Bangladesh's exports grew more than 13 percent in August, but the country has closed 402 garment factories in three years. Vietnam is aiming for 48 billion dollars in textile exports in 2026, while China is betting on domestic consumption.
Generative models shorten the path from idea to visualisation, but Chinese vocational instructors and industrial designers agree: an image is not a product. The debate over design authorship is moving from courts to studios.
China's fashion labour market is splitting in two. Retail chains want people who can work with image generators. Factories are paying large sums for garment pattern makers, who are hard to find.
New Balance has sued Decathlon, claiming the Kiprun brand's reversed letter N infringes its trademark. Days earlier, another company exited the market after a row over its packaging.
The ESPR regulation has applied directly across the EU since 18 July 2024. From 19 July 2026, large companies may not burn or shred unsold garments. Poland still lacks a law setting out penalties.
Directive (EU) 2024/1799 of 13 June 2024 requires manufacturers to repair goods even after the warranty expires. Germany implemented its ecodesign reform in May 2026, granting volunteers the right to spare parts.
The European Commission wants every green claim backed by science and open to verification, and a 2024 directive bans blanket slogans. 85 percent of large brands still do not disclose how much they produce.
In the iF DESIGN AWARD, sustainability already accounts for 20 percent of the score in each of the 93 categories. Red Dot runs three separate competitions: product design, brands and communication design, and design concepts.
Zalando says around 98 percent of returned items go back on sale. Brandy Melville is closing its fitting rooms and no longer paying cash for returns, while the EU Digital Services Act targets dark shopping patterns.
The EU generates 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste annually, yet only 1 percent of used items are processed into new clothes. Meanwhile, garments with embedded electronics have yet to reach mass market sales.
In January 2026, sales of textiles, clothing and footwear rose 17.6 percent, the strongest gain of any category. Over the same period, around 500 clothing companies vanished from the market. Exports are 48 times smaller than imports.
The DIAMINDX diamond price index hit its lowest level on record in August 2026, while De Beers cut average rough prices by nearly a third. Meanwhile, jewelry craftsmen work to a tolerance of hundredths of a millimeter.