🇮🇳 The Indian textile sector is seeking government relief as exports decline. Negotiators from Washington and New Delhi are reportedly in the final stages of a bilateral trade deal that could see a reduction in the current 50 percent US tariff on Indian goods, but Indian textile leaders are preparing for any outcome including delays or deadlock. The Apparel Export Promotion Council and the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry have been lobbying the central bank and other government entities for relief measures to mitigate the impact of US tariffs which led to a 12.9 percent year-on-year decline in October exports. “The US share of India’s total textile and garment exports is about 30 percent. The pipeline inventory is still being shipped out, but fresh orders have stopped coming in post-August. We expect the decline…to continue and worsen to 15-20 percent in November and December,” said former CITI chairman Sanjay K Jain. “Indian suppliers are forced to offer huge discounts just to retain [their US] customer base,” said AEPC secretary general Mithileshwar Thakur, noting that retail orders have also been subdued in European Union markets. [Economic Times]
🇲🇺 US bans Mauritius garment manufacturer Firemount over forced labour. American customs officials issued a withhold release order against apparel and textiles produced by Firemount Group in the African island nation. The authorities cited information that “reasonably indicates” the use of forced labour in violation of US trade law. It is not yet known what the alleged infractions are but past human rights investigations in the Mauritius textile sector have centred on the exploitation of migrant workers from countries like South Africa. Firemount did not respond to the Sourcing Journal’s requests for comment. Neither did companies said to be buyers, including Billabong parent Boardriders, The Forschini Group, John Lewis Partnership and Woolworths in South Africa. [Sourcing Journal]
🇨🇳 Harrods is shuttering its China members’ club and tearoom. The British department store will cease operations in its Shanghai space in January following nearly five years of running a personal shopping service turned members’ club for Chinese VIPs called The Residence. Going forward, the retailer said it will instead curate pop-up events and activities and explore local wholesale opportunities in the key luxury market. There are suggestions Harrods will now have to enhance its roster of seasonal Chinese events at the London flagship. [Fashion Network, Inside Retail Asia]
🇮🇳 L’Oréal eyes new India investments with a “global capability centre”. The French beauty conglomerate is reportedly preparing to set up a major technology and operations hub in Hyderabad, separate from the company’s existing research facilities in Mumbai and Bengaluru.These hubs typically run multinationals’ work in key overseas regions across functions such as technology, supply-chain, R&D, analytics and operations. Earlier this year L’Oréal Group CEO Nicolas Hieronimus told local media that the company aims to more than double its business in India, a market he described as “big priority,” in the next couple of years. He noted that local factories already manufacture 95 percent of what L’Oréal sells in India and exports to the wider region. [Economic Times]
🇬🇭 Ghana’s traditional kente cloth gets geographical indication protection. The handwoven textile traditionally worn by the Asante, Akan and Ewe people in Ghana has been recognised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, a United Nations agency that collaborates with the World Trade Organisation, as a geographical indication (GI) of the West African nation to safeguard its origin and authenticity. The GI is intended to allow only genuine cloth made there to be designated as kente, restricting producers of dupes in other countries including China from using the term. [Black Enterprise, New York Times]
🇮🇱 Israeli underwear manufacturer Delta Galil posts $539 million in Q3 sales. The Caesarea-based, Tel Aviv-listed firm manufacturing intimates, activewear, loungewear and denim including products for international licensing partners such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas and Wolford has recorded a 3 percent year-over-year sales increase for the quarter ended Sep. 2025. Gross profit rose 7 percent to $233.2 million during the period. Chief executive Isaac Dabah pointed to strong momentum in the company’s direct-to-consumer business. [BusinessWire]
🇨🇱 Chile-based retail giant Falabella’s profit soars in Jan-Sep period. The group with over a hundred department stores across Colombia, Peru and Chile and other interests in Latin America including shopping malls, home retailers and supermarkets, has reported net profit of 717,173 million Chilean pesos ($764.7 million) during the first nine months of the year, reflecting an almost threefold increase from a year earlier. Revenue hit 9.43 trillion Chilean pesos ($10 billion) during the period. [Modaes]
🇮🇳 Maybach collaborates with Indian rapper Badshah for eyewear collection. The German eyewear brand has partnered with the Indian hip-hop star with an Instagram following of around 17 million. Jutta Kahlbetzer and Wolfgang Thelen, Maybach Icons Of Luxury CEOs, called the collaboration an “inspiring creative journey” that “underscores the significance of the Indian market while illustrating Maybach’s commitment to fostering cultural exchange.” [BoF Inbox]
🇨🇱 Chilean retailer Ripley’s turnover hits $1.62 billion in Jan-Sep period. The Santiago-based department store and mall operator with 45 stores in Chile and 30 in Peru posted turnover of 1.52 trillion Chilean pesos ($1.62 billion) in the first nine months of the year, up 5.7 percent compared to the same period year earlier. Net income rose by 134.2 percent to 34,890 million Chilean pesos ($37.4 million) during the period. [Modaes]
🇹🇭 Christian Dior taps Thai stars Lingling and Orm as brand ambassadors. The French luxury brand has entered an endorsement deal with actresses Sirilak Kwong, also known as Lingling, and Kornnaphat Sethratanapong, who goes by the nickname Orm. ‘LingOrm’, as fans call the duo, rose to fame through the “girls’ love” (GL) genre — a style of storytelling that focuses on romantic relationships between women — with the dramas “The Secret of Us” and “Only You.” [Elle Singapore]
🇨🇳 ComplexCon Hong Kong taps Labubu creator as artistic director. The Asia edition of the US streetwear and pop culture festival has appointed Hong Kong-born, Belgium-based designer Kasing Lung to head the creative direction of the event in March. Lung follows Japanese graphic designer Verdy who occupied the role last year. [BoF Inbox]
🇰🇷 South Korean actor Song Kang is named Loewe’s brand ambassador. The LVMH-owned brand now under the creative direction of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez has entered an endorsement deal with the star of dramas sicj as “Sweet Home” and “My Demon”. [FashionNetwork]
