From the Sector

• On 22.03 STOLL will offer a webinar through the online platform of Fashion Council Germany on the topic of digitalisation and sustainability in STOLL flat knitting.

Webinar Description
Digitalisation and sustainability are becoming increasingly essential for the success and existence of fashion companies. The flat knitting industry with its immense flexibility and diversity offers many opportunities for digital solutions and sustainable practices. In this webinar, Karl Mayer Stoll will share how digital design tools enable more sustainable knitwear development.

Fashion Council Germany
The FCG is the patron to strengthen the German fashion and design landscape for a visionary, technological & sustainable future in a global market.
The Fashion Council Germany represents the interests of fashion "designed in Germany". Founded in January 2015 in Berlin. On the initiative of national industry experts, the Fashion Council Germany promotes German fashion design as a cultural and economic asset and supports young designers from Germany. In addition to the promotion of young designers, special attention is paid to education, sustainability and fashion technology as well as to the promotion of cross-disciplinary dialogue and networking. Against this background, the Council carries out essential lobbying work in politics, business and culture, strives for visibility and emphasises the global relevance of fashion design and Germany as a fashion location at home and abroad.

Since the beginning of last year, the FCG offers workshops on various business topics in the fashion industry. Until further notice, all FCG seminars will take place online due to the Corona crisis.

• Looking to the future – Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself with a consistently sustainable agenda and propelling the transformation of a modern, resource-efficient fashion industry.

The Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC), working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), will be the presenting partner and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a prerequisite for all exhibitors by 2023. And the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit by CFC is set to become the leading international conference for sustainability in the fashion world. The future of fashion has begun – and its key players will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021.
 
Frankfurt am Main, 2 December 2020. Joining forces to improve the fashion industry: Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as the host of the future of fashion and actively driving forward the transformation towards a future-oriented, more sustainable fashion and textile industry. All decision-makers looking to instigate this change will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021. The initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week – Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group – have achieved a real coup: Conscious Fashion Campaign, working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be the presenting partner. Messe Frankfurt will build on its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and establish Frankfurt Fashion week as the platform on which to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the fashion industry into the 'Decade of Action'.
 
“Frankfurt will play host to the whole world. We are seeing a very positive response indeed,” confirmed Peter Feldmann, Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s digital press conference, before going on to say: “The fact that the initiators are able to rethink the concept of a Fashion Week in such a way is extremely impressive and proves that the fashion industry is correctly interpreting the signs of the present and future. The time has come for value creation and values to be reconciled. Consistent alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals is an important step in this direction.”
 
“Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to play a crucial role in finding solutions for macrosocial challenges and supporting the goals of international politics such as the European Green Deal. The fashion and textile industries are also expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. If we want to achieve this, we all need to pull together. Frankfurt Fashion Week is inviting all initiators and supporters of sustainable concepts and congresses or shows dedicated to sustainability to meet in Frankfurt, partake in discussions and make tangible decisions for the greater good. We will connect the most relevant players and pave the way for a future-proof fashion and textile industry,” says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
 
“Given its global reach, the fashion industry is uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular on climate action and responsible production and consumption,” said Annemarie Hou, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. “Frankfurt Fashion Week and the Summit will serve as an important platform for education and engagement of the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action,” emphasised Ms Hou.
 
The aim of Frankfurt Fashion Week is for all exhibitors, participants and partners to align with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023. The SDGs will also be incorporated into all formats of Frankfurt Fashion Week. This will help to make the UN’s sustainability goals visible and tangible for the Fashion Week audience, therefore bringing its claim, goals and specific proposals for implementation to an international opinion-forming fashion and lifestyle community. During a one-day Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit presented by Conscious Fashion Campaign, topics like gender equality, clean water, climate protection, social justice and their significance for a forward-looking fashion industry will be examined in greater depth. Another point on the sustainability agenda: Frankfurt Fashion Week is launching a Sustainability Award for outstanding, innovative, sustainable design, alongside other categories with a global appeal for the fashion and textile industry.
 
