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)

China’s foreign trade in goods in yuan-denominated terms rose by 3.5 per cent year on year (YoY) in August this year to 29.57 trillion yuan ($4.14 trillion), according to official data.

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)

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)