Fashion & Retail News
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Friday, 22 May 2020BFC and CFDA call for industry reset
LONDON: The British Fashion Council and the Council of Fashion Designers of America have issued a joint call for an industry reset after the current coronavirus pandemic. They say fast fashion needs to slow down and are calling on brands and… -
Tuesday, 19 May 2020H&M’s Cos brand creates ‘sustainable’ activewear
STOCKHOLM – H&M’s high-end fashion brand Cos has launched a new activewear collection which integrates recycled nylon and polyester, as well as ‘sustainably sourced’ and organic cotton. Cos Active is the company’s response to a customer base… -
Tuesday, 19 May 2020Global brands back UN-led Recover Better plan
GLOBAL - More than 150 global corporations - including H&M, Inditex owner Zara, IKEA and PVH, have signed a 'Better Recovery' statement urging governments to align post-pandemic socio-economic recovery with climate science. The CEOs of Burberry,… -
Tuesday, 19 May 2020New agenda to guide fashion through COVID-19
COPENHAGEN - The Global Fashion Agenda non-profit has released an agenda to guide fashion leaders in futureproofing their business models after the coronavirus pandemic by placing sustainability at the core of their operations. Entitled the CEO… -
Friday, 15 May 2020Brands agree to protect workers in Myanmar
YANGON - Some of the world's biggest fashion brands including H&M, Zara owners Inditext and C&A have reached an agreement with suppliers and trade unions to protect garment factories and workers in Myanmar from the worst impacts of the COVID-19… -
Thursday, 14 May 2020Under Armour commits to paying suppliers
BALTIMORE - Sportswear brand Under Armour has followed rivals like Nike and Adidas in agreeing to pay its suppliers in full and on time for all orders that were in production when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Many brands have been criticised for… -
Wednesday, 13 May 2020Fashion Council names COVID relief fund recipients
LONDON – The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the 37 businesses it will apportion funding to from its £1 million COVID-19 relief kitty. It was in March that the BFC established its Foundation Fashion Fund, with the aim of supporting… -
Monday, 11 May 2020Zalando sees increased sustainable fashion sales
BERLIN - European online fashion platform Zalando is reporting stronger than expected growth with nearly 30 per cent of its customers shopping for more sustainable fashion. Zalando says it expects to grow its gross merchandise volume (GMV) by 10-20… -
Monday, 11 May 2020Debenhams 'demands 90% discount on order'
DAKHA - British department store retailer Debenhams is reportedly demanding a 90 per cent discount to accept an already completed and shipped order from suppliers in Bangladesh. The company, which last month fell into administration putting its 142… -
Thursday, 07 May 2020VF adds more products to traceability tool
DENVER – VF Corporation has added new products to its online traceability tool which now includes over 40 items of apparel and footwear from brands such as Vans, The North Face and Timberland. The unique full supply chain maps enable consumers to… -
Thursday, 07 May 2020Landmark Group starts COVID support work
DUBAI – Retail conglomerate Landmark Group and the Jagtiani Foundation, a venture launched by the company’s owner, has set out to provide financial support across the middle east and within India to the tune of an estimated US$4 million. Uniting the… -
Wednesday, 06 May 2020Mulberry bans exotic animals from apparel
LONDON – Luxury fashion brand Mulberry has banned exotic animal skins from its future clothing collections, with the firm’s spring/summer collection marking this departure. As conservation experts warn that the trade of exotic skins from the likes… -
Tuesday, 05 May 2020Brands backing the PayUp initiative
GLOBAL – Workers’ rights organisation Remake has provided an update on the success of its PayUp campaign, recognising that 13 major fashion brands and retailers have now agreed to pay for orders both completed and in-production, valuing US$7.5… -
Friday, 01 May 2020Hugo Boss investigates supply chain claims
METZINGEN - Fashion brand Hugo Boss is investigating claims that workers in its European supply chain are being forced to work in high risk environments despite the coronavirus pandemic. A joint investigation by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and… -
Tuesday, 28 April 2020Brands sign up to new circularity initiative
LONDON - More than 60 brands have signed up to a new initiative aimed at increasing circularity in the global fashion industry and reducing waste. Signatories to the 2020 Circular Fashion Pledge have committed to taking specific action to lead the… -
Monday, 27 April 2020Asics collection made with recycled plastic
KOBE – Japanese sportswear brand Asics has launched a new range of footwear, the uppers of which are made entirely from recycled PET plastic. Taking inspiration from century-old traditions, in which recapturing value from product waste was… -
