Fashion
ICE cotton ends higher on weak dollar, but weekly loss persists
ICE December cotton futures settled at 65.30 cents per pound, up 0.21 cent (0.3 per cent). The March contract, however, dropped 1.7 per cent (110 points), hitting its lowest level since May 30, 2025. March and May contracts closed higher by 14–21 points on the day but were 41–109 points lower on a weekly basis.
ICE cotton futures closed higher supported by a weaker US dollar, which made the fibre cheaper for overseas buyers.
However, prices still posted weekly losses amid uncertainty from the US government shutdown that has stalled USDA reports and pressured markets.
December settled at 65.30 cents/lb, up 0.21 cent, while March dropped 1.7 per cent to its lowest since May 2025.
Daily trading volume on October 3 was 40,408 contracts, compared to 42,492 in the previous session. The average daily volume for the week stood at 49,878 contracts, indicating slightly lower trading interest compared to the weekly average.
The US dollar index retreated, extending its multi-week decline against major currencies. A weaker dollar typically supports dollar-denominated commodities such as cotton by making them cheaper for holders of other currencies. Analysts noted that the weaker dollar makes cotton purchases more affordable.
The US government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, after the federal government ran out of funding. On October 3, the US Senate again failed to pass a temporary funding bill, rejecting both Democratic and Republican proposals. The shutdown has added uncertainty to financial and commodity markets. No USDA reports were released during the shutdown, delaying critical crop and export data. Analysts expect sideways market movement until the shutdown is resolved.
USDA’s weekly crop progress for the week ending September 28, 2025, showed 16 per cent of the US cotton crop harvested, up from 12 per cent the previous week. This compares to 19 per cent at the same time last year and a five-year average of 16 per cent. Crop condition was rated 47 per cent good-to-excellent, unchanged from the previous week but significantly higher than 31 per cent last year.
Short-term price volatility is expected to persist until government funding is restored and key agricultural data is released.
Currently, ICE cotton for December 2025 is trading at 65.30 cents per pound (up 0.21 cent), cash cotton at 62.80 cents (down 0.29 cent), the October 2025 contract at 62.86 cents (up 0.21 cent), the March 2026 contract at 67.19 cents (up 0.15 cent), the May 2026 contract at 68.50 cents (up 0.14 cent) and the July 2026 contract at 69.58 cents (up 0.15 cent).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Fashion
UK’s Burberry H1 FY26 revenue slips, Q2 sales show signs of recovery
The gross profit rose to £701 million, while gross margin expanded sharply to 67.9 per cent from 63.4 per cent, an improvement of 450 basis points (bps) at reported rates (410 bps at constant exchange rates). The company attributed this largely to non-recurring inventory headwinds in the prior year, including provisioning and inventory exits.
Burberry’s H1 FY26 revenue fell to £1.03 billion (~$1.36 billion), though margins strengthened as gross profit rose and adjusted operating profit returned to £19 million (~$25.08 million).
Comparable sales stabilised, with Q2 growth of 2 per cent.
EMEIA and the Americas grew, while Greater China and Asia Pacific improved.
For FY26, Burberry expects retail space to remain broadly unchanged.
The adjusted net operating expenses fell 7 per cent at reported rates and 5 per cent at constant exchange rates to £682 million, reflecting the impact of the ongoing cost efficiency programme and the absence of prior year store impairment headwinds, partly offset by inflation and targeted investments, Burberry Group said in a press release.
As a result, the adjusted operating profit reached £19 million (~$25.08 million) in H1 FY26, compared with a £41 million adjusted operating loss a year earlier. The adjusted operating margin improved to 1.9 per cent from a negative 3.8 per cent, an uplift of 570 bps at reported rates.
Net finance expense increased modestly to £30 million from £27 million, leading to a loss before taxation of £48 million, an improvement on the £80 million loss a year earlier. The attributable loss to shareholders narrowed to £26 million versus £74 million. Adjusted loss before tax improved to £11 million from £68 million and adjusted diluted earnings per share moved back into positive territory at 0.6 pence, versus a loss of 18.3 pence in the prior year. Reported diluted loss per share narrowed to 7.1 pence from 20.8 pence.
The retail segment remained the core of the business, accounting for around 85 per cent of retail and wholesale revenue. Retail sales declined by 1 per cent at constant exchange rates and 3 per cent at reported rates in the half, but like-for-like sales stabilised overall and improved as the half progressed.
Retail revenue totalled £854 million, down from £885 million a year earlier. Wholesale revenue fell to £148 million from £169 million, a decline of 12 per cent at reported rates and 11 per cent at constant exchange rates, albeit slightly better than guidance for mid-teens declines due to phasing and improved in-season orders from strategic partners after stronger sell-out of the Autumn 25 collection. Burberry reiterated that it intends to operate a smaller, higher-quality wholesale business in future.
Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) grew 1 per cent for the half, with both quarters delivering 1 per cent growth, supported by resilient local customer spending that offset weaker tourism. The Americas rose 3 per cent in H1 (up 4 per cent in Q1 and 3 per cent in Q2), driven by new customer acquisition, offsetting weaker tourist traffic in the United States during the summer.
Greater China declined 1 per cent over the half but returned to growth in Q2, with sales moving from a 5 per cent decline in Q1 to a 3 per cent increase in Q2. Growth in local customers partially offset weaker outbound tourist flows.
Asia Pacific declined 2 per cent in H1 but improved sequentially, from a 4 per cent decline in Q1 to flat in Q2. South Korea was flat for the half (up 2 per cent in Q1 and down 2 per cent in Q2), while Japan declined 5 per cent overall but swung from a 10 per cent decline in Q1 to a 2 per cent increase in Q2.
