Industry News | 9/3/25
- SPESA
- Sep 2
- 6 min read
SPESA Welcomes New Board Member, Announces New Officer Slate, and Presents Member Emeritus Award
Press Release | September 3, 2025
During the recent Annual Business Meeting, SPESA announced the approval of our incoming officers and the election of the Board Class of 2028, which includes a new member to the association’s Board of Directors. SPESA also recognized a new recipient of the SPESA Member Emeritus award.
The SPESA Business Meeting took place Thursday, August 28th, in Chicago, Illinois, at the conclusion of the 2025 SPESA Executive Conference.
2025 SPESA Executive Conference Session Recap
eTextileCommunications | September 3, 2025
A massive thank you to Devin Steele from eTextileCommunications for helping SPESA capture our 2025 Executive Conference in Chicago (August 27-29. 2025). Click the link below for a comprehensive recap of all the August 28th educational sessions, courtesy of Devin.
More event coverage to come!
U.S. Fashion Suppliers Demand Long-Term U.S. Manufacturing Investment
Just Style | September 3, 2025
U.S. fashion and textile industry experts call on U.S. brands and policymakers to commit to long-term investments in the domestic supply chain, reports Sarah Schaschek from the SPESA Executive Conference in Chicago.
This report from last week’s event touches on several of the important topics discussed in Chicago, including tariffs, technology, and sustainability.
Global Cotton Production Dips, Country of Origin Critical for Retailers
Just Style | September 3, 2025
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) projections indicate a reduction in global cotton production as changes in trade dynamics place a greater emphasis on where cotton is originally sourced.
Fashion Enter Hopes To Upskill U.S. Under Trump Made in USA Vision
Just Style | September 3, 2025
Fashion Enter CEO Jenny Holloway has revealed ambitions to take the Fashion Technology Academy (FTA) to the US, telling Just Style, President Trump’s Made in America vision could go some way to making that a reality.
Inside Origin USA: Founder Pete Roberts on Building a Made in America Movement
SJ Denim | September 2, 2025
“In a time when globalization and fast fashion dominate the apparel industry, one New England manufacturer is rewriting the script.” Since launching Origin USA in 2011, Pete Roberts has made it his mission to bring denim manufacturing back to American soil — not as a niche craft, but at scale, and with purpose. Rooted in the belief that manufacturing can provide both economic vitality and personal fulfillment, Roberts and his business partner Jocko Willink are building an apparel and footwear brand that prioritizes local supply chains, environmental impact and quality craftsmanship.
Origin employs more than 300 people across three factories in Maine and North Carolina. The brand produces T-shirts, outerwear, technical bottoms, performance apparel, jiu-jitsu gear, footwear, accessories and more.
Denim Deal and Partners Launch Hub To Scale Sustainable Denim in India
eTextileCommunications | August 15, 2025
Denim Deal, the European initiative committed to standardizing circular practices in denim production, is laying the foundation to scale textile recycling in India with the launch of India Denim Deal Hub. The hub is designed to foster collaboration across brands, manufacturers, startups, recyclers, and policymakers. It will serve as a platform to facilitate closed-loop denim production and support pre- and post-consumer waste recycling, while bringing together stakeholders from across the value chain to build shared infrastructure for circular solutions.
The Rise of Biodegradable and Bio-Based Nonwovens in Africa
International Fiber Journal | August 28, 2025
The global shift toward sustainable materials has ushered in a new era for nonwovens, especially in the hygiene, packaging, and medical sectors. Africa, with its abundant agricultural biomass and growing industrial base, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this trend. But the question remains: can Africa not only supply the biomass but also become a global leader in developing and manufacturing biodegradable nonwovens? And what are the necessary conditions that may allow this to happen?
India Fashion Sector Looks to Alternative Markets on 50% U.S. Tariffs
Just Style | August 27, 2025
The 50% tariffs hitting Indian exports to the U.S. since August 27th have shaken its fashion and textile value chain with entrepreneurs scrambling to find ways and means to remain in business.
Rebl Industries Signs Deals with H&M, and IKEA for AI-Powered Robots
Modern Materials Handling | August 27, 2025
Rebl Industries, a Swedish robotics company, recently announced it has signed framework agreements with global fashion and design companies H&M and IKEA Svenska AB to deploy its robots-as-a-service (RaaS) solutions.
