#Sustainability

2019-09-05

FASHIONSUSTAIN: Neonyt conference now even more international

With another two spin-offs in Los Angeles and Shanghai, Messe Frankfurt is driving forward the internationalisation of Fashionsustain, the Neonyt conference. In July it made an appearance in New York City. With TENCEL™, Lenzing is supporting the conference’s international efforts.

Messe Frankfurt’s Fashionsustain conference, which focuses on sustainable textile innovations, will be taking place outside of Germany twice in September and bringing together trailblazers from the industry. On 20 September the event will be held during the LA Fashion Festival in Los Angeles. And on 26 September, it will be incorporated into Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics in Shanghai.

At the LA Fashion Festival (LAFF), Fashionsustain will be taking place under the motto “The change of fashion is now” in close cooperation with Lenzing. Lenzing will be informing visitors at their own stand about the value chain as well as the benefits in terms of sustainability and performance regarding its TENCEL™ fibre brand. Speakers include representatives from Lenzing, Candiani and Global Denim as well as “the Godfather of Denim” Adriano Goldschmied and Kerry Bannigan from the Conscious Fashion Campaign supported by the UN Office for Partnerships.

As an integral part of the fashion events in Los Angeles, the two-day LA Fashion Festival brings together influences from film, retail, innovation and beauty, inciting immersive cultural experiences. The LAFF has evolved from the LA Fashion Film Festival and will be offering film screenings, workshops, masterclasses, pop-ups and lectures all about fashion from 20-21 September.

At Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, one of the world’s largest trade fairs for clothing fabrics and accessories organised by Messe Frankfurt, there will be a keynote speech by Edwin Keh (Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel, HKRITA) at Fashionsustain on 26 September in Shanghai. Afterwards, Andreas Streubig (Director Global Sustainability, Hugo Boss), Jiehui Kia (Principal Sustainability Strategiest, Forum for the Future), Micke Magnusson (Change Agent und Advisor, ReAccess) und Mikkel Hansen (Program and Partnership Lead at Explorium, Fung Group) will be talking about the importance and the challenges of implementing more textile innovation pilot projects as well as the question of how to bring new textiles to the market faster.

This will be followed by innovator pitches by start-ups TG3D, Reflaunt, and Circular Systems, presented by accelerators Fashion for Good, The Mills Fabrica, and H&M Foundation, as well as by industry leader HeiQ.

The following panel will focus on the importance and scalability of innovative technologies for the textile industry. Panellists will be Cherry Cheuk Yan Ho (Investment Manager, The Mills Fabrica), Celine Huang (CEO Greater China, HeiQ), Emily Franklin (Innovation Associate, Fashion for Good), Florian Heubrandner (Vice President Global Business Management Textiles, Lenzing) and Jean Hegedus (Marketing Director, Invista Lycra).

The event will be rounded off by a talk between Tony Lowe (East Asia Ambassador, Better Buying) and Max Gilgenmann (Kaleidoscope Berlin) on the role of sourcing in a changing textile and fashion industry.

Messe Frankfurt commits further to East Africa: three textiles trade fairs during Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week from 2027

Messe Frankfurt and its Texpertise Network continue their steady, successful trajectory in the region. As Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) opened today, Member of the Executive Board Detlef Braun announced that Messe Frankfurt is licencing its three leading international trade fair brands Texworld, Apparel Sourcing and Texprocess to Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in 2027. From now on, they will take place annually as part of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Nairobi.

Speed and connectivity: Techtextil and Texprocess provided market-ready solutions for industries under pressure

With more than 36,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors from a total of 112 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 demonstrated how innovation comes into industrial use. The convergence of research, industry and application proved to be a breeding ground for new material solutions, manufacturing and processing technologies. Natural fibres, performance apparel, connected systems and AI-driven processing technologies emerged as key growth and future markets.

Results of the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

The global textile industry appears to be turning a corner, but this is more likely a fragile and possibly temporary improvement than the start of a durable recovery. According to the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey, conducted worldwide during the second half of May 2026, business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilization all improved versus March — yet every indicator remains weak by historical standards, and rising costs cast doubt on how long the upturn can last.

Closing the Footwear Loop reveals challenges and opportunities for circular footwear

The footwear industry faces one of the most complex circularity challenges in the fashion sector. A new Phase 1 report from the Fashion for Good initiative Closing the Footwear Loop, developed together with Circle Economy, provides new insights into the composition, condition and recycling potential of post-consumer footwear waste.

The updated poster on biodegradable Polymers in various environments has been released

As part of the PerPlacsBio project, nova-Institute has updated its popular poster on the biodegradability of polymers in different environments. The updated version reflects current standards, certifications and the latest scientific findings. The poster can be used to assess biodegradable alternatives for use in agriculture and forestry, and it is now available in German for the first time.

A new standard to combat plastic waste in forests

With DIN SPEC 35808 “Tree Shelter for Forestry Applications,” the testing and research service provider Hohenstein, in collaboration with Rottenburg University of Forestry, as well as forestry authorities and industry partners, has established a clear framework for bio-based and fully biodegradable tree shelters. The pre-standard defines requirements and practical testing methods designed to reduce plastic waste in forests and strengthen the long-term protection of soil and the environment.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.