Eloise Freya

Eloise Freya The exercise of an extraordinary gift is the supremest pleasure in life.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded its efforts to combat forced labour in the supply chain by a...
20/05/2024

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded its efforts to combat forced labour in the supply chain by adding 26 textile companies based in China to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List.

This move, effective May 17th, restricts goods produced by these entities from entering the United States, targeting cotton manufacturers outside the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) that source cotton from the XUAR. DHS aims to enhance transparency and enable responsible companies to conduct due diligence on their supply chains to avoid goods made with forced labor.

Under the leadership of Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, DHS reinforces its commitment to eliminating forced labour in the U.S. supply chain and holding China accountable for human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups.

Since the enactment of the UFLPA in December 2021, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force has expanded the UFLPA Entity List, with 65 entities added across various sectors. By voting to include the 26 Chinese companies, the task force marks the largest single expansion of the UFLPA Entity List, underscoring the United States' determination to combat forced labour.

DHS's initiative aligns with Washington’s memorandum on advancing worker rights globally, emphasizing a whole-of-government approach to promote labour standards.

Innovative materials start-up Radiant Matters has snapped up a 1.2 million pound investment from Sustainable Ventures al...
20/05/2024

Innovative materials start-up Radiant Matters has snapped up a 1.2 million pound investment from Sustainable Ventures alongside other impact-driven and deep tech investors as it looks to fuel its ongoing growth.

Based in London, the company develops shimmer and colour effects from plant-based cellulose that can be applied across a number of industries, including cosmetics and textiles.

Its textile products in particular, which have so far largely been accessible via B2B channels, mimic colourings seen in nature through the use of cellulose nanocrystals that create structural tones reminiscent of peacock feathers, butterfly wings and beetles, among other things.

Radiant Matter’s mission is to help manufacturers and brands in the process of moving away from microplastics and toxic colourants, having already worked with Stella McCartney and Been London, both of which opted to use the company’s BioSequin embellishments.

Now, the startup is hoping to begin expanding its offering, with the latest investment being crucial to its future growth, particularly in the realms of research and development, IP development and scaling its manufacturing capacity.

In a release, Sustainable Ventures said the strategic investment “addresses key global challenges around the damaging use of petroleum, resource consumption, carbon emissions, mining associated with human rights issues and microplastic pollution in our manufacturing sectors”.

The firm continued: “Our support will be focused on expanding their commercial roadmap, supporting governance and accelerating their technical development.”

Sainsbury’s clothing brand Tu has launched a collaboration with British lifestyle brand Scion, known for its mix of bold...
24/04/2024

Sainsbury’s clothing brand Tu has launched a collaboration with British lifestyle brand Scion, known for its mix of bold patterns and colours.

The exclusive collection combines the Tu design team’s expertise with Scion’s iconic portfolio of prints to offer a new clothing range with a “playful energy”.

The Tu x Scion range spans womenswear, menswear and childrenswear across a host of categories, including pyjamas, shirts, dresses, ‘mini me’ and swimwear with further product drops expected throughout the spring and summer.

illy Reid has announced the acquisition of the direct-to-consumer (DTC) arm of Knot Standard through a strategic merger ...
16/04/2024

illy Reid has announced the acquisition of the direct-to-consumer (DTC) arm of Knot Standard through a strategic merger that will allow the American retailer to incorporate a made-to-measure offering into its own business.

Through the transaction, Billy Reid said it would be bringing the customisation service to a total of 20 store locations, while the brand will further takeover eight of Knot Standard’s own stores and its online DTC business.

As part of the deal, Knot Standard will therefore become a minority shareholder in the combined business under the Billy Reid name.

The acquisition marks Billy Reid’s return to the made-to-measure market, which it had previously catered to before discontinuing the service during the pandemic.

It further builds on the already existing relationship between Billy Reid and Knot Standard, which had established formal partnership in 2023 when the latter supported made-to-measure in Billy Reid stores.

This latest shift, however, was triggered during capital raise discussions between the duo last year, during which Knot Standard was understood to have “expressed interest” in Billy Reid taking over the DTC portion of the business.

The combined business will leverage Billy Reid management, operational expertise and brand engine for growth, while Knot Standard will begin to focus more on its AI-powered tech platform, which will remain a separate entity.

For Billy Reid, meanwhile, the company sees an opportunity for further brand expansion through “an influx of capital from new investors and an attractive proposition for potential investors”.

Amazon is leveraging its Innovation Lab, a diverse team of scientists and engineers from around the globe, to pioneer ne...
16/04/2024

Amazon is leveraging its Innovation Lab, a diverse team of scientists and engineers from around the globe, to pioneer new technologies aimed at enhancing support for employees and improving customer satisfaction. Situated in Vercelli, Italy, the Amazon Operations Innovation Lab is shaping the trajectory of work across Amazon's network where advanced robotics and AI innovations are crafted and tested.

Since its establishment in 2017, the lab has served as the central hub for the global Mechatronics & Sustainable Packaging team. By 2024, this team will have overseen the installation of over 1,000 robotics and AI-powered innovations across Amazon's European fulfilment centre network, representing a substantial investment exceeding 700 million euros. These cutting-edge technologies, ranging from item sorters to automated guide vehicles, are used to optimise operational efficiency and create a safer working environment.

The lab is current serving as a training center for Amazon Robotics operators and a nurturing ground for startups backed by the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. Beginning this year, the lab will open its doors to the public, offering insights into the development of groundbreaking technologies.

In a press release Amazon said with each technology comes different skill requirements, and in many cases the creation of new specific roles. “Over 50,000 jobs in FCs across Europe have been enhanced by the introduction of new technologies over the last decade which support employees in their roles, providing them with a safer working environment and upskilling opportunities.”

“We are proud to open the doors of our lab, not only as a hub of innovation for Amazon, but to encourage customers, schools, and start-ups to be inspired and learn about the potential for technologies to create a better and safer future of work,” said Stefano La Rovere, Director for Global Robotics - Mechatronics & Sustainable Packaging. “At Amazon, our commitment to thinking big runs deep – over five years to the end of 2024, we will have invested over 700 million euros in the deployment of more than 1,000 robotics systems across our European fulfilment centre network.”

UK manufacturer of plant-based pigments Sparxell has announced the closing of a 3.2 million dollar funding round which i...
05/04/2024

UK manufacturer of plant-based pigments Sparxell has announced the closing of a 3.2 million dollar funding round which it said it would use to help accelerate the development and commercialisation of its products.

The funding, made up of seed investments, grants and awards, saw support from anchor investor Circular Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund managed by Demeter and L’Oréal’s Cycle Capital.

Sparxell utilises fully plant-based cellulose, a “renewable, biodegradable resource” that can be extracted from waste streams, with the goal to eliminate the need for synthetic chemicals in colourants.

The firm itself, which operates in the 38 billion dollar colourants sector, is looking to target the fashion industry through textile colouring, embellishments and sequins; and beauty, with colour cosmetics and personal care products, among other things.

In a release, the founder and CEO of Sparxell, Benjamin Droguet, noted that traditional chemical colourants were “causing major environmental harm” and that “over 10,000 fossil-based chemicals are used in current colouration processes”.

Droguet continued: “The textile industry is a well-known emitter of dyes and microplastics, with over 1.5 million tonnes entering the environment every year, while paint has recently been recognised as the largest source of microplastics in the ocean.”

To further address these issues, Sparxell is already planning to launch an additional Series A funding round in the coming months to upscale its production capacity and build on commercialising.

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