From the Sector

Source Fashion, opens next week at Olympia London, bringing together the global fashion sourcing community for three days of responsible manufacturing, insight and collaboration. Running from 13-15 January 2026, the show will welcome audited manufacturers from across key sourcing regions worldwide, alongside buyers, brands and sourcing professionals looking to build more transparent, resilient and commercially viable supply chains.

Leading fashion retailers and brands including ASOS, Frasers Group, Next, TFG Brands, Wimbledon, JD Sports, Pickett, Gigi & Olive, Primark,  All Saints, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, French Connection,  Charles Tyrwitt, Anthropologie, Monsoon, Karen Millen, Agent Provocateur, The Padel Foundation, Friends Like These, Universal Music Group, Hawes and Curtis and Moss Bros are among those registered to attend, underlining Source Fashion’s role as a key meeting point for both established and emerging fashion businesses.

Source Fashion will bring together over 250 audited manufacturers from more than 20 key sourcing regions worldwide, creating a unique platform for buyers, brands and sourcing professionals to connect directly with responsible producers. From apparel and textiles to trims, components and manufacturing solutions, the show offers a comprehensive view of the global supply chain, underpinned by transparency, innovation and commercial viability.

Spotlight on British manufacturing
New for this edition, Source Fashion is reinforcing its long-term commitment to UK manufacturing through the launch of a bursary-backed British Pavilion, designed to champion British Manufacturing and craft to increase their visibility to a global buying audience. Participants include, Apparel Tasker, LLUK, Fashion Enter, Courntney and Co, The Natural Fibre Company. Also supported are a range of Leicester Manufacturers under the ATMF banner.  The initiative provides selected UK manufacturers with funded exhibition space and dedicated marketing support, helping to remove barriers to participation and ensure British manufacturing is strongly represented on the international sourcing stage. 

The scheme forms part of Source Fashion’s wider mission to support a more balanced and resilient sourcing ecosystem, one that values heritage skills, local capability and long-term supplier relationships alongside global reach. Suzanne Ellingham, Event Director Source Fashion commented, “British manufacturing has an essential role to play in the future of responsible fashion, and it’s something we’re committed to championing at Source Fashion. From heritage skills to agile, small-batch production, UK manufacturers offer qualities that buyers are increasingly seeking transparency, flexibility and deep technical expertise. By ensuring British producers are visible, supported and connected to global buyers, we’re helping strengthen a more resilient and balanced sourcing ecosystem.”

Alongside the British Pavilion, UK manufacturing will have a strong presence across the wider show floor. British exhibitors confirmed to attend include Absolute Apparel, Amplebox Ltd, Araha London Ltd, Dee Kay Knitwear, Folks Trading Ltd, FreAura Ltd, Grade House Ltd, Modern Star Silk, Redress and Samshek Fashion Ltd. Together, their presence reflects growing buyer demand for local, traceable and agile production, and underlines the continued relevance of UK manufacturing within a global sourcing strategy.

Insight, inspiration and industry dialogue
Beyond sourcing, Source Fashion delivers a comprehensive programme of insight, inspiration and live learning across multiple stages. The show’s content agenda spans debates, panels and fireside chats tackling the most pressing challenges facing the fashion industry today, from supply chain accountability and circular business models to commercial resilience, regulation and the future of manufacturing. Designed to move conversations beyond theory, the programme equips fashion businesses with practical insight and tools to support smarter decision-making in an increasingly complex sourcing landscape.

Adding a powerful visual and experiential layer, the Source Catwalk brings responsible fashion to life through curated showcases featuring sustainably produced and circular collections, demonstrating how creativity, trend and responsibility can coexist on the shop floor.

New for this season, Fashion Deconstructed offers a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at how fashion is made. Through live demonstrations, workshops and maker-led sessions, the area shines a spotlight on skills, craftsmanship and production processes, from repair and upcycling to weaving and material innovation, responding to growing demand from buyers for greater transparency, material knowledge and production understanding.

