Interviews

Oxford Economics, leaders in global economic forecasting and quantitative analysis, has just published an exhaustive report on the state of the second-hand clothing trade between the EU27+ and three African nations. Johanna Neuhoff, Director of Economic Consulting, Continental Europe, delves deep into the nuances of the sector and the bearing it has on people on both sides in this free-wheeling conversation.

NextGen materials innovator Keel Labs has announced the commercial launch of garments made with its seaweed-based Kelsun fibre as a range being released later today by California brand Outerknown. Co-Founder Tessa Callaghan tells texfash what it took to get Kelsun from the concept stage to its commercial arrival.

One of the product launches that the fashion world was eagerly looking forward to this year was that of Mexico-based innovator Polybion’s NextGen material, Celium. CFO Alexis Gómez-Ortigoza and CEO Axel Gómez-Ortigoza tell texfash what it took for them to get Celium to a global launch and how they see the market developing in the years ahead.

The Uganda Circular Textile project is designed to support a transition to a local textile manufacturing base by incorporating clothes that would otherwise end up in landfills into new products and design. Leading the project, which kicked off earlier this year, is WasteAid. Director of Programmes, Michelle Wilson, explains what it takes to navigate the second-hand clothing landscape in the country.

Less than a month ago, the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA) released a report which contended that media reports of waste were gross over-estimates. These reports and also the campaigns are being driven by flawed data, argues GUCDA General Secretary Edward Atobrah Binkley in this riveting interview with texfash.

One of the many African countries that has been repeatedly mentioned in the swathe of Western media reports about the impact of the second-hand clothing trade is Kenya. But the sector is huge in the country in its spread, and mitumba touches the lives of millions. Yet, the opinion of the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK) has largely gone unheard. The Chairperson of the MCAK, Teresia Wairimu Njenga, tells texfash that much of what abounds is misinformation.

There's fashion that generates waste, and then there's fashion's packaging that generates more. Even as the industry is being hauled over coals, the subject of packaging, though discussed, remains by the sidelines. Iva Jestratijevic, Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Consumer Insights and Innovation, University of North Texas, throws light on trends.

If denim is so much about finishing, Italian machinery major Tonello has remained a leader with its array— from washing to dyeing machines— and unique range of garment finishing technologies. Alice Tonello, the Marketing and R&D Director at the family-owned business, tells texfash.com the role that technology is set to play in denim manufacturing in the days ahead.

Earlier this month, the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) set alarm bells ringing in the UK when it warned of an imminent collapse of the textile recycling sector due to global market challenges. It's complicated, and TRA Chief Executive Officer Alan Wheeler helps disentangle the threads in this deep dive with texfash.com.

Almost nothing has changed in the production of indigo for over a century. But now, French biotech innovator Synovance is producing dyes from microorganisms using industrial waste as raw material. Co-Founder and COO Efi Lioliou explains how the company has been able to produce sustainable dyes using biochemical methods.