Apparel production is often prone to defects—particularly in the finishing process—whether it be stains, holes, untrimmed threads or stitching defects. Unfortunately, brands often don’t leverage systems that can gather insight that could determine the root of the problem and help train a factory on corrective actions.

Even if a merchant is collecting high-quality data, it is often done manually and accessed by users across different departments and countries, according to Michael Bland, senior partnership director at supply chain compliance solutions provider QIMA.

In a fireside chat with Sourcing Journal business editor Glenn Taylor, Bland discussed the importance of digitizing data collecting and reporting capabilities to mitigate product defects and reduce quality control issues.

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Trimco Group is a trims, labels, packaging and store decorations solutions specialist, and as a stakeholder of the brands’ supply chain, they are directly concerned by the evolution of the regulations. Trimco has developed expertise in this field and designed an industry-specific solution for global brand clients to track and trace their supply chains. With the new Product DNA digital platform and in-house compliance team, Trimco accompanies brands in their sustainability journey. Trimco's tagline “Together, We Act” underscores that commitment.

Lauren Parker, branded content manager of Sourcing Journal, sat down with Camilla Mjelde, compliance and sustainability director of Trimco Group, to discuss the myriad challenges of knowing what you need to know.

Watch the Fireside Chat to learn: 

·      How, and why, a trims, labels, and packaging company got involved with tracking and tracing, and how Trimco is in a unique position to help companies push out their messages.

·      How Trimco’s three-tiered Product DNA supports brands to unlock their supply chain traceability and visibility value. 

·      How global brands can navigate the labyrinth of global regulations that sometimes conflict from country to country.

 ·      The legal and social consequences of non-compliance.

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The fashion industry has increasingly embraced 3D design and digital “virtual twins” to speed up the manufacturing process, replace physical samples and save money. But the technology hasn’t always delivered when it comes to solving the industry’s biggest pain points.

 One serial entrepreneur who’s been reducing manufacturing costs in the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries for 40 years recently applied his expertise to the fashion industry. The resulting company is Clothing Tech LLC, and its patented product is called the Garment Digital Twin™.

In this Fireside Chat, Bill Wilcox, president and founder of Clothing Tech LLC, sits down with Kate Nishimura, features editor of Sourcing Journal, to discuss the software and its many advantages, namely speed and precision.

Watch the fireside chat to learn: 

·      The difference between designing in 3D and visualizing in 3D and why it matters

·      How Clothing Tech’s Garment Digital Twin™ creates a digital definition that is instantly readable by a computer

·      How more precision design significantly reduces the return rate for garments ordered via e-commerce

·      How Clothing Tech’s Garment Digital Twin™ embeds the tech pack right into the pattern

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Enhanced performance textiles cool you down when you’re hot, and help keep you warm when you’re cold. They also help you sleep better, perform better athletically, and stay cool and collected when it counts.

 Such thermoregulatory properties might sound like science fiction, but Cocona Labs developed its proprietary 37.5 Technology directly from nature. The company’s creator found he could withstand the high levels of heat in Japan’s volcanic sand baths due to a mineral that balanced heat gain and heat loss through moisture management. Fast forward to today, where the company has harnessed this technology and embedded it into textiles for apparel, footwear, bedding, home goods and more.

In this Fireside Chat, Edward Hertzman, founder of Sourcing Journal, sits down with Scott Whipps, EVP global apparel, and Beth Amason, VP of fabric innovation, at Cocona Labs, the makers of 37.5 Technology. They explain how their natural mineral technology works to enhance the textiles of their brand partners, and how it also creates a more sustainable product.

Watch the Fireside Chat to learn:

· What the number 37.5 specifically represents in thermoregulation and how its technology can be applied to textiles

· How this technology has been proven to increase athletic performance and endurance, both for professional athletes and the sports enthusiast

· How 37.5 Technology is different from wicking or phase-change technology

· How Cocona Labs partners with its brand partners to help them explain the technology to their consumers

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Already aspiring to deliver “the greenest ecosystem that denim has ever seen,” Crescent Bahuman Limited is taking other supply chain imperatives head on with the launch of its “Smart Factory 4.0” journey and implementing tracing technology from PaperTale.

