From the Sector

Heimtextil kicks off the new trade fair year with over 3,000 exhibitors from 65 countries. At the opening, architect and designer Patricia Urquiola presented her installation ‘among-us’ at Heimtextil.

“The steady growth and the very high level of internationality confirm the strength of Heimtextil. As leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles and textile design, it is an indispensable partner for the global industry – this is more important today than ever before. Especially in challenging times, Heimtextil offers companies the opportunity to strengthen their market position: through international visibility, the identification and realisation of potential and the development of new global business partners”, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.

Visitors to the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles find a globally unique range of products on 16 hall levels. This spans from wallpapers, upholstery fabrics, mattresses and sleep systems, towelling products, textile designs, fibres and yarns to carpets. The Carpets & Rugs area counts three times as many exhibitors in 2025 and is growing by several hall levels.  

The Heimtextil Trends 25/26, curated for the first time by the Milan-based design platform Alcova, offer inspiration and sustainable solutions. In the Trend Arena in Hall 3.0, they are spectacularly staged. They are looking at material qualities, colours and innovative production processes.

The content programme covers the most important industry topics. It addresses different visitor groups – from retailers, wholesalers, industry, designers, furniture and bedding shops, interior architects, interior designers, architects, contract furnishers and many other decision-makers. At the Retail Stage in Hall 12.1, topics ranging from sleep and sustainability to AI in retail and optimising the customer experience are being highlighted. The Texpertise Stage in Hall 4.0 focuses on materials for contract furnishings, trends in hotel design, carpets and the Heimtextil Trends 25/26.

Installation by Patricia Urquiola: design concepts for retail and hospitality
At the Heimtextil opening press conference, star designer and architect Patricia Urquiola presented her design installation ‘among-us’ in Hall 12.0. The area contains products made specially for Heimtextil. For example, a hanging carpet created by the traditional dhurrie technique. Patricia Urquiola developed the unique pieces together with partners such as Kettal, Moroso, cc-tapis, Aquafil and Cimento®. Embedded in the installation, they show retail and hospitality the possibilities opened up by the textile design of tomorrow. Patricia Urquiola emphasises holistically designed rooms and objects, living areas that merge seamlessly as well as materiality and versatility.

“‘among-us’ is a convivial and intuitive textile installation that shows the evolving possibilities of textiles, exploring their hybrid potentials across various scales – from product design to one/off pieces. The title, among-us, refers to the concept of being together and reflects the intent of the installation to celebrate hybrid new relations”, explains Patricia Urquiola.

In ‘among-us’, physical and virtual worlds merge through a grid on the floor inspired by drafting software. At the centre are textile elements in abstract and organic forms such as a sofa or an upholstered sculpture. They demonstrate the interplay of materials and technologies. Screens show their virtual counterparts and encourage interaction. At the same time, ‘among-us’ shows how textile innovations influence design processes. Textiles combine functionality, aesthetics and sustainability and create unique possibilities. The installation also shows how traditional craftsmanship can be integrated into the design of spaces and products.

Pili, a French pioneer in biobased dyes and pigments, partners with Orta, the Turkish denim mill and Citizens of Humanity, a California-based high-end denim brand known for its commitment to quality and sustainability.

They are beginning a transformative shift in the denim industry with the commercial launch of the first products dyed with Pili’s biobased indigo. The first products will debut in January in the Spring 2025 collections of Citizens of Humanity and AGOLDE.

A New Ecological Standard for the Denim Industry
In 2024, Pili achieved a major milestone by producing its first tons of biobased indigo, enabling the creation of sustainable denim articles, a turning point in the company's efforts to decarbonize the textile industry especially denim.

Pili has developed unique processes combining fermentation and organic chemistry to offer a high-performance, eco-friendly alternative to petrochemical dyes. Their ecological alternative significantly reduces the use of toxic chemicals and fossil resources, while aiming to cut CO2 emissions up to 50%. It meets the same performance as petrochemical indigo while seamlessly integrating into existing dyeing processes without requiring additional investment in commercial dyeing equipment.

Pili’s colors development is based on standardized Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), ensuring a rigorous process to measure and minimize their environmental impact.

A Partnership Driving Sustainable Transformation in the Industry
Fiber and dye are the two main components of denim products and also the ones with the greatest impact on their production. The partnership between Citizens of Humanity, Pili, and Orta establishes one of the highest ecological standards in the market with the use of regenerative cotton and biobased indigo.

