE AND DYEING	25,398.00	43,837.85	1.73
GALAXY OVERSEAS TRADING CO.,LTD	9,924.00	25,463.97	2.57
SEAGULL INDUSTRIAL CO.,LIMITED	25,936.00	62,084.44	2.39
YIZE INDUSTRY CO., LTD	70,152.00	162,417.49	2.32
TOTAL	131,410.00	293,803.75	2.2

DIAL TEXTILE INDUSTRIES LTD

DIAL TEXTILE INDUSTRIES LTD bought its fabrics majorly from many companies. The list has RAYMOND UCO DEMIM PVT LTD on the top from where it has bought the major chunk. From RAYMOND UCO DEMIM PVT LTD. , the company has bought the largest volume of 61,026.61kgs at an average price of USD 8.22/kgs.

Address :Spur Road2, KEPZ Katunayake Phone: +94 11 2 252447

SUPPLIER	VOLUME(KGS)	VALUE(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)
AHLERS AG	187.38	2,397.95	12.80
BOSSA TICARET VE SANAYI ISLETMELERI	3,449.00	33,739.45	9.78
DENIMCO TEKSIL PAZARLAMA A.S.	18,555.00	122,692.46	6.61
KASSIM TEXTILES (PVT) LTD	2,388.83	14,565.98	6.10
MOU FUNG LTD	13,979.00	105,427.17	7.54
RAYMOND UCO DEMIM PVT LTD	61,026.61	501,685.07	8.22
XINFENGDA TEXTILE AND GARMENT CO. L	831.00	6,215.28	7.48
TOTAL	100,416.82	786,723.37	7.8

MIAMI CLOTHING PVT LTD

MIAMI CLOTHING PVT LTD imported 71,522.56 kgs of denim fabrics during the months of August and September 2019. Out of all the suppliers, KG FABRIKS LIMITED. is the biggest supplier with the export volume of 34,414.06 kgs at an average price of USD 6.11/kgs with total value of fabric resulting to 210,273 USD.

Address:B363, Pitigala, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 917 796 900

SUPPLIER	VOLUME(KGS)	VALUE(USD)	AVERAGE PRICE(USD/KGS)
KG FABRIKS LIMITED	34,414.06	210,273.46	6.11
BHASKAR INDUSTRIES PRIVATE LIMITED.	18,328.67	80,069.06	4.37
BLACK PEONY TEXTILE CO. LTD.	7,770.00	58,318.44	7.51
K.G. DENIM LIMITED	5,093.20	33,685.52	6.61
OTHERS	5,916.72	31,923.05	5.40
TOTAL	71,522.65	414,269.53	5.79

On the whole, Sri Lanka is an important market with about 9 million sq mtrs imported in 2 months – and we believe this figure should be more. Mainly dominated by few buyer factories but a number of small an niche buyers as well.

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February 12, 2020

G- Star Updates Its Sustainable Collection
G-Star Raw is pushing the sustainability movement forward with a collection of stretch denim items for spring 2020 which is particularly designed for reuse. G-Star seeks to contribute to positive change in the denim industry , by using each sustainable innovation as a building block for a future . The brand has been working to recycle its jeans into new since 2012 when it released the first-ever Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Gold level-certified denim in late 2017 . The material properties and production process were carefully developed and rigorously tested to meet the highest-level requirements for all five Cradle to Cradle Certified™ categories:
- Material health
- Material reutilization
- Renewable energy and carbon management
- Water stewardship
- Social fairness.
Now, its Spring 2020 line of menâ€™s and womenâ€™s jackets and jeans is 100 percent recyclable â€” each piece made from organic cotton, blended with a sustainable stretch fiber. The brand says the items are created using only renewable energy and without any use of harmful chemicals throughout the entire production process, inclusive of indigo dyeing , making and washing of the garments â€” and, not a single drop of water is wasted during the wash process and last but not the least , it is made from organic cotton and a sustainable stretch fiber.

