From the Sector

Unter dem Titel CLARITY bringt die MUNICH FABRIC START vom 23. bis 25. Januar 2024 Designer, Produktverantwortliche und Modemacher aus ganz Europa zusammen. Flankiert von THE SOURCE, BLUEZONE und dem KEYHOUSE werden rund 1.000 internationale Kollektionen der Saison Frühjahr/Sommer 2025 für die globale Mode- und Bekleidungsindustrie präsentiert.

Abgerundet wird das Angebot durch ein vielfältiges Rahmenprogramm, bestehend aus Keynotes, Podiumsdiskussionen, Trendpräsentationen, Q&A Sessions und mehr mit internationalen Expertinnen und Experten aus den verschiedensten Bereichen der Branche. In den TREND LECTURES (Keyhouse – Halle 5) und der SEMINAR ZONE (BLUEZONE – Halle 7) teilen über 50 Speakerinnen und Speaker in mehr als 30 Vorträgen ihre Expertise, bieten Einblicke in die verschiedensten Bereiche der Branche und klären über neuste Trends und Innovationen auf.

Das vollständige Rahmenprogramm finden Sie hier.

The fully booked international denim trade show BLUEZONE will celebrate its anniversary. More than 100 denim and sportswear specialists will transform Munich's Zenith area into a blue hotspot on this summer's early July date, which has been repositioned for the first time. Parallel to MUNICH FABRIC START and THE SOURCE and with a supporting program that is as full to the brim as it is relevant, the area on Munich's Lilienthalallee will become the hub of the international fashion community.

2023 is not only BLUEZONE's anniversary year: this summer marks the 150th anniversary of the patenting of jeans, Orta celebrates its 70th birthday in 2023 and denim icon Ruedi Karrer celebrates the 50th of his "The Jeans Museum" in Zurich. Vicunha is celebrating its 55th birthday. BLUEZONE therefore pays tribute to denim in all its facets. CONNEXXION is the appropriate leitmotif of the upcoming event.

"We have a line-up that will almost break the two days: in addition to internationally relevant and well-known exhibitors such as Calik, Denim Authority, Isko, Kurabo, Naveena Denim, NDL, Orta, Royo, Saitex and Sharabati among many others, we will have a 360° degree denim experience park in the completely booked Zenith Area", says Frank Junker, Creative Director & Partner, Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH. What visitors can expect here, among other things: two seminar sessions by the Transformers Foundation as well as panels and talks with Women in Denim, Mohsin Sajid and The 5 Denim Senses by AMD Düsseldorf, plus installations such as the photo exhibition "The World's best Denim Fades" by Bryan Szabo, founder of the Indigo Invitational, the exhibition by designer Ksenia Schnaider and a special presentation by "The Jeans Museum" Zurich, through which Ruedi Karrer himself will give guided tours.

For the first time, BLUEZONE will take place this summer on the new, earlier dates of July 18 and 19 and not at the end of August / beginning of September as in the past. With this step forward in terms of dates, MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE are reacting to changed order and collection rhythms and will position themselves in the future at the beginning of the purchasing and sourcing phase.

To this end, the exclusive VIEW Premium Selection, also organized by Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH, will move to the previous MFS date and on September 13 and 14 - then for the first time also on the Zenith grounds - will offer the market an additional, later ordering opportunity as RE:VIEW.

The steering committee for the Denim Deal has announced that Haelixa, the Swiss standard in physical traceability, is approved as a new signature. The Denim Deal is an international collaboration of more than 50 private and public sector companies united in the commitment to produce denim more circularly.

The Denim Deal aims to close the loop and achieve change in the value chain. Based in Amsterdam, the group is working towards a circular economy where textile waste no longer exists. The brand and manufacturing members pledge to work towards using 5% recycled post-consumer cotton in all future denim collections and produce 3 million denim jeans made with 20% recycled post-consumer cotton.