Friday, 24 April 2020Exclusive: ILO elaborates on action plan
GLOBAL – Earlier this week, the COVID-19: Action in the Global Garment Industry plan was launched, providing a coordinated response to the current crisis through which urgent financial relief is to be made available to vulnerable garment factories… -
Friday, 24 April 2020Capri Holdings announces social responsibility goals
NEW YORK - Michael Kors' Capri Holdings has announced its global corporate social responsibility strategy including commitments to be carbon neutral in its own operations and to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025. The company, which owns… -
Friday, 24 April 2020Abercrombie & Fitch, Reebok partner with ThredUp
NEW ALBANY – Apparel companies Abercrombie & Fitch and Reebok are the latest to partner with resale platform ThredUp, as they vie to capitalise on growing consumer interest in second-hand garments. Customers of Abercrombie & Fitch can now turn in… -
Thursday, 23 April 2020Fast Retailing gives commitment to suppliers
YAMAGUCHI - Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing has spelt out the measures which it says it is taking to protect the workers who make its clothes during the current coronavirus crisis. The company says it has been committed from the outset of the pandemic… -
Wednesday, 22 April 2020Reaction to cross-industry COVID-19 plan
GLOBAL - Industry stakeholders have been reacting to the news that leading brands and retailers have endorsed a new cross-industry plan to provide urgent support to vulnerable garment factories and workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.… -
Wednesday, 22 April 2020Brands inc Primark and H&M back COVID-19 plan
GLOBAL – Leading brands and retailers including Primark, H&M, Inditex, C&A, Adidas and VF Corp have endorsed a new cross-industry plan to provide urgent financial relief to vulnerable garment factories and workers in response to the COVID-19… -
Wednesday, 22 April 2020Burberry outlines latest sustainability efforts
LONDON – To coincide with Earth Day, luxury fashion brand Burberry has today announced new developments at the firm which reaffirm its commitment to progress on the sustainability front, aligning with its Responsibility Agenda to 2022. The company… -
Tuesday, 21 April 2020Wrangler, Banana Republic join Jeans Redesign project
NEW YORK – A further 17 fashion brands, garment manufacturers, fabric mills and laundries have today joined the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project, an initiative established just last year with the mission statement of prolonging… -
Tuesday, 21 April 2020Backlash for Boohoo over “scandalous” facemasks
MANCHESTER – UK fashion brand Boohoo has faced backlash after producing ‘fashion’ face masks donning slogans such as “eat, sleep, isolate, repeat” which it admits aren’t designed for protection. The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers… -
Tuesday, 21 April 2020Brands accused of evading responsibilities
LONDON - Brands and retailers have been accused of evading their responsibilities over the COVID-19 pandemic by failing to disclose key details of their purchasing practices. The Fashion Revolution 2020 Fashion Transparency Index reveals that only… -
Monday, 20 April 2020Primark agrees to pay suppliers for more orders
DUBLIN - Fast fashion giant Primark has agreed to pay its suppliers for all completed orders, as well as those in production, providing they had been scheduled for shipment by 17th April. The company, which was criticised after it was named as the… -
Sunday, 19 April 2020Arc’teryx gets approval for Science-Based Targets
VANCOUVER – Canadian activewear brand Arc’teryx has set two Science-Based Targets, approved by the namesake initiative, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. The brand’s targets address scope one to three greenhouse gas… -
Friday, 17 April 2020
SAC intervenes on member responses to Covid-19
SAN FRANCISCO – Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, where many of its members are embroiled in disputes with their suppliers about the non-payment of orders, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) says it’s ‘hopeful that out of this immense challenge’ the… -
Thursday, 16 April 2020Sports sector hit hard by pandemic, survey finds
BRUSSELS – The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), which represents more than 1,800 companies including Nike, Adidas, Puma and New Balance, has revealed the findings of what it says is a flagship member survey, highlighting… -
Wednesday, 15 April 2020H&M and IKEA back post-pandemic green plan
BRUSSELS - Businesses - including fashion giant H&M and home furnishing chain IKEA - have joined a new alliance with politicians and environmentalists in calling for an EU-wide green recovery strategy focused on sustainability after the COVID-19… -
Wednesday, 15 April 2020Podcast: Is digital clothing the future of fashion?
