They are hunting for skilled textile workers in Bhiwandi, just 60 km from Nariman Point, although India’s financial capital is yet to

recover from the assault of the proverbial pink slip.
In this Mumbai suburb and around Maharashtra’s powerloom clusters, such as Malegaon, Icchalkaranji, Ulhashnagar and Igatpuri, the argument that the Indian textile industry has bottomed out just doesn’t seem to wash.
With a cumulative turnover of Rs 20,000 crore, these townships are staring at an employee shortage as high as 50%, as demand picks up and migrant labourers, who had fled Maharashtra after the Raj Thackeray-led tirade against those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, refuse to return.
“Since September last year, about four lakh skilled workers have left the state, first due to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena attack and then after the global economic crisis that hit textile manufacturing,” Indian Power Loom Federation secretary Pratap Bogade said. Before September, the total workforce stood at 12 lakh.
Today, at most locations, the looms are running only one shift of twelve hours for want of staff. Mr Bogade said that since January, domestic demand has picked up and export orders have started trickling in. His organisation is concerned that deliveries may now be delayed because of labour shortage.
Bhiwandi, which alone contributes nearly 40% of the national production from powerloom sector and supports over 15 lakh families, is witnessing a fall in production by 20% purely because of labour shortage. It produces 420 lakh metres per day from seven lakh looms ranging from grey, printed fabric, dyed fabric, cotton fabric to various mix of cotton, synthetic, and other fibres. Bhiwandi Powerloom Association spokesperson Sharadram Sejpal said: “To deliver the orders on time has become a major challenge. Merchants delay the payment if we slip on delivery.”
According to Malegaon Loom Association’s Nimba Kadam, these fabrics are getting sold at 10-15% higher prices as compared to the prices in November and demand is higher by nearly 15-20%.
“The market has recovered in the last four-five months and the order flows from the domestic sector as well as abroad is quite good but production is low by 25% on account of labour shortage,” said Mr Kadam. He feels that the absence of migrant labour has been compounded by the general elections and the beginning of the marriage season.
The industry was affected due to power shortage, resulting in long hours of load-shedding, at some places even up to 10-12 hours a day. But, thanks to the fall in industrial demand of electricity and elections this period, it has shrunk to 2-3 hours a day. This decentralised manufacturing sector, with around 12 lakh power looms, contributes to 20% of the country’s textile production.

LOS ANGELES, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China remained the largest trading partner in the Los Angeles Customs District (LACD) in 2008, according to a report released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.

    Total two-way trade between China and the Los Angeles Customs District was valued at 186.6 billion U.S. dollars, the report said.

    Total Chinese imports arriving in the district was 157.9 billion dollars, while total U.S. exports to China through the district was 28.6 billion dollars.

    The import-to-export ratio of 5.5 was by far the highest among the Los Angeles Customs District's top trading partners, though below the 2007 ratio of 6.4, the report said.

    The value of Chinese imports arriving in the LACD decreased by 0.4 percent in 2008, with furniture, bedding and lamps experiencing the largest decline with an 11 percent drop, while total exports to China increased 15.7 percent, the report said.

    The list of major imports from China continue to be dominated by consumer electronics, particularly flat-panel TVs and non-durable consumer goods.

    Electronic components saw a 4.7 percent rise compared with 2007,one of the few categories that actually recorded any improvement.

    Some smaller products also had positive gains in 2008. Footwear and parts gained nearly 2 percent over 2007, and iron and steel products increased by nearly 5 percent.

    The most significant turnaround was in apparel and accessories, including woven and knitted items, which declined by nearly 5 percent combined after rising by a combined 17 percent in 2007.

    It said the LACD's exports to China continued to be driven by China's huge appetite for raw materials and components as inputs to its growing manufacturing sector.

    The largest LACD export product groups, which include electronic parts, plastic polymers and cotton fabric, all confirm this trend, the report said.

    Chinese demand for iron, steel and copper scrap exports fell in2008 as the industrial sector slowed down. On the other hand, there was a significant jump in demand for aluminum products and scrap to meet ongoing requirements in some industrial sectors, the report said.

    Japan was the No. 2 partner with a total two-way trade value of59.3 billion dollars, followed by South Korea with a two-way trade value of 22.2 billion dollars.

