Short answers, pulled from the story.
The earliest textile-like materials were made as early as 34,000 BCE during the Paleolithic era. Radiocarbon dating of dyed flax fibers found in a cave in the Republic of Georgia confirms these microscopic fibers are 36,000 years old.
The spinning jenny was invented in 1765 in the United Kingdom. This machine for spinning wool or cotton marked the moment textile production became the first economic activity to be industrialized.
The Banton Burial Cloth is the oldest existing example of warp ikat in Southeast Asia. It is displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines and was most likely made by the native Asian people of northwest Romblon.
China is the largest exporter of textile goods. In 2016, its apparel market share was valued at 161 billion dollars.
The textile sector is believed to use 79 trillion liters of water per year. It also discharges around 20% of all industrial effluent into the environment.