Stefano Aldighieri – the well-known denim veteran – spoke about various aspects of the denim industry in a talk with Sandeep Agarwal during the 2nd Denimsandjeans Virtual show held on Oct 14-15. He spoke in detail about various aspects of the industry right from Fibre to Retail and how they have evolved during 2020 and how they may be impacted in the near future.
On fibre , he said, “Cotton was, is and will always be the king fiber for the denim industry”.
Stefano was emphatic that cotton will always remain the most important fiber as there is no immediate replacement for it. He mentioned that recycled polyester is getting very popular but he had issues with it as it is a petroleum product and even if it is recycled, the issues of microfibres will always remain with it. He was for cellulosic fibers like Tencel as they can be recycled at the end of the life cycle. He hoped that people would use more and more of the ancient fiber Hemp and it is a very good candidate to reduce dependence on water. For a stretch, he was not enthusiastic as it not recyclable but he felt that recyclable elastomers like Roica. Another one that is interesting is natural rubber and if that is used, it would help greatly in recycling.
On the fabric side, he felt that companies should rationalize fabric developments with a limited number of warps, and companies can save money and waste and have better margins. Not many changes in constructions. Regarding antiviral properties in the fabric finishes, he felt that they are not much useful. He felt, however, that antimicrobial properties in the garments can help in reducing the number of washes a consumer makes. The water-saving can happen maximum at the fibre stage and at the consumer end. In between, there are limited possibilities to save water.
Coming to nearshoring, he was optimistic that micro-factories near the market would spread in the near future and help in creating faster responses to the market with these smaller units with bulk production still happening in cheaper locations.
On the design front, he felt that the designs would be simpler, with better fabrics, better constructions, and can be used for a longer time. But it’s really important to think about circularity at the design stage itself.
In retail, he felt that they would be the biggest losers. Traditional retail was already in trouble and of course online retail would get bigger and bigger.
It was a very engrossing discussion where Stefano came out with some very forceful points that the industry should consider. Do check out the complete interview from this link.
Founded in 2005, FDMTL is one of the most well known Japanese denim brands and is born to create denim with unique fits and washes typically unavailable to the denim market, showcased its Fall-Winter 2020 Collection at the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show which concluded on October 15, 2020.
Gaku Tsuyoshi, owner of FDMTL presented the latest FW 2020 collection where he showcased some of his favorite pieces from this collection.
The FW 20 collection includes pieces that were developed under a collaboration including one with Mickey Mouse also.
Mr Gaku also showcased one distressed denim made of Japanese Fabric (Sahsiko) which was distressed in style and had patchwork and completely handmade in Japan.
Another piece which Mr Gaku showcased was a basic black jeans where the brand has used Japanese fabric and was minutely distressed.
Since Japanese brands do not follow any particular season and widely known for their season-less collection, FDMTL also keeps some core jeans in their collection which carry on for years .
A reflective shirt with interesting detailing was also showcased which becomes rich in texture and developed its own character with time.
A Motorbike Jacket was had Sashika printed reflective design which is not only attractive but adds a safety feature for bikers at night.
Another interesting collaboration article showcased by him was a Mickey Mouse with a covering of boro fabric developed in Italy . Prima Facie it looks that it is hand stitched boro but its a jacquard fabric which gives a unique boro effect.
In the end, Mr. Gaku concluded the discussion with a very positive note and said that 2020 is really bad for everyone but there is a lot to learn from this and he hopes to have a very good 2021 year.
Will the Covid create design changes in the denim industry and will those design changes affect production processes in the supply chain?
We spoke to Nicolas Prophte – VP Sourcing, Production and Innovation Denim at Tommy Hilfiger – if there are any design changes that he feels have come and whether they will affect the production processes.
As a beginning note, Nicolas shared a great positive news that the demand for denim is good for his company and he saw a good appetite for denim bottoms. This kind of dispels so many doubts that had started emerging in the minds of the industry post covid.Â
He mentioned about the SS’21 Collection which was entirely designed digitally. He also mentioned that the company invested in a design development centre in Amsterdam a few years ago – where they have assets like a huge physical and digital library along with lots of data and this library helped them a lot. They also have an amazing wash library and have strong relationships with vendors and all this helped them to create a great collection entirely digitally. He felt that the designers are learning new ways to design using digital ways. He also spoke about creating 3D designs for selling and felt there is no need to create salesman samples. He also felt that it is important to create more and more digital content to engage the buyers and this is going to be important for the future as well.
Coming to mills and vendors, he felt that investing in relations with the supply chain over the years has helped them during this ‘storm’. Strong relationships ensured that they received full support from their vendors and helped them to be more agile and flexible.Â
Speaking on sustainability, he mentioned about various initiatives, he mentioned about a target of having 20% post-consumer recycled cotton in all their fabrics in the next 5 years and there will be a great focus on reducing the use of virgin cotton. Tommy wants to produce 1 million jeans with this composition in 2021 and by 2023 – about 3 million jeans. They are also pushing the laundries to be more responsible and with their KPI – LOW IMPACT DENIM. This denim uses eco-friendly washing systems including lasers, ozone, etc and their target for 2021 is to create over 50% LOW IMPACT DENIM.
