Specials

A report, ‘Outdoor and Sports as a Leading Climate Solution Provider’, claims that this fashion segment can move far beyond its small carbon footprint to become a transformative force for climate action, health, and societal well-being. The report is almost a manifesto for a flourishing future, urging a shift from risk and compliance to opportunity and vision.

As the fashion industry struggles to firm up a roadmap towards decarbonisation, one of the players that has been pro-active in trying to clean up its supply chain is the H&M Group. Kim Hellström, Senior Sustainability Manager, Climate at the Group speaks at length about the challenges in decarbonising the supply chain.

Socially disadvantaged people are disproportionately affected by temperature extremes. A recent study explored this point in Cambodia: one of the world's hottest and most humid countries. It evidenced the extent of the heat exposure faced by workers in Cambodia and the way occupational, environmental and geographical dynamics combine to shape it. The study’s lead author, Dr Laurie Parsons of Royal Holloway, University of London, contextualises this for the country’s garment workers.

A press conference for the upcoming Textiles Recycling Expo to be held in Brussels this June discussed how the event could be a catalyst to spotlight real-world solutions and accelerate their adoption across the European market, especially at a time when the political and economic case for transformation is finally aligning—if only precariously—with technological readiness.

The Nike case should not be treated as an isolated scandal but as a structural failing that demands structural reform. Without enforceable standards, empowered worker representation, and legal accountability, the cycle of exploitation will persist—repackaged each time with a new corporate excuse.

Retail has become cybercrime’s favourite playground. From Target’s catastrophic 2013 breach to British Airways’ record GDPR fine, the past decade has been a brutal education in digital vulnerability. Yet, as this April’s M&S incident proves, many still haven’t learned their lesson.

The ready-to-wear industry assumes vertical torsos, straight legs, and symmetrical weight distribution. Wheelchair users experience bunching, gaping, and constriction when seated for extended periods. Research published in 2024 identifies seated body geometry differences as the primary barrier to functional fit. Mainstream adaptive launches have proliferated, but most address closures, not core pattern engineering.

ITF Intertex Portugal, the country’s leading textiles-apparel event, gets under way about two weeks from now. The country’s textiles industry is much like its football ecosystem—not very big in size, but a force to reckon with, and just as vibrant. Managing Director Serhan Pul tells us what makes Portugal’s textiles-apparel industry tick and how it is adapting to the changing times.

Last month, Environmental Impact Measuring (EIM), a well-known platform for measuring the environmental impact of garment finishing, presented the first global report on the environmental impact of denim finishing. Begoña García, creator of the EIM platform and co-author of the report, talks about the complexities of environmental metrics.

A new study finds that 75% of an apparel product's environmental footprint stems from areas of impact beyond carbon emissions, and reveals raw material choices and specific manufacturing processes - not packaging, distribution, or even assembly - contribute up to 90% of product impact.