Official Show Guide - director-e

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The Road Ahead Up to 140,000 workers in Europe rely on PPE to keep them safe and alive. In December 2008, a PPE conference claiming to be the first to set the European agenda for policy development and innovation took place in Hengelo, The Netherlands. Bringing together scientists and politicians, the event, which was organised by the Foundation for Engineering of Fibrous Smart Materials (EFSM), identified a number of promising areas that will enhance the security and safety of workers. Conference speaker Professor Hein Daanen from TNO – one of the largest applied research organisations in Europe – told director-e: “We now have a shared vision of where to go in the future. New multi-fibres and hybrid materials will offer a more customised approach to protecting specific end users, clothing will become a platform for sensors, communications and activators that can lead to health and performance monitoring, and there will also be an increasing focus on the importance of human factors.” The need for improvements in the innovation of the European PPE market, partly by moving away from cost driven manufacturing, was also identified. Oliver Spoecker from Lenzing FR, who also presented at the two-day event, said it provided an important opportunity: “If we don’t work on developments jointly, we’ll not remain competitive. There is no doubt that we live in exciting times – there was never, ever such a rapid change in new technologies available. But, on the other hand, I believe that the European PPE market is too fragmented and that the volumes of the various products are too small. This, coupled with cumbersome new standards, makes it difficult for European producers to remain competitive in today’s environment.” The European Commission attended the conference and, according to Professor Daanen, will now start to lead projects and programs focusing on the problems that were identified. In June, scientists will attend the European Conference of Protective Clothing in The Netherlands, which will also focus on PPE. For more information, visit www.es-pc.org. As yet, there are no firm plans to replicate a conference such as the one that took place in December 2008. 44 www.director-e.com
My passport and luggage were confiscated. I wasn’t allowed to telephone anyone and, when I was eventually released without explanation several hours later, I was given a military escort onto a plane back to England. A Life Less Ordinary From playing roulette in Monte Carlo and sailing on the QE2 to being slung into a prison cell in Israel, director-e managing editor John Gibbon reflects on a colourful career in textiles that spans more than 50 years as we celebrate our 10th birthday ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same,’ wrote Alphonse Karr in 1849 and, although he was making a broad philosophical point, his observation is just as valid when applied to more specific times, places and events. The textile industry is a prime example. Having ‘been in textiles’ since 1955, in 1962 I began what I saw originally as a career in textile journalism, but which rapidly became a way of life. At that time, there was still cotton spinning in Lancashire and woollen spinning in Yorkshire. More significantly for the future, there was a growing man-made fibres manufacturing cluster in Northern Ireland. DuPont, Monsanto, Hoechst (which became Trevira), Akzo and, of course, ICI Fibres – they all had a presence in the Province. Today, similar clusters exist – they’ve just moved geographically: to India, China and the Middle East. And, while some of the names have changed, their business remains the same. Ups and downs My father was in textiles – he was what was called a merchant converter, buying and selling cloth worldwide for a company on Whitworth Street, Manchester – now converted into flats – which became part of the Tootal group. My decision to ‘go into textiles’ wasn’t prompted so much by visions of creating a dynasty as the fact that I was offered a financially generous scholarship by a company called English Sewing Cotton to study textiles at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Science and Technology. The prospect of a few years as a student – and with money to spend – proved irresistible and so I learned about all aspects of textiles, before that part of my life was rudely interrupted by what was then called ‘national service’. And, having signed the Official Secrets Act, I was sent to Cyprus for most of my service. Returning to England, I re-joined English Sewing Cotton, became a yarn salesman and ended up in Leicester at the start of the 60s. Spotting an ad in the local paper that said little more than a Leicester company was looking for someone who knew something about knitted textiles, I applied and found myself working for a magazine called ‘Hosiery Trade Journal’, helping to launch a new magazine called ‘Jersey’. Which brings me back to 1962 and the start of 36 years with HTJ – later to become Knitting International – during which time we