From the Sector

With increasing demand for sustainably-minded performance laminates for apparel and footwear, eVent®️ Fabrics, a global leader in breathable waterproof, weatherproof, and windproof fabric technologies, introduces the new www.eventfabrics.com. 

The new website delivers several upgrades over the previous one, including simplified navigation, cohesive brand storytelling, and improved messaging around eVent’s increasing focus on more sustainable, circular, high-performance laminates.  

“As we continue to position ourselves as leaders in PFAS-free performance laminates and our brand messaging evolves to support our overall brand mission, this new website will better represent our brand to our core audiences,” said Chad Kelly, President of eVent Fabrics. “As demand grows, this new site will help brands, product developers, and customers better understand who we are as a brand and what we offer in PFAS-free laminates, allowing everyone along the value chain to make more informed buying decisions.”

Faced with more stringent sustainability regulations and growing consumer demand, eVent’s increasing focus on delivering PFAS-free and circular performance laminates to a global market is driving awareness, interest, and sales. The new website is designed to better highlight the eVent’s evolving brand story and support discovery of sustainably-minded performance technology.

As eVent’s PFAS-free laminate offering continues to gain traction, the new site better supports brand direction, growth, and messaging. Improved navigation helps site visitors more easily identify and learn about the breathable waterproof, weatherproof, and windproof laminates that address their performance and sustainability goals. In addition, the new site will serve as the hub for the overall eVent brand evolution, helping to better tell the brand’s unique story. 

Reconomy, a leading international circular economy specialist, has published a new global strategy exploring the evolving global landscape of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, outlining how businesses can prepare for upcoming changes and detailing Reconomy’s strategic initiatives to support businesses across Europe and worldwide.

The textile industry is approaching a period of significant regulatory and operational transformation. Traditionally, one of the most resource-intensive sectors, textiles generate substantial waste and emissions throughout their lifecycle. 

New EPR legislation is driving a fundamental shift by making producers responsible for end-of-life management, including collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal. This structural change is intended to accelerate the transition towards circular business models and more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Reconomy views this regulatory shift not as a compliance burden, but as a critical opportunity for innovation and competitive differentiation. By supporting stakeholders in turning regulatory requirements into strategic advantages, Reconomy aims to help businesses build more resilient and circular operations while meeting increasing expectations from consumers, retailers, and policymakers.

The new strategy paper, Textile EPR Strategy 2030, sets out a comprehensive five-year roadmap, providing an overview of anticipated policy timelines and evolving requirements. It also addresses key themes including eco-modulation, Digital Product Passports, and the growing need for robust data and supply chain transparency.

The document outlines Reconomy’s mission and specific initiatives over the next five years that will enable clients to navigate the complex textile EPR landscape effectively.

In the short term, during the “pre-EPR” phase, this includes helping clients understand the regulatory impact, preparing them operationally, building strong partnerships across the textile ecosystem — including with sorters, recyclers, and other key stakeholders — and investing in technology to enable advanced data management and material returns. 

In the longer term, once EPR legislation is established across all EU member states and additional global markets, Reconomy will continue to support clients with multi-jurisdictional compliance (including in regions such as North America), help them leverage product-level data insights to drive innovation and better product design, and accelerate their transition to circular business models.

The strategy follows the launch of Reconomy's Textile EPR Impact Assessment service – a new tailored service designed to help businesses prepare for the rapidly evolving landscape of textile regulations.

Lavi Aharon, Director of Reconomy’s Textile Programme and Business Development Director, said:
“Textile producers are facing an increasingly complex and fast-evolving regulatory landscape as EPR schemes roll out across the world, and especially in Europe. At the same time, they are under growing pressure to demonstrate real progress on sustainability to retailers and consumers.”

The 56th INNATEX in Frankfurt addresses urgent issues in the Green Fashion sector. From 19 to 21 July 2025 at the Messecenter Hofheim RheinMain, the international trade fair for sustainable textiles offers not only an exhibition of more than 200 Green Fashion labels but also a range of new elements. As a general trend, a rise in the number of young, progressive HERITAGE brands is evident.  

