An upcoming report on Victoria’s textile, clothing and footwear manufacturing industry has calculated the sector as worth $960 million in economic value and a source of employment for 10,300 people. According to a statement from the Australian Fashion Council on Tuesday, Moving the Needle: The State of Play of Victoria’s Textile, Clothing & Footwear Manufacturing…
Enzymatic recycling startup Samsara Eco and sportswear company lululemon have debuted the first results of a partnership announced in May last year: samples of a long-sleeve top made of recovered nylon 6,6. In a statement on Wednesday, Samsara said the Swiftly Tech Long-Sleeve Top was both a world first and “a key milestone that brings…
Textile recycling company BlockTexx has announced completion of a $7 million Series B round. BlockTexx said in a statement that funding came from existing investors and fashion innovation platform, Fashion for Good. Return investors include Artesian and seed investors Mike and Sue Gregg. The company is scaling up its novel chemical process, which is able…
Researchers from RMIT University are using nanodiamonds to create smart textiles that can cool people down faster. The study found fabric made from cotton coated with nanodiamonds, using a method called electrospinning, showed a reduction of two to three degrees Celsius during the cooling down process compared to untreated cotton. They do this by drawing…
The next stop on our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers quest is at another exciting young recycling enterprise with a world-first method addressing an enduring issue. Brent Balinski speaks to BlockTexx co-founder Graham Ross. Sometimes a lack of local ambition – as well as lack of larger-sized companies – gets cited as an obstacle to…
The Victorian government is investing $4 million into improving worker safety and transparency in the state’s textile manufacturing industry. The funding will support the group Ethical Clothing Australia, which provides accreditation to Victoria’s textile, clothing and footwear manufacturers to ensure compliance with state standards, including fair pay for workers as well as providing safe working…
The textile industry still exists in Australia, but it’s misunderstood and strengthening it will be essential in addressing environmental and social problems. Brent Balinski speaks to Meriel Chamberlin, founder of Full Circle Fibres. “TCF” is a peculiarly Australian, bureaucratic category for a misunderstood, thrown-together collection of industries, believes Meriel Chamberlin. “That is such a vast,…
Country Road has announced the first grant recipients through its Climate Fund, a three-year, $1.5 million grants program announced last year, backing projects led by Full Circle Fibres, Landcare Australia and Trust for Nature. In a statement on Thursday, the clothing company said it received 40 applications, with an Assessment Committee undertaking “in-depth due diligence”…
Military and law enforcement uniform and equipment manufacturer Australian Defence Apparel (ADA) is expanding their existing membership of the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) to cover their Bendigo, Victoria factory. Once the membership is extended to their 5000sqm facility in Bendigo this year, ADA will be the only uniform manufacturer that has achieved DISP membership…
Building products group CSR is to acquire design-led acoustic finishes and textiles business Woven Image for $43 million. The acquisition, which broadens the company’s offering to commercial markets, builds on a 20 year relationship between the two companies, with CSR having manufactured some of Woven Image’s products. CSR Managing Director and CEO Julie Coates said:…