One of the most popular and iconic apparel product is denim, however, there are a lot of controversy regarding denim manufacturing as it leaves a lasting impact on nature.Requiring 7,000 liters of water to produce one pair of denim jeans. In the production process, toxic chemicals are used in the dying process, which pollutes riverways and water supplies.But there are some brands who are making a difference.Figure: Making sustainable denim is not a futuristic matter anymore. Courtesy:MUD JeansRi

Something more than a feelgood story is needed to entice cotton farmers into organic production as the pay-off from organic cotton in terms of healthier soils, communities and wildlife are worth the effort from an environmental point of view, according to Anita Chester, head-Sustainable Raw Materials, Laudes Foundation (earlier known as C&A Foundation)."Organic cotton is a sustainable choice, but still makes up a tiny proportion of global cotton supply. India is the largest producer, ac

LUBBOCK - Production of more sustainable fibre and materials is growing but not at the speed and scale required, according to Textile Exchange's 2020 Preferred Fibre and Materials Market Report (PFMR).It reveals that global fibre production has doubled in the last 20 years, reaching an all-time high of 111 million metric tons in 2019 and pre-COVID-19 results indicated potential growth to 146 million metric tons by 2030.However, while the market for preferred fibre and materials is growing wi

The World Bank recently approved a $750-million ‘MSME Emergency Response’ programme to support increased flow of finance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. It will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of around 1.5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the shock of the pandemic and protect millions of jobs.Pic: ShutterstockCOVID-19 has placed India’s MSME sector, which contributes 30 per cent to the country’s GDP a

ANN ARBOR - A new white paper from sustainability consultants Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) highlights the current state of textile waste in the US and outlines a future system in which textiles are recovered for best and highest use.Entitled Textile Recovery in the US: A Roadmap to Circularity, it analyses potential causes of the country's increasing textile waste problem, including fast fashion and fibre composition, which is outpacing every other form of waste."In the United State

EDINBURGH - The Lost Stock initiative to support garment workers in supply chain countries by selling boxes of unused clothing stock has raised 96,000 weeks’ worth of food aid for Bangladeshi families in just one month.Lost Stock was set up by Cally Russell, the founder of fashion shopping app Mallzee, to help garment workers after brands and retailers cancelled more than US$3 billion worth of orders because of the COVID-19 pandemic.It left manufacturers unable to pay their workers and with moun

COPENHAGAN - Danish startup Beyond Leather Materials - which produces a sustainable leather alternative from the apple pulp left over from cider production - has successfully closed a €1.1 million (US$1.24m) seed investment round.Dutch startup accelerator Rockstart and Danish state’s investment fund Vaekstfonden have agreed to provide the backing for the company to further advance its production facilities.Beyond Leather Materials aims to start providing its fully biodegradable, animal-freefabri

Weeks after a private equity firm bought UK shirtmaker TM Lewin with plans to restructure it, the brand recently announced it will close all 66 of its shops in the country, rendering 600 workers jobless. It will take all its sales online to reduce costs. All its stores closed when the lockdown started, but none reopened when restrictions were eased in June.Pic: TM LewinFounded in Panton Street, London, in 1898, TM Lewin sells shirts and suits.Torque Brands, a subsidiary of Stonebridge Private Eq

Leading flat knitting machine builder Stoll officially joined the Karl Mayer Group today. Details of the merger were revealed by Karl Mayer in a statement this morning. The news follows the announcement at the end of February that the warp knitting machinery leader would buy Reutlingen based Stoll in an unprecedented deal. (see:).© Karl Mayer/ Stoll.“With the so-called closing, the merger of the two world market leaders, Karl Mayer and Stoll, was officially completed on 1 July 2020. The relevant

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the US-China trade war is a key challenge to the US apparel and footwear sector as despite a Phase One deal, 92 per cent of apparel, 51 per cent of footwear, 68 per cent of home textiles and all travel goods imported to the United States from China still attract an additional punitive tariff of 7.5-25 per cent on top of the already high duties, according toof the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA).Pic: ShutterstockIn 2019, the industry paid nearly $20