Hedvig
Jess A
Steve Frous
Martine Falk Andersen
Ala Konturek
Taiwan’s Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) has initiated a new fashion hub in Taipei and in other regions across the country. The new fashion centres have been established by the IDB in cooperation with three industry research organizations and a number of local governments.
The fashion centres are established with an aim to intensify Taiwan’s textile industry’s design and technology innovation and to boost its global competitiveness.
Taiwan’s Premier Wu Den-yih said that the opening of the new centres, marks the beginning of a new era for ‘Made in Taiwan’ (MIT) products.
With assistance of the IDB under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), Fashion Institute of Taipei (FIT) was transformed into a fashion centre from a fashion cultural hall.
According to experts, Taiwan’s textile industry has earned itself a good recognition amongst customers across the globe. Besides, an increasing number of Taiwanese designers are bagging prestigious global fashion awards.
The launch of new textile design hubs in Changhua, Yuniln, Taipei and Taichung regions are believed to boost the MIT brand with improved quality, more innovative designs and enhanced value addition. This would be so, because these centres would facilitate streamlining of the industry and thus production volumes could be hiked efficiently.
Besides helping the domestic textile and fashion design to keep in tune with up-to-the-minute global fashion trends, these new centres would even help to generate more prominent fashion designers from the next generation, the officials said.
On the occasion of Pitti Uomo 80 and Pitti W 8 (14-17 June 2011), Pitti Immagine, the Fondazione Pitti Discovery and Osservatorio Arti Contemporanee (OAC) dell'Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze will proudly present the first edition of Pitti Guest Nation, the project dedicated primarily to the new players on the global economy with the aim of promoting trade and further mutual knowledge between the host and guest countries.
We warmly welcome our first guest nation, Brazil, a huge country in the midst of great cultural, social and economic changes that make it a leading actor on the international stage. During Pitti Uomo, the best of the country's new fashion talents, contemporary art and culture will be showcased in Florence through a series of events held at some very special locations.
Guest Nation Brazil comprises two distinct yet synergic themes: fashion and contemporary art. Together they trigger a circuit between the business and cultural system, between fashion and esthetic/artistic languages, between the fair and the city and open a new door to learning about this great, complex and fascinating country.
Young fashion talents. Pitti Immagine has reserved an area within Pitti W (at the Dogana) specifically for new talents in women's fashions from Brazil. The area will showcase a selection of young brands and designers – curated by the fashion consultant Helena Montanarini - who represent the most creative looks in Made in Brazil fashion – and some of them will be making their European debuts here in Florence. The participating brands and designers: Clube Bossa, Gilda Midani, Isabela Capeto, Louloux, Muggia, New Order, Oestudio, Vanessa Montoro, Victor Dzenk.
Contemporary art and creativity. From Monday 13 to Thursday 16 June the former Esattoria della Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, will host Tudo è, curated by Alberto Salvadori and Andrea Lissoni and produced by Fondazione Pitti Discovery together with the Osservatorio per le Arti Contemporanee dell'Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze. Tudo è based on the visual arts, music, film and performances will present an ideal vision of a country – Brazil – that embodies the continuity of tradition and the roots of South American modernism, and the most contemporary forms of esthetic expression, and is capable of combining today's new creativity.
"It will be like a prè-sal (the sub-salt layer beneath the ocean that contains the huge oil and natural gas deposits that have been the symbol of Brazil's growth over the past two years)", say the curators Alberto Salvadori and Andrea Lissoni, "a place where there are multitudes of multiple talents; the wealth of a country which with speed, an awareness of its resources and faith in the present, is aiming towards a truly better future – a fantastic place that Italy still has to get to know fully."
For four days, artists such as Runo Lagomarsino, Pablo Nenflidio, the "unclassifiable" visual artists and musicians like Chelpa Ferro, musicians such as Siri and also DJs and producers like Nado Leal will unveil a growing world of thoughts and desires bringing Florence and Brazil together and generating an original mixture where freedom of thought, of expression, of imagination will be the fulcrum of the Guest Nation Brazil project.
The Guest Nation Brazil event is being produced under the patronage of the Brazilian Embassy in Italy, with the collaboration of Regione Toscana – Assessorato alla Cultura, Turismo e Commercio, and with the contribution of Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze Spa.
Bayer CropScience has successfully enforced its European Patent for imidacloprid against a number of agro-chemical suppliers within the European Union and against a generic manufacturer based in China.