Pili biobased indigo will make its debut in Citizens of Humanity and AGOLDE’s Spring 2025 collections. This long-term partnership between Citizens of Humanity, Orta, and Pili will continue to expand in future collections. The launch will be exclusive on NET-A-PORTER on January 6, 2025, before being extended to agolde.com, citizensofhumanity.com, and other global retailers.

A Key Step Towards the Decarbonization of the Color Industry
Building on this first success, Pili is accelerating the development of coloring solutions for various industrial applications, particularly in the inks, paints, and polymers sectors. The aim is to decarbonize everyday products using high-performance biobased pigments, with the first applicative tests set to begin this year. Pili continues its mission to decarbonize the color industry, paving the way for a sustainable revolution.

Haelixa has partnered with C&A, one of Europe’s leading fashion retailers, to advance the traceability of its organic cotton. The partnership stems from C&A’s commitment to working with others in the apparel industry to pilot and scale innovation. C&A’s targets include supporting the growth of organic cotton without synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, resulting in cleaner waterways, healthier ecosystems, and lower farmer costs.
 
The partnership between Haelixa and C&A began in 2022 with a pilot project, and since then, they have continuously worked together to trace raw materials. The result is this agreement with Haelixa to mark their organic cotton for the next three years. Using Haelixa’s DNA markers, C&A can trace the journey of its organic cotton from farm to finished garment. According to the C&A Sustainability Report, they are working with other organisations to foster organic cotton farming.  
 
Alexandre Saus-Salas, Head of Sourcing at C&A, commented, “Transparency and ethical sourcing are crucial in our supply chain. As part of our commitment to traceability, we have begun implementing Haelixa DNA within our organic supply chain. This gradual rollout will continue over multiple seasons in 2025, with an impact foreseen over the next three years.”
 
Haelixa’s solution utilises DNA markers to create a tamper-proof, verifiable traceability that tracks organic cotton throughout the supply chain. The cotton, sourced through CottonConnect, is marked with unique DNA, which acts as a specific identifier. Once applied, the cotton is tested throughout the supply chain to verify the material using forensic PCR tests. Traceability with the fiber-forward approach ensures the final garment materials are authentic.  
 
The marking ensures the authenticity of organic cotton and mitigates the risk of sourcing from regions associated with forced labour.  Using the Haelixa markers enables C&A to make reliable statements about the presence of organic cotton in its products marked at the field level (in the ginning process).
 
Patrick Strumpf, CEO of Haelixa, noted, “Trust is the foundation of transparent storytelling. By tracing organic cotton from farm to finished garment, we empower brands like C&A to tell an authentic story, fostering greater consumer confidence in their sustainability efforts.”
 
This project is one of the initiatives that C&A has undertaken to enhance accountability through its supply chain. One of the goals listed in their Sustainability Report is enabling customers to make informed choices by increasing transparency around products and the company. The traceability of organic cotton demonstrates that innovation can support business success through customer trust.

TrusTrace, a global company with a market-leading platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced that TWINSET, a high-end Italian fashion brand, has selected their platform to help identify suppliers, support eco-design initiatives, and measure each product’s environmental impact.

TWINSET was established in Carpi (Modena) in 1987. The collections, which initially focused on sophisticated knitwear, expanded over the years to offer, through apparel and accessories, a total look for women and girls.

With a three-year roadmap, results will be reached progressively by scaling-up to ultimately trace the full range of product categories and suppliers. Key objectives are to identify material country of origin, manage supply-chain risk such as forced labour, and enable eco-design by assessing the environmental impact of the product. To support the environmental impact initiative, TrusTrace partnered with a leading life cycle assessment (LCA) solution Peftrust, which feeds traceability data directly to the LCA solution to get the most precise PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) scoring.

This strategic initiative has especially helped support TWINSET to prepare for incoming regulations such as Digital Product Passports (DPPs) which will be mandatory on textiles sold in Europe by 2030, as well as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which requires companies to report on their environmental and social impact.

Das Outdoor Retailer Climate Commitment (ORCC), offenes Netzwerk europäischer Outdoor-Händler für mehr Klimaschutz in der Outdoor-Branche, hat mit dem deutschen Outdoor-Händler Globetrotter ein weiteres Mitglied gewonnen. Die Initiative hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, sich gemeinsam für die Erreichung der Pariser Klimaschutzziele einzusetzen und mit Hilfe wissenschaftsbasierter Ziele aktiv dazu beizutragen, die globale Klimaerwärmung auf 1,5 Grad Celsius zu begrenzen.

