AMSTERDAM — March 5, 2019 — A pioneering new initiative, called the Organic Cotton Traceability Pilot, is proving the use of cutting-edge technology to trace organic cotton through its value chain. This is an important and promising milestone in the quest to boost the traceability of organic raw materials and revolutionize the textile supply chain.

“With the work we have done to trace organic cotton from farm to gin, we are confident that in the next phase we will be able to make the leap from gin to consumer, eventually making it possible to swiftly and efficiently trace organic cotton straight from the farm to the consumer. This is good for farmers, good for consumers, and good for the entire industry,” said Daniel Jones, founder and CEO of Bext360, the lead technical partner of the initiative.

Tracing organic cotton from farm to consumer
The apparel supply chain is notoriously fragmented and complex, making tracing garments to their origins a difficult task. Tracing material flows through the supply chain is even more challenging, especially sustainably produced raw materials like organic cotton.

At the same time, the pressure for greater transparency and sustainability in the fashion industry is intensifying. Consumers are more aware than ever of the ethical and environmental impact of fashion, while governments are beginning to demand accountability from brands and retailers for their supply chains.

Traceability is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring not only that sustainability claims made to the consumer are accurate, but also that sustainable producers are rewarded for their efforts.

New technologies are beginning to offer brands innovative tools to efficiently and reliably verify materials, but until now these have not been successfully applied at scale in the garment industry.

The technology behind the Organic Cotton Traceability Pilot
This pilot initiative combines multiple technologies to trace and identify the origin, purity and distribution of organic cotton. While these technologies have already been used before other supply chains, they have not been yet been used in fashion.

While blockchain technology allows for efficient integration of data from multiple sources in the supply chain, the use of machine vision, artificial intelligence, micro-biome sequencing and on-product unique markers (including the physical markers: NFC, IN-Codes and fluorescent Li-Code’s) help to guarantee data integrity as well as grade the quality and purity of materials. For machine readable technologies like product markers, this can usually be done without altering the product itself.

At the farm level, the solution’s digital trail is creating transparency not only by verifying the material but also by ensuring the that fair price brands are paying is reaching the farmers. Additionally, the digital trail simplifies logistical transactions for farmers and enable banks to provide them loans.

At the consumer level, the technology sheds a light on the suppliers and manufacturers that are behind a final product, increasing trust and transparency.

A multi-stakeholder effort
As a traceability solution that has seen success in other complex supply chains like coffee, cocoa, and palm oil, Bext360 was chosen to participate in the Fashion for Good Scaling Programme. Seeing the potential of the model, an unprecedented group of partners came together to pilot whether the technology solution be applied to organic cotton.

Lead technical partner, Bext360, was backed in logistics, planning and technology by supporting technical partners Haelixa, Tailorlux, and IN-Code Technologies, and ongoing field trails are being carried out in Pratibha Syntex farm groups in India. Other partners include Fashion for Good, C&A Foundation, and the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA), as well as Kering, Zalando, PVH Corp., and C&A. The unique mix of technology providers, philanthropic partners, multi-brand platforms, as well as brands, retailers and manufacturers all working collaboratively to drive traceability in organic cotton has yet to be seen in the industry.

“As a global platform for innovation with many brands behind us, we are excited to see how the scaling of one of our innovators turned into a multi-stakeholder effort from which the whole industry will benefit. These technologies will improve how companies can map, audit, certify, and monitor their value chains, allowing them to tackle issues head on and build transparent processes,” explained Katrin Ley, managing director of Fashion for Good.

Results and next steps
With testing underway to trace organic cotton from farm to gin, the next step will trace from gin to consumer and finally it will need to be proven at scale. If taken to this level, this initiative has potential to become a leading end-to-end traceability solution not only for organic cotton, but for other preferred fibres.

“The time was ripe to take a bold step towards full traceability in the organic cotton value chain. We believe this technology solution has potential and were eager to support the experiment to prove it. It has been exciting to see so many actors come together and we invite more of the industry to join us on this journey.” added Anita Chester, head of Sustainable Raw Materials of C&A Foundation.

Posted March 5, 2019

Source: Fashion For Good/C&A Foundation

MANCHESTER, England — March 5, 2019 — Hand & Lock is looking for creative embroiderers who want to showcase their skills for a chance to win a top prize of $3500 US and a weekend embroidery course with Hand & Lock. The Textile Institute is proud to announce it is a supporter of this event.

Established in 2000 to give new designers, interested in embroidery, the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain vital exposure and experience, the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery now attracts entries from all over the world.

The prize aims to promote the use of hand embroidered surface embellishment within fashion, costume and soft furnishing.

There are student and open categories for the awards so anyone can enter. If you have embroidery skills in design, arts, surface textiles, fashion, interiors, fibers or textiles, why not register now?

Former winners have gone on to start their own successful businesses, work in the industry for top design houses and even join the team here at Hand & Lock.

The live judging and Prize Giving event is a prestigious international occasion and an important part of the London fashion calendar. The prize-giving event held at the Bishopgate Institute, London, now draws industry professionals, designers and influencers keen to see the latest embroidery talent.

For more details about how to enter, visit https://handembroidery.com/the-prize/how-to-enter-the-prize/.

Prize registration closes 29 March 2019.

