Five-fold rise in clothing purchases by Americans over the last three decades has led to more garments being shipped to Ghana than ever, as per a CBS report. Many Americans donate their used clothing under the assumption that it will be reused. But with increasing amount of items being discarded, and the poorer quality of fast fashion, millions of garments are put into bales and shipped abroad every year, says Liz Ricketts, Co-founder and Director, OR Foundation.

Most of these clothes are shipped to Ghana's Kamanto market where around 15 million items of used clothing from Western countries arrive every week. The entire population of Ghana is only 30 million. Trucks offload bales of textiles — called Obroni Wawu, or ‘Dead White Man's Clothes’ — arrive at the market, which is a seven-acre maze of over 5,000 stalls. The bales are purchased by market traders — who do not know ahead of time what's in them — for between $25 and $500 each they then clean, tailor, and re-dye what they can of the clothing to give it new life.

Upcycling these clothes is difficult because of the poor quality of fast fashion garments, says Samuel Oteng, Project Manager, OR Foundation. Ultimately, they end up in landfills, he adds. The upcycling work of traders at Katamanto is not enough to reduce the glut of clothing created by America's addiction to fast fashion. It is estimated that 40 percent of all the clothing bales sent to Ghana end up in landfills.

Circular Systems has partnered Portugal-based sustainable textiles company Tintex, to launch a premium knits collection. Designed with Texloop RCOT Primo high quality recycled cotton yarns, the collection uses Tintex's Colorau Natural Dyeing Processing, some of the lowest impact materials and processing available on the market.

As per a Knitting Industry report, the collaboration uses breakthrough patented process that replaces synthetic dyes with natural extracts combining with fabric milled with yarns with up to 50 per cent recycled cotton. The Colorau natural dyeing process incorporates compounds of natural origin like plants into substrates to produce functional, ecological, and sustainable technology. The technology also focuses on its environmental impact by eliminating potentially toxic effluents generated by synthetic dyestuffs.

The use of low temperatures in the dyeing process and the substitution of traditional auxiliaries with natural occurring alternatives, also contribute to the impact reduction of the process. Additionally, there is no sacrifice in color durability, as Colorau is focused on natural extracts with inherent color fastness properties that can be also antimicrobial. This unique technology is designed to mimic the beauty and authenticity of nature. The collection will be available in Thyme, Chestnut Tree, Gambier and Morus Tinctoria colors.

Cambodia's garment exports surged 3.3-per cent in the first eight months of 2021, shows a report from the Ministry of Commerce. As per reports, the Southeast Asian nation exported products worth $5.02 billion during the January-August period this year as against $4.86 billion exported over the same period last year. Growth is being attributed to the high COVID-19 vaccination rates and controllable COVID-19 situation. Cambodia launched a COVID-19 inoculation campaign in February, with China being the key vaccine supplier.

As of September 17, it had vaccinated around 11.6 million people, or 72.5 percent of the kingdom's 16 million population, with one vaccine dose, while 10.1 million, or 63.2 percent, had obtained both required shots and 815,581, or 5 percent, had got a third dose or booster dose. The country reported total 103,482 COVID-19 cases with official death toll reaching 2,096.

A global company specialized in producing Nylon 6.6 for apparel and owner of Sensil, its own branded nylon fiber, Nilite has unveiled its Corporate Sustainability report titled ‘Making Nylon Sustainable,’ for the period 2017-2020. As per a Spin Off report, the document details the company’s achievements to improve its environmental footprint and explains its plans to positively influence the textile and apparel industry.

The report shares Nilit’s accomplishments and the company’s ongoing plans to continuously improve the ecological and social influence of its operations and practices in the market and in the communities where it operates. Through collaboration with brands, retailers, customers, employees and vendors, Nilit has developed a large portfolio of sustainable premium Nylon 6.6 products under its Sensil consumer brand. The Sensil portfolio includes performance products manufactured while controlling water and energy consumption, waste reduction, use of recycled inputs and impact to ecosystems.

Nilit has achieved some sustainability goals in its facilities around the world, especially its innovations in clean energy cogeneration that reduced CO2 by 40% and eliminated emissions of toxic gases.

The company also introduced QR codes in all Sensil hangtags. Produced with FSC paper and distributed on certified garments from brands worldwide, these hangtags guarantee authenticity and provide more information to consumers about the technologies and benefits of premium nylon.

French luxury fashion house Kenz has appointed Sylvian Blanc as its new CEO. As per a Fashion Network report, Blanc’s appointment is effective October 18, two weeks after the end of the next Paris Fashion Week, where Kenzo is not scheduled to stage a show.