SUSTAINABLE TECHNIQUES INCORPORATED
- Buttons without toxic chemicals.
- New indigo with 70% less chemicals and salts.
- Air drying saves 85% energy.
- 98% of water is recycled and 2% evaporates.
- Each garment is 98% recycled.
- Made with 100% organic products.
FURTHER TARGETED ENHANCEMENT IN 2020-
- By 2020, they are trying to eliminate the use of wood- derived fabrics sourced from ancient and endangered forests
Many other brands also have launched their biodegradable collections with sustainbility being the biggest current trend (and near foreseeable one) for the denim industry . Brands and retailers like Lee, Guess, C&A , Stella , Denham and numerous others are trying to outdo each other in terms of their sustainability percentages while trying to retain their brand ethos. Lee had just released their new collection of 100% bio degradable jeans (except the buttons) and many others are following suit.
February 12, 2020
C&A To Launch Cradle to Cradle Platinum Certified Products
- C&A has introduced the first Cradle to Cradle Certified Platinum denim fabric . C&Aâ€™s Platinum certified denim fabric paves the way for sustainable product innovations.
- To create the worldâ€™s most sustainable denim fabric, created in partnership with Rajby Textiles Limited and Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG).
An off-white denim,â€œBeluga Denimâ€ created by a partnership of retailer C&A, Pakistani textile mill Rajby Textiles and circular economy consultants Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG), is claimed to be the first fabric worldwide to be certified at the Platinum level by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a global non-profit dedicated to transforming the safety, health and sustainability of products through the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard . C&A has been leading the sustainability push. In Â 2017, the company C&A, became the first retailer to launch Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold T-shirts.

Beluga Denim for C&A is manufactured with 100% rapidly renewable resources and is fully recyclable although this is achieved through offsetting, rather than emissions reductions, which is not officially recognized by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). To achieve the highest levels of Cradle to Cradle Certified requirements, Rajby, its supplier, Archroma, and C&A teamed up to research and identify the most suitable materials and chemicals for the fabric. The resulting denim is optimized for material healthâ€“including the use of Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton fiber to the process chemicals. As well as, the process produced using a closed-loop process water system specially developed for this project and it is claimed to be 100% carbon neutralÂ in the final manufacturing stage.

Garments made with Beluga Denim will launch at retail within about four months.

Previously Artistic Milliners from Pakistan had also released their first C2C Gold-level fabric with G-Star Raw in 2018, followed by Soorty (also from Pakistan) C2C Gold-level fabrics .
February 11, 2020

H&M Q4 Net Sale Grows 9%

Leading Swedish retailer â€“ H&M has recently released its Q4 financial result, according to which, the company has registered a net sales growth of 9% by the end of Q4 2019. In Q3 2018, the net sale was $5,614 million which rose to $6,194 million in Q4 2019. The total net sales by the end of Novâ€™19 stood at $24,131 million. The gross profit increased by 9% to $3,446 million, this corresponds to a gross margin of 54%.

On the Jan 30 earnings call, CEO Karl-Johan Persson said that

â€œThe supply chain is a key area as well for our transformation, where the focus is on speed, flexibility, and efficiency to create an even better customer experience. And the work spans the entire product flow and â€” where logistics centers and logistic systems are important parts. We have, for example, opened a new high-tech logistic center in Milton Keynes in the U.K. that will replace several existing centers and serve both stores and online.â€

Below are some of the insights and expansion plans according to the latest Press release of H&M:

Net sales in the period 1 December 2019 to 28 January 2020 increased by 5 percent in local currencies compared to the corresponding period the previous year.
Online and physical stores are being increasingly integrated with continued optimisation of the store portfolio. Around 200 new stores are planned to open in 2020, mainly in growth markets, while at the same time consolidation will continue with around 175 planned store closures, mainly in established markets. The net addition of new stores for full-year 2020 is expected to be around 25.
Australia is scheduled to become a new H&M online market in the second half of 2020.
H&M will be launched on the ecommerce platform SSG.COM in South Korea in 2020.
An agreement has been signed with a new franchise partner in Central America. The first H&M store is planned to open in Panama at the end of 2020.
The H&M groupâ€™s industry-leading sustainability work has been recognised in various ways; H&M was named by Corporate Knights as one of the Worldâ€™s Most Sustainable Companies, while in the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) the H&M group is the first retail company to be included in the CDP A List.

