PFC - Sustainable Pakistan Issue - December 2020

A New Look end-user experience. Designers can visualise the from that in Europe. But the young generation garment in real-time display with close ups and nowadays in Pakistan really likes to wear west- can imagine the outcome of the style. Likewise, ern clothing and that’s exactly what we are mak- they have a chance to see it in their free time and ing in Pakistan. We found models ([local] fash- see a selected product line.  ion students or Instagram fashion bloggers) who H: A lot of brands and fashion designers are us- really wanted to be a part of the fashion activity. ing fashion shows to present their new collec- So, we designed a concept, presented it to them tions and we thought we could also present the so they could suggest changes if they disagreed collections of our suppliers and the collections with something before and finally, we succeeded that we develop by means of a fashion show, and held our fashion show which our customers which enables us to show more products. People really liked. can watch and see the products and note down the ones they like. Moreover, fashion shows are What was your personal highlight of the fash- more active; it’s an interactive event – Instead of ion show? only sending a picture or a sample of a product. If you present it lively by good models, it gives a dif- H: For me, the personal highlight of the fashion ferent impression of the garments, and you can show was to see how our models liked to pres- already see how it would look like when you wear ent the garments and how they liked to present it. So that was the main idea behind the fashion themselves on this kind of stage. Despite not show. being trained, they did it very well, in a natural We had the idea [to organise] a fashion show for way, that for me was very impressive to see. How a long time, but it was not that easy to realise in much fun our models had wearing nice and fash- Pakistan as the culture around fashion differs ionable garments from our suppliers and our collections. Holger Fischer Managing Director, Eurocentra Pakistan K: It was a very inspirational and interesting ac- tivity. Though it is hectic to organise the ward- robes with respect to the themes and product lines in a sequence, it was yet indeed an interest- ing work to present the right set of fashion prod- ucts to the global market.   What was the response to the fashion show? K: Buyers and especially designers were very much overwhelmed with the presentation. We noticed a “double growth” in the styles place- ments because buyers found it especially useful to see the interesting products in a quick fash- ion walk, based on exclusive samples rather than personal meetings where suppliers bring irrelevant samples. This was interactive and fo- cused.  They could see the garment techniques and product detailing in a 3D way on a real mod- el, and also could the impression of garment outlook, fitting, consumer/end-user experience and appearance. Especially during COVID times, they could effectively make the best use of this 44

A New Look Kaschif R. Israr Country General Manager (Pakistan) Eurocentra arrangement.  es. The whole project which Karl Borgschulze H: When we sent the video of the fashion show and his company CSI and the cooperation with to our customers, they were really impressed the German Ministry for economic development and surprised that we did such a fashion show in and the GIZ did is very supportive for all our busi- Pakistan and all of them said it was a great idea. nesses as well as for all our suppliers because by They really liked seeing the products in a more means of being trained and being made aware active and lively way and - generally said - the re- “what sustainability and sustainable textile pro- sponse was overwhelming. We got a lot of new duction means”, they could get a clear picture orders and interest from our customers and they what and where they have to improve, for exam- said, “we like this style; we didn’t know that you ple in the chemical management, the chemicals were doing these kinds of products in Pakistan”. they are using, how to treat water properly, how And mostly I would say they were impressed to save energy, how to reduce waste water, and so about the variety and the fashionable styles Pa- on. Therefore, we received fantastic support for kistani suppliers can do and which we presented all of us including the market Pakistan to show in this fashion show. “Hey! In Pakistan you can really produce sustain- able products in a sustainable way.” The project’s Will there be another show? main target is really to achieve sustainability in the production by means of using recycled mate- H: Yes! We are trying to hold another fashion rials whether it is recycled cotton, recycled poly- show and we are planning to do it regularly if ester and to use post-consumer waste and make possible, minimum twice a year to differentiate new fibres and new yarns out of it. It is a fantastic between spring summer (SS) and autumn winter project which supports all our businesses and (AW) collections and we are now planning to do which also creates very good impact to the con- it again as soon as possible because we have seen sumer because consumer can now get sustaina- that we got a very positive response. Moreover, ble produced products from Pakistan. it was also boosting our business and it’s a good method to attract new potential customers. What changes and developments do you see in Pakistan’s fashion manufacturing market? What support did you receive for your activi- ties? H: I have been working in Pakistan for more than 25 years and I was always aware that Pakistan is K: We receive a lot of support from the very in- a very interesting sourcing market for all kind teresting initiative and focusing on the sustain- able and eco-friendly production techniques. Through this project, we control our fashion sup- ply chain more closely and proactively by means of managing our suppliers’ efficiency on wa- ter and carbon footprints and also on chemical management and social compliance.  H: Sustainability and sustainable textile produc- tion is in my opinion a “must” nowadays. If all of us think about the environment and think of our planet earth, we should (all of us) really work together on one side producing sustainable tex- tile in the sustainable way, and on the other side, that the consumer will ask for more sustainable products instead of only looking at cheap pric- 45 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

