After the very successful first two editions in 2016 and 2017, Denimsandjeans.com Vietnam Show is all set to win the hearts of denim lovers – yet again – on 27th and 28th June, 2018, at the beautiful Riverside Palace, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The two-day event will see participation from around 40 denim companies across several nations worldwide.
Vietnam is already a big supplier of apparels to both USA and European Union (EU). However, there will be expectedly an upsurge in the growth in the coming years as the much talked about FTA with EU will, in all probability, come into effect later this year. This is expected to create numerous opportunities for the country to grow and will also enable Vietnam to paly a much bigger role as an international supplier of apparels to the world.
It is worth noting here that Vietnam exported US $ 170.56 million denim jeans in 2016 which leaped impressively to US $ 205.20 million in 2017. The first two months in 2018 have seen Vietnam exporting US $ 35.37 million denim jeans and if the country maintains the same pace, it should easily beat the figures of 2017.
Themed ‘Rock N Roll’, the show will focus on the relevance that denim has in the history of rock and roll. This show will be a small tribute to the classic era of Rock N Roll Fashion and their pioneers including Elvis Presley and James Dean. Additionally, seminars and talks on the latest developments and trends – from internationally renowned experts – will also be held at the event.
Growing Vietnam market…
The industry globally knows by now that the pace at which the garment and textile industry is growing in Vietnam is amazing. The country recorded an impressive annual export turnover of US $ 31 billion in 2017 and has achieved US $ 7.62 billion in the first quarter of 2018 (which is already 22 per cent of its projected target of US $ 34 billion for 2018).
Zikrullah Arain, Manager Marketing, Indigo Textile (Pvt.) Ltd., stated that, “The potential in the Vietnam market is growing. We understand that after signing the different agreements, Vietnamese market will continue to grow more rapidly. It is always good to be here.”
Archroma believes that not only is Vietnam emerging as a growing market in denim production, but also the interest shown by leading mills in solutions to make denim in a better way is praiseworthy and totally in line with the company’s own philosophy based on innovation, service and sustainability. “We want to be partners of responsible companies in this important moment of the Vietnamese Denim industry,” said Miguel Sanchez, Head, Global Business Development, Segment Denim & Casualwear, Archroma, while justifying on the above.
Conforming to the thoughts of Archroma, Kassim Denim too has seen the market booming and growing in Vietnam. Agha Dastageer, Country Manager, Kassim Denim vehemently said, “After Bangladesh, Vietnam is the next tailoring hub for international buyers and as per our personal experience, European buyers are seriously thinking to get engaged with Vietnamese garment manufacturers for the speed order needs. The upcoming EU-Vietnam FTA is only going to make things better.”
He further added that the company’s business has considerably increased in Vietnam and is hoping for a major and countable business in the near future.
Adding further about denim carving a firm path for itself in Vietnam, Murat, Sales Manager, Kilim Denim said, “Vietnam is increasing the denim garment production every year by around 10 to 15 per cent and we increased our sales between 2012 and 2015; however it has been stable from 2016 to 2018. We are doing well.” Similarly since 2012, Kilim Denim has been doing business in Vietnam market for the brand G-Star RAW. The company has been a supplier of denim fabrics to Saitex, which is one of the most well-known garment makers in Vietnam.
After establishing themselves in Bangladesh, GKL Denim too is now all set to expand its market in Vietnam. Everyone wants to be in Vietnam today and GKL Denim is leaving no stone unturned to carve its firm place in the country.
What can the visitors look forward to…
As in the previous two editions, this edition too will feature seminars and talks by renowned experts. Danit Peleg will be conducting a seminar at the show named, ‘How can I 3D-Print an Entire Fashion Collection from Home’ on 27th June. Peleg is a fashion designer who is known worldwide for her 3D printed fashion work.
Dr Dilek Erik too will be hosting a seminar titled ‘Pop Culture and Denim – How Celebrities Affect Trends’ on 28th June. Dr Erik has over 28 years’ experience in this industry.
VITAS will also be conducting a talk on Vietnam’s FTA with EU and CPTPP and its impact on the industry.
The entry to the show is through invitation only and the denim buyers can register themselves at www.vmshow.denimsandjeans.com/invite.php to get an official invitation.
