Fashion
ICE cotton dips as strong dollar, weak grains weigh on market
ICE’s most active December 2025 contract settled at 66.17 cents per pound (0.453 kg), down 0.47 cent—its fourth-lowest close of 2025. Other contracts ended 25–49 points lower.
ICE cotton futures fell, with December 2025 settling at 66.17 cents per pound, its fourth-lowest close this year, as a stronger US dollar made cotton costlier for overseas buyers and grain market weakness spilled over.
Oil prices jumped nearly 3 per cent, raising polyester costs and supporting cotton demand.
Traders await USDA’s Weekly Export Report for clarity on export activity.
The dollar gained against the yen, Swiss franc, and euro after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell adopted a cautious stance on further easing. A stronger dollar index makes dollar-denominated cotton futures more expensive for holders of other currencies.
International oil prices climbed nearly 3 per cent on Wednesday, hitting a seven-week high. US crude inventories unexpectedly fell last week, while exports from Iraq, Venezuela, and Russia faced disruptions, raising supply concerns. Higher oil prices have lifted polyester costs, making cotton comparatively more attractive.
Trading volume stood at 25,380 contracts, down from 37,880 the previous day. ICE data showed that as of September 23, deliverable No. 2 cotton futures contract inventory remained unchanged at 15,474 bags.
The market continues to challenge US growers, with cash sales proving difficult for both buyers and sellers. However, buying interest has not disappeared, and inquiries have occasionally picked up. The USDA Weekly Export Report is expected to shed light on export demand.
Market analysts noted that CBOT grain futures are trending lower, with limited buying interest from both fundamental and speculative players. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures also retreated amid concerns over weak US export demand.
Currently, ICE cotton for December 2025 is trading at 66.17 cents per pound (unchanged), cash cotton at 64.17 cents (down 0.47 cent), the October 2025 contract at 64.04 cents (down 0.49 cent), the March 2026 contract at 68.13 cents (up 0.02 cent), the May 2026 contract at 69.49 cents (up 0.01 cent) and the July 2026 contract at 70.49 cents (down 0.04 cent). A few contracts remained at their previous closing levels, with no trading recorded today.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Fashion
Tariffs and crises reshape Asia’s apparel sourcing landscape
A Trio of Crises Converge
The shockwave began in late August ****, when Washington’s tariff surge on Indian goods took effect, lifting total duties on many categories to as high as ** per cent and detonating peak-season planning. Overnight, United States (US) programmes out of India had to be re-costed, dual-sourced, or abandoned. Negotiators had earlier explored cutting the rate to roughly ~** per cent, but those talks did not yield a deal; planners must treat ** per cent as current law until changed. The impact extends beyond apparel into footwear, gems & jewellery, furniture and chemicals.
Fashion
US’ a.k.a. Brands’ Q3 gross margin improves to 59% despite lower sales
a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp has reported net sales of $147.1 million in Q3 FY25, down 1.9 per cent year-on-year, while gross margin improved to 59.1 per cent.
Net loss narrowed to $5 million, with adjusted EBITDA at $7 million.
For the nine months, sales reached $436.3 million, with a net loss of $16.9 million.
FY25 sales guidance was revised to $598–602 million.
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Fashion
Original Birkin bag unveiled in Japan after record $10 million purchase
By
Reuters
Published
November 12, 2025
The original bag custom-made for late actress Jane Birkin which became a design icon was revealed to media in Tokyo on Wednesday by the Japanese company that purchased it for a record 8.6 million euros ($10 million) at Sotheby’s in Paris earlier this year.
According to fashion lore, the first Birkin bag was conceived when the Franco-British actress and singer sat next to Hermes executive Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight in 1984 and told him she needed a stylish-yet-functional bag as a young mother. Dumas immediately sketched out the rectangular handbag, with a dedicated space for baby bottles.
After Birkin got her custom-made bag, the company went on to manufacture smaller versions for the mass-market, turning it into an instant hit and helping fuel the fashion brand’s expansion.
Shinsuke Sakimoto, co-founder and CEO of second-hand luxury goods reseller Valuence Japan, which purchased the Birkin, said the story of the handbag’s inception represented the company’s philosophy.
“We believe that products should not be spoken about in terms of price, but rather through the stories that include the brand’s philosophy and values; in other words, they should be spoken about in terms of their significance,” said Sakimoto.
Valuence plans to display its prized purchase in museums and similar venues rather than resell it, he said. Birkin herself auctioned the bag in 1994 to support Sidaction, a French charity that raises funds to fight AIDS.
© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
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