just-style authors and correspondents

Articles by Guest author

Activating brand purpose – and putting it to work at Wrangler 23 April 2019

Over the last few years, there's been a lot of compelling information demonstrating the importance of a brand or organisation's purpose. Just like mission, vision, and values before it, purpose is gaining in critical mass as an organisational architecture trend. Here, Roian Atwood, director of sustainability for Wrangler and Lee jeans, discusses the methodologies involved in discovering brand purpose – and how it was put into practice at Wrangler.

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Applying the latest digital technologies to fashion product development 12 April 2019

There are a number of steps fashion industry executives can take to expedite design and development, stay at the forefront in an increasingly competitive landscape – and ultimately get a good night’s sleep. Andrew Dalziel, senior director, Industry Strategy, Infor, explains.

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Supply chain transparency for sustainable fashion 4 April 2019

Consumers are becoming increasingly vigilant about the clothing they wear each day, seeking out more sustainable options, as well as information on supply chains, production processes and product afterlife. Which is why there's an ongoing need for consumer education, as well as collaboration among all stakeholders to redefine the standard of transparency practices across the industry value chain, says Dr Florian Heubrandner, vice president of global business management textiles, at Lenzing AG. 

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Impact 4.0: Textiles and the digital revolution 28 March 2019

With the largest range of technology on display in its history, the upcoming Texprocess trade fair has a new exhibitor record within its sights. And once again it also has its finger firmly on the pulse of the sector – with the impact of Industry 4.0 on the manufacture and processing of apparel and technical textiles one of the show’s major areas of focus. Ronny Eckert reports.

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How to balance colour quality, brand loyalty and cost 27 March 2019

Getting colour right while simultaneously managing costs can be an unexpected challenge for digital-native brands moving into brick-and-mortar territory. Here are some of the considerations retailers and brands need to make in order to balance customer colour experiences in-store, at-home and online.

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China trade – Hoping for a Mar-A-Lago miracle? 19 March 2019

While we wait for news of the next trade summit between the United States and China, Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), mulls the consequences of President Trump’s flawed trade strategy – including long-lasting damage to global supply chains.

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What the new US Farm Bill means for hemp apparel 30 January 2019

Hemp is back – removed from the US Schedule 1 controlled substances list and available for broad cultivation. But what's an opportunity for its use in apparel, and what's just hype? Writing exclusively on just-style, Roian Atwood, director of sustainability for Wrangler and Lee jeans, takes a closer look.

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How real-time PLM can help fashion firms stay ahead 29 January 2019

Being nimble and agile enough to respond to demand from connected consumers is key to surviving and thriving in today's fashion world. Digitising business processes with a real-time PLM solution provides firms with the data analytics and insights to meet goals and deadlines, make faster decisions and react more quickly, as Terri Ghio, vice president of sales & operations at Visual Next, explains.

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How Trump's "Tariff Man" tweet roiled the markets 14 December 2018

Fascinating – just a few words escaped from the President's twitter feed and global markets start falling. Given his love for the Christmas season, his love for Brexit, his love for figgy pudding, it's not surprising that he reached for a Beatles song to express his views on trade when he grabbed "I Am The Walrus," writes Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).

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Looming Accord closure a risk to Bangladesh sourcing 22 November 2018

A crash in slow motion – it's the only way one can describe the looming economic fallout should Bangladesh refuse to extend the Accord on Fire and Building Safety. In just one week's time the Bangladesh Government may force this landmark agreement to stop operating out of Dhaka: a disaster for apparel workers' safety in an industry scarred by tragedy.