Lead times will be also massively impacted and closer to the market would be important in the future. Nicolas spoke about various other aspects of the current market , sustainability, digitalization, etc and the complete talk can be accessed can be listened to from this link
In the IVth part of †What’s new from exhibitors at 2nd Denimsandjeans Virtual Show†– we feature our 6 more exhibitors of the 2nd edition of the Denimsandjeans Virtual Show with their focus products – Artistic Fabric Mills, Arvind Limited, Soorty Enterprises, Tonello SRL, Ramsons India, and JDS Japan. All this info is in their own words.
Artistic Fabric Mills | Pakistan
Artistic Fabric Mills, one of the leading premium denim mills from Pakistan brings the following focus Products for Oct-20 Show :
UNDONE, Made with 100% sustainable material, zero virgin cotton without any additional dyeing.
RRWEFT New fancy indigo-look rigid weft made with industrial waste.
Arvind Limited’s “INFIKNITY†range explores the plethora of possibilities of knitted Indigo dyed yarns. They deliver substantially better performance, compared with traditionally woven denims.
This fabric is much lighter, breathable, more soft & supple to touch, offers 360’ of stretch, mechanical or induced, allows the introduction of performance yarns, as required, and still looks & feels like traditional jeans wear, offering the legendary wash down & natural aging properties of Indigo Dyed Denims. The product becomes more inclusive, catering to a wider range of sizes and body types.
Inimitable dimensional stability, comfort, strength, and high stretchability offering ease of movement.
Body Shaping jeans that feature multidirectional stretch and recovery with performance and comfort.
Knitted Denim with superior comfort, stretch, drape and compressions giving the flexibility in movement.
Athleisure wear that provides just the right balance of freedom and support
SOORTY ENTERPRISES | PAKISTAN
These are the focused products by Soorty for the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show.
Triumph Hoodie For Medium and high impact workouts at the gym. Also for hiking climbing and exploring. Medium weight cotton stretch fabric with good recovery and breathable during the workout. The antibacterial finish has been applied. Easy-access pockets stash your essentials.
A utility hood jacket with enlarged chest pockets and rolled-up sleeves. This is an ultra-soft, power stretch article for uni-sex. It’s a new yarn definition with very slub character. The shade is a deep blue that is developed with smart indigo dyes, adding value to sustainability. E-flow technology being used to wet the process.
Developed with 0 waster water, this product has 100% organic cotton content and C2C certified with extreme soft hand feel.
By using Tonello Core Technology 70% less water is used, in addition to that Color blocking done with the laser technique at the front panel and PP replacement chemical has been applied.
TONELLO | ITALY
At the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show, Tonello brings the latest results of the Laundry (R)evolution are OBleach and Wake.
OBleach is the new Tonello patent-pending process which, by using only ozone, “returns to the future†with an authentic, sustainable and cool Bleach.
In short, the real Bleach without Bleach has finally arrived. And this in the year of the total ban of permanganate too.
Always talking about responsibility, Wake is the first totally natural dyeing system. In fact, it uses only plants and vegetable waste, organic items like flowers, berries, and roots left to dry and infuse, without harmful chemical additives.
Japan Delivery Services | JAPAN
Here are focused products of JDS Japan for the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show.
RAMSONS INDIA | INDIA
Ramsons India, one of the finest technology company from India, brings some really interesting products at the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show. Some of the focus products are as follows :
We’re very pleased to welcome Soorty Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. as the supporting partner of the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show to be held on October 14/15.
Soorty is one of the leading denim garments and fabric manufacturers of basic and premium qualities. To know more about the company, please visit www.soorty.com.
To meet reputed global suppliers Face2face with PRE ARRANGED meeting schedules, do not miss to register for the 2nd Edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show . It is not possible to join the platform without getting unique invite code. Register at https://lnkd.in/ekpaVrG
In the IIIrd part of â€Â What’s new from exhibitors at 2nd Denimsandjeans Virtual Show†– we feature our 5 more exhibitors of the 2nd edition of the Denimsandjeans Virtual Show with their focus products – Iskur Denim, Sharabati Denim, Jeanologia, Fashion Accessories, and Archroma . All this info is in their own words .
ISKUR DENIM | TURKEY
Founded In 2015, Iskur Denim is an important part of Iskur Group’s Textile Investment. With 18 million meters/year of denim capacity, Iskur Denim provides service to top jeans brands In Europe, the USA, and the Far East.
At the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show, the company focuses on the following products:
SOFT BREEZE: Innovative soft-touch fabrics without compromising the denim look
30 years of experience in yarn spinning are reflected in Iskur Denim’s soft touch denim fabrics. Rigid and stretch fabrics are made much softer without losing their true denim look. Permanent softness with different fibers, innovative yarn production technologies, and weaving techniques. Their fabrics are dyed with the WAW process which decreases the use of water in the indigo dyeing process up to 95%.
Fabrics with Modal, Tencel content: Their fabrics with high-performance elasticity are manufactured with natural fibers that require very little water during production, are soft and comfortable with a perfect humidity balance.
