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Yarn Expo Autumn 2025 concluded a highly successful run, firmly establishing its position as the premier international platform for the yarn and fiber industry. The event successfully united over 22,000 visitors from 111 countries and regions with nearly 580 exhibitors, creating an unparalleled sourcing hub in Shanghai.
Held concurrently with three other major textile fairs - Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, CHIC, and PH Value - the exhibition offered a comprehensive, all-in-one marketplace. This synergy allowed international and domestic buyers to efficiently source a vast spectrum of products, from raw fibers and fabrics to finished garments, maximizing cross-sector collaboration.
The fair strongly emphasized the industry's crucial transition toward sustainability and innovation. Numerous exhibitors showcased groundbreaking eco-friendly materials, fulfilling a rising global demand for traceable and environmentally responsible products. This commitment was highlighted by Wilmet Shea, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK), who noted, the event's vitality lies in how it ‘connects sustainability-driven solutions with worldwide demand,’ reinforcing the textile industry's progress with resilience and creativity.
Sourcing depth and global exchange
Yarn Expo Autumn provided impressive depth across its floor plan, featuring six specialized product zones and an International Yarn Zone. Suppliers presented a versatile mix that included:
• Natural fibers: With a heightened focus on quality and traceability.
• Innovative synthetics and specialty yarns: Catering to technical and functional fabric needs.
• Sustainable options: Addressing the growing shift toward a circular economy.
Notable exhibitors like Docotton Group AS (Turkiye), PT Dan Liris (Indonesia), and Rutex GmbH (Germany) attracted significant attention with their market-relevant innovations. Further enriching the fair's global profile were dedicated showcases, including the India Pavilion, Pakistan Zone, and Taiwan Zone, which offered concentrated access to each region's textile expertise and fostered new opportunities for cross-border trade.
The visitor profile was equally diverse, spanning spinners, knitters, fashion brands, and trade professionals from every part of the upstream and downstream value chain. This breadth ensures that the industry's latest trends and developments, from vortex-spun polyester to ultra-high-count compact-spun cotton, can be identified and sourced efficiently.
Exhibitor and visitor endorsements
The value of the platform was consistently echoed by the participants. Jimad Khan, International Sales & Marketing Manager, Perino by Woolyarns (New Zealand), said, the experience has been positive, with strong interest, enquiries, and sample requests. The fair is important for connecting with the entire supply chain.
Pradip Debnath, Business Head, Yajur Fibres (India), emphasized, by leveraging the platform helped the company connect with buyers and potential clients from over ten countries simultaneously
Ashwin Jaju, General Manager, Dricomfort (Optimer) in the US, noted, this year, the fair feels more crowded and has a more international presence. Overall, it offers great opportunities for networking and discovering new materials.
Huang Xianglun, Procurement Manager, Lite Trading Co (China), affirmed, as a VIP buyer, the company greatly benefitted from the clear guidance provided by the organizers, which significantly enhanced our procurement efficiency.
The combination of a world-class exhibitor lineup, a strong visitor base, and innovation-focused fringe events - such as the Textile Materials Innovation Forum- cemented Yarn Expo Autumn 2025's role as a vital platform that cultivates fresh ideas and drives the global textile industry forward. The next edition, Yarn Expo Spring, is scheduled for March 11–13, 2026.
The highly anticipated fashion week season, which came to a close recently in Paris, was not "business as usual". The numerous designer changes in Milan and Paris were met with high expectations, and according to Barbara Markert, co-Founder Weltreporter, founder LaSuite in a Linkedin post, they were largely fulfilled. This season marked a significant shift in the fashion industry, driven by a record number of debuts and a palpable sense of change and new ideas. The high concentration of new creative directors led to the season being called the "fashion week of the decade".
The traditional strategy of changing designers to revive a struggling luxury brand proved to be highly effective this season. This season saw a dozen fashion houses swap their creative directors for the upcoming Summer 2026 season alone, with two more houses celebrating their womenswear premiere after having already made the change for their menswear or haute couture shows.
