The creative era of fabrics began

In 2012, the transformation of clothing companies is a long way to go. Faced with the economic recession in the international market and the domestic market's transformation difficulties, the garment industry must achieve a good connection between the various aspects of the apparel industry chain in order to achieve a gorgeous turn, and the fabric is absolutely an important part of it.

"Fabric is the source of the clothing brand. Fabrics are successful, and clothing is half successful." Tang Wenhui, director of apparel design at Shenzhen Taima, broke through the "fish and water" of clothing and fabrics.

Therefore, the transformation and upgrading of garment enterprises must also be inseparable from the transformation and upgrading of fabric companies.

Looking back at 2011, the cotton roller coaster was once again staged. After the cotton price climbed to RMB 34,000 per ton in February, it began to fall again in March and fell to around RMB 19,000 per ton in recent days. In the rise of raw material prices and shocks, fabric companies have a taste of low profit margins.

The fabric industry has always said that "Southern Fabric North Fabric", so to understand the survival status of fabric companies, we must not avoid the "Northern Fabric" where Hebei Province.

According to statistics from relevant departments of Hebei Province, the production and sales rate of textile enterprises above designated size in Hebei was above 96% in 2010. In the first 10 months of 2011, the production and sales ratio has dropped below 89%, and cotton spinning stocks have increased by 30% year-on-year.

The severe market situation has forced fabric companies to face the decline in orders.

Changshan Co., Ltd. has been known for its production of grey fabrics in the industry, and “Northern Fabric” has also been referring to its grey fabric products. Due to the high reputation of the market, Changshan’s order production over the years accounted for more than 80% of production. However, in 2011, due to the sluggish domestic and international markets, the company's production and sales had no small impact, and the overall rate of orders dropped by nearly 40%. Not only did the orders decrease, but the company's production and sales ratio also fell by nearly 10%.

At the same time as orders have been reduced, many fabric companies are also feeling the pressure of falling sales prices. Many companies have reported that the bargaining power of fabric companies has been significantly weakened in the market, and the average price of conventional products has dropped by nearly 30% year-on-year.

Faced with the current market conditions, there are fabric companies related personages said: "The market is now the buyer has the final say." And how to break through the current predicament?

As we all know, the mainstream consumer terminal of fabrics is a garment enterprise. Therefore, fabric companies must break the current predicament of ice-breaking and must not deviate from this terminal customer of garment enterprises. "The innovation of clothing is composed of two parts: the innovation of style and the innovation of fabrics. If fabrics do not innovate and cause clothing to be tossed or similar, fabric suppliers must have a sense of innovation." Tang Wenhui said. Therefore, fabric companies can only use "innovative products to outperform the market" and fabric companies need an innovation to break through.

Technology products break the trap

“Most of the cotton spinning companies that are most vulnerable to the impact of raw material prices are low-end and medium-end products, while non-cotton fibers and high-end products are not affected too much.”

In the face of the constantly oscillating cotton price curve in recent years, Xiao Rongzhi, the general manager of Changshan Textile Co., Ltd., first thought of reducing the impact of raw materials on the company from the source.

Manager Xiao stated that Changshan Textile has always been committed to the adjustment and transformation and upgrading of fabric product structure, and increased efforts to develop new fiber varieties such as non-cotton fabrics. Of the 859 new varieties developed by the company in January-November 2011, more than half of the new fiber varieties accounted for.

Also facing the raw material rise is the silk business.

“In 2010, due to the rising prices of mulberry silk raw materials, the company’s R&D team applied new materials such as copper ammonia fibers in the development of new products. Due to its characteristics such as good dyeability, soft touch, soft luster and silky luster, etc. It is favored by the market and it has won considerable profits for the company.” Ding Li Silk (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. R&D manager Mou Yongqi expressed confidence in the company’s efforts and achievements in product innovation in recent years.

In addition to research and development of alternative materials to avoid the increase in raw materials costs caused by the increase of fabric, increase the potential of process technology mining has become the consensus of the current outstanding fabric companies in the development. Many fabric companies have continuously increased their investment in science and technology in recent years and are committed to the research and development of various functional high-end fabrics in order to tackle the high-end market.

At the China International Fabrics and Accessories Expo held last year, we deeply felt the changes in the product structure of the fabric companies.

The “three defenses” (water-proof, anti-fouling, and oil-repellent) products often talked about in the industry have inadvertently turned into “four defenses” (increase the anti-wrinkle function on the basis of “three defenses”). The traditional chemical fabrics have also improved the feeling of being airtight and poor in comfort, and replaced with good waterproof and breathable properties.

In addition to traditional functional fabrics, new technology fabrics are also starting to compete in the fabric market.

Nantong Teijin's anti-pollen fabrics, Hangzhou Yongsheng's moisture-sensitive fabrics dry-zone and Shenglong Silk Embroidery's “marked birthmark fabrics” and Other new technology products are focused on high-end segment markets due to their unique R&D perspective. Received good market feedback.

"The more time the market is depressed, the more we must pay attention to product development and innovation."

In Hengsheng's weaving workshop, Li Shuangyin, the deputy general manager of the company, is proud of the fact that dozens of high-speed air-jet looms are producing a garment fabric. “This is a new type of fabric weaved with milk silk and cotton strands according to customer requirements in May 2011. Our products mainly supply the famous Uniqlo, a casual brand in Japan. Currently, we can only produce in China, and the number of orders has exceeded 1 million. M.” Li Shuangyin told reporters.