Soybean Protein Fiber (SPF): Soy, the only herbal fiber in the world which has a protein content of nearly 45% and softens and moisturizes the skin. In addition to its soft and smooth feeling, soy also absorbs and expels the perspiration and humidity, offering a dry and fresh feeling.
Sharabati Denim | Turkey
Sharabati Denim is one of the largest integrated textile manufacturers in the Middle East, Egypt, and Turkey, producing 100 million running meters of fabric annually.
With sales offices in Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, we serve customers worldwide. Our production was divided into 60% denim and 40% flat fabric. In our own Re-Cycle factory, we recycle fabric and cotton waste generated through the spinning, weaving, finishing, and sampling processes, as well as end-of-life garments, closing the loop on fabric waste.
At the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show, the company focuses on the following products:
UNISIZE Sharabati Denim’s Unisize group redefines high-elasticity unisex fabrics with its unique performance. Unisize fabrics have a very high level of elasticity. Despite an elasticity level up to 95%, they have a perfect growth rate.
In addition to their high elasticity, Unisize fabrics also have high holding power. However, when you wear them, it applies minimum pressure on the body; which means extra comfort and relaxation. Manufactured at the newly-invested wide looms, Unisize fabrics have high width despite high elasticity.
The fact that these fabrics have low shrinkage makes them especially advantageous for garment manufacturers. The feature, which also enables the manufacture of different sizes with fewer patterns, lends its name to the group.
All fabrics in the Unisize group are manufactured with combed cotton yarns, which means achieving a denim look with a soft touching. Moreover, thanks to the AC (air conditioning) feature they’ve added to Curtis and Sting families, there are fabric options that keep the body cool in summer and warm in winter by regulating the body temperature according to the weather.
Jeanologia | Spain
Jeanologia, one of the finest and leading technology companies from Spain, is going to showcase some of its latest developments at the show. Two of them are as follows:
SMART DESIGN BY JEANOLOGIA
SMART DESIGN was the seed of Jeanologia origin. They have always had PRODUCT DESIGN and CREATORS as the CENTER of all their RESEARCH, and today they are working on reconnect fabric, design and finishing through innovative hardware and software.
With Jeanologia eDesigner software, what you see on your screen is what you get.
Their lasers and eco-technology and software have been conceived, and developed to facilitate design, and to make designers work easily, in more creative, efficient and productive ways.
Moreover, they have developed design standards PROTOCOLS LIGHT SENSITIVE FABRIC (LSF) that are meant to achieve optimal product aesthetics, and efficient results while designing their collections from scrap.
Their recent eDesigner software facilitates the designer’s job by virtually reproduce on a raw garment what one designs on the computer. Today digital design and visualization of jeans finishing is possible.
As a more holistic tool, the EIM (Environmental Impact Measure) software helps the design team create a more sustainable product, and reduce water consumption, chemical usage while also improving labor conditions.
Jeanologia SMART DESIGN is based on creativity, digitalization, simplicity, efficiency, reproducibility and sustainability.
Fashion Accessories | India
Fashion Accessories India Pvt Ltd (RCBC Group), a leading trims & accessories manufacturer from India, will showcase their latest AW 21/22 collection.
Launch of more than 30 new metal finishes in their sustainable collection – “Kind To The Planet” – all created without using additional chemicals or electroplating
New designs & trim stories that draw inspiration from WGSN trends for Fall Winter 2021
Introduction of new PVC free & FSC certified materials for patches
Archroma | Switzerland
Archroma, a global, diversified provider of Dyes and Specialty Chemicals serving the branded and performance textiles, packaging and paper, and coatings, adhesives and sealants markets. At the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual show, these are their focused products:
PURE INDIGO FLOW:
Introduction: An aniline-free* indigo system that produces authentic denim without compromising our planet
INDIGO REFLECTION:
Introduction: A coloration system that behaves like indigo but with a more sustainable and efficient process
CASUAL X SMART:
Introduction: A sulfur dyeing system for trendy wash-down looks to make versatile clothes with a smart production process that is gentler for the planet
To meet reputed global suppliers Face2face with PRE ARRANGED meeting schedules, do not miss to register for the 2nd Edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show . It is not possible to join the platform without getting unique invite code. Register at https://lnkd.in/ekpaVrG
Denimsandjeans, the host of the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans virtual show- Cloud Sourcing which is scheduled for October 14/15, releases the exhibitors’ name in its latest press release.
The list includes names of over 37 companies including Arvind Limited (India), Envoy Textile (Bangladesh), Archroma (Switzerland), Nearchimica (Italy), Iskur Denim (Turkey), Indigo Textile (Pakistan), Raymond UCO (India), Garmon/Kemin (SanMarino, USA), Soorty (Pakistan), LNJ (India), Officina+39 (Italy), Kaiser/Dystar (Turkey), JDS (Japan), Jeanologia (Spain), Ha-Meem Denim (Bangladesh), Sharabati Denim (Turkey), Artistic Fabric Mills (Pakistan), Denim Clothing Company (Pakistan), SEI Laser (Italy), and Tonello(Italy). The complete list is available at https://virtual.denimsandjeans.com/virtual/exhibitor-list.php
The list includes Fabric Suppliers, Garment Exporters, Accessories Makers, Chemical Manufacturers , Yarns Suppliers, Technological Companies and Design Houses/Consultants which offers a complete basket where a buyer can find all solutions for its sourcing queries.
