Germany's Heimtextil 2023 explores sustainable textile innovations

“Over the next four days, Heimtextil is the place where supply chains are rethought, circular approaches are experienced, and green innovations are condensed. This shows that trade shows are a business model with impact for global partnerships and the environment,” said Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt, in his opening speech.

Panelists Caroline Till, director and co-founder FranklinTill Studio; Professor Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, futurologist and executive director of the International Institute for Sustainability Management; and Olaf Schmidt, vice president for textiles and textile technologies of Messe Frankfurt, discussed the transformation towards sustainability from several perspectives under the moderation of Alexandra Bohn, style content director of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Quarterly.

The panel on materials, supply chains, and social responsibility highlighted how sustainability can be experienced holistically as a cross-cutting theme at Heimtextil.

Are entire collections produced in an environmentally compatible way? Do sustainability strategies include social responsibility? The one-hour Green Tours provide answers to these questions and enable an intensive exchange between visitors and exhibitors—led by independent sustainability expert Bernd Müller on behalf of Consulting Service International Ltd.

Heimtextil exhibitors are also increasingly focusing on transformation strategies that take into account multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include innovative sustainable product designs—from fibres made of PET to linen in combination with other natural fibres such as hemp to bed linen made of cotton coated with cork.

Heimtextil Trends 2023 ‘Textiles Matter’ by Franklin Till brings four ways of circular economy to life and gives the market impulses for sustainable development. In the panel talk, Caroline Till, member of the Heimtextil Trend Council, showed how the foundation for circular economy is laid during product development. This, she said, requires conscious decisions at the beginning of the design process and looking at waste as a resource. She also stressed the importance of collaborations between experts and keeping an open ear for different disciplines—from young designers to material engineers.

Heimtextil 2023 covers the entire range of home and contract textiles: from coupon business to retail volumes to high-volume orders. Buyers—including retailers and wholesalers, furnishing houses, interior decorators, designers, architects, or hotel decision-makers—can find new business contacts, redefine supply chains together with suppliers, and experience a bundled holistic market overview of textile trends over the four days of the fair.

In 2023, the leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles is responding even more strongly to the growing demand in the field of fibres and yarns by offering a dedicated section for the first time—including new suppliers who are expanding the global range of upholstery and decorative fabrics as well as leather and imitation leather, said the event’s organiser Messe Frankfurt.

In addition, Heimtextil is once again covering a wide range of functional contract textiles, such as those that are water-repellent, flame-retardant, recyclable, antimicrobial, or thermoregulating, with the "Interior.Architecture.Hospitality" programme aimed at interior designers, architects, planners, and furnishers. For textile professionals hungry for knowledge, there will be numerous Lectures, special presentations, and guided tours. This includes a new edition of the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality Library: a curated selection of exhibitor products that feature special functional properties. Expert talks, selected exhibitor products, and exchanges with the industry combine the new Interior.Architecture.Hospitality Talks & Tours.

In addition to sustainability, the focus will be on design topics. Another highlight is the continuation of the Heimtextil Conference Sleep & More. Leading speakers will talk about the prerequisites for good sleep, sustainable solutions in the retail sector, and digital gadgets. Due to the positive response to the Green Tours, the Sleep tours on smart bedding innovations will be launched and led by sleep expert Markus Kamps of Schlafkampagne.

The Green Village—the platform for seal providers and certifiers—has been expanded from this year to include exhibitors who are fully committed to sustainability. Under the motto ‘Textiles Matter,’ visitors can experience decisive approaches to the circular economy.

The construction of the entire trend area is based on the Heimtextil Material Manifesto: only local, environmentally friendly or borrowed materials should be used for stand design. The green offering at Heimtextil is mapped by the Green Directory, which identifies sustainable exhibitors and their certified products online and at the booth. The one-hour Green Tours bring trade visitors together with selected exhibitors and enable exchange on sustainable developments—guided by an external expert. Independence sets the Green Tours apart and brings an important outside perspective.

The special denim show Tones of Freedom by the Frankfurt School of Clothing and Fashion is presenting a young collection by students of the School of Design at Heimtextil 2023. The creations deal with the diverse aspects of denim and jeans in a cultural context. Ten models in collaboration with Heimtextil exhibitors will show visions of body positivity in the special presentation titled ‘Embrace new horizons’.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)