Blanc will succeed Sylvie Colin, who is moving on to pursue a personal project abroad. Blanc began his career as deputy to the merchandising director of Printemps department store, before becoming head of strategic planning for stores. He later joined The Koopies as vice president, Europe, Middle East and Asia. He is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and of the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris, also known as Mines ParisTech. Since 2018, Blanc has been CEO of Undiz.

The fashion house also named Tomoaki 'Nigo' Nagao of The Bathing Ape as new artistic director. He succeeds Felipe Oliveira Baptista, who left Kenzo last June after just two years at the house.

A global textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers’ initiative has published a White Paper on Commercial Compliance.

Led by the STAR Network, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the Better Buying Institute, the initiative is supported by GIZ Fabric and consists of 13 industry associations from nine countries facing similar challenges regarding purchasing practices in the textile and garment industry. Through a process of consultation, these associations have now jointly agreed on the text of the white paper that is published today. This marks the first joint manufacturers’ position on the improvement of purchasing practices.

The white paper establishes commercial compliance as a leading principle for the manufacturer’s perspective on the improvement of purchasing practices. STTI defines it as ‘purchasing practices that do not cause obvious and avoidable harm to manufacturers’. The white paper lists ‘key recommendations’, defining what purchasing practices manufacturers consider to be breaches of their definition of commercial compliance. The associations participating in the initiative recognize that the breaches of these key recommendations seriously impair their ability to run a commercially viable business, let alone to contribute to stronger and more sustainable supply chains.

Increasing by 34 per cent, global fiber production is expected to reach 146 million tonne in 2030. As per a Textile Value Chain report, fiber production doubled in 2000 to 109 million tonne in 2020 from 58 million tonne. Per person fiber production increased from 8.4 kg per person in 1975 to 14kg per person in 2020. Market share for preferred fiber and materials grew significantly in 2020.

Between 2019 and 2020 the market share of preferred cotton increased from 24 to 30 per cent and recycled polyester from 13.7 to 14.7 per cent. Preferred cashmere increased from 0.8 to 7 per cent of all cashmere produced while Responsible Mohair Standard certified fiber expanded from 0 to 27 per cent of all mohair produced worldwide in its first year of existence in 2020.

The market share of FSC and/or PEFC certified MMCFs increased to approximately 55-60 per cent. While the market share of recycled MMCFs is only 0.4 per cent, it is expected to increase significantly in the following years.

British retailer Marks & Spencer plans to close all 11 franchise nine stores it runs with partner SFH in France over the coming months after new trade rules in place since Britain left the European Union hammered product availability.

The remaining nine franchise stores, run by the group with Lagardere Travel Retail, will continue to trade and the pair were working on a sustainable future business model.

The 11 stores that will close by the end of this year are located predominantly across the high streets of Paris.

The nine stores run by Lagardere are located in travel hubs such as airports, railway and metro stations.

In April, M&S reconfigured its food business in the Czech Republic to remove supply chain risks. It took out all fresh and chilled products from stores, and doubled ranges of frozen and ambient products.

Last month, M&S upgraded its profit outlook after a jump in demand for food in its home market and a surge in online clothes sales indicated that its latest turnaround plan was starting to deliver.

Gap has added Next as a franchise partner to manage its online business in the UK and Ireland, after the companies finalizes an agreement.

The fashion company will form a joint venture with Next owning 51 per cent and Gap owning 49 per cent. As per a Retail Gazette report, Next will operate Gap’s online business across the Next Total Platform, host Gap-branded shop-in-shops and offer click-and-collect options next year.

American retailer Gap is in the process of closing all its 81 stores in the UK after a strategic review of the company concluded it should move to online-only.

Mark Bertbard, President and CEO, Gap Global says, the partnership will amplify Gap’s omnichannel business and meet customers where they were shopping now.

It comes as the pandemic sped up a rise in online purchasing and online fashion giants have marked soaring sales from lockdown shoppers.

In collaboration with MOTIF and ISPO, Alvanon has launched its second annual 3D Tech Fest featuring 3D tech leaders, creative directors and innovators from across the globe.

The conference is scheduled to be held from September 21-23, 2021. It will feature 3D professionals and users who know and are willing to share, inform, advise and inspire our industry.

The latest 3D innovations are blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds, creating a Metaverse in which fashion professionals can design, develop, sample, and sell apparel in a virtual world before making the product. It benefits businesses, suppliers, consumers and the planet. For the 2021 event, Alvanon and MOTIF have selected 3D software companies at the forefront of these technologies. They will address the themes of Adopting 3D and Digital Product Creation (DPC), Digital Transformation and the Metaverse.

The conference will be divided into three key themes: adopting 3D and Digital Product Creation (DPC); digital transformation, technology and innovation and an\introduction to the Metaverse.