Suzanne Ellingham said, “As the industry prepares to come together next week, what’s most exciting is the sense of intent behind this edition of Source Fashion. Buyers and manufacturers aren’t just looking to connect, they’re looking to collaborate, learn and make better decisions for the future. From global sourcing to UK manufacturing, from insight on our stages to hands-on learning through Fashion Deconstructed, this show is about giving the industry the confidence, clarity and partnerships it needs to move forward responsibly.”

Source Fashion opens at Olympia London on 13 January and runs until 15 January. Fashion buyers, brands, designers and sourcing professionals are invited to register now and be part of the conversations, connections and partnerships shaping the future of responsible fashion sourcing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms the textile industry – from creation and production to pricing, distribution and communication. But how can AI be applied successfully, and where does it add value? Heimtextil addresses these questions from 13 to 16 January 2026: The programme dedicated to the key future field AI wants to strengthen the global industry and open up new business opportunities as well as practical applications for design, retail, industry, architecture, interior design and contract furnishing. Highlights include the progressive Heimtextil Trends 26/27 by Alcova, the design installation by Patricia Urquiola and the live talk with AI pioneer Tim Fu. 

AI accelerates creative processes and reshapes working methods along the entire textile value chain – from design concepts and material visualisations to data migration and everyday workflows, to the implementation of new products and concepts. Heimtextil 2026 makes these developments tangible and brings together experts who demonstrate how AI is used in practice and what potential it offers the industry.

AI from stage to practice
The central knowledge hub is the Texpertise Stage in Hall 6.0. This is where Heimtextil brings together a forward-looking, business-relevant content programme and translates technological innovation into practical insights for the industry. One of the highlights is the live talk with Tim Fu: the London-based architect and AI pioneer discusses interior design in the age of AI with Simon Keane-Cowell, Editor-in-Chief of Architonic. On the first day of the fair, Anja Bisgaard Gaede (Founder, Spott trends & business aps) talks about workflows, data integration and the textile future shaped by AI. Elisabeth Ramm (Atelier Brückner) shares insights into AI and materials in exhibition design. Using tangible examples, Martin Auerbach (Association of German Home Textiles Manufacturers) explains how AI is used in everyday work and how companies can integrate it profitably into their daily workflows. Sleep expert Markus Kamps moderates dedicated sessions on the megatrend of sleep and technology, featuring numerous guest speakers. At the Talk Spot in Hall 12.0, Architonic hosts a discussion with exhibitor Oriental Weavers on carpets between craftsmanship and global production.

Heimtextil Trends 26/27: AI impulses for design, retail and industry
How can AI-driven design processes be combined with traditional textile craftsmanship? The Heimtextil Trends 26/27 provide answers and orientation for the coming season under the motto “Craft is a verb”. In the Trend Arena in Hall 6.1, the design platform Alcova presents six stylistic directions that explore how high-tech and craftsmanship interact. This interplay becomes visible in a vibrant colour palette, where “glitches”, unexpected digital disruptions, and radical synthetic accents deliberately break through the natural colour spectrum. Daily talks and guided tours with experts translate the trend themes into concrete business insights.

„among-all“: AI-generated design experience by Patricia Urquiola 
What happens when we ourselves become part of AI-based creation? Patricia Urquiola explores this question in her installation “among-all” (Hall 3.0). The designer combines futuristic textile elements, sustainable materials and new AI technologies. “among-all” showcases how textiles can function as transformative and intelligent materials and actively involves visitors in the spatial staging. In a live talk on 14 January 2026, the design icon discusses her visionary approach on the Texpertise Stage. Daily guided tours bring the interior design of tomorrow to life.

AI as creative partner for the contract business
With Interior.Architecture.Hospitality, Heimtextil offers decision-makers from interior design, architecture, hospitality and the contract business a customised programme. At the dedicated Talk Spot in Hall 3.1, Mauro Brigham (Founder ncbham) discusses why design is never static. Helen Häkli (Freelance Architect, bdia) shows how AI is used as a creative partner in interior design. Further specialised lectures, including contributions from Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk (JOI-Design) and Robin Hepp (Kids Studio), complement the extensive hospitality programme.

