TORONTO — December 7, 2018 — Unisync Corp. is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary Unisync Group Ltd. (UGL) has been selected by WestJet to manufacture and distribute new uniforms to its more than 11,000 uniformed employees across Canada and the world. This multi-year agreement represents the culmination of an extensive review of Unisync’s award-winning product quality and customer-focused suite of fulfillment services. This new agreement covers the manufacturing, supply and program management of a new design of imagewear for all of WestJet’s pilots, cabin crew members, customer service agents, aircraft maintenance engineers, and ground crew.

“We are pleased and honoured to have been selected by WestJet to be their uniform provider,” commented UGL President B. James Bottoms. “We look forward to showcasing the new WestJet uniforms on WestJet flights across Canada, the U.S. and internationally in the near future.”

The newly-designed imagewear will appear on crews operating WestJet’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and select WestJetters across the network for testing in late 2019, with rollout across the remainder of the WestJet network through 2021.

Posted December 7, 2018

Source: Unisync Corp.

WASHINGTON — December 7, 2018 — Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports have set another new record, reaching 2 million containers in a single month for the first time as retailers continued to bring merchandise into the country ahead of a now-postponed increase in tariffs on goods from China, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“President Trump has declared a temporary truce in the trade war, but these imports came in before that announcement was made,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “We hope that the temporary stand-down becomes permanent, but in the meantime there has been a rush to bring merchandise in before existing tariffs go up or new ones can be imposed. China’s abuses of trade policy need to be addressed, but tariffs that drive up prices for American families and costs for U.S. businesses are not the answer.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.04 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 9 percent from September and up 13.6 percent year-over-year. A TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

The October number was the highest for a single month since Global Port Tracker began counting cargo in 2000, topping the previous record of 1.9 million TEU set in July, which in turn had beat a record of 1.83 million TEU set in August 2017.

November was estimated at 2.01 million TEU, a 14 percent year-over-year increase that would have been a new record if not for the October number. December – normally a slow month with holiday merchandise already on the shelves – is forecast at 1.83 million TEU, up 6.1 percent year-over year. Those numbers would bring 2018 to a total of 21.8 million TEU, an increase of 6.5 percent over last year’s record 20.5 million TEU.

Both year-over-year growth rates and total volume are expected to slow considerably in January, when 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products that took effect in September had been scheduled to increase to 25 percent. Trump announced last weekend after a meeting with Chinese President Xi that the increase — and a threat to impose tariffs on all Chinese products — would be put on hold while the two countries conduct 90 days of negotiations. Official action to delay the tariff increase has yet to be announced, however.

January 2019 is forecast at 1.72 million TEU, down 2.1 percent from January 2018; February at 1.67 million TEU, down 1 percent year-over-year; March at 1.57 million TEU, up 1.7 percent, and April at 1.7 million TEU, up 3.7 percent.

“We see a significant slowdown in import growth in 2019 as the market adjusts to higher prices due to the Trump tariffs and the impact on consumer and industry confidence going forward,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “We project that imports at our monitored ports will have grown significantly in 2018 but that there will be no import growth in the first half of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018.

”

While cargo numbers do not correlate directly with sales, the imports are also being driven by this year’s strong retail sales. NRF has forecast that 2018 holiday season retail sales — excluding automobiles, restaurants and gasoline stations — will increase between 4.3 percent and 4.8 percent over last year. Retail sales for all of 2018 are forecast to be up at least 4.5 percent over 2017.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast.

Posted December 7, 2018

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — December 7, 2018 — The textile machinery manufacturer KARL MAYER is participating more and more in shows concentrating on applications and end-uses. “We want to pick up customers at key textile areas and introduce them to something new by offering innovative textiles and concepts,” said Oliver Mathews, sales manager of the Business Unit Warp Knitting, when speaking about the aims behind this decision. The next important date in Karl Mayer’s diary of events is ISPO Munich. Karl Mayer can be found here on stand 408 in hall C4 of Messe München — right at the center of the exhibition’s trends hub. Karl Mayer will be demonstrating the performance features of warp-knitted textiles on an area of 120 m², surrounded by the latest fabrics, styles and accessories.

TEXTILE-CIRCUIT shows how electrically conductive yarns can be incorporated directly into the textile in a single step during fabric production. The positioning of the electrically conductive yarns is done to meet the requirements of the intended end-use. For example, this can produce warp-knitted textiles having sensor functions, which are opening up completely new potential applications in the sportswear and outdoor sectors.

Textiles that can do so much more are also at the focus of solutions in the field of active sports. With their functional zones, which are also integrated directly during manufacture, these new articles provide breathability and compression following the principles of body mapping. They, therefore, deliver maximum efficiency when producing high-performance activewear for ambitious athletes.

LEISUREE.FASHION is a futuristic concept for producing sporty athleisure wear and comfortable, everyday clothing, as well as conventional underwear and lingerie. The fabrics offer all the comfort of sportswear with the soft support of activewear and also produce a sophisticated look with zones featuring decorative lingerie elements – the perfect combination of style, sportiness and comfort.

Gabriela Schellner, head of Textile Product Development at Karl Mayer, is convinced that the products on show will familiarise the sportswear and outdoor sectors with warp knitting technology. In particular, she intends to come into even closer contact with brand manufacturers at ISPO. She wants to learn more about their ideas and requirements for new product developments, and to develop new solutions with them.

Posted December 7, 2018

CARLSTADT, N.J. — December 6, 2018 — Pantone, provider of professional color standards and digital solutions for the design industry, today announced PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral as the Pantone® Color of the Year 2019, an animating and life-affirming shade
of orange with a golden undertone.

