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Industry News | 12/3/25
- maggie0374
- Dec 3, 2025
- 6 min read
SPESA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | Just Style Excellence Awards 2025: CreateMe
Just Style | November 21, 2025
Congratulations to SPESA member, CreateMe! The apparel technology company has won the Innovation and Product Launches awards in the 2025 Just Style Excellence Awards for advancing garment assembly in ways that reset expectations for performance, sustainability, and speed.
Cam Myers, CEO and founder of CreateMe: “CreateMe is honored to be recognized by the Just Style Excellence Awards for our achievements in both Innovation (Adhesive Technology) and Product Launches (Bonded Intimates). This award affirms our bold vision to redefine how all apparel is made — placing apparel manufacturing on par with the world’s most advanced automated industries. Born out of our mission, MeRA and Pixel fuse digital design, material science, and automation into a modular robotic assembly platform and precision microadhesive technology that bond fabrics without thread — making apparel production faster, cleaner, and infinitely more adaptable. Our launch of fully bonded intimates marks just the beginning. Over the next decade, we see Physical AI transforming how clothing is designed, produced, and experienced — replacing traditional sewing with smarter, more sustainable processes. CreateMe is rebuilding the future of apparel: faster, cleaner, and more adaptable than anything before it.”
SourceAmerica Announces 2026 Achievement Awards Finalists
Press Release | December 3, 2025
"As we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, SourceAmerica is honored to recognize these exceptional individuals whose dedication and leadership continue to strengthen disability employment across the nation," said Richard Belden, SourceAmerica president and CEO. "Each of their stories reminds us why expanding meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities is essential for economic growth and advancing innovation, community resilience and America's workforce."
SPESA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | Valia Fashion Powers Modern Manufacturing: Daniel Harari, CEO, Lectra
Apparel Resources | December 2, 2025
In an exclusive interview with Apparel Resources, Daniel Harari, CEO, Lectra spoke in detail about the company’s journey as a leading SaaS solution provider, their focus on Valia Fashion – a unique cloud-based solution - and data security and how they are tackling the growing problem of greenwashing.
“Innovation and strong R&D are what make good companies great. They turn ideas into real solutions, solve difficult problems and keep businesses ahead of the curve,” said Daniel Harari, CEO, Lectra.
Can Fashion Unlock Capital for Sustainability Investments?
Sourcing Journal | December 1, 2025
ISAIC CEO, Jen Guarino took stage with Capital Founder and ISAIC Board CEO, Christian Birky, to discuss the fashion industry’s unsustainable reliance on overproduction. Jen called for a shift toward innovative, demand-driven manufacturing, where every garment is made with intention, not speculation.
As a reminder, SPESA is co-hosting the 2026 ISAIC Honors. Award nominations are due TOMORROW! Submit your nominations here (and now 🙂).
BlueCherry® By CGS And Lodestar Announce Strategic Partnership To Transform Italian Fashion Supply Chains
Press Release | November 26, 2025
The collaboration brings together BlueCherry’s proven track record as a trusted global partner to Fortune 500 fashion brands with Lodestar’s local expertise and integration capabilities, enabling Italian companies to fast-track digital transformation, strengthen compliance, and realize measurable ROI.
AFFOA Launches Product Accelerator to Advance U.S. Textile Innovation, Manufacturing
Press Release | November 26, 2025
Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) recently announced the launch of the third round of its Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics program (PAFF 3.0), expanding access to no-cost technical support, pilot development capabilities and product advancement resources for U.S. textile manufacturers, startups and innovators. The program is designed to accelerate commercialization of advanced fabric technologies while strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity and competitiveness.
House Lawmakers Pass Bill to Double SBA Loan Limits for Manufacturers
Manufacturing Dive | December 3, 2025
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed a bill that would double the Small Business Administration’s loan limit from $5 million to $10 million for domestic manufacturers. The Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act aims to unlock more capital for small manufacturers seeking to buy machinery, expand their factories, upgrade equipment or scale production. The bill has advanced to the Senate for further consideration.
CISMA 2025: Automation, AI and Precision Define the Future of Manufacturing
Apparel Resources | December 3, 2025
Innovations demonstrated at CISMA 2025 showed how precision, consistency and reduced manual intervention are becoming non-negotiable in modern garment production. AI integration, intelligent oil and lubrication management and fully automated auxiliary systems are now standard features.