    The Los Angeles Customs District retained its No. 1 ranking in the United States in trade value in 2008 with an increase of 2.5 percent to 356.1 billion dollars. The No. 2 district, New York, saw a more robust gain of 9.3 percent to 353.6 billion dollars.

Abstract

Origin of mankind can be justified by the use of natural dyes. With the advent of synthetic dyes-stuff in abundance, a wide range of colours of remarkable fastness properties made its way making natural dyes a past. In the research work cotton fabric was pre-mordanted with different mordants and then dyed with 4 natural vegetable dyes to get different colour. They were Kamala for yellow colour, Kutch for brown colour, Indigo for blue colour and alizarin for red colour. The basic fastness properties were checked. By changing the style of mordanting i.e. pre-mordanting, simultaneous mordanting and post- mordanting the fastness properties can be improved.

Introduction

With the expansion of synthetic chemical industry, there is a decline in the use of natural products. But recent studies show that some categories of synthetic dyes e.g. azo dyes, are carcinogenic and number of western countries ban the use of such dyes from using as the textile dyes. Govt. of India, Deptt. Of Environment and Forest has also brought out a Gazette banning 74 azo dyes. The need for natural dyes aroused worldwide. Natural dyes are sourced from plants, animals and minerals. Vegetable dyes are the secretion products found almost universally in plant tissues. They are available in various forms like wood, leaves, roots & tubes, barks ,flower, fruits, seeds, litchens and some natural mineral resources which are ecologically friendly and do not create pollution to air and water. The natural organic dyes and pigments cover a wide range of chemical classes viz. Ketone, Amine, Quinones, Anthraquinoids, Fauoner, Flauanols, Flauanones, and Indigoids etc.

BORN OUT OF a passion for affordable fashion, women’s clothing retailer Get Laud pushes the envelope with reasonably priced apparel that has innovative designs, colors, and fabrics that is well suited to the distinctive Filipina taste.

With the commercial success that Get Laud is currently enjoying, many assume that the company had it easy. But Get Laud President Geraldine T. Laudencia is the first to admit that their rise to fame was not a stroll down the catwalk.

"It was a lot of hardwork," Mrs. Laudencia told BusinessWorld in a recent interview. "At first, there were those who doubt that we will succeed, but we just persevered, and worked even harder," she added.

NEW YORK — By the end of the day, it's typically relegated to fish wrap or ad hoc umbrella or, if it's marginally luckier, packing material. But the lowly piece of newsprint was elevated this week to something worthy of more respect: couture fabric.

USA TODAY presented designer Isaac Mizrahi, the co-host and judge of Bravo's new fashion competition reality show, The Fashion Show (premiering Thursday, 10 ET/PT ) with a cut-and-stitch challenge of his own: Transform a stack of humble newspapers into an elegant garment.

Mizrahi eagerly accepted the wearable dare: "I cannot let the gauntlet lie." A few Fashion Show rules were jettisoned in the interest of expediency, including the fact that unlike the 15 contestants, Mizrahi didn't have a strict time limit. (He is, after all, in the middle of zipping up his resort collection.)

But the medium didn't intimidate him. "I've done fun projects in newsprint before," from papier-mâché kid crafts to papier-mâché jewelry for his first collection.

Still, he acknowledged that turning newsprint into fabric comes with a host of challenges: It's fragile, it's stiff, and it smudges off on your hands. Mizrahi first figured he'd make something structured.

"But then I thought, 'No, no, no. It's 2009. Irony must exist in everything, right?' And so I thought immediately that it should be something drapey and crazy with, like, millions of pleats."

The result is a size-4 belted cocktail dress that's black and white — and blue and green and red and purple — and pin-tucked all over.

As with all good design, there was method behind every stitch, pin, staple and, yes, piece of tape. A nipped waist has been a key trend these past few seasons, as has the single shoulder. "I started doing it last year, and I'm way into it now," Mizrahi says.

But then there's the unique canvas newsprint affords. Political sartorial statements abound, including the green splash on the front, below the belt. "Green is one of the most important colors in fashion today, literally and figuratively," Mizrahi says — no matter that it comes compliments of a John Deere tractor ad.

