Future Fabrics Expo 2023 Roundup
The Future of Fashion is Here Now: Insights from Future Fabrics Expo 2023
FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 2023 RETURNED TO THE EXPANSIVE STATE-OF-THE-ART VENUE MAGAZINE LONDON FROM 26TH-28TH JUNE 2023.
As the largest dedicated showcase of sustainably and responsibly produced materials, with over 10,000 textiles and solutions on display, the 2023 edition of the Future Fabrics Expo was a testament to the drive and ingenuity of our pioneering exhibitors, partners, speakers and innovators in activating the necessary changes in practice in the supply chain towards sustainability in fashion.
Since 2011, the Expo has become the most important sourcing platform for sustainability in textiles and materials. The Expo was conceived and designed as a central sourcing platform dedicated to sustainability in materials for fashion: to operate as the antithesis of a conventional ‘trade’ show and facilitate connectivity, collaboration and cross-communication through its materials curation and sustainability credentials, open-source educational information, and creative execution. This year the engagement from exhibitors and visitors alike exceeded expectations — the collective energy at the expo was energising, inspiring and hopeful for much needed change in our industry.
The fashion and textile industries are currently responsible for significant impacts upon the planet, its people and nature. With materials being responsible for the majority of a fashion product’s environmental impact, the Expo provided an essential resource of sourcing solutions for brands and designers. By showcasing a plethora of commercially-available material and supply chain solutions, we are demonstrating that fashion can be part of the solution, one that represents a powerful force for positive change.
Our material showcase included thousands of textiles from over 250 globally sourced best-practice mills and suppliers in all fibre and material categories, including; post-consumer recycled natural materials, certified organic cottons, textiles and leathers from regenerative agriculture farming systems, agricultural waste and ‘next-gen’ materials, man-made fibres such as TENCEL™ Lyocell and REFIBRA™ Technology by Lenzing Group, low impact and regeneratively farmed wools and animal fibres, sustainably produced silks and dedicated spotlights on a variety of grown fibres that can enable diversification of the fibre basket, including linen and hemp.
This year, the Innovation Hub expanded across both Space 1 & 2 in response to the drive to explore alternative bio-material sources in harmony with natural resources. Strong themes which emerged included the increase in durable and scalable alternatives to animal skins, as well as an accelerated interest in alternatives to petrochemical-based synthetic dyes. For 2023 our partnership with Parley for the Oceans continued across our Innovation Hub, which features emerging, cutting-edge materials and technologies representing the Material Revolution of the future.
SEMINAR SERIES
Running in tandem with our showcase and drawing upon the voices of world leading industry experts, innovators and thought leaders, our popular Seminar Series returned to the stage, serving as a conduit to explore the most defining issues of our time, amplifying the exploration of themes and solutions presented throughout the Expo.
Amongst many inspiring panel discussions, we heard from Professor Dilys Williams, founder and Director of Centre for Sustainable Fashion at UAL, who captured the essence of our mission:
“We’ve never had more choice in how we can consider materials beyond a convention.”
CURATED AREAS AND NEW TO THE 2023 EDITION
Our carefully curated Solutions Area provided comprehensive views of a positive future for the textile industry. The Solutions display Next Gen Fibres, Here Now supported by Laudes Foundation and powered by Canopy and Fashion for Good, highlights the latest innovation research and opportunities in next generation feedstocks and fibres (including agro-residues), for the future of fashion.
“Transformation of the material mix in fashion requires unlocking scale for next-gen and circular materials. We’re excited to support this year’s expo and have our partners Canopy and Fashion for Good feature key innovations and spotlight from their experience, the journey towards securing a viable market to mainstream these future fibres.” – Anita Chester, Managing Director at Laudes India.
Biodiversity Applied supported by LVMH, showcases the action-oriented projects the Group has taken to ambitiously address three key pillars – Regenerate, Circulate, Innovate – with the aim to protect ecosystems and preserve biodiversity within and outside the fashion supply chain.
The Solutions Area also featured a Regenerative Agriculture Area showcasing various companies / organisations around the world who are producing and working with regenerative agriculture practices infiltrating the fashion design space. Another highlight was the Bast Fibres Area, featuring Fibral, The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, and a dedicated Hemp Hub. Fibral is an international Material Alliance that brings together companies and individuals that create innovative materials out of ancient, underrepresented and novel plant-based sources. The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (formerly known as CELC) is the only European agro-industrial organisation that brings together all players in the European Flax-Linen and Hemp value chain.
The ‘Revival of the UK Textile Supply Chain: Through the Sustainability Lens’ mapped and spotlighted the heritage of the UK textile supply chain and how the industry is pushing boundaries to advance sustainability for textiles and the potential for reviving the entire industry: from farmers, herbal dyers, and tanners; to weavers, knitters, and artisanal businesses reviving skills and knowledge; to research and academia, innovators and pioneering entrepreneurs responding to today’s challenges and finding solutions.
This curated area highlighted the supply chain connections between the provenance of fibre, its processing routes, and journey to product creation and circulation and how, with ingenuity and responsible design at the heart of these activities, local supply chains can once again flourish in positive environmental socio-economic loops.
The Home & Interiors area was another new and exciting feature of FFE 2023 and spotlighted the environmental impact of home textiles and materials. Curated by renowned interior designer Edward Bulmer, who created his own non-toxic paint brand in response to the conventional paint industry’s environmental impact and lack of transparency.
During the Seminar Series panel ‘Sustainable best practice for the interiors industry: how to prepare for change’, Edward Bulmer alongside panellists Mike Stephens (Koran Bedding), Jennifer Manners (Jennifer Manners Rugs), Jules Haines (Haines Collection) and moderator Giles Kime (Country Life Magazine) extended the conversation beyond the fashion industry highlighting learnings from fashion to be applied to the home and interiors industry.
The new Knowledge Hub created a hotspot for knowledge exchange and featured a specially curated Waterstones bookshop, academic institutions, not- for profit organisations dedicated to educating and informing the industry and practitioners from all around the world. Knowledge ecosystem partner Biofabricate featured their new online educational resource here for the first time.
Thought leaders in sustainability for many years such as Orsola de Castro, Safia Minney, Dana Thomas, Becky Earley and Clare Press, signed copies of their books, whilst experts like Biofabricate’s Amy Congdon, designer Christopher Raeburn, fibre identification technology from Imperial College and manufacturer Joey Pringle shared their professional experiences first hand, with demonstrations and expert insights.
THANK YOU TO:
The invaluable support of our partners was key to the success of the Future Fabrics Expo 2023. Each partner has played a vital role in enabling crucial educational information to be shared with visitors in the partners and curated solutions areas: their continued support allows us to deliver the Expo and helps inspire and create change within the fashion industry.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Parley for the Oceans, Laudes Foundation, LVMH, Canopy, and UKRI UK Innovate.
We also extend our appreciation to all our exhibitors, innovators and speakers, who contributed their time, energy, and expertise to the expo. Each conversation, demonstration, and innovative idea shared has sparked new ways of thinking and fuelled the collective ambition for a more sustainable future.
If you missed the 2023 Future Fabrics Expo or can’t wait till the next one, join us online to see a selection of FFE materials by clicking the button below.
Here you can discover a curated range of responsibly and sustainably produced textiles and materials, along with explanatory educational information.
As we build upon the insights and innovations showcased this year, our commitment to advancing sustainability in the fashion and textile industries continues. Stay tuned for the FFE seminars that will be made available soon, and news of when and where the next edition of the
Future Fabrics Expo will take place in 2024.
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Image credits: Exhibitor Photography | Paul Cochrane.
