It ain't fashion, if it ain't sustainable
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2025 Special: The Most Popular Writings of the Year

The year that was. The stories that were. The news in the business of textiles-fashion that made headlines. texfash.com looks back at its 2025 archive to bring you what shaped the year.

Select 2025 : Spotlight

Cotton Landscape Ethiopia Resurgent

How Ethiopia Aims to Transform Its Cotton Heritage into Global Competitiveness

Farmer cooperatives and private producers are strengthening collaboration to improve cotton quality, consistency, and supply reliability across key production zones.

Ethiopia’s cotton sector, once a pillar of African textile production, is being re-energised through renewed coordination between farmers, industry, and policymakers. At the centre of these efforts is Tsegaye Abebe, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Cotton Association (ECA), who outlines how the country can convert its vast but underutilised cotton potential into a sustainable and competitive national asset.

[The texfash Spotlight series runs through the week.]
Snapshot / Recycling Crisis / I Feature
The textile recycling market is projected to grow, but investment remains concentrated in companies that can demonstrate material flow predictability

The Data Divide: How Traceability Gaps Are Crushing Textile Recycling Economics

  • Subir Ghosh

2 June 2025
Solutions / Recycling Crisis / V Interview
Cetia can sort the garments by composition and colour to obtain a homogeneous deposit for processing, and then run this deposit through its automated unravelling line. This line enables mechanical unravelling. Another approach is to consider “intelligent” dismantling to deconstruct a garment. It is currently developing an intelligent dismantling line to separate the various textile fabrics from elements such as buttons, zips, etc., so that each element can be recycled in its proper recycling route.

Inside Cetia’s Breakthroughs in Shoe Dismantling and Textile Sorting Technologies

  • Subir Ghosh

5 June 2025
SMART View / Politics of Waste / III Interview
The global dispute over textile “waste” definitions underscores how policy language can reshape markets, influence livelihoods, and determine who benefits from the growing circular economy.

Global Textile Waste Definitions Expose Deep Faultlines in Circularity Governance

  • Subir Ghosh

12 November 2025
Snapshot / Recycling Crisis / III Feature
A diffusion of responsibility prevents coordinated action and enables continued inaction. Brands blame inadequate infrastructure, recyclers cite insufficient feedstock quality, governments point to industry resistance, and consumers expect affordable options without understanding environmental costs.

Policy Patchwork: How Regulatory Gaps Are Sabotaging Europe's Circular Textile Ambitions

  • Subir Ghosh

4 June 2025
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Best of 2025 : India

Heritage Crisis / Zari Work
From Manish Malhotra’s bridal couture edit - 'Nooraniyat'. The embroidery boasts of age-old zardosi, badla, and of course signature sequins on modern silhouettes. Unfortunately, the precious metal heart of real zari is in crisis. With demand shrinking, costs climbing, and the younger generation turning away, the survival of this centuries-old craft hangs by a thread.

The Battle for Authentic Zari Reveals Deeper Faultlines in Indian Craftwork

  • Richa Bansal
 Feature

3 December 2025

In an era where authenticity is increasingly elusive, the ancient, hand-engineered craft of zari is caught in a deepening crisis. Pure zari, painstakingly wrought from silver, gold and copper in Surat’s shrinking cottage clusters, is now overshadowed by an ever-expanding tide of cheap metallic substitutes. As precious metal prices soar, purity wavers, and fakes flood the market, the last generation of real-zari makers confronts a future as fragile as the filaments they draw.

Meher

When a Chronicler Falls Silent, an Industry Remembers Its Own

  • Richa Bansal
 First Person

18 December 2025
Indian textile products containing toxic chemicals may face barriers or trade limitations in the global market, hindering competitiveness of the Indian textile industry. By aligning with international efforts and adopting strict measures,
Every thread tells a story. From loom to label, handmade garments reflect centuries of skill, patience, and cultural heritage. As the world rethinks fashion’s footprint, India’s artisan communities continue to craft with care—reminding us that true sustainability is not just about materials, but the lives and landscapes woven into every piece.
What we need is a culture of dreaming and innovation. Students should be encouraged to think beyond the obvious, anticipate societal changes — in economy, culture, technology, climate — and respond with creative solutions. Design is not just about aesthetics, it is problem-solving.
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Top 2025 : Columns

