From the Sector

Jeanologia, a global leader in sustainable technologies for the textile industry, returns to Kingpins Amsterdam with its new collection “Mediterranean Soul”, blending nature, creativity, and technology to prove that authentic denim can be designed and produced with efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

The collection draws inspiration from the power of the Mediterranean Sea and the essence of Valencia, Jeanologia’s hometown. Following the devastating floods that hit the city in October 2024, the collection is a tribute to resilience, nature, and Mediterranean creativity, reinterpreted in the world’s most universal fabric: denim.

"Mediterranean Soul is a story of resilience and creativity brought to life through denim," says Carme Santacruz, Creative Director at Jeanologia. The collection captures the Mediterranean beauty and vibrancy in every garment: the deep blues of the sea, the golden texture of sand, sunlight reflecting on facades, and the lively energy of urban and natural landscapes. More than fashion, it is a manifesto— environmentally conscious design that is at once authentic, innovative, and sustainable. "Mediterranean Soul is a journey that connects our roots with our global mission to detoxify and dehydrate the fashion industry, without sacrificing creativity or efficiency," adds Santacruz.

Laser + G2 Ozone: bringing Mediterranean landscapes to life through denim
To capture this Mediterranean spirit, Jeanologia combines two most powerful technologies:

• Laser, which brings landscapes and natural textures to life with hyper-realistic, unique designs. It has transformed the way jeans are designed and produced, eliminating any hand tough and offering infinite creative possibilities. Today it allows reproducing vintage effects, 3D textures, breaks, or vector designs with precision, speed, and consistency, digitalizing the entire design process and ensuring creativity, quality, and efficiency.
• G2 Ozone Indra, whose ATMOS process creates abrasion and a wide variety of washes, from deep indigo blues to light tones, as well as blacks and greys. This “air washer” replaces traditional washing methods with ozone and precise humidity control, achieving authentic washes without water, chemicals, or pumice stones, and reducing both environmental impact and costs.

Together, Laser + G2 Ozone give designers total freedom to create authentic finishes with greater contrast, brightness, and naturalness, achieving true sustainability at the best cost.

‘Digital to real’, from virtual design to real garment
At Kingpins, Jeanologia also presents ‘Digital to Real’, a space where visitors can experience how digitalization accelerates the design-to-production process. With eDesigner, brands can develop and visualize denim finishes in a fully digital environment, reducing up to 80 percent of physical samples, cutting emissions, and connecting creativity directly with production.

‘Made in España’: creativity, innovation, and sustainability
At Kingpins, Jeanologia takes part in ‘Made in España’, a space that celebrates the strength and creativity of the Spanish textile industry.

Together with Recover, Jeanologia showcases circular, responsible, and creative denim, highlighting new ways to enhance sustainability and close the loop in denim production.
Alongside Textil Santanderina and Pinter, the company will inspire visitors with a collection that blends art and fashion, a reflection of Spanish innovation, craftsmanship, and contemporary creativity.

Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg Apparel) celebrates the grand opening of a major expansion at its manufacturing facility in Chennai, India, on October 14, adding 20,000 square feet of production space and introducing new production lines tailored to the Indian apparel market. This strategic investment is aimed at significantly reducing lead times and enhancing the availability of high-quality, locally produced interlinings for the fast-evolving apparel sector in India and South Asia.

The expansion increases the facility’s manufacturing area from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet and introduces specialized production lines for 100% cotton interlinings and 100% polyester interlinings. These new lines especially enable local production of Chinese-equivalent polyester bi-elastic shirt and polyester woven interlinings, meeting rising demand for innovative, premium materials with faster delivery.

Significantly shorter lead times
Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, the extended facility enhances quality assurance and accelerates production processes. Lead times for Indian manufacturers will be reduced from the 6–8 weeks needed for China imports to just 1–2 weeks with local production. Additionally, customers can expect a cost advantage compared to duty-paid imported goods.

