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  • GMT

Vêtir patents AI styling platform

Luxury fashion technology company Vêtir has been awarded a patent covering its digital closet, AI conversational styling model and wardrobe management platform. It also launched Vêtir Enterprise and The Style Passport.

Vêtir Enterprise offers luxury brands and retailers a licensable virtual try-on and conversational AI stylist, alongside CRM and analytics tools.

The Style Passport is a consumer browser extension that carries users’ sizing, style preferences, avatar, digital wardrobe and wish list across online stores.

Vêtir said its personalised AI styling system achieved an average 13% conversion rate and more than $2,600 average order value on its own site, figures confirmed by Rakuten Advertising.

Founder and chief executive Kate Davidson Hudson said: “The future of luxury fashion will continue to be personalisation.

"AI is a powerful tool in achieving that at scale; but, if AI doesn’t have any data on you - personally - it’s still starting from scratch every time you search.”

The announcement follows Vêtir’s $5.5 million Series A funding round earlier this year.

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  • GMT

Frasers takes majority control of Hugo Boss

Frasers Group has increased its stake in Hugo Boss to 50.08%, making the German fashion group a subsidiary of the UK retailer.

Frasers bought 198,666 Hugo Boss shares for €7,630,761 ($8.55m), funded from existing cash resources. It now holds 34,468,065 shares and interests in up to 15,050,100 further shares through sold put options, equivalent to up to 21.87% of share capital.

Hugo Boss’s earnings, assets and liabilities are expected to be consolidated into Frasers’ accounts. Frasers said the transaction was in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

The move follows Frasers’ voluntary takeover offer, which lifted its holding to 47.89% after the European Commission granted merger control clearance.

Hugo Boss chief executive Daniel Grieder said: “Our focus remains clear: we will execute Claim 5 Touchdown with discipline.”

The company said the strategy, introduced in December 2025, provides “the foundation for sustainable, profitable growth and long-term value creation”.

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  • GMT

Shein agrees $100 million US FTC settlement

Shein has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into delivery delays and other customer complaints, according to reporting by Reuters citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

The settlement equals 44% of Shein’s second-quarter profit. Full terms have not been published, and it remains unclear whether affected customers will receive refunds.

Consumers filed more than 12,000 complaints about Shein concerning purchases worth more than $11 million between 1st January 2020 and 30th June 2026, according to FTC records reviewed by Reuters. Some customers said packages marked as delivered never arrived.

A Shein spokesperson said: “We have reached a constructive outcome with the FTC, and additional information will be shared soon.”

The agreement comes as Shein faces heightened regulatory and tax scrutiny in the US and Europe.

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  • GMT

Australia opens consultation on PFAS use

Australia’s industrial chemicals regulator has opened a public consultation on a draft evaluation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) imported or manufactured in the country.

The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) published the draft on 21st October, with comments closing on 2nd December.

The evaluation covers 522 PFAS listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals. Businesses reported introducing 139 between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2025; 48 were for research and development only.

AICIS said: “This is not a risk assessment, but the outcomes will be used to prioritise which PFAS should be the subject of future risk assessments.”

It found the most reported uses were lubricants and greases, paints and coatings, and adhesives and sealants. AICIS proposes to evaluate trifluoroacetic acid, a common PFAS breakdown product, and require notification before certain non-research introductions.

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  • GMT

Bangladesh’s apparel orders in jeapordy amid European protests

Bangladesh’s garment exporters fear prolonged protests in France, Italy and other European countries could weaken consumer spending and reduce orders from the EU, Bangladesh’s largest apparel market.

Protests over living costs, energy prices, housing and public services have affected France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Spain.

Nafis-Ud-Doula, director of Impress-Newtex Composite Textiles and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said: “Buyers might want to hold certain portion of work orders.”

Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard said: “The unrest is hurting consumer confidence that was already weak because of high fuel prices.”

Eurostat data show EU apparel imports fell 3.83% year on year to €60.29 billion ($70.1bn) in January–August 2026, while Bangladeshi shipments declined 11.67% to €11.93 billion ($13.9bn).

Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said a French buyer warned him to prepare for about 20% fewer orders in January 2027.

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  • GMT

SITRA and TTRI sign textile research MoU

The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) and the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance textile research, innovation and sustainable technologies.

SITRA vice chairman G Raj Kumar and TTRI vice president Chiu Sheng-fu signed the MoU, with Confederation of Indian Industry representatives present.

The partners will focus on speciality man-made fibres, medical textiles and sustainable textile processing. Cooperation covers capacity building, collaborative research and technology development, and testing and standards.

