#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.

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.

Denim moves towards sustainability

EIM (Environmental Impact Measurement), the global reference platform for measuring the environmental impact of garment finishing, presents the second edition of its annual report Denim Industry Progress & Insights 2025. The study analyses over 100,000 real denim finishing processes, providing an accurate and up-to-date view of the industry’s evolution towards more sustainable models.

Europe’s textile future at a turning point: New 2030 Circularity Blueprint aims to scale recycling and unlock investment opportunities

The EU textile system is at a critical crossroads. Today, less than 1% of discarded garments are recycled into new garments, despite EU-wide obligations for separate collection. In response, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is launching the 2030 Circularity Blueprint, in partnership with ReHubs. This ambitious initiative is designed to support the transformation of the EU textile ecosystem to advance textile-to-textile recycling and drive the transition to a circular economy.

Seamless Splicer to headline Mesdan S.p.A. presentation at ITM 2026

MESDAN S.p.A. will once again participate in ITM 2026, Turkey’s most important textile trade fair. The Italy-based leading manufacturer of yarn joining solutions and textile testing equipment,will be exhibiting at the booth of their local agent for the spinning, SARTEKS MAKINA at Hall 7, Stand 701A.

Elastic yarns to become more recyclable and environmentally friendly in future

On 29 April 2026, ITA student Tobias Dickmeiß was awarded a sponsorship prize by the Wilhelm Lorch-Stiftung for his innovative approach, to replacing conventional elastane with elastic yarns made from thermoplastic copolyester elastomers (TPC). Thanks to their thermoplastic nature and compatibility with typical polyesters used in the textile industry, elastic TPC yarns offer improved recyclability. Furthermore, the use of the melt-spinning process in yarn production eliminates the need for solvents that are harmful to the environment and human health.

HIGHTEX 2026 technical textile and nonwoven industry to gather in Istanbul

Between 9–13 June 2026, the HIGHTEX 2026 exhibition, held at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul and organized concurrently with ITM 2026, is preparing to become one of the most significant global gatherings of the technical textiles and nonwoven industry. Bringing together more than 1,000 companies and agency representatives from 55 countries, the event will unite the latest technologies, innovative solutions, and investment opportunities within a single platform.

The most comprehensive platform bringing together global textile investors: ITM 2026

ITM 2026, the world's second-largest exhibition in textile technologies, is preparing to open its doors in Istanbul as the 'most comprehensive', 'most accessible', and 'most secure' international platform for global textile investors. With over 1000 companies and company representatives from 55 countries, ITM 2026 will transform into a hub for global trade, attracting thousands of professional visitors, generating machinery sales, and fostering new business collaborations.