Connect with us

Fashion

The European Union pledges to fast-track the uptake of bio-based materials

Published

2 months ago

on


By

AFP

Published



November 27, 2025

Mushroom-based materials and algae-derived cosmetics: on Thursday, November 27, the European Commission pledged to support the development of the “bioeconomy” sector, which is striving to achieve profitability in the face of cheap, polluting products.

AFP

“The bioeconomy is not science fiction,” emphasised European Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall at a press briefing in Brussels, speaking amid an array of “sustainable” products.

However, she conceded that progress in the sector is “too slow”, in part because costs are often far higher than for petroleum-based goods. Brussels therefore intends to spur innovation and investment.

The Commission offered few specifics but underscored the need to develop “bio-based products” made from plants or organic waste to replace conventional plastics. The European executive plans to create a “European Alliance for Bio-based Products,” bringing together EU companies to collectively purchase “bio-based solutions” worth €10 billion by 2030.

The Commission also promises to streamline rules and authorisation procedures for innovative products. A forthcoming circular economy law, which Brussels is due to present in 2026, “will include measures to improve the collection and use of biomass waste,” organic matter of plant or animal origin that can be used as an energy source or as a raw material.

Jessika Roswall also highlighted European packaging legislation that requires all packaging to be recyclable by 2030. The Commissioner plans to add quantified targets for renewable “bio-based plastics”, produced, for example, from starch or cellulose.

Making packaging greener- as well as reducing its use- is crucial, as it is an ever-growing source of pollution. According to EU data, each European generated around 190 kg of packaging waste in 2021, and without additional measures this is projected to rise to 209 kg by 2030.

This article is an automatic translation.
Click here to read the original article.

Copyright © 2025 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses.



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Fashion

IKEA plans to double India investment to more than $2.20 billion over five years

Published

1 hour ago

on

January 20, 2026

By


By

Reuters

Published



January 20, 2026

Sweden’s IKEA will more than double its investment in India to over 200 billion rupees ($2.20 billion) in the next five years as the furniture retailer plans to open more stores and increase sourcing locally, a top executive said on Monday.

IKEA logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 11, 2025 – REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

IKEA, which opened its first India store in 2018 in the southern city of Hyderabad, will begin accepting online orders in four other ⁠cities where it currently does not have a physical presence, including Chennai and Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu state.

“(India) is not a large ⁠IKEA country yet… But the belief in India is very strong that it will be one of our top markets,” said Patrik Antoni, CEO of IKEA India, in an interview with Reuters. The retailer’s ‍India sales ‌rose 6% to 18.61 billion rupees in the year ended August 2025, and Antoni ⁠said it plans to quadruple ‌it, including by expanding store count to 30 from six.

The company ‌plans to start online operations before opening a brick-and-mortar store in new cities- a first for IKEA globally- as young consumers shop online more to beat traffic, said Bhavana Jaiswal, country e-commerce integration manager. Its online sales account for over 30% ‍of the total India sales. The retailer aims to raise the share to 40% of total sales. 

IKEA will also double production for domestic stores and exports to 800 ‌million euros ($930 million), ⁠said ​Antoni. The company’s move comes as global brands ramp up export ⁠production in ​India to cut costs, while consumer majors from shoemaker Asics to carmaker VinFast Auto also step up sourcing to meet domestic demand.

U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs ​on imports from India to as much as 50% last year on some goods, forcing many industries to find new clients in ⁠other countries. Antoni, however, said it has not ⁠affected IKEA’s Indian suppliers much, as the brand, which has most of its stores in Europe, ships more to other markets.

© Thomson Reuters 2026 All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Fashion

Gaurav Gupta launches first menswear flagship at DLF Emporio, Delhi

Published

2 hours ago

on

January 20, 2026

By


Published



January 20, 2026

Gaurav Gupta has opened its first flagship store dedicated to menswear. Located in New Delhi’s DLF Emporio, the boutique measures around 2,300 square feet and establishes Gaurav Gupta Man as a core pillar of the Gaurav Gupta brand.

Inside the first ever Gaurav Gupta Man store – Gaurav Gupta

 
The store inside the premium mall was designed by architect Karanbir Duggal in close collaboration with Gaurav Gupta, the brand announced in a press release. Its bold interior resembles a fluid maze, guiding the shopper through curved corridors, past slightly surrealist sculptures, through to rooms filled with the label’s occasion wear in a move to encourage exploration and discovery.
 
“This space reflects how I think about menswear today,” commented Gaurav Gupta about the intent behind the space. “It is fluid, sculptural, and introspective. The store becomes an extension of the Gaurav Gupta Man, where architecture and clothing exist in quiet conversation with one another.”

Gaurav Gupta mixes fashion and art in his new store
Gaurav Gupta mixes fashion and art in his new store – Gaurav Gupta

 
Gaurav Gupta first introduced his men’s offering in 2017 at fashion event GQ Fashion Nights and has dressed celebrities including Ranveer Singh. The new store caters to the label’s growing national and global menswear clientele with a selection of its signature tuxedos, bandhgalas, and ceremonial dress as well as new verticals including kurtas and Nehru jackets, shirts, accessories, bow ties, footwear, and finishing pieces.

“The concept of Shunya informed the way we shaped the space,” said architect Karanbir Duggal. “Emptiness was treated as an active element, allowing the architecture to feel calm, intentional, and deeply immersive rather than visually dense.”
 

Copyright © 2026 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Fashion

Ami Paris opens Seoul flagship, its largest yet

Published

4 hours ago

on

January 20, 2026

By


Published



January 20, 2026

Ami Paris is continuing its flagship opening programme but instead of Europe, this time it has turned its attention to Asia with a debut in Seoul. It has just opened its new multi-level flagship in the heart of Hannam at 45, Itaewon-ro 55ga-gil, Yongsan-gu.

Ami Paris, Seoul

And it said this “signals a meaningful evolution for the brand’s retail experience: spanning over 425 sq m, it stands as Ami Paris’s largest flagship globally, introducing a Parisian wardrobe and gathering place rooted in the timeless principles of Korean Hanok architecture”.

It added that the space “embraces Seoul’s cool contemporary soul, connecting with a culturally rich neighborhood and a style-attentive crowd who value effortless elegance, art, and discovery”. 

Intended to be more than a traditional boutique, the venue is conceived as an “urban haven and welcoming residence, representing a respectful adaptation to the local context, with a unique sense of intimacy and togetherness”.

It’s certainly an interesting design. Visitors are guided from the street through an underground passage, emerging into the Ami Garden (“a curated oasis of local flora including rowan and maple trees”) before “ascending to the main entrance. This transitional ritual marks a shift from the city’s pace to a serene, breathing space”.

The design concept is based in traditional Hanoks, “creating a cosy atmosphere through a refined interplay of materials: dark oak, granite, and Maljat stone, accented by Ami Paris’s signature elements of beige limewash, gold, champagne gold and mirror finishes”. 

Custom wooden furniture and low-slung seating areas are designed to invite visitors to linger, while bespoke paper lighting, evocative of traditional Hanji, “bathes the interiors in a soft, diffused glow”.

The store also inaugurates an artist residency in collaboration with the Pipe Gallery. Talents “will be invited to engage with the space, ensuring the Ami Paris home remains a dynamic site of cultural conversation”.

At launch, the presentation features the work of Korean-French contemporary artist Chansong Kim.

Copyright © 2026 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Miami Select.