Day 2 of the Munich Fabric Start (MFS) offered an insightful exploration into the intricate world of textiles, focusing heavily on detoxification, sustainability, and future trends. Here are the standout moments and key learnings from the sessions.
1. Detoxifying Textiles
Renana Krebs, CEO and founder of Algaeing, kicked off the day with her enlightening discussion on detoxifying textiles. Krebs emphasized the harmful chemicals prevalent in our textiles, the damage they cause to our bodies and the environment, and the urgent need for a detox. She presented her solution for a cleaner, planet-positive manufacturing process that aims to rid textiles of toxins while embedding them with botanical benefits.
2. Denim Trends
Tilmann Wröbel, Creative Director and Founder of Monsieur-T. Denim Lifestyle Studio, navigated us through the latest denim trends and core elements of the BLUEZONE’s 10 trend spots. A valuable session for any fashion enthusiast or industry professional looking to stay ahead of the curve.
3. Decarbonizing Denim
Kim van der Weerd and Maria Cristina Pavarini led a thought-provoking discussion about the challenges of decarbonization within the denim supply chain. They discussed the ethical considerations and potential solutions to reduce the carbon footprint effectively and equitably across companies of all sizes and resource availabilities.
4. Future Fabrics
In a dialogue with Fredrik Timour, founder of the Fashion Innovation Center, we explored the urgent need for the textile industry to balance profitability and sustainability. This talk underscored the potential for an autonomous, green, and collaborative textile industry and the steps required to achieve it.
5. Circular Economy Challenges
A panel discussion with Rolf Heimann, Ralf Hellmann, Susanne Pass, and Thomas Böschen shed light on the complexities hindering the progress towards a circular economy in the textile industry.
6. Automation in Textiles
Michael Fraede, Co-Founder & CEO of Robotextile GmbH, underlined the need for the textile industry to catch up with sectors like automotive and electronics in adopting automation to tackle labor shortages, cost pressures, and machine efficiency.
7. Color Branding
Carola Seybold from PANTONE LLC demonstrated how wise and trend-oriented color usage is a key element to increase brand awareness, promote emotional marketing campaigns, and boost sales figures.
8. Textiles 2023: Rethinking the Thread
This insightful panel discussion, featuring industry experts Jasmien Wynants, Carl Tillessen and Marco Mantellassi, and moderated by FashNerd’s Editor-in- ChiefMuchaneta ten Napel, aimed to address the multifaceted nature of textiles in 2023. The conversation ventured into subjects like the impact of EU legislation on the textile industry, myths surrounding harmful textiles, and the intricacies of the supply chain.
9. Sustainable Material Developments
The day concluded with a deep-dive conversation about future-oriented sustainable material developments led by Simon Angel, the Sustainable Innovations Curator of MUNICH FABRIC START. Joined by material experts, the talk focused on inspirational future-proof material solutions that will add value to a sustainable and circular industry.
Overall, day two of MFS underscored the textile industry’s urgent need for systemic change, emphasizing innovation and sustainability at its core. It served as a rallying cry for collective responsibility and action in creating a greener future for the industry.