Das ORCC wurde im September 2021 als Initiative europäischer Outdoor-Händler ins Leben gerufen. Ursprünglich mit fünf Mitgliedern gestartet, umfasst das offene Klimaschutz-Netzwerk mittlerweile zehn Outdoor-Retailer aus ganz Europa. Die größten Vertreter der Branche, darunter die Sportler AG, Yonderland, Bergfreunde GmbH, Bergzeit GmbH, Sport Schuster, Sport Conrad, Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports, Sport Pursuit, Sport Bründl und nun auch Globetrotter, setzen sich gemeinsam für mehr Klimaschutz ein. Ihr Ziel ist es, den Klimaschutz voranzubringen und die Pariser Klimaziele zu erreichen.

Die Mitglieder des ORCC nehmen ihre Verantwortung für den Klimaschutz sehr ernst: Sie verpflichten sich, ihren CO2-Fußabdruck gemäß dem Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard zu messen, Ziele zur Reduzierung ihrer Emissionen festzulegen (zum Beispiel durch die Science Based Targets Initiative oder gleichwertige Ziele), Maßnahmen zur Erreichung der Klimaschutzziele zu ergreifen und jährlich einen öffentlich zugänglichen Fortschrittsbericht vorzulegen.

Globetrotter will mit dem Beitritt zum Netzwerk vor allem die unternehmensübergreifende Zusammenarbeit für die Sache stärken und Synergie-Effekte sowie Erfahrungen teilen. Andreas Vogler, Geschäftsführung Globetrotter, erklärt: „Um den Klimaschutz weiter voranzubringen, müssen wir alle unsere Anstrengungen noch intensivieren. Ein wichtiger Schlüssel ist die Zusammenarbeit innerhalb der Branche. Deshalb freue ich mich, dass wir ab sofort unsere Expertise in das ORCC einbringen.“
 
Fabian Nendza, Senior Sustainability Manager bei Globetrotter, will über den gemeinsamen Austausch vor allem die Klimaschutzmaßnahmen innerhalb der Lieferkette verbessern und ergänzt: „Wir müssen an die Scope 3 Emissionen ran und das möglichst effektiv, d.h. den Aufwand auf allen Seiten reduzieren und den Fokus auf Impact legen.“

Global Fashion Summit, the international forum for sustainability in fashion, presented a special Shanghai Gala edition on 7 November during the China International Import Expo (CIIE). The event was presented by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and Chinamind NEXT and gathered key local and international fashion industry stakeholders for an evening of compelling discussions during a gala dinner at The St. Regis Shanghai Jingan.
 
Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala was centred on the theme, ‘Unlocking the Next Level’, and built on insights from the Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition held in May. By hosting the Summit in Shanghai—a dynamic city that melds tradition with innovation and sets global trends—the event aimed to promote dialogue and cross-country collaboration to influence sustainable practices on an international scale.
 
Throughout the evening, guests heard from distinguished speakers from companies including COACH, H&M Group, Piaget China, Chinamind NEXT, Décor Global, Erdos Cashmere Group, Target, Balian Group, and more. Discussions addressed critical topics such as ‘Circularity at Scale’, ‘Shaping Sustainable Retail’, and ‘Ambition to Action’, spotlighting key strategies for accelerating the implementation of sustainability across the fashion value chain.
 
At the event, GFA announced the publication of The GFA Monitor 2024 - a resource designed to guide industry leaders towards creating a net positive fashion industry. Launched ahead of COP29, this year's publication serves as a streamlined update, highlighting both significant advancements and ongoing challenges in the industry.
 
Federica Marchionni, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda, says: “The inaugural edition of Global Fashion Summit in China marked an evening of profound thought leadership, demonstrating the opportunity for the industry to convert ambitious goals into meaningful actions with ripple effects felt across communities and ecosystems worldwide. In this new era, we are forging critical dialogues and alliances at the Summit, which we plan to build upon at our next Summit in Copenhagen next year.”
 
Ms. Lynn Fu, CEO, Chinamind NEXT, remarked, “The arrival of Global Fashion Summit in Shanghai as the most respected summit in the sustainable fashion industry, marks a significant milestone. It has sparked profound discussions among participants on the theme of Unlocking the Next Level. As the world’s largest consumer of apparel and textiles, China has a substantial impact on driving sustainable industry trends and cultivating consumers’ green preferences. When Chinese fashion companies and international brands collaborate more passionately on their sustainable visions, profound and enduring benefits for the industry will be delivered.”
 
During the event, GFA also announced the official launch of ticket sales for the upcoming Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2025, scheduled for 3-5 June next year. The theme for the 2025 edition was revealed as ‘Barriers and Bridges’, which will guide the discussions and actions planned for next year’s summit.

