texfash

As the Autumn/Winter 2024/25 edition of Munich Fabric Start gets all set and ready to welcome the global fashion fraternity on 18 July, texfash.com tries to gauge what's happening on the ground with a mélange of impressions and opinions.

Whither innovation? Are fabric innovations driving the apparel market? Or, is it the other way around, i.e. demand for certain kinds of apparel is driving fabric innovation? texfash.com talks to some exhibitors who will showcase at Munich Fabric Start as it gets under way 18 July.

The domain of sourcing was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic three summers ago, and the dust has not yet settled. There are trade wars, the ongoing Europe conflict, and rising inflation. As all and sundry scurry to sort out matters, keeping the slew of upcoming EU legislations and regulations in mind, it perhaps makes sense to feel the pulse of what’s going on. The ground here is Munich Fabric Start (MFS) that will throw its doors open come 18 July.

Innovations, business, and lots more — Munich Fabric Start gets going on 18 July as the fash frat descends on the Bavarian city to source collections for Autumn/Winter 2024/25. Participating in these events is not just about showcasing something new each time; it's about fostering an environment of growth, exploration, and staying at the forefront of positive change. 

A Planet Tracker analysis—Following the Thread—recently underlined the significant disconnect between the location of the majority of the sales, profits and capital in the textiles industry and the location of the most significant negative environmental impacts. Richard Wielechowski, Senior Investment Analyst (Textiles) at Planet Tracker, tells texfash.com what this disconnect means.

In the textiles-fashion ecosystem, news is usually ephemeral. But when Swedish innovator Renewcell dispatched the first shipment of its Circulose dissolving pulp to a customer, the excitement remained palpable for weeks on end. Tricia Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Renewcell, talks about the flurry of activities at the company.

Jargon-laden and flowery sustainability reports by a majority of top brands and retailers would come across as a heap of gobbledygook if their actual performance is taken into account. Well, certainly for the cotton sector. As many as 89% are still non-transparent, unsustainable and show little progress towards improving labour conditions, says the 2023 Cotton Ranking just published by Solidaridad Europe and the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK).

It is disappointing to see that a lot of companies still do not see the urgency of how important it is to source sustainable cotton. There is still so much fear around transparency of where the cotton comes from, the volume and certifications used. The just-released 2023 Cotton Ranking report by Solidaridad Network and Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) shows that the gap between frontrunners and laggards is getting bigger.

A painstaking, exhaustive analysis of documents by University of California (UC) researchers has revealed that the chemicals industry used all nefarious tactics in the playbook to delay public awareness of PFAS toxicity and, in turn, delay regulations governing their use.

Dr Laurie Parsons is Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. His new book Carbon Colonialism explores the murky practices of outsourcing a country's environmental impact, where emissions and waste are exported from rich countries to poorer ones; a world in which corporations and countries are allowed to maintain a clean, green image while landfills in the world's poorest countries continue to expand, and droughts and floods intensify under the auspices of globalisation, deregulation and economic growth. Parsons in conversation with texfash.com.