This time the show caters to the time zones of the USA, South America, and Europe and will run for 15 hours in order to cover the maximum number of buyers. The show with a theme of Cloud Sourcing focuses on the need for virtual sourcing in the denim industry and how Cloud Sourcing helps the industry to achieve sustainability goals.
This time the show also offers an opportunity to all the visitors of the show to schedule their meetings with exhibitors participating at the show in advance, this may help to plan their visit in a better way. Every visitor has to register at https://virtual.denimsandjeans.com/virtual/ to enter the platform and to schedule the meeting in advance.
The host has also released the visitor guide to making them understand the platform in a better way, you can watch the visitor guide here
Talks and panel discussions to understand the changes in the production methodology, impacts on the consumer behaviour , new techniques and approaches by the sourcing companies and the sourcing strategies of different countries in light of recent political developments will be held at the show.
Apart from that, a virtual trend zone with all the latest collection showcased by the exhibitors in following categories will be displayed at the show, every visitor can see the same once they enter the platform.
The categories are as follows
Super Sustainable
Health Times
Chemicals For Mother Earth
Futuristic Technologies
Denim Hygge
WindowShop Us
Denimsandjeans has also started different campaigns to educate the visitors of the show about this platform so that they would be able to make the most of it. Please note that every visitor needs to have a UNIQUE INVITE CODE . For joining , pl register at https://virtual.denimsandjeans.com/virtual/ to receive the invite link. For any query, you can contact the hosts at info@denimsandjeans.com
In the 1st part of ” What’s new from exhibitors at 2nd DenimsandjeansVirtual Show” – we had featured our 4 exhibitors of the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show with their focus products – Nearchimica, Kaiser/Dystar, Deridesen, and Elin by Elasten.
In this article, we are going to introduce offerings from 4 more exhibitors of Denimandjeans Virtual show which they will be displaying at the show .
RIBBONTEX | ITALY
“Ribbontex – a leading accessories manufacturers from Italy is going to exhibit its latest AW 21/22 collection at the show which they named –LEADING THE FUTURE”
A sporty, technical, and futuristic collection which is the result of :
Use of innovative techniques
Use of new and Avant-garde materials with increasingly sophisticated performances.
Study and research in continuous evolution.”
Denim Clothing Company | Pakistan
“Founded in 2005, Denim Clothing Company (DCC) is a well known denim garment manufacturing facility. The company is committed to leading responsible initiatives in fully recycling and conserving water, reducing energy use to a minimum, and eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals entirely within its production facility.
For the S/S 21season, DCC has explored sustainable alternative fabrics for garment production. Re:Code range is created using innovative fibers such as Hemp, Green Mint and Corn, producing garments which not only look and feel like traditional denim wear but are completely biodegradable and resource-conserving.
DCC looks forward to introducing these and other exciting innovations to the buyers at the 2nd Denims and Jeans virtual show. “
Bukhara Cotton Textile | Uzbekistan
“BCT Denim Division is a part of Petromaruz Group which has been operating in Central Asia and Europe since early 2000’s and employs over 14.000 people worldwide. They are fully vertically integrated from farming stage with Response Cotton, Denim Fabric and Garment Manufacturing.
These are three focussed products which BCT Denim is going to showcase at the 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show. “
Interloop | Pakistan
“Interloop utilizes the most environmentally safe manufacturing processes is central to the way they do business, their commitment to sustainability in an era of environmental crisis has wider implications.
The company understands that to be truly responsible they must strive towards a circular economy and push forward conscious consumption at all levels.
Focused on sustainable fashion, their products are made with eco-friendly fabrics using pre/post-consumer waste, organic cotton, and plant-based fibers. Their product range showcases the latest trends in synergy with green washes and finishes conceptualized and designed in CLO to further minimize our waste. “
To meet reputed global suppliers Face2face with PRE ARRANGED meeting schedules, do not miss to register for the 2nd Edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show . Register at https://lnkd.in/ekpaVrG
Beau Lawrence- Founder Of Ace Rivington and Co-Founder Of Ace Gold Green, spoke about how can suppliers approach buyers during Pandemic for orders during the 1st edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show . It was an interesting talk which brought out some very interesting suggestions from him to the denim community to work upon. We thought it would be best to bring a transcript of the same. (you can check his video here )
Beau Lawrence
Hi Sandeep, nice to see you, first of all, I’d like to congratulate you and share how interesting the show format has been, the previous presentation you focused on post COVID sustainability, it’s incredible to see and hear insights from factory owners and suppliers especially from Southeast Asia, so congratulations to everybody. I’m honored to be a part of it, thank you.
Sandeep Agarwal
We are honoured to have you with us and i leave you with the audience so that you can share your thoughts.