Support network for Indian textile industry
Since the company expanded into India in 1998, Freudenberg Apparel has developed a support network for the Indian textile industry, including technical solution studios in Chennai, Bangalore, and Gurgaon. These studios provide technical consultations, solution services, technical seminars, trend collection and mockups, interlining recommendation reports, and fusing press audits – services that complement the expanded manufacturing capabilities. 

The new production lines join existing paste dot, 3P printing, and powder dot printing capabilities at the Chennai facility, broadening the range of products that can be produced locally.

Source Fashion, the UK’s leading responsible sourcing show, announced Redress as the headline catwalk partner for its return to Olympia London from 13–15 January 2026, spotlighting pioneering designers who are reshaping fashion through circular and sustainable design.

The Source Fashion Catwalk will take place three times daily, showcasing responsibly produced collections, trend-led designs, and cutting-edge innovation. Each show will present a compelling story of sustainability in practice, inspiring buyers with practical ideas they can implement directly from the show floor.

Based in Hong Kong, Redress is an Asia-focused environmental NGO on a mission to accelerate the transition to a circular fashion industry by educating and empowering designers and consumers to reduce clothing’s negative environmental impacts. In response to fashion’s unsustainable linear model of ‘take, make, use, and waste,’ Redress champions a circular economy that takes responsibility for a product’s entire lifecycle and its impact on the planet.

At the heart of its work is the Redress Design Award, a leading sustainable fashion design competition, which has built a global network of over 300 emerging designers pioneering circular and waste-reducing practices. This makes Redress an ideal partner for Source Fashion, as both organisations share a commitment to innovation, education, and driving real-world change in the fashion industry. Together, they are empowering the next generation of designers to reshape fashion’s future through creativity and responsibility.

For Source Fashion January 2026, Redress will select two to three Redress Design Award alumni to headline the catwalk. Their curated showcase will highlight innovation, circular design thinking, and a strong commitment to reducing environmental impact. The dynamic catwalk will run three times a day, offering a visual narrative of how responsible design and creative excellence can join forces to redefine the future of fashion.

“This partnership with Redress marks an exciting next chapter for the Source Fashion catwalk,” says Suzanne Ellingham, Director of Source Fashion. “Redress has been instrumental in nurturing some of the most forward-thinking designers working in sustainability today. Their alumni are proof that creativity and responsibility are not opposing forces, they’re the foundation of fashion’s future. By bringing their work to our stage, we’re giving buyers and brands a glimpse of what truly circular design can look like in practice.”

Christina Dean, Founder of Redress, “Our partnership with Source Fashion creates the perfect stage to show that sustainable fashion isn’t just a passing trend, it’s the future. By putting our Redress Design Award alumni in the spotlight, we’re proving that circular design can be innovative, beautiful, and commercially viable. This partnership is about inspiring the industry and showing that responsibility and creativity go hand in hand.”

Teysha Technologies has successfully validated KarmaCane, its patented sugar-derived biopolymer, in extreme field conditions. Products manufactured from KarmaCane withstood sub-zero temperatures and intense UV exposure during the record-breaking Mission: Everest expedition.

This real-world trial marks a turning point for the material platform, showing that biopolymers can perform under the harshest conditions while offering a safe and fully biodegradable end-of-life. KarmaCane has achieved OECD 310 biodegradability certification, confirming that it breaks down into non-harmful natural sugars rather than microplastics or acids.

A Versatile Materials Platform
The Everest test underscores KarmaCane’s ability to serve a wide variety of applications beyond eyewear. The platform can be engineered into very different formats:

• Hard solids for durable goods such as frames, tools, and structural components.
• Sticky liquids as natural film-formers in cosmetics, replacing synthetic polymers.
• Water-based dispersions as hydrophobic coatings for paper and cardboard packaging.
• Filaments for 3D printing, opening pathways for additive manufacturing.

This flexibility allows industries to adapt KarmaCane to specific needs, from packaging and consumer goods to medical devices and marine applications.

Manufacturing & Scale
KarmaCane has already been validated across multiple production methods:

• Extrusion into pellets and filaments.
• Injection moulding at lab scale.
• Hydrophobic coatings for fibre- and paper-based packaging.

