Specials

Tunisia’s textiles and apparel industry stands at a turning point, balancing cost pressures with rising global expectations. At this year’s ITF Intertex Tunisia, conversations will extend beyond traditional strengths, focusing on sustainability, innovation, and regional integration. Managing Director Serhan Pul explains how Tunisia aims to reposition itself as a competitive, responsible, and future-oriented partner in global trade.

A key organisation playing a vital role in the hemp movement is Inagro, which provides research and advice in agriculture. Crop Researcher Sophie Waegebaert about the organisation's work with farmers, and the challenges facing hemp as an alternative textile fibre.

Türkiye’s textile sector, heavily dependent on European markets, faces mounting regulatory demands that threaten the viability of smaller firms. A recent study tested a stakeholder-driven framework across four SMEs, producing actionable sustainability priorities and targets. The findings reveal how small manufacturers can chart realistic pathways in a challenging compliance environment.

The future of cotton in fashion is at a crossroads, threatened by weak transparency, limited certification impact, and the growing dominance of synthetics. In this interview, Tamar Hoek, Senior Policy Director (Sustainable Fashion), and Annemiek Smits, Corporate Engagement Manager for Fashion at Solidaridad, share why brands must prioritise fairer procurement, stronger accountability, and investment in farmers.

Hemp is emerging as a serious contender in Europe’s sustainable fibre narrative, yet its path to scale remains riddled with questions. Nathalie Revol, hemp project manager at Association Lin et Chanvre Bio, shares insights on land expansion, regulatory hurdles, and the realities of building market-ready textile fibres that can rival synthetics and achieve lasting credibility.

The new report Now or Never from Collective Fashion Justice claims to present fashion’s first methane footprint. Promoting a phase-out of animal-derived materials, it casts the industry as a major climate offender. Yet scrutiny suggests its arguments rely on ideology rather than robust analysis, raising concerns about credibility, methodology, and overlooked mitigation pathways.

For over two decades, nonprofit Valbiom has worked to advance the bioeconomy in Wallonia and beyond, building bridges between farmers, researchers, industry, and policymakers. Despite proven expertise and pilot successes such as hemp textiles, scaling up remains constrained by political will and investment. In a conversation with texfash, Valentine Donck, Project Manager for Bio-based Textiles, explores challenges, opportunities, and strategies shaping Europe’s sustainable industrial future.

Where does design fit in the textile-fashion hierarchy? The warp in crafts and livelihood, and the missing weft of innovation. Why has Indian design fallen short of its promise on the global platform? Dr Mihir Bholey, former Principal Faculty, Interdisciplinary Design Studies, Science and Liberal Arts at the National Institute of Design (NID), discusses it all and more in this freewheeling conversation.

The circular economy is often seen as fashion’s path to sustainability, with innovations in recycling and AI promising reduced waste. Yet new research warns these solutions may backfire. By fuelling increased production and consumption, circular strategies could intensify fashion’s environmental toll unless carefully managed through taxes, policies, and behavioural change.

Sweden’s secondhand clothing sector is growing, yet campaigners argue outdated VAT rules keep reuse expensive and fragile. Across Europe, governments are testing tax reforms to promote repairs and resale, while the EU readies wider sustainability regulations. The debate highlights whether fiscal design will entrench fast fashion or enable circular fashion to flourish.