Below are sales analysis covering the different periods. Please note that the official data were in SEK which we convert in USD. The base date for the conversion is â€“ Feb 7, 2019

SALES IN TOP MARKET â€“ Q4 2019 V. 2018

Germany, The USA, and the UK are three top-selling countries and collectively they contributed approx. 34% in the total sales in Q4 2019, Germany with $913.8 million is at Top. H&M has the highest number of stores i.e, 593 in the USA including 13 new stores which were in Q4 2019. The average sales/store in Q4 stood at $1.26 million/store however China fell short to this and registered a sale of $0.62 million/store only. China also saw the highest closure of stores i.e, 4 in Q4 2019. Russia witnessed an encouraging spike of 24% (highest amongst all)Â in the sales followed by the USA and Italy.

Country	Q4- 2019 ( USD- M)	Q4-2018(USD -M)	Changes in %	11/30/2019 ( Number Of Stores)	Q4-2019 (New Stores)
Germany	913.8	871.3	5%	466	4
USA	787.6	692.3	14%	593	13
UK	396.3	371.4	7%	305	5
France	317.2	298.0	6%	235	3
China	315.3	298.2	6%	520	-4
Italy	235.3	211.9	11%	181	3
Sweden	228.8	213.1	7%	177	-1
Spain	200.6	193.3	4%	167	-1
Netherlands	185.1	171.2	8%	138	2
Russia	181.7	146.8	24%	147	5
Others	2,407.7	2,173.9	11%	2147	75
Total	6,169.4	5,641.4	9%	5076	104

SALES IN TOP MARKET â€“ Nov 2019 V. 2018

While looking at the comparative sales figure to Nov.19, weâ€™ve learnt that Germany lost its sales contribution by approx 1% from the last year. By the end of Nov.2018, Germany’s share of the total net sales was 15.38% which slipped to 14.41% by the end of Nov 2019. A total of 281 new stores were opened and 173 stores were closed, out of which 31 stores closed in China alone. With 21% of Y-O-Y sales growth, the USA is at the top with $3,108 million of sales by the end of Nov 19, the previous year it was $2,571 million only. Total net sales during this period were $24,131 million which was 11% more than last year.

Region	2019(Nov)	2018(Nov)	% Change	Total Stores	New	Closed	Share in 2019	Share in 2018
Germany	3,477	3,356	4	466	11	13	14.41%	15.38%
USA	3,108	2,571	21	593	28	13	12.88%	11.79%
UK	1,544	1,427	8	305	13	12	6.40%	6.54%
France	1,264	1,173	8	235	10	12	5.24%	5.38%
China	1,250	1,114	12	520	21	31	5.18%	5.11%
Sweden	932	871	7	177	12	10	3.86%	3.99%
Italy	871	791	10	181	10	8	3.61%	3.63%
Spain	822	764	8	167	4	9	3.41%	3.50%
Russia	710	595	19	147	10	2	2.94%	2.73%
Netherlands	706	670	5	138	6	12	2.93%	3.07%
Others	9,445	8,482	11	2147	156	51	39.14%	38.88%
Total	24,131	21,814	11	5076	281	173	100.00%	100.00%

TOP GROWING REGIONS

H&M has been aggressively expanding to different regions in the last couple of years. In Countries like India, the Philippines, and Mexico, H&M has invested a lot of resources and the results are unprecedented. Alone in India, within a couple of years, H&M opened 47 stores which generated $208 million sales, YOY sales growth by the end of Nov 2019 stood at 43%. Mexico with 52 stores is close to crossing the sales figure of $400 million, the growth was 29% by the end of Nov 19. New destinations including Ukraine and Vietnam have been outperforming and according to the various reports, H&M is going to expand its footprints more aggressively in the coming years.

Region	2019(Nov)	2018(Nov)	% Change	Total Stores	New	Closed
Uruguay	34.44	6.64	419%	3	2	0
Ukraine	23.23	5.91	293%	3	1	0
Vietnam	45.02	28.11	60%	2	2	0
Puerto Rico	12.65	8.3	53%	8	0	0
India	208.18	146.05	43%	47	8	0
New Zealand	41.59	29.46	41%	8	4	0
Iceland	26.04	19.92	31%	6	3	0
Colombia	54.77	42.01	30%	7	3	0
Mexico	382.24	294.04	29%	52	7	0
Peru	100.62	79.14	27%	13	2	0
Philippines	132.04	104.45	26%	40	6	0
Chile	190.24	154.35	23%	15	2	0
Others	20873.01	18887.86	11%	4872	241	173
Total	24143.07	21824.24	11%	5076	281	173

With reasonable pricing and great supply chain distribution, H&M has been giving tough competition to its rival fast fashion brand Inditex. Zara, one of the leading labels from Inditex has not been able to grow this way as H&M has been growing in emerging developing countries. But it is not to say that H&M is not facing its own share of problems including excess stocks which it needs to dispose off. Time will tell !

