One of the most popular X posts was from the non-profit Global Human Rights Centre which shared the news of 15 global fashion brands including giant retailers adidas, Levi Strauss and Gap Inc, who pledged to aid Bangladesh garment workers in reaching a "successful conclusion" to the ongoing minimum wage negotiations.

The 15 co-signees, 10 of whom are Fair Labor Association (FLA) members, acknowledged that apparel brands and retailers sourcing in Bangladesh have a role to play in enabling the above recommendations and stated: “We are committed to implementing responsible purchasing practices to fulfil that role.”

The Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association shared an X post on Steve Lamar, president of the American Apparel and Footwear Federation (AAFA) giving a speech at the 16th Istanbul Apparel conference in October.

Lamar explained how the changing direction of US trade policy under the Biden-Harris administration is impacting global fashion sourcing and supply chains and how he believed Türkiye holds a unique role to play in shaping the future of fashion, sustainability, and accountability.

He urged country leaders to build policies that embrace clean energy and climate-supporting carbon mitigation efforts, however, he adds: “Don’t hold your breath for tariffs and trade agreements – certainly not those coming from the United States.”

US tech company Protein Evolution announced its new collaboration with the US Department of Energy’s Agile BioFoundry (ABF) to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to design new classes of enzymes to break down plastic and test the scalability of new, affordable enzymes for manufacturing.

Protein Evolution claimed its technology is the first in the US to use enzymes as a catalyst to produce new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using polyester textile waste. 

In another X post, the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) reported on the partnership between the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) who are jointly working on an AI-based innovation that claims to deliver full supply chain profitability and added value to both fashion brands and manufacturers.

The new approach called smart flexibility is said to use a mix of process and data tools such as AI to enable fashion suppliers to create additional value for fashion brands and manufacturers alike. This is described as being able to “supersede the benefits of lowest cost global sourcing”.

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