Retail Prospects / India Story

2 January 2025

 4 minutes

Retail in India – 2025: A Promising Future Backed by Insights and Statistics

The untapped potential of India’s smaller cities is expected to drive the next phase of retail growth. A research report indicates that 60% of the country’s retail growth in the next 2-3 years will come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

With India poised to become a USD 1.3 trillion retail market by 2025, the opportunities for growth are boundless. Although challenges like rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, and fierce competition could pose hurdles, retailers who remain agile, consumer-centric, and forward-thinking will not only thrive but also shape the future of retail in the country. An insider’s analysis.

  • Susil S Dungarwal
 Commentary
NextGen Materials / NFW Collapse Analysis
Natural Fiber Welding was once hailed as a pioneer of sustainable materials, but its downfall shows how investor impatience and brand reluctance to commit undermined commercial viability.

Harsh Economics and Natural Fiber Welding’s Collapse: Investors, Brands Should Share Blame

  • Subir Ghosh

12 September 2025
Going Circular / Challenges Ahead Analysis
We already have many patented recycling solutions for both natural and synthetic materials, but they are still working on the linear model competing with virgin feedstock and unable to match the commercial scale yet. We need new global standards and clear communication with consumers, so that they can make informed choices based not just on price or claims.

The Circular Textile Revolution — Breaking the Linear Model

  • Anna Garton

20 January 2025
Branding Evolution / Influencers Analysis
Branding has always been about making a lasting impression, literally and figuratively.

Challenges of Branding in the Age of Influencers

  • Piyush Deogirikar

30 April 2025
Event Roundup / AILPA 2025 Report
The AILPA 2025 exhibition underscored Kolkata’s emergence as a global platform connecting Indian manufacturers with international leather buyers.

India’s Leather Industry Repositions as Global Buyers Converge on Kolkata

  • Vasan Suri

6 November 2025
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Select 2025 : Specials

Leader Speak / Davide Maccabruni
The Swiss Textile Machinery Association is the representative body for Switzerland’s producers of textile equipment, systems and services.

Why Swiss Engineering Still Leads Global Textile Machinery: Precision and Innovation

  • Subir Ghosh
 Interview

1 July 2025

Despite rising price competition and shifting global trade dynamics, Swiss textile machinery continues to command global respect for its precision and innovation. In this exclusive interview, Davide Maccabruni, the new President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association, discusses how the sector is evolving through sustainability, digital integration, and region-specific strategies to maintain its global leadership.

arecanut fibre offers strong sustainability credentials as it utilises agricultural waste that is typically discarded or burned. The fibre extraction uses an environmentally friendly water retting process without chemicals, and the entire process supports rural farming communities by creating additional value from existing crops.
Living Ink’s patented pigment production process repurposes discarded algae biomass— sourced from the nutritional supplement industry—into stable, carbon-sequestering pigment.
The focus at Earth Protex remains its Tex2Tex technology and business scope, which specifically targets textile-to-textile recycling of polyester. Its Thermo-Mechanical Reactor recycling technology enables easy and scalable recycling of polyester textiles. In pic: The Ganni collection
Consumer complaints in Denmark prompted scrutiny of how fashion companies frame sustainability in marketing and public communication.
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Best of 2025 : Waste

Going Circular / Sweden Laws

25 June 2025

 4 minutes

New Textile Waste Rules in Sweden Could Harm Global Reuse Supply Chains

A collection point for post-consumer textiles in Gothenburg, Sweden.

A well-intentioned law requiring separate textile collection in Sweden from 2025 could backfire by damaging reuse markets. By mixing worn clothing with textile waste, the new system may undermine existing global reuse chains that already support sustainability, jobs, and landfill reduction. Experts argue that without better collection design, circular fashion efforts risk serious setbacks.

  • Staff Writer
Update
Waste Crisis / Netherlands Study
The ILT report is a wake-up call with a fast-expiring snooze button. The textile sector has long been called out for its social and environmental impacts—but circularity was supposed to be the fix.

Fast Fashion Is Killing Circularity, Warns Dutch Regulator in 2025 Report

  • Staff Writer

18 June 2025
Managing Waste / Hong Kong Study
Although textile waste is widely recognised as a growing global issue, the progress in Hong Kong is slow.

