An article for TEXTILE Magazine (Published in December 2024)
I share thoughts on the way fabric trade shows must evolve to play a more constructive role in changing the textile industry to be a force for good. Using the Future Fabrics Expo as a case study it discusses how industry events can and should focus on transparency, collaboration, investment and action.
Over my career I’ve been to quite a lot of trade shows. I design functional clothing for a living so mostly I attend shows focused on performance fabrics, the outdoors or sportswear, with a few other, more fashion centred shows sprinkled along the way. In more recent years my reasons for attending shows have shifted. I’m no longer concerned with hunting down ‘trends’ and reporting on what brands and suppliers are pushing as the ‘latest’ must have. I'm tired of seeing brands compete to have the ‘best’ new innovations whilst simultaneously hiding all the interesting stuff behind screens so only a chosen few, usually buyers or the press, can see them. Instead I go to trade shows for the opportunity to connect with industry colleagues, engage with informative panel talks, discuss positive routes forward and discover developments and innovations that will genuinely benefit the industry and the planet. Not many shows offer all of this. One show that does, in my opinion, stand apart from the rest, ticking a lot of boxes on my ‘industry event requirement list’ is The Future Fabrics Expo (FFE) from The Sustainable Angle.
There are many aspects of FFE that differ from the standard fabric sourcing show or textile industry conference, and I believe that if our industry is to see meaningful positive change, other shows and events need to follow in their footsteps.
I met with the FFE team earlier this year following the 2024 edition at the Magazine exhibition hall in London. We had a great discussion, talking about their initial goals, how the show has evolved and grown and what might potentially come next.
The Future Fabrics Expo is, I think, less of a trade show and more a curated exhibition.
An exhibition that:
Gives a clear picture of the current state of the textile industry. This includes everything from the different types of raw materials in use, to what can and is being recycled. The positives, the negatives, the progress and the areas that need work, all presented and backed up with solid facts and figures.
Collates a selection of commercially available materials from a variety of mills so brands can easily identify and source materials that have a lower negative impact on the planet.
Showcases new innovations focussed on positive impact; that are either looking for investment, or starting to scale
Aesthetic appeal and demystifying the details.
When I spoke with the FFE team they explained how they set out to shake off the granola image of ‘sustainable textiles’. They wanted to increase knowledge, and to encourage acceptance. The look and feel of the show plays a major role in doing this. The world of fashion is all about aesthetics and the team explained how important it was for them to create something beautiful, in order to get their message across and bring the industry along with them.
Other shows will often present current trends and offer insights into where those in the know think things are heading next. But at FFE there are no ‘seasonal direction’ displays or trend predictions. There is a refreshing absence of ‘next seasons colours’ and no talk of ‘must have silhouettes’. Instead the show offers you a broad spectrum of genuinely useful information to help inform your fabric decisions.
As you work your way around the exhibition you find some often very sobering facts and statistics related to the textile and apparel industry. There are also details about the various properties and impacts of raw materials and fabric types, the different textiles processes that come into play, and how existing and upcoming legislation affects the value chain.
All of these things are presented via attractive infographics that are clear, easy to read, and also coincidentally really nice to look at.
Easy sourcing for everyday fabrics
The FFE team were keen to express the importance of the curated sourcing area as a place where you can find more standard or everyday fabrics. Switching a fabric used widely within a range to a more sustainable alternative is where some of the biggest impacts can be made - particularly for larger brands.
In this respect FFE does not act as the middleman or sales person. They want to ‘hand over sustainable textiles on a silver platter’. So instead of rails and rails of swatches from any one fabric mill, there are carefully selected swatches from a range of suppliers, all chosen in line with strict criteria and displayed in categories so they are easy to find. Everything is open source - so each hanger has all the details you need about the fabric itself and the supplier - you can simply scan the QR code and you will have all the information you need to connect with the mill.
At the same time, the team emphasise that whilst switching to ‘better’ options is positive and should be encouraged, simply being ‘less bad’ is not the end goal. They are constantly looking for new textile alternatives, looking to ’diversify the fibre basket’ with materials that can actually benefit the planet; not simply do less harm.
Showcasing innovation.
