From the Sector

Circ announced that the first men's denim collection featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology is now available at H&M, marking the commercial delivery of this unique pilot project first announced in October 2025. Featuring two styles available across the UK, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, South Europe, Turkey, North America, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East, the launch brings TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology into H&M's standard men's denim assortment for the first time.

The collection explores a fully integrated supply chain approach from textile waste to pulp to shelf, bringing together Circ’s textile-to-textile recycling technology, Lenzing’s fiber production expertise, AGI Denim’s manufacturing capabilities, and H&M’s global retail platform. Each garment contains TENCEL™ Limited Edition Lyocell fibers produced with 30% Circ® pulp recycled from textile waste.

"This launch is proof that recycled textile fiber is ready for mass-market supply chains," said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. "Seeing TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology in H&M's standard men's denim assortment is a milestone the industry has been working toward. It validates that next-generation recycled materials can move through existing supply chains at the quality that global retail demands."

“This collaboration highlights that by bringing together players of all steps across the textile supply chain will result in circular garments available to consumers. We are proud to work with pioneers like Circ to showcase innovation on a pilot production level, making fibers available for commercial garments. We continue to keep our commitment to exploring collaborations with innovators, bringing new TENCEL™ fibers on the market via pilot-scale productions.” explains Caroline Ledl, Senior Director Product Operations at Lenzing Group.

The two-style collection, available in both light and dark wash denim, is the result of a collaboration between Circ and Lenzing to integrate advanced textile recycling into fiber production, demonstrating a path to scale up. Circ's recycling technology separates blended textile waste, including cotton-polyester garments that have historically been unable to be recycled, into two material streams: dissolving pulp and polyester monomers. The resulting Circ pulp is fed into Lenzing's lyocell production process alongside wood from certified or controlled sources, yielding a fiber that carries both the TENCEL™ brand and the REFIBRA™ technology designation, Lenzing's framework for incorporating pre- and post-consumer textile waste into new fiber.

Thiscollaborative project between a legacy sustainable fiber producer and a next-generation textile-to-textile recycler — with H&M as the retail partner bringing it to shelf — reflects a model that advocates have long argued is the most viable path to scaling circular textiles: incumbent infrastructure and emerging technology working in concert, rather than in parallel.

In 2026, the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling once again brought together some of the key stakeholders in textile recycling for its annual Networking Day. This year, the event took place at EREMA’s premises in Ansfelden, Austria. It brought together key players from across the textile recycling value chain for a day of structured exchange and in-depth discussions.

The conversations covered a broad range of topics relevant to the sector, including technological developments, current market dynamics, and the evolving political and regulatory landscape. Speakers from Zschimmer & Schwarz, Volkswagen Group Innovation, STRÄHLE+HESS, and the Technical University of Leoben provided substantive input across these areas. The interesting discussions were also possible thanks to our IRG partners: Bekaert, EREMA, Barmag, Stadler Anlagenbau, Technip Energies, Fibrant, BASF and Remondis.

The IRG extends its sincere thanks to EREMA for hosting the event and providing access to their technical centre, which added a valuable practical dimension to the day's programme.

The next IRG Full-Term Meeting is scheduled for autumn 2026. The Networking Day will return in 2027.

The IRG Polymer Recycling is a continuously running cooperation project between companies interested in the research field of textile recycling and the ITA Group. The aim is to systematically address technological, economic and strategic issues regarding textile recycling and create a strong network to tackle the challenges. 

The sustainable fashion sector is facing the challenging economic situation with realism and pragmatism – this is the note on which INNATEX closes its doors on 20 July 2026. The Green Fashion community is not letting itself be discouraged by the crisis warning issued by the German Retail Federation (HDE) a few days ago. 

"The reluctance to spend among consumers, as perceived by the retail sector, is naturally a concern," says Alexander Hitzel, project manager at INNATEX. "Nobody is expecting a major breakthrough at the moment, but the industry is taking a constructive approach and is ready to implement the necessary measures. It appreciates that the trade fair is a reliable partner. We, too, recognise new challenges and are addressing them." 

Whilst the Kids section is currently showing a decline this summer, international brands' interest in INNATEX is growing. The trade fair will therefore focus more strongly on well-known and international newcomers and reorganise its offering into new clusters at the Messecenter Hofheim Rhein-Main in the future. The organiser, MUVEO GmbH, intend to further expand the Retail Summer Camp and link it more closely to strategic partnerships and campaigns. 

Green Fashion with a Future 
As part of the trade fair, the Association of German Fashion and Textile Designers (VDMD) presented its Design Award for Sustainable Collections to Vaude, Jan'n June, Wote and Sweersocean. The laudation was delivered by Dr Jürgen Janssen, Secretary-General of the German Council for Sustainable Development. He praised the award winners for remaining true to their vision. 