Teysha is preparing to scale monomer production to tonne-level manufacture, using third-party industrial assets to expand rapidly without infrastructure bottlenecks. Early modelling indicates KarmaCane products will be cost-competitive with PET, ABS and other mainstream plastics once at scale.

Commercial Potential Across Sectors
KarmaCane’s design directly addresses regulatory and commercial pressures:

• Cosmetics: Eliminates the need for microplastics used as thickeners, stabilisers and film-formers. Replacing these polymers could remove up to 8,700 tonnes annually from the cosmetics sector alone.
• Packaging: Early coating trials show water-resistant barriers for paper and cardboard without plastic laminates.
• Marine environments: Rapid aquatic biodegradation without persistent fragments makes KarmaCane suitable for coastal and offshore use.
• Medical: Degradation into alcohol and CO₂ rather than acids could reduce inflammation risks compared to existing biodegradable polymers.

Market Context
Global regulation is driving urgent demand for sustainable alternatives:

• The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is rolling out restrictions on microplastics in consumer products.
• International bans on single-use plastics are accelerating the need for scalable biodegradable solutions.

Matthew Stone, CEO of Teysha Technologies says that “The Everest test proves KarmaCane can survive the harshest environments. But more importantly, it shows that our polymer platform can be engineered to meet the needs of very different industries — from packaging to cosmetics to medical applications.”

Karen Wooley, CTO and inventor at Teysha Technologies explains, “KarmaCane is not just one product. It’s a materials platform. We can design it as a solid, a liquid, or a water-based suspension, depending on the application. That versatility sets it apart from other biopolymers and is key to scaling sustainable solutions.”

Teysha Technologies develops biodegradable polymers from natural sources to replace petroleum-based plastics across multiple industries. Founded in 2017, the company has secured multiple patents for its KarmaCane biopolymer platform and maintains research partnerships with Texas A&M University and other leading institutions.

“We delivered another very strong quarter as our pivot to becoming a DTC-first, head-to-toe denim lifestyle retailer is driving a meaningful inflection in our financial performance,” said Michelle Gass, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. “With strength across channels, segments and categories, we are raising our full-year outlook and are well-positioned for the holiday season. While the macro environment remains complex, the consistency of our performance and operational agility gives me confidence that we will deliver sustained, profitable growth into 2026 and beyond.” 

“Our Q3 results demonstrate the power of our strategic transformation, with strong financial performance exceeding expectations across all key metrics including sales, gross margin, adjusted EBIT margin and adjusted diluted EPS,” said Harmit Singh, Chief Financial and Growth Officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “With four consecutive quarters of high-single-digit growth and record gross margins driven by our focus on profitability across the organization, we are raising our full-year revenue and adjusted diluted EPS expectations. We have built strong momentum that positions us well to continue delivering strong shareholder value next year and in the years to come.”

Financial Highlights 

• Net Revenues of $1.5 billion were up 7% on a reported and organic basis versus Q3 2024:
• In the Americas, net revenues increased 6% on a reported basis and 7% on an organic basis. Within the Americas, the U.S. grew 3% on an organic basis. 
• In Europe, net revenues increased 5% on a reported basis and 3% on an organic basis. 
• In Asia, net revenues increased 12% on a reported basis and organic basis. 
• Beyond Yoga® net revenues increased 2% on a reported and organic basis. 
• DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) net revenues increased 11% on a reported basis and 9% on an organic basis. DTC growth on an organic basis reflected a 7% increase in the U.S., a 4% increase in Europe and a 14% increase in Asia. Net revenues from e-commerce grew 18% on a reported basis and 16% on an organic basis. DTC comprised 46% of total net revenues in the third quarter. 
• Wholesale net revenues increased 3% on a reported basis and 5% on an organic basis. 

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. supported the production of dresses using artworks painted by artists contracted to HERALBONY for ANREALAGE’s Collection at Paris Fashion Week SS 2026, held on September 30, 2025. The collection comprised 30 outfits, 26 of which used fabrics printed with our sustainable inkjet textile printer "FOREARTH". For this collection, 21 vibrant designs by 18 artists contracted to HERALBONY were printed onto wide range of fabrics and, through ANREALAGE’s craftmanship, transformed into distinctive garments that conveyed movement and vitality. FOREARTH printing was used for bags and shoes, giving their designs an inner glow that attracted significant attention.