Posted March 5, 2019

Source: The Textile Institute

ATLANTA — March 4, 2019 — University of Cincinnati, in collaboration with its exclusive trademark licensing agent, IMG College Licensing, today announced an agreement with Hanesbrands Inc. to serve as the University’s primary licensee for apparel products. The new deal covers Cincinnati-branded men’s, women’s, youth, and infant/toddler apparel across all retail channels, and ensures the University has greater control over the supply chain along with stability in licensing income over the next six years.

In addition to the new agreement with Hanesbrands, Cincinnati will continue its partnership with Under Armour, the exclusive supplier of uniforms and apparel for the University’s varsity teams, coaches, and staff. Additionally, semi-exclusive headwear partnerships that are currently in place will remain, as well as programs with other best-in-class licensees in select product categories to ensure a robust selection of merchandise for Bearcats fans and consumers.

While Hanesbrands has been a Cincinnati licensee since 1992 under its Champion label, the new agreement represents a continued effort by the Cincinnati licensing program to strategically manage the University’s brand to provide top-quality products for Bearcats fans while securing long-term brand value for the University.

“As the retail landscape continues to evolve, especially with the growth in online sales, it’s important that we partner with best-in-class licensees, like Hanesbrands, that are committed to growing the Cincinnati brand and delivering additional resources back to the University,” said Martin Ludwig, Cincinnati’s director of trademarks & licensing. “After working with our partners at IMG College Licensing to analyze proposals from companies interested in a stronger relationship with the University, we decided Hanesbrands and its family of top apparel companies was the best fit for our brand and meet the needs of retailers providing great apparel for our constituents.”

On top of partnering with a global brand, the agreement provides the University a minimum guarantee that ensures more than a 20 percent growth in apparel royalties following the 8 percent growth the University experienced during the past three years. The University will also gain access to academic resources through internships, participation by Hanesbrands executives in University programs and projects, and additional resources to develop, grow, and merchandise the presence of Cincinnati product in the marketplace. Hanesbrands will also fund annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) trips for Cincinnati staff to visit factories making licensed merchandise to review production and ensure compliance with University workplace codes of conduct.

“We are pleased to enter into this new agreement with the University of Cincinnati and are committed to developing the best apparel program for Bearcats fans,” said John Fryer, president, Sports Apparel, at Hanesbrands. “With more than 25 years of experience working with the Cincinnati brand, this new agreement allows us to focus our resources on improving designs and styles in true partnership with the University.”

Cincinnati began strategically managing its brand through IMG College Licensing in 2005 with its first semi-exclusive program in the headwear category, followed with a mass channel exclusive with Knights Apparel, a division of Hanesbrands. Since that time, Cincinnati has pursued partnerships with licensees that are aligned with the brand goals of the University.

“The Cincinnati licensing program under Marty’s direction routinely leverages the data and resources we provide to maximize the University’s brand exposure and revenue,” said Cory Moss, senior vice president and managing director of IMG College Licensing. “This new agreement with Hanesbrands represents the next step in the evolution of Cincinnati’s brand management.”

The University’s trademark licensing program was established in 1987 to manage the commercial use of the University’s name and all identifying marks and images. A division within the Office of Administration & Finance, Trademarks & Licensing has generated more than $15 million in royalty income from the sale of officially licensed merchandise with UC’s brand, which the University uses to support scholarships.

Posted March 4, 2019

Source: University Of Cincinnati

NEW YORK CITY — March 4, 2019 — Jump Design Group announced last month its acquisition of the women’s wear label Susana Monaco. Jump acquired a majority stake in Susana Monaco by purchasing prior stakes from Marcus Lemonis of CNBC’s entrepreneur and business show The Profit. The acquisition marks six portfolio brands for Jump and is the latest move in the company’s efforts to expand its reach to solution-oriented brands in the textiles industry.

Susana Monaco has been designing womenswear under her namesake label since opening her Manhattan showroom in 2000. Looking to gain expert support and infrastructure that Jump Design Group offers, she began discussions with Founder and Principal of Jump Design Group, Glenn Schlossberg, nearly three years ago about a potential partnership.

“We’ve established our brand: the aesthetic, the style, our customer base — and the quality and fit of our products are impeccable. I have no doubt Glenn Schlossberg and Jump Design Group will take Susana Monaco designs to new heights,” said Susana Monaco, CEO and co-founder of the Susana Monaco brand. “Glenn and I both grew up in the textile business and we have a lot in common in terms of goals and how we view the industry. The most rewarding part of being in this particular industry is bringing new ideas to life, so this partnership with Glenn’s team was a no-brainer.”

Glenn Schlossberg, founder of Jump Design Group said: “We are excited to provide sales infrastructure and product development to allow Susana to focus on her products while we help achieve the product distribution that the Susana Monaco brand deserves.”

“Susana’s namesake brand is a classic line, and we share a lot in common with Susana,” added Ashesh Amin, CEO of Jump Design Group. “Our partnership will be mutually beneficial, combining our processes and technology with her innovative designs.”

The move acquiring Susana Monaco creates a strong portfolio and continues Jump’s focus on operational distinction and inventive product development. Previously, Jump Design Group acquired Cathy Daniels Apparel in 2018, in an effort by Glenn Schlossberg, to acquire two to three new apparel brands annually.

Jump Design Group and Glenn Schlossberg continue to seek out opportunities in the women’s apparel industry to add to the Jump portfolio. They are working with the U.S. Commercial Service to expand Jump Design Group sales to Germany, Sweden, and China.

Posted March 4, 2019

Source: Jump Design Group