A perfect storm of events, including a surge in Indian demand for silver during festival season and a boom in solar power, drained global inventories. This led to unprecedented shortages and price hikes, causing a market breakdown not seen in decades. International investors and hedge funds also piled into silver, exacerbating the squeeze.

Japan’s apparel imports in Jan–Aug rose 7.01 per cent to $15.65 billion, driven by a shift towards cotton garments, which gained market share from 31.59 to 33.52 per cent in three years.
Manmade garments fell to 46.10 per cent as consumers favoured comfort and sustainability.
Imports were dominated by trousers, jerseys, and T-shirts, while unisex styles led the market with a 37.52 per cent share.

US trade body AAFA recently said it does not believe the application of the Section 301 tariffs to remedy China’s ‘harmful’ trade practices and policies has been an effective tool.
It recommended the US administration to determine if any of the exclusions listed should qualify for permanent or more-longer term exclusion periods to give US companies more predictability.

Chinese company October 4128 (BD) Ltd will invest $19.72 million to set up a high-end garment manufacturing factory at the BEPZA Economic Zone in Mirsharai, Chattogram.
The company will annually produce 3 million pieces of ski, snow sports, hunting and motor riders’ gear, insulated winter coats, down jackets and pants, rain gear, work wear, running wear, yoga wear and water sportswear.

The EU welcomed Vietnam’s accession to the WTO’s Multi-party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), which now includes 58 members covering 59.5 per cent of global trade.
The MPIA provides a functional dispute settlement system amid the WTO Appellate Body’s inactivity.
It ensures rule enforcement and fair arbitration, with independent experts hearing appeals.

A cutting-edge textile technology is transforming end-of-life management by embedding circularity at the design stage.
It enables up to 95 per cent textile recovery and significant water savings.
Eco-design framework ensures products are built for circularity, minimising waste and boosting recyclability.
The scalable hub model connects design, collection, and recycling globally.

Hermes chief menswear designer Veronique Nichanian is to step down after 37 years in charge and will present her final show for the luxury house in January, the company announced on Friday. She said she was leaving the house “with joy and pride”, after enjoying “37 years of creative freedom.”

​The Armani fashion house said on Thursday it has appointed luxury veteran and longtime manager Giuseppe Marsocci as its new chief executive officer, following the death of its founder last month at 91.

Jewellers are adapting to high gold prices by offering lighter and lower-carat gold jewellery for Dhanteras and Diwali. Retailers are seeing steady footfalls and positive growth as consumers are viewing jewellery as adornment, not just investment.

The Gurugram-based company’s public offering is the biggest among a number of new-age company IPOs lined up for this year. As per its draft red herring prospectus, Lenskart plans to raise Rs 2,150 crore in fresh equity alongside a secondary share sale of 132 million shares by existing investors, including TPG Growth, Kedaara Capital, and TR Capital.