The digitization investments come as the denim manufacturer aims to fortify its ongoing sustainability and transparency initiatives with the support of more granular data.

Listen to the chat between Zaki Saleemi, vice president of Crescent Bahuman, and Edward Hertzman, founder of Sourcing Journal, to learn how the company's Smart Factory supports "intelligent decision-making."

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Of all the takeaways from the pandemic period, one of the most crucial is the value of strong partnerships.

Fabric sourcing firm Concept III saw firsthand how the trials of Covid-19—from freight issues to factory closures— strengthened the working relationships along the supply chain. In its own operations, the U.S-based company was a trusted source of on-the-ground information for both brands and mills as travel slowed down. Amid factory furloughs and changing personnel, the sourcing agency also provided consistency and industry knowledge to its partners.

“Because of our long-term relationships and our partners, we are able to give real, truthful, factual information that is allowing the brands to continue to evolve and do their business,” said Chris Parkes, managing partner at Concept III.

In this chat with Sourcing Journal founder Edward Hertzman, Parkes explained how his company worked with brands to navigate the challenges of the pandemic and why working with an agent is smoother than dealing directly with manufacturers.

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More than ever before, companies must know the intricacies of their supply chains. Chief among the pressures to better understand where exactly goods stem from is a growing spate of due diligence legislation, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the United States.

Signed in December and going into effect in June, this law expands the burden of proof for importers. Companies bringing goods into the United States already face Withhold Release Orders (WROs) on products with certain materials—including cotton—that were thought to be associated with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. With UFLPA, the scope of banned imports extends to all merchandise with an origin in the XUAR—whether or not there is evidence of potential forced labor.

This conversation between MeiLin Wan, vice president, textile sales at Applied DNA Sciences; Andrew Samet, principal at trade consulting firm Sorini, Samet & Associates; and Edward Hertzman, founder and president of Sourcing Journal, covers what to expect as UFLPA goes into effect.

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If one proposed piece of legislation passes, fashion brands could soon encounter a harsh reality that could cost millions if their supply chain isn’t up to snuff.

While brands have already had to wade through significant and often confusing legislative changes in 2022 via the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, they may need to freshen up on the terms of the recently introduced Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, commonly referred to as the New York Fashion Act.

Despite the locality its informal name implies, the bill carries vast global implications, Mark Burstein, executive vice president and industry principal at supply chain software provider Logility, explained in a conversation with Sourcing Journal founder Edward Hertzman.

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When it comes to moving fashion goods around the world, the logistical challenges are not easing up. Zero-tolerance Covid measures have parts of China under a prolonged lockdown. Labor shortages and conflicts are grinding the gears on the West Cost of the U.S., as negotiations with the port workers get off to a slow start. on top of it, capacity, congestion, and pricing continue their uncertain dance. Any one of these issues would be challenging on its own, but collectively, it’s a perfect storm of chaos.

Vincent Iacopella, executive vice president growth and strategy at freight forwarder Alba Wheels Up, sat down with Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman to discuss the issues and uncertainties, and help chart a path forward.

 Watch the fireside chat to learn: 

·      If there is any reprieve on the horizon regarding dealing with China.

·      How geopolitical conflicts like the war in Ukraine is impacting the global flow of goods.

·      What’s happening domestically regarding negotiations between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA)

·      What inflation and a cooling off of consumer demand means for the push-pull of congestion and capacity, and where to go from there.

·      How technology can help companies alleviate some of today’s most pressing logistics issues.

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The supply chain bottlenecks that have persisted over the past year have led many brands to worry about delivery delays and rising freight and raw material prices. And while getting the shopper the product swiftly is a top priority, brands can’t afford to ignore quality assurance issues that can occur from the source to the store.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, footwear brands in particular have wrestled with this problem, as more orders are delivered with the incorrect soles, the wrong color or even a different upper material than expected.

In a recent chat with Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman, Paul Bridge, deputy vice president of global footwear services at testing, inspection and certification company SGS, identified the three major issues in footwear production today.

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