blogtootoo

Four set manually, hand-quilts, handmade Cushion…… reporter visited in recent days that the market is experiencing a growing number of handmade home textiles products.

C in a city’s boutiques see a hand Qijiantao, pink color, but also the same color Chuowei lace, warm mellow, wedding products can be said to be the first choice. Most notably, in the middle of bedspreads, there is a wave-like heart-shaped logo, the “heart” of the bottom left and lower right, but also have a wave-like triangle. Shopkeeper told this reporter that “wave” is “hands pulled” from very time-consuming, can only make one day.

The similar “wave” logo, the reporter in the business hall of a mat boutiques seen. The manual Cushion, divided into three parts, a large chunk of the middle is pink background, “chameleon” Liaozi above Touzhao exquisite flowers, two on both sides of the brown background, the “wave” logo brought together as one Butterfly guitar, incomparably exquisite. According to shopkeepers, because this mat is handmade from, the price slightly more than ordinary mattresses.

Rose red background on Touzhao two lovely children, or two unnamed but beautiful flowers, which is in a boutique reporter saw a handmade quilt pattern of the two. And in front of the manual lists packages, handmade Cushion, handmade quilts output efficiency much slower than machine manufacturing. Shopkeepers said that this quilt than the price of similar machines embroidered quilts your 40 to 50 yuan. A reporter asked the handmade quilts like your prices, low productivity, but also why we sell, the owner smiled: “department store of 100 passengers, such as quilts, and some consumers prefer to use handmade quilts, sleep feel more comfortable. Since the market for home textiles products are handmade needs, we will provide. ”

http://www.appareltextile-china.com/

Top eco-textiles certification bodies and ecology experts will speak at the fair. The fair will feature new functional fabrics and improved function identification icons.

Participants will have a fruitful visit at Interstoff Asia Essential Autumn 2008 by seeing suppliers of various fashion, eco and functional fabrics; learning industry knowledge from world-leading eco-textiles certification bodies and ecology experts, and enhancing product knowledge on newly released functional fabrics and improved function identification icons. The fair will take place from 8 – 10 October at Hong Kong Convention Exhibition Centre.

More than 200 exhibitors will participate in this Autumn fair including: Joint Bishu, a wool making association in Ichinomiya (Nagoya, Japan); Lenzing will highlight the nominated fabrics and recruit jury members for its fabric competition in the booth; JFW – Japan Creation, Japan’s leading high-end fashion textiles event; long-standing exhibitors Akko, Union Knopf, Ishinco, Mozartex, Jiangsu Lianfa and more. The full range of suppliers proves Interstoff Asia Essential a one-stop-shop for all types of fashion fabrics.

Top eco-textiles certification bodies and ecology experts will speak at the fair
Eco-textile is a long-term and global trend. As the forerunner in the market, Interstoff Asia Essential has invited leading ecotextiles certification bodies and ecology experts to offer the most up-to-date knowledge and solution for hot industry issues: Eco-textiles certification – demand for eco-textiles has stirred a need for standardized growing and production processes for organic materials, especially organic wool. International Wool Textile Organisation, Australian Wool Innovation, Bluesign Technology, Control Union and TM Organics will speak about certification programmes and standards for organic wool and other eco-textiles at the show.

Eco-dyeing – DyStar Textile Services Asia Pacific, a colour and ecology expert in Asia, will host a seminar addressing a dyeing system that enhances productivity and meets eco-requirements in textile manufacturing process.

Apart from invaluable seminars, exclusive forum ‘Eco-textiles: Fabrics That Care’ will display eco-textiles submitted by exhibitors. All products will be marked under an eco-labelling system, showing the raw materials and processes that make the fabrics eco-friendly. #p##e#

New functional fabrics and improved function identification icons

Interstoff Asia Essential will feature a broad spectrum of functional fabrics and improve your product knowledge through:

21st Century Wardrobe – special display forum highlighting newly released anti-bacterial fabrics such as Nano photo catalyst fibre, 100% Natural Antibacterial Fabrics and other new functional fabrics submitted by top industry players.

Function identification icons – including the newly added “Selfcleaning” and “Bionic climate” categories. Function icons help to quickly identify the unique properties and applications of the displayed fabrics.

Seminars – Taiwan Textile Federation, Lenzing, and other industry professionals will give lectures on all aspects of functional fabrics.