Among the many new faces, several designers are credited with delivering strong collections:
● Matthieu Blazy at Chanel. Blazy stated that fashion needs to rethink its narrative, saying, "Luxury is no longer enough. It is expensive and rare, but is that enough? No, that is not enough".
● Pier Paolo Piccioli at Balenciaga.
● Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta.
● J.W. Anderson at Dior. Anderson, who is new to Dior, explained that being "locked into history causes an implosion" and that "a change is inevitable".
One of the most notable debuts was Demna at Gucci, who did not waste time with grand speeches. Instead, he released his see-now-buy-now designs on Instagram and presented a film for a celebrity-filled audience in Milan, which was simultaneously made available to everyone online. His collection focused on modern reproductions of old Gucci bestsellers, a move that is already reportedly sending customers to stores and has caused Kering's stock price to rise sharply on the stock market.
Beyond the new designers, the season was also characterized by a democratization of fashion. This was seen in new formats and innovations, with designers and critics alike pushing back against the industry's elitist tendencies. For example, Glenn Martens, who is a designer for Diesel and Maison Margiela, distributed his Diesel collection throughout Milan, with models posing in plexiglass pods in public spaces like churches, bars, kiosks, and subway stations.
Another example of this shift was "La Watchparty," a public viewing of fashion shows created by social media fashion critic Elias Medini. This event brought back the collection discussions that had largely disappeared since the decline of bloggers around 2015. The audience at these events is different from those at the shows, consisting of young people more interested in the quality of the collection than in the looks of celebrities. This focus on the product and creative work, rather than on front-row attendees and "click-worthy" designs, gives cause for hope for the future of the industry.
The fashion industry has been grappling with a loss of glamour and sales, due in part to scandals involving poor quality, exploitative production, and questionable business dealings. There have also been accusations of "greedflation," where major brands have raised prices excessively without justification from innovative design or quality. This season's changes were seen as a necessary step to open a new chapter.
While many collections were successful, the debuts overshadowed other established brands' shows. It's difficult to recall the collections from Chloé, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, or Calvin Klein, as the sheer number of premieres commanded all the media attention. However, even the gossip surrounding this season—like Heidi Klum appearing as a bride at Vivienne Westwood's show or kitchen aprons becoming a trend at Miu Miu—indicates that something is changing in fashion.
This fashion week season saw a turning point in the industry, one that hopefully will continue to evolve in the coming years. The focus is returning to the product and collections, proving that fashion can once again captivate an audience. From this perspective, this season may indeed have been the "fashion week of the decade".
Max Easton has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of Smartex.
Easton's appointment follows two years during which he worked closely with fashion brands, demonstrating exceptional strength and leadership in executing the company's core strategic initiatives. He is now tasked with leading Smartex to its next stage of growth and strengthening the company's position as a key force shaping the future of the global textile and fashion industry.
A leader in applying AI to manufacturing, Smartex is expected to continue its aggressive expansion of technology adoption under Easton's direction. The company has been working in close coordination with its leadership team, board members, and investors to ensure a seamless transition. This focus remains firmly on executing its mission to transform the textile industry by implementing advanced technologies to bring transparency and efficiency to every step of textile manufacturing; pioneering solutions that dramatically reduce material waste in production and providing brands and consumers with verifiable data on their supply chains.
Easton is anticipated to leverage Smartex's patented real-time quality control and fabric defect detection systems to accelerate the push for a more sustainable and technologically advanced sector. His experience in operationalizing strategy with fashion brands is seen as critical to scaling the company's solutions globally.
British Wool’s recent sale saw the most intense level of competition in the last decade. All of British Wool’s main buyers were active, with UK, European and Chinese-focussed buyers competing to secure wool supplies. All core types traded significantly higher, with the main grades of carpet wool trading close to 20 per cent higher towards the end of the catalogue.