Coordination of the Denim Deal is led by Roosmarie Ruigrok, where the objective is to unite potential allies who have made the journey to circularity a priority. She has been working to improve sustainability in textiles for more than two decades and is an expert on enrolling the correct stakeholders to instigate change. Ruigrok states, "a circular supply chain in the textile industry is like a well-prepared machine - it ensures that every part of the production process runs smoothly, from sourcing post-consumer materials to delivering well-made finished products to customers. It not only drives efficiency and profitability but also builds trust among stakeholders and fosters sustainable practices - we welcome Haelixa who offers a trustful traceability solution."

Over the last few years, the demand for the technology in recycled denim has grown as brands are asked to validate their recycling claims. Haelixa’s unique DNA solution marks and traces fibers from the source to retail. Using DNA to mark the recycled post-consumer cotton, Haelixa substantiates claims by testing the final garment to validate that the marked waste is present.

The Denim Deal is pushing to lead the change in how denim is made. Changing the standards of operation is always challenging, and traceability is a key to authenticating recycled claims. “We are committed to promoting the use of recycled fibers through traceability and thrilled to align with this group,” said Holly Berger, Haelixa’s Marketing Director. “The goals of the Denim Deal support our vision for a circular economy.”

Within the scope of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) initiative “The Sustainability Pledge”, to improve transparency and traceability for sustainable garment and footwear supply chains, the Swiss company Haelixa traces Egyptian cotton from the source up to premium shirts.

The UNECE and United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) has been developing over the period 2019-2022 policy recommendations, implementation guidelines, a call to action, and a traceability toolbox including blockchain and DNA tracing solutions, which has been implemented in few different textile supply chains. Haelixa is part of the group of experts that develops such policy recommendations and conducts projects with key industry players to set traceability benchmarks and later develop them into standards.

Fashion brands are often responsible for complex global value chains and traceability is the needed tool to enable trust, transparency and credible sustainability. The magnitude of the supply chain traceability challenge can be overwhelming for brands, but the UNECE initiative framework facilitates the alignment with suppliers, provides the necessary guidance and the needed tools, with Haelixa as physical traceability provider.

To make the premium shirts traceable, Haelixa has developed a DNA marker to label the raw material, premium Egyptian cotton. The DNA marker has been applied as fine spray to GIZA 96 lint cotton in Borg Al Arab, Egypt and used to produce the finest fabric by Swiss manufacturer Weba. Once applied to the fibers, Haelixa’s DNA markers stay safely embedded into the material and withstand the industrial processing, ensuring traceability from the source until the finished garment. Samples of lint cotton, yarn, and fabric at different steps were verified with a test based on PCR, and the correct DNA marker was detected, thereby enabling the identification of the premium product, of its origin and the specific supply chain. The forensic data obtained were recorded on a blockchain system provided by UNECE. The marked fabric was used to make Hugo Boss cotton dress shirts. As one of the leading premium fashion brands and partner to the UNECE project, Hugo Boss is responsible for a complex global value chain and strives for high sustainability standards and is looking at traceability options.

“In cases like this one, where the material is of the highest quality and the product is shipped from one facility to another for premium processing, adding physical traceability is critical to ensure that the origin, quality and processing claims can be backed up" says Gediminas Mikutis, CTO and co-founder at Haelixa.

Maria Teresa Pisani, Economic Affairs Officer and Project Lead at UNECE, emphasized: “Traceability and transparency are crucial elements to protect environmental, social, and human rights along global value chains. At UNECE, we aim to enhance traceability approaches by exploring new and innovative solutions that help identify and address negative impacts in the fashion industry.”

THE SOURCE, the new one-stop solution for integrated fashion sourcing by Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH, is fully booked. In the Lokhalle, one of the largest cantilevered historic steel halls in Europe, THE SOURCE offers flexible sourcing services and solutions for newly conceived value chains on around 2,500 m2 in direct connection to MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE.
 
65 selected international manufacturing companies will present their offerings from cut-make-trim (CMT) to high-end production at the new fair from 30 August to 1 September 2022. A cluster of key sourcing countries such as Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Bosnia and Vietnam will create a business-relevant mix for risk diversification, the right product mix and for every genre.
 
THE SOURCE will take place parallel to the MUNICH FABRIC START (30/08 – 01/09/2022) and BLUEZONE (30/08 – 31/08/2022) fairs, with a total of almost 900 exhibitors.