"We are committed to setting the wheels of transformation in motion. Not only does the overall mindset have to fundamentally change; the entire industry also needs to have the courage to be transparent and honest. It’s important to see values and value creation as opportunities rather than contentious. We are doing what we do best: connecting the relevant players at all levels. With its ecosystem, Frankfurt Fashion Week will become the enabler. We are creating a platform that will orchestrate industry-wide change. With this as our inspiration, we are also developing our tradeshow formats from a ‘marketplace of products’ to a ‘marketplace of purpose and ideas’,” explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.
 
A new start in Frankfurt: In summer 2021 the entire fashion industry will be coming to the metropolis on the Main river to inform themselves, be inspired, discuss, negotiate and celebrate. “There’s a huge need to finally meet in person again, to exchange ideas and be inspired. At the same time, digital tools and formats have become an integral part of the fashion industry,” says Markus Frank, Head of the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Economic Affairs and therefore also responsible for its creative industry. “To implement such a future-oriented, all-encompassing overall concept, Frankfurt’s business and creative scenes offer an almost unique concentration of different expertise with its internationally networked agencies, universities and museums. The city’s multifaceted, high-end club, bar and restaurant scene, diverse hotel industry and internationally renowned retail landscape will become the stage for this. This network will be a key factor in the successful implementation of Frankfurt Fashion Week and the way in which it will expand into the public space as a cultural and social happening.”
 
A number of major publishing houses are also showing their commitment to the new Fashion Week in Frankfurt with conferences, events and awards: Textilwirtschaft, the leading professional fashion journal by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing house, is moving its traditional meeting of the industry’s top decision-makers – the TW Forum, the presentation of the renowned Forum Award, as well as its subsequent conference – from Heidelberg to Frankfurt’s Palmengarten botanical gardens, and will therefore be kicking off Frankfurt Fashion Week on Sunday evening and Monday morning. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will be hosting its traditional fashion party for the first time in Frankfurt and publishing a special edition of its FAZ Magazin on Frankfurt Fashion Week. And the ZEIT publishing group is holding its ‘UNLOCK Style by ZEITmagazin’ conference, which was established in 2014, and the ZEITmagazin Fashion Week party in Frankfurt for the first time and will dedicate the whole new issue of ZEITmagazin Frankfurt to Frankfurt Fashion Week. Condé Nast will also be involved in next summer’s Frankfurt Fashion Week with an exclusive event by GQ. And the Burda publishing house will also be represented with various event formats from its lifestyle and fashion brands.There will also be talks with SHINE  Conventions, the organiser of GLOW, about what a mutual collaboration could look like.
 
Frankfurt Fashion Week is also delighted to have the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) on board.  The FCG is theinstitution when it comes to German fashion design. It promotes designers, is committed to gaining more political relevance and strengthens the international visibility and awareness of German fashion. At Frankfurt Fashion Week, the FCG will contribute selected formats, such as its already established Fireside Chat, and a future-oriented accelerator format to support German designers.
 
“What really impresses me about Fashion Week is the whole networking aspect: the creative industries will meet the financial world and sustainability is the common denominator. The Green Finance Cluster is another project that we could link with Frankfurt Fashion Week in the future. This will provide new inspiration in the fashion industry, which will certainly extend way beyond its own horizon of Frankfurt and Hesse. After a very difficult year for the trade fair industry, the concept is an encouraging breath of fresh air,” sums up Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development and Deputy Minister-President of the state of Hessen.

Shanghai, China - DyStar, a leading specialty chemical company with a heritage of more than a century in product development and innovation will exhibit in the 20th China International Dyestuff Industry, Pigments and Textile Chemicals Exhibition - China Interdye 2020. DyStar will showcase the latest product innovations at Hall 1 booth #A330.

The three-day annual event will be taking place at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (SWEECC) and opens doors on 8th November. DyStar’s managers will be onsite to support visitors from production houses, manufacturers, and Brands and Retailers with essential information, helping them to make meaningful and notable decisions based on tangible benefits such as reduction of water, waste and energy consumption, thereby improving their end-products and quality.

DyStar’s sustainable solutions can further optimize productions, processes, and reduce costs. Some of these products and concepts are highlighted at the event as follows:
•    Recent launch of Cadira® Polyamide and Cadira Polyester/Cellulosic Exhaust
•    Total collection of eleven Cadira® modules
•    High Fast Dianix® XF2 Range
•    Sera® Wash M-VFN
•    Levafix® CA and Remazol® SAM offer

Despite a year full of global economic challenges, with the supply chain and stakeholders heavily strained by the global pandemic, DyStar is determined to support the industry and its customers. They can benefit from our legacy of innovations and product offerings, so that they can continue to drive sustainability and growth in their respective domains, contributing in a responsible and yet sustainable manner for a cleaner future.