17,480 Suitcases a Day: Hong Kong’s Clothing Waste Crisis Exposes Gaps in Circular Infrastructure

  • Staff Writer

18 June 2025
SMART View / Politics of Waste / III Interview
The global dispute over textile “waste” definitions underscores how policy language can reshape markets, influence livelihoods, and determine who benefits from the growing circular economy.

Global Textile Waste Definitions Expose Deep Faultlines in Circularity Governance

  • Subir Ghosh

12 November 2025
Textile Waste / Non-Fashion
Residual household waste in England contained 927 kt of textiles during 2023–24, with just 92 kt collected separately through recycling systems.

Half of UK Textile Waste is Non-Fashion; New Mapping Reveals Overlooked Flows Beyond Clothing and Footwear

  • Staff Writer

24 September 2025
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Top 2025 : Circularity

Tariffs and Seconds / SMART View
If unfair trade barriers persist, there's the risk of seeing mountains of usable clothing pile up in the US, while markets abroad fill the gap with cheap, low-quality fast fashion that often results in more waste, not less. Keeping the second-hand clothing trade flowing freely is in everyone’s best interest: economically, socially, and environmentally. This is a moment to build smarter, fairer, and more circular global systems, not to shut them down.

Trade Barriers on Second-Hand Clothing Disrupt a Globally Significant Reverse Supply Chain

  • Subir Ghosh
 Interview

24 April 2025

The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association works towards strengthening economic opportunities by promoting the interdependence of the for-profit textile recycling industry segments and provides a common forum for networking, education and advocacy. SMART President Brian London dwells at length on the second-hand clothing waste and global trade.

Manual and automated sorting operations remain at the core of textile circularity, where even minor impurities or trims can determine whether a garment becomes recyclable or rejected.
Participation in ESCF was not token—it demanded deep engagement from all. For Yee Chain, this meant drawing from years of hands-on trials in circular textile manufacturing. As supply chain partners, it was committed to share its existing knowledge and to advance development/ use of new knowledge and tools to actively contribute to the project.
A collection point for post-consumer textiles in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Every stage of cascading — from repair to reuse to recycling — extends a textile’s life, revealing how value can move through multiple hands before final recovery.
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Best of 2025 : Cotton

Cotton Production / ICAC Study

10 July 2025

 8 minutes

Cotton’s Water Myth Busted: New Global Study Exposes Flawed 'Thirsty Crop' Claims

Cotton’s "reputation" as a water-hungry crop has long shaped sustainability narratives, but new global data drills holes in that unsubstantiated theory. With 75% of its water needs met by rainfall and just 1.59% of global irrigation attributed to cotton, the real challenge lies in improving irrigation efficiency, not vilifying the fibre.

A groundbreaking study by the International Cotton Advisory Committee challenges the long-held perception of cotton as excessively water-intensive, revealing that focusing on total water use—including natural rainwater—distorts understanding of the crop's environmental impact. The research emphasises optimising irrigation practices for genuine water conservation.

  • Subir Ghosh
 Analysis
Cotton Production / 2025 Rankings Interview
The 2025 Cotton Rankings highlight the widening gap between sustainability claims and real sourcing practices, with only 17 brands sourcing more than half of their cotton from certified suppliers.

Cotton Supply Chain Faces Crisis as Farmers Get Marginalised and Certification Loses Impact

  • Subir Ghosh

23 September 2025
Cotton LCA / New Report Report
The report warns that the apparel sector’s dependence on simplified LCA results risks undermining its own credibility

New Better Cotton Report Seeks to Align LCA Practice with Real-World Farm-Level Realities

  • Special Correspondent

10 October 2025
Dirty Cotton / Brazil Scandal Commentary
It took UK nonprofit Earthsight’s investigators a year to analyse satellite images, court rulings, shipment records and going undercover at global trade shows to trace nearly a million tonnes of tainted cotton from some of the most notorious estates in Brazil to clothing manufacturers in Asia.