Action was taken by Bayer CropScience against the following companies: Agropharm Limited (United Kingdom), Roots Ingenieros (Spain) and Eastsun Chemical Co. Limited (China). The infringers, who unlawfully sold imidacloprid produced in China to customers within the European Union and elsewhere, all settled out of court. They agreed to pay Bayer CropScience financial compensation in respect of their infringing activities and also in relation to Bayer CropScience’s legal costs.
The case shows Bayer CropScience’s commitment to defend its intellectual property rights and sends a strong signal to infringers. The case is notable for the fact that Bayer CropScience was successful in penetrating the entire supply chain from the manufacturer of the infringing product in China through its distribution chain in the European Union and on to the actual end customers and individual users.
Strong patent protection is the basis for Bayer CropScience’s high level of innovation. The company is therefore on constant alert for any activities that infringe its intellectual property rights including patents, trade marks and copyrights.
The active ingredient imidacloprid was developed by Bayer CropScience and belongs to the chloronicotinyl class of insecticides. Imidacloprid is the most successful insecticide worldwide, protecting more than 140 crops against many sucking insects in over 100 countries.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is becoming increasingly popular across Europe with a number of manufacturers and businesses starting to implement the technology to improve their business operations. One of the benefits to retailers and brands is that it can streamline the supply chain, helping to reduce out-of-stock scenarios. On 8 June in Brussels, Belgium, Checkpoint Systems will run an event that will focus on how RFID and labeling solutions can help boost sales and profits.
Dubbed ‘Fashion Day’, the event will feature presentations from a number of high profile speakers, including Leen Danhieux of GS1 Belgium and a senior representative from UK clothing retailer Matalan. Delegates will be able to hear how RFID can improve efficiency from source-to-store and how new technologies can boost sales in apparel outlets. Additionally, a leading international apparel retailer will explain how introducing source tagging helped it improve loss prevention and speed up a product’s time to shelf.
Checkpoint Systems will also be using the event to sneak preview its revolutionary new RFID platform for apparel retailers. The innovative ‘overhead’ solution is the first in a new and wider solution set of devices that will help stores track goods and improve loss prevention, thanks to unique tag-reading technologies developed by the company..
Apparel tags, labels and specialty trim play an essential role not just in-store, but in today’s supply chain. They help promote brand recognition, communicate important consumer information such as size and price or point-of-sale data like the barcode, but they also help protect against theft and counterfeiting. During Fashion Day, Checkpoint will showcase its full range of solutions that provide retailers and apparel manufacturers with a single source for all their branding, labeling and security needs.
By attending the one-day event, apparel retailers, fashion brands and clothing manufacturers will be able to find out about the latest developments in RFID technology and understand the benefits to their business. Checkpoint Systems will also run a series of hands-on workshops during Fashion Day that focus on labeling at source, store practice and high shrink management solutions.
Checkpoint Systems is a leading global supplier of shrink management, merchandise visibility and apparel labeling solutions for the retail industry and its supply chain. Fashion Day takes place from 11am-5pm on 8 June at SQUARE – Brussels Meeting Centre, Hall 400/410.
Checkpoint Systems is a global leader in shrink management, merchandise visibility and apparel labeling solutions. Checkpoint enables retailers and their suppliers to reduce shrink, improve shelf availability and leverage real-time data to achieve operational excellence.
Fortune Brands Inc announced a definitive agreement for the sale of its Acushnet Company golf business, featuring the iconic Titleist and FootJoy brands, to a group led by Fila Korea Ltd., the owner of the Fila brand globally, and Mirae Asset Private Equity, the largest private equity firm in Korea. The purchase price is $1.225 billion in cash. Fortune Brands estimates it will realize net proceeds of approximately $1.1 billion after taxes and expenses.
Acushnet is the leading and most profitable golf equipment company in the world. Titleist is the #1 ball in golf and a leader in high-performance golf clubs. FootJoy is the #1 shoe and glove in golf and a leader in performance outerwear. Net sales exceeded $1.2 billion in 2010, with nearly half of revenues generated in markets outside the United States. Operating income before charges was $80 million in 2010, and operating income on a GAAP basis was $89 million.
Established in Italy in 1911, Fila is a leading sport and leisure footwear and apparel brand that is distributed worldwide. The group led by Fila Korea and Mirae also includes the National Pension Service of Korea, the fourth largest pension fund in the world, and Korea Development Bank, Korea's largest government-owned bank.
"This transaction is a very important milestone as we execute our proposed plan to separate our three strong businesses for the purpose of maximizing long-term value for our shareholders," said Bruce Carbonari, chairman and chief executive officer of Fortune Brands.