Visitor can also stay abreast of fashion and trends through Directions Trend forum presenting trends for Autumn / Winter 2009 / 2010, designed by Mr. Kai Chow, creative director of Doneger Creative Services (formerly with Here and There, acquired by Doneger in 2006). Major trend forecasting companies and designers will address colour and fabric trends for lingerie, casual wear, women’s and men’s wear for the next season at the fair.
http://www.appareltextile-china.com/

Everest Textile Ltd Co Taiwan announces that it has received the bluesign award and officially became a bluesign system partner.

Based on the mutual collaboration, the 21 product lines that Everest provides comply with the five principles of the bluesign standard including Resource Productivity, Consumer Safety, Air Emission, Water Emission and Occupational Health and Safety.

This award demonstrates Everest’s determination on practicing sustainable production, Everest’s optimisation potentials in facing future global competition, and the ability to maximize its energy efficiency.

In the future, consumers have more chance to purchase garments that are made of Everest’s high-tech and environmentally-friendly fabrics in the retail market responding to the growing ECO concept together with Everest.

The bluesign standard is a comprehensive “Input Stream Management System” that covers all Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) issues of the textile manufacturing chain.

In order to perform the corporate responsibility and meet the highest environmental, health and safety requirements, Everest applied for the screening of bluesign standard right after initiating “Everest Sustainability Model” in 2007, and has gained the Award to be a bluesign system partner in April 2008.

In the future, Everest will provide more and more eco-friendly products to the market with the concern of customers’ demands, consumers’ health, and environmental protection. Mr. Roger Yeh, the president of Everest, said, “Sustainability is a critical factor determining the competitive edge of globalize enterprises.

Obtaining the bluesign award is a beginning of Eco protection. Everest will keep devoting itself to save energy, reduce waste and take “zero-emissions” as the ultimate goal of Everest’s three plants to assume our corporate responsibility and preserve the environment in the future”.#p##e#

Everest also contributes to public welfare activities of environmental protection to show its great concern on saving the earth, which include adopting the leaf-walker conservation plan in Quantian, Tainan and sponsoring the coastal cleanup activity in 2008 held by The Society of Wilderness.

In order to promote Taiwan industry’s development of sustainability to the world, Mr. Rob Van Hattum, the Netherlands’ director of the documentary film “Waste Equals Food”, was invited to visit Everest’s Tainan ECO factory.

During the visit, Mr. Rob Van Hattum had a great impression of Everest’s sustainability model, and promised to recommend Everest’s ECO achievements to the world.

Mr. Rob Van Hattum expects that Everest’s positive attitude towards environmental protection will affect other textile manufacturers both in Taiwan and in the rest of the world to respond to sustainable, environmentally-friendly production collectively.

Named as one of the “Four Big items”in 1970s’, sewing machine, a tool to make clothes, was an important item of a daughter’s dowry in a family, as famous as bicycle and watch.

Later, with the development of the industry, garment manufacturing industry developed rapidly which made the traditional black head household sewing machines gradually withdraw from the stage of history as an instrument of labor.

As a supplementary tool for labor, old-fashioned household sewing machines have been discarded by history. However, Feiyue has not only changed the domestic sewing machines to a complete a new form, but also hasten the birth of a new consumption pattern.

Feiyue has creatively set up “Sewing Arts Bar” in many large and medium-sized cities. So that consumers can sew their own patterns on jeans, shirt cuffs and ties.

The multi-function household sewing machine becomes a DIY toy in the sewing process. And the computer controlled household sewing machine can afford a pleasure of “What You See Is What You Get”.

“You can embroider any pattern which you can imagine and draw in the computer, automatically with the computer controlled sewing machine, just as convenient as the printer.”Cha Zhi, the general manager of Feiyue Aijia said.

New marketing methods make the household sewing machine transform from tools to people’s toys, enabling housework to become a creative activity, and consumption of working tool to become consumption of emotion which adds living values.
Change “Labor” to “Game”:
In northern Europe, basically every family has a multi-function household sewing machine, not to make clothes, but to personalize their clothes. Family members will say, I want to embroider a unique beautiful rose on my jeans.

/www.appareltextile-china.com

NEW YORK -
Sportswear and outerwear maker G-III Apparel Group Ltd. on Thursday it will likely report a wider loss in its second quarter.

The company said it expects a loss in the second quarter of about $3.6 million, or 22 cents per share. In the previous year’s second quarter, the company reported a loss of $884,000, or 5 cents per share.

