Specials

Does the Shroud of Turin really date back to the time of Jesus Christ? A recent peer-reviewed research suggests as much even as it calls for further laboratory tests. The experimental results are compatible with the hypothesis that the TS is a 2000-year-old relic, as supposed by Christian tradition.

A new 'purpose-driven' clothing line with 'responsibly sourced materials' from ultra-fast fashion retailer Shein promises an 'affordable option' for customers seeking to make a positive impact with their product choices. Shein is now taking the battle to its critics.

Data from 42 Swedish brands reveals that an overwhelming 95% of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are produced in their global supply chains, according to the Swedish Textile Initiative for Climate Action (STICA). The report is being described as a very important step in terms of understanding what to focus on in the coming years—and also in the name of transparency.

The big picture is that China, once a dominant player, is under pressure and buyers are desperately looking to diversify risks. India has suddenly become important as it is the only other place with a large vertically integrated textile chain, but does not have the huge capacities. Sarbajit Ghose, Managing Director of Laguna Clothing, does some hard talk as he takes a 360-degree view of how sourcing works.

The Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain (InTex) project of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is helping to improve resource efficiency and promote circularity in textiles in regions far from the glare of Big Media. The underlying idea is simple: empower local stakeholders.

Doing away with secondhand garments is easier said than done because people do need access to affordable clothing. Founder of Nairobi-headquartered Africa Collect Textiles (ACT), Elmar Stroomer, believes it is time to add a waste tax on imported items and the funds should be invested in high-end collection and recycling infrastructure.

A new Greenpeace report finds that the Global North has found a backdoor to get rid of its textile waste and is forcing countries from the Global South to deal with the consequences of fast fashion, even though they have no infrastructure to do so.

Nairobi-headquartered Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) is run by ordinary people with extraordinary ideas on how to divert textiles from landfills. No one believed recycling clothes would work in a country where a sizeable proportion of people wears secondhand clothes from abroad. Founder Elmar Stroomer tells us why and how it does.

Janpeter Horn took charge in April as Chairperson of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, Germany — the most important voice of the mechanical/plant engineering industry with 130 member companies. Horn, who is Managing Director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik, sees his role as that of a moderator who reconciles different interests and represents the industry's positions in international bodies.

Late last month, Fashion Council Germany published a report on the environmental impact of the German fashion industry titled German Fashion Footprint. The study was authored by Oxford Economics, UK. Rob Harbron, Associate Director with Oxford Economics, dwells at length on what went into the making of the report.