Beau Lawrence
Wonderful, thank you again Sandeep and as you shared I’m Beau Lawrence founder of Ace Rivington and Co-founder of Ace Gold Green. For those who are not aware, Ace Rivington is a premium men’s and women’s denim brand based in Santa Barbara California. I also, work as a large-format private label supplier providing end-to-end supply chain solutions for brands looking outside of their offices for creative development support.
I’ve been making products for big brands all over the world for about 20 years now, my career actually started in design back in 2000 where I was fortunate to be a part of the team that took the product from urban focus back into true jeanswear.
Afterleaving GUESS I opened my brand Ace Rivington and I was fortunate to have not only the mayor of Santa Barbara for our ribbon cutting but also Adriano Goldschmied who joined me for the event along with Amy Leverton of Denim Dudes and Sylvia Armanceka in 2019. I was also very fortunate to be recognized by Sourcing Journal in their rivet 50 index for denim retailers focused on storytelling.
As Sandeep shared, I’ve recently launched a special side project directly with Adriano Goldschmied called Ace Gold Green and we’re running live right now on Kickstarter with our type 1T. We’ve built this incredible product with Officina+39.
Now, let’s come back to what the presentation is focused on- how to get customer orders during a global pandemic and other times
Let’s start with a story- So imagine it’s 6 p.m dinner time look at this picture everyone in this picture is smiling everyone seems happy that is the goal and you have to plan to achieve the goal, this is a challenge my wife and I face every night with our children what food will the kids eat, any parents out there understand that this is a real challenge is it option number one red lentil doll how about option number two fish and Chips maybe option number three macaroni and cheese or option number four rice if your kid wants red lentil doll and you give the kid red lentil doll the kid is happy if the kid wants red lentil doll and you give the kid fish and chips the kid is not happy.
Let’s look at this picture one more time and let’s think about what’s really important in this photograph the only thing that actually matters is that mom is smiling, mom is happy because the kids are eating their food and that’s it who cares about dad, so I took a global look at this dinner topic my question was two friends in the world what country do you live in or live closest to America, India, Italy, England, and Mexico.
From the list below what’s the number one food your kid would eat is rice macaroni and cheese fish and chips. What did I learn from this survey? I didn’t learn anything from the survey. Why not? I was hoping to see patterns. There are no patterns just because you’re from America doesn’t mean you like macaroni and cheese just because you’re from Mexico doesn’t mean you want rice and so on.
I guess the doll kind of worked out in India a little bit. What this shows every family is different, every customer is different. Know your customer, don’t give them fish and chips if they want red lentil dolls there are no patterns – Know your customer. So that’s our kick off to how to get customer orders during a global pandemic and other times.
What I won’t be teaching you in this presentation is nothing about shorter lead times improving your costing or making better quality products if you don’t already know those things you have bigger problems with your business.
I’m going to share everything about serving the end consumer in an intelligent way for your business.
In today’s reality , many of your old relationships and companies are gone. You’re not gonna get the same guidance you once did on the product needs of a brand it’s time for you to start looking at your business in a smarter service oriented way because you know what the orders aren’t going to magically show up in your inbox anymore what suppliers at every step of the cycle have to do is consider the consumer at the end of the cycle.Â
I call this circular design and the only aspect of sustainability that ties to circular is survival; you have to serve the end consumer understanding as suppliers. It’s not your job only to serve the next purchaser in the path, it’s to serve the end consumer for today’s challenges. We’re not face-to-face where we’re not meeting face to face to look at product or to touch and talk about product and hand feel and fabric weights.
 We all know that and honestly there is no difference for the actual consumer who mostly is staying at home in general might be making purchases online. That’s where they’re buying digitally they’re just looking at product online, so for today’s opportunity you can change the way that you work an respectfully most of you are so excessive in the way that you build your new collections and assortments of new product- STOP DOING THAT , just because you and your teams have checked all the boxes for trending words like sustainability or green organic it doesn’t mean what you have made is good or that the customer will even be interested in it.
Slow down, look at your history, look at what has worked for you and your company,only do that but better there’s a way to make that product better for the fabric mills that are out there.
Again consider your history look at your past and present customers and the future customers that you aspire to serve consider the DNA that your business was built from your most popular fabric qualities your most popular cast options consider where you want your business to go is there innovative technology or earth conscious strategies you’ve already invested in or that you’re thinking to introduce and with that combine what has worked with, where you want to go ,your core fabric constructions that your customers have bought make sense.Â
Can you offer them a more earth-conscious fabric finishing certified fibers and base denim color options that are easier to modify especially with technology? Don’t over complicate, remember if we use the extreme of online shopping, as the example, customers aren’t even touching the fabrics until it shows up in their homes if they’re loyal to the brand where they purchase their goods from, chances are they’re shopping the brands based on familiarity, make sure you’re offering them what they want and you have to ask yourself what do you want to be known for making it easy for your customers to understand and to buy -KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS. For the factories and laundries again consider your history, your past and present customers, and the future customers you aspire to have how are you serving the business instead of waiting for customers to show up with tech packs.
What happened in 2019? Did you get any reorders that year? Did any of the products that were originally placed for the same time in 2020 look like the successful products from the same shipping period of 2019?
