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SPESA IN FRANKFURT | HIGHLIGHTS FROM TEXPROCESS & TECHTEXTIL 2026
This time two weeks ago, our SPESA team was wandering through the packed halls of Texprocess in Frankfurt. We were talking to our members, catching up with industry friends, meeting some cool new people, and learning a bit about the current industry climate across Europe.
It was a busy few days, but we left Germany feeling energized and with a renewed focus on how we can build a stronger and more resilient sewn products industry in the Western Hemisphere. Here are a few of the key highlights and takeaways from our trip.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS
INDUSTRY NEWS | 5.20.26
U.S. Industrial Hemp Fibre Enters India’s Textile Supply Chain Through New Partnership
Hemp Gazette | May 20, 2026
U.S.-based Panda Biotech has partnered with Culturewell Trading LLP to introduce industrial hemp fiber from the United States into India’s textile supply chain. This collaboration aims to meet the rising global demand for sustainable, traceable, and certified raw materials in textile manufacturing. As reported by Hemp Gazette, this initiative marks “a significant step for U.S. hemp in international markets, connecting growers and processors with a major global textile hub.”
In Germany, Mayer & Cie.’s Circular Knitting Machines Now Under Chinese Ownership
Fashion Network | May 20, 2026
After 120 years in operation, German circular knitting machine specialist Mayer & Cie entered insolvency proceedings at the end of 2025. While the braiding machine division was taken over by the Italian company Diesse Rubber Hoses, the significant circular knitting machine division has just been acquired by the Chinese manufacturer Huixing Machinery.
LVMH Sells Marc Jacobs: What the WHP Global and G-III Deal Means for the Brand, LVMH, and Luxury Fashion
ALMCORP | May 20, 2026
Last week, the news hit that French luxury group LVMH had agreed to sell fashion brand Marc Jacobs, closing a nearly three-decade chapter for LVMH. The move was said to reflect a broader push to focus on profitability in a challenging luxury market, where conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt travel and weighs on spending in a key region.
We are sharing this blog post because it dives into why this sale matters for luxury fashion and global retail.
NC State, Gaston College Launch TextileREADY Education and Training Program
Specialty Fabrics Review | May 19, 2026
North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles and the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College have launched a new online education and training program, TextileREADY. The program is available on TextilesUSA, a digital platform created by Wilson College of Textiles and the Textile Technology Center. It offers flexible, on-demand training for new employees in the textile industry and individuals transitioning into careers in textiles.
EU Weighs Trump-Proof Safeguards as July 4 Trade Deal Deadline Nears
Sourcing Journal | May 19, 2026
EU officials gathered in France this week with hopes to compromise on terms that would finalize the bloc’s trade deal with the U.S. ahead of President Donald Trump’s July 4 deadline. Earlier this month, President Trump threatened to escalate tariffs on European auto imports to 15 percent from 25 percent because the EU hadn’t moved quickly enough to implement provisions agreed upon within the handshake trans-Atlantic trade deal struck last year.
According to a report from Reuters, EU negotiators are expected to agree to scrap more import duties on U.S. goods to comply with the trade deal.
The LYCRA Company To Successfully Complete Comprehensive Financial Restructuring
Press Release | May 19, 2026
The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, will successfully complete its comprehensive financial restructuring process and emerge from Chapter 11 protection on May 20, 2026. According to a press release from the company, it “will emerge from its comprehensive restructuring process with significantly enhanced financial flexibility and a strengthened balance sheet to support long-term growth.”
Egypt Launches Initiative To Support Cotton MSMEs, Production Clusters
Fibre2Fashion | May 19, 2026
Egypt’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), the Cairo governorate, and the Egyptian Marketing Studies Foundation recently launched the “Egyptian Cotton Festival” aimed at supporting MSMEs and production clusters operating across the country’s cotton value chain. The goal is to help businesses set up stronger linkages with major brands, enhance production and marketing efficiency, and expand access to domestic and global markets.
SHEIN's $100M Everlane Acquisition Draws Backlash
Design Rush | May 19, 2026
Everlane spent years selling shoppers on "radical transparency" and ethical production. Now, as the sustainability-focused retailer is reportedly being acquired by SHEIN in a deal valued at $100 million, consumers are questioning whether Everlane can still claim ethical credibility.
Clothing Repair School in France Revives Craft Skills and Sustainable Fashion Education
Fashion United | May 19, 2026
Located in what was once France’s textile manufacturing capital, the initiative focuses on teaching repair, alteration, and garment restoration techniques as part of a broader effort to extend the life cycle of clothing and reduce textile waste. The program reflects “a wider shift within fashion education toward circular design practices and practical sustainability training,” according to the school's website.
Soorty Partners with Jeanologia To Engineer ‘Fast Fade’ Fabrics
SJ Denim | May 15, 2026
Hand finishing remains a part of the jeans industry, but companies throughout the supply chain are increasingly adopting faster, more efficient methods to create jeans with sought-after fades and bold designs.
A new collection of fabrics by Soorty is made for exactly this reason. The Pakistani vertically integrated denim manufacturer has partnered with Spanish finishing technology company Jeanologia to create Fast Fade, a collection of fabrics engineered to react optimally to digital finishing.
