For the first time, India’s investment demand for gold surpassed jewellery consumption in the March quarter, reaching 82 metric tons compared to 66 tons for jewellery. This shift, driven by subdued equity market returns and rising gold prices, saw investment demand account for 54.3% of total consumption, which rose 10.2% to 151 tons.

Lululemon adds Esi Eggleston Bracey to its board. She brings branding and marketing expertise. This is the second new director in two months. Founder Chip Wilson continues to push for board changes. He believes the company has lost its appeal. Lululemon faces competition and a proxy fight with Wilson.

Adidas, the iconic German athletic apparel company, has kicked off the year on a high note, revealing first-quarter results that have left analysts thrilled. Operating profits soared beyond expectations, thanks to strong consumer appetite for their products, even as they faced hurdles in particular regions.

Warming weather sharpens focus on fashion’s climate reality, as forums like ChangeNOW highlight progress but expose gaps between ambition and execution.
While innovation in materials and circularity advances, cost and scalability hinder adoption.
The industry now faces pressure to align sustainability goals with viable, system-wide implementation.

Fashion brand Mo’Afrique recently commissioned a multi-million-dollar garment factory in Nigeria’s capital Abuja as it launched the Modish Formal garments brand.
It also launched the Modish Scholars Initiative to provide uniforms to underprivileged children in public schools.
The factory marks a strategic shift from luxury fashion into industrial-scale manufacturing.

A Chinese delegation met BGMEA to explore foreign direct investment (FDI) and technology partnerships in Bangladesh’s textile sector, focusing on MMF, synthetic fibres and technical textiles.
Bangladesh highlighted its $8–9 billion fabric import market as a key opportunity.
Talks also covered sustainability, training and B2B linkages to boost sector modernisation.

The India–New Zealand FTA grants 100 per cent duty-free access to textiles and apparel, improving price competitiveness and margins by 5-10 per cent.
Duty-free wool imports strengthen raw material security, supporting value-added segments.
While the $1.9 billion market is small, it offers stable demand and scope for premium positioning and long-term export growth.

Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone has signed a new investment project by Turkish company YILTEM Apparel & Dinamik Raus Tekstil to set up a $8-million RMG and textiles factory within the Qantara West Industrial Zone.
The facility is expected to create 700 direct jobs, with 90 per cent of production targeted for exports.
The new project takes the total number of Turkish projects in the zone to 15.

India’s textile industry has welcomed the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), citing 100 per cent duty-free access as a boost to competitiveness and market diversification.
Industry leaders said the pact will expand exports, support value-added segments, and strengthen resilience amid global disruptions, while creating jobs and enhancing long-term trade growth.

Claire’s has abruptly closed all 154 of its UK and Ireland standalone stores, resulting in over 1,300 job losses. The teen jewellery giant’s decades-long high street presence collapsed due to a combination of online shopping shifts, rising costs, and financial struggles.