FFE really champions the exploration of alternative raw materials, and new processes and each show includes a showcase of new innovations. This isn't just a presentation exercise, the goal is to provide important exposure for the innovators to facilitate collaborations and promote investment to allow projects to scale. Transparency is key of course so alongside the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of each innovation and relevant contact details, you’ll always find information to indicate if the work is a student project, a start up looking for investment, an SME looking to scale, or an established company offering a commercially available product.
If you need proof that textile innovation is on the rise, then it's worth noting that back in 2011 at the first show there were just 8 items in the innovation area, now there are over 70! Innovations are never featured at the show twice, unless of course things have developed significantly to move a project on. It is perhaps a mark of the show’s success in connecting innovators with investors, that there are a number of projects that have been featured as new innovations, that have since returned to the show as fully fledged companies with commercially available products.
Keeping the conversation going and converting talk into action.
The overall FFE experience is complemented by a broad ranging program of talks involving a variety of industry stakeholders. Discussion and debate continue to be an essential part of the process of change and there are still many people to educate and bring into the conversation.
Personally, I’ve now lost count of the number of panel talks and presentations I've listened to, as well as papers and posts that I've read, explaining the problems and challenges we face as an industry. Sometimes It feels like everyone is enthusiastic to agree what's going wrong, but seemingly a lot less motivated to actively and intentionally roll up their sleeves and do the work.
Over the series of FFE shows I have attended I have actually seen the talks become increasingly action focussed. There has been a logical progression from initially stating problems, talking about what needs to be done, through to discussing the solutions in action (and their real time challenges). This is of course a real positive but I think one of the challenges for FFE is keeping that momentum going and to convert talk and discussion into meaningful action and results.
The importance of having the right people in the room and getting them to act.
When it comes to having an impact, the team considers an important key to success is to be appealing to a wide audience and reaching those who have the power to make decisions.
Back in 2011 the first show was tiny and attended mostly, the team speculated, by those players already convinced of the need for industry change. In a sense at the start they were preaching to the converted.
But appetite for this kind of event has undoubtedly grown, by the time I attended for the first time in 2018 the ‘trend’ for sustainability had definitely landed, the show was very busy, with the panel talks being standing room only. Of course sustainability is not a ‘trend’, neither is it an ‘added bonus’, or a ‘special project’. It is an integral part of the textile industry and therefore needs to be treated as such.
The FFE team shared the view that the brands that are ‘driving and thriving (in the sustainability space) are the ones that bring all departments into the process. Not just those employed as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibilty) executives, or just the design team, but a real cross section of the whole business - because we need whole systems change across the board and that means collaboration and a holistic approach.
Beyond the show itself The Sustainable Angle offers a selection of advisory services. This includes workshops related to sustainable sourcing practices and strategy, bespoke mini-expositions of curated materials, materials research and reports specific to a company's needs as well as advice on the relevant language and terminology to use in communication with target audiences.
A selection of the best practice materials from each show is available via a virtual expo - making it easy for anyone to access even if they do not attend the show in person. All talks and seminars from the show are recorded and available on demand via the website, and you can also find a selection free to access reports, papers, legislation and guidelines related to sustainable fashion and textiles.
This open source approach is so integral to progress. Having information easily available and not just restricted to those with subscriptions or large budgets is imperative if we are to get all stakeholders on board with industry change.
The Future of Future Fabrics
There FFE has come a long way since its inception in 2011, in terms of content size and attendance. I asked the team what they think might come next? There is a sense that the ‘Future’ is in fact here and now, and that although there will always be new innovations to showcase, there is alot about the show’s content that can and must be about action today. Whether that means a name change is in order or not, it's true to say that the work will never be ‘done’ and the show and its related services and resources can and must endure.
I myself would like to now see things stretch beyond better material options. Some thorough exploration around, for example re-use, repair, and repurposing; not just to showcase special projects or tiny niche businesses but to demonstrate these things (and other alternatives) as integral and worthwhile pieces of the fashion and textile eco-system. I’d love to see a showcase of alternative business models, that consider the planet and environment as key stakeholders, focussed on positive impact rather than simply ever increasing profit.
It is evident that the blueprint of accurate information, high quality aesthetics, broad appeal across all industry levels and an open source approach are a recipe for success, not just in terms of ‘good business’ but as a means of facilitating genuine industry change.
I believe other shows can and should learn from the FFE example, if they dont they are probably at risk of becoming a lot less relevant to a textile industry that absolutely has to change - whether it wants to or not!