Fashion Comes First
If you thought natural fibers would be a natural fit in the lingerie sector, think again.
By Veronica Zaragovia
China’s taste for better quality apparel has been good news for European mills. The mainland domestic market is becoming an increasingly good customer for high-end European fabrics for both outerwear and lingerie.
At the recent Shanghai Mode Lingerie (October 19-20), there were noticeably few organic or recycled textiles which dominated Intertextile Shanghai on the opposite side of town. Natural fibers don’t always work with the [lingerie] machinery and, as Marie-Dominique de Fondaumiere, exhibition manager, said, the fair’s aim was to promote lingerie as fashionable. Inside Fashion found that organic and recycled textiles aren’t yet as trendy for this market.
But the lingerie market continues to grow, and developments are expected, particularly in China, where, according to a Mode Lingerie report, the lingerie, underwear, legwear and pajama market has increased to €4.8 billion ($6.72 billion). So far, however, only 10 percent of the Chinese population spends more than €250 (US$350) a year on clothing.
A rise in visitors from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia pointed to the efforts these countries were making to improve the quality of their lingerie, said de Ms. Fondaumiere. From Chinese exhibitors, we saw improved quality and design, softer laces and better elastics for bras.
China is becoming increasingly important, said Arnaud Limousin, sales director at Brunet International, a supplier of high quality laces.
For Brunet, the focus is on fine fabrics. “Natural fibers are difficult to run on our machines,” Limousin said. “And the price has to come into the equation.” Lace with 30 to 40 percent organic material is not sufficient to call it natural, he said, and sourcing top quality natural fibers for their machines is difficult.
Sean Ashby, a visitor at the fair and the founder and co-owner of AussieBum, came to look for new technologies and new applications. His customers don’t demand organic or recycled fabrics much, he said. “It used to be about the impact to the environment, but now it’s how it impacts the individual - how the skin reacts.”
Mr. Ashby, whose company manufacturers in Australia, said the loss of jobs at home is becoming a heated topic – especially as more companies source offshore. Australians want to support companies that keep jobs domestically. “People are buying less for the label and more for what the brand values,” Ashby said.
Still, there’s no denying the region’s growing role in the garment industry. “Asia is more relevant with the global economic impact, especially in Europe,” he said. “European brands are setting up in Asia to work side by side with the companies that are copying the same innovation.”
Alen Wang, director of NICEunderwear, said his Shanghai-based company manufactures high-end underwear fabrics for companies like Calvin Klein, and they do have the option of natural fabrics like bamboo or silk that contains milk. Though Wang was hesitant to admit any financial woes, he said clients are ordering less of the natural materials because of the economic downturn.
DJIC of Taiwan also uses bamboo, said Mark Chou, a sales representative. Bamboo is plentiful in Taiwan and grows quickly, he said, adding that bamboo fabric is of interest to companies like H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Puma and Adidas.
Hong Kong-based Vikum Alwis of MAS Intimates, a Sri Lankan manufacturer for companies like Victoria’s Secret, does use organic cotton for customers like Nike and Adidas. Asked whether he feared growing competition from China, Alwis said his company stands apart from Chinese ones. “We have an ethical practice – we pay our workers fairly. We live because of them,” he said. “If you see a factory in China versus one in Sri Lanka, you’ll see the garment quality is ahead.”
While Alwis said the collection at Mode Lingerie had improved from last year, Klaus J. Kubach of Plenty Luck Industrial wasn’t as impressed. “We came to see our suppliers and meet with customers,” Klaus said. “There was no need to go otherwise. We saw most of it in Paris already.”