The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) recently submitted comments opposing US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) proposed reclassification of women’s shirts. In a letter, AAFA president and chief executive officer Rick Helfenbein said CBP’s proposed modification overturn decades of precedent and industry best practice, and create tremendous confusion.“While we specifically object to what CBP is trying to do with this specific ruling change, the far-reaching nature of this pro

Phelps Uniform Specialists have affirmed their commitment to environmental stewardship by achieving TRSA’s Clean Green certification. Phelps Uniform Specialists is an operated laundry, serving uniform and facility services customers in Iowa and Illinois. The certificate reflects the company’s dedication to operational efficiency and sustainability.Linen, uniform, and facility services companies receive this distinction by adhering to TRSA-designated water- and energy-use thresholds and deploying

A group of 86 fashion firms at the recent UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid issued a call to political leaders of countries with major fashion production and consumer markets to partner with them to deliver effective and ambitious climate action. This was part of an event celebrating one year of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.Pic: UNFCCThe communique calls for a partnership with political leaders to create enabling policy environments that will bring the industry in l

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) recently announced a plan to set up a mulberry silk cluster in three villages of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district where over 550 artisans would be trained. A not-for-profit institute, EDII is sponsored by financial institutions like the IDBI Bank, the ICICI Bank Ltd and the State Bank of India.Pic: ShutterstockThe project was undertaken under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), launched by the minist

So these were the 2010s. An exciting decade that began, for the fashion industry, with the tragic suicide of Alexander McQueen in February 2010 and closed with Karl Lagerfeld’s death in 2019. Two giants of fashion, both had a decisive influence on fashion in the years before their deaths, and their absences have left large gaps. In this review, FashionUnited looks back at the greatest moments, celebrities, fashion designers, developments and trends of the decade.The icons of the decadeIn the nou

Foundry powered by IFA Paris, opened its doors on September 23, 2019 at 18 - 24 Quai de La Marne in Paris’ creative 19th district. Foundry is a dynamic fashion tech lab and first of its kind in Paris. The lab is a space for ideas to become reality which members and general public can get an insight of how the future of fashion is going to look.Pic: FoundryOne can experience great pieces of technology from Foundry’s partners such as by TG3D Studio, IBM and N-Hega inside the lab. The TG3D Studio’s

In the first 11 months of this year, Turkey exported leather goods worth $1.6 billion and sold footwear to 186 countries and other leather products to 202 nations. The export target of $2 billion can be surpassed in 2020 if the sector is revived a little more, Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters Association (IDMIB) chairman Mustafa Senocak said.Pic: ShutterstockSenocak pointed to a slight increase in export figures compared to last year despite the protectionist measures in global tr

FableStreet , an Indian technology-enabled premium workwear brand, offering custom fits for women, recently raised ₹21 crore in series A led by Fireside Ventures. The funds will be utilised for market expansion including offline presence, adding product categories and hiring senior professionals who will partner in growth and brand building.Pic: FableStreetIt also plans to invest in artificial intelligence and machine learning to build a customer recommendation engine, strengthen product develop

The European Union (EU) may be preparing to revoke the generalised system of preferences (GSP) status for Myanmar, according to U Zaw Min Win, chair of Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), who said he was informed of the development by the EU and UK ambassadors but did not know the extent of pressure for that.Pic: ShutterstockHe told this during a meeting with vice president U Myint Swe earlier this week, according to a report in a Myanmarese newspaper.The E

India's annual rate of inflation, based on monthly wholesale price index (WPI), for November 2019, stood at 0.58 per cent over November 2018. The index for textiles dipped 0.5 per cent while for apparel it was up 0.4 per cent in October, according to the provisional data released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, ministry of commerce and industry.Pic: ShutterstockThe official WPI for all commodities (Base: 2011-12 = 100) for the month of November 2019 rose by 0.10 per cent to 122.3 from