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New Era of Fashion Commerce Defined by Instant Conversion as Social Platforms Become the New Storefront
Sourcing Journal | May 15, 2026
In a “dramatic shift for the industry,” social media platforms have moved from digital lookbooks into high-speed commerce infrastructures where consumers can purchase a look before a 15-second video even finishes playing. This compression of the purchase funnel is now the defining characteristic of modern fashion commerce, separating market leaders from those struggling to keep pace. This change is largely led by younger generations.
Gap, LS&Co, Artistic Milliners and More Partner To Advance Credible Fiber Shedding Research
SJ Denim | May 15, 2026
Levi Strauss & Co., Gap and Artistic Milliners are among companies partnering with Fashion for Good to establish more credible data on fiber shedding. The companies are part of Fashion for Good’s “Behind the Break 2.0,” the second phase of a targeted research initiative designed to strengthen confidence in fiber loss data, consolidate existing knowledge, and expand supplier engagement across the textile and fashion value chain.
Levi Strauss Modernizes Its Tech Infrastructure with SAP
SJ Denim | May 14, 2026
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is overhauling its legacy technology systems across the globe in favor of a unified one that integrates AI. The company said in a recent statement that it is modernizing its tech infrastructure by upgrading its global enterprise resource planning (ERP) with the help of software firm SAP. The initiative is designed to streamline internal operations and support the 173-year-old denim brand’s broader transformation into a digital-first company.
Clothing Leads U.S. Retail Growth, Despite Ongoing Inflation
Just Style | May 14, 2026
According to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, by the National Retail Federation, the U.S. clothing and accessories segment saw a 0.59% rise month over month in April, and a 9.75% increase compared to April 2025. This was the highest increase in any sector, aside from digital products.
U.S. Senator Graham Introduces Legislation That Supports South Carolina Textile Industry and Continues His Push To Buy American
Press Release via Textile World | May 14, 2026
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) introduced the Coast Guard Personnel Equipment Act, which would require all U.S. Coast Guard uniforms to be produced in the United States. According to a press release from his office: “Graham has long championed legislation that supports a secure and reliable domestic supply chain for the textile industry, and cracks down on foreign actors that try to exploit U.S. trade laws.”
The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has already come out in support of the bill as well. Additional industry coverage available here.
Syre Expands Partnership with Target To Advance Recycled Materials at Scale
Press Release via eTextileCommunications | May 14, 2026
Under the collaboration, Syre will support Target in integrating textile-to-textile recycled polyester into high-volume categories such as apparel and home products. The effort is expected to enable the use of 70,000 metric tons of polyester made from end-of-life textiles, with broader product integration anticipated by 2030.
Avery Dennison and ReCircled Demonstrate RFID’s Role in Scaling Fashion Circularity
Sourcing Journal | May 14, 2026
Materials science and digital identification solutions company Avery Dennison said its pilot program with circularity specialist ReCircled confirms how RFID-enabled systems can allow garment sorting to scale. The pilot, which used Avery Dennison’s embedded RFID sensor technology in garments, demonstrated how the scannable system can accurately and automatically capture data needed to handle garments at scale. The system uses an atma.io-connected product cloud platform to capture, store, manage, and share garment life cycle data.
CitroTech Partners with Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station To Advance Safer, High-Performance Fire-Resistant Textiles
Press Release via Textile World | May 13, 2026
With the upcoming 2026 SPESA Executive Conference set to take place in San Antonio, we’ve got Texas on our minds and in your inbox!
CitroTech Inc., a specialty chemicals company producing environmentally responsible fire inhibitor solutions, and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, the official research agency of the Texas A&M University College of Engineering, announced a 12-month research partnership to develop next-generation, water-based polymer technologies for fire-resistant textiles.
Furniture Remains on the Sidelines of Manufacturing Rebound
Furniture Today | May 8, 2026
U.S. manufacturing expanded for a fourth consecutive month in April, according to the latest Institute for Supply Management report. However, despite the continued rebound in manufacturing overall, furniture and related products remain among the industries reporting contraction, alongside wood products and textile mills, according to the report. That ongoing weakness contrasts with stronger performance in fabricated metal products, primary metals and machinery — sectors closely tied to furniture manufacturing through shared material inputs like steel, aluminum and fabricated components.
“The split highlights the uneven nature of the manufacturing recovery and the continued challenges facing home furnishings suppliers tied more directly to consumer demand and housing activity.”
Made in the USA: Stitching Together a Manufacturing Revival
Ohio Today | April 23, 2026
A once-abandoned church in Buchtel, Ohio, hums with new life as the Hocking Hills Garment Center, an industrial sewing training and apparel manufacturing organization, works to revitalize American manufacturing — with critical support from Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. The center, led by founder Betsy Franjola, produces knit and woven apparel for brands that value quality, craftsmanship, and domestic production.
This article is a month old now, but we had the opportunity to learn a bit more about Hocking Hills Garment Center at our recent event in Columbus, and wanted to share the organization’s exciting efforts with Behind the Seams readers!
