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Industry News | 11/20/24

Visitor Registration Now Open for 2025 Edition of Texprocess Americas (May 6-8, 2025)
SPESA Press Release | November 20, 2024

SPESA is excited to announce visitor registration is now open for the 2025 edition of Texprocess Americas. Taking place May 6-8, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, Texprocess Americas is The Americas exhibition demonstrating the technology, capacity, technical support, and critical connections fueling the significant and evolving soft goods manufacturing engine in the Western Hemisphere. 


 
What You Missed in Montréal | 2024 SPESA Executive Conference Recap
SPESA | November 20, 2024

Thank you again to everyone who joined us in Montréal! If you haven't done so already, please click here to share your thoughts on the event. For those of you who were not able to attend the 2024 SPESA Executive Conference, click the link to see what you missed!


 
Sourcing Journal Exclusive: Startup Using AI To Enable Nearshoring and Small-Batch Production Secures Pre-Seed Funding
Sourcing Journal | November 20, 2024

UK-based MannyAI uses artificial intelligence systems to help brands curb overproduction by leveraging a test-and-repeat model, made possible by matching them with factories willing to produce in smaller quantities. The company has raised €1.26 million ($1.33 million) in a pre-seed round, complemented by a €240,000 ($253,900) grant from Innovate UK, which It plans to use to add technology and business development to its team.


 
Wolverine World Wide Debuts Global Innovation Hub in Boston
Fashion Dive | November 20, 2024

The 11,000-square foot space will house the company’s design and product staffers, including Saucony employees on the brand’s design, development, merchandising, and product management teams. The company is building out its corporate workspaces as a way to attract talent and encourage creativity as it goes through a strategic transformation.


 
To Renew or Not To Renew? What AGOA Means to Apparel Sourcing
Sourcing Journal | November 20, 2024

Could Africa benefit from the scramble to diversify supply chains, particularly in the face of impending — and increasing — Chinese tariffs? It’s a question with no easy answers, as a session at Sourcing Journal’s Fall Summit concluded last week.


 
Tariffs Are Trending, But Does the Industry Grasp the Implications of Trump 2.0?
Footwear News | November 19, 2024

“Tariff” has become the hottest word in the American lexicon since the presidential election two weeks ago. But for many consumers and even industry insiders, the implications of the proposed taxes on foreign-made products remain elusive. “The president-elect did say that ‘tariffs’ is the most beautiful word in English language — but a lot of…people around the world are looking to understand what tariffs are,” American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) President and CEO Steve Lamar said last week at Sourcing Journal’s Fall Summit in New York City.


 
The Rise of Medical Textiles: Navigating Regulatory Challenges and Biocompatibility Testing
Textile World | November 19, 2024

Advancements in technology and a burgeoning demand for specialized textile applications continues to drive exponential growth in the medical textile industry. From wound care to surgical garments to filtration systems in medical devices such as ventilators, the scope of medical textiles reaches every corner of the healthcare industry. As these products become increasingly vital in hospital and healthcare settings, manufacturers must navigate the complex landscape of global regulations and testing protocols to ensure safety and efficacy.


 
Marine Textile Trends and Innovations: What To Expect in 2025 and Beyond
Textile World | November 19, 2024

The trends and positioning within the marine textile space can signal larger evolutions on the horizon for all fabrics. From trending colors and textures to technological advancements, there’s no shortage of exciting developments for 2025 and beyond.


 
The Nonwovens Institute — Enabling Materials of the Future
Textile World | November 19, 2024

The Nonwovens Institute (NWI), based on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., has leveraged the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) system to shape its pillar service offerings with the aim of providing value to the entire nonwovens industry value chain.


 
Exploring the U.S. as a Sourcing Base for Recycled Cotton Clothing
Just Style | November 19, 2024

Can the U.S. become a potential sourcing base for clothing made from recycled cotton and what are the opportunities and challenges of using textile recycling to support apparel that is "Made in the USA"? Katherine Yasik and Dr. Sheng Lu look for the answers in this Just Style feature.


 
H&M, McKinsey Execs To Lead the Former Renewcell
Fashion Dive | November 19, 2024

Circulose, formerly Renewcell, has appointed Helena Helmersson chairman of the board and Jonatan Janmark the new CEO, according to a press release last week. Helmersson was most recently the CEO of H&M Group, while Janmark was most recently a partner at McKinsey & Company. Both Helmersson and Janmark will step into their new roles December 1st.


 
Fashion Sector Gets Extra Year To Prepare for EU Deforestation Law
Just Style | November 18, 2024

The European Commission has proposed to delay the implementation of its deforestation regulation giving fashion companies longer to comply with rules that aim to ensure all products sold in the EU are not linked to deforestation.


 
This Polyester T-Shirt Can Be Recycled Forever if French Startup Carbios Has Its Way
Trellis | November 18, 2024

Puma, On, Patagonia, PVH Corp, and Salomon all teamed up with Carbios to develop what they call the world's first “biorecycled” T-shirt. Now can it be scaled?


 
OXMAN Announces the O° Biodegradable Shoe
Textile Technology Source | November 18, 2024

Design lab OXMAN has unveiled the O° Shoe, a 100% biodegradable shoe made without petrochemicals, and which produces no microplastics. The company, headquartered in New York, says its mission is to create and deliver nature-centric products and environments to its clients and the natural world.