By division, accessories revenue declined to £343 million from £367 million, down 7 per cent at reported rates and 4 per cent at constant exchange rates. Womenswear was broadly stable at £312 million, flat at reported rates and up 2 per cent at constant exchange rates. Menswear revenue declined to £304 million from £324 million, down 6 per cent at reported rates and 3 per cent at constant exchange rates. Children’s and other categories fell to £43 million from £50 million.
Burberry continued to refine its store portfolio while investing in elevated in-store experiences. The group opened four stores and closed eleven during the half, ending the period with 415 directly operated stores and 31 franchise stores.
The network included 225 full-price stores, 136 concessions and 54 outlets, with Asia Pacific and Greater China representing the largest store bases.
“One year into Burberry Forward, my belief in this extraordinary British luxury house is stronger than ever,” said Joshua Schulman, chief executive officer (CEO) at Burberry Group. “With the consistency of our Timeless British Luxury brand expression and an improved product offer, we have begun to see customers return to the brand they love, resulting in comparable store sales growth for the first time in two years. While it is still early days and there is more to do, we now have proof points that Burberry Forward is the right strategic path to restore brand relevance and value creation. We move forward with confidence that Burberry’s best chapters lie ahead.”
For FY26 Burberry is expecting its retail space to remain broadly stable, while wholesale revenue is projected to decline by a mid-single-digit rate. The company anticipates delivering £80 million in annualised cost savings in FY26, building on the £24 million achieved in FY25. Restructuring charges are forecast at around £50 million for the year as part of the ongoing transformation. Currency movements, based on spot rates as of October 24, 2025, are expected to create headwinds of about £50 million on revenue and £5 million on adjusted operating profit. Capital expenditure for the year is planned at approximately £120 million.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Fashion
India’s GDP growth projected at 7% in Q2 FY26, lower than Q1’s: ICRA
ICRA has projected India’s YoY GDP expansion to have eased to 7 per cent in Q2 FY26 from 7.8 per cent in Q1.
It also projected the gross value added (GVA) growth at 7.1 per cent in Q2 FY26 from 7.6 per cent in Q1.
Manufacturing GVA growth is expected to have risen to a six-quarter high of 9 per cent in Q2 FY26 (plus 2.2 per cent in Q2 FY25) from 7.7 per cent in Q1 (plus 7.6 per cent in Q1 FY25).
Source link
Fashion
US brand NikeSKIMS unveils Drop 2 with new styles & accessories
Spanning seven collections; 65 silhouettes; and new accessories such as socks, waist packs and training gloves, the launch builds on NikeSKIMS’ debut drop with new materials, seasonal colorways and styling versatility. The NikeSKIMS system of dress continues to evolve, empowering women to create looks that reflect both their movement needs and personal style, all without compromise.
NikeSKIMS Drop 2 debuts for the new season, expanding its performance-meets-style system with 65 silhouettes and accessories.
The collection introduces new Woven Nylon layers and seasonal colourways across Shine, Matte and Airy ranges.
Its holiday campaign features top speed skaters, celebrating women’s strength, movement and modern femininity.
Core NikeSKIMS material collections — Shine, Matte and Airy — return with new silhouettes and colorways. Shine introduces bold, high-contrast panels in the new Shine Colorblock capsule; Matte continues to offer compression and smoothing with Nike Dri-FIT technology; and Airy delivers breathable, mesh-inspired pieces in both fitted and oversize styles for effortless layering.
Timed for colder weather, the new drop also introduces Woven Nylon: a new category of relaxed third layers, led by the Wrap Coat, that are designed for softness, function and movement. Returning favorites like Weightless Layers, Matte Tricot and Vintage Seamless continue to sculpt and flatter. For the first time, NikeSKIMS expands into accessories and socks, completing the head-to-toe wardrobe system.
The newest designs come to life in a holiday campaign that celebrates women as a collective, spotlighting world-class speed skaters Maame Biney, Kamryn Lute, Kristen Santos-Griswold and Courtney Sarault on a NikeSKIMS branded rink. Featured for their power, precision and grace, these athletes embody the strength of femininity and the edge of sport.
“I want to feel deeply connected to my body and its abilities. I love feeling each burning muscle and every strained breath when I skate — it’s a representation of my effort, determination and resilience,” says Kamryn, who competes at the World Championship level. “Coming into and embracing your own strength, physically and mentally, as a woman is one of the most powerful representations of modern femininity I can think of.”
Captured in striking still photography by Daniel Shea and motion by Madison McKamey, the campaign celebrates movement in all forms, highlighting speed skating and channeling the energy of Milan this winter. Further, a lookbook shot by Hugh Wilson showcases the NikeSKIMS system of dress — a distinct new aesthetic where sport and style are inseparable.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
-
Tech1 week agoFrom waste to asset: Turning ethanol production CO₂ into jet fuel
-
Tech4 days agoNew carbon capture method uses water and pressure to remove CO₂ from emissions at half current costs
-
Politics6 days agoBritish-Pakistani honoured for transforming UK halal meat industry
-
Sports4 days agoTexas A&M officer scolds South Carolina wide receiver after touchdown; department speaks out
-
Business5 days agoWhat’s behind Rachel Reeves’s hokey cokey on income tax rises?
-
Business4 days agoThese 9 Common Money Mistakes Are Eating Your Income
-
Fashion6 days agoAdidas & Patrick Mahomes expand NIL programme with Texas Tech athletes
-
Politics6 days agoInternet freedom declines in US, Germany amid growing online restrictions
