REFINED AND TAILORED LOOKS LEAD THE LEVI’S® FALL/WINTER 2012 COLLECTION

The Levi’s® Fall/Winter 2012 collection is based on a refined and tailored look, for both men and women
inspired by the ocean, coastal communities and their associated handcrafted tradition. The essence of the
collection is in its refined intention and tailored head-to-toe looks melding craftsmanship, honesty and
authenticity. All this while honoring tradition, defying convention, redefining the norm and re-crafting and recreating iconic Levi’s® styles.

The Collection
The ritual of dressing for the task at hand is as old as humanity, and it’s something the Levi’s® brand has
always understood. Now available in exclusive Levi’s® stores across India, the new Fall/Winter 2012
collection is made for those who get dressed each morning with purpose, with the intention and optimism to
make a positive difference in the world.
The men’s collection offers classic yet contemporary head-to-toe looks built around refined styles with sharp
clean aesthetics, tailored to perfection. The key item for men this season is the reconstructed classic 5-
pocket jean. The jean, first introduced by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis in 1873, has evolved through the
years improving with age. Driven by a commitment to craftsmanship, this fall, the brand will re-introduce the
classic 5-pocket jean with a host of upgraded features.
In addition to the re-crafted classic 5-pocket jeans, the brand is launching the range of Levi’s® Sta-Prest™
pants in India. Originally introduced in the 1960’s, when Levi Strauss & Co. found a way to give a permanent,
sharp front crease to non-denim pants, Levi’s® Sta-Prest™ pants became the rage across America almost
overnight. Now they're back, and just as sharp. Designed to keep a permanent front crease, you get that new,
first-wear look every time – without all the work.
The overall style of the women’s collection is classic and refined with a clean, tailored aesthetic and
pronounced femininity. The key silhouette for women this season is the Bootcut Skinny, which the Levi’s®
brand has completely reinvented. No longer your mother’s bootcut denim, this season will see the launch of
this new take on a classic – a sexy, modern skinny fit making you think differently about the bootcut.
In addition to the Bootcut Skinny, the brand is launching a feminine tailored dress collection. These tastefully
crafted garments give a subtle nod to the idea of femininity but thoughtfully leave it open for interpretation.
The Levi’s® Dress Collection includes several new denim and non-denim dress styles in a variety of
fabrications including light, effortless knits, cotton-linens and soft chambrays.
As part of Levi Strauss & Co.’s profits through principles approach, sustainability is embedded throughout
the collection, with the use of Waterthis season.

Want more info about Levi’s® Fall 2012 Collection? Contact us at:
Amruta Navghare
Madison PR for the Levi’s® brand
(91) 98199-45670
amruta@fort.madisonindia.com

Source: http://levi.in/media-info/press-releases.html

YUVRAJ SINGH’S FASHION LABEL YWC LAUNCHES ITS FIRST TVC

YUVRAJ SINGH’S FASHION LABEL YWC LAUNCHES ITS FIRST TVC

YWC, a fashion label by cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has launched its first TVC campaign. The theme of the TVC revolves around 'Get up and Do it again' philosophy, a reflection of the fighter spirit of the brand ambassador and owner, Yuvraj Singh.

The larger level message that goes out via the TVC is to never let the champion within us die out. Life is a challenge but that is what makes it worthwhile and every challenge/failure brings the opportunity to emerge as a hero.

The TVC revolves around the story of Yuvraj Singh, the maverick who has broken conventions and the stigma around cancer. During the initial shots, we see him thinking aloud and talking about what it takes to be a champion. His entire life journey is projected very powerfully through the visuals; we see him recalling the highest highs to the lowest lows of his life. Images of Yuvraj from the time of him being the young turk who used to hit sixes at his will to the traumatic phase in the hospital takes the audiences on an emotional ride.

The film has been directed by Prasad Naik and produced by Allan D'Souza & Geeta Laxman by Fusion Films.

The YWC TVC focuses on all the mavericks, the doers, the fighters, and the champions who have made a comeback against all odds. It is through and through about the conquerors at life. The music is directed by Micu Patel along with sound design team led by Arun Crasto. The YWC label, in harmony with modern silhouettes, offers a unique blend of futuristic designs, chic fabrics and attitude amalgamated in one perfect collection.

It offers top-notch clothing creating a new benchmark for premium fashion. Royalties from the sales proceedings from YWC label will be channelized to help support the YOUWECAN Foundation. Buying YWC product helps cancer survivors and patients for funding treatment and education to give them the fair chance of a much deserved life. The YWC label resonates the 'live, dare and inspire', motto of Yuvraj Singh.

Source: https://www.ywcfashion.com/pages/yuvraj-singh-s-fashion-label-ywc-launches-its-first-tvc

E-commerce discounts unsettle Aditya Birla Fashion’s premium brands

Last Modified: Mon, Sep 05 2016. 12 45 PM IST

Price discounts on online platforms and frequent sales drives are unsettling Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd’s (AB Fashion) premium brands business and driving a strategy rethink.