New opportunities for craftsmanship and interior decoration
What AI can deliver in concrete terms for interior decoration and the crafts sector is demonstrated by AI expert Alexander Ligowski on the DecoTeam Stage in Hall 3.0. Using selected examples, he provides hands-on insights into AI-supported interior design – ranging from room and colour concepts to sales support, text generation for social media and the optimisation of quotations.

New Talents Area: perspectives of the next design generation 
How is the next generation of designers engaging with AI technology? In 2026, Heimtextil offers fresh insights with the debut of the New Talents Area in Hall 6.1. The curated exhibition presents emerging design talents from around the world and enables direct exchange with international newcomers.

Nonwovens and the 9th Wonder of the World
Palm Jebel Ali – an ambitious artificial archipelago off Dubai’s Jebel Ali coast – is making a high-profile return after years of dormancy, which is good news for the construction industry and for the manufacturers of geotextiles and other engineered nonwovens who will be involved.

Initially launched in 2002, the project was to be a palm-shaped island even larger than its famed sibling, Palm Jumeirah (billed as ‘The 8th Wonder of the World’), but suffered delays and suspension following the global financial crisis of 2008. 

After remaining largely on hold for over a decade, it was formally relaunched in 2023, with construction resuming in 2024 under a revised master plan targeting completion around 2028. 

The renewed vision for Palm Jebel Ali is bolder and more sustainable. At about 13.4 square metres, the island is now designed to be more than twice the size of Palm Jumeirah, adding nearly 100 kilometres of new coastline to Dubai’s map. It includes multiple fronds, interconnected islands, luxury residential units, hotel and resort zones, marinas and extensive waterfront amenities. 

A key aim is to blend high-end living with smarter infrastructure, environmental consciousness and modern urban planning, marking a step beyond the purely spectacle-driven island developments of the past. 

Palm Jumeirah
Completed around 2006/07, Palm Jumeirah required massive engineering works to transform marine seabed into a stable platform for residential, hotel and infrastructure development. Underlying that ambition was a need to manage soil, water and structural stability in a highly demanding environment of waves, tides and fine and sometimes mobile sediments. 

One company heavily involved in this work was INDEX™26 exhibitor Fibertex, as the supplier of engineered fabrics for several of Palm Jumeirah’s containment, separation, drainage and stabilisation functions.

For the breakwater protecting Palm Jumeirah’s outer edge, a specific nonwoven grade was used as a stabilising geotextile. In effect, this fabric was laid between structural rock layers or between rock and sand zones to prevent migration of fine particles, filter subsurface flows, and preserve the intended layering.

In a marine rock-fill breakwater, designers traditionally achieve filtration with graded stone filters alone. That approach is robust but demands precise gradation and thicker sections. A high-strength, puncture-resistant nonwoven delivers the same filter/separator function in a thinner interface, while accommodating differential settlement and allowing free water flow to relieve pore pressures. 

The breakwater itself is substantial – the Palm’s protective seawall runs around 12 kilometres in length and roughly 200 metres wide, forming a barrier that must resist wave and storm action while preventing seabed scour and internal erosion. 

The geotextile layer thus acts as a demarcation/interface between rock armour and the inner sand and gravel fill materials in order to maintain the mechanical integrity of the breakwater and reduce mixing of layers under hydraulic stress. 

The involvement of Fibertex in the project, however, went further various grades of the company’s nonwoven geotextiles were specified for the reclaimed island’s internal infrastructure, including the roads on each frond as well as drainage systems and landscaping.

Landmarks
Nonwoven geotextiles have become one of the most influential yet least recognised technologies shaping the construction of modern landmarks. Through careful control of fibre type, density and bonding method, engineers have created materials that can filter, separate, drain and reinforce in ways once unimaginable. They are now used wherever earth meets infrastructure – between layers of aggregate, behind retaining walls, beneath pavements, along riverbanks and below rail beds. Their dual nature is significant – they are strong enough to withstand immense stresses, yet porous enough to allow water to flow freely.