February 11, 2020

J.C. Penny Renovated women& clothing brand, focused on denim

J.C. Penney is relaunching one of its biggest in-house womenâ€™s apparel brands as part of its strategy to help boost sales with a fresh focus on size-inclusive denim and informal seems to be selection for all body shapes and sizes.

Shoppers told Penney to play up its game in womenâ€™s denim. Michelle Wlazlo, executive vice president and chief merchant at J.C. Penney, told CNBC that the revamp, which will focus on denim and casual pieces, was implemented because customers consistently told the retailer that they didn’t feel J.C. Penney was the place for them to buy casual clothing. Michelle Wlazlo led the response with 15 new a.n.a. styles and 80 denim washes.

The brand will offer extended sizes be on-line and in shops by March priced at about $39 to $49. The relaunch of the private-label apparel brand Ana makes a lot of sense for J.C. Penney. One, it’s an investment in the retailer’s most important product category (apparel), while at the same time attempts to attract much-needed younger shoppers to the aging department store chain.

â€œWith the reimagination of our A.n.a brand to be more denim focused and friendly, we will continue to establish ourselves as a destination for casual apparel and accessories,â€ saidÂ Michelle Wlazlo.

The Company has been focused on strengthening its iconic private brands according to the five lifestyles that resonate with customers and how they want to shop: Move, Chill, All Day, On Point, and Shine.

Ladiesâ€™s attire is particularly vital to Penneyâ€™s total enterprise, having represented 22% of all net sales in 2018 ($11.66 billion), just above menâ€™s apparel and accessories, which made up 21% of net sales.

New a.n.a products were created by experienced, in-house JCPenney product and design teams, who utilized real-time customer feedback to ensure the selection is nothing short of what denim shoppers want.

JCPenney is strengthening its brand architecture framework to deliver the looks what customers want.

a.n.a. brand was launched this week in stores as an all-inclusive denim choice with 15 styles and fits and 51 fabric washes. J.C. Penney is putting missy and plus sizes in the same section in 85 stores will be available online March 1.. That makes it easier for women who often wear sizes of tops and jeans in both departments . It has repositioned merchandise that way in 85 Penney stores starting this week, including locally in Dallas, Mesquite, Lewisville, Burleson and Cedar Hill.

â€œA majority of retailers carry denim, and to not have a declarative offering was a miss,â€ Wlazlo said. â€œa.n.a. should and will be one of our most important brands in womenâ€™s. Our customers told us it was inconsistent.â€

Once they see her teamâ€™s work, sheâ€™s predicting, â€œtheyâ€™ll convert.â€

High-rise, at-waist, mid-rise, jegging, skinny and wide legs are among the choices developed with soft washes and in spring colors. The jeans also come in different shades of blue and a white thatâ€™s treated with a stain-repellant technology.

Â While many analysts have given up on department stores, Penney is continuing to work in Plano to try to turn the chain around and restructure its debt that is maturing in 2023 and 2025. Penney also has a cushion of about $1.7 billion in liquidity.

More than 100 customers and employees in Dallas and Los Angeles tested the jeans and offered feedback in sessions with the design team. The new jeans range in price from $39 to $49 and drop to $24 to $39 when theyâ€™re on sale.

February 10, 2020
Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Denimsandjeans Postpones The 1st Edition Of Japan Show

#Coronavirus, which is now a global health emergency as declared by WHO last month and there seems to be no respite in sight yet. This has affected travel plans of global buyers , visitors and participants in various events.

The 1st edition of the Denimsandjeans Japan show was attractingÂ global attention and was expected to be attended by leading retailers and brands from the USA, EU, and SEA countries. The local Japanese buyers were also excited to attend the show and to meet the denim companies from all around the globe. But the sudden rise of Coronavirus compelled organisers to evaluate the situation in order to ensure the safety and wellness of all the stakeholders participating at the show.

