India’s ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) recently approved a proposal by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to raise the wages of khadi artisans by over 36 per cent, from the earlier 5.50 per hank to 7.50 per hank and paying government subsidy related to modified market development assistance (MMDA). The benefits are effective from August 15, a news agency reported citing a KVIC statement. Under MMDA, 30 per cent of the prime cost is paid to the khad

C.L.A.S.S, a unique multi-platform hub based in Milan, Italy, specialising in integrating a new generation of eco values into fashion, home products, lifestyle brands, is set to launch its C.L.A.S.S. Education Smart Kit at Premiere Vision Paris, in booth S35. The global event for fashion professionals will be held from September 19-21, 2018, in Paris. The Education Smart Kit by C.L.A.S.S is a new, easy-to-use, educational support tool developed for universities that introduces innovative sma

Clothing expenditure reported just 0.6 per cent growth as consumers put off buying new autumn and winter wardrobes due to a warm August, according to the latest Barclaycard consumer spending data for the period from July 22 to August 18, 2018. Women’s and men’s clothing sales contracted slightly by 0.9 and 0.3 per cent respectively during the period. However, consumer spending rose 4.5 per cent year-on-year in August, maintaining the strong level seen in recent months as Brits struck a balance

The total revenue of Perry Ellis International in the first half of fiscal 2019 was $455 million, up 1.3 per cent on a Gaap basis from $449 million reported in the first six months of fiscal 2018. While in the second quarter of fiscal 2019, revenue declined 3.5 per cent to $199 million, from $207 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018. The first half Gaap gross margin was flat at 37.3 per cent while in the second quarter, gross margin expanded 110 basis points to 38.1 per cent as compar

US secretary of agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced details of actions the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take to assist farmers in response to trade damage from “unjustified” retaliation by foreign nations. President Donald Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers. The US administration is meanwhile working on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers c

Shandong Ruyi Technology Group, one of the large textile enterprises in China, will invest $16.5 million in Israel-based Bagir Group, a designer, creator and provider of innovative tailoring, in return for 359,560,310 New Ordinary Shares representing 53.7 per cent of the Bagir’s enlarged share capital. The investment was being discussed since November 2017. “The proposed investment values each New Ordinary Share at approximately 3.5 pence per Ordinary Share and represents a premium of 155 per

Accepting a key request of the Trump administration, the Government of Mexico has raised ‘de minimis’ threshold from earlier $50 to $100. The term de minimis refers to the value below which goods can be shipped into a country before duties and taxes are assessed. As a result, Mexicans will now be able to import goods valued up to $100 duty-free from the US.“This decision is a positive step forward for promoting trade and economic opportunities for small businesses,” Ebay said in a statement. “Lo

German conglomerate Siemens recently launched a unique project called AfroDigital Fabric in Johannesburg to demonstrate how crucial data is in transforming Africa’s urban centres into smart cities of the future. Three famous African fashion designers created 12 extraordinary outfits from data extracted from the cities of Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg. The garments by Kenya’s John Kaveke, Nigeria’s Zizi Cardow and South Africa’s Palesa Mokubung showcase a variety of patterns from power grid

Spykar, one of India’s largest denim brands, has promoted of Sanjay Vakharia to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Vakharia co-founded the brand in 1995 and was the COO & director since 2014. The announcement comes at the back of an excellent year for the business where the jeans wear brand clocked retail sales of more than ₹550 crore. In the last three years, the revenues of Spykar have doubled and the profits grew by 4x. The business was acquired by the Metdist Group fr

Lanificio Europa, a leading fabric wholesaler from Italy, is displaying its innovative cotton stretch fabrics for denim at Munich Fabric Start, in hall 6 booth C06. The leading international textile trade show is being held from September 4-6, 2018, in Germany. Lanificio Europa creates collections backed by passion, commitment, and expertise in textiles. Europa fabrics are produced upholding advanced ecological standards, as evidenced by OekoTex Standard 100 certification. Europa selects pre