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  • GMT

Bangladesh consults on textile gender plan

Bangladesh is consulting stakeholders on a draft National Gender Action Plan to strengthen chemical safety and protect women working in its textile sector.

The Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), Department of Environment and partners this week held a consultation event on the draft plan in Dhaka.

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  • GMT

Clothing reuse project wins lottery funding

Bath Spa University and A Single Thread CIC have secured National Lottery funding worth almost £850,000 ($1.1m) for a four-year UK programme aimed at reducing textile waste and extending clothing lifespans.

The Restitch the Future project aims to engage more than 250,000 people through community hubs offering clothing swaps, repair workshops, youth programmes and skills-sharing opportunities.

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  • GMT

Niber launches PFAS-free performance laminate brand

Niber Technologies has launched NUSPUN, an ingredient brand of electrospun laminates for performance apparel, which the company says are made without intentionally added PFAS.

The materials are designed to combine breathability with adjustable water and wind protection. Niber says its proprietary process controls membrane production through to finished laminates.

“We control every stage of the process, from formulation through electrospinning to the finished laminate,” said Jaehyung Park, co-founder of Niber Technologies.

The launch comprises three platforms: Arcus, for waterproof protection; Ventus, combining windproof performance with water resistance; and Stratos, which pairs air permeability with water resistance.

Niber says Arcus exceeds 10,000mmH₂O waterproof performance, while Stratos delivers air permeability above 1 CFM. These figures are company claims; independent test details were not included in the launch material.

The company says selected brand partners will receive the laminates from the fourth quarter of 2026, with products expected in autumn/winter 2027 collections. Its plans include exploring bio-based and lower-carbon polymers.

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  • GMT

APTMA and CAP target imported retail goods

Pakistan’s textile mills and retailers have launched a joint initiative to replace imported merchandise with locally made products, starting with a working session in Lahore.

The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP) held their first Manufacturing Retail Working Session at APTMA House, bringing together retail brands and textile manufacturers.

Participants discussed retailers’ sourcing needs and opportunities for local production, including challenges around sampling, quality, pricing, minimum order quantities and delivery times, according to APTMA.

The initiative also aims to help Pakistani fashion brands reach international markets. It forms part of APTMA Patron-in-Chief Dr Gohar Ejaz’s wider ambition to increase textile exports by $3 billion within 12 months and by up to $10 billion over the next few years.

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  • GMT

Reshoring Textiles buys Sans Fibers

Reshoring Textiles has acquired North Carolina-based Sans Technical Fibers, adding US production of high-tenacity nylon 6.6 and polyester yarns to its portfolio.

Sans will operate as a sister company to Spinnere, another Reshoring Textiles business. John Garner has been appointed Sans chief executive, while Robert Antoshak becomes chief marketing officer of the parent company.

The acquisition adds domestic filament capacity for technical and specialist uses, including sewing thread and industrial textiles. Sans, based in Stoneville, North Carolina, has supplied high-tenacity filaments for more than two decades.

“Customers need reliable long-term domestic sources of the raw materials their products require,” said Josh Nieuwsma, chief executive of Reshoring Textiles.

Sans says it manufactures in North Carolina using US-made raw materials and holds ISO 9001 certification. Its yarns serve apparel, footwear, medical, military, automotive and manufactured-rubber markets.

The companies did not disclose financial terms. Reshoring Textiles said Sans will expand the group’s supply of domestically produced materials for manufacturers.

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  • GMT

Epoch appoints Jamie Scott as COO

Biotechnology firm Epoch Biodesign has appointed Jamie Scott as chief operating officer to lead its industrial scale-up and commercial nylon 6,6 recycling operations.

Scott joins from chemical major Invista, where he led European nylon intermediates, bringing over 30 years of manufacturing experience across Huntsman and Koch Technology Solutions.

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  • GMT

US apparel spending outpaces wider growth

US consumer spending on clothing rose 3.9% year on year in August, outpacing overall spending growth of 2.6%, according to Cotton Incorporated’s October 2026 update.

Inflation-adjusted spending on garments also increased 1.3% from July, its strongest monthly rise since December 2023. Overall real consumer spending rose 0.6% month on month.

The gains came as the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index fell 6.7 points to 81.9 in September, its lowest reading since 2014. Cotton Incorporated said confidence and pressure on real earnings could raise concerns about whether spending growth can continue.

US apparel prices rose 3.7% year on year in August, while cotton-dominant apparel import costs edged up to $3.77 per square metre equivalent. Those import costs exclude tariffs.

In September, the US economy added an estimated 29,000 jobs, while unemployment rose to 4.2%. Wage growth was 3.0% year on year, below inflation in every month since April.

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  • GMT

Hugo Boss seeks 10% supplier discount

Hugo Boss is seeking a 10% discount on outstanding invoices from fabric and trim suppliers, according to German trade publication Textilwirtschaft. The request reportedly targets suppliers of materials and ingredients.

The report, published on 7th October, says the demand has caused discontent among upstream suppliers. Hugo Boss has not publicly confirmed the request, and no supplier was named in the report.

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  • GMT

New tool to help identify Xinjiang forced labour risks

Pamir Solutions has made its intelligence platform available to the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List Office within the US Department of Homeland Security to help identify forced-labour risks linked to Chinese factories.

The company says its Pamir Intelligence Platform investigates worksites outside Xinjiang, tracking workers’ origins, recruitment or transfer and links to government bodies or intermediaries.

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  • GMT

Hohenstein registers under EMAS scheme

Hohenstein has registered its Bönnigheim site under the European Union’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), making its environmental performance externally verifiable.

The German testing and research company said the registration followed an assessment of its environmental impacts, improvement opportunities and measurable environmental objectives.

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