Textiles NewZ - 20 August 2011

Production Supervisor Wanted

A South Auckland based manufacturing company is looking for a Production Supervisor to join the team. If you know of anyone who may have been recently made redundant, displaced due to the Christchurch earthquakes or any other closures and is looking for employment, then please send contact details to Emily May at Jaedon Enterprises Ltd - emilymay@jaedon.co.nz.

Weaving Manager Wanted

Inter-Weave, a manufacturer of flat woven upholstery fabrics, based in Auckland, New Zealand, seeks to appoint a Weaving Manager with hands-on experience in the skills of Loom Tuning.

The company environment focuses on achieving excellence in production and is characterised by hard work with a strong team focus, encouraging the contribution of good people and good ideas.

The successful candidate will have textile skills in both management and loom tuning. The management position is a hands-on role and the applicant is to have in-depth loom tuning experience with electronic and mechanical Dornier looms installed with Electronic Dobbies and Jacquard.

The successful applicant would not only have the above practical skills and attributes, but, must also be responsible for the productivity of the weaving team.

Relevant qualifications will be required, Personal attributes required of the successful applicant is a good sense of humour, very strong inter-personal skills, a logical, analytical and flexible approach to work, a sense of urgency and a willingness to deal with problems constructively.

Applicants with a right to work in New Zealand may only apply for this position.

Please send in your applications in-confidence to :
Dave Dyer - Technical Director, email daved@inter-weave.co.nz.

Used Plant Wanted to Buy

“I am hoping you may be able to help me locate some used plant. I am specifically looking for a 4-6 head cone-to-cone winder for knitting yarn but I am also in the market for garment and fabric steam finishing plant. If you know of anyone who has this type of equipment surplus to requirement please let me know”.

If you wish to sell to our member please contact elizabeth@textilesnz.org.nz.

Survey Monkey Needs 5 Minutes of Your Time Please

The Department of Labour and Textiles NZ want to know how you view Textiles NewZ and the information supplied by DoL. If you’ve not already completed this survey we would appreciate your assistance to help us improve our service to you. It will take about 5 minutes to complete. Please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RN8PQY8.

New Zealander Invited to Address Aachen Dresden International Textile Conference

School of Chemical and Physical Sciences Victoria University’s Professor Jim Johnson will be presenting at this International Textile Conference on 24/25 November in Germany on their GoldWool research and product development. The partner countries to the conference are Australia and New Zealand with experts addressing Textile Chemistry/Textiles Finishing and Textiles Machinery/Textiles Manufacturing. Also featuring will be Health Care, Membranes and Filters, Novel Concepts in Textile Chemistry and Efficiency in Textile Production Technology.

This is a great honour for Prof Jim Johnson and for full details and registration go to www.aachen-dresden-itc.de.

Preparing your Workplace for an Emergency

How do you stay in business in the event of a disaster? How does your business access data about its staff, its customers and suppliers in order to maintain continuity and keep operating?

The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 requires an employer to plan for an emergency situation. Employers must have emergency procedures in place and ensure that employees know these procedures.

A specific lesson learned from the earthquakes in Canterbury has been the importance of keeping electronic and hardcopy backup files of essential business information. Workplaces became inaccessible and business owners who did not have staff contact details were unable to check their immediate safety and wellbeing. In many cases businesses were unable to resume normal work because essential data was lost.

The Department of Labour and the Environmental Protection Authority have designed a set of simple forms to help you identify and manage your emergency procedures.

The emergency procedures for general workplaces templates cover:

Fire
Chemical spills
LPG gas leaks
CPR –is not a “situation”
First Aid
Natural Disasters

Simply:

download and print as many templates as you need
together with your employees, work out the most appropriate procedures and who should have responsibilities
ensure that all employees know about your emergency procedures, including where you will keep this information, and where emergency equipment is stored.

For further information about emergency planning, crisis management and business continuity planning for your business, visit the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and Business.govt.nz.