acquired other textile magazines and were ourselves acquired, eventually becoming part of a Bradford-based group. During that time, I visited every country in Scandinavia and Western Europe, as well as several in Eastern Europe and the Far East, and played roulette in Monte Carlo, had dinner on the top floor of the World Trade Centre in New York, sailed on the QE2, flew on Concorde and was arrested and locked up in a prison cell at Tel Aviv airport. As I said, not so much a career as a way of life! The arrest came on my second visit to Israel to see a company that made electronic control equipment for textile machinery and, as it happened, various bits of electronic kit for Israeli fighter planes. I was wearing a denim-blue coloured jumpsuit that even I would admit had a military-style top and, although such clothing was common in Britain in the 60s, it perhaps wasn’t the wisest choice for a business trip to Israel. It’s the one and only time I’ve been arrested and I wouldn’t like to repeat it. My passport and luggage were confiscated. I wasn’t allowed to telephone anyone and, when I was eventually released without explanation several hours later, I was given PEOPLE a military escort onto a plane back to England. I suspect the boss of the Israeli company had something to do with my release – and I’ve never been back! Joining the director-e team In 1998, I became part of the internet publishing world when I joined the newly-formed Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), before embarking on another venture. In October 2000, Corporate Clothing director-e offered a new and exciting challenge. It provided the opportunity to extend and develop my knowledge of the industry and at the same time help the company grow from the sound professional base established by its founder, Yvette Ashby. I joined as editor of the director-e news site and, with the launch of fabricdirector-e in March 2003, I became managing editor, responsible for the news services on both sites. Since then, the progressive extension of the director-e concept to its present format means I can use my detailed knowledge and experience of journalism and the textile industry across a broader front – taking in fashion, retail, protective clothing, uniforms, conferences and exhibitions, which generates huge amounts of excitement and pleasure for me. But who knows what else director-e is capable of in the future? After all, the current global financial situation is likely to impact less on the workwear, corporate clothing and PPE industry than any other sector of textiles and clothing. There is now a greater need than ever for companies to make a statement about who they are and what they represent. Workwear, corporate clothing and the rest do this better and for relatively less cost than virtually any other investment. Workwear, corporatewear, uniforms and PPE have become far more professional and are much more an integral part of the industry as a whole. It’s no longer just supplier/customer or us-and-them. There are shared goals and benefits and a much closer understanding between customer and supplier – which I genuinely believe has been fostered to a large extent by the involvement, guidance and ideas developed and led by director-e. After 50-plus years in the industry, I seem to have returned to where I started. For example, outside of work, one of my interests is to work with a local 400-seat theatre in Hinckley, Leicestershire. Strangely, at the beginning of the 60s, I sold yarn regularly to a hosiery company in Hinckley called Moore Eady and Murcott Goode. That company’s factory is now our theatre. Full circle, really. 45 www.director-e.com www.fabricdirector-e.com www.workwearshow.co.uk 45
Page 1: The international magazine for the
Page 4: Contents Workwear and Corporate Clo
Page 7 and 8: Buyer Advice Centre Relatively new
Page 9 and 10: Fashion Show Scenes A preview of so
Page 11 and 12: Meet the Judges They’re the famou
Page 14: AWARDS Tough Love Durable by name a
Page 17 and 18: Syscom PLC: Proud sponsors of the W
Page 19 and 20: Conference Speakers Chairperson: Ka
Page 21 and 22: Innovations at the Workwear and Cor
Page 23 and 24: Russell Collection Ultimate Non-Iro
Page 25 and 26: FLOOR PLAN Workwear and Corporate C
Page 27 and 28: Come see us on Stand D15 www.direct
Page 29 and 30: CTT Group - Textile Journal P6 3000
Page 31 and 32: Hobson and Sons Ltd P14 Kenneth Roa
Page 33 and 34: for over 50 years. Operating from i
Page 35 and 36: T Print Clothing Solutions Ltd A10
Page 37 and 38: I D Workwear C1 Lauffenmühle GmbH
Page 39 and 40: Sapphire Finishing Mills Ltd P27 Sh
Page 41 and 42: The Next Generation Light, bright a
Page 43: more traditional ice pack cooling s
Page 48 and 49: COMPANY PROFILE Workwear from the G
Page 50 and 51: WORKWEAR Working Inspiration It’s
Page 52 and 53: COMPANY PROFILE Reap What You Sow A
Page 54: This time last year, when I made my
Page 57 and 58: Fattorini produces a winner Diary D
Page 59: See You Next Year at the Ricoh Aren

Official Show Guide - director-e

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