We get energy from nature. Just as coral reefs are a source of sustenance and shelter to sea life, vibrant yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.

In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy.

Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimismand joyful pursuits, Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression.

Representing the fusion of modern life,Pantone Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.

“Color is an equalizing lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “

With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial Pant one Living Coral hit a responsive chord.

”Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral emits the desired, familiar and energizing aspects of color found in nature. In its glorious, yet unfortunately more elusive, display beneath the sea, this vivifying and effervescent color mesmerizes the eye and mind. Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, Pantone Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color.

“Color enhances and influences the way we experience life,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.

“As a shade that affirms life through a dual role of energizing and nourishing, Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral reinforces how colors can embody our collective experience and reflect what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time.”

In Social Media
An organic shade, Living Coral is striking in digital mediums, evoking the same inspirational feeling ignited by our natural surroundings. Living Coral’s vibrancy and buoyancy
captivates our attention in social media and digital design.

In Fashion and Accessories
Living Coral inspires experimentation and playful expression in both men’s and women’s  street and runway styles. The warm shade suggests comfort and positivity in simple color stories, but becomes more explorative and effervescent in patterns, textures and even
monochrome looks. An appealing accent shade, Pantone Living Coral provides a striking contrast across the color spectrum.

In Beauty
As a life-affirming hue that complements all skin tones, Pantone Living Coral brings natural
color to beauty in blush, eye and lip. Uninhibited, playful looks are also emboldened by Living Coral, which, as the center of a kaleidoscope of color, encourages experimentation
in beauty with palettes, textures, shimmers and sheens.

In Product Design
Living Coral is naturally suited for product across all ages and genders. Materials with texture and convivial colors such as Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral appeal to our desire for products exhibiting humanizing and heartening characteristics.

In Interior Décor and Furnishings
When used as a bold statement in settings and décor, Living Coral fosters immersive experiences such as pop-up installations and interactive spaces, tied to a playful spirit.
As a color linked to tactility and human connection, Pantone Living Coral in shag rugs, cozy blankets and lush upholsteries create a warm, comforting and nurturing feeling in the
home.

With its ebullient nature, Pantone Living Coral adds a dramatic pop of color to any room setting whether in decorative accessories, tabletop, or on the wall.

In Packaging Design
Living Coral is naturally ideal for packaging applications. Warm and welcoming, this life affirming shade invites us to reach out and touch.

Tribute Portfolio x Pantone Color of the Year
Among the joyful pursuits that Living Coral symbolizes, travel tops the list — often creating experiences that enable human interaction and social connection. In celebration of Living Coral as the 20th Pantone Color of the Year, Pantone has partnered with Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International’s newest collection of independent and characterful hotels, to create a first-of-its-kind pop-up pantry that will allow people to experience an immersive tribute to color at select hotels around the world. Together, Tribute Portfolio and Pantone will introduce a series of interactive Pantone pantries in indie-spirited and creative communities around the world, beginning at Art Basel Miami at the Royal Palm South Beach Miami Resort and then traveling to The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia and The Slaak Rotterdam, in The Netherlands next year.

Adobe Stock x Pantone Color of the Year 2019
For the second year in a row, Pantone has partnered with Adobe Stock to offer a curated Color of the Year collection to inspire and assist the creative community. Living Coral illustrates a natural, yet dynamic and energizing tone that is perfect for designers across verticals looking to energize and enliven creative elements with a softer edge. With more than 125 million visual assets, Adobe Stock is an amazing resource for creatives to seek visual inspiration and creative development.

Material ConneXion, a SANDOW company & Pantone
Across the Design industry, effectively bringing PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral to life in product design requires consideration of both color and the material to which it will be applied. To underscore the relationship between color and material, and increase efficiencies within the design process, Pantone has partnered with Material ConneXion, a global materials and innovation consultancy. By working with Material ConneXion, designers and suppliers can source the solutions that will meet consumer demands and deliver on their design vision while also supporting their business.

Limited Edition Pantone Color of Year 2019 Guides
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Pantone Color of the Year announcement, special collections of Pantone Formula Guides and Fashion, Home + Interiors Color Guides will be available for a limited time. Guides will feature commemorative Color of the Year covers, information on the 2019 selection and history of past Colors of the Year enclosed within the guide.

Posted December 7, 2018

Source: Pantone

GREENSBORO, N.C. — December 6, 2018 — VF Corp. today announced that Kontoor Brands Inc. will be the name of the independent, publicly traded company that will result from its previously announced separation of VF’s Jeanswear organization.

The separation is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019, subject to final approval by VF’s Board of Directors, customary regulatory approvals, and tax and legal considerations. The new company will comprise the Wrangler®, Lee® and Rock & Republic® brands, and the VF Outlet business.

“This is an exciting next step in our work to establish our Jeanswear organization as an independent, publicly traded company. Kontoor Brands — a creative variation of the word ‘contour’ — is a compelling company name that will preserve each brand’s unique identity while also providing the opportunity to evolve the company in the years ahead,” said Steve Rendle, VF’s chairman, president and CEO.

More information about Kontoor Brands, including the board of directors, executive leadership team, stock symbol and strategic vision will be shared before the completion of the separation.

“In choosing a name for the new company, it was important for us to select something that serves as an umbrella for our iconic Jeanswear brands and provides us with the opportunity to advance our portfolio in the future,” said Scott Baxter, named CEO of Kontoor Brands. “The selected name was inspired by the idea of a perfect fit, which speaks to the rich legacy and storied history of our brands. This name establishes a strong foundation for our future growth as a global leader in the denim and apparel categories, and I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for Kontoor Brands as an independent, publicly traded company.”

Posted December 6, 2018

Source: VF Corporation