WAKEFIELD – Two of the leading figures behind digital fashion house The Fabricant join our host Mike Schragger, from the Sustainable Fashion Academy, for our latest Big Closets Small Planet podcast. The Fabricant recently sold a piece of digital… -
Wednesday, 15 April 2020Next closes site after busy online re-opening
LEICESTER – Following a three-week break, fashion retailer Next was yesterday forced to stop taking orders within two hours of recommencing business, after it exceeded capacity for the day. Next shut down its site on March 26, around the time the UK… -
Tuesday, 14 April 2020Arcadia demands discount not to cancel orders
DHAKA - A Bangladeshi garment factory has shared a letter from fashion giant Arcadia in which the company threatens to cancel completed orders which have already been shipped - unless suppliers agree to a 30 per cent discount. Ian Grabiner, CEO of… -
Tuesday, 14 April 2020Pressure increases on brands to pay suppliers
GLOBAL - Industry bodies in six countries have released a joint statement urging brands and retailers to consider the impact on workers in their supply chains of their purchasing decisions during the coronavirus pandemic. The nine business… -
Wednesday, 08 April 2020PETA calls for Levi’s to stop using leather
SAN FRANCISCO - When will Levi's make the environmentally imperative decision to stop sourcing animal leather? This is the question posed to the denim brand by animal rights organisation PETA, which is set to attend the firm’s annual meeting today.… -
Tuesday, 07 April 2020PETA buys brand shares to influence material bans
LONDON – Animal rights campaign group PETA US has purchased stock in brands including Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Urban Outfitters and Guess as it urges all to ban wool, mohair and cashmere from their clothing lines. PETA exposés have lifted the lid on… -
Tuesday, 07 April 2020Sustainable fashion searches up, says new report
LONDON – Global fashion search platform Lyst has published its 2020 Conscious Fashion Report which reflects on the internet search patterns of more than 100 million shoppers to assess interest in sustainable apparel. Between February 2019 and ’20,… -
Monday, 06 April 2020Levi’s donates US$3m to support supply chain
SAN FRANCISCO – Fashion brand Levi’s has shown its support in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic with a donation of US$3 million which will be dispersed to support its employees, community partners and those in its supply chain. The San Fran… -
Thursday, 02 April 2020Kontoor Brands joins Green Supply Chain Map
BEIJING – Kontoor Brands, which owns the Wrangler and Lee brands, has joined the Green Supply Chain Map in 2020; a move which means the firm will disclose the environmental information of all their suppliers located in China. The online tool, launched… -
Thursday, 02 April 2020Inditex agrees to Bangladesh order payments
DHAKA – Fashion firms Inditex, Target, Marks & Spencer and Kiabi say they will accommodate and pay for orders from Bangladeshi suppliers, having originally left the country’s garment manufacturers high-and-dry. The decision to backtrack follows… -
Wednesday, 01 April 2020COVID-19, the catalyst for change
WAKEFIELD – We understand our print magazine subscribers well enough to know they’ll be fine about us making the April issue (No:96) of Ecotextile News free to everyone, in an effort to keep environmental and social issues at the centre of our… -
Tuesday, 31 March 2020Fashion for Good adapts amidst industry shake up
AMSTERDAM – Following an improv virtual selection day, held in light of travel restrictions, global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good (FFG) has selected its seventh batch of innovators to embark on its now ritual Accelerator programme,… -
Tuesday, 31 March 2020Everlane cut backs hit union workers hard
SAN FRANCISCO – Hundreds of workers for US brand Everlane have been left jobless after the business cutback its personnel in light of economic inactivity brought on by the coronavirus. It’s said that remote customer service workers, which have been… -
Monday, 30 March 2020Burberry retools factory for COVID-19 fight
CASTLEFORD - Fashion brand Burberry has retooled its trench coat factory, in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to make non-surgical gowns and masks for patients to support those hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is also to supply 100,000 surgical… -
Monday, 30 March 2020
Fashion lovers urged to support garment workers
LEEK - The Fashion Revolution not-for-profit movement is urging fashion lovers to write to their favourite brands urging them to do more to support the people who make their clothes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The global organisation, which… -
Friday, 27 March 2020British Fashion Council to launch Covid Crisis Fund
LONDON – The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today launched the BFC Foundation Covid Crisis Fund, which will apportion cash from a £1 million kitty to fashion businesses to relieve some of the strains felt over this uncertain period. “Now more… -
Sunday, 22 March 2020
H&M suppliers to make PPE to tackle COVID-19
STOCKHOLM – Fashion giant H&M says it will ask its supply chain to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) to help medical staff tackle the COVID-19 outbreak and use its global networks to deliver them to hospitals as soon as possible.. “The… -
Friday, 20 March 2020Fashion for Good unveils latest batch of innovators
AMSTERDAM – Global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good (FFG) has unveiled the latest batch of innovators to join its Accelerator Programme following an improv virtual selection process. 21 innovators were whittled down to 13 via an online… -
Wednesday, 18 March 2020Converse strips back design with material toolkit
BOSTON – Clothing company Converse has developed what it describes a “material toolkit” which will be leveraged for the footwear it designs and manufactures going forward. Comprising a stretch canvas, foam and outsole rubber, the toolkit strips back…
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