Increase turnover with the right digital strategy 
First there will be a motivating presentation by CDH Mitte (the wholesale and retail industry association for the German states of Hessen, Thuringia and Rhineland Palatinate) entitled ‘Digitalisation that sells – how textile and lifestyle brands are actually reaching new customers today’. Speaker Meltem Alca demonstrates, with the aid of a digital showroom, how emotive appeals to customers and modern sales psychology work. The presentation is aimed at fashion designers, labels, agencies and retailers. 

“Nowadays, anyone wanting to increase sales needs to sell in the same way that people make decisions – personally, intuitively, digitally,” says Meltem Alca. “Video, voice and neuro-sales tools make relationship-based sales strategies easier. These new concepts enable customers to be addressed through emotions, they are brain-friendly and they are measurable.” 
Likewise new to the programme is the Handelsverband Hessen’s expert session ‘Security in retail: shoplifting, rights, prevention’. In this Q&A session, Manuel Hable (Head of Security & Fraud Prevention at JC New Retail AG, the holding company for the Peek & Cloppenburg Group), Ina Kasperski (police superintendent at the State of Hessen Office of Criminal Investigation) and Stefan Siegel (Managing Director of security firm Rentario Sicherheitsmanagement GmbH) will be providing practical suggestions for dealing with a problem affecting physical retail stores ever more frequently. 
 
Foresight, progress and world events 
The keynote speech ‘On the state of sustainable fashion: what is important now’ explores why, despite climate change, the focus on sustainability is reducing while fast fashion flourishes. Speaker Nina Lorenzen of Fashion Changers presents the background and the opportunities that arise, even – in fact especially – for smaller businesses. 

“We all share the vision of a fair and sustainable world, but without a strategic view of sales, profitability and readiness to continue developing, businesses no longer get very far,” says Alexander Hitzel, INNATEX Project Manager. “That may seem obvious but it’s not at all easy in practice. From digitalisation and increasing levels of shoplifting to societal trends, change is evident on many different levels. Companies would do well to respond to this and act for the long term.” 

Three days of inspiration for fashion folk 
In the foyer, on all three days of the fair, Lena Huber will be welcoming visitors and exhibitors and sparking a fascination for plant-based textile dyeing. Fashion professionals can discover techniques for handling natural dyes in this interactive dyeing workshop staged in association with Fashion Campus 2030 and Halt.Clothing. 

Further highlights of the programme include the Community Talks with moderator Mirjam Smend (Greenstyle Munich): one of her panels concerns ideas for the circular economy (‘The second, third, fourth chance: keeping fashion and materials in circulation’), while the other looks at fashion that unites the zeitgeist and timelessness (‘Made to last: contemporary fashion with substance and attitude’). 

More and more younger brands 
The in-demand DESIGN DISCOVERIES, companies exhibiting at INNATEX for the first time, bring together some very diverse themes. mor Khadi Streetwear combines hand-spun denim from India with a casual street style. The latest line from the Berlin-based Zamt label creates minimalist unisex designs from deadstock materials. Sloppy Tunas is bringing along boardshorts made from recycled materials, while moefe has women’s office-wear in organic cotton. First-time exhibitors include Rotholz with casual coolness for women and men, and Patron Socks in fun patterns.

Source Fashion opens Tuesday, 8th July, at Olympia London, welcoming buyers, retailers, and sourcing professionals from around the world. Running until 10th July 2025, the show will host over 250 makers and manufacturers from over 22 key sourcing regions, including UK, Portugal, Morocco, India, Nepal, Italy, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Türkiye, France, and China, to name just a few.
 
With leading retailers and brands such as AllSaints, Burberry, Frasers, French Connection, Gymshark, Harrods, JD Sports, John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe, Killstar, Lyle & Scott, Next, Paul Smith, Primark, River Island, Selfridges, Tottenham Hotspur, Victoria Beckham, Zalando, and more, already pre-registered, Source Fashion is set to be a must-attend event for businesses looking to source responsibly and discover innovative solutions to industry challenges. 
 