The idea of using textiles in soil is not new and even the Romans stabilised roads with layers of organic fibre, but nonwoven geotextiles have made it possible to apply the same principle on a scale suited to 21st Century construction. These materials first came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s when engineers sought reliable separation layers for highways and embankments. Since then, they have quietly found their way into some of the world’s most recognisable civil works.

Runways and tunnels
In the runways of airports, for example, carefully layered structures of base course and treated subgrade lie below the concrete surface. Between these, a nonwoven layer acts as a bond breaker and separator, preventing the upward movement of fine particles and relieving stresses that could cause cracking at the surface. 

This small intervention can extend the runway’s life by decades and reduce the frequency of costly closures. At such sites, the stakes are high – aircraft weighing hundreds of tons depend on uniform support and impeccable drainage and the nonwoven layer ensures both.

In tunnels and underground rail networks, nonwovens perform a different yet equally critical function. Behind the waterproofing membranes that line the excavation, they serve as protective cushions, allowing the flexible membranes to accommodate ground movement without puncture. They channel seepage water into drainage systems, keeping the tunnel interior dry and safe. The great subterranean arteries of modern cities – their metros, deep stations and cut-and-cover highways – are lined with these unseen fabrics. When commuters move effortlessly through stations that might once have dripped with moisture, they are benefitting from the quiet performance of a nonwoven layer only a few millimetres thick.

Erosion control
In dam and reservoir construction, nonwoven geotextiles meanwhile provide filtration and erosion control in zones where fine soils meet coarse drainage aggregates. Their role here is to hold back the soil while allowing water to pass, preventing the formation of internal erosion channels that can threaten stability. Some of the most ambitious water projects in the world have relied on them to safeguard the transition between impervious cores and drainage layers. Decades after installation, many continue to perform flawlessly – illustrating their durability under constant load and hydraulic pressure.

Coastal and river protection projects, too, have embraced nonwovens. Beneath rock armour, breakwaters or sand-filled tubes, they stabilise the subsoil and prevent scour by wave action. When severe storms strike, these layers can be the difference between an intact shoreline and a collapsed embankment. In ports and estuaries where space is limited, nonwovens have enabled the construction of vertical quay walls and reclaimed land by controlling the migration of fines and maintaining hydraulic balance. They are the quiet custodians of modern coastlines, extending the life of structures that face the full force of nature. 

Quiet strength
When Palm Jebel Ali rises from the Gulf, it will stand as a further reminder that the most visionary feats of engineering depend not only on grand designs but also on the quiet strength of the materials beneath them. 

Nonwoven geotextiles, though unseen, remain key tools of such progress and in playing their part in shaping the 9th Wonder of the World, will once again reaffirm their place at the foundation of modern civilisation’s most ambitious landscapes.

With its renewed participation at the 109th edition of Pitti Uomo, CHINA WAVE presents China’s independent fashion design scene as stronger and more mature than ever. From 13–16 January 2026 in Florence, the initiative—led by the China Apparel Association—demonstrates how an exploratory project has evolved into a strategically anchored, culturally driven platform that confidently brings Chinese aesthetics and brand identity onto the global stage.

Since the debut of the Chinese pavilion at Pitti Uomo 106, CHINA WAVE has established itself as an exclusive cooperation between the China Apparel Association and Pitti Uomo. More than a visibility platform, it marks a decisive transition: from pure product export towards the international export of brands, design culture, and creative authorship. 

Under the central theme “Movement,” the 109th edition of Pitti Uomo brings together over 700 international brands, creating a setting where tradition meets avant-garde expression. CHINA WAVE uses this stage to present the diversity of contemporary Chinese design—from progressive fashion and refined craftsmanship to artistically interpreted accessories. At Costruzioni Lorenesi in the Fortezza da Basso, eight brands will present their collections across 150 square meters, including:

SEPTWOLVES 
As one of China’s leading fashion lables in the menswear segment, SEPTWOLVES stands for market-driven design, high production expertise, and commercially strong collections – with particular strength in jackets and urban business-casual fashion. Most recently, the brand presented its SS25 collection at the historic Milan Centrale, showcasing its vision for modern business and travel wear.

