The NEEDLE'S EYE... Trends and Technologies Driving the Sewn Products Industry
October 1948 Front Cover
The Needle's Eye – October 1948
Colorful South America is the next stop of interest in our tour "Around the World with Union Special."
Here is a land of contrasts … temperatures ranging from tropical heat to the intense cold of the south polar zones … civilizations ranging from native tribes who would be frightened at the sight of an automobile or the sound of a radio to cosmopolitans who take pride in the modern architecture of their buildings and in their streamlined highways. There is the contrast between unpenetrated jungles and forests to thousands of miles of beautiful coastline … of large pastoral and agricultural areas to rapidly growing industrial cities.
Since the industrial potential of South America holds the interest of all peoples of the Americas, this is the subject with particular attention to the status of the needle trades.
Textile cutting - productive and economical: Knitted, woven, non-woven, fleece, felt - the range of technical textiles is broad and so are their demands on cutting. Zünd's cutting solutions are consistently geared towards processing these types of materials. A powerful vacuum system reliably holds down porous materials on the cutting surface. Schedule a live demonstration.
Coveralls for Paul Bunyan?
A giant lumberjack, Paul Bunyan is a folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is sometimes accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The legendary character and ruler of the lumber camps originated in the oral tradition of North American loggers and was later popularized by freelance writer William B. Laughead (1882–1958) in a 1916 promotional pamphlet for the Red River Lumber Company.
An article appeared in the June 1960 issue of THE NEEDLE’S EYE concerning a pair of coveralls (overalls), made as a publicity stunt that Paul Bunyan could have worn. Coveralls are not the proper dress for a lumberjack, but we are sure that the maker of these large coveralls could produce something equally as large in a Mackinaw coat for Paul and his followers. Read More
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Paul Bunyan
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C and C Enterprise has teamed up with JACK, one of the world’s finest industrial sewing machine manufacturers, to form Jack of the Americas. Jack of the Americas distributes JACK machines throughout North America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin. When you buy from Jack of The Americas, we don’t just ship you a box! We help you get set up and answer any questions you may have! With over 100 years of combined experience in the industrial sewn products industry, we are proud to say that we are one of the world’s leading industrial sewing products authorities and are here to serve you! Not sure if Jack is right for you? Click on the button below for a short video showing off some of our machines. Watch it and see what Jack can do for you!
Industry News
Methods Workshop Under New Management
These past 40+ years have been a joy to John Stern as he created and steered within the sewn products industry the legacy of Methods Workshop, LLC. He has now decided to take a step back and spend more time enjoying life in new ways. He will still be involved in Methods Workshop INTERNATIONAL, LLC but will be handing over the day-to-day operations to a new management team. Read More
APTMA Rejects Claims of the Decline of Pakistan’s Textile Industry
The Foreign Policy magazine titled the year 2022 “Pakistan’s Year of Turmoil,” citing the economic conditions of the country. The year 2022 ended with the unpleasant news of the partial shutting down of the textile industry due to the prevailing economic crisis.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has rejected news reports about the textile industry’s closure. Read More
SPEC is a full-line distribution company that specializes in all machinery and parts for any soft goods manufacturing.
Style3D Announces Acquisition of Assyst
Style3D, a leading digital solution provider in the global fashion industry today announced it has acquired Assyst. Headquartered in Munich, with more than 35 years of experience, Assyst is a leading fashion technology company that operates in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Read More
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The Pathfinder M-Series® range of automated cutting machines is known for precision, very high productivity, reliability, and lowest power consumption. All 16 models are easily configured to suit most cutting applications, and, thanks to clever design, Pathfinder cutters require very little maintenance to continually deliver exceptional cut quality over a long working life.