Prices in the sale on the 7thof October increased by 14.2 per cent over the mid-September sale. Over the month the prices achieved in the British Wescool auctions have increased by 22.5 per cent. The trend mirrors the price rises that have been seen in New Zealand with global demand for quality cross bred wools outstripping supplies.
The average sale price achieved on behalf of British Wool’s members was £1.18 per kg, a marked increase over the average sale price for the 2024 season. Sale prices last season averaged £1.00 per kg.
Andrew Hogley, CEO, British Wool, says, following some very positive conversations with the trade, the sales team is confident the strong demand will continue throughout the selling season.
Sales in New Zealand over the last few weeks have also been very competitive with global market demand for quality cross-bred wools outstripping supply, he adds.
This season’s wool is also generally of a higher quality than last season’s wool. The dry spring and summer resulted in whiter wool this season with more of the clip being classed as a No. 1 grade.
Test results for new season wool continue to be significantly better than last year for colour, and British Wool continues to produce a greater proportion of No.1 grades in the core types, notes Hogley.
British Wool has received a large quantity of wool from new and returning members this season, but the overall volume handled to date is running around 2 per cent to 3 per cent below last year.
Improved prices in the 2024 season encouraged many farmers who had been holding onto their wool, or using it on-farm, to present it for sale this year, adds Hogley.
As a co-operative British Wool seeks to maximise the returns for all sheep farmers. With prices having shown a further improvement over recent weeks, the organization encourages any members who still have wool on farm to send it in before the winter.
Based in Bradford, British Wool is owned by approximately 30,000 sheep farmers in the UK. It collects, grades, sells and promotes British Wool to the international wool textile industry for use in flooring, furnishings and apparel.
The Dhaka International Textile and Apparel Expo-2025 (DTA Expo 2025) commenced at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center (BCFCC), marking a key event to accelerate growth and showcase global innovation in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector.
Organized by Eco Expo, the three-day exhibition was inaugurated by Mohammad Hatem, President, BKMEA. A number of industry leaders attended as special guests, including Nipa Jannat, Director, BGBA and EBFCI and Masoodar Rahman, President, BGMEA.
This year's DTA Expo is one of the largest international textile and apparel platforms in Bangladesh, featuring over 750 exhibitors from more than 15 countries across 60 stalls. Leading manufacturers from China, India, and Pakistan are showcasing cutting-edge machinery, sustainable fabrics, smart apparel technologies, and innovative solutions.
The expo premises were bustling from day one, with visitors generating new business connections and partnerships among local and international entrepreneurs.
Industry representatives highlighted the expo's potential for greater collaboration. A representative from Pakistan’s Unicorn International noted, the shipping cost from Pakistan to Bangladesh is relatively high. If a direct trade route can be opened, investment and business opportunities will expand significantly.
Chinese company, Li Ha affirmed, the expo will ‘further strengthen’ China's already substantial investment relationship with the Bangladeshi market.
Visitors were impressed by the level of technology on display. Habibur Islam avered, the fair gives a clear picture of where Bangladesh stands in the global market Another visitor, Chaiti Ghosh, added, the fair is beautifully organized. and will open a new horizon for Bangladesh apparel industry.
The RMG sector remains a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s economy, with export earnings having reached $50 billion by the end of 2024.
Rezwanur Rahman, CEO, Eco Expo, stated, the fair helps Bangladesh connect with global standards and open new pathways for sustainable growth. The DTA Expo 2025 runs daily through October 11, 2025.
Karl Mayer plans to present two brand-new, state-of-the-art tricot machines at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025. These machines were developed to meet the core demands of the textile industry: maximum productivity, superior precision, and uncompromising efficiency.
Headlining the launch is a new 2-bar tricot machine specifically designed for elastic fabrics. This machine is being hailed by the company as unbeatable in terms of output and speed, making it more productive than any model that has come before it.