Keeping in mindÂ safety and health concerns of all our stakeholdfers , the organisers have decided to postpone the 1st edition of Japan Show which was originally scheduled on March 4-5 at Sunshine City, Tokyo.

Sandeep Agarwal says

â€œ We have been studying the virus situation for a few days and we felt that we could not take a chance on the health of our exhibitors, visitors and our team as well. We are postponing the show and will announce new dates as soon as we feel exhibitors and visitors will be much more comfortable to attend. We thank everyone for their understanding and support.”

The new dates will be announced shortly after evaluating the situation.Â The Vietnam show which is on May 28/29 and India Show which is on July 8/9 will be held as per the schedule. If you have any query, you can reach out to the organizers at info@denimsandjeans.com

February 7, 2020

2.31 Million Pcs Jeans Import In India During Dec,19

In this report, weâ€™ve listed the major jeans importers in INDIA during December ,2019 and analyzed the volume and average price along with the countries from where they are buying. The contents of this report are as below:

PARTICULARS

TABLE SHOWING THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO INDIA ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE AND % SHARE

GRAPH SHOWING THE TOP DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO INDIA

GRAPH SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE TOPÂ DENIM SUPPLYING COUNTRIES TO INDIA

GRAPH SHOWING THE % SHARE OF COUNTRIES IN TOTAL IMPORTS BY INDIA

TABLE SHOWING THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF INDIA ALONG WITH AVERAGE PRICE AND % SHARE

GRAPH SHOWING THE TOP DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF INDIA

GRAPH SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE TOP 10 DENIM IMPORTING COMPANIES OF INDIA

GRAPH SHOWING THE % SHARE OF COMPANIES IN TOTAL IMPORTS BY INDIA

[private_special]

TOP COUNTRIES SUPPLYING JEANS TO INDIA

During the month of December 2019, India has imported more than 2.31 million pcs of jeans .BANGLADESH is the biggest exporter of Jeans to India with a total volume of about 1.96 million pcs at an average price of USD 5.31/pc. SRI LANKA is the 2nd biggest jeans supplier which exported around 144,977 pcs of jeans at an average price of USD 10.52/pc. China ,Cambodia,Turkey and VietnamÂ are the other major countries which contributed more than 6%,3%, and 1% of the total import of jeans of India respectively.Turkey exported jeans at the highest average price of 24.35 USD/pc.

(Note: this data has been captured from various govt organizations including customs. the actual imports are likely to be higher than this figure as many imports take place in wrong HS codes .)

COUNTRY	QUANTITY (PCS)	AVERAGE PRICE($/Pc)	% SHARE
BANGLADESH	1,968,440	5.31	85.09%
SRI LANKA	144,977	10.52	6.27%
CHINA	78,384	17.36	3.39%
CAMBODIA	35,407	8.76	1.53%
TURKEY	25,135	24.35	1.09%
VIETNAM	23,744	14.68	1.03%
OTHERS	37,151	38.62	1.61%
TOTAL	2,313,238	6.94	100%

TOP DENIM IMORTERS IN INDIA

So far as the import of denim jeans by different companies are concerned,Â RELIANCE RETAIL and LEVIS STRAUSSÂ are the biggest importers of jeans in India with the total import of 0.48 million pcs and 0.27 million pcs of jeans respectively. Aditya Birla Fashion paid the highest average price of USD 16.37/pc and Avenue Supermarts imported at the cheapest average price of $3.09/pc.

* The average price of LAKHDATAR TRADERS and SRI SAI SYNTHETIC FABRICS seem distorted or might be a case of under invoicing.

IMPORTING
COMPANY

QUANTITY
( IN PCS)

AVERAGE
PRICE ($/PC)

%
SHARE

RELIANCE RETAIL

489,930

5.63

21%

LEVI STRAUSS

277,010

11.00

12%

LAKHDATAR TRADERS

162,844

1.34*

SRI SAI SYNTHETIC FABRICSS

155,750

1.60*

AVENUE SUPERMARTS

143,184

3.09

H&M

140,061

7.59

BIKASH SAHA

122,690

1.10

ADITYA BIRLA FASHION

121,917

16.37

CHANDRA MUKHI IMPEX

76,011

4.51

PEPE JEANS

67,321

9.19

OTHERS

556,520

9.31

24%

TOTAL

2,313,238

6.94

1.80%

Below you can see the supplying companies to the leading Indian Jeans Importers â€“ Reliance Retail and Levis Strauss during December,2019 with quantity supplied, and average price.