SWÖFCARE 
Founded in 2005 by Jason Chang in New Zealand, SWÖFCARE merges contemporary hat-making with a clear life philosophy. Inspired by essential elements such as sunshine, water, and oxygen, the brand creates headwear designs that combine artisanal precision with emotional depth, infusing each piece with its own energy. SWÖFCARE bridges nature, life aesthetics, and sophisticated millinery craftsmanship.

JOEWITHLOL (Fun to Wear) 
JOEWITHLOL translates artistic concepts and contemporary interpretations of Chinese elements into smart casual menswear. Positioned at the intersection of fashion, art, and culture, the brand creates wearable designs that reflect modern lifestyles while balancing aesthetic ambition with a humanistic mindset.

WU RANG 
WU RANG treats Chinese culture as its design DNA. Traditions, literature, history, and geography become creative impulses, transforming contemporary fashion into a cultural dialogue enriched with Chinese heritage.

A. NEW STUDIO 
Spanning minimalist leisurewear to urban outdoor aesthetics, A. NEW STUDIO offers menswear and unisex apparel that responds to evolving social dynamics. The brand’s creative approach is adaptive, experimental, and visually bold.

TIMES INFINITY 
Named after a mathematical formula, TIMES INFINITY designs fashion without fixed collections. Each piece emerges from spontaneous cultural, artistic, or everyday encounters—authentic, one-of-a-kind expressions full of character.

ZIVGREY 
Founded in 2015, the accessories label blends natural forms with urban geometry. Jewellery crafted from silver, gold, pearls, and gemstones becomes sculptural objects, transforming fleeting beauty into lasting expressions.

AMANO 
Founded in 2017, AMANO is a designer label focused on artisanal jewellery craftsmanship. The name—Italian for “made by hand”—reflects the brand’s philosophy of weaving warmth and life into irregular structures. The result is jewellery of reduced, pure aesthetics, expressing quiet timelessness. In an era of industrial acceleration, AMANO stands for a poetic, non-reproducible romance shaped by human hands.

Significance for the International Fashion World 
CHINA WAVE increasingly serves as a bridge between Chinese design culture and global markets. The initiative strengthens access to international distribution channels, enhances professional recognition, and positions Chinese brands as cultural creators with distinct creative identities. In doing so, it contributes to a new narrative—China not as a manufacturing base, but as a source of forward-looking fashion concepts. 

Looking ahead to January 2026, the China National Garment Association invites international partners to experience the presentation of the Chinese delegation at Pitti Uomo and to jointly write a new chapter in global fashion exchange.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK reported another successful exhibition at COMPAMED 2025 in Düsseldorf, following closely on the heels of ITMA ASIA in Singapore. This was the second time that FET had exhibited at this international trade fair for the medical technology supplier sector, a reflection of the company’s growing role in this sector. More than half of FET’s turnover is currently derived from the burgeoning medical market.

COMPAMED is aimed at suppliers of a wide range of high-quality medical technology components, services and production equipment for the medical industry. FET’s expanding role in the medical sector is therefore an ideal fit for this trade show.

At the exhibition, FET launched its latest ground breaking technology with the FET-500 – Gel Spinning systems for Ultra High Molecular weight polymers such as UHMWPE, boasting significant savings in cost, footprint and environmental factors.  With vast flexibility whilst maintaining critical consistency, the FET-500 provides the ability to prove concepts and secure medical device IP. Key benefits include removing the harsh processing chemicals that historically have been used with gel spinning technology. FET’s patent-pending process technology has enabled the process to be compact and environmentally friendly compared to industrial alternatives. 

In 2026, FET will be exhibiting at two major trade shows to continue its global drive. This begins with Techtextil, Frankfurt in April, followed by COMPAMED 2026, Dusseldorf in November.

