texfash

The fit technology arena has been in an acquisitive state over the last year or so. As the apparel & retail industry moves through an impressive and accelerated digital transformation brought on by the digital-first dominant consumer, this space is expected to burgeon as more brands look to digital channels for revenue growth.

Sizing is all! Incorrect size and sloppy fit mean the product comes back. Then starts the rigmarole of unsold inventory and deep discounts making it a retailer's worst nightmare. But, technology has a way out. Since the pandemic, broad acceptance of sizing solutions is generating greater revenue streams and triggering new business models.

A new 'purpose-driven' clothing line with 'responsibly sourced materials' from ultra-fast fashion retailer Shein promises an 'affordable option' for customers seeking to make a positive impact with their product choices. Shein is now taking the battle to its critics.

The Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain (InTex) project of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is helping to improve resource efficiency and promote circularity in textiles in regions far from the glare of Big Media. The underlying idea is simple: empower local stakeholders.

Doing away with secondhand garments is easier said than done because people do need access to affordable clothing. Founder of Nairobi-headquartered Africa Collect Textiles (ACT), Elmar Stroomer, believes it is time to add a waste tax on imported items and the funds should be invested in high-end collection and recycling infrastructure.

Nairobi-headquartered Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) is run by ordinary people with extraordinary ideas on how to divert textiles from landfills. No one believed recycling clothes would work in a country where a sizeable proportion of people wears secondhand clothes from abroad. Founder Elmar Stroomer tells us why and how it does.

Late last month, Fashion Council Germany published a report on the environmental impact of the German fashion industry titled German Fashion Footprint. The study was authored by Oxford Economics, UK. Rob Harbron, Associate Director with Oxford Economics, dwells at length on what went into the making of the report.

The existing Foreign Trade Policy of India is outdated by two years, but given the global trade situation—first hit and then exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—is showing no signs of improving, it might be a while before a new FTP sees the light of day. Meanwhile, can India do something to brand itself as an attractive sourcing destination? Buying agents weigh in.

Oil crisis, rising cotton prices, stagnating growth — too many factors at play now, some interconnected, others having a cascading effect this way or that — all these put buying agents in an unenviable position as they need to deal with two sides of the manufacturer-brand equation, in the backdrop of US sanctions on Russia.

In January, Sorona launched its Preferred Mill Network, a global catalogue of mills offering the full collection of sub-branded fabrics—Agile, Aura, Luxe, Profile, and Revive. Global Brand & Communications Leader Alexa Raab and Global Marketing Representative Kiki Chen talk about ease of access to sustainable fabrics throughout the value chain.