Exhibitor Highlights
Returning this season, Amplebox Ltd is a Leicester-based womenswear manufacturer with over 30 years' experience delivering fast-turnaround outerwear to major UK and European retailers. Specialising in design-to-delivery solutions, the company has sharpened its focus on sustainability and ethical production.
 
Deni Mai, based in Istanbul with design offices in London and LA, brings premium denim and knitwear across womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear. Known for flexible minimums, quick lead times, and sustainable techniques like laser finishing, they offer full-service production tailored to today’s market demands.
 
Glovika, a rising Nigerian label from Abuja, showcases bold, bespoke garments that fuse contemporary style with vibrant African textiles. Their presence underscores the global momentum behind African fashion and the demand for culturally rich, responsibly made collections.
 
Exhibiting as part of the Made in Ethiopia initiative, a delegation of Ethiopian manufacturers will showcase the country’s growing strength in sustainable apparel production. Supported by the Sustainable Industrial Clusters project (backed by the British and German governments), the pavilion highlights Ethiopia’s capacity as a reliable sourcing destination, with over 100,000 workers in the sector and a focus on ethical manufacturing within its industrial parks. With duty-free access to the UK under the EBA agreement, Ethiopian producers are poised to connect with international buyers seeking scalable, responsible solutions.
 
From Insight to Impact: Exploring Trends, Innovation, and Ideas on the Source Stage
Visitors can immerse themselves in the latest trends and insights shaping responsible fashion with the Source Catwalk Show, presented three times daily. This season, the catwalk puts pre-loved garments centre stage through a new partnership with leading circular fashion platform Reskinned. Curated by the Source Fashion team, the show features womenswear looks built from exhibitor collections and pre-loved pieces, highlighting how resale, reuse, and repurposing can deliver trend-led, high-impact style. The result is a bold, visual statement that proves pre-loved fashion is not only sustainable, but undeniably stylish.
 
Source Fashion’s thought-leading content programme returns this July with a sharp focus on how to thrive in a volatile world. Running across two stages over three days, the agenda tackles the real challenges facing fashion businesses today, from supply chain resilience and ethical sourcing to pricing pressures and changing consumer behaviour. Back by popular demand, the Source Debates Stage delivers bold, provocative conversations designed to spark honest reflection and collective problem-solving. 
 
Key Speaker Highlights 

• Finding clarity from chaos – leading with purpose. Fireside chat, Lynda Petherick, Chief Information Officer, New Look and Non-Executive Director, British Fashion Council shares honest reflections on steering teams through disruption.
• Leading and collaborating through geopolitical and economic upheaval. Hash Ladha, Former CEO, Jigsaw delves into how strong internal alignment, cross-functional communication, and strategic supplier partnerships can build resilience and help businesses navigate global instability with confidence.
• The new ‘New’ - is pre-loved the future of fashion? Fashion Director and renowned sustainability advocate Bay Garnett explores whether the explosion of second-hand marketplaces and rental platforms represents a lasting shift or passing trend.
• When will consumers really pay more – are they ready? Panel with Anna Berry, Co-Founder and Director, Retail 100, Berni Yates, Knowledge Exchange Lead, CSM and Mark Sumner, Textiles Lead, WRAP
• Rethinking the rules - what would a smarter fashion system look like? Mark Sumner, Textiles Programme Lead – WRAP on Source Debates Stage to reimagine fashion’s supply chain from the ground up

Identiv, Inc. a global leader in RFID- and BLE-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Narravero GmbH., a global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform for Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and supply chain transparency. This collaboration expects to accelerate the commercialization of integrated solutions for EU-compliant DPP deployments. By combining Identiv's NFC inlays for dynamic product data with Narravero's robust data management platform, this partnership offers a comprehensive, integrated solution that streamlines DPP deployment for companies.