The wider loss, the company said, is due to “seasonal losses” incurred from the acquisition of the Andrew Marc brand earlier this year. Andrew Marc makes mainly coats and accessories.

G-III also said it expects revenue of about $100 million for the quarter. In the 2008 second quarter, the company reported revenue of $83.9 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial anticipate a loss of 9 cents per share on revenue of $112.7 million.

For the year, G-III said it expects to report net income between $1.25 and $1.30 per share on revenue between $650 million and $660 million.

Analysts predict profit of $1.30 per share on revenue of $673.7 million.

Shares rose 9 cents to $16.75 in electronic after-hours trading. During regular trading, shares jumped 75 cents, or 4.7 percent, to close at $16.66.

www.appareltextile-china.com

By Aarthi Sivaraman and Martinne Geller

NEW YORK, June 5 (Reuters) - U.S. apparel retailers, dogged by a weak economy, posted largely lackluster same-store sales in May, but those that offered something new or good value were able to meet or top Wall Street’s modest expectations.

Off-price retailers such as Ross Stores Inc (ROST.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and TJX Cos Inc (TJX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) posted higher sales at stores open at least a year, as did Aeropostale Inc (ARO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), whose prices position it at the lower end of the teen apparel spectrum.

Meanwhile, chains that have been struggling with weak merchandise assortments continued to post dismal results, such as Chico’s FAS Inc (CHS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Gap Inc (GPS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), which saw same- store sales fall 16.9 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

Apparel retailers, on average, posted a 3.8 percent decline in stores open at least a year in May, according to Thomson Reuters data, as cash-strapped consumers cut back on discretionary purchases such as clothing and jewelry, to save for food and gasoline.

Excluding Gap, apparel chains posted a 0.3 percent decline, which was not as bad as the 0.8 percent drop analysts expected, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Marie Driscoll, a retail analyst for Standard & Poor’s, said Wall Street estimates may have been harsh.

“We painted May with doom and gloom,” Driscoll said. “While there is a lot of promotional pricing, at the specialty retailers there’s targeted markdowns, so you’re not giving away the store … there’s not going to be a blood bath.”

She added that, as consumers avoid big purchases such as cars and homes, they still have money for clothes, shoes and accessories.

www.appareltextile-china.com

Despite concern over softening consumer spending, shares of specialty shoe maker Skechers USA have performed exceptionally well this year. The stock is up about 18% from the start of 2008, boosted by strong financial results.

The gain for Skechers (nyse: SKX - news - people ) is greater than that of any of its key peers, including Wolverine World Wide (nyse: WWW - news - people ), Brown Shoe Company (nyse: BWS - news - people ), Deckers Outdoor (nasdaq: DECK - news - people ), K-Swiss (nasdaq: KSWS - news - people ), Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people ), Timberland (nyse: TBL - news - people ) and Crocs (nasdaq: CROX - news - people ) during the same period. Yet our quantitative model used by the Forbes Growth Investor suggests those shares are headed higher over the near-term.

Skechers designs and sells a broad assortment of footwear for men, women and children in more than 100 countries. Its core demographic consists of 12- to 24- year-old fashion and brand-conscious consumers. Marketing efforts include endorsements by pop culture figures including Ashlee Simpson, JoJo, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens.

In addition to its namesake product lines, SKX offers licensed brands that target other demographics. Unltd., Rhino Red and Red by Marc Ecko address urban fashion trends. Zoo York targets skateboarders. Mark Nason and Siren by Mark Nason market Italian-style footwear designed for casual dress outfits. 310 Motoring is for driving enthusiasts. SoHo Lab offers contemporary designs for 18- to 34-year-old men and women

www.appareltextile-china.com

China Needs Better Shoes in the Future
http://www.buy-shoes-china.com/
China is now the world’s largest footwear producer and exporter, accounting for 66% of global footwear output. But moving into 2008, due to negative factors such as international trade protectionism, rising Chinese currency, rising raw materials cost, labour shortage and new labour laws, the Chinese shoe-making industry is now facing tough challenges ahead.

Hurt by the currency

The rising Chinese RMB, which has now broken the 7:1barrier with USD, has given tremendous pressure to many labour-intensive exporters in China. Statistics show that for every 10 percentage point rise in RMB, Chinese exports will slow by 3-4 percentage points on average. Therefore, every trading company in China is now nervously watching the currency appreciation.

