Interviews

One of the many African countries that has been repeatedly mentioned in the swathe of Western media reports about the impact of the second-hand clothing trade is Kenya. But the sector is huge in the country in its spread, and mitumba touches the lives of millions. Yet, the opinion of the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK) has largely gone unheard. The Chairperson of the MCAK, Teresia Wairimu Njenga, tells texfash that much of what abounds is misinformation.

There's fashion that generates waste, and then there's fashion's packaging that generates more. Even as the industry is being hauled over coals, the subject of packaging, though discussed, remains by the sidelines. Iva Jestratijevic, Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Consumer Insights and Innovation, University of North Texas, throws light on trends.

If denim is so much about finishing, Italian machinery major Tonello has remained a leader with its array— from washing to dyeing machines— and unique range of garment finishing technologies. Alice Tonello, the Marketing and R&D Director at the family-owned business, tells texfash.com the role that technology is set to play in denim manufacturing in the days ahead.

Earlier this month, the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) set alarm bells ringing in the UK when it warned of an imminent collapse of the textile recycling sector due to global market challenges. It's complicated, and TRA Chief Executive Officer Alan Wheeler helps disentangle the threads in this deep dive with texfash.com.

Almost nothing has changed in the production of indigo for over a century. But now, French biotech innovator Synovance is producing dyes from microorganisms using industrial waste as raw material. Co-Founder and COO Efi Lioliou explains how the company has been able to produce sustainable dyes using biochemical methods.

All things cotton and the global market scenario from regenerative to organic, the urgent imperative to go sustainable and more is what Ben Eaves, Director of Liverpool Cotton Brokers Ltd, discusses in this freewheeling tete-a-tete with texfash.com.

A volatile commodity, the global trading of cotton has seen more than its share of turbulence. Ben Eaves, Director of Liverpool Cotton Brokers Ltd, elaborates on the situation and how it is impacting the world of textiles.

Armed with the vision to see fashion invest in farming and set the template for radical supply chain transparency across the world, UK-based start-up, Materra’s mission thus is to make farmers the stewards of the land, give nature a voice and make cotton a real force for good. texfash.com talks to one of the three Co-Founders and CSO Edward Hill.

The first event created especially for functional fabrics for sports, fashion and work clothing, the two-day Performance Days fair in Munich is all set to open on 20 March. texfash.com in conversation with Chief Executive Officer Marco Weichert.  

The UK discards 1 million tonnes of textiles every year, with about a third ending up in landfill or incineration, and the football sector is a big contributor to this. Lindsay Pressdee, Senior Lecturer in Department of Materials Faculty of Science and Engineering at University of Manchester, talks about the urgent need to tackle sportswear garment waste on a footing at par with fast fashion.