Saturday 30 April 2011

In the UK: Kate and William's Royal Wedding

For those of you who may have missed all the fanfare, Kate Middleton Married her Prince William. A well-kept secret, Kate Middleton's dress was made by Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton. Chelsy Davy was seen wearing an Alberta Ferretti gown. The bride's sister wore another of Sarah Burton's fabulous creations for the ceremony whilst choosing a design by Alice Temperley. The bride's mother, meanwhile, chose to wear a creation made by Catherine Walker, a favourite designer of the late Princess Diana.


Saturday 23 April 2011

American Apparel May Receive up to $43 Million From Canadian Investors to Prevent Bankruptcy

American Apparel, a Los Angeles vertically-integrated apparel company, has not been doing well financially. When the 2010 4th quarter financial statement was released at the end of March showing a 19.3Million USD net loss in worth compared with a net profit the previous year, American Apparel began looking for investors in order to prevent bankruptcy. They needed at least 10-15 Million USD, and have managed this last week to secure up to $43 million in financial investments, a good portion of which comes from Canadian investors. American apparel is on Scriptsmart's list of gift cards to avoid due to financial instability. Investors will buy shares at a rate of $.90 USD/share, a significantly lower rate than American Apparel's stock value at the end of this week ($1.24USD/share). To further complicate matters, American Apparel and its CEO, Dov Charney, are currently involved in sexual harrasment lawsuits.

For more information, I also recommend checking out this online article written by Jim Edwards on CBS's Bnet website. 

Saturday 16 April 2011

Textiles: Rising Cotton Prices May Begin to Fall

Textile cotton prices may begin to fall if the current projected output for this year is correct, there should be surplus of cotton totally approximately 9 million bales. Currently, however, the whole global cotton market is in chaos. New York Future's prices for May are at just over $2. Turkey’s Tariş Cotton Union is exporting cotton bales rather than sell them domestically due to the large difference in market price. China has been drastically increasing the amount of cotton exported over the past few years. India has banned international exports, so Pakistan has been buying from Uzbekistan. Some reasons given for the increase in the price of cotton include conflict in the north African and Gulf regions, natural disasters in the last couple years in cotton-producing countries such as Pakistan and Australia, and an increase in demand. However, this year, countries such as Pakistan are expected to have a much better crop production, and cotton production worldwide should be able to meet worldwide demand.


Picture from 
http://centralasianewswire.com/International/Businesses-see-benefits-tonbspUzbek-Cotton-Fair/viewstory.aspx?id=1958

Friday 15 April 2011

Learning a New Language May Help Your Career

It is no secret that in recent years, due in part to new technology and innovations such as the internet, the world is being subject to increasing globalisation. In most major cities around the world, it is not uncommon to see signs in multiple languages such as English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, etc. With more apparel and textile manufacturers doing business in multiple countries, it may help to have at least a minimal knowledge of the language in order to make business travel more convenient. Becoming fluent in two or more languages may result in increased chances enhancing one's career portfolio.

There are multiple ways to learn a new language. There are language programs offered through local colleges and universities, language schools near home and abroad, and language courses offered via skype with a personal language tutor from virtually anywhere in the world. Furthermore, there are self-study materials available. Additionally, some countries offer television programs in more than one language. For instance, within the United States, it is not uncommon for their to be Spanish channels in addition to their main selection of English channels. When choosing a program that is right for you, consider how much time you have to devote to language learning, how you learn best, and what your budget is. Know what your priorities are in this regard. If you have a particular deadline in mind, then time may become a more important factor than money for you, for example.


Some sources for further reading include:
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/postgraduate/postgraduate-study/teaching-english-overseas-graduates-with-a-foreign-language-have-a-huge-edge-in-the-job-market-2267504.html
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2011/04/11/language-under-fire/
http://www.mndaily.com/2011/04/14/bilingual-advantage
http://arabnews.com/opinion/letters/article354504.ece?comments=all

Saturday 9 April 2011

Canadian Chain Closes All 76 Stores; New "Healthy" Apparel

Picture from http://www.oshawacentre.com/
directory.php?id=33


Tabi Stores, Inc, a Canadian apparel company that specializes in casual attire for 40+ year-old women, is set to close all of its remaining 76 stores as the company files for bankruptcy. They are using Farber Financial Group to help with bankruptcy process. Currently, all Tabi stores are offering a 20-40% discount on all merchandise. Merchandising fixtures are also for sale. According to one website, they are no longer accepting gift cards.

Not all Canadian apparel companies are struggling to stay in business. One Canadian store that is doing extremely well financially is Lululemon. Lululemon is an athleticwear company that specializes in yoga clothing for both men and women. Their clothes incorporate modern apparel technology, including the use of silver fibres for their antibacterial properties. Their stock shares have nearly tripled in value since last August.

Newly launched apparel companies in the realm of athletic and health-related apparel include a new line of fashionable sun-protective clothing by Mott50, a recent US start-up company. Bill Schultz recently created a posture-correcting shirt that has been proven to work in helping at least one patient correct posture.

In other world news, India's Madame brand is set to launch a line of apparel for young girls. South Korean manufacturing company Sae-A Trading Co. Ltd plans to open a large assembly plant in Haiti next March. Multiple companies, including Inter Parfums, are interested in buying a 45% stake in Jean-Paul Gaultier. The 21st Vietnam International Textile and Garment Industry exhibition opened 8 Apr, 2010, showcasing modern textile machinery. A US Outdoor Act has been introduced in order to aid in the affordability and research of athletic apparel. A design contest in New Zealand honours young design talent.

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Month of April

Dear blog viewers,

I hope you have been enjoying watching my blog grow and evolve from its beginnings in January. Changes to expect this month are no set time limit for posting. There will be at least one post every Saturday. Other than that, I will most likely post 1-2 other posts if time is available. This blog is finally starting to find its rhythm and for that I am grateful. Once again, any feedback you could give would be appreciated! Hope you all have a great month! 'Til next time,

Miss Lori

Blog Author.

Saturday 2 April 2011

AAFA Lists International Restricted Substances while Nike honors Cheech & Chong

The American Apparel and Footwear Association has compiled a list of laws and regulations that apply to products and substances used in the manufacturing of apparel and footwear products. These regulations can be used by industry personnel to in order to meet the law requirements of various countries while also possibly providing the necessary means by which to increase environmental protection awareness globally.

Meanwhile, Nike will soon be releasing a skater shoe in honor of Cheech & Chong. Although there is a correlation between a relatively high percentage of marijuana smokers and people who enjoy activities such as skateboarding, rollerblading, etc., I am not sure that I agree with Nike, an athletic apparel & footwear associations, deciding to honor two people associated with pot smoking. Irregardless of one's stance on the legality of marijuana, any athletic company that appears to support things that are contraindicative of good health just seems a bit ethically wrong.

In other news:-Pakistan's fashion week seems to have showcased up & coming designers in the area, but still needs more time and development before it rivals other international fashion weeks, such as those held in Turkey, France, Italy, and the US.

-Marc Jacob's ex-COO has filed a lawsuit against Marc Jacob's president for creating a "discriminatory enivornment".

-American Apparel may be forced to file bankruptcy soon.

What impact may Japan have on international apparel and textile market? Click here for the link to the just-style article.