"Not surprisingly, the sale process for Acushnet generated broad interest from a range of prospective buyers and resulted in this agreement that reflects the superior performance and prospects of the business. The proceeds from this sale will strengthen Fortune Brands' balance sheet and support strong capital structures for both Beam and Fortune Brands Home & Security as they look to the prospect of competing as independent companies later this year.
"At the same time, we believe Fila Korea and Mirae will enable the outstanding team at Acushnet to continue pursuing the strategies that have made it the preeminent company in golf, including delivering advanced-technology new products and driving strong growth across Asia," Carbonari continued. "We are grateful to all the associates at Acushnet who have built an industry leader and contributed to Fortune Brands' success for so many years. I have no doubt they will take Titleist and FootJoy to even greater heights in the future."
According to Gene Yoon, chairman and chief executive officer of Fila Korea, Ltd., "The acquisition of Acushnet transforms our platform with a stable of premiere world class brands. We are equally excited to embrace Acushnet's exceptional management team led by Wally Uihlein. With our extensive knowledge and reach in Asia, we believe that the Acushnet brands have incredible new opportunity for growth in the emerging markets in Asia."
The largest US chemical maker, Dow Chemical Co., has temporarily suspended its dock operations at two of its three crackers along the Mississippi river in Louisiana.
The step has been taken as a precautionary measure based on water-level projections which indicate a possibility of flooding from the swollen Mississippi river.
Heavy rain and melted snow have resulted in the swelling of Mississippi and Ohio rivers, which are inundating cities and towns along the banks, flooding agricultural land and even disrupting shipping.
The three ethylene plants of Dow located along the course of the river are Plaquemine 2, Plaquemine 3, and Taft 1. Plaquemine 2 and Plaquemine 3, both lying south of Baton Rouge, have production capacities of 499,000 tons and 758,000 tons of ethylene a year, respectively. Taft 1, which lies west of New Orleans at the St. Charles site in Hahnville, has a capacity to produce 610,000 tons of ethylene a year.
The company is not anticipating inundation at any of these sites, and hence has suspended only dock work. The company is trying to minimize the impact from the unwarranted situation and further decision would be taken only after the water level in the river subsides.
Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited announced the unaudited operating results of the Company and its subsidiaries for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011.
Under the China Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises, the Group's operating income for the Period amounted to RMB24.634 billion, representing an increase of 31.45% over the corresponding period of the previous year. Operating profit was RMB1.200 billion, up 4.74% year-on-year. Net profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company amounted to RMB0.912 billion, an increase of 1.85% year-on-year. Basic earnings per share was RMB0.127 (1Q 2010: RMB0.124).
Mr. Rong Guangdao, Chairman of Shanghai Petrochemical, said, "In the first quarter of 2011, China's macroeconomic situation improved further, leading to increases in the sales volume and unit price of products of the Company. As a result, operating income of the Company increased. However, unit cost of crude oil of the Company also rose as international crude oil prices stayed high, which resulted in an increase in operating costs. Faced with the pressure of oil refining cost, the Company will continuously optimize production and operation."
Shanghai Petrochemical is one of the largest petrochemical companies in the PRC and was one of the first Chinese companies to effect a global securities offering. Located at Jinshanwei in the southwest of Shanghai, it is a highly integrated petrochemical complex which processes crude oil into a broad range of products in synthetic fibres, plastics and resins, intermediate petrochemicals and refined oil products.
H. Stoll GmbH & Co. KG's history in the knitting machine manufacture industry started to 138 years ago. In 1892, Heinrich Stoll invented the world’s first purl stitch flat knitting machine, and thus, revolutionized the textile machinery market. To this day, STOLL continues to develop and pioneer the flat knitting machine technology, create innovative software solutions and modern knitting techniques.
At Shanghaitex 2011, from June 14 to 17, the Stoll stand will be located in Hall W1, Booth C01, and its Motto will be ‘our history – your future’.
The journey on the Stoll booth starts in the past. You will see in a chronological order the evolutionary steps of Stoll machines ranging from hand knitting to state-of-the-art machines. The leap forward in technology in this given time frame is documented by a CMS 330.6, an AJUM from 1936, an IBO hand flat knitting machine. As a highlight we will show a rare museum piece manufactured at our headquarters in 1905 in Reutlingen, the so-called LAMB model.
In the showroom area, these evolutionary steps can be appreciated by means of Stoll "vintage" collection Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 - a combination of craftsman tradition and the most modern industrial possibilities. This evidences the experience of 138 years of Stoll knitting history.
Continuing the journey at the Stoll booth, you will be lead from the past to the future.
A variety of Stoll state-of-the art flat knitting machines represents the present and the future of Stoll technology. Software applications are added values. Four different collections will be shown on the catwalk every day. Those collections were created by the Fashion & Technology Centers in Reutlingen and Shanghai and will outline the versatility of Stoll’s knitting technology when it comes to the creation of garments.