 
Old Clothes and Carpet Could Make Concrete Stronger
Cosmos | November 17, 2024

As the textile industry continues to struggle with end-of-life solutions, a team of scientists in Australia has been trialing ways to add non-recyclable fibers from old clothes and carpets into durable concrete mixes.


 
Cascale, Worldly Release Analysis of California’s New Climate Laws
Apparel Resources | November 16, 2024

California’s new climate rules, which are set to change how companies record their environmental effect in the U.S., are the subject of an analysis published by Cascale and Worldly. Businesses, especially those in the consumer goods industry, should use this research as a resource as they adjust to the growing demands for responsibility and transparency in environmental operations.


 
Vietnam’s Garment Manufacturing Sector Records Robust Growth
Apparel Resources | November 16, 2024

Vietnam’s garment manufacturing sector had remarkable growth in October, demonstrating endurance in a cutthroat international market and providing a major boost to the country’s economy. Indicating consistent sector growth, recent statistics from the industrial production index showed a 2% month-over-month increase in clothing output as compared to September. Even more remarkable were the year-over-year statistics, which showed an 18.1% increase in October 2024 over the same month the previous year.


 
Megaport Opens Up Latin America to Chinese Trade as U.S. Looks On
BBC | November 15, 2024

As the world waits to see how the return of Donald Trump will reshape relations between Washington and Beijing, China has just taken decisive action to entrench its position in Latin America. A new China-backed megaport has the potential to create whole new trade routes that will bypass North America entirely. President Xi Jinping himself attended the inauguration of the Chancay port on the Peruvian coast last week, an indication of just how seriously China takes the development.


 
Harbour Debuts Signature Textiles Collection in Collab with Sunbrella
Furniture Today | November 15, 2024

Australian-based luxury outdoor furniture brand Harbour has introduced Harbour Signature Textiles, a new collection of performance fabrics created in partnership with Sunbrella. Crafted in North America, the fabrics are engineered for durability while maintaining a high-end aesthetic.


 
SPESA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | A&E President Cuts Ribbon on New Technical Sewing Center in India
Press Release | November 13, 2024

SPESA member American & Efird (A&E) opened A&E/Gütermann India’s new technical sewing center this past month at an inauguration ceremony in Bawal. The dedicated creative hub provides a workspace for brands and cut and sew customers to evaluate new developments. Staffed by a team with years of technical expertise, the new center is equipped with a traditional training center setup and features an extensive range of sewing machines.


 
Revolutionary Recycler Will Finally Turn Old Clothing into New Fabric: Meet ‘Reju’
GearJunkie | November 12, 2024

We previously shared an article about Reju’s first factory in Frankfurt, Germany, where it plans to produce branded recycled polyester from textile waste that would otherwise be buried, burned, or dumped. However, what we didn’t know at the time is that Reju is now under the leadership of former Under Armour CEO Patrik Frisk. Frisk said he realized the industry recycling status quo was not sustainable when he was trying to increase the amount of recycled material in clothes across the brand’s product line. Read more about advances in textile recycling here.


 
The State of Fashion 2025: Challenges at Every Turn
McKinsey & Co. | November 11, 2024

The global fashion industry faces economic uncertainty, a dynamic market, and consumer behavior shifts. Finding pockets of growth means navigating a complex maze. Read the latest findings from McKinsey & Co.’s annual State of Fashion report. Additional news breakdowns of the report findings related to sourcing strategies and revenue are available here and here.


 
The First 100 Days: A Blueprint for Congress and President-elect Trump To Revive U.S. Textile Manufacturing
Sourcing Journal | November 11, 2024

Kimberly Glas, President and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, penned this piece for Sourcing Journal outlining ways the incoming administration could enact policies to support the U.S. textile industry. While this is very much an opinion piece, and doesn’t necessarily represent the views of the larger sewn products industry, we thought it was worth sharing to keep a finger on the pulse of the discussions taking place.


 
SPESA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | ATA Introduces Workforce Development Website
Specialty Fabrics Review | November 9, 2024

The Workforce Development Council, a member group of the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), has launched its new website as a resource for building the textile industry workforce.


 
New Mapping Tool Offers Data on Textile Waste Hotspots
Vogue Business | November 7, 2024

Sustainability platform Fashion For Good is launching a tool to map textile waste hotspots globally. Called World of Waste, the goal is to aggregate data points about existing supplies of textile waste — such as waste quantity, type and composition — and enable textile recyclers among others to access it as they try to scale their recycling capacity and as fashion strives to meet its circularity goals.


 
UpFront with Mackey McDonald
The Needle’s Eye | November 7, 2024

On October 10th, current Kontoor Brands President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board Scott Baxter inaugurated Kontoor’s Hall of Fame with the induction of former VF Corporation Chairman and CEO, Mackey J. McDonald, who was recognized for his impactful leadership with the company and the greater Greensboro, North Carolina, community. One of McDonald’s notable achievements was relocating the organization’s global headquarters to Greensboro in 1998.


Those of you who attended the 2024 SPESA Executive Conference remember filming a group “Congrats Mackey!” before SPESA President Michael McDonald sprinted to the airport to make it to Greensboro in time for the ceremony. The industry may call Mackey McDonald an esteemed leader, we just call him Pops. 


Read more about Mackey’s journey into the industry and insights on how to manage and operate a successful business in our 2020 Legacy Series Q&A.


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