The machine's completely new concept also delivers additional customer benefits, including greater energy efficiency and reduced handling effort
Karl Mayer is also launching a new 4-bar tricot machine aimed directly at satisfying the demands of price-sensitive fashion markets.
This newcomer is positioned as a true brand product that stands out for its extremely attractive price-performance ratio. This makes it particularly appealing to manufacturers of popular, trendy clothing items, such as those made with seersucker fabrics.
The Italian fashion powerhouse Benetton has undertaken a sweeping corporate reorganization aimed at optimizing its relaunch and achieving profitability by 2026 or 2027. This reorganization marks the end of the first phase of the plan led by new Claudio Sforza, CEO who took over in June 2024.
According to internal documents cited by Italian financial daily MF-Milano Finanza, Benetton established seven new companies - or ‘newcos’ - all based at its Castrette corporate hub. Following a complex double demerger and spin-off operation, the group's assets and corporate functions have been divided among these entities, which will become operational in January.
The core company, Benetton Group, is now the coordinating holding company, retaining final authority over financial, legal, and auditing decisions. It directly controls five new operational units: Green 347, Benetton Operations, Benetton Distribution, Benetton Logistics, and Benetton E-commerce.
Under the group has jettisoned its traditional vertically integrated business model through significant operational changes including closing of production sites in Tunisia, Serbia and Croatia, reduction in global employee count from 1,100 in mid-2024 to approximately 700 by the end of 2025, aided by voluntary separation incentives and shutting of approximately 500 unprofitable stores worldwide, bringing the group’s total retail network to nearly 3,000 locations.
The reorganization assigns clear functions to the new leadership: Benetton Operations (led by Vincenzo Meles) handles design and marketing; Benetton Distribution (Nicola Capone) oversees retail and franchising; and Benetton E-commerce manages online sales.
The goal of this reorganization is aggressive loss reduction; after cutting losses by more than 57 per cent to €100 million in 2024, Benetton aims to return to profit within the next two years - a pivotal moment as the brand prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025.
A complete system supplier known for its leading technologies in continuous wet processing, discontinuous dyeing, and technical textiles, Benninger is set to showcase its latest innovations at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025. Headlining their presentation will be the brand-new SingeRay singeing machine, specifically engineered for knitwear, alongside proven solutions from their extensive portfolio.
The Benninger SingeRay offers knitwear manufacturers a superior method for fabric upgrading, effectively eliminating the need for biopolishing. Singeing is a highly precise process that removes only the unwanted short fibers. Compared to biopolishing, the resulting weight loss is significantly lower, which increases the amount of input converted into saleable fabric and reduces the overall environmental footprint.
The SingeRay is built for efficiency and high output, boasting a production capacity of up to 30 tons per day. It is equipped with two burners and advanced silicon carbide burning chambers that ensure complete gas combustion at a constant temperature, supported by four cooling channels. The adjustable flame width further guarantees low gas consumption. Furthermore, dust is safely managed and separated using a wet deduster.
Benninger will also highlight key advancements across its dyeing machinery. The company has developed the fastest, most versatile, and most economical jet dyeing machine in the industry, the FabricMaster, which dramatically shortens process times. Engineered with a passion for perfect fabric quality, the FabricMaster allows for the production of the widest range of fabrics at the lowest cost while achieving unmatched water consumption levels. This system represents a breakthrough in discontinuous dyeing, combining outstanding features for safe fabric transport, smooth liquor transfer, high rope speeds, and shorter cycle times.
The cold pad batch (CPB) dyeing process is the only method that allows for salt-free dyeing without additional energy input, making it increasingly popular, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Benninger has optimized its CPB systems for these climatic conditions, with the Benninger Küsters DyePad at its core.
Benninger is the only textile machinery manufacturer with expertise in the original S-roller technology, which is critical for ensuring consistently even dyeing across the entire fabric width. The CPB system's key advantages—including flexibility, dramatically improved accessibility for the new knit version, high reproducibility, and ease of operation—make it a trusted, low-investment solution for the full spectrum of open-width dyeing with reactive dyestuffs.