Sales at Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, which has premium brands, fell 3% in April-June, the second consecutive quarterly drop. As the company refrained from deep discounting to protect brand value, throughput volumes fell, impacting the unit’s operating profit.

Sales at Pantaloons, which operates in the value segment, grew 31%, helping the company register a respectable revenue growth of 8%. With the division seeing good traction, analysts expect it to continue to drive growth at AB Fashion and Retail.

But it will be lopsided growth—not least because Madura is more profitable than Pantaloons.

A significant part of AB Fashion and Retail’s capital is invested in Madura (roughly half of stand-alone assets are in Madura). The division generates more than half of AB Fashion’s revenues and weak performance is weighing on the overall performance.

The company is recalibrating the Madura business.

It is reducing fixed costs, increasing the season cycles and is driving digital transformation through the omni channel programme (shoppers can check unavailable inventory at stores and order online).

The measures and inventory drawdown process are estimated to take another quarter to begin showing results, which means Q2 could also be weak.

Aided by the wedding and festive season, the company expects Madura’s performance to recover from October or in the second half of the fiscal year.

But the street is sceptical. The stock fell sharply after the Q1 results and is yet to recover.

That is due to weak pricing power. Discounts have become sales drivers. Online platforms continue to offer high discounts and retail stores are being forced to follow suit. Further, with the consolidation in e-commerce firms (such as the Myntra-Jabong combination), analysts fear the market will continue to see pricing pressures.

To be sure, the problem is not typical to AB Fashion.

The whole apparel and retail industry is facing pressure on prices and realizations.

“It looks like now that it is a new normal that there will be discounting, there will be schemes and you have to live with those and then really still ensure that you can make money out of it,” Shoppers Stop Ltd told analysts last month.

But companies are getting around this. Branded apparel divisions of both Arvind Ltd and Raymond Ltd registered good sales growth in the June quarter. It is a different matter that these companies are yet to attain decent profitability.

But AB Fashion’s Madura is yet to even reach this stage. Of course, as pointed out earlier, the company is working on it.

Proof that the company is mastering the online strategy without sacrificing too much on profitability will bring relief to investors.

R. Sree Ram

Source: www.livemint.com/Money/aGQOhYR3ocv1f9tSan7kTO/Ecommerce-discounts-unsettle-Aditya-Birla-Fashions-premium.html

India Retail Forum: Raymond to enter ethnic wear, footwear categories

By: FE Bureau | Mumbai | Updated: September 22, 2016 6:52 AM

Textile and apparel manufacturer Raymond is planning to enter the ethnic wear and footwear category by end of October, Gaurav Mahajan, president, group apparel, said on the sidelines of India Retail Forum.

He said that the company is planning to enter new categories and increase its product assortments to tap growth in these segments. In footwear ,the company would focus on both made-to-measure as well as readymade stuff.

According to Arvind Singhal, chairman, Technopak, “Ethnic wear brands in the country like Fabindia, Biba, W among others are very successful as demand is strong in this category and Raymond is also likely to benefit from it. However, I am not too sure about the growth in footwear category.”

The company is in the process of revamping its existing 1,000 Raymond Shop stores to Raymond Store of the Future, as it plans to digitise the stores with more smart features like providing tab to customers inside the store to browse the entire collection available.

The company has also shut around 10 loss making stores in the last one year, Mahajan said.

The group owns apparel brands like Raymond, Raymond Premium Apparel, Park Avenue, Park Avenue Woman, ColorPlus and Parx.

Raymond’s net loss in Q1 FY17 widened to Rs 16.61 crore from a net loss of Rs 14.47 crore during the same period last year. Consolidated total income from operations during the period was up 4.81% year-on-year to Rs 1,057.36 crore.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/companies/india-retail-forum-raymond-to-enter-ethnic-wear-footwear-categories/385624/

Africa Fashion Week Returns To Los Angeles

 LOS ANGELES, CA, September 23, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Africa Fashion Week Los Angeles (AFWLA) is back, bringing a unique cultural aesthetic and global perspective to LA Fashion Week. 

The 3-day event will take place at Playground Studios in Downtown Los Angeles October 20th - 22nd. In addition to the runway shows, AFWLA will feature networking mixers, a salon featuring talks by inspirational entrepreneurs in African Fashion, and a retail shop where guests can shop the runway. 

This year the producers of AFWLA, Continent Creative, will be partnering with Claire Sulmers, of Fashion Bomb Daily. Claire and her team will be covering each day of events and networking with guests. Claire will also host a live stream of the event on AFWLA's social media platforms. With 2.4 million monthly visitors, Fashion Bomb Daily is one of the top 50 most influential style sites in the world and the number one multicultural online fashion magazine. 

Continent Creative is also excited to announce Osengwa as its digital sponsor. Osengwa is a retail platform which presents carefully curated neo-African clothing, art and designs for young, trendsetting Africans in the diaspora who are looking for unique pieces that connect them with home. Osengwa will highlight clothing from its rooster of innovative designers and artists, including Orange Culture, Data Oh, I.AM.ISIGO and Paolo Sisiano. 