“Buyers from the US, and especially from the EU, are showing keen interest in Vietnam in anticipation of the free trade agreement between Europe and Vietnam. Our show enables them to find all the international and domestic suppliers at one place, and therefore we are very sure about its success. Besides, buyers’ registrations for the third edition has strengthened my belief,” averred Sandeep Agarwal, Founder at Denimsandjeans.com.
The organisers are expecting a lot of traffic mainly due to the excitement generated by the FTA and the recently signed CPTPP, and are in constant touch with the European buyers.
The following pages will display what each exhibitor will be showcasing at the event and how each product will be different from the other.
The Exhibitors’ Collections
Changzhou Lantian Yarn-Dyed Fabric Co., Ltd., will be ensuring their products synchronise well with the theme of Rock N Roll. Gaoyuan, Sales Manager, CZNZB, averred, “Our products this time focus not only on the latest denim trends, but also on sustainability. We use ‘Repreve Yarn’ for our new products which is a proof of our commitment to the cause of the environment.”
Sharing the same thoughts, Robert, Sales Director, Deyao Textile said, “To interpret ‘Rock N Roll’ is to look back at the evolution of music and culture in the US during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. This period of denim is a key window to the current interpretation of ‘vintage’. Vintage needs to fit the person of today and caters particularly to the Generation Z teenagers.”
Deyao Textile will be showcasing collections that will feature a defined 3 x 1 which will have a surprising performance and hand feel with a consistent nod towards sustainability and transparency in their production methods.
KG Fabriks too will be focusing on making sustainable denim. Participating for the first time at the event, Srinivasa Raghavan, AGM Exports, KG Fabriks, averred, “We are coming for the first time and are looking for more international buyers to have consistent order quantities every month. We will be showcasing recycled denims, authentic 100 per cent rigid denims with washes, coloured wefts of different hues and 100 per cent indigo denims.”
Founded in 2005, KG Fabriks in a short span of time has become one of the leading manufacturers of denim and has become a major contributor to the global denim market.
Concurring with the same thoughts on sustainability and eco-friendly approach, Miguel Sanchez said, “Archroma expects to see examples of how denim fashion is evolving by adopting sustainability as a part of the creative process. Just like ‘Rock N Roll’, our products are all about energy, breaking of stereotypes and opening of closed doors for a better future.” Archroma, in partnership with the bluesign® system, unites the entire textile supply chain to jointly reduce its impact on people and the environment.
San Shing Cotton Weaving (HK) Ltd., a Taiwanese textile company, will be seen exhibiting some exquisite high-end products and fast long running Never Out of Stock (NOOS) – fitting well with the theme of ‘Rock N Roll’. The company specialises in knitted fabrics and provides high performance fabrics to customers and partners across the world.
Not many need introduction about Indigo Textile Pvt. Ltd. This Pakistan-based denim pioneer enjoys a strong presence in the global denim market through its large production scale, advanced technology and commitment to excellence.
They will be presenting Water by Indigo: A Sustainable Collection, which is a revolutionary green technology that makes it possible to develop denim from 100% recycled fibre. Inspired from nature’s simplistic concept of water cycle which recycles every drop of water consumed and exhumed, Indigo now constructs denim from 100% recycled fibre saving energy, reducing water consumption and the overall carbon footprint.
Besides, it will be presenting Debonair: A Collection for Men, carved from Indigo’s double affect yarn that promises both high stretch and superior comfort. Debonair will be a favourite pair of all-day denim that exudes the true spirit of denim: original, comfy and classic that makes you feel like yourself – limitless and free.
While talking about ContoureD: A Collection for Women, Zikrullah Arain, Indigo Textile (Pvt) Ltd., remarked that ContoureD is next generation denim – a cotton elastane article with great recovery. This is the ultimate duet of fit and comfort perfection desired by any denim aficionado.
