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Sourcing Journal
Quality and Community Remain Core to New York City’s Blue In Green
For nearly 20 years, Blue In Green’s detail-obsessed staff has served up indigo-loving New Yorkers and in-the-know visitors with rare and premium denim brands.When the Weather is Bad, You Can Still Look Good While the name may seem like a nod to the boutique’s beloved hue (blue) and its prime location in New York City’s SoHo nabe (Greene Street), real denim heads know the moniker is an homage to Miles Davis, specifically a tune from the jazz musician’s famed 1959 “Kind of Blue” album. Jazz and jeans are how Blue In Green owners Gordon Heffner and Yuji Fukushima initially connected in 2006,...
Can the Harris-Walz Ticket’s Good Vibes, Memes and Merch Revive Consumer Confidence?
“Thank you, Madam Vice President, for the trust you put in me, but maybe more so thank you for bringing back the joy,” said newly anointed prospective Veep, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, on Tuesday evening.What Does a Harris-Walz Ticket Mean for Climate, Labor, Business and Tech? In an election cycle that has been fraught with emotions ranging from unease to downright dread, the word “joy” rang out across a crowded hall of spectators in Philadelphia like a sacred incantation in a foreign language. The tides have clearly shifted in recent weeks, with President Biden exiting the race and Vice President Kamala Harris...
Ritzy Resale Meets Legacy Luxury in Rebag, Bloomingdale’s Collab
Rebag’s first version of a rewards program stood out in its market, offering perks and tiered benefits reminiscent of upscale department stores.Rebag+ Redefines Resale with Rewards Now, the luxury e-commerce resale platform is going straight to the source. Touted as a first-of-its-kind endeavor, the Rebag x Bloomingdales strategic retail and digital partnership wants to democratize the luxury goods market while encouraging circularity. “While Rebag has explored exclusive partnerships with retailers in the primary market, such as unique digital trunk shows with Moda Operandi and an auction of limited-edition handbags with Christie’s, the Rebag x Bloomingdale’s strategic partnership is an industry first,” Elizabeth Layne,...
Lenzing Reports Increased Profit as Cost Cutting Pays Off
The Lenzing Group announced its earnings for the first half of fiscal year 2024 on Wednesday, reporting steady revenue growth year over year. Milano Unica: Intimates Textile Maker Maglificio Ripa Stretches Into Sustainability with Tencel, Roica The Austrian company, which makes fiber products like Tencel, EcoVero and Veocel, reported its revenue increased by 4.8 percent year over year, rising $1.43 billion in the first half of 2024 from $1.37 billion in the first half of 2023. It attributes that growth to a 9.3 percent increase in revenue from fibers. The company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased by...
Meme to Bestsellers: How Barrel Jeans Became Denim’s Biggest Trend
Innovating denim fashion is challenging. While the ways to produce more sustainable and durable jeans are increasing, the roster of jean fits has remained relatively the same for decades. Slim, straight, skinny, bootcut, flare, boyfriend and wide leg have all earned their place on the menu and have faced little to no competition from new fits.California Brands Remain Skeptical of 'Landmark, First-in-the-Country' Textile Recycling Bill In rare moments, however, a brand can strike blue gold with a new silhouette. That has been the journey Citizens of Humanity and its horseshoe jean, though the barrel jean wasn’t a clear winner out of the...
Canadian Rail Negotiations Resume Ahead of Labor Board Ruling
Both major Canadian railroads and their union employees restarted negotiations for a new contract Wednesday in an effort to avoid a rail strike, months after the talks were officially put on hold.As Bangladesh Names Interim Leader, Cargo Movement Is at a Standstill The country’s recently sworn in Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon met with representatives from Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Canada’s Teamsters, as well as Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez on Monday to discuss the government’s expectations in their current collective bargaining negotiations. “The meetings were frank, constructive discussions that reflected the gravity of the situation before Canada’s...
