Since its launch in October 2019, direct-to-consumer lingerie brand Parade has sold over 1 million pairs of underwear through a guerilla-ish marketing strategy.

Now, it’s entering the lingerie category for which it has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round, led by Maveron Ventures’ Jason Stoffer, that values the company at around $70 million. Other participants in the round include Lerer Hippeau, Greycroft, Cassius, Vice Ventures and Shrug Ventures, as well as several early-stage angel investors.

On Wednesday, the company, which has raised over $20 million to date, will launch its first bralette, a significant step. The style is wireless, but engineered to securely fit cup sizes beyond a D. Cami Teflez, Co-founder, Creative Director and CEO said, wireless bras that fit properly are a frequent request from her customer base, which hit close to 100,000 in the venture’s first year in business, making it one of the fastest-growing product startups of the past decade.

Brands including Zara, Sandro and Maje owner SCMP, Skechers and Uniqlo have accused of allegedly encouraging and profiting from the forced labor of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

As per Sourcing Journal, a complaint has been filed against these brands by a group of nonprofits and a former Uyghur detainee.

According to Sherpa, the Collectif Ethique sur l’étiquette and the Uyghur Institute of Europe, who are represented by the law firm Bourdon & Associés, the complaint aims to expose the impunity of multinational businesses that subcontract part of their production to the northwestern region or market goods using cotton cultivated there.

As per Sourcing Journal, the complaint is supported by Members of European Parliament Raphaël Glucksmann and Reinhart Butickhofer, along with the World Uyghur Congress, is just the first of a series of filings that the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) will be submitting in other European countries in the coming months, the organizations said.

A December study by the Centre for Global Policy estimates, half a million Uyghurs are forced to pick cotton by hand through a state-sponsored “poverty alleviation” scheme. Other mass labor-transfer programs install Uyghurs from Xinjiang in factory jobs across China, with the purpose of reducing their population density and influencing, and assimilating Uyghur minorities into the dominant Han culture.

Integrated reputation management advisory, 80 dB Communications has been appointed as the PR manager by Dixcy Textiles and Gokaldas Intimatewear. As per News Patrolling reports, 80 dB will manage the overall communications strategy with the aim to raise the corporate profile and awareness about its portfolio of products.

Backed by Advent International, a private equity firm, Dixcy Textiles and Gokaldas Intimatewear is a market leader in innerwear with brands including Dixcy’s – Scott, Josh, Uno and Slimz and Gokaldas’s lingerie brand Enamor. The company believes this partnership will help in meeting its ambitious targets.

Kiran Ray Chaudhary, Co-Founder and Managing Director, 80 dB Communications said, the company looks forward designing and driving memorable, relevant, clear and consistent communications to help meet the brand objectives.

British heritage sports brand Gola and the European division of Global Brands Group have announced a multi-year partnership to launch a new Gola-branded apparel collection, in a deal brokered by IMG, a leader in sports, fashion, events and media. As per Fashion Network, the new men’s and women’s range will offer an authentic look and feel inspired by British Sports Heritage.

The line will include t-shirts, sweatshirts, tracksuits and jackets, and will later be extended to include kids’ apparel, accessories, socks, sleepwear and underwear. It will be available for purchase across Europe and Russia in selected fashion and department stores beginning in February 2022.

Founded in 1905, Gola is an internationally recognised lifestyle brand renowned for its quintessentially British roots, personality and strong sporting heritage. The new apparel collection will celebrate this by merging original Gola styles with contemporary designs and the latest trends.

The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative plans to collaborate with the African Cotton Foundation (ACF) to promote socially and ecologically sustainable cotton cultivation.

The cooperation is planned to encompass support for training and for other implementation measures conducted by cotton companies in Cotton made in Africa’s project countries. These measures will be co-ordinated by the African Cotton Foundation and implemented by the cotton companies, which cultivate cotton in accordance with Cotton made in Africa’s standards and are subject to independent annual audits. They can now apply to the Aid by Trade Foundation — the parent organisation of CmiA — for co-financing for the implementation of specific activities, especially regarding innovative measures to protect the soil or to promote integrated farming.

As the primary standard for sustainable cotton in Africa, Cotton made in Africa supports more than one million small-scale farmers in ten countries. The goals of both organizations are perfectly complementary. ACF is working to develop a prosperous, modern, and sustainable cotton sector in Africa.

Most Bangladesh's export-oriented readymade garment (RMG) manufacturers kept their factories operational during the lockdown to keep its economy alive. The Bangladesh apparel industry contributes 83 per cent to the country’s total exports. During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, apparel exports plunged over 25 per cent. Closing factories leads to loss of work orders, crucial to get the economy back on tracks, says Faruque Hasan, President, BGMEA.

The condition of buyers was also not good during the first wave of the pandemic. They either cancelled orders or reduced their sizes. This not only affects the revenue stream, but also puts a negative impact on loan repayments, adds Vidiya Amrit Khan, Director, BGMEA, and Deputy Managing Director, Desh Garments.

Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, Former President, BGMEA and President, Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) says for workers' wellbeing, as well as for the sake of the economy, apparel factories need to remain open. He advised the government to strictly ensure hygiene norms everywhere. The government also needs to monitor adherence to health directives in factories.

A new report from RepTrak, a solution company that ranks global companies’ reputations among consumers, has ranked denim stalwart Levi Strauss & Co on the 14th position with a score of 76.6. The No. 1 spot was bagged by the Lego Group, with a score of 80.4. Each year, RepTrak ranks companies on seven parameters including products and services, innovation, workplace, governance, citizenship, leadership and financial performance. This year, RepTrak analyzed more than 2,000 companies, global revenue above $2 billion.

Ranking for the 2021 report was based on 68,577 responses it collected globally across the 15 largest economies through online surveys.

Like most companies, Levi’s Q2 sales dipped during the peak of the pandemic. However, the company was able to recover faster due to its omnichannel innovations and agile planning. It refashioned its stores into mini distribution centers besides switching to looser fits to suit consumer demand for comfort.

The company also expanded its partnership with accessible retailers like Target, and launched Levi’s SecondHand, its first buy-back program allowing customers to purchase pre-owned denim on the Levi’s website.

Besides, Levi’s also collaborated with artist, designer and political organizer Fresco Steez on a collection of 10 graphics that pay homage to Black political movements throughout history and those who led the charge. Recently, the company allied with the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community in light of increased discrimination and violence against the group.

The new industrial level SuperColor F10070H dye sublimation formal printer by Epson enables retailers to make high-quality customized clothing, with round-the-clock productivity at high speeds and lower price It also enables multiple ink configurations.

The SureColor F10070H offers multiple ink configurations, including Light Cyan and Light Magenta or Fluorescent Pink and Fluorescent Yellow. It enables producers to support just in time digital production, eliminating the need for stockpiling garments and allowing shops to easily replenish weekly demand. Moreover, the SureColor F10070H is one of the fastest in its price point and costs about half the price of competitive solutions available today.

With six new user-replaceable 4.7-inch PrecisionCore printheads and UltraChrome DS6 ink technology, the SureColor F10070H delivers industrial-level, roll-to-roll performance at speeds up to 2,635 sqft/hr with exceptional colour saturation and high contrast. Leveraging six-colors, including Light Cyan and Light Magenta or Fluorescent Pink and Fluorescent Yellow ink configurations, the SureColor F10070H provides the ability to expand color gamut and bring bright, vivid colors to the production of custom sportswear, fashion items, décor, soft signage, and more with high levels of personalization.

The cost-effective, high-capacity replaceable ink pack system holds 20L of ink per color, allowing for longer print runs with less user intervention. Engineered for demanding industrial environments, the SureColor F10070H includes advanced auto paper-tension control and a fabric head wiper for simple, continuous production with predictable performance.

The SureColor F10070H printer is equipped with easy-to-use Epson Edge workflow software featuring an Adobe PostScript 3 engine for color management, smart nesting, and pattern repeats. The printer also has a Epson Cloud Solution PORT, providing a live view of the printer fleet including production rates and printer utilization to optimize workflow.

At a webinar organized by the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it plans to urge European Union to allow Philippine garment exporters use imported fabric or textiles under the bloc’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus. As per a Phil Star report, the GSP+ scheme allows duty free export of 6,274 products from the Philippines to the EU if these products originate from the country.

For Philippine garment exports to qualify for the zero duty, the country needs to use locally made fabric or textiles. However, Philippine garment exporters face difficulty in complying with the requirement due to limited sources of raw materials, says Allan Geply, Trade Assistant Secretary, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.

Most raw materials are being sourced from China which do not qualify under GSP+, he adds. He urged the Union to amend this rule. Robert Young, President, Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP) said, the amendment would enable the country to ship $100 million worth of additional exports to the EU. DTI also plans to push for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU.

COVID-19 is likely to lead to a decline in Indonesia’s clothing and textile exports during the first seven months of this year. As per Indo Textiles, Indonesia exports around 70 per cent to the United States, the European Union and the Middle East. In 2019, it exported clothing and fabrics worth $9,172.36 million Last year, the value of its exports fell 15.94 per cent year-on-year to $ 7,709.94 million due to the pandemic. It is expected to fall 6.72 per cent over the January-July 2021 period.

Since January 1 this year, Indonesia has implemented the Omnibus Law to create new jobs, increase investment, reduce taxes, simplify licensing procedures, and renew the ease of doing business for both domestic and foreign producers. Recently, the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) collaborated with the Indonesian Embassy in Mexico to boost home décor and textile exports to Mexico. The collaboration covers the Balinese clothing and textile market, as well as Indonesian furniture in Mexico.

The Indonesian textile and clothing industry employs about 600,000 workers. In recent years, around 20 per cent factories shifted production from West Java to Central Java due to lower labor costs. However, efficiency is much lower in Central Java compared to Jakarta and its surroundings in West Java.