RELIANCE RETAIL

SUPPLIERS

QUANTITY(PCS)

AVERAGE
PRICE($/PC)

GOLDEN
STITCH DESIGN

97,489

3.09

GLOBAL
OUTERWEAR

62,959

5.79

SELINA
APPARELS

54,210

7.05

GARDENIA
WEARS

49,042

6.30

ANANTA
APPARELS

44,541

6.89

DENIMACH

35,393

7.20

ALEYA
APPARELS

30,896

6.26

DIPTA
APPARELS

30,617

4.64

TIVOLI
APPARELS

27,712

5.03

NEWEST
FASHION

25,529

5.72

ZA
APPARELS

19,508

4.06

TARGET
DENIM &CASUAL

10,598

7.33

OTHERS

1,436

42.95

TOTAL

489,930

5.63

LEVIS STRAUSS

SUPPLIER

QUANTITY

AVERAGE
PRICE

KENPARK
BANGLADESH PVT LTD

Â Â 116,758

10.8

ORIT
TRADING LANKA PVT LTD

Â Â Â Â 83,913

10.8

HIRDARAMANI
INTERNATIIONAL EXPORTS PVT LTD

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 56,995

10.0

[/private_special]

February 6, 2020

#DENIMLOVEAFFAIR’M&S Tries To Woo The Millenials

In an effort to reposition its denim offering and make it more appealing to the millenials, Marks & Spencer featured “Go jumpers” and “Go pyjamas” of House of Painâ€™s Jump Around during Christmas . For the Spring Marks & Spencer have launched their new campaign, “Start a denim love affair“. This is the third marketing campaign for M&S Denim in less than a year but with double the marketing investment and double the buy of product to support the addition of a TV ad. To synchronize the ad with Valentineâ€™s Day and to reinforce the message around encouraging people to fall in love with denim, M&S will display the TV ad in love-themed shows including Love it or List it, Love Island and First Dates. Its clear that M&S wants to be perceived as a more younger brand that it is now !

The TV ad, created by ODD, features 15 dancers showing off M&Sâ€™s best denim products to Donna Summersâ€™s â€˜I Feel Loveâ€™. M&S says it follows strong customer feedback that the dancing in its â€˜Go Jumpersâ€˜ Christmas campaign helped customers engage with the brand.

â€œDenim is a real killer category for us and that means it should be backed with a killer marketing campaign,â€ says M&Sâ€™s clothing and home marketing director, Nathan Ansell. He also added that the choice of track was influenced by the campaignâ€™s release shortly before Valentineâ€™s Day.

“Start a denim love affair” – aims to communicate a range of factors, because it was also a matter of fact that the consumers often get stuck with a single retailer for jeans, due to the difficulty of finding a fit they like. Ansell said they have also taken care of the major factors in their collections including the retailerâ€™s competitive prices, its sustainability credentials, which include the majority of its cotton being certified by the Better Cotton Initiative, and the product range, including its “magic jean”, made with bi-stretch denim that has a sculpting effect.

It is designed to spotlight the progress and strength of M&S’s denim business focusing on style, fit and value. While currently the retailer sells 15 pairs of jeans every minute and is the market leader for womenswear denim , M&S is not the top of the recall brand for denim even in UK. . When a consumer is asked to name the denim brand, M&S comes at only 4th position out of top 21 brands. M&S Denim is a multi-million-pound operation serving 1 in 10 denim shoppers in the UK and growing it is central to M&S’s transformation.M&S is focusing on its brand popularity related to Denim first and scale of its business.This campaign will use all major customer channels including TV advertisement, billboards, print advertisements and social media.

As part of its Spring denim campaign M&S will also launch its ‘Magic Jeans’ in womenswear – high waisted skinny’s that feature flattering tummy technology, bi-stretch denim for superior comfort and a gap-proof waist band. They’ll be one of several pairs of jeans highlighted by the campaign which will put a strong focus on the still most popular cut – skinny jeans.

February 4, 2020