It’s not that hard, look at your history and do the work for your customers, provide more service for the top five best-selling products you sold in 2019. Have you developed them on the same fabrics in other color options for your customers? Do you have access to your customers website from your office? When was the last time you and your team had a meeting to review their best sellers online?
It’s not that hard – know your customer for the brands there are things that you guys can do too and certainly, your day of accountability is here. Honestly, I don’t care if you’ve got a billion-dollar business or a one million dollar business it’s all the same just extra zeros. Why do you need more then? Why do you need to introduce another dark clean wash this fall if the same one and the same fabric you ran last fall sold?
l want to share a story , A french guy who owned a big company that I worked for a lot of years, there was a point where we had to take all of the products that we had ever produced or that were on the floor in our business within a year for all tiers of the business and all of the dark and the medium and the light washes were laid down together and what we were challenged with was why do you have this and this?Â
Does the customer really know the difference and that was an incredible experience to understand the importance of making sure you’re giving the customer a reason to buy everything they don’t duplicate and there’s no opportunity today to duplicate anything.
Serve the brands with product in an incredibly focused way the mills the factories have to work for the brands and everybody has to work for the consumer.
The main point is you don’t have to reinvent what’s already been done. Back to so from a consumer standpoint there we go, we all have to shop and I’m talking about you guys acting as consumers for the brand . Everybody all of us whether we’re the fabric mill whether we’re the the sewing factory the laundry the chemical supplier we all if we really want the business we all have to act as the brands and we all have to shop , I’m not saying we have to spend money, what I’m saying is we need to be familiar with what the brand is doing. Â
I understand globally there’s a challenge for visibility over websites we may not have access to the brands that we’re serving from our country through the internet where we do have access to instagram and I don’t care if you’re 60, I don’t care if you’re 70 and I don’t care if you’re 20. If you have a customer and you do not have instagram and you’re not paying attention to what they’re doing then you’re not knowing your customer, you’re not serving your customer .
 All of the talk about sustainable business development ,all these things there’s some simple steps that we can all take to know our customers more effectively if you do not have an instagram account set up one today, follow all of the customers that you serve or that you aspire to serve because you’re going to learn something about their business.
That’s a big step, sign up for mailing lists if you have access to their website sign up for their mailing list be intimately familiar with what their pressures are and what the communication that they’re sharing to the consumer is because what’s going to happen you’re going to get to know them better and you’re going to get to know what they want better believe it or not a tech pack showing up is not the same thing as receiving an email blast that some big customer just sent out you’re going to learn how they’re communicating with their consumer if you can get on that list.Â
So again follow instagram and don’t think that you’re not cool enough to be on instagram. We’re all cool enough to be on instagram so just get on instagram ,follow the brands, be a modern consumer you have to know your customer and it’s an incredibly challenging time obviously we have to be very nimble and flexible in the way that we approach business.
If you don’t know your consumer intimately and if you can’t begin to actually show them that you’re thinking for them someone else will .This is not 1985, you have to be innovative they need service and support , we all need service and support to be successful so for the same reason that we serve them, they serve the factories ,they serve the mills with the orders that they place.
Stop wasting energy and effort and focus where you can. That’s my big fancy presentation and what I do want to share is that from a sourcing standpoint again don’t give them fish and chips if they want red lentil doll.
After the successful launch of its 1st edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show which concluded on July 23, Denimsandjeans announced the dates for its 2nd edition under a theme name- Cloud Sourcing. The show is scheduled for October 14-15 and will cover US, South America, and European times zones this time.
After the successful launch of its 1st edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show which concluded on July 23, Denimsandjeans announced the dates for its 2nd edition under a theme name- Cloud Sourcing. The show is scheduled for October 14-15 and will cover US, South America, and European times zones this time.
The last virtual show had over 43 denim companies around the world including companies like Arvind, Artistic Milliners, Raymond, Kilim Denim, Garmon, Jeanologia, Tonello, Officina+39, LNJ , Artistic Garment, Wiser Globe/Wash, Deridesen , Artistic Fabric Mills, Blue Diamond, Prosperity and many other companies which showcased their latest developments and collections for AW 21 seasons.
The show threw light on the recent developments and innovations through its talks and discussion. Over 12 sessions were held at the show and the reputed denim experts including Adriano Goldschmied, Stefano Aldighieri, Maurizio Donandi, Beau Lawrence, Jean Hegedus, Lucia Rosin, and Dr. Naresh Tyagi graced the show with their presence. You can watch all the sessions at Denimsandjeans Official Youtube channel, the link is here- https://www.youtube.com/user/denimsandjeans/videos
The 1st edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual Show was one of its own kind of shows and it has received very encouraging feedback from the denim community. This time the show comes with new features and would be more user friendly. The time zone selected this time means the focus would be more on USA , South American and EU customers this time. However, it does not mean that Asia would be ignored. The show will be much longer this time and give at least 4-5 hours to Asian customers as well . The exact timings will be shared shortly.
Denim Cloud Sourcing, a new term coined by Denimsandjeans through its theme is an extension to digital sourcing. The Apparel Industry per se has been following the conventional sourcing techniques for fabric and other auxiliaries selection . However limitation caused by COVID 19 pushed the industry to think over on the alternatives.
