The failure of the US garment industry – Part III

A 65-year strategy to force US consumers to buy made-in-US garments has been an all-time disaster, asserts David Birnbaum, with the result t...

UK fashion sector not environmentally sustainable

A probe by Britain's lawmakers into the environmental sustainability of the UK clothing industry has heard how increasingly high volumes of...

US brands ponder sourcing switch away from China

The ongoing trade dispute between the US and China could accelerate the trend for American apparel brands to shift their sourcing away from...

Mid-term shift unlikely to end US-China trade war

The coming change of control of the US House of Representatives from the ruling Republicans to the opposition Democrats will probably do lit...

4 steps to build advanced analytics into apparel

The apparel industry is the laggard in embracing advanced analytics, often favouring merchant and designer-driven 'gut feel' over insight-dr...

The failure of the US garment industry – Part II

In the second article in a three-part series examining the failure of the US garment industry, David Birnbaum shows how US government policy...

Pricing, sourcing and stock control in a multi-channel world 7 Nov 18

No one can deny that the fashion industry now is operating in a multi-channel world. But when it comes to managing this approach, it seems there is no unanimity of best practice – and often no best practice at all – on the three key issues of multi-channel pricing, sourcing and stock control. Malcolm Newbery unravels some of the complexities.

Can "restoring the basics" put M&S back on track? 7 Nov 18

Sales have dived yet again at UK retailer M&S, which earlier this year acknowledged the need for drastic change to reposition it for growth. Its "restoring the basics" agenda puts every aspect of the business under "scrutiny and change" to adapt to the new retail landscape and reshape its clothing ranges to appeal to consumers. Analysts have mixed feelings about the retailer's progress so far.

Digitisation is key to upgrading Asia's fashion factories. Just do it responsibly, says Fung Group's director of sustainability 14 Nov 18

Leonie Barrie

Digital technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence are starting to bring more speed, efficiency and transparency to apparel supply chains – but less well documented is their potential impact on job losses and social unrest, especially in Asia. It’s a balancing act that Pamela Mar weighs up in her roles as director of sustainability at the Fung Group and EVP of Supply Chain Futures for the Fung Academy.

Why circular fashion is "the answer for everything" at Esprit 24 Oct 18

Michelle Russell

Hong-Kong listed Esprit is currently rethinking every step of the fashion lifecycle with a view to "inclusive circularity" that respects the use of both material and human resources. Sara Bermúdez Couto, head of product safety management and environmental sustainability, explains.

C&A Foundation sets out vision for circular fashion – Interview 20 Sep 18

Beth Wright

One year into his role as head of circular fashion at the C&A Foundation, Douwe Jan Joustra is leading discussions on how to create the conditions for change in the entire fashion system. His main aim is to see retailers adopt new business models, transitioning into "service providers" where fashion will be offered as a service for customers, not consumers – an idea he will share at next month's IAF World Fashion Convention.