#Sustainability

2021-01-21

Fashion for Good is looking for creatives to make sustainable fashion for the project grow talent

Nature is often the source of inspiration in the fashion world, but unfortunately, it is also plundered for fast fashion. The system behind the fashion industry must change; a circular industry is the answer and new materials that are more sustainable than current conventional fabrics are an important part of this.

That’s why Fashion for Good is starting the GROW talent project, a 3-month programme from July 2021 – in which innovative biomaterials are used to create the next generation of sustainable fashion, showing the future of fashion in an exhibition at the Fashion for Good Museum on Rokin in Amsterdam from October 2021.

GROW TALENT

In collaboration with fashion designer Iris van Herpen and a professional jury, comprising of Vogue editor-in-chief Rinke Tjepkema, creative directors of Nina Ricci Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, and designer and inventor Daan Roosegaarde, Fashion for Good is looking for creatives to participate in the project. The selected design talents will use biomaterials, such as “silk” made from orange peels, fibres made from banana plants and “leather” made from cork, corn, coconut husks and rice to name a few, to create sustainable fashion. In addition to the designers, Fashion for Good is looking for content creators to capture the design journey and share this with the outside world.

“The global challenges we face are signs of bad design. We are damaging Mother Earth with our CO2 emissions and rising sea levels. Let’s design together and come up with techniques to get out of this. ” – Daan Roosegaarde

Fashion designer Iris van Herpen kicks off GROW talent in July 2021, presenting a unique creation crafted from material made by Orange Fiber (a silk-like fabric made from orange peel waste), which will be showcased later this year.

The 3-month programme offers personal guidance from the jury, as well as mentors such as fashion designer Reuben Selby, exhibition designer Harm Rensink and the Fashion for Good team.

The final creations and content will be presented in an exhibition at the Fashion for Good Museum on Rokin in Amsterdam from October 2021, and open to an international audience through virtual tours.

“The creativity of a new generation of designers defines the future of fashion and shapes the soul of Vogue. I see it as our job to help develop new talent and provide a platform in Vogue.” – Rinke Tjepkema

The GROW talent project is a part of Fashion for Good’s upcoming, year long theme GROW, which dives into the world of sustainable biomaterials and through a series of exhibitions and programming. To find more information about the GROW talent project, exhibition and jury visit: https://fashionforgood.com/grow-talent/ and check out the Fashion for Good Press Portal for images and material.

CALL FOR CREATIVES; HOW TO PARTICIPATE?

Creatives can apply on the Fashion for Good website https://fashionforgood.com/grow-talent/ no later than 31st of March 2021.

Follow the progress of the project on our Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/FashionforGood/

The GROW talent project has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the project Allthings.bioPRO, grant agreement N° 887070, as well as the support of the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst.

INCLUSIVITY

At Fashion for Good, we are proud of our Good Fashion community and focus on partnerships with a focus on creating a positive impact and building positive change worldwide. We value having a diverse team with different viewpoints and believe we need to do things differently to drive innovation and drive change. We are an international team, currently with 11 nationalities, dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome to be themselves and do their best. We assess all candidates for the GROW talent project – together with the jury – purely on the basis of their creativity, qualifications and experience.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Textile Exchange reports growth in certifications and industry engagement

Textile Exchange has published its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting continued growth in certified sites, industry participation and the development of its standards and membership structure. According to the report, more than 100,000 sites worldwide are now certified to Textile Exchange standards, more than three times the number recorded in 2020. Preliminary figures also indicate 12% year-on-year growth across the organization's current standards, including the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and the Responsible Animal Fiber standards.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.