• Bluesign announces partnership with SCTI

Bluesign has teamed up with Sustainable Chemistry for the Textile Industry (SCTI^TM) to develop a sustainable chemistry index that shall provide a standard communication guide for chemical suppliers, manufacturers, brands, and NGOs.

The first-of-its-kind index is intended to inspire change in the industry by making it easier for stakeholders to assess the sustainability of textile chemical products against the highest standards while safeguarding the intellectual property (IP) of participating chemical companies. IP protection is critical to ensuring ongoing investment in sustainable solutions.

Chemical products, such as dyes and textile auxiliaries, are often characterized with the attribute of “free of a certain substance”. Rather than prioritizing ingredients only, the bluesign^® SYSTEM already goes beyond this. The chemicals and the production site where they were created must meet certain criteria regarding environmental performance, occupational health and safety, and product stewardship performance to be bluesign^® APPROVED.

The sustainable chemistry index will be reserved for substances that offer transparency on a number of additional indicators including the chemical’s circularity viability, greenhouse gas emissions during production, and the source of the raw materials. The sustainable chemistry index will also require that the downstream use of the chemical is optimized, meaning, for example, that it promotes resource saving in textile finishing. Additionally, excellent corporate governance paired with well-defined environmental and social (ESG) goals will be a pre-condition.

SCTI^TM is an alliance of leading chemical companies that strives to empower the textile and leather industries to apply sustainable, state-of-the-art chemistry solutions that protect factory workers, local communities, consumers and the environment.

Bluesign will implement and manage the sustainable chemistry index as an independent authority with a holistic approach to helping companies throughout the textile supply chain improve their sustainability performance.

• ISKO and Bluesign announce their partnership for the creation of a cleaner, safer, and transparent world of denim. ISKO just released its landmark
• Sustainability Report, setting the target of achieving bluesign® APPROVED accreditation by the end of 2020.

Denim is a timeless staple in wardrobes around the world. ISKO, the leading denim ingredient brand, and Bluesign, the architects of a sustainable and responsible textile supply chain, are joining forces in a partnership. Alliances like this are the source of effective improvements.

ISKO has a long-standing commitment to ensure the integrity of its ingredients and the traceability of the fibers and materials used in its denim apparel. By releasing the Sustainability Report, ISKO again demonstrates its commitment to creating and designing denim apparel that has a positive connection with the planet. In this report, a primary target of ISKO is to achieve bluesign® APPROVED accreditation for its denim textiles, attaining the strictest industry standard for consumers and environment alike.

With the goal of completing this process by the end of 2020, the company has already performed bluesign® COMPANY ASSESSMENT at an above-average level. This shows how ISKO anticipates changes rather than simply reacting to legal or stakeholder requirements, pursuing an approach that has a huge potential and includes several actions for further improvements. Through this partnership, ISKO and Bluesign continue the movement of the textile and fashion industry into a future that pays more attention to people and the environment, because only when both are considered can the industry truly make a positive long-lasting impact.

“ISKO, as the soul of jeans, has a vision for denim that is creative in design and innovative in the use of technologies. These distinct qualities in combination with a determined commitment to a sustainable supply chain makes ISKO a true leader in the textile industry. We look forward to the next impactful steps we will take together.” Jill Dumain, CEO, bluesign technologies. “As the leader of this industry, we feel it is our responsibility to be and act as a force for good. We have always prioritized transparency and accountability, highly valuing every improvement that can be achieved by sharing values and goals through partnerships. This one makes us particularly proud, as it raises the bar of our efforts and challenges us to maintain our improvement efforts.” Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, Senior Sustainability & CSR Executive.

Featuring the innovative ISKO’s R-TWO™ program, the collection has a new take on sustainability: it relies on fabrics made of reused and recycled materials as well as an advanced design research for the development of a new, conscious style.

Sustainability through the use of highly responsible materials and the experimentation of fits: this is Reloved, the new collection developed by haikure in partnership with leading denim ingredient brand ISKO. Presented with an exclusive preview during Milan Fashion Week, it is an act of love for the planet, the environment and the people.

The project perfectly embodies all the values that made the longstanding partnership between the two brands possible – a responsible approach to innovation and the development of cutting-edge concepts.

