Apparel | Monday, December 08, 2008

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SUPIMA IN WWD: “Well Positioned”

By Greg Wang

NEW YORK — The new year and its new sourcing trade shows are right around the corner.

 

In fact, this time next month, buyers, sourcing agents, and participating mills will be readying for the next edition of Prefab, slated for January 13 and 14 in Gotham Hall.

 

In a story headlined “Well Positioned,” here’s what yesterday’s full-page story in Women’s Wear Daily had to say about the subject:

 

PREFAB will return in a two-day format for its show at Gotham Hall Jan. 13 and 14. Buxton Midyette, marketing director for Supima, which organizes PREFAB, acknowledged that the pima cotton industry hasn’t escaped the pangs of the financial downturn.

 

We’re trying to push innovation as the real answer to the challenge that the industry faces today,” said Midyette. “Playing it safe is probably the riskiest thing that retailers and brands can do,” he said.

 

Supima will highlight innovation by hosting its second design competition. An open call for designers took place for two days in mid-November. Designers were asked to bring sketches for their eveningwear entry, a design portfolio, a resume and a garment they have designed and sewn. The selected designers will be given 10 yards of pima fabric to create a women’s eveningwear design that will be shown at a runway event Jan. 14.

 

The pima industry in the U.S. has also been hit by low prices and competition from higher-profit crops.

 

“There’s a lot of competition still for the acreage upon which pima is grown from other crops,” said Midyette. “So we were hoping to get some price increase to better compete for land. It doesn’t look like that has happened.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates domestic pima cotton production will fall more than 46 percent this year to 459,000 480-pound bales compared with 851,000 bales last year.