Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing Complete Three Days Showcasing Sustainability, Innovation and Business Trends

Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing wrapped up their three-day run on Tuesday after diving deep into the season’s theme of sustainability and how it’s touching all aspects of the supply chain.

At Sunday’s FashionInnovate conference, keynote speaker Madeleine Gong, lead apparel engineer at Wearable X, focused on using innovation, technology and sustainability to change the way the fashion industry interacts with the environment.

“We need to assume responsibility and implement change not just in the end product but throughout the entire supply chain process,” Gong said. “Research and awareness are important for this initiative.”

Companies must embrace technology to create faster and more sustainable ways to create, Wong said, noting that researchers and scientists are working to create alternatives to animal leather using materials like pineapple, apples and mushrooms that mimic the real thing.

And bringing those concepts to textiles and what’s actually shaping the current market for fabric, Tara St. James, founder of Re:Source Library and owner and creative director of Study NY, led a tour of the Innovation Spotlight to educate attendees on new innovations in bio-synthetics, smart textiles and circular design solutions. Here, viewers were able to see how established fibers and fabrics are evolving to meet the need for circular and sustainable design.

Also at FashionInnovate, Celeste Lilore, director of industry engagement at Textile Exchange, lead a panel on “Innovation in Synthetics and the Journey to Preferred.”

Bio-synthetics are important because the global demand for textiles is expected to double by 2050, and they offer an “opportunity to diversify and improve performance,” Lilore said. “They are emerging and are made from renewable resources with the potential to mitigate climate change.”

The trade show featured strong representation from emerging countries that offer sourcing alternatives to the major supplier countries at the show. Geerish Bucktowonsing, head of manufacturing for the economic development board of Mauritius, said the island nation’s duty-free status is a key selling point for factories there, as well as its decades of expertise in areas like denim, beachwear, T-shirts and knitwear.

“Most of our factories are also vertically integrated and offer flexible order sizes and the ability for short lead times,” he said.

For U.S. manufacturers, Local Loft offered options for in-stock, fast-turn and small-quantity production. Marilyn Jacques, a principal At Gelmor Lace, said the Midtown Manhattan-based company sells to high-end brands that usually manufacture in the U.S.

“We have experienced increased interest to produce here,” Jacques said. “We have an extensive in-stock program, so companies can get goods at once.” Throughout the show, participants in Resource Row offered a range of services and information on sourcing, compliance and industry best practices, including textile recycling firms Fabscrap and Queen of Raw, compliance companies Fair Trade USA and Wrap, sourcing experts Foursource and the NYC Fair Trade Coalition.