In September, Ontex reached a binding agreement to sell its Brazilian business activities to Softys SA for an enterprise value of approximately €110 million, enabling improved focus on retail brands and healthcare in Europe and North America. Net proceeds of approximately €82 million are due at closing, which is expected during the first half of 2025, subject to customary conditions.

In October, the social negotiations regarding the transformation of the operating footprint in Belgium were successfully concluded. This transformation fits in Ontex’s footprint optimization, allowing to further strengthen Ontex’s competitive position. The total one-time cost is estimated at €(66) million, of which €(37) million was already recorded in the second quarter.

Q3 2024 results

• Revenue was €468 million, up 1.7% like for like. Volumes, including mix effects, were up 4.4%, driven by contract gains and supportive demand in adult care, and by growth in baby care with new retail customers in North America. Sales prices were 2.6% lower, as expected, reflecting raw material index decreases and investments in increased competitiveness. Forex fluctuations were supportive, adding 0.7%, bringing total growth at 2.4%.
• Adjusted EBITDA was €56 million, up 29% year on year, thanks to volume and mix growth and the cost transformation program delivery, contributing €8 million and €14 million respectively. The operational efficiency improved further by 3.7%, driving stronger profitability and competitiveness. Index-driven lower raw material costs more than compensated for lower sales prices, leading to a €4 million positive net impact. The increase of other operating and SG&A costs had a €(12) million effect, mostly due to continued inflation. Forex fluctuations had an adverse effect of €(2) million. The adjusted EBITDA margin thereby rose to 12.0%, up 2.4pp year on year.
• Operating profit was €8 million, compared to €29 million in 2023. The decrease relates to the transformation of the Belgian operating footprint and reflects the additional one-time provisions taken following the recent successful conclusion of the social plan negotiations.
• Discontinued operations generated a €14 million operating profit, compared to €12 million in 2023. While revenue was 3.0% lower like for like and the adjusted EBITDA margin dropped to 7.6%, reflecting more challenging market conditions, this was compensated by a net gain on disposal, that was triggered by the agreement to divest the Brazilian business.
• Net financial debt for the Total Group dropped €9 million to €579 million over the quarter. Combined with the adjusted EBITDA improvement, the leverage ratio thereby fell from 2.5x at the end of June to 2.4x at the end of September.

2024 outlook

Ontex’s management confirms its guidance for adjusted EBITDA margin, free cash flow and leverage for the full year. While new customers are on-boarded in North America, the ramp-up is phased more gradually over the third quarter and the coming months, leading management to review its revenue growth guidance, now expecting:

• Revenue [1] to grow between 2% and 3% like for like;
• Adjusted EBITDA margin [1] of 12%;
• Free cash flow higher than €20 million;
• Leverage ratio below 2.5x at year end.

Together with the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) and the German Furniture and Kitchen Retailers Association (BVDM), Koelnmesse has decided to skip the imm cologne's January 2025 edition. This joint decision was taken following intense discussions and reflects the challenging conditions the furniture industry is currently facing, particularly in Germany. It gives everyone involved the chance to collaborate with Koelnmesse on the development of a new, more viable future trade fair format.

It was taken primarily due to the fact that the German furniture manufacturers are generally in troubled waters, as there is a scarce domestic demand for furniture, and the industry is therefore, understandably, keeping a close eye on its spending.

According to the latest VDM industry figures, the entire market recorded a significant fall in turnover in 2023, as well as in the first six months of 2024. It dropped by 9.7 percent for all furniture, and even by 11.2 percent for upholstered furniture. The employee and company numbers are also going down.

"We're extremely sorry to be skipping the imm cologne, but ultimately, this is a necessary, and the right step," says VDM president Leo Lübke. "Like many other industries, the furniture market has also changed considerably over the past few years - and along with this the demand for trade fairs. Unfortunately, the industry's current situation is forcing many companies to change course. As an industry, we are working intensely with Koelnmesse on the development of new concepts tailor-made specifically for the individual furniture segments. As Europe's largest furniture nation, we need our central industry shows, and believe in the Cologne venue's furniture expertise."

BVDM president Markus Meyer agrees: "I understand the decision to skip next January's trade fair, and I'm sorry that the industry did not lend better support to its leading international trade fair. The imm cologne has been an important meeting place for the industry for decades. By taking a break next year, we will not only lose a central platform for innovation and exchange, but also an important stage for serving the international market. All of the industry's stakeholders are now urgently tasked with getting together and finding joint solutions. More than ever before, we must now concentrate on securing and strengthening our position. The industry needs a strong platform like the imm cologne in order to restructure itself in a way that ensures its future viability."