Taking into account both materials and design, Reloved features the pioneering ISKO’s R-TWO™ program, which relies on a blend of reused cotton and recycled polyester.

During the processing of raw cotton into yarn, for every 100 kilos of cotton approximately 10% is lost. ISKO collects it and prevents it from becoming waste, adding it back into the spinning process obtaining cotton that is fully traced, documented and audited. This verification process has been invented by ISKO in partnership with its yarn supplier Sanko, offering full clarity into the traceability of reused cotton from field to fabric. It is also certified with the Content Claim Standard – or CCS – of the Textile Exchange.

Recycled polyester comes from clear plastic bottles or, alternatively, it can come from other certified waste: in either case the source material is collected, sorted, stripped of labels and caps, and cleaned to be ground into plastic pellets. These can then be re-spun into new fiber filaments.

Depending on the content percentages, for the recycled polyester ISKO can provide either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certifications, both of which track the recycled raw material through the supply chain from input to final product to verify its integrity.

Designed to tackle over-sourcing, the platform improves the environmental performance impact of yarn-to-fabric production. As ISKO’s latest responsible evolution, ISKO’s latest responsible evolution has resulted also in the perfect solution to enhance the responsible character of the Reloved collection.

The collection’s fresh and innovative take on style combines unisex concepts and oversized fits, is available in one shade of color featuring a variety of prints and is crafted with the planet and its inhabitants in mind. To provide full clarity and traceability from field to shelf, materials and processes are kept under the control of Made By, an independent agency that controls the social and environmental conditions of all elements of the production process.

“haikure and ISKO have always shared the same values and approach to innovation,” explained Elena Faleschini, ISKO Global Field Marketing Manager. “When we have the opportunity to work together, we know that the result is going to be astounding. Reloved is a testament to how fashion can be both innovative and responsible, without compromising on style.” A preview of Reloved was presented on Febuary 22nd, during a special happening that took place at Clan Upstairs (Vicolo Fiori 2, Milan), gathering friends, partners and denim lovers.

• R-TWO™ plays a major role in ISKO™’s SS21 fabrics collection, featuring throughout all of ISKO™’s inspirational and forward-looking denim offer.

ISKO denim mill has recently welcomed to its family of innovations its most revolutionarily responsible yet: R-TWO™. This concept was essential to the development of the SS21 fabrics collection featuring an across-the-board employment of the “reused and recycled” program throughout ISKO™’s denim offer, confirming once again the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Preventing over-sourcing, avoiding waste.

In keeping with ISKO’s Responsible Innovation™ approach, this concept deals with the most critical matter that apparel supply chains are currently faced with: using more than what actually needed. ISKO R-TWO™ reduces the amount of raw material sourced by relying on a blend of reused cotton and recycled polyester, improving sourcing efficiency throughout the entire field-tofabric production. This cutting-edge program effectively tackles over-sourcing – the leading issue when it comes to waste hierarchy.

Processing resources

During the processing of raw cotton into yarn, for every 100 kilos of cotton approximately 10% is lost. ISKO collects it and prevents it from becoming waste, adding it back into the spinning process obtaining cotton that is fully traced, documented and audited. This verification process has been invented by ISKO in partnership with its yarn supplier Sanko, offering full clarity into the traceability of reused cotton from field to fabric. It is also certified with the Content Claim Standard – or CCS – of the Textile Exchange.

On the other hand, recycled polyester comes from clear plastic bottles or, alternatively, it can come from other certified waste: in either case the source material is collected, sorted, stripped of labels and caps, and cleaned. This material is then ground into plastic pellets that can then be re-spun into new fiber filaments, which are then blended with the reused cotton to create R-TWO™ fabrics. A major asset of employing recycled polyester is the energy required to produce it, which is less than that required to manufacture virgin polyester. By using more recycled polyester, ISKO effectively reduces its dependence on petroleum as a raw material, ultimately reducing the overall carbon footprint of ISKO™ fabrics.

Depending on the content percentages, for the recycled polyester ISKO can provide either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certifications, both of which track the recycled raw material through the supply chain from input to final product to verify its integrity.

