Fashion
China’s foreign trade up 3.5% YoY in Aug 2025

Exports jumped by 4.8 per cent YoY, while imports climbed by 1.7 per cent to mark the third month of simultaneous growth in a row.
China’s foreign trade in goods in yuan-denominated terms rose by 3.5 per cent YoY in August.
Exports jumped by 4.8 per cent YoY, while imports rose by 1.7 per cent to mark the third month of simultaneous growth in a row.
In January-August, goods trade grew by 3.5 per cent YoY.
Exports led the growth during the eight months, surging by 6.9 per cent YoY, while imports saw a drop of 1.2 per cent YoY.
Between January and August, the country’s goods trade expanded by 3.5 per cent YoY, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.
Exports led the overall expansion during the eight-month period, surging by 6.9 per cent YoY, while imports witnessed a slight drop of 1.2 per cent YoY.
The growth rate accelerated by 0.6 percentage points from the reading for the first six months, a state-controlled news outlet cited Lu Daliang, director of GAC’s department of statistics and analysis, as saying.
Despite a challenging external environment, China’s foreign trade has remained quite resilient while greater potential continues to be unleashed, Lu said.
The association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) retained its position as China’s largest trading partner in the first eight months this year, with bilateral trade expanding by 9.7 per cent YoY, accounting for 16.7 per cent of the country’s total foreign trade.
The European Union ranked second, with trade up by 4.3 per cent YoY. The United States was China’s third-largest partner, though bilateral trade declined by 13.5 per cent during the period, GAC data showed.
Meanwhile, China’s trade with the partner countries participating in the Belt and Road cooperation reached 15.3 trillion yuan—up by 5.4 per cent YoY.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Fashion
France’s Lanvin Group H1 2025 revenue down 22%, eyes H2 recovery

French luxury fashion house Lanvin Group has posted revenue of €133 million (~$154.3 million) in the first half (H1) of 2025, ended June 30, marking a 22 per cent decline year-on-year, as luxury markets faced softer demand in EMEA and Greater China. Gross profit stood at €72 million (~$83.5 million) with a 54 per cent margin, supported by disciplined inventory management. Adjusted EBITDA was -€52 million (~-$60.3 million) versus -€42 million in H1 2024, reflecting margin pressure despite cost optimisation.
Lanvin Group’s H1 2025 revenue fell 22 per cent to €133 million (~$154.3 million), with gross profit at €72 million (~$83.5 million).
Lanvin dropped 42 per cent, Wolford 23 per cent, Sergio Rossi 25 per cent, while St John held flat and Caruso slipped 11 per cent.
Cost cuts, retail optimisation, and new creative leadership are set to drive recovery in H2 2025.
Lanvin revenue dropped 42 per cent during a creative transition, with strong retail in EMEA and a rebound in North America e-commerce ahead of Peter Copping’s first collection. Wolford fell 23 per cent, impacted by logistics transitions, though wholesale grew 14 per cent; a 75th anniversary push is planned under deputy CEO Marco Pozzo.
Sergio Rossi’s revenue fell 25 per cent, but Q2 retail rose 17 per cent and e-commerce 10 per cent; Paul Andrew’s debut collection is due in H2. St John remained resilient, with flat revenue, 4 per cent growth in North America, and an 11 per cent wholesale increase, maintaining a 69 per cent margin. Caruso declined 11 per cent, though its proprietary brand continued growth, the company said in a release.
“Despite a challenging luxury market in the first half, we remained disciplined in cost management and strategic streamlining, responsive to market dynamics, and steadfast in our commitment to unlocking the long-term potential of our brands. With new creative leadership and continued investment in product innovation, we are well positioned to capture opportunities as the market environment improves,” said Zhen Huang, chairman of Lanvin Group.
Since H1 2023, G&A expenses have been cut by 35 per cent at St John, 27 per cent at Wolford, and 25 per cent at Sergio Rossi. Retail network optimisation launched in 2024 continues to deliver efficiencies.
St John CEO Andy Lew became executive president of Lanvin Group in January 2025, driving a new European headquarter initiative. Wolford and St John reinforced leadership with senior hires. Peter Copping’s Paris Fashion Week debut and Paul Andrew’s upcoming Sergio Rossi collection are expected to drive brand revitalisation.
The Group expects H2 2025 to remain challenging but sees momentum from new collections, cost efficiencies, retail optimisation, and wholesale partnerships. Strategic investment in product, marketing, and operations aims to strengthen positioning as luxury markets stabilise.
“In the first half, our focus was on operational discipline and laying the foundation for future growth. With fresh creative direction across our houses, supported by targeted marketing and refined channel strategies, we expect to build brand momentum and increase consumer engagement in the second half. We remain agile and execution-focused as we strengthen brand desirability and prepare for recovery,” Andy Lew, executive president of Lanvin Group, said.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Fashion
Fibre2Fashion to host webinar on tariffs, retail fallout & costs

