#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.

Textile Exchange unveils agenda for 2026 conference in Vancouver

Textile Exchange has released the agenda for its 2026 Conference, which will take place from October 12–16 in Vancouver, Canada. Under the theme “The Implementation Era,” the event will focus on translating sustainability commitments into practical action and scaling solutions across businesses, supply systems, and landscapes.

Textile PRO Forum calls for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe

The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.

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.

New spinning package with two-step filtration for recycled yarns and more

At the ITM in Istanbul, BB Engineering unveiled its new, patented ValuePack spinning package for the first time, which features a two-stage filtration system. This is particularly beneficial for re-cycling processes. Until now, spinning packs have used either metal powder (“sand”) or filter candles as filter media. Both options are suitable for differ-ent applications, and each has its own specific advantages and dis-advantages.

ITMA 2027 gains strong momentum

In line with the theme "Co-creating the future of textiles", ITMA continues to strengthen its support for start-ups, recognising their role in driving innovation and shaping the future of textile and garment manufacturing. Through the Start-Up Valley, emerging companies gain access to a global marketplace where they can connect with industry leaders, potential partners, investors and customers.

Mongolia: Workshop on Italian textile technologies kicks off in Ulaanbaatar

The workshop dedicated to Italian textile technologies will kick off in Ulaanbaatar from 21 to 23 June 2026. Focused on the most advanced innovative solutions for the textile industry, the initiative will bring together 13 Italian textile machinery manufacturers, confirming the growing interest in strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries and highlighting Mongolia’s strategic importance for Italian textile machinery producers.