"We're pleased to partner with Fashion Bomb Daily and Osengwa, both innovative fashion brands that like AFWLA, reflect a multi-cultural and global world view," said Onyinyechi Egeonuigwe, Founder of Continent Creative. "These partnerships will allow AFWLA to further its commitment to raising the profile of African designers in LA's intersected fashion, entertainment and creative spaces." 

The event will be managed by NINE, a consulting and event management company who's past events include: Hill Harper's Manifest Your Destiny Foundation Holiday Toy Drive, the Blackout Music and Film Festival and Love is a VERB.

Africa Fashion Week Los Angeles (AFWLA) is a premiere multi-day event focused on bridging the gap between US buyers and African designers or artists. Our objective is to enhance the African textile and art industry by providing a platform for established and emerging African creatives to showcase their talents to a broad audience. AFWLA allows designers and artists take advantage of global opportunities and gain international exposure while growing their businesses therefore, boosting the African economy. We define Africa in diasporic terms, which includes designers, artists and affiliates with links to the African continent from all parts of the globe. AFWLA is committed to exhibiting collections of excellence and we aim to provide potential buyers with a diverse array of pieces and looks.

Source: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/africa-fashion-week-returns-to-los-angeles-428648.php

Delta Apparel Acquires COAST Apparel Brand

08/30/2016

GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Apparel, Inc. (NYSE MKT:DLA) today announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of COAST Apparel.   The COAST Apparel brand integrates the coastal experience of weekends and summers at the beach with everyday life throughout the year. Beginning with just a men’s polo shirt, COAST Apparel has since expanded into a full line of traditional, sports-casual attire, headwear and accessories. COAST Apparel primarily markets direct-to-consumer through two retail stores, located in Greenville, South Carolina and Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, and via its ecommerce site at www.coastapparel.com, and can also be found at select independent retailers.  

Robert W. Humphreys, Delta Apparel’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented that “We are pleased to add COAST to our portfolio of lifestyle brands and are excited about its geographic versatility and growth potential across regional markets.  Our recent experience and success in nurturing and growing other young brands and start-up businesses, particularly Salt Life and Art Gun, have proven the benefits of early-stage investment in high-growth potential brands and business extensions.  Through our infrastructure at Delta Apparel, COAST should be able to rapidly expand its footprint and grow its offerings to consumers.  We plan to immediately add more COAST retail doors and build consumer awareness through enhanced digital outreach, positioning Delta Apparel for even faster e-commerce and direct-to-consumer growth.”

Source: www.deltaapparelinc.com/news/press-releases/press-release-details/2016/Delta-Apparel-Acquires-COAST-Apparel-Brand/default.aspx

Knit Show 2016, 07-09 August 2016

Knit Show is a ideal platform to link manufacturers and buyers, streamlining the sourcing process in order to save your valuable time and giving you an edge in the ever increasing competitive business. Knit Show is India's biggest garment accessory and process show featuring a gamut of products and services in the textile and garment sphere. A constructive forum for the exhibitors to make new in-roads into the market through interaction and first-hand experience.

Knit Show, organized at Tirupur, the knit wear hub of India, is poised to take a leap in terms of both number and quality of the participants. Knit Show 2015 is expected to host over 300 exhibitors from various spheres of textile industry and also from different parts of the country. Thus it presents a unique promotion programme, molding a strategic alliance between manufacturers and buyers of quality accessories, machinery and other in-puts.

Since inception in the year 2000, Knit Show has stayed focused on accomplishing the aim of delivering the highest standards of services customer expect. Year 2015 will witness the 14th edition of Knit Show, an extravaganza that exhibits accessories and machineries that play a vital role in enhancing the quality of the knit / woven garments. Building on the most enthusiastic response of the participants in all our 13 events, we are getting geared up with our long experience and best efforts to enable you take off your business to higher growth levels.

Many industry experts have acclaimed Knit Show as a right platform to increase the prominence of the brand. Knit Show is expected to draw a large number of visitors from Tirupur and other neighboring textile centers like Coimbatore, Karur, Erode, Salem, Madurai business centers' in Kerala as well as mega cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. So, be there to explore, discover and make an edge in your business. Be where your buyers are! Be from where you can begin confident strides in your business!.

EVENT CALENDAR

Date : August 07th (Sunday) 2016  to  August 9th (Tuesday) 2016
Time:Daily 10.00 am to 7.00 pm
 
VENUE: Venue: Velan Hotel Fair Ground,  Tirupur, India
The venue for Knit Show 2015 is at Tirupur, a place considered to be the melting pot of new age Indian Textile Industry. Closer proximity to textile peripherals and easy access via road, railway and even by air has made Tirupur a favorite locale ever since Knit Show has marked its inception.
KNIT SHOW TRADE EXPOSITION

372-A, Lakshmi Complex, Mangalam Road, Tirupur-641604, TamilNadu, India.
Phone          :   + 91 - 421 - 2247494 / 2234721
Fax               :   + 91 - 421 – 4324494
Email           :   info@knitshow.in / sales@knitshow.in / knitshow@gmail.com
Website      :   www.knitshow.in