Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference partners with the 5thbluesign® Conference
Textile Exchange Contacts:
Betty Cortina-Weiss | Media Relations Consultant | bettycortinaweiss@gmail.com
Donna Worley | Director of Communications and Public Relations, Textile Exchange | Donna@TextileExchange.org
Bluesign Contacts:
Christian Dreszig | bluesign technologies ag | christian_dreszig@bluesign.com
St.Gallen/Lamesa, Texas; August 21, 2018 – Sustainable textile and apparel production will take center stage in October in Milan as two leading organizations – bluesign technologies and Textile Exchange – collaborate and descend on the legendary fashion capital to hold back-to-back conferences over the course of five days. Industry leaders, including some of the world’s most recognized brands and retailers, will convene to discuss the most important sustainability challenges facing the sector.
The 5th bluesign® conference is hosted biannually by bluesign technologies. The Switzerland-based service company provides the global bluesign® system that ensure materials used in textile and apparel manufacturing processes are safe for consumers, workers and the environment. The conference will take place October 18 and 19 at the Cavallerize, part of Milan’s recently renovated Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia. This year’s conference theme is “TraceAbility. NetworkAbility. TransformAbility: Stitching the blue way together.” Immediately after, from October 22 to 24, Textile Exchange – the global nonprofit that promotes the adoption of preferred fibers and materials, integrity and standards, as well as responsible supply networks – will hold its annual Textile Sustainability Conference at the Milano Congressi (MiCo), one of Europe’s largest convention centers. Its theme is “United by Action: Accelerating Sustainability in Textiles and Fashion.”
“We are pleased to cooperate with Textile Exchange and connect professionals around the world to drive the sustainability transformation in the industry,” said Jill Dumain, Chief Executive Officer at bluesign technologies. “The 5th bluesign® conference will offer plenty of opportunities for match making and networking with other attendees and sharing your business prospects with like-minded colleagues in the industry.”
“Textile Exchange recognizes the importance of collaboration in order to accelerate sustainability in fashion, and this year’s Textile Exchange conference is noteworthy for highlighting collaborative initiatives transforming our industry in more sustainable ways,” said LaRhea Pepper, Managing Director of Textile Exchange. “We offer content for every level of expertise and every role in the value chain – from our Basics Day to our Round Tables and Working Groups to our more expert plenaries and breakout sessions.”
Simonetta Carbonaro, consumer psychologist as well as trade and consumer industry visionary, will open the bluesign® conference by highlighting the great challenge posed by transformation and why transparency matters in today’s society along with its connection to responsible industry. In addition, non-textile case studies will provide insights beyond the industry in an effort to gather new ideas while supporting common ones. Traceability and the need for transformation will also be addressed. A high-level discussion will explore finance in sustainability and additional topics important to a CEO’s agenda while proving the business case of sustainability to re-design today’s business models. The blue way will be presented as part of the transformation. Head of the Ethical Fashion Initiative of the International Trade Centre, Simone Cipriani, will present a high-energy closing keynote speech on how ethical fashion can be achieved in the most challenging locations.
Featuring high-level discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals, fiber and materials, circularity, micro-plastics, water and sustainability in the luxury sector, Textile Exchange’s Textile Sustainability Conference is expected to attract more than 500 attendees from across the industry. Confirmed speakers include: Pacific Institute President, Jason Morrison, on the apparel sector’s water stewardship opportunity; World Resources Institute Research Analyst, Deborah Drew, on how apparel and textiles can drive the circular economy; Forum for the Future Chief Executive, Sally Uren, on new reports to drive sustainability strategies; Hohenstein Institute America Managing Director, Ben Mead, on innovative models for financially rewarding sustainable farm practices, and much more. The conference–designed for professionals in CSR, sourcing and supply chains, product and business development and design, education and advocacy–offers opportunities to learn about real sustainability solutions that drive change through the value chain and shape the industry’s future.
About bluesign technologies ag
The bluesign® system is the solution for sustainable textile production. It eliminates harmful substances from the beginning of the manufacturing process while setting and controlling standards for environmentally friendly and safe production. This not only ensures that the final textile product meets very stringent consumer safety requirements worldwide, but also provides the consumer with the assurance of acquiring a sustainable product. bluesign technologies ag was founded in 2000. Since then, the bluesign® system has been adopted by worldwide leading textile and accessory manufacturers. Various significant key players in the chemical and machine industries rely on the bluesign® system and well-known brands in the outdoor, sportswear and fashion industries rely on the extensive knowledge of bluesign technologies.
About Textile Exchange
Founded in 2002, Textile Exchange is a global nonprofit that works to create leaders in the sustainable fiber and materials industry by providing learning opportunities, tools, insight, standards, data, measurement and benchmarking–and by building a community that can collectively accomplish what no individual or company can do alone. In addition, Textile Exchange manages and promotes a suite of six leading industry standards, including organic, recycled, responsible down and responsible wool content claims. The organization also collects critical industry data and insights, which are published through the annual Preferred Fiber & Materials Benchmark, a platform that enables brands and retailers to measure, manage and track their use of preferred fiber and materials. With more than 260 members who represent leading brands, retailers and suppliers, Textile Exchange has meaningfully accelerated the use of preferred fibers and increased the adoption of standards and certifications across the global textile industry.
Related Articles