The chairman of the Koelnmesse management board is also looking towards the future: "Pausing the imm cologne at this point in time is a logical decision, in view of the situation the industry currently finds itself in," says Gerald Böse. "It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but it was also unavoidable in order to show our international customers some consideration. Due to its January date, the imm cologne did not take place three years in a row during the pandemic. This lack of continuity, coupled with the current economic environment, makes it impossible for us as event organisers to guarantee an attractive range of exhibitors for the retailers in Cologne in January 2025. We still intend to offer the furniture industry an international stage in Germany in future. We are already jointly developing very promising concepts that meet the changed requirements of all stakeholders as best as can be. Koelnmesse is the world's number one in interiors, as impressively proven by the ORGATEC, the interzum and the spoga+gafa. We must now steer our flagship back on course, together with the furniture industry!"

OUTLOOK™ 2024 took place on 24-26 September 2024 in Rome, gathering a record of 549 delegates from 212 companies and 37 countries across the nonwovens personal care, hygiene & wipes products value chain.

OUTLOOK24 Conference
The conference, structured across five key sessions, featured 26 speakers covering a diverse array of critical topics impacting not only the nonwovens industry but society at large. These topics included cutting-edge innovations and eco-design, evolving market dynamics, navigating new EU regulations, the future of absorbent hygiene products, sustainability, retail strategies, and the challenges posed by China's influence on European commerce.

The event's first day opened with a compelling presentation by Joachim De Vos, Managing Partner and Founder of Living Tomorrow & TomorrowLab. As an expert in strategic innovation and scenario planning, he shared valuable insights on guiding organizations towards future-readiness. He highlighted the emerging success factors, emphasizing how Generative AI can be leveraged to develop scenarios for the nonwovens industry, serving as a powerful roadmap for future innovation.

On the second day, James Kynge, the Europe-China correspondent for the Financial Times, delivered a keynote address., "The China Challenge", emphasizing China's rapid rise as a global tech superpower, noting that the country produced more than half of the world's robots last year. He explored the far-reaching impact of this growth on European commerce, highlighting the challenges and outlined strategies for European companies.

The final day of OUTLOOK™ Jack Stratten, Director of Insider Trends. highlighted in his presentation, “The polarization of choice: How retailers and brands are responding to market and product saturation,” in an unprecedented market saturation that leaves 64% of consumers feeling overwhelmed by choices. He discussed how massive retail platforms drive product saturation, influencing both quality and variety and concluded that differentiation in this crowded landscape occurs by focusing on high-quality, curated selections.

OUTLOOK24 Exhibition
As part of its commitment to fostering connections within the industry, OUTLOOK™ 2024 continued its tradition of offering extensive networking opportunities to its delegates. This year’s event featured a tabletop exhibition, where 20 companies had the chance to showcase their expertise over the 3 days.

The next edition of OUTLOOK™ will take place from 23-25 September 2025, in Budapest, Hungary at the Marriott Hotel, Budapest.

TrusTrace, a global SaaS company with a market-leading platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced a strategic collaboration with platform engineering firm Xoriant and environmental impact data leader Carbon Trail to deliver a comprehensive solution that supports international brands that want to implement more product marketing accountability.

The new solution is the first-of-its-kind in the industry and leverages Xoriant’s strong data architecture, Carbon Trail’s environmental impact data, and TrusTrace’s supply chain traceability data to provide brands with the information they need to market their products with specific details on how they’re made and where.

This new technological solution coincides with the implementation of the Green Claims Code, which launched in 2021 and was updated in 2023 to factor in product-specific environmental impact and strives to ensure that claims are clear, accurate and not misleading; provide specific and clear information about materials used; use accurate product filters and avoid misleading imagery; and support claims with verifiable strategics and third party accreditation.

On the data side, brands need to measure environmental impact on a product level, not only just related to carbon, but covering 16+ indicators such as water, land use, and microfibre impacts. Once environmental impact and supply chain data is aggregated, information can then be incorporated into a Digital Product Passport, a record that can tell a product's entire value chain via QR code/digital tag that will be required for EU brands between 2026-2030. For example, a buyer can theoretically scan a product’s QR code and be taken to a unique URL link in which the environmental impact for that specific product is available to view. This can be displayed alongside traceability data – like where the product has been manufactured – in addition to other information like recyclability, microplastics, product certifications, all those elements also come into play.