Better Cotton Remains in Denial a Year after Brazil Scandal Investigation by Earthsight

  • Subir Ghosh

7 April 2025
Organic Cotton / LCA Study
Encouraging the adoption of organic cotton is a key step, as it generally relies on fewer synthetic inputs and supports more sustainable farming systems

Organic Cotton Farming Consistently Has Lower Environmental Footprint Across Categories, Finds OCA Study

  • Staff Writer

15 April 2025
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Select 2025 : Denim

Indigo Dyeing / New Standard
Compared to other dyes, indigo is exceedingly complex in chemistry and application. It can take up to two weeks and a lot of labor to prepare and ferment a finicky vat of natural indigo dye.

New Industry Standard for Indigo Dyeing Water Use Unveiled by Transformers Foundation

  • Staff Writer
 Update

24 July 2025

The Transformers Foundation has launched the first benchmark for water usage in indigo dyeing, offering clear standards for measuring environmental impact. The study, involving seven denim mills and equipment makers, defined water consumption metrics for both rope and slasher dyeing methods, aiming to curb greenwashing and bring consistency to denim sustainability reporting.

The study found that water consumption during post-dye washing and rinsing varies significantly between rope and slasher dyeing methods. It also demonstrated that with the right practices in place, water usage can be substantially reduced.
Denim Halo is a breakthrough alternative. It draws on a unique new chemistry, Dirsol RD, and a broad portfolio of textile dyes based on decades of advanced research to produce laser-friendly denim with outstanding contrast on intense black and indigo shades.
Denim’s transformation at Jeanologia reflects the merging of digital innovation with centuries of Mediterranean craftsmanship.
The Denim Deal, the global initiative accelerating the use of post-consumer recycled (POCR) cotton, unveiled at this season’s Kingpins Amsterdam not one, but three collections that prove circular denim isn’t just possible — it’s ready to wear, ready to scale, and ready for every brand to plug and play.
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Top 2025 : Leather

Methane Report / Flawed Output

19 September 2025

 10 minutes

New Methane Report Is Elitist Skullduggery Masquerading as Settled Science

Ignoring pastoral livelihoods and just transition concerns, the analysis proposes radical changes without addressing global equity or feasibility challenges.

The new report Now or Never from Collective Fashion Justice claims to present fashion’s first methane footprint. Promoting a phase-out of animal-derived materials, it casts the industry as a major climate offender. Yet scrutiny suggests its arguments rely on ideology rather than robust analysis, raising concerns about credibility, methodology, and overlooked mitigation pathways.

  • Subir Ghosh
 Analysis
Deforestation / Brazil Leather Report
Apyterewa is the ancestral land of the Parakanã Indigenous People and one of Brazil’s most egregious cases of deforestation in recent years.

The Hidden Price of Luxury: Coach Handbags Linked to Amazon Deforestation

  • Subir Ghosh

24 June 2025
Leather Talk / Pasture Leather Interview
British Pasture Leather is the first and only producer of leather from the hides of cattle raised on regenerative farms in the UK, certified by Pasture for Life. It connects designers with ecosystem restoration through the production of leather, working from the farm level to produce a material which is 100% vegetable tanned, and traceable to regenerative sources.

Pasture Leather: A Journey from Field to Fork to Fashion

  • Richa Bansal

20 March 2025
Leather Impact / LCA Study
The work represents 16 facilities in eleven different countries with diverse climatic conditions: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Italy, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, and Vietnam.

New Leather LCA Study Provides New Benchmark, Highlights Areas for Process Improvements to Enhance Sustainability

  • Staff Writer

12 February 2025
Event Roundup / Lineapelle 25 Commentary
Lineapelle 2025 demonstrated that the industry is ready to communicate in a different way. The collaboration between UNIC, Lineapelle, La Conceria, Is It Leather?, and voices like Volkan’s marks the beginning of a more open, consumer-connected era. But collaboration must extend to influencers, educators, and storytellers, people who can speak the language of the next generation of consumers.

The Power of Storytelling, Community and Leather’s Next Chapter

  • Blake Garavaglia

14 October 2025
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Best of 2025 : Research

Robotics / Knit Work
Researchers at Laurentian University in Canada developed a model to convert fabric images into comprehensive instructions that knitting robots could read and follow.