Environmental fabrics along the way

“86% of respondents think that their environmental awareness and behavior have improved significantly over the past few years; 75% of respondents are pursuing a healthier and quality life and started to buy green products. In addition, over half of the respondents consider the green Environmental protection is a fashion trend, and 44% of overseas returnees who have lived overseas have deliberately purchased green products and become another major consumer group. Although green products are generally more expensive than similar products, consumers are healthy and can save money. Most of the products are willing to give a try. The survey also shows that the purchase rate of customers for environmental protection clothing is 57%. Environmental protection products will become a new bright spot for the growth of the mainland consumer market."

Excerpt from the latest report published by the HKTDC “Green Consumption Survey in Mainland China” is a survey of 2,400 consumers from 6 cities in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Chengdu and Wuhan.

The results show that "environmental consumption" has long been no longer limited to slogan slogans on paper, but has become a consumer trend in today's market. In this regard, clothing companies have also launched new products, playing "environmental protection card."

GUESS launched organic cotton environmental protection jeans "GUESSGreen", LVMH announced that its EDUN brand will use organic cotton, Youngor create a "Han family", sea e home research and development "iron shirts", even the fast fashion brand H & M also launched ConsciousCollection white The series focuses on the environmental protection concept of organic materials such as organic cotton, Tencel and recycled polyester.

“Currently, the fabric trend is basically in the direction of environmental protection, health, and being close to nature.” At the scene of “Static Display of Fashion Trends for Fall/Winter 2012/2013 Fabrics” held in Ningbo, Wang Xi, Marketing Manager of China Textile Information Center, said about the future of fabrics.

Understand the importance of the environmental protection market for garment companies, fabric companies immediately launched a new round of environmental protection fabric research and development.

Xinshen Group introduced flax green fabrics. In addition to the perspiration-absorbing and breathable properties of flax itself, it also adopted innovative technology to overcome the shortcomings of lack of elasticity and easy wrinkling of flax, and its participation products were also successfully selected as “Chinese Spring Fabrics for Spring/Summer 2012”.

Dingtian has developed recycled polyester yarns and obtained the certification of the authority of the Dutch recycle. At the same time, the company also successfully developed a light rubbing and washing yarns and easily washed decontamination and breathable energy-saving products, and obtained patents.

Haixing Material Science and Technology Co., Ltd. and DuPont Co., Ltd. jointly developed a high-tech, differentiated fiber - Shu elastic yarn. It is reported that Shu elastic filament is made of vegetable fiber, and the energy consumption of the production process is low, and the remaining material can be recycled. After the post-treatment, it can achieve the purpose of recycling. It is a well-deserved environmental protection fabric.

Innovation promotion win market

"Globally" 2012 China Textile City boutique fashion fabric exhibition, 2011 Yangtze River Delta women's fashion brand and China popular fabric companies special matchmaking, fashion fabrics and clothing brand matchmaking ......

The meeting between fabrics and apparel companies has become an important means for market promotion in recent years.

"Fabric and clothing brand matchmaking meeting, on the one hand, has solved the problem of information asymmetry between the two sides, allowing fabric companies to better understand the needs of apparel brands and play an important role in the timely adjustment of product development direction. On the other hand, it also enhances the understanding and trust of the supply and demand sides, which is conducive to the development of the fashion industry.” At the China Textile and Apparel Brands Venture Park (Fashion Valley), a responsible person of a fabric company was represented at a matchmaking meeting for popular fabrics and clothing brands. Road.

Similarly, the fabric industry is also actively exploring the establishment of an Internet service platform to facilitate the connection with apparel companies more conveniently and quickly.

“The Textile Mobile Showroom enables global buyers to learn about fabric product information in mobile showrooms in real time, and to fully understand the company’s product bar codes through the mobile showroom’s product bar code management system, with barcode scanners, or on the China Textile City website. Detailed information, and can achieve online trading for the product.” Ding Jianjun, general manager of the online textile city, told reporters.

At the same time, fabric companies are also actively exploring new e-commerce models that are linked to companies.

Although the exploration of the new model still faces the ambiguity of “customers are still accustomed to meeting orders”, the fabric companies have also actively resolved the difficulties in channel exploration from “improving intermediate service links”.

In recent years, the innovative achievements of fabric companies are worthy of our recognition, but some problems still exist. The innovation of Chinese fabric companies is still on the way.

“At the matchmaking scene, we found that some companies originally hung up the newly developed fabrics. However, it was found that some of the audience's purpose was not very clear. In order to prevent plagiarism, they were all withdrawn.” Global Fabrics Business Center Vice President Chief editor Xia Jingshu told reporters at the Women's Fabric Matchmaking Conference.

The emergence of this problem, in addition to a weak environment for the protection of intellectual property rights, there are still fabric companies and clothing companies docking is still in the "mutual contact" of the primary docking stage, did not establish "peer to peer" cooperation. Imagine if the design of the fabric design is carried out in the communication with the garment company, the new fabric has already started production and marketing from the beginning of production.

The innovative achievements of fabrics have indeed benefited many service companies, but in recent years, the quality problems of the fabric industry have also caused headaches for enterprises.

Not long ago, the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision announced the results of the fourth quarter of 2011 clothing quality checks, 14 clothing brands boarded the "black list", including a number of well-known clothing brands; Similarly, Wenzhou City Industrial and Commercial Bureau in the fourth quarter of last year spot checks The total pass rate of randomly sampled large-scale department stores and specialty stores, mid-to-high grade clothing, was only 38%.

Analyzing the results of the Quality Supervision Bureau's report, it is not difficult to see that excellent fastness, PH value, fiber content, etc. have become the “black list” of the quality of clothing. The bottom line is that the quality of surface materials is irrelevant.

Quality is the bottom line of all products, no matter which industry innovation and upgrading can not be separated from the quality to talk about, fabrics are so, accessories are as it is.