Ever since its inception in 1991, Kassim Denim has continued to build a culture of responsible and intelligent consumerism producing eco-responsive denim that has been a hit with one and all. Excited about being a part of the event, Agha Dastageer of the company mentioned, “We offer newly designed weaves in denim fabrics to fulfil the fashion buyer requirements, as well as we have plenty of sustainable concepts, including ‘recycled’, ‘organic’, ‘less-water finishes’ and ‘Lyocell’. Further, we do stand top amongst all our competitors with many variations in new developments in denim fabric with ‘Water-repellent Finish’, ‘Warp-stretches’, ‘Stay Black Denim’, ‘Performance Denim’, ‘Super Soft and Luxe Handfeel’ and ‘Hyper Flexed Bi-stretches’.”
Additionally, for the Vietnam market, Kassim has been offering production with shorter lead time for speed orders so as to cope up with the fast-fashion business.
Kilim Denim is also excited to present their three new capsule collections, namely: workwear style for ladies; genderfree style for unisex; and true denim for authentic looks. Kilim Denim, which has the distinction of being the first denim factory in Turkey, has been in the industry for last 32 years.
Talking of trends and style, Bella Lu, Marketing and Merchandising, Export Department Assistant, Foshan GKL Textile Co. Ltd., said, “We focus on the denim’s trends and fashion. What’s more, we pay much attention to foresee and develop the new product.” GKL textile is equipped with lots of several advanced equipments including 300 sets PICANOL-OPTIMAX from Belgium. It is worth noting that GKL Textile is a technology innovation denim fabric manufacturer, that provides R&D, design and manufacturing services to garment clients across the world.
SM Denim Mills will be presenting a product range that consists of a 5-storey collection, which includes their DNA series that would match with the Rock N Roll theme. With a cumulative volume capacity of over 22 million metres per annum, SM Denim Mills offer diverse variety of fabric production ranging from 2.75oz to 14.5oz and above in different blends and constructions with high performance products to meet the market requirements.
What makes them different from each other…
So, with all these variety of exhibitors presenting their new product ranges, what will be their unique differentiating element which will create a separate mark for each of them?
“We do not like to talk about ourselves. Our collections speak for us,” said Robert from Deyao Textile. It would indeed be fascinating to have a glimpse of their collections at the upcoming event.
Rajby Textiles from Pakistan will be exhibiting a wide range of indigo-dyed dobby weave fabrics weighing from 3.5oz to 11oz, focusing on fabrics both for shirts and for jeans or joggers. Substantiating further, Saud Saeed, Marketing Manager, Rajby Textiles (Pvt.) Limited, said, “There will be uniqueness in our collections; besides, we will be focusing a lot on sustainability by displaying our aqua-less dyes and blends.”
Rajby Textiles, has been a one-stop solution for cutting, stitching, washing, finishing, quality control to clearance and delivery of denim apparels.
There is nothing more unique than being innovative, and keeping with the same trend, San Shing Cotton Weaving (HK) Ltd., will focus on textile development and also on innovative fashion trends. In fact its development of innovative fabrics has won it over 100 customers across 18 countries and it surely is expected to win the hearts of many at the event.
It is not just being inventive, but providing what exactly the customers think and want that makes one stand out. At KG Fabriks, they believe in this ideology and while elucidating on the same, Srinivasa Raghavan said, “We are eco-friendly in a natural way with minimum usage of water per metre and solar and wind energy powered plants (green energy) which are sought after by most of the brands now and that makes us different.” The company has good stronghold in printed denims and structured denims.
Archroma too, in addition to being innovative, will focus on highlighting its capacity to develop products and technologies that can help take denim manufacturing to a higher level in term of shades, performance, looks and – in particular – sustainability. It will also be offering to the denim community an in-depth knowledge about the chemical composition of its dyes and chemicals.
While praising the extensive efforts of its R&D, SM Group is keen to showcase its lightweight fabrics; the special blends adding performance and value to the product. “We definitely have an edge over our competitors as we are one of the few denim mills globally which enjoy a niche in lightweight denim due to our German dyeing range,” averred Junaid Javed, Executive Chairman, SM Group.
Grandtek Denim too will be there. It will be presenting its latest developments on lightweight constructed denim, which comes with different checks and stripes. The company has 85 per cent production of super stretch denim, which is enough to make it stand out among others.
They all are going to be there again with their exquisite and unique collections, and there cannot be a better place for denim lovers to be in than in HCM City. As someone rightly said, ‘Denim is a way of life’; it indeed is becoming so in Vietnam.