Sustainable solutions that pack a punch  

With over 6,500 visitors and more than 2,000 participants at a total of 720 minutes of live presentation sessions and with many potential new customers in the live info chat, the virtual interpack conference organised by Sappi was a resounding success. Sappi presented its latest developments, future prospects and current range of packaging and speciality papers at the event. In addition to further networking opportunities, the visitors took full advantage of the chance to get in contact with the Sales team.

• For the packaging of the future: sustainable, high-quality paper
• Second-generation barrier papers ensure optimal protection of goods as food packaging
• Providing what the world wants: fully recyclable packaging

Based on the motto ‘Pro Planet: Paper Packaging – welcome to the new pack-age’, the market leader in functional paper packaging presented numerous opportunities at its virtual interpack 2020 conference for its customers to package their food or non-food products in sustainable, premium packaging. In doing so, the company is contributing to the UN’s sustainability objectives. With the Sappi Guard range, Sappi presented barrier papers that render additional special coatings and laminations redundant and can be recycled in the paper stream. Featuring integrated barriers, they ensure that the product quality of foods and other goods is preserved. The second generation of barrier papers, now even more environmentally friendly, was also introduced at the virtual event. Another area of focus of the virtual interpack event was sealable papers, suitable for a wide range of packaging applications in the food and non-food sectors.

Of course, the concept of sustainability was also a key issue at the conference. As a home-compostable paper, Algro Nature meets the current demand for fully recyclable packaging. Sappi thus remains true to its goal of presenting its customers with more and more environmentally friendly solutions for the benefit of people and the environment.

‘We were overwhelmed by the success of our first virtual interpack conference, but we look forward to having direct contact again in spring 2021 in Düsseldorf,’ says Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President Sales & Marketing Packaging and Speciality Papers at Sappi Europe, with regard to the delayed interpack conference.

The conference on sustainability in production, trade and consumption will take a second round: On March 24, 2020, the Weser-Kurier’s conference SUSTAIN will take place in the run-up to the International Cotton Conference once more. The Bremen Cotton Exchange is again cooperating partner of this event. The theme “City and Change – the Future of the Textile Retail Trade” is on focus this year.

Shirt and trpousers or blouse and skirt – clothing is an instrument of expression, a social must and a major factor of consumption. Internet and debates on climate change have changed the indicators. On the one hand, textile online trade is booming, while local stores have come under pressure to an increasing degree and cities are on the search for new ideas. On the other hand, consumers increasingly ask for products considering aspects of fairness and ecology during production. Manufacturers and stores have to react. These subjects are on focus during the Sustain that takes place on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Bremen in the Glocke.

Exciting keynote speakers and panel guest from fashion, science and the textile industry
Sustain will feature outstanding speakers from the economy, politics and society discussing for instance the possibilities of new techniques in stationary retail trade, the compatibility of fair production with business interests of manufacturers as well as the question whether consumers are willing to pay the additional costs of sustainability. These are themes that influence the vitality of the cities just as the purchase decisions of the consumers.

Prof. Dr Niko Paech, Professor of Economics, Wolfgang Krogmann, Advisory Director Primark, Urs-Stefan Kinting, Managing Partner of the Zero Group, Model & TV Presenter Alena Gerber, Rolf Heimann, CEO Hessnatur Stiftung, Kai Falk, Managing Director Communication of the German retail association Handelsverband Deutschland and many others confirmed their participation.

A true New Eco High-Tech Force of Nature

At ISPO, AKA – Asahi Kasei Advance keept the planet fit and healthy at the same time. The cutting edge department of global material innovator Asahi Kasei, unveils ECOSENSOR™, the cutting-edge fabric collection boosting responsible innovation with a “New Eco High-tech Force of Nature” new generation of performance.

Harnessing AKA expertise in yarning a smarter future, the new range focuses on sportwear, urban and athleisure fabrics. “At ISPO we launch the energetic protein fitting perfectly in textiles for clothes with an active imprint, comfort touch and smooth style. From-yarn-to-dyeing and along the whole supply chain, the collection is 100% traceable.” Says Nishizawa Akira, President & Representative Director Asahi Kasei Advance corporation.

