#Associations

2020-10-15

Digital Pre-Convention Event to the 36th IAF World Fashion Convention

Coming November 10 and 11, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) will digitally host a ‘Pre-convention Event’ to its 36th World Fashion Convention due to take place in Antwerp June 7 – 9, 2021. We cannot meet physically in Antwerp now in 2020, but at the same time we cannot wait to discuss the topics that shape our industry’s future. Therefore, we are starting the discussions around the theme of the IAF’s 36th World Fashion Convention, “Transition in the Global Fashion System” already now, in November 2020, on www.iafconventionantwerp.com.

The digital pre-convention event will consist of two components. Firstly, on November 10 at 9 am CET, IAF will place online 5- minute movie clips by 7 prominent IAF members. Together these speakers will provide a unique global and cross-industry collection of visionary statements on the industry’s future. Second, on November 10 and on November 11, IAF will present a series of four different types online sessions, each tackling a major issue for the global apparel industry, bringing together relevant players in the fashion ecosystem.

The flagship session of these four will be an IAF-MOTIF webinar titled “Shared Risk and Reward in the Fashion Supply Chain”. Our three speakers will be: John Thorbeck, CEO of Chainge Capital and global expert in the field of fashion business transformation; Liz Simon, Chief Sustainable Transformation Officer at Fashion3, the fashion arm of AFM, the large family holding containing also Decathlon and Auchan and Anne Patricia Sutanto, Vice President at PT Pan Brothers, Indonesia’s largest apparel manufacturer. This webinar will answer the fundamental industry question whether the balancing of risk ánd reward is one of the keys to unlocking a better overall performance of the supply chain.

In the second session, IAF will connect its members and relations to the Fashion Technology Alliance project, a major global project bringing together educators, large and small brands and fashion technology providers. Some of the participants are London College of Fashion, Decathlon and PVH. The session will shed an interesting light on some of the new job descriptions and requirements required by the apparel industry because of the 3D digital design. The third session will discuss industry standards for digitization of product design and development, particularly the communication on digital fabric characteristics. A lot of work on standardization has been done by several brands and in this session the worlds of large brands and retailers and the rest of the industry are brought together. Finally, the fourth session tackles the long existing and prominent problem of audit and standard fatigue. IAF and ITMF have teamed up with the ITC (International Trade Centre) and will explain their progress in this project.

Industry business model transformation, the role of education and standardization are all topics driving our industry’s transition. IAF invites the industry to the conversations that really matter. Registrations for all sessions can be done through http://www.iafconventionantwerp.com.

Attendance is free and on a first come first serve basis.

IAF Position on tariffs

The International Apparel Federation (IAF) represents the apparel manufacturing community across more than 40 countries—a global industry comprising hundreds of thousands of companies and millions of employees. Apparel and textiles are among the most globalized industries, historically foundational to industrial development around the world.

IAF and ITMF unite global fashion and textile leaders

The joint ITMF Annual Conference and IAF World Fashion Convention was held on September 8-10 in the historic city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This year’s convention, co-organized by the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and hosted by Uztextileprom, the Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association, and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Uzbekistan highlighted the crucial interdependence of our sectors.

Meadow Grove Research joins ITMF as Corporate Member

Meadow Grove Research is a commodity research firm specializing in supply, demand, and trade analysis in cotton and other soft commodities. Providing clarity to the complex nature of the global fiber supply chain is one of its most formidable services. The firm thrives on customer engagement and providing the best framework for critical decisions.

Sustainability: European industry calls on EU to keep Single-Use Plastics Directive unchanged

A broad coalition of European industry associations, including EDANA, Euratex and Plastics Europe, has urged EU institutions to maintain the current legal framework of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). In a joint statement, the organisations argue that reopening the Directive at this stage would create legal uncertainty, increase regulatory complexity and undermine investment, while its implementation across the European Union is still incomplete.

Textile machinery: Italian technology charts the course for revival

Operating in a scenario characterized by geopolitical instability, slowing industrial investments, and new protectionist pressures. This is the main challenge for the Italian textile machinery industry that emerged during the General Assembly of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), held today in Milan at the Shareholders’ Hall of Palazzo Edison.

New skills for a circular textile economy

Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is developing three practical training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has now been developed and validated together with industry representatives. The module provides participants with knowledge of regulatory requirements, material sorting and the preparation of textile waste for recycling.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.