Features

Despite ongoing global uncertainties and a shifting geopolitical landscape, Tirupur’s garment manufacturers remain upbeat about the future. Industry players say recent developments, including the tariff reset announced by the Trump administration, have helped steady sentiment, but their confidence goes beyond short-term policy changes.

The growth in the textile value chain is being driven by steady domestic consumption and export opportunities slowly opening up again. This momentum is clearly reflected across Mumbai’s textile ecosystem, where the Apparel Resources team recently visited and met key players across segments to gauge the mood.

The babydoll dress is making a major comeback, with searches rising 260% between 2024 and 2025. From Miu Miu and Chloé to Indian brands like Papa Don't Preach, Label Gangotri, and Pinklay, discover how the silhouette is evolving into a versatile fashion category across luxury, occasionwear, and everyday dressing.

At Chanel Spring/Summer 2026, fringe became  a defining runway trend, leaning into feathery tweed jackets and tendril-like brooches; Gabriela Hearst too, in her RTW 2026 collection, went full Western, draping rodeo-ready suede jackets with dangling beads. Burberry, at London Fashion Week 2026, wove sparkly fringe into eveningwear. 

​Building further on the growing legislative focus, recently, the Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles mandated by the EU is putting the onus on brands, not just on how they make products, but also on how they manage their end-of-life processing. This includes collecting, sorting, reusing, and recycling materials. As a result, major retail giants in the EU, such as Inditex/Zara, H&M and Primark, are addressing their textile waste.

The Tamil Nadu textile industry remains resilient in the face of global uncertainties, currency fluctuations, inflation and ongoing conflicts by staying closely aligned with customer needs, expanding their product portfolios, and investing in R&D, especially in innovative fibre blends and new applications. Many are also exploring home textiles as a promising new segment.

India’s sustainable fashion market has grown over the past few years, opening up new business opportunities across the industry.This expansion is encouraging a growing number of emerging brands in India to look beyond conventional textiles and experiment with alternatives such as pineapple fibre, coconut leather, and other nature-based materials.

Size planning is moving from a distribution exercise to a demand intelligence problem. The starting point may still be a midsize-heavy mix based on historical averages, but the real value now lies in how that mix is continuously refined as real demand signals emerge.

Through this collaboration, Eastman Exports Global Clothing Private Limited is looking to build on and strengthen its existing HR systems, with a focus on making labour practices more fair, transparent, and accountable.