An additional highlight will be the presentation of the new CMS 502 HP and CMS 502 HP multi gauge. These machines are equipped with even more compact knitting systems and shorter carriage reversal times which results in productivity increase of 10%. The newly developed Productivity Enhancement Pack reduces many knitting sequences and time relevant side sequences which adds up to another 4 % on top! Thus, these two machines truly deserve the title “High Productivity".
The M1plus, will also be another major highlight in Shanghai. The new pattern software version combined with before mentioned machine improvements will lead to substantial run time savings and consequently unquestionable productivity increase.
Next to the showroom area where samples and pattern trends will be presented by experts, the visitors will also have the opportunity to mingle with business partners, customers, designers and knitwear purchasing agents in a relaxing atmosphere.
Craghoppers, Britain's largest outdoor apparel brand, officially launches nationwide in the United States this month. Already an expert-trusted brand in Europe, Craghoppers is part of the $600 million international Regatta Group and has been going strong for more than 40 years in the United Kingdom.
The U.S. introduction includes quality outdoor clothing under the Craghoppers brand, performance gear designed by Bear Grylls of Discovery Channel's Man Versus Wild TV show and NosiLife, the world's only permanent insect repellent clothing. All lines are available immediately.
"The Craghoppers brand is all about giving people the gear they need to live the kind of outdoor life that suits them best," says Lindsey Hayes, Craghoppers president, North America. "That can mean trips to the foothills of mountain ranges for climbing expeditions or healthy hiking excursions with family or friends.
"We've been around a long time in Europe and been put through our paces by people who really know outdoor adventure. People like Bear Grylls who knows what it takes to design and make gear that's as wearable for a weekend at the lake as it is climbing the north face. The United States is a big adventure for us this year and we're excited to open in one of the biggest outdoor recreational markets in the world."
Craghoppers products include both performance and outdoor jackets, fleeces, shirts, pants and a wide variety of accessories and come in two collections: Craghoppers and Bear Grylls for Craghoppers. The Bear Grylls collection, which has been available in the United States in a more limited capacity since 2010, is an exclusive line of high performance clothing and accessories that includes lightweight down jackets, waterproof performance shells and coordinating fleece liners, fleeces, parkas, mountain jackets and the now iconic shirts and pants all worn and put to the test by Bear on the show.
The 2011 Fall/Winter Craghoppers introduction also includes a line of permanent insect repellent clothing under the NosiLife brand. NosiLife is a world exclusive technology that uses a textile impregnation process to give synthetic fabrics permanent insect repellency that lasts a lifetime of wear. The technology is the only permanent insect replant technology in the world and has been rigorously and independently tested by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the leading test authority in Europe.
Craghoppers products win international design awards and become must-have iconic pieces for outdoors enthusiasts everywhere. The company manufactures and sells the best selling walking trouser in Europe, with sales currently topping around $600,000.
The Earth Positive range was named Best Initiative by a Small or Medium Size Business at the Climate Week Awards on March 21st. The awards were judged by a panel including author Ian McEwan, Lord Nicholas Stern (author of the Stern report), former Irish President Mary Robinson, eco-adventurer David de Rothschild and Tim Smit, founder of the Eden project.
Mariusz Stochaj, Head of Products at Continental Clothing, commented: “We are very excited to receive the nomination. Our low-carbon EarthPositive T-shirts have been immensely popular, showing not only that it is possible to make clothes cleanly and responsibly, but also that there is a growing demand for low-carbon, sustainable products".
Continental Clothing have been designing and manufacturing clothing since 1994 and their focus has been on creating high quality, expertly style garments for markets such as music merchandise, fashion, corporate promotions and athletics. They have been committed to environmentally sustainable and ethical production methods and actively support the growth and expansion of organic cotton farming - their Earth Positive range of apparel is 100% organic with a 90% reduced carbon footprint.
Cottonprint, one of the UK's leading suppliers of quality leisurewear, have recently added a full range of products by Continental Clothing, including EarthPositive, to their catalogue and can be seen online. Owner Richard Mather said “We are very pleased to be able to promote Continental Clothing's full range alongside the other quality brands we have on offer. They create high quality, expertly styled garments and their commitment to environmentally sustainable and ethical production methods is exactly what we want to promote here at Cottonprint".
Cottonprint are based in South Manchester and supply a range of leisurewear, school wear and workwear to clients throughout Europe. They offer a low-cost T-shirt printing and polo shirt embroidery service with short lead times.
