For some years European—predominantly Italian—mills have moved steadily upmarket and
concentrated on producing cloth of the highest quality. They have striven to add value through
technical advances in the making of the fabric and in its finishing. This policy has helped a core of
European textile manufacturers to survive during a period when their survival has been threatened
by competition from countries with lower wage costs—exacerbated by the high value of the euro
against the US dollar and other currencies. Despite these difficulties, the outlook for the longer term
is encouraging. One favourable pointer is that exports of European fabrics to newer, developing
markets, particularly China, have grown at a strong pace in recent months.
The industry in Italy is proving to be particularly resilient. According to the president of the Milano
Unica textile fair, the Italian textile industry base is stronger today than in 2001, when the greatest
losses occurred. Significantly, the value of Italy’s fabric exports to China now exceeds the value of
its fabric imports from China.
For the spring/summer 2009 season, European fabric manufacturers have produced a bright, fresh,
colourful look for women’s wear. Fabrics on offer for the season display a degree of
embellishment—such as embroidery, pleating or crushing—which illustrates the amount of creativity
and craftsmanship that has gone into their manufacture. Strongly in evidence, particularly from
Italian mills, are lustrous, luminescent surfaces in subtle, silky finishes.
European fabric manufacturers are also embracing new fibre developments. For example, Wicking
Windows—a new process for finishing pure cotton introduced by Cotton Incorporated—helps to reduce
a cotton fabric’s tendency to stick to the skin by 50% while keeping the wearer dry and comfortable.
Coolmax with Wool fabric from Advansa has been created to provide “comfort control” in
sportswear—especially clothes for golf and riding.
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