Although industry insiders admitted that a rising currency may optimise industry structure in general, but for labour-intensive exporters, such as footwear companies, currency appreciation has been a huge challenge to them. A veteran textile analyst in China, Ms Fan Min, recently indicated that for every one percentage point increase in RMB, shoemakers will see a corresponding one percentage point decrease in their profits.

A high-cost trade surplus

China’s total trade value in 2007 amounted to US$2174 billion, up 23.5% from 2006. China is now becoming over-reliant on international trades, with a reliance ratio of 70%. On one hand, the long-time policy of encouraging exports is now costing the government huge amount of export subsidies and rebates. On the other hand, demand from the domestic market is far from being satisfied.

Dr Liu Shangxi, a senior official from the Ministry of Finance of China, commented that China’s high reliance on international trades has also made the government’s fiscal income sources highly reliant on international trades. At present, income from international trades is accounting for one-third of the Chinese central government’s fiscal income. The issue is especially evident in eastern regions of China, where export rebate payments have placed heavy burdens on local governments.

So from an economic development point of view, it is necessary for the Chinese economy to shift from foreign trades to domestic demands, whose vast size can provide tremendous potential for future economic development.

An industry that needs change

Textile and footwear are an important source for China’s trade surplus. According to the Chinese Customs, between January and October 2007, China had a net textile and footwear trade surplus of US$115 billion, representing 54.2% of total net trade surplus (US$212 billion) from the same period.

Chinese footwear exports have long been characterised by their low price, abundant output and voluminous suppliers. But in recent years, due to rising labour costs, land supply tightness and rising commodity prices, China’s comparative advantage in footwear is weakening. Furthermore, the Ministry of Commerce had reduced a series of export rebates and rationalised trade processing industries last year, further contributing to the reduction of footwear export orders.

Although China continued to increase its footwear export to 4.4 billion pairs in the first half of 2007, up 12.3% from previous comparable period, average footwear export price had been maintained at around $2.50 per pair for many years. “This is mainly because in the whole industry chain, multinational trade partners are still controlling the supply of premium raw materials, core technologies, R&D design and marketing,” said Mr Wang Hanjiang, President of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Light Industrial Products and Arts-Crafts.

This shows that China’s export advantage is still built on its low cost labour and cheap products, which lack long-term competitiveness. On the other hand, the abundant supply, low prices, low quality and some unregulated competition, are all triggers for international trade frictions. In the first half of 2007 alone, there were 127 anti-dumping investigations on Chinese products in the European Union. In addition, the overemphasis on exports has also created acute problems of resources wastage, environmental pollution and disadvantaged workers in China.

New directions

It is obvious that China has a competitive advantage in footwear production, resulting in a prominent share of the low to medium-end footwear market globally. But the Chinese footwear industry now has to learn how to deal with the changing international market environment and domestic survival environment, as well as how to seize more development opportunities.

Industry experts suggested that China’s footwear industry will inevitably evolve from low end markets to medium to high-end markets, as well as from quantity-driven to quality and performance-driven. Therefore, the number of Chinese footwear output and exports may fall in the future, but quality and price should be improved at the same time, maintaining an overall growth of export value.

Industry upgrade and production transfers are the two trends for China’s footwear industry. Some innovative and efficient companies will opt for the path of capability upgrades, while those low cost producers will shift their production lines from costal regions in China to the more affordable central and western China.

Despite the export challenge, China’s domestic market is now growing. For a country with 1.3 billion population, per capita footwear consumption is only 1.7 pairs per year in China. So it is absolutely possible for Chinese people to increase their average footwear consumption to 3-4 pairs per year. Therefore, Chinese footwear companies should start to improve their product design and proprietary innovation capabilities, in order to establish their own brands and distribution channels in the home market.

Brands are also good for expanding international markets. Although Chinese shoes have captured significant market shares internationally, most of them are tagged with foreign brands from OEM (original equipment manufacturing) orders. As the industry is upgrading and market competition is intensifying, Chinese footwear companies should accelerate their process of creating their own brands and distribution channels in the international market, in order to obtain better profit margins and competitive advantages.
http://www.appareltextile-china.com/
http://www.buy-shoes-china.com/

Materials at WSA to bring great opportunity for footwear brands
http://www.buy-shoes-china.com/
Following the successful launch of the Materials at WSA in February 2008, the next edition will take place in Las Vegas, 27-29 July 2008.

The latest and most innovative materials, components and manufacturing and sourcing options available to the footwear and accessories industry will be on display.

Leading names and niche up-and-coming suppliers will launch new materials, techniques and applications for all sectors of the footwear supply chain to the US industry for the first time.