Driving DPP Innovation Ahead of EU Regulations
Both Identiv and Narravero are pioneers in connecting physical products with the digital world. Narravero’s core offering allows businesses to create and manage DPPs that provide comprehensive product lifecycle information, including origin, sustainability data, and end-of-life instructions. Beginning in 2027, these DPPs will be required under new European Union sustainability rules. DPPs also present a significant opportunity for enhanced supply chain efficiency and customer engagement. Narravero's platform has already seen substantial growth, reaching 135 million visits as of February 2025.

"We are thrilled about our agreement with Narravero and working collaboratively on the DPP solutions we're bringing to market," said Kirsten Newquist, CEO at Identiv. "This partnership will help companies comply with EU regulations and empower them with new opportunities for sustainability, transparency, and consumer engagement." 

Thomas Rödding, CEO of Narravero, said, "Our partnership with Identiv is a significant step forward in making DPPs accessible and actionable for businesses globally. Identiv's expertise in secure, connected physical identities complements our robust DPP platform, creating a powerful, end-to-end solution.”

This partnership positions Identiv and Narravero at the forefront of DPP innovation, providing a full-circle integrated solution to meet EU regulatory demands and empower businesses with enhanced supply chain transparency, sustainability, and customer engagement.

Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly looking for recycling solutions for end-of-life vehicles to meet sustainability targets and comply with new regulations that are accelerating the automotive industry’s transition toward a circular economy. In response, Autoneum has developed the N-Join1 carpet. This innovative, monomaterial carpet system, made from recycled materials, eliminates the need for latex and adhesives, thereby offering an eco-friendly solution for vehicle interiors.

The N-Join1 employs a unique process that joins the carpet surface together with the substrate in a single step. The substrate can be made from various materials including Autoneum’s Pure technology components made of 100 percent polyester, making N-Join1 easier to recycle without limiting customers’ design freedom. 

The new carpet system offers multiple benefits for vehicle manufacturers. As with other Autoneum interior floor products, N-Join1 is designed to ensure driving comfort with optimal noise protection in the passenger cabin. This innovation can be used together with the Di-Light carpet, which offers an attractive appearance even in highly curved carpet areas due to its uniform surface finish. 

Additionally, its monomaterial construction enables waste-free production and full recycling at the vehicle’s end-of-life. By eliminating the use of latex, which is water and energy-intensive, N-Join1 reduces resource usage and ensures cleaner production, supporting the automotive industry’s move towards more sustainable practices. 

Overall, the new carpet system achieves a significant reduction in the carbon footprint when com-pared to traditional carpet systems of equal weight. The greatest contribution comes from the end-of-life recycling potential enabled by the monomaterial system. 

N-Join1 is suitable for a wide range of vehicles, including both internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). It is currently available in Europe and North America.

In a constantly evolving fashion landscape, where aesthetics meets awareness and luxury evolves beyond simple beauty, where materials are called to embody wellbeing, responsibility and versatility, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei stands as a rare material: precious in its origin, essential to the experience.

Rare because it is produced exclusively by Asahi Kasei in Japan through a highly specialized, and closed-loop process. Rare because it originates from cotton linters — a natural derived pre-consumer material — and accounts for only 0.02% of global fiber production. Rare because it offers a one-of-a-kind aesthetic, sensorial and functional identity, recognized and valued by designers and brands worldwide.

But Bemberg™ is not simply rare — IT IS A FIBER TO LIVE. Its true value unfolds through experience: worn, touched, and explored across diverse lifestyles and when the occasion arises. With its silky softness, fluid drape, luminous appearance, moisture management and skin-friendly comfort, Bemberg™ offers an unparalleled sense of wellbeing to the wearer — ensuring freshness in summer, warmth in winter (especially when blended with other fibers), and a constant feeling of ease, elegance and comfort. This is why Bemberg™ represents not only a technical fiber, but a true partner for those who seek comfort in motion, sophistication in simplicity, and responsible elegance in every moment.