of textiles made out of cotton or cotton blended to the readymade garment to make it a fashion- fabrics. This is mainly because on one side, Paki- able one. Luckily, this has changed and mean- stan is the 4th largest cotton grower in the world while I would rate Pakistan even above Turkey meaning they have the raw material at hand di- when it comes to denim. rectly in their own market, and on the other side, Pakistan’s textile machinery set-up in a lot of fac- K: Our suppliers are now equipped with the most tories is really state of the art because they are modern techniques in production and have ad- mainly using European technology. The disad- here to the international standard of working vantage Pakistan always had was that they were based on compliance management. Factories not trained to be fashionable because historical- are equipped with machines that reduce water ly, the first market was always the USA, and if it consumption, have installation of water treat- comes to fashion, there is a big difference what ment plants. Factories are adopting new mod- the Americans and the Europeans regard as fash- ules of Oekotex like STeP, made in green and also ion. That has been a very big challenge, but I can investing in the controlling of the entire supply really judge how positive the development has chain that it becomes safer for environment and been especially in the last ten years in Pakistan if people and consumes less (scarce) resources.  it comes to “being fashionable”. I did a lot of my denim business in Turkey before I switched over What do you wish more people knew about Pa- to Pakistan where you can get fantastic denim kistan? fabrics. There was only one major problem and that was the missing know-how about washing H: First of all, it could really be a big help if and finishing and how to give the special effects more and more people around the world would 46

A New Look change their attitude towards Pakistan. Whenev- there are problems in the production, my expe- er I talked to people and mention Pakistan, the rience is (and this I would tell to people about said “Oh, Pakistan is the country of terrorism and Pakistan) that here you have business partners bombs blasting”, and they don’t expect any prop- who really try to solve the problems and not to er textile, leather or shoe industry there. My re- create any problem to the customers. Pakistan ply to this is always the question if they have ever is really a fantastic sourcing market with a lot of been to Pakistan or if they only listen to biased infrastructural advantages compared to other media and information. Asian countries. People are open-minded and As already mentioned before, I have been work- really passionate about learning something new, ing and partially living in Pakistan for more than especially when it comes to sustainability. Last 25 years now and it would really be nice if people but not least it’s a lovely country with beautiful around the world would get to know the Pakistani countryside. I hope that more and more people people personally. Pakistanis are friendly, they realise that Pakistan is a great place to be. are helpful, and they possess an ethical business attitude which is a big difference to countries like K: Pakistan is a remarkable sourcing economy Turkey or China. Due to the nature of business for leading brands. Factories are emphasising of the textile industry, problems will always arise modern techniques of manufacturing, have well because it’s not a fully automated industry, but trained human resources and well organised there is one more good thing about Pakistan. If set-ups according to international compliance 47 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

Outfits were modelled by local fashion students and Instagram influencers. “Despite not being trained, they did very well, in a natural way, which was very impressive to see” - Holger Fischer standards. Market lead-times are shorter, facto- In corporation with our partners, we will hope- ries are smarter and can offer good volumes. fully succeed in supporting and to building up   sustainability. Moreover, it would be great if What is your hope for the future? more and more people around the globe would get to know that there is already a well-function- K: Pakistan is emerging as a fashion supplier in ing sustainable textile production in Pakistan. global sourcing. Having its own crop and verti- The consumers should be aware that there are cally integrated manufacturing systems with ex- “sustainable” textiles, shoes and leather goods panded capacities, the country has an incredible which they can buy in the stores being produced potential to serve the global fashion industry as in a sustainable way and which are “made in Pa- a key source. kistan”. My hope is that the behavior of the con-   sumers will change positively from only looking H: My hope for the future is that all mankind at the cheapest prices to preferring goods which starts thinking more and more about how to are produced in a sustainable and environmen- save our planet, how to react to negative climat- tal friendly way, and to take in account if the ic changes, how to save water and how to avoid workers who produced these products are being further carbon dioxide omissions. People should paid properly and if they are working under fair start thinking about sustainability more inten- working conditions. sively. 48

