Updates

Reckoned to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, the apex fashion industry body in Australia has launched a trademark which it hopes will create a new identity: Australian Fashion. Over the next 10 years, the Australian industry is expecting to grow to $38 billion by 2032 and create an additional 86,000 jobs.

Two activist groups have released a new report 'The Real Truth About the US Plastics Recycling Rate', which documented a recycling rate of just 5-6% for post-consumer plastic waste in the US for 2021. The groups also revealed that while plastics recycling is on the decline, the per capita generation of plastic waste has increased by 263% since 1980.

Primark's Sustainable Cotton Programme trains farmers on using fewer chemical pesticides and fertilisers and less water, thus lowering input costs and improving profits for farmers. The retailer has now announced that it will train an additional 125,000 smallholder cotton farmers in more sustainable farming methods in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh by the end of 2023.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the US Department of Commerce has updated its cybersecurity guidance for supply chain risk management as a response to an executive order. It addresses cybersecurity risks throughout the supply chain at all levels of an organisation.

Patients recovering from breast cancer may wear a mastectomy bra with an external breast prosthesis to recreate their natural feminine silhouette and minimise body imbalance. But, Asian patients may find it difficult to buy a well-fitting prosthesis because those designs are typically based on western models. An innovation from HKRITA solves that problem.

A Washington State University project is in the works to create high tech fabrics by making conductive polymers ‘spinnable’ for manufacturing.

Coca-Cola has opened the doors to its first European flagship high-street fashion store in London’s Covent Garden. The concept store is the beverage brand’s first in Europe and stocks Coca-Cola branded merchandise, limited edition apparel, and exclusive designer collaborations.

A number of industry groups have urged the US Congress to introduce legislations to protect the health and safety of American consumers by curbing the proliferation of counterfeit products promoted and sold online. The call, issued on World IP Day, comes in the backdrop of a number of reports that have highlighted the malaise of counterfeit goods.

Fibre player Spinnova's first commercial factory’s carbon footprint is 1.28 kg CO2e/kg fibre which is 72% lower compared to conventional cotton (4.6 kgCO2e/kg fibre). The Finnish company has a positive climate impact by saving 6.5 kg CO2e when replacing conventional cotton.

The Department of Forest Biomaterials at the Wilson College of Textiles, US, has developed a process that uses nanocellulose to produce clothing items with iridescent features resembling the rainbow-hued shimmer seen on fish scales, bird feathers and insect bodies.