From the Sector

• Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference - Milan, October 22-24, 2018
• The theme of the 2018 conference is United by Action: Accelerating Sustainability in Textiles and Fashion.

The conference offers an opportunity to connect with industry pioneers and learn about cutting edge solutions and innovations in textile and apparel sustainability. As a result, C.L.A.S.S., headquartered in Milan, the global resource for smart material innovation, education, marketing and communication, will be on hand to support this year’s theme.

Many of the materials the C.L.A.S.S. team will showcase speak to circular economy such as Re.VerSo™, Bemberg™ and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, Iluna Group and TINTEX Textiles and many others that use technological breakthroughs to offer fashion materials that provide significant reductions in water during the manufacturing process, an important step toward responsible future fashion systems.

During Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference, Giusy Bettoni, C.L.A.S.S. CEO and Founder and her team will have a dedicated space to engage attendees in an open discussion regarding the importance of fashion business strategies. The experience in the space, that will reflect an New York event created for C.L.A.S.S. by Ginger Design, will start with the vision of a film by Cristina Picchi that represents harmony between the various phases of the textile process and the cycles of natural elements. Visitors will walk through a three-dimensional installation designed by Cécile Feilchenfeldt to inspire creativity and explore the limitless possibilities using innovative smart materials.

“We are always proud to have a presence at international events including this year’s Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference. It is a great way for us to share our expertise regarding responsible innovation and new business model strategies. As C.L.A.S.S. is headquartered in Milan, we are proud that they selected our city for this year’s conference. Being held in Milan provides a chance for us to support Textile Exchange regarding smart material innovation, many of them produced in Italy.” said Bettoni.

Just off their return from Première Vision in Paris, Bettoni who is also the Sustainability Consultant for Smart Creation, recognizes the importance for her company to have a strong international presence to spread C.L.A.S.S.’ message to a global audience regarding responsible creation. 

As C.L.A.S.S. enters their second decade of business, they have expanded their business activities to include e-commerce that provides an opportunity for fashion start-up to purchase up to a maximum of 50, an initiative launched to support fashion start-ups. And a new division, C.L.A.S.S. Education, an initiative Bettoni co-founded with James Mendolia, also a Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology. Mendolia has been visiting universities to speak to fashion design, business, textiles and production students in Europe, Asia and North America to encourage attendees to infuse a new way of design thinking and move from a linear to a circular business model.