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Products from Pakistan Selection of products from Euro Centra 50

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KICKING IT OFF In an innovative collaboration, Eckart, Vision Technologies and Samad Rubber, are woking together to make quality soccer balls with wowing metallic effects. 52

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Eckart is one of the leading international man- ufacturers of metallic and pearlescent pigments for various industries. From paints, coatings, printing, plastics, functional applications and cosmetics, Eckart developes brilliant products that give innovative answers to current trends, while adhering to a high standard of safety and sustainability. Vision on the other hand has high ambitions in product innovation and the right fa- cilities and connection locally. However, due to negative stigma associated with Pakistan, Vision struggles to find international partners for inno- vative projects. With our project, we brought these two innova- tive companies together. They are both good at what they do – and better if they do it together. Eckart had little previous experience with Paki- stani suppliers, but was easily convinced of their potential after learning about Vision Technolo- gies. Combining Eckart’s excellent pigments, Vi- sion’s high quality sport balls, Samad Rubber’s adhesives, and every partner’s willingness to cooperate and innovate, we developed a soccer ball with metallic effect, that now brightens up the faces of countless soccer players around the world. 2. Mixing of Eckart pigments in laboratory at Vision Technologies 1. Digital soccer ball design 57 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

Kicking It Off 3. Manual screen printing on sample 4. Selecting the colour pigment for the final product 58

Kicking It Off 4. First sample of soccer ball from all angles 59 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

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Kicking It Off Vision Technologies Vision Technologies is one of Pakistan’s leading manufacturers of footballs, handballs, volleyballs, and goalkeeper gloves. Since its establishment, Vision has committed itself to innovation, over and over again, unafraid on investing in what they believe in, even as their competition moved in different directions. This effort has paid off well so far, as Vision has built up an impressive customer base from around the globe, with partners in France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Australia, USA, and South America. But it’s not all about innovation. Quality is inextricably linked to not just the materials used, but also the conditions under which they are manufactured into the product. Vision prides itself in its perseverance to produce quality sporting balls, no matter the usage. At their premises at the outskirts of Sialkot, balls are sewn by hand, machine stitched or enhanced with innovative technologies. Vision always seeks to apply newly developed technologies directly in their production, such as thermobond, hybrid, fusion tech, and lamination to enhance accuracy. Vision Technologies constantly challenges itself to become a leader in ethical manufacturing, securing a competitive edge in technology and craftsmanship. 61 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

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Kicking It Off Shahid Mahmood SMU Department Printing Manager, Vision Technologies How long have you been working It took us about a week to come here? up with the final design and to 9 years. I work in the printing make the balls. We mixed the two department. different kinds of pigment we got [from Eckart]. We first experimented How were you involved in the with different options. We prepared production of the Sustainable panels of different colours and Pakistan balls? forwarded the ones we liked to the I worked in the printing of that ball. management. They selected the best ones and showed them to the What did you like about this customers. We then prepared balls pigment? of the final selection. The colour and shine is very The involvement of partners and different from normal balls. It is customers is not that common in metallic and its shine is different this business. However, we can see from every angle, which is very what a difference it makes. I have different to what is the case in over two decades of experience regular balls. and have prepared balls for various brands but this one definitely How was your experience of showed very different results, not working with this pigment? something I have seen before. 63 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

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BOND & FOAM 66

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SAMAD FOAM Samad develops innovative foams and is one of the largest and most successful high- quality unicellular closed-cell foam suppliers in Pakistan.Their foam has been used in sporting products of Adidas, Puma, Nike and Decathlon. The 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup footballs had Samad foam inside.The team at the factory considers innovation as a core value of their activities. As partner in the project, Samad provides the foam for our soccer balls. 68

