Loose Threads: Arvind, Tonello and Crystal International

Loose Threads: Arvind, Tonello and Crystal International

Angela Velasquez

Mon, August 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM GMT+3 3 min read

Here's a quick roundup of the latest news from the denim supply chain.

Arvind Fashions

Arvind Fashions, the retail, marketing and branded apparel distribution arm of Arvind Limited, is repositioning one of its signature brands.

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During the company's Q1 2027 call last week, executives discussed the future of Flying Machine, one of India's first "homegrown" denim brands. The company said it is pivoting Flying Machine away from the millennial market to become a "more Gen Z denim-oriented unisex brand."

With this move, Arvind said the brand, which launched in 1980, will cater to a fast-growing consumer segment and place Flying Machine at the center of youth culture.

Amisha Jain, the managing director and CEO at Arvind Fashions, said Flying Machine has "been on a journey," adding that the strength of its brand equity is solid. "We've gone in and sharply repositioned the brand as a denim-oriented brand, which is focusing on the youth consumer, bringing more on-trend products to the market, and at the same time, catering to both men and women," she said.

A revised product line and a sharper focus on e-commerce support this new direction. Arvind is on track to launch a Flying Machine app and dotcom in the second half of the fiscal year. The company also shared that it is planning to open Flying Machine stores closer to "youth-oriented, university-oriented" markets.

The company reported Flying Machine is on a "double-digit growth trajectory."

Tonello

Tonello has a footprint in Sri Lanka.

The Italian machinery company is part of Asahi Dyes and Chemical's new Innovation Hub at the Biyagama Export Processing Zone in in Sri Lanka. The $20.4 million project is a collaboration between Asahi and chemical wholesaler Asons Ltd.

The facility will manufacturer dyes, printing chemicals and finishing chemicals for the textile and apparel industry and equipped with a fleet of Tonello machinery for testing and sampling. The partners emphasized how the hub is intended to be a place where the supply chain can experiment, collaborate, solve challenges and turn ideas into practical solutions for the textile industry.

On LinkedIn, Tonello described it as "a place where Japanese chemical excellence, Italian technological innovation and Sri Lankan industrial expertise come together to turn ideas into practical solutions for the future of textile processing."

Crystal International

Crystal International Group Limited is making progress in its transition to renewable energy.

The Hong Kong-based company said it is expediting its renewable energy transition across global operations through a combination of onsite rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, green electricity purchases, and International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs). As a result, three intimate factories in Vietnam, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka achieved 100 percent renewable electricity coverage on a market-based greenhouse gas accounting basis.

Crystal International has been actively sourcing I-RECs and off-site green electricity to reduce carbon emissions from purchased electricity on a market-based basis. The company said initiative aligns with the growing customer expectations. The procurement of I-RECs reflects the Group's practical and progressive approach to accelerating renewable electricity use across complex manufacturing supply chains.

"Transitioning to renewable electricity requires both immediate action and long-term system transformation. While we continue to invest in on-site solar PV, market-based instruments such as I-RECs and green electricity purchase enable us to support renewable electricity generation while expanding access to clean energy solutions," said Catherine Chiu, VP, corporate quality and sustainability at Crystal International.

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