We ,as Denimsandjeans, have always believed that digital marketing and sourcing will play a very important role in our industry and therefore had started to work on digital platforms since 2017. Last year only we launched our DE-Brands platform – which is online B2B marketplace which is gaining strong traction with over 48 global supply chain companies already a part of it with a number of buyers joining regularly.
Virtual trade shows are again an important innovation and the industry has also started to adapt itself accordingly considering its relevance in the given situation. Buyers as well as the Suppliers would also like to have a real-time face to face discussions during the product selection process so that technicality and other ingredients of fabric/product could be easily understood and explained. Our increased strength in digital arena enables us to combine more technologies this time to enable a better user experience both for exhibitors and visitor.
The 2nd edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual show – Cloud Sourcing offers all such benefits to the users in the simplest way. Being a boutique and niche kind of b2b virtual trade show, a limited number of suppliers from around the globe will be invited to showcase their products. Buyers primarily from the USA and Europe will join the show besides from some other locations whereas we see increased participation from South American regions as well .
With over 44 denim companies from the globe, the 1st edition of Denimsandjeans virtual show concluded on July 23rd. Exhibitors from more than 10 countries brought their latest AW21 collection at the show for buyers and gotten an opportunity to meet their buyers virtually who joined the platform South East Asia, Europe, and South America. This was perhaps the first denim show held globally which had the element of real time interaction between buyers and suppliers.
The show had all the elements which a physical trade offers, the exhibitors were allotted a virtual booth, or we could say a virtual room to be very precise, a few of our visitors felt nostalgic as it reminded them about the physical trade shows as all seem to be missing them !
Exhibitors are networking using – TABLE feature on the platform
The buyer and suppliers were interacting individually while other activities like denim talks, seminars, and trend presentations were happening. Users could chose to attend different talks or interact with exhibitors or just network. Exhibitors from different countries decorated their booths well inside their own offices and these were visible to the visiting customers.
One of the exhibitors interacting with their customers at Denimsandjeans Virtual Platform
Virtual Trend Zone
The Trend Zone was divided five different categories and the exhibitors’ collection were displayed in those categories. Denimsandjeans team created separate trend zones and they were running throughout the show .The trend zone categories were : 1. Super Sustainable 2. On Demand 3. Super Technology/Washing/Chemical 4. Super Comforts 5. Super others.
Talks and Presentations
At the virtual event, 19 speakers invited to be part of different sessions and talks in a two-day show. Leading denim experts including the godfather of denim Adriano Goldschmied, Stefano Aldighieri, Maurizio Donandi, Beau Lawrence, Jean Hegedus, Lucia Rosin, and Dr. Naresh Tyagi shared their insights during their sessions. The complete agenda of the show is here
Ani Wells and Ebru during their session on Yoga and its denim connect Dr Dilek Erik sharing her thoughts during her presentation.The Panel includes – Mr Pant from ZHDC, Dr Naresh Tyagi – Aditya Birla Fashion, Mr Sandeep Agarwal- Founder Denimsandjeans , Mr Aditya Goyal – Director Anubha Industries, and Mr Sunder Belani – CEO Ramsons India.Mr Adriano Goldschmied during his talk.
All the presentations and sessions’ video will be shortly available at our youtube channel. To receive the notification, subscribe to the channel.
The platform got a very good response from all the stakeholder of Denim Community and most of them found this a helpful tool to connect with their buyers . However, as in every new technology , there were some glichtes and they are being addressed . Besides, there were a number of feedbacks from exhibitors and visitors and these will be worked upon to make the next show even better.
2nd Edition of Denimsandjeans Show will be held in October and dates will be announced soon. The show will cater to more time zones than the 1st edition.
We’d like to thank Artistic Milliners From Pakistan, one of the leading denim manufactures, for being a supporting partner to the 1st Denimsandjeans Virtual Show.
Yoga is a mind and body practice with a 5,000-year history in ancient Indian philosophy. Various styles of yoga combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. In more recent years, it has become popular as a form of physical exercise based upon poses that promote improved control of the mind and body and enhance well-being.
During the first edition of Denimsandjeans Virtual event held on July 22-23 , there was a great session on finding a connect between yoga and denim. Ebru Debagg and Ani Wells – both denim as well as yoga experts spoke to Sandeep Agarwal and all three tried to find a connect between Yoga and Denim.
Ebru started practicing yoga about 18 years ago after suggestion by former CEO of Orta and she mentioned that it has been a long journey for her and she also traveled a lot for yoga and also used to try to find hotels near yoga centers ! She also set up a yoga studio at Orta and did teacher trainings around the world.
Ani mentioned that she started yoga about 2 years ago and it changed her life. The other forms of exercises in gyms she was practicing before did not give her the mental escape that yoga immediately gave her.
