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ANALYSIS: Warnaco secures channels for Calvin Klein growth

11/03/2010
Swimwear giant The Warnaco Group is snapping up distributor operations in popular markets for its Calvin Klein brand, it told investors this week.

BANGLADESH: Unions urge safety overhaul after factory fire

11/03/2010
Workers unions and international labour-rights organisations are demanding an overhaul of safety regulations in the Bangladesh apparel industry after a fire killed 21 people at a garment factory at the end of last month.

mudpie presents its trends in trendy manchester nightclub (gbr)

11/03/2010
Fiona Jenvey, CEO of trend forecasting company Mudpie hosted a trend master class earlier this week. The event, held in association with the Manchester Fashion Network, an organisation promoting the fashion business within the UK’s most stylish city, was held at the trendy Dry Bar in central Manchester. The venue created the perfect setting for Fiona to give attendees an insight into the intelligence behind commercial fashion trends and a brief look at the science behind fashion forecasting. Guests also explored Mudpie’s three forecast trends for the spring/summer 2011 season: Enlighten, Sobriety & Fable.

mudpie’s trend seminars a big hit in poland (pol)

11/03/2010
Mudpie’s first visit to the Next Season fashion fairs (including Fast Fashion, Body Style and Tex-Style) in Poland created a lot of interest with key brands in the Polish market. The trend seminar made by Sales Director, Ben Harris covered both autumn winter 10/11 and spring summer 11 seasons, providing attendees with an essential insight into graphics, prints, garments and colour trends for the seasons. An audience of almost 100 gathered for the events including designers from some of Poland’s biggest apparel brands, many of whom travelled to Poznan especially to participate in the seminars and was even attended by Maria Nowakowska, Miss Poland herself!

SWITZERLAND: US requests India textile export probe

11/03/2010
The US has requested that the World Trade Organization (WTO) examine whether Indian textiles and apparel exports are within the threshold that exempts some poor nations from strict rules that ban the provision of export subsidies.

UK: John Lewis cautious despite 10% FY profit hike

11/03/2010
UK retail giant John Lewis Partnership remains cautious about the prospects for 2010, despite reporting a 9.7% rise in underlying full-year pre-tax profit to GBP306.6m (US$461.4m).

US: Gymboree posts 12.5% rise in Q4 profit

11/03/2010
Children's apparel retailer The Gymboree Corporation has posted a 12.5% rise in fourth quarter profit, helped by higher sales and control of its markdowns.

US: Gymboree to expand into Middle East

11/03/2010
Retailer Gymboree is expanding into the Middle East after signing its first retail franchise agreement, with Azadea G Group.

US: Heelys reducing SKUs as losses continue

11/03/2010
Footwear specialist Heelys has moved to "significantly reduce" the number of SKUs it sells through retail channels after posting another loss in the last quarter of 2009.

US: Hibbett Sports promotes Rosenthal to CEO

11/03/2010
Sporting goods retailer Hibbett Sports Inc has named its chairman and chief executive officer Mickey Newsome as the new executive chairman of the company.

US: Hot Topic Q4 profit down as sales slide

11/03/2010
Pop-inspired apparel retailer Hot Topic posted a 44% decline in fourth quarter profit to US$8m after experiencing a double-digit sales decline.

US: Men's Wearhouse posts Q4 loss as sales fall

11/03/2010
Retailer Men's Wearhouse posted a fourth quarter loss of US$18.9m, impacted by a 4% sales decline.

US: Tradecard screens transactions against watch lists

11/03/2010
Supply chain platform TradeCard is helping its customers monitor their trading partners against international watch lists by scanning each transaction at three different points.

VIETNAM: Footwear leads struggling exports to UK

11/03/2010
Vietnamese exports to the UK have been hit hard by the global economic turmoil during fiscal 2009, but footwear continues to be the leading category.

VIEWPOINT: American Eagle to soar without Martin+Osa

11/03/2010
Teen apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters is going back to its roots after deciding to ditch its struggling men's and women's concept Martin+Osa.

VIEWPOINT: Are retailers responsible for non-compliant factories?

11/03/2010
The Bangladeshi apparel industry has a lamentable track record when it comes to factory safety, especially fires. But where does the industry draw the line when it comes to apportioning blame to retailers and buyers?