Born 94 years ago in Japan by Asahi Kasei, Bemberg™ has evolved far beyond its origins, becoming a versatile material for multiple categories and hybrid wardrobes: from high-end outerwear to intimate apparel, from fluid knitwear to athleisure and lifestyle collections. Whether in luxury tailoring, couture surfaces, performance wear or modern ceremonial dressing, Bemberg™ elevates each garment through its distinctive touch and graceful adaptability. It is a fiber that opens new creative doors, allowing designers to build collections where design, innovation and responsibility coexist harmoniously. As fashion enters a new era of fluid silhouettes, sensorial materials, and conscious luxury, Bemberg™ offers an exclusive creative platform for brands that seek not just beauty, but meaning and elevated values.

In addition, Bemberg™ carries a prestigious heritage rooted in circular economy values. Produced exclusively in Japan from cotton linters — a natural, pre-consumer material — Bemberg™ embodies a unique form of RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION. Regenerated cellulose obtained from the manufacturing process of cottonseed oil through a closed-loop process ensures transparency and traceability, delivering certified sustainability credentials, including RCS, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, ISO 14001, and biodegradability certification (OK biodegradable MARINE certification by TÜV Austria).

At the heart of Bemberg™’s journey is a collaborative network of European partners: spinners, weavers, knitters, and finishers. Partnerships that are essential to ACTIVATE the values and the potential of the fiber, transforming it into high-end fabrics that respond to the needs of a contemporary, conscious and sophisticated wardrobe. Bemberg™ IS NOT SIMPLY  meant to be WORN, but  to be  LIVED.  

At Milano Unica, Première Vision, A Fabric Affair NYC and Feel The Yarn, Bemberg™ partners present their latest developments for Fall/Winter 2026-2027 — a collective journey where smart fiber, design, and craftsmanship converge to redefine the future of premium fashion.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, unveiled a fully redesigned website (www.archroma.com), aimed at enhancing customer experience and accelerating the transition to more sustainable practices across the textiles, packaging, and paper value chains.

Rooted in Archroma’s sustainability-driven mission, the new digital platform is designed to help manufacturers and brands make smarter, science-based decisions that reduce environmental impact. With this launch, Archroma reinforces its commitment to enabling a more sustainable future—through innovation, transparency, and accessible technology.

“The new website comes at a pivotal time for our industries, where increasing demand for lower-impact solutions – along with more stringent regulations and standards – is making sustainability a business imperative for everyone,” Dhirendra Gautam, VP Global Marketing and Strategy, Archroma Textile Effects, said. “More than a visual refresh, our upgraded website reflects our commitment to helping customers navigate fast-changing, competitive markets with smart, sustainable, accessible solutions.”

For example, Textile Effects solutions can be explored by end-use market or innovation theme. A new user-friendly SUPER SYSTEMS+ tool brings interactivity to the product portfolio, spanning preparation, dyeing, denim, printing and finishing. It guides users to select the right low-impact system for a specific market, end-use segment, fabric and shade, based on unique sustainability targets, compliance requirements and performance goals.
The new Packaging Technologies section showcases innovative solutions for a wide range of markets and applications. Visitors to the website will see how Archroma enables circular packaging with more sustainable chemistry spanning the entire value chain. The innovation section will highlight the latest breakthrough solutions and thought leadership content.

Key features of the new site include:

• Industry-centered solutions to help users quickly access information tailored to the specific challenges of the textile and packaging sector.
• Enhanced navigation and search for easier access to information, resources and support.
• A dynamic newsroom, with the latest company insights, technology updates and industry events.
• Improved contact tools for faster access to Archroma experts for support and collaboration.

Lower costs, less energy intensive, and with zero waste water, the new QuantumCOLOUR™ process is set to revolutionize wool textile colouring: Woolmark, the global authority on wool, has teamed up with COLOURizd™, pioneers in dry textile colouring processes, to introduce a revolutionary new method to colour wool and wool blends. 

QuantumCOLOUR™ is a cutting-edge yarn colouring process that significantly reduces resource consumption and costs. Using just 0.5L of water per kilogram of yarn, this technology eliminates the need for bleaching, pre-treatment and wastewater discharge. This makes the COLOURizd™ QuantumCOLOUR™ a reduced resource-intense colouration process, where only the wetting agent and pigment binder system are required.