Cyclewear’s Competitive Edge

AUT University’s Textile and Design Lab has helped a small cyclewear business incorporate digital prints into its range of high-end knitted Merino wool sports apparel for competitive cyclists.

As a keen mountain biker with his own knitwear business, David Carman of Kaharoa Holdings in Rotorua decided to combine both of these passions to create Soigneur Classic Cycle Wear. Carman introduced digital prints into the brand’s 2010 Singlespeed World Championship range of jerseys, which are now being worn by competitors from around the globe. Carman said that this opportunity helped his company to gain a foothold in the market and has subsequently been selling the products via its on-line store.

“We have been very happy with the results of the printed products,” he said.

“The Textile and Design Lab provides an invaluable service for small companies like mine to trial new ideas in the market without a lot of set up costs, and with their help, we continue to trial new and innovative products to entice our customers”.

The wool cycling jerseys from Soigneur are designed and manufactured in Rotorua New Zealand and all wool cycling jerseys are made in New Zealand using 19micron Merino wool.

Latest Textile & Fashion News Digest created at: 1/8/2011.

Forthcoming Short Courses - AUT

Photoshop Intermediate for Textile Design (Evenings) Course code SC 1039 Starts 28th September 2011
Photoshop Intermediate for Textile Design (2 days) Course code SC 1040 28th - 29th November 2011
Illustrator Intermediate (Evenings) Course code SC1044 Starts 29th September 2011
Knitwear Design (1 day) Course code SC 1041 26th November 2011
Fibres to Fashion (Introduction to Textiles) (3 days) Course code SC1036 30th November – 2nd December 2011

Group and student discounts apply to all our short course registration fees. Visit the ‘Courses’ page at www.tdl.aut.ac.nz or email peter.heslop@aut.ac.nz for full details.

Fashion Week Unveils Fashion Designers

New Location - New Designers!

An exciting line up of designers, which includes the return of leading fashion house, Workshop & Helen Cherry, alongside a long list of talented newcomers, will show this year at New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW).

Across four days, from Tuesday 30 August 2011, New Zealand’s leading fashion designers will grace the NZFW catwalks in the brand new Viaduct Events Centre.

Making their solo NZFW debut this year are designers from across the country including Auckland’s Celine Rita, fresh from her success winning the title as most talented newcomer in the 2010 New Generation Show.

Celine will be joined by debutants Ingrid Starnes and Taranaki’s Whiri, which has worked its way through the NZFW fashion ranks via the New Generation, Miromoda and Group Show platforms and Christchuch fashion label MisteR.

MisteR debuts, following the destruction of their store in February’s earthquake and a busy time putting the finishing touches on their collection from their makeshift workroom, the lounge of their house.

The 2011 New Generation show will provide a platform for five designers to showcase their talents at NZFW for the first time. Auckland Based designers Deryn Schmidt, Egoist and Katie-maree Cole will join Nelson’s Emma Manhart and Wellington’s Two Wonders to walk the New Generation Catwalk, a proven training ground for some of the country’s brightest fashion talents.

Wellington based Starfish will grace the NZFW catwalk twice, showing a full collection and then joining Miranda Brown, Taylor and Untouched World to show the fashion world the best in New Zealand textiles, through the Merino Show.

The schedule also features some very cool designers, Tauranga’s Blak and Black Luxe, Auckland’s Jimmy D and Havelock North’s Neverblack, who continue their journey, stepping out of the underground to much critical acclaim and a growing fan-base.

2011 sees the return of group shows Miromoda and the New Zealand Weddings Magazine Bridal Collection.

The Miromoda initiative was founded in 2008 to advance the status and standards of the Māori fashion industry and each year supports emerging fashion talent. This year six designers have won their chance to show at NZFW, Adrienne Whitewood, Dmonic Intent, Identi-tee, Shona Tawhiao, Tara Warren and Urban Maori.

The New Zealand Weddings Magazine Bridal Collection returns after a resounding success in 2010 and supports designers offering the best in contemporary design to those planning their big day.

