Interviews

In 2012, a charity was set up in Australia which embodied ideas of circular fashion long before it was to become a catchphrase. Thread Together dwelt on the simple idea of donating rather than disposing of unsold clothing. Today, it provides new wardrobes to at least 2,500 people every week, and has diverted over 3,000 tonnes of clothing from landfill. Chief Executive Officer Anthony Chesler tells texfash.com the saga that Thread Together has stitched.

The ITMF award that the Green Machine received in September is only the latest feather in its decorated cap. Developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), the Green Machine has been making waves since its launch in 2016. Katherine Chan, Director (Business Development) at HKRITA, talks about the challenges that had to be encountered, and the excitement that the Green Machine has generated.

The world’s first invasive leather brand Inversa Leathers is also the first company to produce leather from the Everglades Burmese python, a certified harmful and destructive species. A conversation with Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Aarav Chavda.

A major regenerative cotton endeavour is under way in India—the Delight Group is working with the Good Earth Cotton initiative of Australia on a three-year project that will touch the lives of farmers in close to 2,000 farms. Delight Group Chief Executive Officer Abhishek Doshi and GEC Business Leader Shannon Mercer tell texfash.com about the challenges and prospects.

On Tuesday, EURATEX, in a statement, described the European Commission’s hesitation to adopt a European price cap on natural gas, accompanied by massive national spending programmes to subsidise domestic gas consumption as a dereliction of duty. EURATEX Director-General Dirk Vantyghem tells texfash.com about the need for a plan at EU level, and not a situation where single member states compete with each other in launching national support programmes.

The tex.tracer team is made of fashion experts on a mission. The Amsterdam-based company has been building a blockchain-powered transparency platform, allowing users to unlock relevant supply chain information. Co-Founder Jolanda Kooi talks about changing the industry from within, one step at a time.

The Autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo, one of the biggest trade events in this part of the globe, has now been merged with the spring edition next year because of the pandemic situation in China. Wilmet Shea, Deputy General Manager of fair organiser Messe Frankfurt HK, talks threadbare about how trade event organisers are operating in these trying times and, of course, Intertextile Shanghai.

The inaugural Textile Printing & Sustainability Conference (TPS), organised by ESMA, looked at all critical factors and global trends which influence the textile market condition today and in the nearest future: customer-made fashion, responsible businesses, quality concerns, customisation and personalisation. ESMA Chief Executive Peter Buttiens talks about the key takeaways from TPS 2020 and how textile printing will change in the days to come.

Polybion creates Celium, a premium, high-performance biomaterial from fruit waste. A leather alternative available as fabric, albeit a lot more expensive, the company claims that Celium’s performance is almost equal to cowhide leather. Gabriela Irastorza Dragonné, Head of Communications & Culture at Polybion, tells texfash.com why investment, scaling and deployment are imperatives to help zero-carbon biomaterial companies to offer lower costs as time goes by.

The Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week is Africa's largest trade show for fashion, sustainability and innovation. Here, Africa's fashion and manufacturing industry meets international investors and brands. In a run up to the eighth edition which gets under way on 4 November, Skander Negasi, Chief Executive Officer of organiser Trade and Fairs Consulting GmbH, speaks about prospects, problems and mitumba.