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Kicking It Off SAMAD GLUE Samad produces high quality adhesives that are used in various products, such as sports balls. As key supplier to Vision Technologies, Samad’s glue is what holds the Sustainable Pakistan soccer ball together. Established in 1948, they have significantly shaped the development of Pakistan’s industry. They are responsible for the creation of SAMAD BOND 101, a household name in adhesives in Pakistan. Today, they supply high quality products to national and international clients. 70

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DIVA IN SPACE 74

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Kicking It Off How to and product design, an upgrade of consumables can be achieved by orchestrating beauty and at- Wow With tractivity by using Pearlescent and metallic pig- ments. This toolbox allows to highlight classic or Extraordinary modern design features in different markets like textile, household, cars, electronic etc. These col- Effects ourful or metallic pigments give additional value by fascinating shimmering effects and create im- Text by Pär Winkelmann mediate, unique recognition of the character of a product or a brand. Dr. Pär Winkelmann is Global Head of Market- ing & Tech. Service Graphic Arts at Eckart. He is Eckart is one of the leading international man- based in Hong Kong. ufacturers of metallic and pearlescent pigments for the coatings, printing, plastics and cosmetics Today´s world is more and more individualiz- industries. The product range encompasses all ing and challenge creative designers day by day. kinds of pigments, as well as press-ready metallic It is becoming obvious that standard designs printing inks. This enables ECKART to offer mar- including standard colours is not eye-catch- kets a comprehensive range of attractive effect ing enough to attract demanding consumers or pigments for every demand. The product range to recognize high class brands. Besides colour includes aluminium, special pearlescent and PVD pigments, metallic pigment coatings, gold- bronze. ECKART pigments are widely used, for example, in the automotive industry to achieve metallic effects, but also for other coatings and finishes like the textile or packaging markets. 77 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

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Show, Don’t Tell Visualizer by illoom is a web-based 3D application that allows users to easily create or upload 3D ob- 80 jects and visualise metallic effects on them. It was developed by Eckart to simplify the design and com- munication process of product development that makes use of Eckart’s innovative pigments. Metallic effects are something that cannot be explained, and shipping samples around the world is expensive and time consuming - the Visualizer is the digital, remote solution to visualise and share impressive metallic effects in a user friendly, multilingual online application. To try it out yourself, visit illoom-visualizer.com

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STEP UP Taking Socks To The Next Level 84

Step Up Evonik, Intermarket, Die Sockenmacher, and Otto are working together to create sustainable and innovative socks. 85 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

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Step Up Organic cotton use less water, Transparent supply chain and energy and produce less green Sustainability Performance Indicators house gases than conventional Carbon Footprint: 0.84 kg per pair cotton and achieve the best result Water Footprint: 0.62 L per pair for environment and people EVO®️ YARN Bio-based, durable polymer Made from castor oil derivatives Biochemicals from castor oil do not affect food production or cause land use change, compared to other crops Fully renewable material with excellent properties Can be used for many types of clothes depending on blend Developed by EVONIK in Germany Evonik • One of world’s leading specialty chemical companies • Active in more than 100 countries with 32,000 employees • Develop specialty chemicals for various industries, allowing for innovative uses and products, including EVO(r) yarn • Known for their high standard of quality, in- novation and sustainability, using all three as growth drivers 88

