Specials

The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association works towards strengthening economic opportunities by promoting the interdependence of the for-profit textile recycling industry segments and provides a common forum for networking, education and advocacy. SMART President Brian London dwells at length on the second-hand clothing waste and global trade.

Are Trump’s tariffs reshaping the luxury fashion world? Here’s an analysis of the rapidly-shifting financial landscape for major brands, and the new cultural pressures arising from social media exposes, all against the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain future, also for fashion that is luxe.

India’s withdrawal of the trans-shipment facility marks more than a bureaucratic hiccup—it represents a tectonic shift in South Asian trade geopolitics. At the heart of it lies the Bangladeshi apparel industry, now navigating increased costs, longer transit times, and geopolitical uncertainty. The episode underscores how strategic rivalry between India and China is beginning to shape—even weaponise—trade logistics and bilateral relationships.

Wool, long regarded as a symbol of New Zealand’s pastoral heritage and a sustainable alternative in an increasingly eco-conscious world, is set to take centre stage again, as it gets knitted into a government directive mandating the use of Kiwi-grown and manufactured wool carpets in public sector buildings.

The path to circularity in fashion is not paved with singular solutions or isolated innovations. It is shaped by the willingness of stakeholders to come together, question assumptions, and collaborate in new ways. The ESCF project has shown that manufacturers, when given space and voice, are not just implementers—they are co-creators of the future. 

A major player in the Enabling Systemic Circularity in Fashion project of the Forum for the Future was leading apparel manufacturer, Crystal International Group. A spokesperson of the group talks about how brands and retailers can collaborate with their manufacturing partners in making the concept of circular fashion work in reality.

Taiwanese player Yee Chain International Ltd was a key participant in a project that sought to understand the systemic challenges that are stymieing the fashion industry’s efforts to go the whole hog. Chief Sustainability Officer, Martin Su, and Global Sustainability and Circularity Scaling Manager, Anett Soti, talk about ground truths in this engaging conversation.

The Fashion Planet Benchmark Report reveals an alarming gap between industry action and environmental reality, with major brands scoring just 30% in the planet pillar of Good On You’s brand ratings. These charts highlight critical shortfalls in emissions tracking, supply chain transparency, and circular design—and clearly show where brands can demonstrate leadership.

The future of fashion isn’t synthetic. It’s natural. It’s regenerative. And The Sheep Inc brand embodies and symbolises ideas from a carbon-negative supply chain, premium merino wool garments and regenerative farms to that word which is at the core of many debates in the fashion world: transparency.

In today's world people move from one outrage to the next with as much ease as they swipe left over to the next reel. Last year’s Brazil cotton controversy has resurfaced not only because it has been a year to the revelation, but also because Better Cotton is itself pursuing the thread. And, the loopholes in Better Cotton's damage control exercise that was pointed out by Earthsight remain yawning.