There are cultural statements, too. The lower back of the dress is the front page of the sports section. "That's sort of appropriate — someone's butt having the sports page on it," says Mizrahi, who's nonetheless a baseball fan. Still, "look how beautiful it is in the back," Mizrahi says, pointing out the continuous pleats swirled along the bias. "It's very important because when you're walking away is when people are probably talking about you, like, behind your back." And with this outfit, "there's plenty to say" — and read.

But Mizrahi is not satisfied. "The belt is particularly fabulous," but "I still think it needs some kind of an ornament. I just feel it needs a rose," a poufy, saucer-sized bloom. So he gets to work, tearing strips of paper and crunching and shaping them "like a magician at a children's birthday party." He pins the flower on and stands back to appraise his handiwork. "That's kind of fabulous, right?"

Fabulous enough even for a red-carpet appearance. "I could see Anne Hathaway wearing that. I mean, you could put a sack on Anne Hathaway and she'd look beautiful."

Read all about the judges' reactions

The Fashion Show's judges offer their take on Mizrahi's attempt at current events couture.

Kelly Rowland (singer and co-host): "I really love the dress," Rowland says. The single shoulder is "so relevant to what's going on in fashion," and the belt reflects what "Isaac and I always talk about — how important it is that you see a woman's waist. That is one of the sexiest things about women." She enthuses over the fan — "it's really cool and it's fresh" — but she's not so aglow about the headlight-size flower: "It wasn't me." Still, "I would wear this to a cool art exhibition," because, after all, "it's art."

Fern Mallis (New York Fashion Week organizer): "The way it's stitched and tucked and belted, it looks like it almost could have been (made of) fabric," Mallis says. Of course, "I wouldn't want to see somebody sit down in it, and I'm not asking how it gets on and off."

Mallis didn't feel the flower's power. "I actually like the way (the dress) was shaped and formed, the way the draping pulls to the waist and the fringe on the side. I think you see that more" if the dress is bloom-bereft.

Laura Brown (Harper's Bazaar special projects director): Brown's first thought: "There's a party in this dress and everyone's invited. Isaac is a joyful designer, and this is a joyful dress. It's exactly indicative of Isaac's spirit."

Like her castmates, Brown is partial to the single shoulder: "It's one part of a woman that's last to go, so it's very, very chic. We always joke that maybe doing a one-sleeve dress is a sign of the recession."

And she lasered in on the hip flounce: "Instead of a demure little princess holding up a fan to her face, it's super-coquettish and quite flirty."

THE allure of fashion has always been irresistible to many young men and women.

However, while most are content to browse copies of Elle and Vogue, six students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) are instead making the most of their interest in fashion.

In April last year, they set up The Fashion Fraternity (TFF), a non-profit fashion public relations and marketing company led by its president Denise Ng, a second-year economics student.

'We operate primarily to boost the profiles of local designers, which allows business and design students to team up, and then for industry professionals to sit up and take notice,' said Ms Ng.

'In our dealings with designers, we have found that a lot of them are interested in retailing but are not sure how to go about approaching retailers,' she added.

'That is where we come in and offer a professional point of contact and facilitate the process. We act as agents for the designers so that the relationship between retailers and designers can be mediated to the satisfaction of both parties.'

Making this ambitious undertaking even more daunting is the fact that the members of TFF are still students. Hence, earning the respect of industry professionals has not always been smooth-sailing.

'Being a student is a huge impediment when you offer services, compared to offering physical goods which are tangible and therefore easier to price,' said Ms Ng.

'Because perceived value affects pricing a lot, we have really got to get people to see us as entrepreneurs first and students second, rather than the other way around.'

However, this obstacle has not slowed the group down. Their passion and tenacity has helped them achieve relative success where the organisation of several fashion events and the promotion of young designers are concerned.

In fact, TFF has successfully partnered several young designers with retailers.

For example, up-and-coming designers from Temasek Polytechnic and Lasalle College of the Arts have had pieces from their graduation collections retailed at boutiques like Black Market and Epitome.

These success stories are a testament to TFF's ability to act as a springboard for designers hoping to get their works off the drawing boards and into shop fronts.

TFF has also been fairly successful in its search for sponsors. One of its bigger events, a fashion show called Wardroblings at Zouk, attracted big-name sponsors such as Zouk, Fashion TV, Young Changemakers as well as Creative Community Singapore, to name a few.

Building on the success of Wardroblings, TFF plans to continue organising more events and already have several in the pipeline.