ANALYSIS: Foot Locker unveils new expansionist strategy

10/03/2010
Retailer Foot Locker is poised to enter a new era of expansion, vowing to grow annual sales by 25% to US$6bn over the next five years.

COMMENT: An insight to fashion blogging

10/03/2010
Whether they are posting London Fashion Week catwalk images straight from their Blackberry's or drooling over the latest pair of Balenciaga wedges, bloggers are becoming an important voice in the new generation of style.

FINLAND: Esprit buys sales agency to speed growth

10/03/2010
Hong Kong-based fashion retail group Esprit Holdings has taken over its sales agency in Finland in a move intended to speed up its expansion in the country.

NEW ZEALAND: Rembrandt Suits finds fashion tool fit

10/03/2010
A reduction in operating costs and improved visibility of key manufacturing and supply chain information are just some of the benefits claimed by men's wear maker Rembrandt Suits after investing in new enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

PAKISTAN: Strike threatened over cotton quotas

10/03/2010
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has threatened a nationwide strike to protest against quota restrictions on exports of cotton yarns.

UK: Dawson Q2 overshadowed by pension deficit

10/03/2010
Scottish cashmere firm Dawson International Plc has delivered what it describes as a "satisfactory" full year, helped by a strong performance from its knitwear divisions, but said an increase in pension liabilities represents a challenge for the company.

US: American Eagle Outfitters Q4 profit soars 81%

10/03/2010
Higher sales and lower markdowns of its teen clothing and accessories have combined to end the fourth quarter on a high note for retailer American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

US: American Eagle to shutter Martin+Osa

10/03/2010
American Eagle Outfitters has announced plans to close down its loss-making Martin+Osa business after it failed to justify further investment.

US: Collective Brands cuts Q4 loss as margins rise

10/03/2010
Footwear retailer Collective Brands saw its fourth quarter loss narrow to US$10.9m, compared to $144m last year, as an improved customer focus led to fatter margins.

US: J Crew returns to Q4 profit as sales surge

10/03/2010
Casual apparel company J Crew returned to the black in the fourth quarter with a net profit of US$40.4m, boosted by a double-digit revenue surge.

US: Madonna clothing range to hit Macy's stores

10/03/2010
A much-speculated clothing collection by Madonna will hit Macy's stores in August after the pop star struck a joint venture deal with Iconix Brand Group.

US: Neiman Marcus swings to Q2 profit

10/03/2010
Upscale department store retailer Neiman Marcus Inc has swung to a second quarter profit, helped by easy comparisons with the year-ago period and a return of high-spending shoppers to its stores.

US: Stage Stores books 9.9% rise in Q4 profit

10/03/2010
Apparel and footwear retailer Stage Stores Inc has beaten expectations with a 9.9% rise in fourth quarter profit, offsetting lower sales with tight control over inventories and costs.

VIETNAM: Naf Naf opens first Vietnamese store

10/03/2010
French fashion brand Naf Naf Paris opened a flagship store in the centre of Ho Chi Minh city last week, the company's first store in Vietnam.

AUSTRALIA: AWI appoints McCullough as acting CEO

09/03/2010
Stuart McCullough has been appointed as the acting CEO of Australian Wool Innovation as the organisation looks for a long-term replacement for Brenda McGahan.

BANGLADESH: Investors set up first metal button facility

09/03/2010
A trio of investors from the US, Hong Kong and Bangladesh are setting up Bangladesh's first metal button and rivets factory to supply the country's $14bn garment export sector.

BRAZIL: Retaliation planned over US cotton subsidies

09/03/2010
Brazil is set to impose a 100% tariff on imports of US cotton in a series of retaliatory measures against US cotton subsidies, the country's government has announced.

CHINA: Suppliers to meet buyers at new sourcing shows

09/03/2010
The organiser of the China Sourcing Fairs is adding a new Garments & Textiles show to its line-up, with the first events set to take place later this year in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Johannesburg in South Africa.

COMMENT: Cotton dispute shows trade frailties

09/03/2010
The global importance of cotton trade has been underlined by a subsidies spat between the US and Brazil today (9 March).

COMMENT: Garment sector well-placed to sell sustainability

09/03/2010
The garment industry's global supply network across developing countries gives it a key role to play in leading the push towards sustainability and eco-friendly production. But the sector must work as an industry with an industry-wide organisation and an industry-wide standard if it is to avoid the errors of compliance, believes David Birnbaum.

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