Works by artists contracted to HERALBONY are characterized by both intricate, delicate expressions and bold, powerful strokes. In the printing process for this garment production, our FOREARTH faithfully reproduced those artistic expressions. Moreover, features unique to each artwork—such as variations in brush pressure and brushstroke—along with subtle differences in hue and tonal gradation were recreated through precise ink-volume adjustments made possible by digital technology, allowing FOREARTH to play a significant role in this production.

„Seeing printed fabrics from Kyocera’s sustainable inkjet textile printer, FOREARTH, moved me“, said HERALBONY’s designers Takaya Matsuda and Fumito. „The printer reproduces the nuance in the artists’ brushwork—the subtle breaks, dynamism, and life—directly onto fabric. It felt as if the works were truly imprinted on society. We believe this is meaningful for the artists, their families, and the welfare communities supporting them.“

FOREARTH reduces water usage by 99.98%*1. This is significant for the resource- and water-intensive textile and apparel industry. We will continue to work with Kyocera to introduce and scale a model that protects artistic integrity while helping to solve environmental challenges. 

Oritain announced the expansion of its services into leather. This development will enable the fashion, luxury fashion and automotive industries to meet the rising demand for traceability, sustainability, and regulatory compliance.

Oritain’s proprietary methodology already trusted across apparel, food and agriculture, can now verify the geographic origin of leather from key producing countries across Europe, Africa and South America.1 This capability is increasingly vital as regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are enforced and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) mandates a Digital Product Passport. Such regulations require companies to disclose traceability information that proves their supply chains are transparent and ethically sourced.

The global leather goods market is projected to grow from $493 billion in 2025 to $904 billion in 2035, according to Future Market Insights (FMI, 2025). Meanwhile, the luxury leather goods segment alone is expected to generate over $66 billion in revenue in 2025, as reported by Statista (2025). These growth figures underscore the growing pressure on brands to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

“Leather sourcing is facing heightened scrutiny for its environmental and human rights impacts” said Alyn Franklin, CEO of Oritain. “Our origin verification programs give brands and tanneries the insights they need to make meaningful changes in their supply chain, meet regulatory obligations and build lasting trust with their customers.”

Traceability is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative. Regulatory frameworks are tightening, and consumer expectations are shifting towards transparency, sustainability, and ethical practices. Brands that fail to meet these standards risk reputational damage, legal consequences, and loss of consumer trust.

Oritain’s extensive origin database and forensic expertise provide a unique solution for brands navigating increasingly complex supply chains. The service is designed to verify sourcing claims made by intermediaries and tanneries, enabling brands to identify deforestation and labour risks, supporting end-to-end supply chain mapping. Whether it’s bespoke handbags, premium footwear, or high-end automotive interiors, Oritain’s product origin verification is tailored to meet the unique needs of the fashion and automotive sectors, offering both precision and adaptability.

This launch follows Oritain’s recent expansion into the timber industry, another commodity highly relevant to concerns surrounding deforestation and subject to scrutiny by regulators. This broader business expansion into new sectors reflects Oritain’s commitment to innovation, and its role in helping clients set new standards for transparency and accountability.

“Our customers are looking for ways to get visibility into their supply chains. Extending our service to leather means we can stand alongside them and have a positive impact on the wider industry, delivering on our vision of being the source of truth in global supply chains” said Paul Bentham, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Oritain.
 
1 Argentina, Nigeria, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, Albania, France, Netherlands, UK, Germany.

On the occasion of New York Climate Week, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) has launched the Fashion CEO Agenda 2025, a strategic resource for leaders of fashion brands and retailers, designed to guide immediate action to future-proof businesses while advancing towards a net-positive fashion industry by 2050.