In the intricate, interconnected world of global apparel, tariffs are not just a line item on an invoice—they are, in the words of Cem Altan, "killers of the industry." The President of the International Apparel Federation (IAF), speaking exclusively with FashionatingWorld, delivered a stark warning about the rising tide of protectionist trade policies and their destabilizing effects on the global supply chain.
For Altan, the ideal of "free, open" global trade is a fundamental principle being eroded by the unpredictable, unilateral actions of governments. This isn't a new phenomenon. Historically, U.S. trade policy has swung between protectionism and liberalization, with periods like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 that epitomized trade restriction. The current policies, particularly recent U.S. tariff announcements, have been implemented "too quickly without negotiating" and with little warning, leading to a climate of crippling uncertainty that makes long-term planning impossible for suppliers.
The human cost of uncertainty
"This is the biggest problem, uncertainty," Altan emphasized. The apparel and textile industry, with its razor-thin margins and intense competition, requires continuous investment to keep up with rapid changes in digitalization and regulation. When suppliers cannot see what the future holds, they hesitate to invest, a delay that ultimately hurts the entire supply chain.
The consequences, Altan noted, are far-reaching and deeply human. As manufacturers are squeezed by high tariffs and an inability to invest, they are forced to make difficult decisions. The financial pressure from brands, who do not want to absorb the new costs, is often passed down to suppliers. Without any "room to give them any more discount," manufacturers are left in a holding pattern. This waiting game leads to a devastating outcome: job losses. "Millions of millions of workers and companies lay out of work," Altan lamented, highlighting how political decisions can cripple the economies of entire countries.
The ‘Paradox of Protectionism’
Ironically, while these tariffs are intended to protect domestic industries, they are not having the desired effect on all fronts. Altan offered a paradoxical observation: while the U.S. has engaged in a trade war with China, the Chinese industry is proving to be exceptionally resilient. "China is very smart," Altan noted. Instead of losing business, Chinese companies are simply diversifying their production to other countries that have more favorable trade agreements, such as Cambodia, Vietnam, and ASEAN countries.
"Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative" (STTI): A a crucial tool to protect manufacturers
In this volatile environment, Altan stresses the vital role of the IAF. He highlighted the organization's "Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative" (STTI) as a crucial tool for protecting manufacturers. This initiative seeks to establish clear, fair contractual terms that prevent brands from abruptly canceling orders or reducing prices. By pushing for international regulations and educating its members, the IAF is fighting to bring a semblance of stability to an industry plagued by political whims.
The interview made it clear that tariffs are not just an economic issue; they are a human issue. They create instability, hinder innovation, and lead to job losses, all while failing to fully achieve their stated protectionist goals. For Cem Altan, the message is simple: a healthy global fashion industry requires collaboration, not confrontation, and a commitment to free and open trade that benefits everyone.
American denim and lifestyle brand Wrangler has launched a new headwear collection through a multi-year licensing agreement with headwear innovation lab, CapX.
A part of Wrangler's strategic effort to evolve into a broader cross-category lifestyle brand, the agreement leverages CapX's advanced design and manufacturing capabilities. The first collection is set to be launched this month
The collection is being designed to reflect Wrangler's denim heritage. It features distinctive elements such as the iconic 'W' stitching, copper hardware, and leather patches sourced from the same suppliers used for their jeans.
Each of the caps in this collection features a model number printed inside the lining. This number corresponds to one of over 45 standardized shapes developed by CapX, aiming to educate consumers on specific fit and structure and make it easier for them to find similar styles they love in the future.
The collection is designed to complement the lifestyle of the core Wrangler consumer - one who values quality, comfort, and character in their everyday essentials.
Viewing headwear Wrangler sees a significant opportunity to reach a broader audience in new ways. The company blends their long history of American style with CapX's innovation and standardized approach to fit.