Raccoon Media Group, organisers of ISPO the world’s most influential trade event for the sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports industries, confirms its commitment to ensuring an enduring impact by joining the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) as a Sustaining Member and revealing more details of the newly established ISPO Impact Fund.

Recognising that sustainability is non-negotiable, these announcements underscore ISPO’s long-term dedication to environmental responsibility, industry stewardship and collaborative action across the global outdoor community.

Tracy Bebbington, Managing Director, ISPO at Raccoon Media Group, said; “As ISPO enters a new era under new management and prepares for its next chapter in Amsterdam, it is essential that sustainability sits at the heart of everything we do. Joining EOCA and launching the ISPO Impact Fund reflect our belief in collective action and our responsibility to drive direct and meaningful change. We’re not just advocating for change; we are committed to making it happen. Not only that, we have appointed an external agency to closely analyse the carbon footprint of the event itself and we will make a solid commitment to being transparent about the footprint and, from day one, actively take steps to reduce it.”

“Respecting and safeguarding the natural environments in which we play “
ISPO is proud to announce its formal commitment as both a member and Sustaining Member of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA).  By becoming a Sustaining Member, ISPO will provide ongoing funding and strategic support to EOCA’s mission to conserve and restore wild places, support biodiversity, and enable outdoor participation that respects and safeguards nature. The partnership further aligns ISPO’s environmental values with those championed by brands, retailers and industry associations across the sector.

Dan Yates, Executive Director of EOCA, said: “We are delighted to welcome ISPO, and the newly expanded team at Raccoon Media Group, as a member, and importantly, a Sustaining Member of EOCA. Their commitment sends a powerful message: that major industry platforms must not only showcase innovation but actively support the landscapes and ecosystems that inspire it. ISPO’s involvement will allow us to reach more organisations, fund more conservation projects, and amplify the urgency of protecting the wild places the outdoor community depends on.”

The €1 million ISPO Impact Fund 
As part of their long-term commitment to supporting positive change, ISPO is investing one million euros into a new charitable organisation, the ISPO Impact Fund. The fund will support grassroots, charitable and non-profit initiatives that originate within the sports, outdoor and winter sports communities, or that have a direct and meaningful connection to these sectors.

The ISPO Impact Fund has been established as an independent organisation to ensure transparency, structure and the highest levels of governance expected of grant awarding bodies. The three founding trustees, Hannah Lewis, Finance Director at Raccoon Media Group, Andrew Denton, CEO at the Outdoor Industries Association, and Mark Held, founding Secretary General of the European Outdoor Group are responsible for shaping the ISPO Impact Fund to ensure high standards of fairness, transparency and responsibility.

The Impact Fund will focus on three core areas:

• Nature Conservation & Environmental Stewardship - Supporting projects that protect biodiversity, restore natural environments, and reduce the environmental impact of sport and outdoor recreation.
• Equitable Access & Participation - Enabling more people - regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, income, or background to access and enjoy sport, winter sports and outdoor recreation. 
• Fair, Ethical & Responsible Supply Chains - Investing in initiatives that improve the welfare of workers throughout the supply chain and strengthen the processes through which sport and outdoor products are made, marketed and sold.

An independent advisory panel of industry experts and community representatives is currently being recruited to oversee the allocation of the €1 million fund, assessing all applications, reviewing their potential impact, and awarding grants based on clear and transparent criteria.

The team are actively recruiting members of this panel and welcome applications from the Sports, Outdoor and Winter sports industries. To apply, please contact hello@isposportsbusinessevents.com

“Our advisory panel will help ensure that the funding is fairly and appropriately allocated across projects which get more people active, protect the places in which we play and ensure products are ethically created. From local community initiatives to huge global projects, we expect hundreds of applications. It’s important that these are assessed for their impact so that funds can be carefully allocated, and more importantly actually invested correctly to impact change on an individual level.” said Andrew Denton.

The application process for the ISPO Impact Fund will open online in Spring 2026, with the awarded grants being announced in November at ISPO 2026 at RAI Amsterdam.