Planned work includes sustainable processing, functional and technical textiles, advanced fibres, resource-efficient manufacturing, recycling, circularity, digitalisation and automation. The institutions will also align laboratory practices and testing methods with international requirements.

Kumar said: “This MoU marks the beginning of a forward-looking partnership between two institutions committed to advancing textile technology, strengthening industrial competitiveness, and promoting a sustainable and innovation-driven textile sector.

“Its real value will be reflected in the projects we undertake, the expertise we exchange, the people we train and the industrial impact we create together.”

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  • GMT

Kering revenue dips as Gucci struggles

Kering has reported third-quarter revenue of €3,345 million ($3.9 billion), stable as reported but down 1% on a comparable basis.

Gucci remained the main drag, with revenue down 6% on a comparable basis to €1,291 million ($1.5 billion). Lower footfall, particularly in Mainland China and Japan, weighed on the house.

Kering Fashion & Leather Goods revenue fell 3% on a comparable basis to €2,743 million ($3.2 billion). Excluding Gucci, retail sales rose 2%, supported by growth at Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Brioni.

Kering Jewelry grew 11% on a comparable basis to €239 million ($280 million), while Kering Eyewear rose 4% to €373 million ($436 million).

The group completed 105 net store closures in the first nine months and now expects at least 125 net closures in 2026. It also confirmed it aims to improve its recurring operating margin this year.

Luca de Meo, chief executive officer of Kering, said: “The recovery of Gucci remains our defining priority.

“Unlocking the Group's full potential requires restoring momentum at Gucci, accelerating on product excellence, delivering our action plan in China, realising the full benefits of our Group platform and embedding a culture of execution across the organisation.”

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  • GMT

Texas secures Lululemon PFAS compliance deal

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Lululemon USA following an investigation into potential PFAS in its activewear.

The agreement requires the company to maintain chemical safety controls for three years. Under the deal, Lululemon must enforce its Restricted Substances List across its supply chain. Vendors must demonstrate compliance through independent laboratory testing or valid third-party certification.

The company must verify certification validity, commission further testing when certifications expire and take commercially reasonable corrective action where vendors do not comply. The Texas Attorney General’s office will continue monitoring compliance.

Paxton said: “I will not allow corporations to put the health and safety of Texans at risk by using potentially harmful chemicals in their clothing.”

He added: “This agreement ensures that Lululemon remains accountable for enforcing its chemical safety standards and provides additional protections for Texans against potentially harmful chemicals.”

Lululemon said the agreement “reiterates how the company already operates and does not represent a change to its products or practices”.

It said the state did not identify PFAS in its products or materials, and that it “does not use PFAS in its products”.

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  • GMT

NZ industry urges textile stewardship action

Fashion & Textiles New Zealand has called for an industry-designed textile product stewardship model to strengthen reuse and recovery infrastructure while protecting small businesses from disproportionate costs.

Its 2026 policy priorities urge government to establish a process and timeline with industry to explore a scheme, rather than propose a final model.

The trade body wants credible data to underpin its design, with potential scheme revenue supporting shared collection, sorting, recovery and reprocessing capacity.

It also calls for stronger repair and reuse services, circular design and business models that keep textiles in use.

The organisation urges scrutiny of whether consumer, advertising and online market rules address high-volume, low-value textile businesses and ensure fair competition.

The proposals form part of five priorities covering sector coordination, manufacturing and skills, business growth, fibre development and circularity.

A fibre report is due in November, followed by a manufacturing strategy in early 2027 to guide industry investment.

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  • GMT

Pakistan heat exposes brand safety gap

Extreme heat is exposing garment workers in Karachi to fainting, lost wages and unsafe conditions, despite safety commitments from global brands including Inditex and Mango.

An Associated Press investigation interviewed more than a dozen workers. Siddiqui, a 28-year-old worker identified only by surname because she fears retaliation, said her supervisor told her to continue after she became unwell.

“The supervisor said, ‘Just complete this work,’” she told AP.

“Suddenly darkness came before my eyes.”

Workers described absent heat protocols, broken or inadequate fans, hot metal roofs and water that was rarely cold. All but one said heat-related illness caused them to lose wages.

The International Accord, a legally binding brand and union agreement, said in 2025 it would treat heat as a workplace safety risk and develop heat stress protocols. Those protocols remain under review and are not yet in effect.

Climate Rights International researcher Cara Schulte said brands must hold suppliers accountable for worker safety, including extreme heat

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