Bangladesh has seen a productivity boost at the cutting and knitting levels of garment manufacturing  due to automation and technological upgradation, while high efficiency has been witnessed in the production of jackets, according to a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

The study covered six processes: knitting, weaving, wet processing, cutting, sewing and end-finishing . It explored whether technological convergence was taking place across firms and tasks.

The eight products covered included knit-lingerie, denim trouser, sweater, T-shirt, jacket, woven trouser, woven shirt and home textile.

Bangladesh saw a garment productivity boost in cutting and knitting due to automation and technological upgradation, while jacket production has seen high efficiency, a study revealed.
The garment industry maintained a compound annual productivity growth rate of 4.19 per cent in 10 years.
Cutting saw an annual productivity rise of 11.13 per cent, knitting 9.85 per cent and wet processing 6.11 per cent.

Automation-intensive areas drove the strongest performance, with cutting achieving an annual productivity increase of 11.13 per cent, knitting 9.85 per cent and wet processing 6.11 per cent, the study revealed.

In contrast, sewing, which remained the least automated and most labour-dependent component of the production chain, posted the lowest growth of 3.57 per cent.

Weaving and end finishing gained moderate growth of 4.43 per cent and 4.78 per cent respectively.

The garment industry maintained a compound annual productivity growth rate of 4.19 per cent during the last 10 years, domestic media outlets reported citing the study.

Jackets and knit lingerie emerged as the top-performing categories with 6.59 per cent and 6.43 per cent average annual productivity growth respectively, while traditional woven items like trousers and shirts showed significantly slower growth of 1.15 per cent and 3.0 per cent growth respectively.

Other products showing strong productivity growth included knit sweaters (6.05 per cent), home  textiles (5.58 per cent), and T-shirts (4.39 per cent).

Technologies previously exclusive to large companies, including automated cutting, semi-automatic sewing heads, laser/ozone finishing, auto-dosing in dyeing, and digital QC tools, were becoming widespread in medium-scale factories, the study found.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

Athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories brand Lululemon has debuted its new winter training collection ‘Train’ with global ambassadors Lewis Hamilton, Kayla Jeter, and Amotti, designed to contribute to training breakthroughs and to empower the wearer to unleash their full potential.

 
This winter, Lululemon has brought together its global brand ambassadors seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, strength and performance athlete and run coach Kayla Jeter, and fitness athlete Amotti to launch a new line of training apparel, the Canadian brand announced in a press release. In the campaign, Lululemon’s athletes showcase each stage of their training process, from stretch and recovery to intensity and cool down.
 
“In License to Train shorts, you can do all types of exercises,” said Lewis Hamilton. “You don’t feel restricted when you’re working out and having that flexibility and durability is important.”

 
Now available across Lululemon’s flagship stores and on its e-commerce site, the collection’s colour palette features hues of burgundy, rose pink, and black for women and stone-esque tones for men. While the women’s cropped tank and men’s pace breaker short nod to classic training attire, other garments such as the women’s cashmere hoodie and men’s ‘New Venture’ blazer would not look out of place at brunch.

“Having no seam in front just makes me feel more confident,” said Kayla Jeter about the collection’s garments. “When you’re wearing Wunder Train No Line™, you know the fabric is going to support you and the moisture-wicking is absolutely huge.”