Industry News | 12/18/24
Updated: Feb 4
Your BTS Wrapped
SPESA | December 17, 2024
Thank you to all of our readers, subscribers, and advertisers for an exciting and educational 2024! Take a look at the most popular Behind the Seams articles of the last year.
H&M Group Invests in Technology Platform Voyado
Fashion United | December 18, 2024
Fashion giant H&M Group has acquired a minority stake in Swedish-founded retail technology platform Voyado, which empowers retailers, e-commerce businesses, and brands to build long-lasting customer relationships.
First U.S. GAO Report Calls for Federal Collaboration for Reduction and Recycling To Combat Textile Waste
Fashion United | December 17, 2024
The first-ever report on textile waste from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging collaboration on a federal level to reduce textile consumption and increase recycling to minimize the impacts of textile waste. In the report, the GAO identified potential for collaboration among U.S. government agencies, and recommended Congress provide guidance to agencies to oversee and drive federal efforts to reduce textile waste and promote recycling. Read the full report here.
The Return of the Designer: Fashion's Creative Renaissance
Fashion United | December 17, 2024
The recent creative director appointments at some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses signals a profound shift from an era long dominated by marketing mavens and corporate strategists.
“These designers are not mere stylists or creative brand managers, but true architects of garment construction. They approach fashion as a complex dialogue between form, material, and human body — practitioners who understand clothing as a nuanced language of craft, innovation and heritage.”
Mycoworks’ Reishi: A Game Changer for Sustainable Interior Design
Women’s Wear Daily | December 17, 2024
Just over a year after Mycoworks’ Reishi, a new material grown from mycelium, debuted its first full fashion look at the Buro Stedelijk museum space in Amsterdam, it’s ready to take on the world of interiors. The first furniture pieces covered in Reishi are being made by the French family-run firm Ligne Roset and will hit the market in 2025.
AI To Influence Over $200B in Holiday Sales
Retail Dive | December 17, 2024
As more retailers integrate AI into the shopping experience, AI is on pace to drive more than $200 billion in holiday sales, a 12% jump from last year, according to a Salesforce analysis. Global online sales from November 1st to December 15th have reached $849 billion — a 4% year-over-year increase.
Reconomy Adding Digital Product Passport Service to Textile EPR Solution
Recycling Today | December 17, 2024
Reconomy UK Ltd., a United Kingdom-based specialty recycling and waste management services provider, is partnering with Fabacus, a data technology business also headquartered in the UK, to offer digital product passport services as part of its textile extended producer responsibility (EPR) solution to help producers meet expanding European Union regulations.
Women Leaving Bangladesh’s RMG Workforce
Apparel Resources | December 17, 2024
Recent research from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies reveals a concerning decline in women’s participation in the country’s garment sector, decreasing from 56% in 2014 to just 53% in 2023. Historically, women constituted over 80% of the workforce in this industry, but the rise of automation and technological advancements has contributed to a significant shift.
Scottish Textiles Factory Records 'Disappearing Sound' of Workers
The National | December 17, 2024
This week’s submission for: not at all important for your business, but interesting for textile nerds. Scott and Fyfe, based in Fife, Scotland, are working with a sound library to capture the sound of their factory machinery before it changes or disappears with the advance of technology.
Made in America: Missouri Hat Company Hopes To Revive Kansas City's Textile Industry
ABC News | December 16, 2024
Hat and accessories manufacturer Sandlot Goods is working to bring Kansas City back to its glory days as leader in the garment industry. Every design, cut, and stitch is crafted in Sandlot Goods’ Kansas City factory, which includes 45 workers and 10 new hires, all to fulfill the more than 115,000 hat orders that have been placed so far this year.
This article, along with Made in America: New Jersey Brothers Make Clothing To Last a Lifetime, is part of the World News Tonight Made in America Christmas series. For the 13th year running, the nightly newscast is spotlighting small businesses across the country making and selling American-made products.
Green Is the New Black: How Hong Kong Aims To Fashion a Sustainable Future
Fashion United | December 16, 2024
Hong Kong's Fashion Summit 2024 held during its Fashion Fest last month, arrived with the ambitious mandate of transforming sustainable fashion from a niche concept to a mainstream business imperative. With the majority of fashion supply chains deeply rooted in mainland China, the city must forge a collaborative approach that encompasses the entire Greater Bay Area. This means not just setting standards, but working closely with manufacturers, textile producers, and designers across the border to create a cohesive sustainability ecosystem.