With ECOSENSOR™, Asahi Kasei Advance truly innovates at ISPO as the very first producers choosing the high-performance path with sustainable values.

Indeed, the flexible and multitasking range is the high-tech solution for sportwear, outerwear and beyond. The collection embraces the casual and sporty mood of active urban surfers as well as that easy-to-wear attitude for a relaxing free-time at home.

Focus on Sustainability and Climate Change

Passion for Cotton: The 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen starts on 25 March in the Hanseatic city’s historic Town Hall. But before subject-specific questions are discussed in depth in the individual sessions, the concise and inspiring keynotes by leading business experts from science and industry will draw attention to the current trends and challenges in the industry at the start of the conference. A large part of the presentations is shaped by the current discussion on environmental and sustainability issues and the resulting consequences for the global economy.

Climate Change and Sustainability

“Climate change - a storm in a teacup?” asks Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, Washington D.C., USA, in a provocative speech. The aim of his presentation is to work out the challenges of climate change especially for agriculture and cotton production. This should form the basis for later discussion on concrete approaches and solutions within the cotton community.

With his lecture “The HUGO BOSS sustainability programme ... and what our customer has to do with it” Andreas Streubig, Director of Global Sustainability at Hugo Boss AG, Metzingen, Germany, rolls up the textile value chain from a different angle, starting at the consumer level. As a representative of a premium brand for women's and men's clothing, Streubig discusses sustainability as a strategic element of the corporate strategy and provides information on how elements of the strategy are being implemented at Hugo Boss.

Rüdiger Senft, Head of Sustainability at Commerzbank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, looks at the changing role of banks in financing the cotton market. In addition to a general introduction to the topic of sustainability and banking regulation, Senft's presentation deals with the financing of the cotton trade from a social and ecological point of view.
The opening session on 25 March is hosted by Bill Ballenden, founder and owner of Dragontree, Swindon, UK, an online auction platform for the cotton trade. As a former cotton manager for Louis Dreyfus in Europe and Asia, Bill Ballenden has many years of experience in the industry.

Cross-Cutting Issues: Digitalisation, Gender, Value Chains

The subsequent session in the conference programme with the headline “A Wider View” is devoted to currently defining trends and important cross-cutting issues in the industry. This goes far beyond classic cotton themes.

A lecture by Mark Messura, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain Marketing for Cotton Incorporated, Cary, North Carolina, deals with the role of cotton in an increasingly digitally controlled supply chain. Significant keywords here are faster delivery times, vertical integration, transparency and traceability.

The presentation by Roger Gilmartin, Managing Director of Tri-Blend Consulting, Charlotte, USA, entitled “The secret recipe for timely, cost-optimised and high-quality cotton clothing” promises exciting and enlightening insights. Tri-Blend Consulting conducts studies on the performance of different cotton varieties during the entire consumption process to the finished yarn and evaluates them from an economic point of view.

Amy Jackson, from the Better Cotton Initiative, London, UK, presents ICA Liverpool's “Women in Cotton” initiative. With this commitment, the initiative aims to increase the influence of women in the cotton industry and give them a stronger voice, for example by building networks in cooperation.

Navdeep Singh Sodhi, International Strategic Management Consultant at the Gherzi Textile Organisation, Switzerland, gives an insight into the current development of the value chain for cotton, textiles and clothing in Africa. Looking ahead to the coming decades, also in view of population growth, Africa is seen as having a high potential for building economic structures to improve income and prosperity.

Thomas Schneider, Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and active in the field of production planning and control, textile materials and materials testing will host the session. A leading light in his field, Thomas Schneider has more than 30 years of experience in scientific and application-oriented research in the textile and fibre sector, including at the Fibre Institute Bremen e.V.

Bemberg™ gears up for Première Vision - February 11th-13th, Paris, France; with a great deal of novelties and a key statement on sustainability: Let’s Make it Circular! That’s why the Japanese brand of regenerated cellulose fibers joins the fair with two booths, one in the yarn-focused sector – Hall 6 C52 6D53 – the other one in the Smart Creation area, the curated district showcasing cutting-edge sustainable innovation for the textile and fashion business. Hall3 S14.

