Fashion
UK’ John Lewis appoints Jacqui Markham as new creative head of fashion
Markham joins from Whistles, where she served as Creative Director. She was previously Global Design Director at Topshop and Design Director at ASOS. She succeeds Queralt Ferrer who steps down after four years with the Partnership.
John Lewis has appointed Jacqui Markham as fashion creative director, overseeing own-brand womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.
She joins from Whistles and succeeds Queralt Ferrer.
The move strengthens investment in design, quality and relevance, alongside digital growth, Oxford Street refurbishments, exclusive collaborations and an expanded line-up of global fashion brands.
The appointment marks the next phase in John Lewis developing its own brand fashion, with clear creative direction and continued investment behind it.
Markham brings a strong track record of building distinctive, successful collections with a focus on design, quality and relevance for customers.
Her appointment comes alongside John Lewis’s continued investment in fashion, including upgrades to shops and digital, and the recent refurbishment of womenswear and menswear at the Oxford Street flagship store.
This month also sees the launch of the second John Lewis x Rejina Pyo collaboration, and a new 15-piece exclusive capsule collection from Amanda Wakeley. These will complement the expanded line-up of new brands including Samsoe Samsoe, MOTHER, St Agni, Patagonia, Belstaff, Missoma and Completedworks.
Rachel Morgans, John Lewis Director of Fashion, said: “I look forward to welcoming Jacqui to John Lewis at a defining moment for our fashion business. She brings a wealth of expertise and a proven ability to create exceptional design and will support our future creative vision.”
Jacqui Markham commented: “I am very excited to join the Partnership and to work together with all the teams toward a shared vision for the future of John Lewis. It feels like a seminal moment in the long history of the Partnership, and I cannot wait to get started to help shape that vision and bring our collective ideas to light.”
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)
Fashion
North India cotton yarn steady despite continued push by spinners
The Delhi cotton yarn market remained stable, though demand from downstream industries was weak at elevated price levels. Garment demand in both domestic and export markets also remained sluggish. A trader from Delhi market told Fibre*Fashion, “Spinning mills are selling cotton yarn at an additional margin of at least ** per cent. They have a cushion of advance orders from other countries. Mills have export orders for the next *–* months, so they do not need to sell in the domestic market. They are selling cotton yarn domestically at higher prices than export realisations.”
In Delhi, ** count combed knitting yarn was traded at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg (GST extra), while ** count combed yarn was priced at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg. Meanwhile, ** count carded yarn was traded at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg and ** count carded at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg, according to market sources.
Fashion
Bangladesh, EU sign Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and EU High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas witnessed the initialling. Rahman was accompanied by Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir.
Bangladesh and the EU have initialled a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in Brussels.
Dhaka termed it a forward-looking framework to elevate cooperation across political, economic, development and security domains.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman highlighted predictable market access as a priority and expressed Bangladesh’s interest in advancing talks on an FTA and an investment protection pact.
The PCA is a forward-looking framework to elevate cooperation across political, economic, development and security domains, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a release.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the longstanding partnership and expanding collaboration on regional and global issues.
They underscored the need to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, migration and mobility, regional collaboration and humanitarian affairs.
Rahman highlighted predictable market access as a priority and expressed Bangladesh’s interest in advancing negotiations on a free trade agreement and an investment protection agreement, according to a domestic news agency.
Rahman also met Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, and both explored opportunities in trade, investment, connectivity, innovation and multilateral cooperation.
They agreed to hold the third Bangladesh-Belgium consultations in Brussels later this year.
Rahman welcomed more engagement by Belgian businesses in logistics, port management, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, technology and water management.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Fashion
Vietnam-India seminar boosts textile, leather ties
The discussion brought together policymakers, trade bodies, research institutions and industry stakeholders from India and Vietnam, reflecting growing interest in building deeper bilateral engagement. Participants examined opportunities arising from supply chain diversification, sustainability mandates and the increasing role of digital transformation in manufacturing, according to Vietnamese media reports.
The Vietnam Trade Office in India held an online seminar to boost textile, footwear and leather collaboration amid shifting global supply chains.
Stakeholders highlighted complementary strengths, with Vietnam strong in garments and India in raw materials.
Discussions focused on silk cooperation, investment opportunities and technology exchange.
Upcoming trade fairs and exhibitions were also promoted.
Vietnam’s Trade Counsellor in India, Bui Trung Thuong, noted that both economies complement each other across the value chain. He highlighted Vietnam’s strength in garment production alongside India’s capabilities in raw materials and textiles, suggesting that closer cooperation could support the development of integrated and higher-value supply chains.
He added that the forum aims to encourage direct engagement between businesses and investors to unlock opportunities in technology adoption, investment and sustainable practices.
India’s silk sector emerged as a key area for collaboration. P Sivakumar, CEO of the Central Silk Board, outlined India’s strong research base and global standing in silk production. He identified scope for joint work in silkworm breeding, technology transfer and workforce development, while also pointing to opportunities in value-added applications beyond textiles, including cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. He further encouraged Vietnam’s participation in international sericulture platforms to deepen knowledge exchange.
From an investment standpoint, Invest India representative Aditya Das underscored India’s manufacturing ecosystem and policy support for foreign investors. He observed that complementary strengths between the two countries could drive partnerships in trade, joint ventures and integrated production networks.
Vietnamese representatives echoed interest in expanding technical cooperation. Nguyen Thi Nhai of the Vietnam Sericulture Research Centre emphasised the need for deeper collaboration in post-cocoon technologies, product innovation and training exchanges, while seeking greater institutional linkages with Indian counterparts.
The seminar also highlighted upcoming industry events aimed at fostering business connections. Vietnam will host the 26th International Shoes and Leather Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City from July 8 to 10, while India’s Bharat Tex 2026 is scheduled for July 14 to 17 as a comprehensive global textile platform. Industry representatives also promoted sector-specific exhibitions such as Meet at Agra 2026 to encourage partnerships.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
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