Rethinking innovation

The R-TWO™ program was developed to keep on delivering a futuristic and innovative sustainable approach, one where ISKO rethinks its sourcing strategies and refuses to source more raw materials than what actually needed. The objective? Improving, more than ever before, the environmental performance impact of yarn to fabric production, to do better for the planet and its people. Note for pictures: R-TWO™ fabrics played a key role in the development of “Light on the Land”, the new ISKO™ x Miles Johnson collection incorporating fashion and responsibility.

For contacts and information:

Margherita Verlicchi – Menabò Group, Global Press and PR Support: margherita.verlicchi@menabo.com
Chiara Bearzi – Menabò Group, Global Press and PR Support: chiara.bearzi@menabo.com

Heimtextil will launch the new 2020/2021 trend season with the general theme “WHERE I BELONG”. For the official Heimtextil Trend Preview, Stijlinstituut Amsterdam director Anne Marie Commandeur  introduced the new design themes. The presentation in the run-up to Heimtextil (7-10 January 2020) took place at the Textile Museum’s Textile Lab in Tilburg, the Netherlands on 11 September 2019 and was streamed worldwide.

This season, Stijlinstituut Amsterdam is responsible for the Trend Book content and Trend Space implementation at the upcoming international trade fair for home and contract textiles. Alongside Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, London-based studio FranklinTill and Danish agency SPOTT trends & business contributed to the 20/21 global forecast for perspective-related interior design. Together with the Heimtextil management team, these Trend Council participants gave insights into future styles during a workshop.

At the annual international Trend Council workshop, identity was an ever-present topic: part of a broader discussion on gender and cultural diversity, on tolerance and curiosity. Today, the self-identification process seems more complex than ever. Identities are now formed through experiences that take place simultaneously, on different levels. Locally, nationally, globally, both online and offline. Identity therefore can consist of many different layers. In fact, individuals can all have multilayered identities.

Heimtextil Trends 20/21 Overview:

MAXIMUM GLAM

Pleasure seekers revel in layering theatrical influences and glamorous showtime aesthetics, forging a fantastic marriage between the crafted and digitally rendered. Textiles show a ‘more is more’ attitude through a mash-up of glam, gradients and spectrums, fake fur, pile and fringe, jacquard weaves and fantastic prints. The flashy, kitsch colour range becomes brutally glam thanks to electric sheen, synthetic shimmer, digital glitch and artful blur. A riot of clashes and rebellion.

PURE SPIRITUAL

Idealists seek perfection and purity, restoring equilibrium by connecting with the uber-natural. They embrace technology for good while shifting between realism and mysticism in pursuit of a personal haven. To address a renewed bond with nature, organic matter, raw materials and pure textiles are selected which show nature’s traces, organic structures and irregularities. Shades are created from the earth and cultured by man. An elemental and pure range reflects the source of their existence.

ACTIVE URBAN

Urban dwellers confront the challenges of the fast paced, shape-shifting, man-made environment by searching for utilitarian, adaptable solutions. They value tech performance while making smart use of  available and renewable resources. Functionality is prioritised, while looking cool and working well remains key. Interior/sportswear hybrid textiles show smooth surfaces and a fun mash-up of graphic textures. The palette shows uniform blue, asphalt grey and caterpillar yellow.

HERITAGE LUX

Preservers of historic legacies treasure sensuousness alongside the uncanny, enlightenment together with darkness, for a whole new immersive experience. This new narrative translates to a love for luxury and splendour, decoration and embellishment. Finding beauty in history and nature through ornamental patterning and alluring surface enhancement. Reflecting on ancient history results in a palette featuring enigmatic blood red, sapphire and a lustrous mother-of-pearl.

MULTI-LOCAL

Hyper-locals go global, celebrating inclusivity over appropriation, honouring traditional craftsmanship and adjusting the world’s gaze to embrace exchange, creative integrity and diverse identities. Indigenous style meets global influences. This is a celebration of crafted and decorative pattern, from tribal and folkloric to geometric and abstract. Textile colours become part of a wider cultural narrative, linked to local community, cultural heritage and private identity.

You can find more Information here