“We simply could not miss out on the Smart Creation Area as sustainability is the founding pillar of our company,” says SHUNSUKE SATO, sales manager of Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei. “Indeed, the smart fiber is made from a cotton linter which is pre-consumer material, a natural derived source, that doesn’t deplete forestry resources. The strategy beyond our double presence is to highlight our deep commitment to responsible innovation to a larger target of professionals.”

Let’s take it circular! is the motto at the Smart Creation booth. The lifespan of Bemberg™’s regenerated cellulose fiber derived from cotton is fully circular: from the source to manufacturing. The whole sustainable closed-loop process is supported by the LCA study, signed by ICEA and validated by Paolo Masoni. Recyclability is granted by the Global Recycle Standard - GRS certification by the renown Textile Exchange. An influential guarantee that involves the whole production process and supply chain behind the company’s smart yarns. Bemberg™ yarns are entirely biodegradable and ecotoxicity-free – meaning that at the end of their life circle they break down into the environment leaving no trace in terms of toxic substances as attested by the Innovhub-SSI report.

On show at Première Vision some of the most recent collaborations with GRS-certified partners such as FIVEOL, SMI TESSUTI, TESSITURA UBOLDI, INFINITY, SIDONIOS, MATIAS & ARAUJO, TINTEX, IPEKER, EKOTEN, for fashion fabrics as well as PEZZETTI and BRUNELLO & G.CRESPI from lining partners.

The first Bemberg™ partner to present a commercial collection enriched by Velutine™ Evo is the Portuguese Matias & Araújo. With an innovative spirit, dynamism and a determined entrepreneurial spirit, the company is a leading knitwear producer for the textile industry.

In the Hall 6 Bemberg™ displays key commercial items developed by premium brands such as CAALO that is making its mark in the outerwear market with its Sustainably produced Functional-Luxury proposal. For SS20, CAALO utilized Bemberg™ lining because of the sustainability properties and it's unique colour.

CAALO looks to utilize as much eco-friendly and sustainable materials as possible without compromising on design or quality. This Bemberg™ lining was a perfect fit.

EuroShop, the World’s no.1 Retail Trade Fair, is a must-see fixture for the retail world. From 16 to 20 February it will bring together to the tune of 2,300 exhibitors from over 60 countries with 114,000 trade visitors expected from throughout the world in Düsseldorf. And it is not only an indispensable information platform, trend hotspot and network for retail professionals but it also intensely impacts many other areas and sectors, delivers innovative blue-prints and addresses urgent themes of relevance to the future such as digitalisation, robotics, sustainability or climate neutrality.

The Side Events at EuroShop 2020:
The USPs of EuroShop include not only the extensive ranges of its exhibitors from throughout the world but also the quality and cross-section of its unrivalled line-up of side events.

8 Stages – 600 Speakers – 500 Lectures
The centrepiece of EuroShop are a total of eight Stages. They are lecture and discussion forums with high-calibre speakers addressing the latest developments, innovative trends and best practices amidst the hustle and bustle of the trade fair and accessible for EuroShop visitors free of charge and without prior registration (simultaneously interpreted in German-English or in English only). Boasting a total of 600 speakers and well over 500 expert talks delivered over five trade fair days this accompanying programme offers each trade fair visitor invaluable and right-on-target value added. All Stages at a glance: Retail Technology Stage, Omnichannel Stage, Start-up Stage, Store Design Stage, Retail Designers Stage, Energy Management Stage, Retail Marketing Stage and Expo + Event Stage.

Platform C.L.A.S.S. - the acronym for Creativity Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy –returns to Denim Première Vision with a triple mission: to educate, share sustainable innovation and promote the state of the smart of the textile and fashion business.

“In London, we will bring forward its vision and strategy with a set of initiatives, talks and projects” Explains Giusy Bettoni, CEO and founder of C.LA.S.S. As sustainability consultant for Première Vision, Bettoni will curate a programme of #SmartTalks with some of the most influential players in the industry.

C.LA.S.S. will bring its Smart Materials Bank, an open and inspirational resource and educative tool for designers, students and brands which features some of the most innovative materials on the market. On show at booth (B14) also some of C.LA.S.S. most innovative partners.