Researchers Develop Robot that Can Knit Clothes Just by Looking at Fabric Images

  • Staff Writer
 Update

8 May 2025

Research at Canada’s Laurentian University establishes a foundation for fully automated robotic knitting systems, enabling customisable, flexible production processes that integrate perception, planning, and actuation, thereby advancing textile manufacturing through intelligent robotic automation.

Cotton and polyester were the most common fibres observed in the analysed garments, often appearing in both pure form and various blends. Fabrics containing elastane, viscose, or polyamide followed in frequency and presented distinct challenges for recyclability.
The fashion industry is falling further behind on its climate commitments, with emissions surging in 2023 despite increased investments in decarbonisation. Polyester demand and ultra-fast fashion are outpacing efforts to reduce impact.
Coastal manufacturing regions could exploit ocean water availability while inland facilities continue to rely heavily on limited freshwater sources.
Alexander Weissensteiner, Alexander Wagner and Thomas Harter (from left) with a paper sample consisting of 30 per cent recycled cotton fibres.
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Top 2025 : Updates

SecondHand / Ghana Strike

14 April 2025

 4 minutes

Or Foundation's 'Misinformation Campaign' Condemned, Ghana Second-Hand Clothing Traders Observe Strike

The one-day strike on 11 April saw hundreds of Kantamanto traders close their stalls and take to the streets of Accra, calling on the OR Foundation and its partners to respect their trade.

Ghana’s second-hand Kantamanto Market is protesting the “ongoing misrepresentation, including false claims” that it is a “waste dumping ground,” condemning the “hypocrisy and misinformation campaign” of a US-based NGO.

  • Staff Writer
Update
NextGen Materials / MycoWorks Crisis
4. Mycelium materials promised a revolution in sustainable design; their economic challenges reveal how innovation alone cannot sustain industries without consistent demand and viable production models.

Scaling Down to Scale Up: MycoWorks Announces Closure of US Plant to Refocus on Processing

  • Special Correspondent

22 October 2025
Climate Action / Greenwashing
According to the case law of the Federal Court of Justice, strict requirements regarding the accuracy, unambiguousness, and clarity of the advertising claim apply to advertising using environmental protection terms.

Adidas Loses Case in Germany, Court Orders Company to Desist from Saying It Would be Climate Neutral by 2050

  • Special Correspondent

31 March 2025
Modern Slavery / Bangladesh Study
Around four million Bangladeshis are employed in the RMG industry, the majority of whom are women and girls. Within this critical sector of the Bangladeshi economy and of global markets, exploitation of vulnerable workers remains pervasive.

New Report Reveals Worker Exploitation Rife in Hidden, Subcontracted Tiers of Bangladesh's RMG Industry

  • Staff Writer

7 February 2025
Fibre Innovation / Recycling Project
HKRITA and Epson have been conducting research and development on regenerated fibres since signing a joint development agreement in January 2024. They will continue to combine their advanced technologies to accelerate the adoption of regenerated fibres.

HKRITA and Epson Develop Regenerated Cellulose Fibre through New Production Process

  • Staff Writer

30 May 2025
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Best of 2025 : Releases

With more than 600 active member units, TEAMA has consistently taken a leadership role in steering the Tirupur textile cluster towards growth, innovation, and sustainability.

TEAMA Hosts Exclusive Workshop on 'Preparing for the New Economic Order'

Tiruppur, India: The Tiruppur Exporters and Manufacturers Association (TEAMA) successfully conducted an exclusive high-level workshop on March 21, 2025 in Tiruppur, focused on the theme “Preparing for the New Economic Order.” in association with INJEX Knowledge Private Limited, Erode. The event

Inspired by “Design to Disappear” concept, the collection incorporates 100% cellulosic fibres, 100% cotton threads, removable shank buttons, and compostable packaging, reducing waste and promoting fashion circularity.
Formal introductions between AGI Denim and Living Ink stemmed from the Strategic Supplier Initiative (SSI) led by Amsterdam-based innovation platform Fashion For Good (FFG).
With its grand opening, Texvalley is poised to become the ultimate shopping and trade hub in South India, attracting businesses, shoppers, and tourists alike.
The industry is undergoing significant macro-economic shifts, including legislative changes such as the impact of the new Omnibus package and the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act expected in 2026, the rise of innovative technologies, and evolving consumer and market dynamics
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Young India Fashion Survey 2025