“After extensive testing on Merino wool and wool blends, we realized the team at COLOURizd™ is on to something truly revolutionary for the wool industry,” said Woolmark General Manager Processing Innovation & Education Extension Julie Davies. “The QuantumCOLOUR™ process provides durable solutions, creating faded to saturated tonal depths of colour for wool and wool blends. And since it uses very little water, suppliers can choose to colour wool and wool blend yarns without the need for wastewater processing infrastructure.”

Traditional dyeing requires a variety of chemicals, including caustic soda, acids, bleach, and salts, all washed in with between 60 and 120 liters of water per kilogram of yarn. The COLOURizd™ method uses none of these chemicals, instead utilising a bluesign® certified pigment and binder injected into a yarn fibre bundle. The result is a process that allows for a range of colours and supple textures.

“Woolmark represents the gold standard within the wool industry and they will be instrumental in helping to offer our lower impact, higher performance process to new markets,” said COLOURizd™ CEO Jennifer Thompson. “Our current clients include Kontoor Brands (Wrangler and Lee), Cone Denim, and GANT, and working with Woolmark will allow us to reach an entirely new market, bringing sustainability and performance solutions to wool manufacturers around the globe.”

Successfully validated on 100% Merino wool, as well as blends with cotton, TENCEL™ and nylon, on a range of yarn counts from 30/2NM to 80/1NM, the COLOURizd™ QuantumCOLOUR™ pigment process meets all standards for colourfastness and durability. Assessed through authorised laboratory partners, Woolmark testing was carried out on yarns, fabrics and garments, showing the technology delivers consistent colour performance and long-lasting wear.

Woolmark and COLOURizd™ will introduce this new technology during Pitti Immagine Filati.

Last week, Girbau celebrated its 105th anniversary with a commemorative event at its headquarters in Vic, the place where it all began in 1920 with a small workshop for electromechanical equipment founded by Joan Girbau. Today, more than a century later, Girbau is a global brand with a presence in more than 100 countries, with a community of professionals who continue to uphold the core values it was founded on: innovation, closeness, commitment, and long-term vision. Girbau designs and supplies complete, sustainable, innovative solutions for textile care, with a positive impact on people and the planet.

The event brought together the headquarters team, their families, and the presidents of the group’s 16 international subsidiaries, who toured the production centers together to get a close look at the company’s technological evolution and its focus on sustainability and industrial innovation.

The event was also a celebration of creativity and team spirit. With Carles Pérez, FlaixBac radio host, as master of ceremonies, the event featured live musical performances, a rollerskating show, and a unique moment in which Girbau’s HS washers became moving works of art, symbolizing the fusion of industry and art that defines the company.

One of the most special moments was the arrival of a commemorative cake created by the master chocolatier and World Chocolate Masters winner Lluc Crusellas, who sent his personal congratulations to the company. A sweet ending to an emotional day.

During the ceremony, accompanied by Mercè Girbau and Pere Girbau — current leadership and third generation — as well as Toni Girbau and Teresa Girbau — second generation and key pillars in the company’s industrial and organizational consolidation — key moments from Girbau’s history were relived. Mercè Girbau emphasized the importance of continuity and collective commitment as the keys to reaching this milestone: “These 105 years are the result of a shared project sustained over time. Girbau’s strength lies in the people who have built it with effort, talent, and dedication.”

A special recognition was also given to Mike Floyd, President of Girbau North America, for his close connection to the company and his significant role in over 30 years of Girbau North America’s history.

As part of this anniversary, Girbau has launched a series of commemorative activities that will take place throughout the year. These include the planting of a cypress tree in memory of Pere Girbau, a key figure of the second generation, as a symbol of the company's roots and legacy. Additionally, each subsidiary of the group will celebrate the anniversary at their respective locations with local activities.

With this celebration, Girbau reaffirms its essence: an industrial company with a global vision, strong roots in its community, and a constant commitment to the people who drive it forward day by day.