#Sustainability

2023-09-21

Fashion Revolution presents How to be a Fashion Revolutionary at the British Textile Biennial 2023

Fashion Revolution is taking residence at the British Textile Biennial 2023 with the How to be a Fashion Revolutionary exhibition, located at the Helmshore Mills Textile Museum in East Lancashire. Between 29th September and 29th October, How to be a Fashion Revolutionary will guide visitors through the Fashion Revolution archives, drawing on the learnings from nine years of campaigning to encourage reflection and inspire action.

In a display of archival Zine covers, poems and illustrations, the exhibition follows the environmental and human problems inherent in the fashion industry, maps out creative solutions and charts a course for change. It proudly features artwork designed or commissioned by Fashion Revolution Global and Fashion Revolution teams in Argentina, Brazil, India and Singapore to paint a global picture of action and resistance, and to invite new audiences on their fashion activism journeys.

The installation will be brought to life by a video montage capturing the evolution of Fashion Revolution into a global movement spanning 75 countries, and an interactive conversation map where visitors can respond to questions posed throughout the exhibition. Developed by Talk Climate Change for Fashion Revolution Week 2023, the Fashion Revolution Map is a global forum for Fashion Revolutionaries around the world to exchange knowledge, inspiration and ideas for change. At the exhibition, the map will serve as a conversation tool for the local community and capture the responses of newly initiated Fashion Revolutionaries.

The British Textile Biennial is taking place across Eastern Lancashire, a cultural and historic symbol of the global textile industry. Taken from the British Textile Biennial 2023 programme, “the industrial revolution transformed rural East Lancashire into an engine of fast fashion at the epicentre of a web that stretched across the globe; commandeering human and environmental resources across continents in a vicious cycle of labour, manufacture and trade that persists today and which we now know is unsustainable”. How to be a Fashion Revolutionary recognises and responds to these issues and encourages visitors to collectively reimagine what a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry could look like.

“Storytelling has always been such a vital part of our work and is integral for capturing new hearts and minds in our global community. Through revisiting the Fashion Revolution archives, visitors can explore artistic interpretations of fashion’s potential to harm and heal, and will find themselves similarly transformed by illustration and poetry. How to be a Fashion Revolutionary is based on the delightfully simple premise that anyone can be a Fashion Revolutionary. It starts with being curious, finding out and doing something, and this exhibition will guide you on your journey to action.” - Mel Watt, Digital Communications Manager at Fashion Revolution

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Hohenstein publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

The testing and research service provider Hohenstein has published its latest sustainability report, outlining key progress and strategic initiatives. The report focuses on ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, the company’s new mission statement and the systematic expansion of sustainable services for customers worldwide.

Global Standard gGmbH launches second public consultation for GRTS Draft 2 for the textile industry (1–30 April 2026)

Global Standard gGmbH is pleased to announce the release of Draft 2 of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) for its second public consultation. The consultation will be open from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026, inviting stakeholders across the textile and apparel value chain to provide input and contribute to the further development of this new Standard.

Textile Exchange publishes cotton Life Cycle Assessment study to strengthen impact data

Textile Exchange has published the first in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies designed to improve the quality and robustness of environmental impact data for raw material production across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. The first LCA study focuses on cotton and addresses critical data gaps and methodology variability through new high-quality data across key producing countries. The study includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, providing a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.

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.

Italian Textile Machinery heads to Geneva for Index 2026

An important delegation of Italian companies will exhibit at the upcoming INDEX 2026, the world’s leading event for the nonwovens sector, taking place from May 19 to 22 in Geneva (Switzerland). Numerous Italian exhibitors will be present within the Italy Pavilion, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT, an exhibition area of over 140 square meters dedicated to the latest innovations proposed by the Italian industry.