Violence Breaks Out Over BGMEA Leadership
A fight broke out outside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association in Dhaka on Wednesday after a 100-strong group of members and other individuals led by former vice president Faisal Samad questioned the fitness of the trade group’s leadership and demanded the resignation of its board of directors.Where Does Bangladesh's 'Second Independence' Leave Its Garment Workers? The altercation is a microcosm of the fierce and sometimes deadly backlash that has been mounting against members of the South Asian nation’s once-ruling Awami League, whose increasingly authoritative regime collapsed in spectacular fashion in the wake of former Prime Minister...
Blue Cast: Bluesign’s Daniel Rufenacht on Fashion’s Legislative ‘Tsunami’
In 2001, long before sustainability had become a must, Swiss brand Switcher released the “cleanest T-shirt in the world” that also boasted a traceable supply chain. Yet clean claims and advertising didn’t move the needle for consumer purchases. In the end, the company silently altered its T-shirt production to match this traceable tee and consumers bought them without knowing the sustainability behind it.Denham Teams with Advance Denim to Dress Athletes for the Paris Games This experience at Switcher more than two decades ago shaped Daniel Rufenacht’s position that the consumer is not the answer to accelerating sustainability. “The change has to...
Maersk CEO: Container Demand ‘Biggest Question Mark’ of 2024 Second Half
Maersk expects global container demand to decelerate later this year after a strong start to 2024, with CEO Vincent Clerc calling it the “biggest question mark” for the ocean carrier and the wider industry for the remainder of the year.As East Coast Port Talks Stall, Late Summer Imports Near Record Levels Global container demand is estimated to have grown between 5 percent to 7 percent in the second quarter. While this demand growth is expected to remain positive in coming quarters, it will likely come at a slower pace for the remainder of the year, according to the company. “We have seen...
ThredUp Talks New Tools and How Layoffs Triggered by AI Affected Strategy
ThredUp wants to make secondhand a flawless fit for consumers. ThredUp Has Diverted 200 Million Items From Landfills The company announced Monday it had released three new consumer-facing AI tools to enhance the shopping experience. On the same day it announced a challenging second quarter and revealed it would divest its European business, the secondhand platform looked to the tools as a source of optimism and a shot at attracting and retaining shoppers. The first capability, which the company calls Style Chat, allows users to prompt a generative AI chatbot and receive outfit inspiration in return. For example, a user might ask Style...
Unspun’s Beth Esponette Unlocks the Science-Driven Side of Fashion
This article was previously published in Rivet magazine. Unspun to Use $32M to Scale Operations in Europe For Beth Esponette, a career in denim was never a given. Raised in Maine, the Unspun co-founder and chief product officer could have been easily followed a more conventional path. “I grew up with probably more trees than people around me,” she said. Apparel design wasn’t topical to her daily life, and yet she was fascinated by both the art and the science behind creating textiles and clothing. “I grew up at the intersection of white-collar work and people just rolling up their sleeves and getting...
WGSN’s New Platform for Buyers Combines Traditional Forecasting with AI
A confluence of trends from the runway, street style and social media have created new opportunities and challenges for retailers. A new data-driven platform by consumer trend forecasting firm WGSN aims to make sense of it all.European Commission Closes DSA Case After TikTok Promises to Nix Lite App The London-based company launched WGSN Fashion Buying, a dedicated platform that supports buyers and help them understand product direction, emerging trends, and how deeply to invest in specific styles. With insights covering pre-planning, development and in-season hindsight, the platform will deliver “future-proof trend decision intelligence and buying-specific forecasts exactly when needed, organized according...
As Bangladesh Names Interim Leader, Cargo Movement Is at a Standstill
Port backlogs in Bangladesh remain problematic in the wake of nationwide violent protests and a sudden regime change.Canadian Rail Negotiations Resume Ahead of Labor Board Ruling A day after the ongoing turmoil forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country and led to the dissolution of the country’s parliament, President Mohammed Shahabuddin appointed Muhammad Yunus to lead an interim government in Hasina’s place. In selecting Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2006, Shahabuddin aims to restore order in a country that has endured mass unrest which has led to a reported 440 deaths. The disruptions have severely hampered trade...
