Articles by Simone Preuss
Simone Preuss is a freelance journalist specialising in apparel production, sustainability and social responsibility. She has been working with FashionUnited since 2012, gaining valuable insights into an ever-changing industry.
India's textile budget 2026-27: implications for global supply chains
India’s Union Budget was announced on 1st February, summarising estimated revenue and expenditure of the year 2026-27. As it maintains a strong focus on public capital expenditure to support logistics efficiency, urban development and industrial expansion, it has a far reaching effect on many sectors. FashionUnited has summarised the five key...
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A sigh of relief: What the US-India trade deal means for the textile and garment industry
Not even two months in, and the year 2026 already seems to be a promising one for trade deals. After the ink is barely dry on what observers have called the “mother of all trade deals” - the free trade agreement between the European Union and India signed on 27th January - another one is taking centre stage. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi...
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Circular future: winners of the Zalando VORN Design Academy
The Zalando VORN Design Academy has announced the winners of its emerging talent award for the fourth time. The ten finalists are currently exhibiting their creations at Berlin Fashion Week. The Design Academy was developed in 2022 by Zalando's Social Impact Team in partnership with VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub. It connects emerging designers...
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Redefining retail: the strategic shift from linear mall toward circular shopping complex
Can shopping centres become centres for a circular society? And if yes, how can they evolve from linear consumption centres into vibrant, circular hubs that drive economic resilience and cultural relevance? The whitepaper “Don’t Call It Circular Society Mall”, presented today at Berlin Fashion Week, explores these questions. It was developed by...
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How the India-EU FTA will level the playing field for the textile and apparel industry
For many garment industry insiders who have navigated the ebb and flow of global supply chains for years, witnessing the formal signing of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on 27th January 2026 seems like the dawn of a new era. For decades, Indian exporters felt as if one hand was tied behind their backs as they faced stiff tariffs while...
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What hampers fashion innovation scaling?
Despite the fashion industry’s current boom in innovations that tackle its biggest problems like textile waste, reliance on fossil fuels, harmful dyes and more, the pace of scaling is trailing behind. In a new report, the denim supply chain platform and think tank Transformers Foundation has identified three main barriers as well as three...
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“Setback by 50 years” - European fashion industry reacts to impending “Greenland tariffs”
As if the European fashion industry did not have enough on its plate already in view of rapid geopolitical shifts, impending regulation and environmental unpredictability, US president Donald Trump added to its woes this weekend: Eight countries supporting Greenland’s sovereignty - Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway,...
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The relevance of trade fairs and innovation in times of economic uncertainty
A recent panel discussion regarding the upcoming Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 trade fairs highlighted a critical turning point for the textile industry. The discussion brought together four industry experts to address how innovation serves as a tool for resilience during global economic uncertainty. Olaf Schmidt, vice president textiles and...
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Future-proofing global fashion supply chains: resilience, strategy and reinvention
In an era defined by rapid geopolitical shifts and environmental unpredictability, the new supply-chain metric is no longer simply speed or cost but resilience. “The brands that outperform won’t be the fastest or the cheapest. They’ll be the ones built to absorb whatever comes next,” advises Paul F. Magel, president of Computer Generated...
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British brand Rapanui uses recycled cotton from own Remill T2T factory
Just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which now mark an entire week of discounts, British circular clothing brand Rapanui is offering a reminder that there is another way. Collections can be made from recovered cotton fibres, thus avoiding contributing to the growing mountain of textile waste. Eighty percent of all Black Friday...
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