Fashion
ICE cotton dips further on harvest pressure, US shutdown impact
ICE December cotton futures settled at 65.09 cents per pound, down 0.5 cent (0.8 per cent). The March contract closed at 67.04 cents, down 0.42 cent, while other contracts ended 23–50 points lower.
ICE cotton futures extended losses as rapid US harvesting and the ongoing government shutdown weighed on sentiment.
December 2025 cotton settled at 65.09 cents per pound, while trading volume slumped to 42,492 contracts.
Analysts warned prices could test 62 cents, pressured by strong harvest progress and a firmer dollar.
Meanwhile, grains gained on US–China trade optimism.
Trading volume fell sharply to 42,492 contracts from 60,821 cleared the previous day. Global market activity was limited, as China’s ZCE cotton futures remain closed until October 9 for the Mid-Autumn holidays.
The US government shutdown entered its second day but caused no major immediate market reaction, although the USDA’s weekly export sales report and the CFTC cotton on-call report were not released. A USDA spokesman confirmed that all reports and data releases are suspended during the shutdown.
Market analysts noted that cotton prices remain pressured by harvest progress and a stronger US dollar. Prices could continue trending lower and may test the 62-cent level.
The USDA’s latest crop progress report, released earlier in the week before the shutdown, showed the US cotton harvest at 16 per cent complete as of September 28, matching the five-year average.
In grains, soybeans, corn, and wheat closed higher for the second consecutive session, with soybeans rallying on optimism around US–China trade talks. President Trump emphasised soybeans as a key agenda item in his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi.
The US stock market extended its rally, with the Dow, S&P, and NASDAQ closing higher for the fifth consecutive session, all finishing at record highs. The S&P and NASDAQ also touched fresh intraday peaks. Overall, while equity and grain markets reflected optimism, cotton futures extended their decline for the second straight day, highlighting continued bearish pressure from harvest progress and macroeconomic uncertainties.
Currently, ICE cotton for December 2025 is trading at 65.04 cents per pound (down 0.05 cent), cash cotton at 63.09 cents (down 0.50 cent), the October 2025 contract at 62.65 cents (down 0.50 cent), the March 2026 contract at 66.98 cents (down 0.06 cent), the May 2026 contract at 68.34 cents (down 0.02 cent) and the July 2026 contract at 69.49 cents (down 0.03 cent). A few contracts remained at their previous closing levels, with no trading recorded today.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
By
Reuters
Published
November 18, 2025
Kering‘s return to growth will require reducing its reliance on struggling flagship Gucci, further scaling back its store network and chasing more synergies, Chief Executive Luca de Meo said in a memo seen by Reuters.
The document, a summary of a more detailed memo dubbed “ReconKering” recently sent to senior staff, offers the first detailed overview of de Meo’s strategic vision for the group.
Emerging less than a month after the group struck a deal to offload its beauty divisionin a $4.7 billion euro deal with l”Oreal to raise much-needed cash and focus on its core luxury fashion business, the note is marked by a candid, yet modest tone.
“We remain humble,” de Meo wrote in the note, saying that his ambition was to “become the undisputed challenger in luxury” in five to ten years.
Long seen as a threat to its larger French rival LVMH, Kering has been grappling with a double-digit sales decline at its flagship label Gucci while piling up debt through acquisitions.
De Meo in the memo sets a 18-month timeline to get all brands back on the growth track, while saying that restoring a “top financial performance” will take three years.
Kering said in a statement de Meo outlined “the foundations of Kering’s future strategic plan” when taking over the helm in September, which have since been “broadly communicated with employees.”
The official strategy plan will be presented to investors next spring, it added.
In the note, de Meo said the company, which has closed 55 stores in the past year, further needs to downsize its retail network and rethink its price positioning and assortment after years of price hikes.
It also needs to cut back what de Meo called an “overdependency” on Gucci by developing its Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga brands.
The group’s jewellery division, which has struggled to scale up and compete with the brands of larger rivals LVMH and Richemont, needs to chase synergies, de Meo said.
Among the brands to develop, de Meo also cited suit maker Brioni, which has been rumoured as a likely divestment candidate along with loss-making fashion label Alexander McQueen.
Kering shares, which had lost over half of their value in two years, have risen by 75% since de Meo was hired to succeed controlling shareholder Francois-Henri Pinault as chief executive.
© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
Published
November 18, 2025
Amer Sports announced on Tuesday sales increased 30% to $1.76 billion for the third quarter, on the back of double-digit growth across all segments led by the Salomon and Arc’teryx brands.
By segment, technical apparel sales, including Arc’teryx, rose 31% to $683 million, while outdoor performance sales, including footwear brand Salomon, surged 36% to $724 million for the three months ending September 30.
Meanwhile, ball and racquet sports sales, including the Wilson brand, increased 16% to $350 million for the quarter.
By region, Asia-Pacific sales surged 54% to log the biggest growth, followed by Greater China sales, up 47%, EMEA, up 23%, and the Americas, up 18% during the quarter.
As a result of the strong quarter, net income surged 156% to $143 million, or $0.25 diluted earnings per share at Helsinki-headquartered company.
“Amer Sports’ strong momentum continued in the third quarter, as our unique portfolio of premium technical brands continues to create white space and take share in sports and outdoor markets around the world,” said Amer Sports CEO, James Zheng.
“All three segments performed extremely well led by exceptional Salomon footwear growth, an Arc’teryx omni-comp re-acceleration, and solid growth from Wilson Tennis 360 and our Winter Sports Equipment franchises.
“We believe our specialized, highly technical brands are well positioned within the premium sports and outdoor market, which continues to be one of the healthiest segments across the global consumer landscape.”
Looking ahead, the company expects sales growth to be between 23% and 24% for the full-year.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Published
November 18, 2025
Ralph Lauren has unveiled its latest collaboration under the Artist in Residence program with Indigenous-led clothing label Tópa.
Polo Ralph Lauren x Tópa, offered within Polo Ralph Lauren’s Fall/Holiday 2025 lineup, highlights handcrafted designs rooted in the heritage of the Oceti Sakowin. The collection features modern silhouettes with Native design motifs in an assortment of men’s, women’s and accessories products.
Tópa was founded by husband-and-wife duo Jocy and Trae Little Sky, award-winning performers and designers who are members of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Oglala Lakota, and Stoney Nakoda Nations. The couple incorporates traditional arts into their work.
“We’ve long admired Ralph Lauren and how the brand brings worlds to life through its designs and storytelling,” said Jocy. “This collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren honors our community, culture and way of life, and we hope it inspires people to be proud of who they are, where they come from and to follow their dreams.”
The collection launches with a short film that shares Jocy and Trae’s artistry, family life and cultural celebrations that influenced the designs of Polo Ralph Lauren x Tópa, filmed on the ancestral lands of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations that are located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
Ralph Lauren’s Artist in Residence initiative collaborates with artisans preserving heritage craft, offering a platform for mutually creative partnerships while amplifying historically underrepresented voices. Polo Ralph Lauren x Tópa is the fourth collaboration in the program, following previous partnerships with Naiomi Glasses, Zefren-M, and Tyler Glasses.
A percentage of the purchase price of each item of the collection will be donated to Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation (CDC), specifically supporting its Lakota Language and Education Initiative.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
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