NZFW is not just about designers showing on the catwalk, an exciting list of accessory exhibitors are also busy preparing to showcase their creations.

With New Zealand’s leading designers taking their place in the busy schedule and buyers, media and fashionistas ready to soak up the atmosphere in the new waterside venue, NZFW 2011 is going to be a full on week of fashion.

Complete list of confirmed designers:

Andrea Moore / AUCKLAND
Annah Stretton / MORRINSVILLE
Blak and Blak Luxe / TAURANGA
Brady / AUCKLAND
Celine Rita / AUCKLAND
Deryn Schmidt/ WELLINGTON
Egoist/ AUCKLAND
Emma Manhart/ NELSON
Hailwood / AUCKLAND
Helen Cherry / AUCKLAND
Huffer/ AUCKLAND
Ingrid Starnes / AUCKLAND
Jimmy D / AUCKLAND
Juliette Hogan / AUCKLAND
Katie-maree Cole/ AUCKLAND
Kathryn Wilson Footwear / AUCKLAND
Miranda Brown / AUCKLAND
MisteR / CHRISTCHURCH
Neverblack/ HAVELOCK NORTH
Ruby/ AUCKLAND
Sabatini / AUCKLAND
Salasai / HASTINGS
Starfish / WELLINGTON
Stolen Girlfriends Club/ AUCKLAND
Taylor / AUCKLAND
Trelise Cooper / AUCKLAND
Twenty-Seven Names/ WELLINGTON
Two Wonders / WELLINGTON
Whiri / TARANAKI
Workshop Denim/ AUCKLAND
World / AUCKLAND
Zambesi / AUCKLAND
Untouched World / CHRISTCHURCH

Waste Plus Wool Equals Opportunities in China

A Wellington design company representative is off to China to explore its latest idea for blending New Zealand wool with waste products to make new textiles.

The Formary specialises in working with multinational companies and government organisations in finding new uses for large scale waste streams.

The firm has already had success in using New Zealand wool in a partially recycled upholstery fabric and is taking that concept further.

It will use a grant from Beef and Lamb New Zealand to determine whether New Zealand strong wool can be combined with an as yet un-named agricultural waste material available in China to develop a range of fabrics for domestic and commercial interiors.

Managing director Bernadette Case says it's still testing the concept, which is similar to what it did with Starbucks when it took their used coffee sacks and blended the material with wool to make a high-grade upholstery fabric.

She says the company would look at using a broad range of strong wool that would be sent to China for manufacturing the fabrics there.

Casey is part of a Wellington mayoral delegation leaving for China on Monday.

Latest Textile & Fashion News Digest created at: 21/7/2011.

Analyst Claims Pac Brands Offshore Move a Failure

Pacific Brands' decision to sack thousands of Australian staff and move its manufacturing to China has failed to improve the embattled clothing group's earnings, says a senior analyst.

Merrill Lynch analyst David Errington, a long-time Pacific Brands critic, yesterday tipped the company's operating earnings to plummet by more than $80 million to about $100 million this financial year.

Pacific Brands has culled many of its brands to focus on iconic labels, including Bonds.

Errington said the brand axing allowed new competitors, offering lower prices than Pacific Brands, into the market.

''Kmart is one key customer that has discontinued Bonds and other PacBrands products,'' he said in a client note.

While the underwear and hosiery market grew more than 2 per cent last year, Pacific Brands' key labels, Bonds, Berlei and Holeproof, fell almost 5 per cent, Errington said.

He criticised the company's ''sudden'' exit from domestic manufacturing, saying it relied totally on overseas sourcing without having the necessary arrangements in place.

Pacific Brands chief executive Sue Morphet warned in February of hits to come due to rising cotton prices and increased labour and utility costs in China.

''We're in excellent shape for the longer term, but the near-term outlook is challenging due to soft trading conditions, import price increases and the performance of footwear, outerwear and sport,'' she said.