A series of fashion industry talks, organised by TFF in conjunction with SMU's Office of Career Services, is in the works. These talks will see professionals from the business management side of the fashion industry share their management expertise with SMU students.

Another instalment of Wardroblings is also being planned and will mark the beginning of TFF's move toward becoming a full fledged, profit-seeking business - it intends to start charging for its PR and marketing services at this event.

When asked about the benefits of being an entrepreneur, Ms Ng cited independence as a huge incentive as well as the fact that she need not worry about people constantly 'hovering' over her shoulder.

However, the ultimate reason behind Ms Ng's drive lies in the passion she has for fashion. 'Many people have dreams of opening their own business but they usually decide to get a steady office job first to build capital,' she said.

'I am not sure about the rest of TFF, but for me, I'm too impatient to wait it out. I would rather start from scratch now because time is of the essence and I'd rather take the risk and build a brand by the time I am 30 than be safe and start from scratch when I am that age.'

While TFF remains a project of utmost importance to Ms Ng and her team, school still remains a priority. Considering the magnitude of this project and the heavy demands of school, striking a balance is nothing short of a juggling act.

'School in SMU is hectic, as any student here can attest to,' said Ms Ng, who is also involved in cheerleading, enrolled in a professional diploma course in creative entrepreneurship and hopes to pursue a masters in fashion journalism.

'What keeps the members of TFF going is our thirst to keep learning about the fashion industry, and our hunger to build the prominence of a local fashion scene,' she said.

There are the weird chairs. There are the armoires that cost more than some cars. There are the lamps that look like they belong in Legoland, not a living room. See all of this and it's easy for the average consumer to wonder: How do these things relate to me?

In some cases, they don't. They're artworks, meant to push the limits of design and create a look that's never been seen. But just as in fashion, the furnishings that premiere at top design shows often set trends in shapes, textures, colors and materials that will filter down to high-end showroom and mass-market retailers alike.

Fashion, art and charitable giving come together at Herban Feast in Sodo on Thursday, April 30 for a perfect night on the town.

FACE (Fashion Art Compassion Event) blends a silent auction of works from regional artists, a live auction of fabulous indulgences, and a runway show of the latest spring fashion from Barneys, featuring local models.

All proceeds from the event go to the Sunflower Children Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by former model Helena Houdova that provides support to the millions of children around the world who lack opportunities for education.

"Sunflower is an organization that has attracted a young generation of new philanthropists," says Johnnie Anthony, president of operations for Sunflower's Seattle chapter. "People between the ages of 25 and 35 want to give, they want to be a part of something." FACE is geared toward that fresh, young and energetic demographic.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting. Try your hand at the carnival-game-inspired wine toss to win a free bottle. The fashion show begins at 8:30 p.m. after a live auction featuring items as diverse as a vintage scooter, a year's worth of shows for two at the Crocodile and a one-week stay at a luxury five-bedroom home on Oahu's North Shore.

The runway show is produced by TCM Models & Talent owner and director Terri C. Morgan, who is well-known for putting on some of the best fashion shows in the area, including The Bellevue Collection Fashion Week. Expect a sophisticated event highlighting spring 2009 trends of graphic black and whites, tribal prints, metallics and structured, architectural designs.

FACE takes place at Herban Feast's Sodo Park location (3200 First Ave. S.). Tickets are available online only at www.faceseattle.com. Standing room only tickets are $50, VIP seating is $75 and front row VIP seating (with gift bag) is $125. All tickets include hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting.

Isaac Mizrahi single-handedly initiated the high-fashion and low-price movement when he launched his line at Target in 2003.

The relaunched Liz Claiborne line features moderate price points and accessible silhouettes.

The fashion establishment collectively gasped, wondered if the designer had lost his mind, then quickly followed suit with similar deals. Vera Wang and Dana Buchman at Kohl's. Charlotte Ronson and Nicole Miller at J.C. Penney. Norma Kamali at Wal-Mart. A parade of designers at Target that recently included Thakoon Panichgul and Alexander McQueen.

Pushing the boundaries of industry norms is nothing new for this notoriously chatty veteran with more than 20 years' experience. So it seemed natural when he was tapped in 2008 to revive Liz Claiborne, the line that epitomized powerful, professional women in the 1980s but had lost its way since.