Manufacturing Weakens in Europe, Asia on Faltering Demand and Tariff Uncertainties
Reuters | December 2, 2025
According to the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) purchasing managers index (PMI) report, manufacturing was weak in the U.S., Europe and Asia's biggest economies in November, business surveys showed on Monday, as subdued domestic demand and tariff uncertainties weighed.
For the U.S. specifically: American producers are being hit hard by the very policies touted as drivers for a domestic resurgence. “Despite the goal of reshoring, we’re not seeing it,” said Susan Spence, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, who added that for every positive comment about new orders, there was an average of 1.2 comments from supply executives “expressing concern about near-term demand, driven primarily by tariff costs and uncertainty.”
Amazon Under Fire for ‘Labour Exploitation’ in Garment Supply Chain
Just Style | December 2, 2025
A group of activists have filed a complaint against Amazon with the UK Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), alleging labour exploitation in the supply chains linked to its sales.
Factories Having Links with U.S. Market Under Pressure: Survey
Apparel Resources | December 2, 2025
The study, conducted by Better Work Bangladesh (BWB) in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), highlights the risks of Bangladesh’s high export concentration in the United States and European Union. While reliance on the EU appears to offer some stabilising effect, the report notes that dependence on the US market is “already in a strained state”.
YKK Accelerates Circularity and Decarbonization Strategy
SJ Denim | December 1, 2025
“To adapt to changes in the market and environment and to achieve sustainable growth and a competitive advantage, we are actively investing in streamlining, sustainability, and digital transformation,” the company stated.
Additionally YKK Corporation announced that it will make its debut at CES 2026 (Consumer Electronics Show), the world’s largest technology exhibition, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 2026, where it will showcase some of its latest groundbreaking innovations.
Made in the USA: Go Inside 8 of the Last Home Goods Manufacturers in America
USA Today | November 29, 2025
The article highlights some of the changemakers when it comes to maintaining manufacturing in the U.S., including American Giant.
We had the opportunity to hear from American Giant CEO, Bayard Winthrop at the 2025 SPESA Executive Conference in Chicago where he spoke alongside Walmart’s Sourcing Director, Julie Rader about the landmark partnership between Walmart and American Giant to bring 100% U.S.-made t-shirts to thousands of stores across the country. This collaboration is one example of Walmart’s ongoing commitment to supporting U.S. manufacturing, part of a broader $350 billion investment to build and source more products domestically, according to Rader.
Nufabrx Builds Momentum with Made-in-America, Wearable Pain-Relief Technology
eTextileCommunications | November 25, 2025
In the latest edition of SEAMS Member Spotlight, Nufabrx, an apparel company that infuses medication into its garments, is showcased with an interview featuring the company’s CEO Glenn Normoyle and COO Jennifer Mouraview.
Jennifer Mouraview was the inaugural guest on the Bobbin Around Podcast with The Chicago Pattern Maker’s, Xochil Herrera Scheer and SPESA’s Michael McDOnald. You can check out that episode here.
Cobots Are Out, Collaborative Applications Are in After Safety Standard Change
Manufacturing Dive | November 24, 2025
This is the first major update to standards over the past decade and will significantly change how these tools are designed, certified and marketed, as well as how manufacturers implement them in collaborative human-machine processes with more strictly regulated safety measures.
John Jakomin, chief engineer and co-founder of Slip Robotics, a company offering robots-as-a-service to manufacturers, called the change an “overdue correction.”
40% of Fashion Workers Could Need Tech, AI Reskilling by 2030
Just Style | November 21, 2025
Fashion jobs are set to become AI-centric with new roles expected to emerge so to remain competitive, fashion executives must focus on upskilling workforces.
As Tariffs Drive Up Costs, Cavela AI Secures $6.6M to Help E-Commerce Brands Pivot Production Fast
Press Release | November 20, 2025
Cavela announced in November that it raised $6.6M in seed funding. Cavela makes it easy for e-commerce brands to source from the best suppliers around the world. By combining AI with on-the-ground experts and a network of 200,000+ global, vetted suppliers, Cavela handles the entire sourcing process from quote to delivery. Founded in San Francisco by McGill, Harvard, and MIT alumni with family roots in global trade, the company is backed by the operators and investors behind companies like Notion, Stripe, Flexport, and Anduril.
Anthony Sardain, CEO & Founder of Cavela, spoke at the 2025 SPESA Executive Conference in Chicago.
Gryning Launches AI-powered Circular Platform to Cut Fashion Waste
Just Style | November 19, 2025
Swedish fashion technology firm Gryning has introduced an AI-powered circular fashion platform to address overproduction and inefficiencies within the fashion supply chain.
