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Consumer confidence drops to four-year low
March 27th, 2025
On March 26, the Conference Board released the March 2025 Consumer Confidence Index. The index fell 7.2 points to 92.9—the lowest it has been since January 2021. This dip was largely driven by sentiments among consumers 55 and older; to a lesser extent, consumers between 35 and 55 years old also contributed to the decline. However, […]
Avantex appoints Carlos Botero president of Latin America
March 27th, 2025
Image: Avantex Avantex, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled software solutions provider for the fashion, apparel and textile industries, announced the appointment of Carlos Botero as its new president for Latin America. Botero brings more than two decades of experience in the textile and fashion sectors. He served as the executive president of Inexmoda for 14 years. […]
European Commission delays tariffs on U.S. goods until mid-April
March 26th, 2025
The European Commission has announced a two-week delay in reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods, which are now set to go into effect in mid-April. The commission announced these tariffs in response to the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by the U.S. that began March 12. The commission initially planned to introduce tariffs […]
Cellevate appoints Christel Fenge chief technology officer
March 26th, 2025
Christel Fenge, Ph.D. Image: Cellevate Cellevate AB, a Lund, Sweden-based biotechnology company, announced the appointment of Christel Fenge, Ph.D., as chief technology officer (CTO) and member of the management team. Fenge has served as a strategic advisor to Cellevate since June 2024 and brings more than 30 years of experience in leadership roles within the […]
KARL MAYER wins trademark dispute against Turkish competitors
March 25th, 2025
Image: KARL MAYER KARL MAYER announced the company has won a trademark dispute against competitors in Turkey. The company has registered trademarks for many of its products, including PROWARP® for its sectional warping machine in 2015, KARL MAYER PROSIZE® for its sizing machine in 2012, and PRODYE® for its indigo dyeing unit in 2018. In […]
Thermal mats designed to reduce energy use
March 24th, 2025
A super-efficient thermal transfer surface promises to unlock a variety of energy efficiency use cases. Image: Flint Engineering. Flint Engineering says that its new, flat, thermal-transfer IsoMat can power entire homes, cut refrigerator energy consumption by 30 percent, and speed up EV charging, while also extending battery life. All this can be accomplished, it says, […]
Tariffs, trade, and textiles
March 24th, 2025
On March 19, 2025, Jerome Powell, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, indicated tariffs have partly played its role with elevated inflation, which is at 2.8 percent, with the federal interest rate remaining at 4.25-4.5 percent. Referencing tariffs, Powell said, “they tend to bring growth down, and tend to bring inflation up.” This will […]
Adaptable lining makes prosthetics more comfortable
March 24th, 2025
The new Roliner material is tested in the socket of a prosthetic leg. Photo: Imperial College London. British biomedical startup Unhindr, an Imperial College London spinoff company, is developing an adaptive lining for the sockets of prosthetic limbs that responds to how the body’s soft tissue naturally shrinks and swells during the day. Because a prosthetic […]
Powering smart fabrics
March 24th, 2025
Solar Tap has developed an efficient, flexible photovoltaic. Photo: Messe Munich. Energy has become a key issue in the development of e-textiles for applications ranging from wearables to transport. LOPEC 2025, held in Munich in February, elected to highlight the end-user perspective this year across conference papers, poster presentations and the Innovation Showcase, with new […]
No-touch smart fabric device is introduced
March 24th, 2025
A touchless, finger gesture-detecting fabric could “revolutionize e-textiles,” researchers say. Photo: Nottingham Trent University. Touch-sensitive clothing capable of controlling devices via touchscreen-like finger taps and swipes on the fabric is impressive, but a touchless finger-gesture-detecting fabric has now been developed that offers a new functionality. The experimental textile is being developed by scientists from Nottingham Trent […]