Ebru compared yoga and denim philosphically :
“I would like to refer to the consciousness part of it because I think what we have been discussing in denim industry for so long – sustainability is an act of consciousness and yoga kind of help build that consciousness . One of the greatest teacher said that Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory . I refer to greenwashing in our industry and we have to walk the talk and put all practice in action. So I find a great similarilty between yoga and sustainability aspect of our industry . Also during yoga I keep my DRISHTI ie the focus at one point and so in our industry the DRISHTI (focus) needs to be set rightâ€
Ani Wells also mentioned that mindfulness and consciousness are so important for our supply chain and also in yoga . She also mentioned about visiting Saitex Vietnam about the mindfulness and holistic approach in production processes for both inputs and outputs. She further added :
“Yoga is also about flexibility and so is denim now with super high stretch denims and we do not know future holds and there are so many opportunities so I think the concept of improving adaptability and flexibility. Also yoga practitioners deeply care about the environment and so should our industry people do â€
Ebru agreed with her and further stressed about commonalities
“As we focus more on mindfulness and sustainability , we will find more common grounds between yoga and denim . Ebru said Ebru gave a great comparison between yoga and denim by saying that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory and our industry should learn from it by not greenwashing but actually work towards 99% sustainability .â€
Ebru mentioned that she was wearing jeans which she bought from Gap from Japan and these are super stretch and she could easily do yoga in them without feeling uncomfortable. Both felt that yoga can give more inspiration to the industry to come out with super super stretch and there is a space for it but currently they were not really positive on lot of people using denim for yoga . But both agreed that both yoga and denim are for everyone and they transcend race, region, religion , age and geographies .
They performed some great yoga poses in their cool denims and it was a treat to see them doing some asanas which are specifically very useful during this stressful period . Do check out the complete video from this link .
What is your take on this connect ?
We’d like to thank Artistic Milliners From Pakistan, one of the leading denim manufactures, for being a supporting partner to the 1st Denimsandjeans Virtual Show.
Continuing our last article on the special products to be displayed at our Denimsandjeans Virtual show, we bring the offerings from some more of our exhibitors. Visitors who have received confirmations of their invitations will be able to check out the collections after discussion with these companies. All the offerings below are in their own words .
ARVIND LIMITED – INDIA
JEANOLOGIA
Jeanologia launches eDesigner, an innovative software that reinvents the way jeans are being created and manufactured, accompanying designers in their digital transformation.
The innovative technology marks a turning point in the jeans industry connecting designers with the wash developers and brands with manufacturers
Simplifying how you design and ensuring what you see on the screen is what you get on the garment, reducing samples and speeding up time-to-market
Mission Zero
Jeanologia encourages all textile industry stakeholders to get behind their Mission Zero: dehydrate and detoxify the jean industry by 2025. No more water or toxic chemicals used in a single pair of jeans around the world. We need to be rebels again and embrace the technology that allows us to meet our goals.
FASHION ACCESSORIES- INDIA
Kind to the Planet
“Our sustainable collection of metal trims & patches. Clubbing metals in their raw form with labels made from natural and organic materials, we weave a sustainable trim story for your garment.”
Printed Metal
“Continuous research & development has helped us perfect this innovative printing technology where we can replicate any design, print or colour on your metal trims. This is a winner for DTM collections as well as special premium lines, where the trims do all the talking.”
SOORTY – PAKISTAN
Cotton Free
“Styling: high waisted jeans with 80’s unique details give a truly vintage character.
Washing: A faded vintage wash achieved by tonello-up technology.
Fabric: this is a cotton free, very premium, as well as sustainable & environmentally responsible fabric.”
C2C Laser Black:
“Styling: from our Smart Care concept this is a men shirt where bold pocket details were used inspired by the 80s.
Washing: sustainable wash with Laser & Ozone.
Fabric: Laser Black is a unique color that is developed for easy working with Laser. It also never turns into the yellow or red cast on the wash downs. It also C2C Certified with 100% Organic Cotton.”
RIBBONTEX SRL – ITALY
Biodegradable eco leather labels.
These patches are able to decompose naturally. Once discarded, they will become organic substance within a year.
Printed elastic ribbons. The elastics are very comfortable and you can print whatever you want. Even small details and “fading” effects.
KILIM DENIM – TURKEY
D5329 MORIS MIDDARK CACTUS PCRD STR
“We used Cactus process with organic cotton, recycled denim and recycled polyester yarn together. About Cactus; most of the water is used during removal of unfixed dyestuff in indigo dyeing process, we started to use a new developed chemical, which improves the fixation of indigo on the warp yarn.”
D5815 GORBI GREY XL STR ORGANIC SOD GREY
“Core skills of the collection is derived from the idea that creating functional details for the products and enhance the quality of users by developing abilities of nano technology for denim. Two functionality antibacterial and water repellent units at one denim fabric. “
RAYMOND UCO
INTENTION
“This ecological denim is part of the “Pristine†range – carefully designed dyeing processes, that aims at reducing water and energy consumption and waste generation. Intention, is made with our signature technology CADOL: a combination of salt-free dyeing that reduces load on effluent and dyeing technique that reduces water consumption. “
SPARTA
“Sparta is an unique everyday wear with easy care, power stretch and extreme comfort. The fabric is made with special finishing process that delivers high stretch with lowest shrinkage for easy care. A green casted denim that offers wide range of wash-downs makes it truly “Seasonlessâ€.