APTMA, BGMEA to Enhance Cooperation in Garment Manufacturing
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) have agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of garment manufacturing. An interactive session took place between APTMA North Zone and BGMEA Standing Committee on Utilization Declaration (UD) Automation. Read More
SCHMETZ...your manufacturer of household and industrial sewing machine needles. The product and service spectrum of SCHMETZ covers a complete range of the individual requirements of over 47 sectors in the sewing and textile processing industry, as well as for workshops and the hobby sector. Placing the highest demands on the materials used, the processing techniques, and product quality, combined with the goal of developing tailored solutions for every application, are both the focus and the mission statement of the company.
Zünd Establishes a New Subsidiary in Spain
Sign-Tronic S.A. has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Zünd Systemtechnik AG since the start of 2023 and now operates under the name Zund Ibérica. Sign-Tronic S.A. was established in 1990 and has been an official sales and service partner of Zünd Systemtechnik AG since 1994. Zund Ibérica serves numerous customers in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. Read More
Diamond Needle Corp., Founded in 1951, is one of the world’s largest distributors of sewing machine needles. Our alliance with ORGAN NEEDLE CO. of Japan, as their exclusive North American distributor, gives us the backing of the world’s leading quality maker of sewing machine needles.
Industry Technologies
What’s Happening in 3D CAD for Fashion
By Dr. Trevor Little, Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University and The Needle's Eye Correspondent
CATIA, an acronym for computer-aided three-dimensional interactive application is a multi-platform software to visualize 3D products.
Another 3D product used in the furniture arena is Design Concepts by Lectra. Design Concepts is based on ‘paraboloid’ – a 3D engine that takes parabola equations and converts them into surfaces. In many ways, we have been chasing a final visualization for many years with many iterations along the way. Read More
Another 3D product used in the furniture arena is Design Concepts by Lectra. Design Concepts is based on ‘paraboloid’ – a 3D engine that takes parabola equations and converts them into surfaces. In many ways, we have been chasing a final visualization for many years with many iterations along the way. Read More
PFAFF Launches New Short Seam Automatic Sewing Machine
PFAFF, a leading German sewing technology brand, has launched a new short-seam automatic sewing machine PFAFF 3686. PFAFF 3686 is an upgrade of the PFAFF 3586 short-seam automatic sewing unit. Read More
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Sustainability
Gildan Publishes First Stand-Alone Climate Change Disclosure Report
T-shirt, Apparel, and Activewear company Gildan Activewear Inc. is pleased to announce that it has published its first stand-alone Climate Change Disclosure Report structured in accordance with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. The report highlights how Gildan assesses, prepares, and integrates climate-related matters into its business processes and represents a significant step towards fully aligning with the TCFD framework by 2025, as part of Gildan’s commitments under its Next Generation ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategy. Read More
C and C Enterprise is the United States agency for Highlead sewing machines. These high-quality machines are available for your sewing needs and are sold only through local dealers and distributors. If you want more information on the Highlead brand, please feel free to contact us. www.candcenterprise.com
World of Fashion
McKinsey Outlook Pessimistic: On a Solid Foundation into a Turbulent 2023
by Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
McKinsey & Company's annual report "The State of Fashion" paints a less than rosy picture for 2023. 56% of fashion executives surveyed expect conditions to worsen in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the consultancy's global study. Although the consulting company’s global panel found the fashion industry recovered noticeably as the pandemic subsided, with sales up 21% in 2021, it said. In the first half of 2022, sales at the players considered continued to rise by as much as 13 percent, it said. However, the year's recovery slowed due to a series of previously "unprecedented challenges" from issues within supply chains, the global fallout from the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and inflation. At least fashion companies were able to build a solid foundation in 2021 and the first half of 2022, so they are better equipped to weather the current turmoil. Read More
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Sales Price Hikes: Silver Bullet or Hazardous Balancing Act?
by Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
McKinsey (see the summary of their The State of Fashion report for 2023 in this issue) confirms what all of us already empirically knew based on significant survey results: The focus on costs has reached a new high at the start of the year - also in the fashion industry. Every decision on investments and operating expenses is under scrutiny. A quick return on financial expenses is the expectation - for all types of expenses - and especially for investments. The concern is that challenging medium- and long-term issues will once again be postponed. Read More
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In 2021, Merrow, a 183-year-old, 8th-generation family-owned company based in Fall River, Massachusetts, with centuries-long expertise in sewing and textiles, expanded its wholesale supply business by acquiring the assets and business operations of Superior Sewing Machine & Supply LLC. Through this acquisition, Merrow positions itself as the largest wholesale supplier of technical parts and supply items for the sewn products industry in the Western Hemisphere. Superior Sewing will be run as an independent company with its Headquarters in Fall River, Massachusetts, and offices in Miami and Los Angeles. It is fully committed to providing independent dealers and distributors worldwide with extraordinary customer service, one-stop shopping, and the most extensive portfolio of in-stock products in its market.
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At Grindle Marketing Communications, we believe the right marketing strategy helps you win. Developing it comes from investing time to understand your customer's needs, your competitive landscape, and your brand's strengths, weaknesses, and goals. For 30 years the founder of Grindle Marketing Communications has helped start-ups, mid-market, and fortune 500 companies to conduct research, build strategies, and tactical plans which build trust and differentiate brands from their competition leading to growth.
Fashion Group LVMH Names Pietro Beccari as New Head of Louis Vuitton
Luxury fashion group LVMH has appointed Pietro Beccari, Head of Christian Dior Couture, to the role of Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, amid a management shake-up at the business. Beccari succeeds Michael Burke, who will “take up new responsibilities” and report directly to Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH. Read More
New Study Explores Artificial Intelligence in Fashion
by Pusan National University
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fashion industry has grown significantly in recent years. AI is being used for tasks such as personalizing fashion recommendations for customers, optimizing supply chain management, automating processes, and improving sustainability to reduce waste. However, creative processes in fashion design continue to be human-driven, mostly, and not a lot of research exists in the realm of using AI for designing in fashion. Read More
Christie's Auctions Talley Collection
By Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
Christie's auction house is offering the collection of legendary fashion editor André Leon Talley at auction. The pieces have been up for bid in a series of live and online auctions since January 27. Talley was the first black man to become the creative director of American Vogue. His extensive collection includes haute couture, handbags, jewelry, literature, and decorative art. Read More
Industry Events
SPESA Executive Conference
March 30-31, 2023Caribe Hilton San Juan, Puerto Rico
The annual SPESA Executive Conference is a key education and networking event for SPESA members, their customers, and anyone interested in learning more about the current issues, trends, and policies impacting the global sewn products industry.
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Texprocess Americas / Techtextil North America
May 10-12, 2023
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Texprocess Americas 2023, co-produced by SPESA, creates an opportunity for retail, brand, manufacturing executives, and professionals involved in the sewn products industry to meet with leading international manufacturers and distributors of machinery, equipment, parts, supplies, systems, technology, supply chain solutions, and other products and services used for the development of sewn products. Held in conjunction with the exhibit hall, the Texprocess Americas Symposium is structured to address the most pressing issues faced by today’s sewn product industry.
Texprocess Americas co-locates with Techtextil North America.
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International Textile Machinery (ITM) Exhibition
September 12-15, 2023
Tashkent New Expo Center
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Organized by Teknik Fairs Inc. & Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım Inc.
International Textile Machinery Exhibition, organized by Teknik Fairs Inc. and Tüyap Tüm Fuarcilik Yapim Inc., will be held for the first time outside Turkey.
IFAI Expo is Now Advanced Textiles Expo
November 1-3, 2023
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida USA
The Advanced Textiles Expo is organized by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA). For a century, IFAI Expo has been the industrial fabrics industry’s flagship show. As the premier textiles event, Expo is the place where industry stakeholders and leaders connect, learn, and make purchases in order to grow their businesses. Connect with industry experts and peers, discover new products and applications, and advance your business with insights on market trends. Registration goes live in the spring of 2023.
