#Denim

2020-12-10

Levi Strauss & Co. appoints Elliott Rodgers to Board of Directors

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE: LEVI) announced today that its board of directors has appointed Elliott Rodgers as a member of the board, effective immediately. Rodgers currently serves as chief information officer of Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) and has more than a decade of experience in the retail industry.

“Elliott has deep knowledge of ecommerce, digital transformations and how to drive operational excellence in today’s omnichannel supply chain,” said Stephen C. Neal, chair of the board of Levi Strauss & Co. “His expertise in all of these areas will be invaluable as we focus on direct-to-consumer and continue to look for innovative ways to get our products to our consumers when, where and how they want them.”

Rodgers became chief information officer of Ulta Beauty in September after having held several supply chain roles since joining the company in November 2013, most recently serving as chief supply chain officer. Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, Rodgers was director of operations, Target.com & Mobile, at Target. In this role, he was responsible for Target’s ecommerce website and fulfillment operations and co-led Target’s omnichannel supply chain pilot programs. Previously, Rodgers held operational leadership roles spanning retail, financial services, and logistics at Target, Citibank and the United States Army.

“I am honored to join the board at Levi Strauss & Co., a company I’ve long admired as a leader of industry and culture,” Rodgers said. “I hope to complement the strength of the current board of directors and management team with my experience and passion as we all work toward the company’s continued success.”

Rodgers holds a B.S. in political science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Jeanologia brings “Billy” to China, the AI transforming denim design

The denim industry is turning its attention to Hangzhou this week, where a new edition of Kingpins, the leading international trade show for the sector, takes place on May 21 and 22. There, the Spanish company Jeanologia, a global leader in sustainable technologies for the textile industry, is introducing its latest innovation to the Chinese market: “Billy”, the first artificial intelligence specifically developed for denim finishing design.

ISKO unveils a new circular vision of color, texture and tactile innovation at Denim Première Vision Milan

At Denim Première Vision Milan (booth G3), ISKO introduces its FW27-28 Collection, built around three defining elements: color, texture and touch. This season, ISKO presents a vision where emotion and advanced textile innovation converge, rooted in a steadfast commitment to responsible material development by utilizing patented technologies and high-quality raw materials, powered by RE&UP.

Uster FiberQ excels for recycled raw materials too

Uster FiberQ is a complete solution for raw material utilization, supporting spinners to achieve consistent quality and profitability every day, building further growth for the future. The Turkish company ORTA relies on FiberQ with recycled yarn for its denim production. Data-driven knowledge puts the producer in control of raw material utilization – ready to make the correct decisions for process efficiency, quality and productivity.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.

Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

The European Commission today adopted new rules on recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles made primarily of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology to calculate, verify and report chemically recycled content. This is part of the Commission’s December 2025 plastics package.