As creative director, Mizrahi relaunched Liz with moderate price points and accessible silhouettes. The critically acclaimed Spring 2009 collection is a bright spot on the current dismal retail landscape.

He's a busy guy, video blogging for his Web sites, writing books and designing a couture clothing line, Isaac Mizrahi New York. He just launched "Isaac Mizrahi: Tell Me Everything," a five-week call-in radio show on Martha Stewart Live Radio on Sirius XM Radio.

He's so busy, in fact, he only had 12 ½ minutes to speak recently by phone.

"I'm doing it because I like the challenge," he says of the Liz Claiborne line. "I love the heritage of it."

The enthusiastic designer, 47, talked fashion, of course, but didn't get the chance to share any dirt on his new job as co-host of the new reality competition The Fashion Show, set to debut in May on Bravo.

What prompted your move to Liz Claiborne?

Like somehow, I don't know why, as a fashion designer you learn to have your ear to the ground. Kind of understand culture as it's coming, not when it's too late, not when it's too early, but when it's coming. Eventually, you are able to get the timing right.

Like with the Target thing, it was the right moment for that paradigm. The democratization of fashion was coming. ... Two years ago [when he was approached for the Claiborne job], things were getting worse and worse ... you start to think value. We knew that people would need more and more value. ... Liz Claiborne is built for tough times. The association is value. Almost to a fault, because over the past five, six years, it's gone so granny. There was so much value, you wouldn't buy it anymore. We added the snap back to it.

How were you able to blend the history of the Liz Claiborne brand with your design aesthetic?

One good thing about me, I have my own take on things. Sometimes it has exploded in my face, but with this, I didn't know the brand had gone dowdy. I remember how fabulous it was when I was a kid. So I went in thinking, 'Oh, my God, I am being offered this incredible honor.' [Liz Claiborne] was the mother of the snappy businesswoman, the mother of busy working women looking chicer than everyone else. That's the bookmark I put in it.

So when I had the first board meeting [with Liz Claiborne management], I had just hired all my staff, I was doing the job, and I went in front of all these people – I didn't know who these people were, and I said, 'You guys, I am having so much fun.' They looked at me and said 'Fun?' That's all you can do, strike a balance and not take it too seriously.

What has been the response to your first Liz Claiborne NY collection (now in stores)?

It's great, very great. It's a very hard time to sell anything right now. But I can't believe it's doing this well, somehow it is. But you take that with a little grain of salt.

What should we expect from Liz Claiborne NY for fall?

It's even better than spring. Again, it's the balance, the socioeconomical balance. It's exuberant but not in your face. It's optimistic but not Pollyanna. Somehow, there is a lot of plaid ... What looked really good to my eye was heavy bright colors balanced with black. You'll see burnt orange with black and mustard with black. [Women] need color and they need black. It just seemed like a gift to women.

New out on DVD here in the UK this week, all eyes (whether black, liquid gold or red) are firmly fixed on Twilight. And like so many aspects of the vampire romance, the movie’s stunning fashions continue to resonant with fans. After the massive popularity of Bella’s (Kristen Stewart’s) BB Dakota blue cargo jacket, which is now available on pre-order here at FredFlare.com (thanks to savvy Boxwisher imacatcher0518 for bringing this to our attention), we now turn our attention to another of the Forks high school student’s casually cool outfits – the green top look – which is this week’s fashion fix.

This outfit is seen on Bella as she and object of her (and every other Twilight fans’ affection) Edward (Robert Pattinson) chat and hang out in the nearby forest (for more on the Pacific Northwest locations in the film, click here). We’ve put together some lookalikes for this top-to-toe look that we think capture the spirit of Bella and are easily available.

For the brown corduroy trousers, we’ve found a similar pair by Spiegel that come in a range of sizes from Amazon.com. They have a comfortable and flattering stretch to the fabric and five pockets with those on the back protected with a flap. These coordinate perfectly with Bella’s green hoodie and our lookalike is by high street chain Dorothy Perkins. Made from 100 percent cotton, it has a few buttons down the chest, a comfy front pouch pocket and is reduced from £16 to only £12.

Lastly, complete the stylish ensemble with the same Toetem casual slip-ons as Bella. Made from 100 percent sustainable products by Simple, these quirky and environmentally conscious shoes are the finishing touch in recreating the warm and natural style of Twilight’s number one girl.