"We now need companies that stay on the course. The headwinds we are currently experiencing on many sustainability issues will turn around," predicts Dr Janssen. "After all, we are not just talking about costs, but also about benefits that are evident, for example, in higher quality and durability. And the fact that the use of sustainable raw materials, as well as transparency and fairness in the supply chain, receive less public attention than they did just a few years ago does not in any way mean that these issues are irrelevant, including from a business perspective. These values will regain importance. We are simply dealing with trends that are constantly changing. I am convinced that companies such as those exhibiting at INNATEX are fit for the future." 

Conscientious Companies Benefit from the EmpCo 
The "Textilwirtschaft Expert-Talk” session has now become a fixture on the INNATEX programme. In this edition, correspondent Kirsten Reinhold spoke to Ronja Hüttinger, sustainability consultant at BAM! Bock auf Morgen, about the impact of the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo) on the industry. Both agreed that EmpCo gives small and medium-sized fashion companies a strategic and financial edge over the large, conventional corporations. 

"EmpCo is about putting an end to brazen environmental lies," said Hüttinger. "Instead of sweeping generalisations, what counts now are concrete, verifiable facts. Companies that have poured their heart and soul into their products for years – those that work with natural fibres, produce fairly and recycle – have a clear advantage because they know their supply chain. This is precisely the advantage the big players don't have: they lack the evidence. Under no circumstances must the EmpCo lead to greenwashing. On the contrary, it should finally highlight the difference between genuine, conscientious work and greenwashing." 

"Industry players need to join forces" 
One of the most important ways for companies to move forward is through collaboration – that is the general consensus among fashion designers and experts. The possibilities range from partnerships between brands and retailers to charity projects and joint events. 

„When we created a T-shirt with our favourite falafel shop in Mülheim an der Ruhr, we didn't expect it to sell out so quickly," says Henry Canton of Mazine Streetwear. "People love it because it makes them feel part of a movement. Collaborations don't always have to follow the classic patterns. Alongside large campaigns, smaller, local partnerships can have just as strong an impact. What it takes above all is openness and creativity – and exchange with a community that inspires one another. That's exactly what makes INNATEX special to me." 

The INNATEX Showroom in Bern on 16 and 17 August 2026 rounds off this ordering season. The next INNATEX will take place from 16 to 18 January 2027.

Scoop closed July 21 at Olympia National following three days of strong buyer engagement, thoughtful industry discussion and considered buying, as the SS'27 edition once again demonstrated the strength of its distinctive approach to fashion buying. Bringing together premium fashion, accessories and lifestyle collections from across the UK, Europe and beyond, the show welcomed leading department stores, independent retailers and international buyers, all taking time to write orders, discover new designers and reconnect with established collections.

Buyer attendance reflected the calibre and international appeal of the show, with retailers including Fenwick Stores, Liberty London, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Le Bon Marche, The Dressing Room, The Polizzi Collection Shop, Iris, Pamela Schiffer, Sisters, Blu, Cream, El Corte Ingles Spain,  Cordelia James, V&A Museum, The National Gallery and Royal Opera House Covent Garden among those attending across the three-day event.
Buyers praised both the quality of the collections and the show's carefully edited format, highlighting the opportunity to discover new designers while spending meaningful time with existing suppliers.

Designers also reported a successful edition, welcoming returning retail partners alongside new buyers, while highlighting the commercial value of Scoop's focused edit and the calibre of retailers attending the show.

A standout feature of this season's programme was Behind The Curtain, Karen Radley's exclusive conversation with the womenswear buying team from Galeries Lafayette. Offering buyers and exhibitors a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of Europe's most influential department stores, Fanny Courtade, Womenswear Buying Manager, alongside Ready-to-Wear Buyers Alice Sordello and Julia Bonnebat, shared insight into the realities of modern buying, discussing everything from identifying emerging designers and balancing creativity with commercial performance to understanding evolving customer expectations. The session reinforced Scoop's commitment to pairing exceptional buying opportunities with valuable retail insight.

Scoop's landmark partnership with the Italian Trade Agency remained a defining feature of the SS'27 edition, celebrating the show's largest-ever collective of Italian designers through a programme of buyer events, networking opportunities and the dedicated Style Spotlight: Discover Italian Design.

Reflecting on the close of the show, Karen Radley, Founder and Managing Director of Scoop, said: "What has stood out most this season is the time buyers have spent with the collections. They've taken time to explore collections, ask questions, write orders and discover designers they may not otherwise have found. That thoughtful approach has always been at the heart of Scoop, and it's incredibly rewarding to see it reflected across the show floor."

As the doors close on the SS'27 edition, Scoop once again demonstrated the enduring value of thoughtful curation. By bringing together exceptional international collections, influential retailers and a programme of insightful industry content, the show continues to offer one of fashion's most distinctive buying experiences.