How Will The "Block Chain" Mentioned By The Central Committee Affect The Textile Industry?

On the 24 day, the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee carried out the eighteenth collective learning, with the theme of the status quo and trend of block chain technology development.

At present, the major countries in the world are speeding up the development of the layout block chain technology. China will fully join the international competition of the new Internet technology and start the firing pistol of the competition.

"The most advanced", "commanding point" and "new advantages", the three words undoubtedly indicate China's goal in the field of block chain competition.

One

How does a block chain operate?

　　 Figure: block chain is the underlying technology of bitcoin, the way of generating bitcoin is known as "mining".

Let me give you an example. I'll bet you 50 yuan for tomorrow's weather. I bet it will be sunny. You bet it will be rainy. We will have three ways to complete the transaction.

　　 We trust each other. Whether the result is sunny or rainy, the loser will give the winner 50 yuan. If we are friends, this will be a good way of trading. Even friends, however, may be reluctant to give up and refuse to pay, let alone strangers.

We can make a contract. If any party is unwilling to pay, the winner can sue the loser. But it takes a lot of money to spend time in litigation, only to recover 50 yuan.

We find a neutral third person, each person gives her 50 yuan first. After the result is announced, she will give all the money 100 yuan to the winner. Unfortunately, the third may have absconded with money.

We can't trust strangers and feel like lawsuits are killing us.

Block chaining technology is interesting because it helps us achieve fourth kinds of transactions, and is safe, fast and cheap.

We just need to write several lines of code to execute on the Blockchain Network.

In order to bet on the weather, this program will ensure a safety of $100, and automatically confirm the weather condition by tomorrow. After the announcement, the 100 yuan will automatically be remitted to the winner's account. Transactions on block chain networks can not be tampered with or terminated, and are suitable for large transactions, such as selling a house or a company.

Figure: characteristics of block chains

　　 Two

Block chain and textile and garment industry

Can block chains be introduced into the textile and garment industry? The answer is yes.

The use of "brand + block chain" mode can enhance the credibility of clothing brands.

With the progress of the times and the development of the industry, the fashion industry has changed from a seller's market to a buyer's market. Some problems have also appeared in the industry: overcapacity, homogenization, environmental problems caused by textile wastes and harmful chemicals. In addition, with the progress of the times, consumers have begun to demand opaque prices, producing areas, raw materials and environmental protection. Especially after 90 or even 00, they have become the mainstream of consumption. They are more concerned about environmental protection, more concerned about inner feelings, and like to live in their own way.

Clothing companies are beginning to notice this, and in some cases try to change their business models.

Before applying the block chaining technology, clothing brands have tried to make the production process transparent.

The United States has a brand name "Everlane", which regards "sustainability" as a selling point and is sought after by consumers.

Each product of Everlane on the official website provides all relevant information in detail. From product production to retail system to consumers' hands, Everlane presents the entire supply chain to consumers, so that they know where clothing is produced, how the cost is, and whether the cost is reasonable.

　　 Figure: the Everlane product label clearly identifies the cost of each product and compares it with the traditional retail price. Take this T-shirt as an example, the production cost of Everlane products is 12 US dollars, priced at 28 US dollars, and the traditional retail price is 60 US dollars (photo source: Everlane official website).

The application of block chain technology makes production process transparent and more reliable.

At present, several top fashion companies have collaborated to create a standardized product life cycle labeling system using block chaining technology, thus enabling this technology to play a greater role in the fashion industry.

In May 2017, at the Copenhagen fashion summit Solutions Lab, Provenance and Martine Jarlgaard showed the first costumes tracked by block chaining technology in history. From raw materials, spinning and weaving to a garment made of it, every process is registered on the block chain.

Each garment will then receive a unique digital token containing specific data such as location, factory name and time. This information will be presented in the application of mobile phones. Anyone who later interact with clothing can access it through two-dimensional code or NFC supported tags, which can prove the authenticity and source of the product.

In the coming years, there will be great changes in the fashion industry. This industry will become more transparent, real and sustainable, thus further enhancing the consumer experience.

Three

Application prospects in China's textile and garment industry

For China's textile and garment enterprises, it is also necessary to consider how to reshape their brand positioning.

Block chain technology can help apparel industry track clothing in the entire supply chain, which in itself is a major upgrade for many companies.

Imagine: a consumer walks into a store to buy a T-shirt, chooses the fabric, style, model, pattern and even the brand through the screen. After a short wait, they get the T-shirt they want.

This scene is not so far away. This technology has begun to be used by some enterprises to make clothes quickly locally, and this not only changes the way of making clothes, but also changes consumption patterns and behavior patterns. People will produce what they need when needed.

Clothing brand enterprises must think ahead and integrate themselves with technology. They need to answer basic questions about their existence. How to maintain brand integrity? Does the concept of scarcity and exclusivity still play a role in brand image? If people can make clothes at home on demand, does the brand still have the meaning of existence?

The clothing industry will unravel the answers to these questions for a long time in the future. Perhaps in the future, people will buy and consume clothing differently.