ThredUp Has Diverted 200 Million Items From Landfills
The resale revolution is having a tangible impact on the volume of apparel waste lining landfills, according to ThredUp’s recent impact report.ThredUp Talks New Tools and How Layoffs Triggered by AI Affected Strategy “By making it easy to buy and sell secondhand, we’ve extended the life cycle of millions of garments—200 million to be exact,” according to CEO James Reinhart. The sale of apparel and accessories throughout the re-commerce marketplace’s 15-year history has also helped slash 791.1 million pounds of Carbon Dioxide Equivalents (CO2e), 8.4 billion gallons of water and 1.6 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy from the fashion supply chain...
Simon Property Group: No Signs Yet of a Consumer-led Recession
With increased leasing volumes and good shopper traffic, Simon Property Group chairman, president and CEO David Simon isn’t seeing any signs of recession risks ahead.Amazon CEO: 'Customers Continue to Trade Down on Price' “We’re still pretty sanguine about it,” Simon said, adding that the higher-end consumer is currently “steady as she goes.” Simon has reason to be optimistic. Acknowledging that “we don’t want to go through a recession,” a fear making headlines of late amid broader market declines, Simon said his company expects that lower-end consumer will pick up some discretionary purchasing power as inflationary pressures ease. And while lower-income consumers have...
Carbios, FCC Environment Explore UK Biorecycling Potential
Carbios is considering taking its textile waste recycling technology across the Channel. Fashion for Good, Textile Exchange Tag-Team on Key Textile-Waste 'Unlock' The French biotech firm and FCC Environment UK are exploring the idea of opening a UK-based plant using Carbios’ PET biorecycling licensed technology. Carbios and the waste management firm have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to jointly study the implementation of the Puma partner’s enzymatic depolymerization technology—which deconstructs PET into its most basic components to then create virgin-like products—in the UK market. According to the Paris-based green chemistry company, the collaboration represents an opportunity to expand its technology’s reach...
Tropical Storm Debby Slows Down Supply Chain in Southeastern US
A day after making landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, Tropical Storm Debby has brought torrential rainfall and flooding to the southeastern U.S., potentially bringing about supply chain delays throughout various states.As Bangladesh Names Interim Leader, Cargo Movement Is at a Standstill The deadly storm, which has killed as many as five people across Florida and Georgia, could cause flash flooding of up to 30 inches in some areas, according to a Tuesday morning advisory from the National Weather Service. Georgia’s Port of Savannah stopped accepting cargo at 2 p.m. Monday before closing an hour later. The port remains closed...
Artistic Milliners Acquires Former Dickies Factory in Mexico
Artistic Milliners (AM) is adding another link to its business in the Western Hemisphere.UPS Cuts Revenue Guidance as Customers 'Trade Down' on Shipping Services The Pakistani denim manufacturer announced this week that it acquired VF’s Dickies de Parras S. de RL de CV facility in Parras, Mexico. AM is in the process of upgrading the 10-acre complex consisting of two buildings. The company said it plans to rapidly build out its Mexico operations over the next six months. “Our investment means we can immediately begin upgrading the denim factory in Mexico on an expedited timeline and can soon offer even more services to...
What Does a Harris-Walz Ticket Mean for Climate, Labor, Business and Tech?
Kamala Harris has selected a running mate in Tim Walz, Minnesota‘s current Democratic governor.Can the Harris-Walz Ticket's Good Vibes, Memes and Merch Revive Consumer Confidence? The announcement came just hours ahead of a fundraiser at Temple University in Philadelphia, where the two are slated to make their first public appearance together. Prior to his tenure as Minnesota’s governor, Walz completed several terms in the House of Representatives, served in the U.S. Army and worked as a social studies teacher. With just months until the 2024 election, Harris and Walz have a number of campaign stops planned as they fight to convince voters...
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