United States

The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) has urged the fashion sector to review its environmental marketing practices to ensure compliance with consumer protection law, and establish that any claims made are truthful, clear and accurate, substantiated with sufficient evidence.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have developed a patent-pending first-of-its-kind technology for fibre-to-fibre or chemical recycling that effectively eliminates dyes, distinguishes between natural and synthetic blends, and produces high-quality fibres in a procedure which is economically viable and scalable.

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.

This is not the first time that India has found itself with a heaven-sent opportunity. This time, however, all indicators are that the ground situation is different. Will India be able to upstage China in the global textiles and apparel trade? A ground report.

Researchers at Cornell have developed a new type of unobtrusive smart clothing that may not require you to manually log your workout, because an artificial intelligence pipeline detects movements, identifies the exercise and counts reps. It could also be useful for physical therapists monitoring the progress of patients at home.

Re-strategise, re-set, upskill, go compliant, build in agility and resilience—these should be the mantras for the footwear industry as it gears up in the next 89 days for the final dictum from the White House. And yeah, US+1 will work here too. And that could well be here’s looking at you India!

The lesson of the current US tariffs crisis roiling the trade world is this: you cannot keep relying on one country as your export destination. From now on it has to be ‘US Plus One’.

Perspectives are varied, and it is not an open-and-shut case against US Prez Donald Trump as his political opponents would have us believe. The tariff calculations could be questionable and the unilateral announcement should be decried, but what’s amply clear is this: trade will never be the same again.

A collaborative research has developed a pioneering method of 3D printing elastomers that enable complex, colour-changing responsive materials, paving the way for novel applications like smart textiles and advanced robotics.

The just-released CottonConnect Impact Report 2024 analyses the outcomes of sustainable agricultural practices and urges the textiles industry to collectively work toward increasing responsible production of raw materials and supporting smallholder farmers to attain a resilient future.