Pantone, Inc., the leading provider of professional color standards for the graphic communications industry worldwide, today announced the most substantial redesign of its flagship product, the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM formula guide, in more than 30 years. The reproduction of color to exact standards is vitally important to designers, printers and their clients. The 2005 formula guide sets a new benchmark for color and includes color swatches that are nearly 25 percent larger for increased accura

The wait is only till the budget, for manufacturers of polyester staple fibre (PSF) and polyester filament yarn (PFY) in India.They hope the Finance Minister P Chidambaram announces reduction in his forthcoming budget in March 2005. It is then that they plan to raise their operating rates by 100% with the government announces reduction in the excise duty on polyester.Lower sales volumes and increasing competition from lower-priced cotton forced number of producers to lower their operating rates

Taiwan's exports of polyester filament fabrics began falling in the second part of 2004, reflecting a slowdown in global consumption. Higher polyester prices may also be behind the decline in sales of filament fabrics while apparel production could be down in a series of low-cost countries. Taiwan's exports of dyed polyester fabrics made from textured yarns (HS 540752) were down nearly 5% over the January-November period of 2004, reflecting a rise in shipments until May, followed by a double-d

Changing competitive conditions, above all at the lower end of the market is increasingly hurting the Italian fashion industry, which, in contrast to other west European countries such as the UK, France and Germany, has so far been able to defend its capacities with considerable success. A survey released by Italian union Filtea CGIL Milano revealed that at the end of 2004 around 91,000 employees in the textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods sectors, faced redundancy, premature retiremen

German textile industry association Gesamttextil will open a branch in Shanghai on 4 April 2005, in cooperation with the industry bodies of Austria and Switzerland. Gesamttextil general manager Wolf-Ruediger Baumann will head the new company, which will focus on making contacts and providing information to customers.

This season, Louis Vuitton takes us on a journey through a real celebration of color and joy.Out of the Spring-Summer 2005 collection emerges an ultra-feminine woman, happy and totally fresh, illuminated by a myriad of refined and spectacular details.The unexpected combination of prints and the brightness of the sequins encapsulate this explosion of joy perfectly.The materials are contrasted and combined in a delicate, subtle game - the signature of this sumptuous, energetic collection.

The cotton industry of Greece is in crisis and to resolve it, the country? farmers unions have presented two proposals on resolving a crisisafflicting the sector.The proposals have been sent to the state's legal council for evaluation, Agricultural Development and Foods Minister Evangelos Basiakos said on Monday.While, one of the proposals appeared to be incompatible with European Union law, and the other was totally incompatible with both EU and national law, the minister said.

El Salvador could be the first victim of the post-quota era after its apparel exports to the United States dramatically fell in October and November, according to latest US statistics. The tiny country is rapidly losing ground in major category 352 (cotton underwear), due to a fall in the US market added to a surge in imports from Asia. Although difficulties currently faced by El Salvador are not a surprise, the decrease in sales to the United States is much more significant than expected. US

About the show International Fur & Fashion Frankfurt show the most promising trends and collections in fur, leather and combinations of materials for the upcoming season. Fur, leather plus fashion combination: International trends with their latest range of products. In addition to furs, leather for clothing, designs, accessories and special services, the dressing and dyeing industry will show its forward-looking innovations. Venue Frankfurt Fair grounds Marketing Manager

The benefits of the post MFA era are yet to be reaped but the nation has begun attracting investors from Taiwan, China and Korea in the garment and textile, who have foreseen the signing of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).As per the agreement both countries agreed to eliminate immediately tariffs on almost all textiles and apparels.This was revealed by Garments and Textile Export Board (GTEB) executive director Serafin Juliano. The JPEPA signed by Japan Minister Juni