Published at a pivotal mid-decade reflection point - with less than five years remaining to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and scientists warning of only three years left to alter the trajectory of global warming - the report comes as the industry faces turbulence, from economic volatility and deregulation to escalating climate and social crises.

The updated agenda urges executives to take action according to its long-standing five-priority sustainability framework - Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Resource Stewardship, Smart Material Choices, and Circular Systems. For the first time, the 2025 edition introduces Priority Accelerators: Innovation, Capital, Courage, Incentives, and Regulation. These build on the themes discussed at Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition this year, positioned as critical levers that cut across all five priorities, enabling systemic change at speed and scale.

The Fashion CEO Agenda 2025 is structured in two clear parts: Part one presents overarching ambitions for the fashion sector that demand collective action across stakeholders, while part two outlines the immediate, short-term, practical steps brands and retailers can take today to advance those ambitions.

The 2025 edition builds upon the ambitions first presented in the 2023 Fashion CEO Agenda which were developed through years of stakeholder engagement and validated by GFA and the UN Environment Programme’s global Fashion Industry Target Consultation. Two years on, these ambitions remain central to industry-wide progress. For 2025, they’ve been re-evaluated in consultation with leading multi-stakeholder initiatives and experts to ensure continued ambition, impact, and relevance. The scope now expands to further urgent priorities such as fair and ethical treatment of migrant workers and empowering workers through inclusive automation and reskilling, with a firm focus on the need for transformation that benefits both the planet and its communities.

To support implementation, GFA has also released new complementary materials including a practical toolkit guiding companies to credible existing industry tools, guidelines, and programmes, as well as a presentation deck that fashion leaders can adapt internally to educate teams. These resources are designed to help leaders embed the Fashion CEO Agenda into company strategies and communicate it effectively throughout their organisations.

Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, said: “Climate change is the defining certainty in an uncertain global world, impacting all lives and communities. The investments needed to future-proof businesses will keep increasing and the cost of inaction will inevitably become greater than the investments needed to address it. This year’s Fashion CEO Agenda provides leaders with a clear path to embed sustainability at the heart of corporate strategy, supported by enabling conditions that make bold action both possible and necessary.”

As technical apparel hits the streets, the mountain-focused Swiss brand Mammut is making a statement: mountain wear is for the peaks, not for the pavements! The twist? How they’re backing it up. 

Responding to the trend of overusing shell jackets, puffers, and other outdoor-engineered clothing as fashion or statement pieces, Mammut’s Fall/Winter 25/26 campaign is set to provoke debate, with ad spots already calling out “mountainwear misuse” on the streets of London. The response? The community both loves and hates it, filling comment threads with discussion over just where technical mountainwear truly belongs. 

But the campaign has only just begun. After releasing the Mission Impossible-style edit shot in London, the Mountainwear Misuse Advisory Panel (aka Mammut´s Marketing Department) returned to Switzerland to create a mockumentary skit series featuring Canadian comedian and influencer Katie Burrell as both talent and director.  

The creative was shot at Mammut Headquarters in Seon and in downtown Zürich. Joining Katie were renowned Mammut athletes Jakob Schubert and Lindsey Hamm, along with influencers Jannick Apitz and Tegan Phillips. 
It’s the lead-up to the final act: making it real. Mammut is pleased to add real-world mountain enthusiasts Cara Nemelka and Marius Isman to the Mountainwear Misuse Ranger team.   

The rangers will make it real by taking the newly formed team to Munich’s Oktoberfest, where puffy jackets and shells are sure to adorn the shoulders of revelers who are definitely not headed to the mountains. 

Of course, the mission to curb Mountainwear Misuse comes straight from the top — Mammut CEO Heiko Schäfer has weighed in on the topic:

“After years of exile on city sidewalks, Mammut’s mountaineering apparel is finally being liberated. Thanks to Mountainwear Rescue, down jackets and hardshells are being returned to where they truly belong: glaciers, granite, and into occasional snowstorms. Let’s face it – a hardshell jacket doesn’t dream of espresso foam; it dreams of powder snow, and Gore-Tex wasn’t invented to protect you from latte spills!”