A host of new exhibitors have signed up with the July show and joining the line-up will be industry leaders including Swarovski and E&R / Feng Shern, sitting alongside ‘green’ pioneers such as Bio-Tec Environmental.

Major brand names from across the globe – including Europe and South America – join a large array of leading Asian companies such as Daewoo, Henan Prosper and Hanshin Korea, all looking to expand their sales network in the US.

Courtney Harold, show director, Materials at WSA comments, “At Materials at WSA we have created a marketplace for the most innovative and cutting-edge products to be launched into the US footwear, handbag and accessory industry.

The show offers design, development and sourcing professionals the opportunity to meet with important suppliers from every key category, many of which do not show at any other event in the US.“

July’s first time exhibitors and launches to the US market include, Korean giant, Daewoo, who has chosen Materials at WSA at which to launch its 1.0mm coated microfiber for athletic & casual shoes, while CRYSTALLIZED (Swarovski) joins the list of debut exhibitors.

CRYSTALLIZED - Swarovski Elements, will be presenting its ‘Crystal loves Leather’ application, the new method of applying crystals onto the finest quality smooth leather. Demonstrations of the various application techniques will be also held at the show.

Another first at the forthcoming show is E&R, who will be taking a booth to display its range of the most trend-right polyurethane materials.

Having partnered with Feng Shern Enterprise Co Ltd (manufacturing facility based in Taiwan) since 1996, the US Company prides itself in delivering quality products to its customers in a speedy manner in order to provide the best value.

With the Materials Expo making a strong stand point on ‘green’ products and processes, many companies will be exhibiting new or improved eco-friendly lines.

Bio-Tec Environmental LLC will be showing at the Materials Expo for the first time and will be using the event as a platform to launch their new green product Bio-Batch.

Samuel Adams, Senior VP comments, “We are very excited about showcasing our new biodegradable additive solution, Bio-Batch, at Materials at WSA.

It offers us the perfect stage on which to present the product to the apparel and footwear industry for the first time.”

Hansin Korea plans to unveil its new natural fabrics - Bambix and Silvix – at the Materials Expo, as well as showing its multi-functional insole and ventilated EVA sponge.

Bambix isan ambitious fabric, which is made of natural Bamboo, which has an anti-odour, anti fungal, anti-microbial function, as well as the emitting negative ions, while Silvix is nano-silver fabric, provided by Samsung Cooperation.

Taking the event beyond the show floor and creating the industry’s top intellectual forum in the US, the Materials Expo will host a number specially developed educational workshops, as well as a cutting edge trend forecast arena.
http://www.appareltextile-china.com/
http://www.buy-shoes-china.com/

www.buy-shoes-china.com
China’s position as the world’s top shoemaker will not be shaken by the closure last year of a fifth of the manufacturers in Guangdong province, experts have said.

Shoemaking companies have been forced out of business amid industrial upgrading, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China supplies at least 60 percent of all kinds of footwear to the global market, official figures show.

Guangdong’s shoemaking firms include mainly small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as shoemaking factories, material processors, machinery manufacturers and traders, Li Peng, general secretary of the Asian Footwear Association, said.

The association said more than 1,000 of the 5,000-6,000 city’s shoemaking firms closed in the first three-quarters of last year.

Their manufacturing capacity accounted for 10-15 percent of the total industry in Guangdong, and about 150,000 to 200,000 employees were laid off, Li said.

However, many industrial players, including Li, believe the recent trend is a positive sign for the over-competitive industry. The tightened market could enhance competition and help reinforce the nation’s role as industry leader, they said.

Figures show the number of shoemaking factories on the mainland increased from 20,000 to more than 30,000 between 2002 and 2006, but orders were much slower, leading to an irrational “price war”, experts said.

Industry newcomers, most of them SMEs, were further hit by an unfavorable marketing environment that included the appreciation of the yuan, price hikes of raw materials, rising labor and land costs, the reduction of the export refund rate and revised policy on custom duty deposit, analysts said.

“The industrial reshuffle has just begun. More SMEs without core competitiveness will be washed out and those with better technology and sound internal governance will survive,” Xinhua said.

Compared with burgeoning markets such as Vietnam and India, experts said China still has advantages in terms of cheap power and water supply, excellent infrastructure and an integrated industry.

To lower costs and expand capacity, some large firms in Guangdong have built new plants in other provinces.
www.buy-shoes-china.com