#Associations

2023-10-19

Partnership ITC and IAF: Full supply chain profitability

The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) announce a partnership to stimulate innovation towards “full supply chain profitability” for apparel manufacturers and brands. The first phase of collaboration is research to be previewed at the 38th IAF World Fashion Convention, Philadelphia, October 23-24. Applying learning in autos and electronics, a joint study articulates how material suppliers and garment manufacturers create ‘smart flexibility’ by postponing production commitments closer to actual demand, unlocking capital from unneeded inventory and excess production. Smart Flexibility is a new approach that uses a mix of process and data tools enabling suppliers to create additional value for brands and manufacturers alike that supersedes the benefits of lowest cost global sourcing.

The Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI), published and co-initiated by the IAF, placed ‘full supply chain profitability’ as a research priority in 2021. The STTI, addressing improvement of purchasing practices, sees smart flexibility, or shared risk, as a highly productive alternative to the predominant imbalance of sourcing relationships. Smart flexibility elevates purchasing practices beyond seasonal, transactional contracts to deliver mutual goals for sustainability. Conventional, often adversarial bargaining need not define industry culture as new technology with AI injects fresh insight across one of the world’s oldest, most globalized supply chains.

The 38th IAF World Fashion Convention, organised with US partner SPESA (Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers Association of the America’s) in Philadelphia, is a preview to study insights. IAF Secretary General Matthijs Crietee will moderate a panel session including the main contributor to the study, John Thorbeck; Brad Ballentine, CEO of MAS ACME, the US subsidiary of giant manufacturing group MAS Holdings; and Scott Walton, of Kornit Digital, a major supplier of digital printing equipment. Official publication, titled, “Under the Banyan Tree: Buyers and Suppliers in Fashion,” will be announced in joint timetable and events by the ITC and IAF.

http://www.conventionphiladelphia.com

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.

EDANA warns of consequences of misclassification of PET spunbond imports

EDANA would like to remind its members and industry stakeholders of the legal requirement to comply with the EU rules on customs classification when importing nonwovens from third countries outside the EU. In this regard, it was recently discovered that there appears to be a high level of customs misclassification occurring in our industry. This could have dangerous and costly consequences for importers.

Engineering depth and diversity for composites

Airbond is the latest member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to receive recognition for contributions to the composites industry. The engineering firm based in Pontypool, South Wales, has just received the Make UK Energy and Sustainability Award for its Lattice 3D Printing project.

DIENES at Techtextil 2026: Flexible pilot lines for bio-based fiber development

The growing relevance of bio-based materials in technical textiles is accompanied by increasing demands for reproducibility, high-quality data, and scalable process routes. Especially when working with cellulose and its derivatives, chitosan, lignin-based approaches, or bio-based PAN as a carbon-fiber precursor, R&D teams face variable feedstock quality, tighter process windows, and the need for reliable comparability across trials. This calls for flexible, data-driven experimental setups that can be reconfigured efficiently when recipes, solvents, and raw-material batches change.

Gunold showcases embroidery product range and services at Texprocess

At Texprocess 2026, GUNOLD will present numerous hands-on examples related to embroidery in Hall 8, Booth E20. The focus is on creative embroidery designs as well as the extensive product range of threads, nonwovens, and accessories for embroidery and embellishment. “Trade visitors can once again look forward to many new and creative embroidery designs. Of course, we will also showcase the matching products required to bring these ideas to life,” announces Marketing Manager Stephan Gunold.

A Powerful Opening: Global thought leaders launch the International Cotton Conference Bremen

The International Cotton Conference Bremen will open on 25 March 2026 in the Parliament building of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen with a keynote session of exceptional calibre. Distinguished international experts will set the stage for the conference by offering incisive perspectives on the most pressing challenges and the defining trends shaping the future of the global cotton trade. Their insights will span a broad spectrum — from geopolitically driven disruptions affecting global supply chains to the opportunities emerging from innovation-led agriculture capable of supporting a growing world population. Together, these opening keynotes will frame the dialogue of the conference, highlighting both the complexity of today’s market environment and the pathways toward a resilient and forward-looking cotton sector.