Step Up Step Up - Taking Socks To The Next Level Innovation in sock making tainability, was just the right match. EVONIK provides innovative yarns for sustain- Intermarket is a family-run business. Its prime able socks Creating sustainable solutions in the global objective was and is to provide a livelihood to fashion industry is not the only thing our team people. It was founded on the belief that the right strives for, it’s also always on the lookout for in- kind of environment is crucial for growth and novations. We believe the only way towards a sus- provides their staff with ample opportunities for tainable future is by picking up and integrating capacity building and skill enhancement. They the innovations that are already on the market, strive to foster a culture cultivated by ethical val- connect the right partners and establish scalable ues. The company has kept up with the changing business models. requirements of the world. Be it compliance to la- During the Techtextil fair in Frankfurt last sum- bour standards, ensuring security against terror- mer, we learned about a manufacturer, who had ism or sustainability. The company has worked just succeeded in developing a bio-based poly- towards saving water and energy conservation ester yarn. Evo® Yarn is a next generation hi-tech while at the same time experimenting with sus- yarn providing a variety of properties such as tainable and innovative materials. Today, Inter- odour control, thermo isolation, rapid drying, market is a reliable and committed partner with- and the highest degree of comfortability. With a in the project, who is able to manufacture high reduced fabric weight and its rapid drying prop- quality and highly functional products accord- erties, Evo® can make a high performing solution ing to their customers requirement while at the for functional socks. same time offering a story. A success story of a Next to its amazing properties, Evo® is a sustain- small manufacturer that has built its company’s able yarn as it is made 100% from castor oil, a veg- success on the understanding that change must etable oil pressed from castor beans. Ricinus, or come from within and that responsibility must the castor oil plant, is a common cash crop with be owned by those bearing it. a multitude of uses in countries such as China, India and Pakistan, allowing for integrated sup- After ordering the first EVO® samples from the ply chains within the textile markets. It grows on manufacturer in Italy, we developed socks that poor and arid soil, thus not affecting food pro- would integrate this innovative yarn with other duction or land use, and does not require large sustainable materials in comfortable, durable amounts of biochemicals. and functional socks. Besides EVO® yarn, the sock After intensive discussions with EVONIK, who is made from organic cotton. Organic cotton uses had just developed EVO® yarn, we set to establish less water, energy and produces less greenhouse a cooperation with one of our sustainable and gases than conventional cotton and achieves the innovative suppliers. As one of the largest and best result for environment and people. Apart finest quality sock manufacturers in Pakistan, from its sustainable components, the socks are Intermarket, who embraces innovation and sus- produced with sustainable processes and under transparent conditions. In the words of Oprah Winfrey: “Step through 89 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

new doors. The majority of the time there’s versification in global supply chains is a chal- something fantastic on the other side.” embrac- lenge even for an expert like Sockenmacher. It ing innovations and implementing them with turns out, no one can tackle the challenges of the our partners most definitely has led to amazing 21st century alone. During intensive discussions results. with our team, we discovered that our strengths complement each other’s. We discovered that by Excellent sock production combining our forces in a strategic partnership, Sockenmacher and OTTO bring excellence and we could create a top-tier sock collection with a magnitude to the project solid sustainability story – combining Socken- Surrounded by vineyards, not too far from macher’s expertise in quality and design and our Frankfurt, in the small town of Sinsheim, one of established network of sustainable and transpar- the most competent manufactures of high-quali- ent supply chains, visionary partners, and the ty socks is preserving the art of traditional hosiery ability to deliver convincing sustainability sto- craft. Sockenmacher (“Maker of socks”) is known ries. for high technical competence and quality prod- ucts. Sockenmacher’s experience, expertise and The sock collection will feature stylish, high knowledge of the market are unparalleled. Com- quality socks made from sustainable materials, bined with its close ties to OTTO group, one of including EVO® yarn and organic cotton. With the biggest e-commerce companies in the world, access to OTTO’s distribution channels, the story Sockenmacher inhabits an excellent position in of sustainable socks, which started at last year’s the sock industry. Techtextil fair, will now continue on an even big- However, sustainability, transparency and di- ger stage. 90

Intermarket Intermarket is a family-run business. Its prime objec- tive was and is to provide a livelihood to people. It was founded on the belief that the right kind of environment is crucial for growth. The aim of the company was to train their staff and workers towards their capacity building and skill enhancement. They strived to foster a culture cultivated by ethical values. The company has kept up with the changing requirements of the world. Be it compliance to labour stand- ards, ensuring security against terrorism or sustainability. The company has worked towards saving water and energy conser- vation while at the same time experimenting with sustainable and innovative materials. Today intermarket is a reliable and committed partner within Sustainable Pakistan being able to manufacture high quality and highly functional products ac- cording to their customers requirement while at the same time offering a story. A success story of a small manufacturer that has built its companies success on the understanding that change must come from within and that responsibility must be owned by those bearing it. As one of the largest and finest quality sock manufacturers in Pakistan, Intermarket makes an excellent partner for Socken- macher and OTTO. The willingness to innovate was right there, making the new network between Evonik, Intermarket, Socken- macher and OTTO possible. 91 Issue No 1 / Sustainable Pakistan

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