U.S. Tariffs Erode Apparel’s CAFTA-DR Benefits in Central America
Just Style | August 26, 2025
The U.S. reciprocal tariffs on Central American textile and apparel exports have altered the competitive landscape of the region's sector, which currently employs 500,000 people.
Textile Recycling Could Put Europe Back on the Fashion Sourcing Map
Just Style | August 21, 2025
The public Telavalue research project at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland sees textile recycling as a massive opportunity for the whole of Europe. It explains recycling technology is advancing rapidly, but a lack of regulation and challenges relating to the composition of waste materials are hindering a real breakthrough. But, it adds that there is the potential for a billion-dollar business with hundreds of plants across Europe.
Walmart Says Tariff Costs Are Rising 'Each Week' and Will Continue
NPR | August 21, 2025
Walmart says it has been able to mitigate many of the tariff costs so far, but they are rising "each week" and will continue to do so through the rest of the year.
The world's largest retailer — like many others, including Home Depot and Target — has had to raise prices on some items, while keeping prices down on others. Walmart says its top back-to-school products were even cheaper this year than last year. Still, the Trump administration's tariffs on virtually all imports loom large for all retailers who are seeing the cost of goods rise.
Offering Spaces To Learn About Sustainable Design Implementation via Fastening Products — YKK Enters into a Partnership with the Fashion Frontier Program
Press Release | August 21, 2025
YKK Corporation has entered into a partnership with the Fashion Frontier Program, supported by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which discovers and educates future fashion designers, to provide educational opportunities for thinking about sustainable design through fastening products such as zippers, snaps, and buttons.
Two-Thirds of Fashion’s Supply Chain Risks Are Social in Nature
Sourcing Journal | August 21, 2025
Fashion companies should be paying more attention to the oft-overlooked “S” in ESG, according to new numbers crunched by data science firm RepRisk.
Roughly two-thirds of all supply chain risk incidents in the apparel and footwear sector over the past five years — much more than researchers anticipated before they dug in — have been linked to social issues, it said. Driven by human rights violations and poor working conditions, such cases have doubled since 2020 and risen 22% in the past 12 months alone.
Textile Manufacturing Returns to Sandersville After Nearly 30 years with Rally Apparel Opening
13WMAZ | August 21, 2025
After nearly three decades, the textile industry is making a comeback in a Central Georgia city, bringing new life to a building that once housed bustling manufacturing operations.
Rally Apparel officially opened its doors to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony, marking the return of textile manufacturing to Sandersville in Washington County. The company operates out of a facility that previously housed Royal Manufacturing, which closed in the 1990s along with numerous other textile mills that moved operations overseas.
Beximco’s Shuttered Apparel Factories Could Reopen Soon
Sourcing Journal | August 20, 2025
Once written off as dead, one of Bangladesh’s largest vertically integrated textile and garment manufacturers could be getting a new shot at life. A brewing $20 million lease agreement with Japan’s aptly named Revival Project, in fact, could soon see Beximco Group’s dozen or so shuttered factories whirr back into operation after months of dormancy, potentially to fulfill orders for Zara owner Inditex, according to local media reports. The tripartite deal, which also involves the state-owned Janata Bank, could restore the jobs of nearly 25,000 workers over the next couple of months, sources from the labor ministry told TBS News.
ZDHC Foundation Launches ‘Air Emissions Module’ To Help Industry Manage Air Emissions
Fashionating World | August 20, 2025
The ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) Foundation has launched a new online tool to help the textile, apparel, and footwear industries measure and manage their air emissions. Called the ZDHC Air Emissions Module, this tool is a part of the organization's broader ‘Roadmap to Zero’ program.
Naveena Denim Mills Launches Vertical Integration with New Garment Facility
SJ Denim | August 20, 2025
Shaping technologies, silk blends, soft retro fabrics — Naveena Denim Mills has long pushed the boundaries of the denim industry. Now, the Pakistani company is taking a step forward in agility and innovation with the launch of its own $25 million state-of-the-art garment facility. The vertically integrated setup will leverage in-house spinning capabilities and a denim mill to offer brands a speed-to-market model and seamless supply chain.
Inside Inditex’s High-Tech Overhaul: How ZARA, Bershka and Pull&Bear Are Shaping the Future of Fashion Retail
The Industry Fashion | August 15, 2025
Spanish fashion powerhouse Inditex has been busy opening a raft of new tech-centred stores lately. Embracing technology to capture the new breed of shoppers, who hoover up the latest innovations at some speed, Inditex is laying the foundations for a new era of retail.
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