Why Fashion’s Business as Usual ‘Won’t Cut It Anymore’ in Age of Climate Breakdown
Sourcing Journal | December 16, 2024
This Sourcing Journal article looks at research from Cornell University related to the impact of climate change on the global manufacturing industry and how factories may need to adapt to protect workers and production.
U.S. Manufacturers Predict Growth in 2025 After Prolonged Slump
Reuters | December 16, 2024
U.S. manufacturers are optimistic that the sector will emerge from a prolonged recession next year, though capital expenditure growth was likely to fall short of 2024's pace. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) survey published this week also found purchasing and supply executives at factories predicted higher employment levels in 2025.
Three Ingredients for a Successful Apparel Supply Chain in 2025
Just Style | December 13, 2024
McKinsey & Co says apparel brands that are deemed successful in the coming year will be ones that remain in tune with their sourcing footprint and tweaking their supply chains as needed. Brands and suppliers that have a “partnership” model in place as opposed to a transactional relationship will also succeed as well as ones whose vision around sustainability aligns with that of their stakeholders.
Première Vision Expands to Montréal for Spring 2025
California Apparel News | December 12, 2024
Debuting April 22-23 in Québec’s vibrant metropolis, the trade show will bring together key players from fashion, design, and the broader creative industries with the support of the Montréal Fashion Cluster, Tourisme Montréal, and Québec’s Ministry of Tourism. As a driving force for the fashion industry, Première Vision seeks to place itself as a catalyst for the growth of Québec’s fashion, economic, and business-tourism sectors.
Inside Puma’s New Creative Hub in Germany: 3D Printing, Product Testing and More
Footwear News | December 12, 2024
German sportswear brand Puma Group is opening a new creative hub in its Herzogenaurach headquarters focused on developing products and campaigns across several categories, including sportstyle and performance. The 5,300-square-foot space will include a 3D printing facility, sewing machines, product testing space, a photo studio, and meeting space for internal and external creatives.
Mexican Manufacturers Unfazed by Trump’s Tariff Threats at Nearshoring Event
Sourcing Journal | December 12, 2024
Dallas Market Center debuted its Nearshoring America Expo last week, an invitation-only showcase of factories, shelter companies, and supply chain providers chosen for their proven track record and ability to support U.S. importers. Since the election, President-elect Trump’s threats of tariffs against Mexico and the BRICS countries, including Brazil, have added a layer of uncertainty to global trade. Nevertheless, Dallas Market Center president and CEO Cindy Morris said she remains confident that creating an event that educates and inspires will be successful as importers think about long-term opportunities.
Tariffs Are the Top Concern for Shoe Execs in 2025, FDRA Finds
Sourcing Journal | December 12, 2024
The Q4 2024 Shoe Executive Business Survey from Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) showed that a record-high number of executives have cited governmental actions on tariffs as the most prominent issue likely to define business over the next six months. Three in five respondents expect to see higher costs due to tariffs in 2025, and 37% expect to see retail prices rise by more than 5% next year.
Bangladesh RMG Workers To Get 9% Annual Wage Increment Effective Dec. 1
Fibre2Fashion | December 11, 2024
Readymade garment (RMG) industry workers in Bangladesh will receive a 9% hike in wages, the country's labour and employment adviser M. Sakhawat Hussain recently announced. The increment will be effective from December 1st this year and will reflect in January.
U.S. Officials To Investigate Labor and Human Rights Abuses in Nicaragua
AP News | December 10, 2024
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has opened an investigation into labor and human rights abuses in Nicaragua amid growing concerns over President Daniel Ortega’s increasingly authoritarian rule. The investigation, authorized under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, will look into not only allegations of abuse but also the extent to which they affect commerce with the U.S. Only after that determination is made will retaliatory actions, if any, be taken. Read the USTR announcement here; the Federal Register notice here; NCTO’s response here.
MMI Textiles Acquires Jason Mills Significantly Bolstering Product Offering of High-Performance Knits
Press Release | December 10, 2024
MMI Textiles Inc., a global diversified supplier of industrial and custom fabrics and textile components with military, tactical, medical, commercial, and apparel expertise, has acquired New Jersey-based manufacturer of knit textiles, Jason Mills, LLC. Effective January 2, 2025, the acquisition instantly expands the MMI Textiles product line, accelerating a key strategic growth initiative for the company.
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