Fibre2Fashion

It's a big industry by any measure—one that not only generates huge revenues for the country's economy, but also offers equally immense employment potential. The British fashion industry had revenues of £28 billion in 2015, and employed about 880,000 people—right from manufacturing to retail. It's one of the sectors that is going to more than feel the pinch with the June 23 referendum calling for the exit of the United Kingdom from the 28-country European Union (EU). On a scale of severity, the...

The June 22 textile package announced by the Union government is being described in many quarters as the proverbial stitch in time. But whether it will, like the proverb foretells, be able to save nine, is a question that needs circumspection. That said, there is little doubt that the Rs6,000 crore package has come as a much-needed whiff of fresh air for a desperate industry that has been gasping for breath. The last two Budgets had little on offer for the textiles and apparel industry, and the...

The statement issued by Evrnu and Levi's on the launch of the prototype talked about a circular economy. Are you planning to keep the concept / technology to yourself? Or, are you thinking of expanding to other brands and companies too? Paul Dillinger: Levi’s is deeply committed to research and development efforts that will reduce the resource impact of apparel manufacturing. With Evrnu, we see a potential solution to reduce overall impact of Levi Strauss & Co, and for the industry as a whole...

Sustainability has been a business buzzword for a while. On the face of it, most brands seem sincere when talking about it. Given that, it comes as a surprise that big brands have failed so miserably. Is it because brands still see sustainability as just one way of doing business, rather than the only way of doing business? Richard Holland: The Cotton Ranking Report shows that a relatively small number of companies with consumer-facing brands are serious in word and deed. IKEA, C&A, H&M, Adidas...

The problem with buzzwords is that they invariably whip up such a mindless frenzy and needless hype that people often forget what was it that had resulted in the creation of that buzzword in the first place. That's what is increasingly happening with "sustainability". Critics argue that so mired are companies with the "ends" in mind that the "means" are not being adequately kept track of. Many forget that sustainability is not an end in itself, but the means towards an end: a better world that...

How have oil prices affected polyester yarn business, both in India as well as at the international level? Pinkesh Jain: Oil prices have been dropping all over the world for almost a year now. But we realise that this price (the current price) is rock-bottom; it can't go lower than this. The market has been improving only of late. The prices of yarn and fibres have been improving a bit. All spinners and manufacturers know that these prices (of crude oil) are the lowest. So, that offers a scope...

The Karnataka High Court's interim order of March 24, 2016 saying that the Union government cannot regulate the licence fee for seed technology might have come as a relief to Mahyco Monsanto Biotech Limited (MMBL), but the issues at hand are far from dead. In fact, there are many who believe that this is probably only the first battle in a long-drawn war that would be fought among many stakeholders. The order was essentially over a technical count since the licence fee was based on mutual...

At an October 2013 round table conference organised by the Guardian newspaper in association with the global engineering and environment consultancy URS, it became evident from the discussions that companies were becoming increasingly exposed to risks across their supply chains, either by disruption resulting from climate change or reputational damage. The discussants built up a strong business case for developing sustainable ways of working throughout a company and its supply chain: saving...

Senior journalist Salil Tripathi has long-standing experience in advancing the business and human rights agenda. As a researcher at Amnesty International (1999-2005) he participated in negotiations that created the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and represented Amnesty in the Voluntary Principles for Security and Human Rights process from its inception until 2008. Tripathi is a contributing editor at Mint and Caravan, and was formerly a correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review...

Threats of consumer backlash and criticism from unions and the media have sensitised many Western companies to pay greater attention to how their Bangladesh suppliers operate. But that's only a starting point, as many have been aseerting. So, what next? This subject has been explored by Motoko Aizawa and Salil Tripathi of the Institute of Human Rights and Business (IHRB) in a paper titled 'Beyond Rana Plaza: Next steps for the global garment industry and Bangladeshi manufacturers' in Business...