Fibre2Fashion Pvt Ltd, a leading global B2B, market intelligence and media platform for the textile and apparel industry, will host a webinar titled ‘Textile & Apparel Sourcing in Crisis: Tariffs, Price Pressures, Retail Fallout & the Consumer Impact’ on September 23, 2025, at 03:00 PM IST.
Fibre2Fashion will host a webinar ‘Textile & Apparel Sourcing in Crisis’ on September 23, 2025, at 03:00 PM IST.
The session will address tariffs, price pressures, retail fallout, and consumer shifts impacting sourcing.
Speakers will unpack cost drivers, assess retail dynamics, and share practical strategies, followed by a live Q&A.
This session by TexPro—a division of Fibre2Fashion—comes at a time when global textile and apparel sourcing is under severe pressure. Brands and manufacturers face rising supplier costs, volatile orders with shorter lead times, capacity mismatches, retail disruption through promotions, write-downs and closures, and fragile lead times from logistics bottlenecks. Key indicators such as fibre/yarn indices, freight rates, CPI, and consumer confidence are shaping industry sentiment.
The webinar will break down the macro and operational drivers of the crisis, including inflation, tariffs, cost of capital, energy volatility, inventory swings, faster fashion cycles, tougher compliance, and retail consolidation. It will also examine the impact across the supply chain—from suppliers dealing with margin squeeze and cashflow strain, to brands simplifying assortments and calendars, to consumers trading down while demanding durability and transparency. Sustainability risks will also be addressed.
Speakers include Mark Jarvis, chief strategy officer, Fibre2Fashion and CEO of Textile IQ, who brings over two decades of global textile intelligence experience; Milindrasinh Jadeja, VP – Market Intelligence at Fibre2Fashion, with expertise in delivering data-driven insights across diverse industries; and Aishwarya Praveen, senior associate manager – Market Intelligence at Fibre2Fashion, who specialises in analysing global trade and tariff dynamics at TexPro, a Sourcing Intelligence platform.
Attendees will gain actionable insights as Fibre2Fashion analysts unpack cost drivers across the supply chain, assess the retail fallout on assortment, pricing, and margins, and translate consumer behaviour shifts into sourcing implications. They will also share a practical playbook of strategies.
The session will conclude with a live Q&A, offering participants an opportunity to engage directly with the experts.
Register now to attend the webinar!
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Fashion
As short sellers circle, Kering bets on new CEO to rebuild confidence
By
Reuters
Published
September 9, 2025
Short sellers have placed their biggest bets in more than a decade against Kering, according to data reviewed by Reuters, intensifying pressure on incoming CEO Luca de Meo to restore confidence in the French luxury group’s financial outlook.

In June, François-Henri Pinault decided to step aside, enabling the company to bring in former Renault chief executive de Meo. The move boosted Kering’s shares by 33%.
De Meo officially assumes his role on Tuesday, when he is expected to outline his vision for Kering. The group has reported double-digit sales declines at Gucci, its largest label, and Saint Laurent, its second-largest. It also faces scrutiny for its high levels of debt in an otherwise cash-rich luxury sector.
Investors welcomed de Meo’s track record in restructuring, with the stock price rallying immediately after his appointment on June 16. However, short-selling activity against Kering’s shares and debt surged in the following days. Although the pressure has eased somewhat, it remains persistent.
Total short positions — the primary tool investors use to bet against a company’s value — climbed to 10.7% of Kering’s tradeable equity the day after the CEO announcement, according to estimates from analytics firm Ortex. This marked the highest level since at least 2014.
By early September, short positions dropped to about 8% of the free float. Still, that figure remains well above levels seen at Kering’s major rivals: LVMH and Hermès both sit below 1%, compared to the Euro Stoxx 600 average of 1.34%, Ortex said.
Kering’s five-year credit default swaps (CDS) — financial instruments used to hedge against the risk of debt default — jumped to more than 120 basis points in June, their highest level since 2013. Over the past five years, the average has hovered around 38 basis points.
As of September 5, Kering’s CDS traded near 90 basis points — roughly three times higher than similar CDS levels for LVMH, based on LSEG data.
Three short sellers targeting Kering attributed the credit concerns to the company’s balance sheet, which showed €10.5 billion ($12.29 billion) in net debt (excluding leases) at the end of 2024.
Artemis, the Pinault family’s holding company that controls Kering, carries even more debt.
The short sellers, who requested anonymity, believe hedge fund speculation — not real fears of default — largely drove up the CDS pricing.
Kering declined to comment.
In July, Artemis told Reuters it faced no liquidity issues despite a reduction in dividends from Kering and other holdings.
Also in July, Kering stated that it had reduced its net debt by approximately €1 billion by the end of 2024. The company expects to close around 80 stores by the end of 2025 and plans to sell more real estate in Paris, Milan, and New York.
One short seller said these measures should help ease investor concerns, along with Gucci’s ongoing turnaround efforts — a process that may take up to 18 months. Gucci remains the group’s key profit driver.
De Meo previously led Renault’s transformation, dubbed the “Renaulution.” On July 29, Kering filed trademark applications for “Conkering” and “Reconkering” with French regulators, possibly hinting at de Meo’s strategic direction for the company.
A Kering spokesperson called the filings “part of our normal activities” and declined further comment when asked about any link to de Meo’s arrival.
($1 = €0.8542)
© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
-
Tech1 week ago
Latam-GPT: The Free, Open Source, and Collaborative AI of Latin America
-
Tech7 days ago
The 50 Best Shows on HBO Max Right Now
-
Tech1 week ago
The Best Labor Day Mattress Sales on Our Favorite Models
-
Fashion1 week ago
Indian exporters look to expand in Africa to dodge 50% US tariff
-
Tech1 week ago
Should I Take Magnesium Supplements? Everything You Need to Know
-
Tech4 days ago
New non-volatile memory platform built with covalent organic frameworks
-
Tech7 days ago
Join Us for WIRED’s “Uncanny Valley” Live
-
Tech6 days ago
This Robot Only Needs a Single AI Model to Master Humanlike Movements