My visit to TextWorld by Maureen Crete

On Wednesday 24th, I went to TextWorld exhibition with my class to discover the new trend of the sustainable fashion industry. TextWorld is an international textile trade fair. Today it has become more than a place where people meet to do business and to sales raw materials. The goal is to develop a new approach, a different way of exploring the aisles and discovering the trends. There are about 950 fabrics manufacturers from 27 countries. Firms product different materials like cotton, denim, functional fabrics, knitted fabrics, linen, silk…

During this tour, I had the opportunity to meet professionals from the sustainable fashion industry. Louis Guerin and Gregory Lamaud are the TextWorld Art Directors and trendsetters. They are from France like me, so I had the chance to talk with and we had a strong connection. They are passionate by their work and very interesting. Indeed, for them, the goal is to sensitize the population to global warming.

I learned that material can have 3 different origins: plant, animal or synthetic. For example, to create fur of good quality, the all process is linked to the breeding condition of the animal. The manufacture of wool is linked to the feeding of sheep. In order to be more sustainable, brand try to act differently by creating a genetic species but it’s hard to find regulation. However, only few brand is transparent. For example, “Veja” is the most ethical sneaker brand in the world. The model is founded on an ethical footing at every stage of the business: from sourcing and the production cycle, right through to packaging, distribution and even the energy. They don’t advertise, they don’t use sweatshops and they don’t trade on their morals. It's a brand that sets an example for all industry.

According to Louis, the most sustainable material is the cotton. But, it consumes a lot of water, like bamboo, which was the alternative material. Moreover, there is a dark side to the production. The cotton is picked up by hand which causes slavery in some countries like Uzbekistan. This country is at the same level with North Korea in terms of Human Slaving. Companies try to do some effort but it’s not enough to be 100% ethical. Human is at the center of the production of all material because the fabric is already a finished product that remakes a chain. Then, there is no robot capable to sew like humans with the same quality. The production of fibers is automatic but garment making is a human hand. It is a complex process that requires an operator.

The materials that come back are flax and hemp, not too greedy in water and without pesticides. For Louis, the petrochemical industry uses oil poorly. Indeed, it could be used for products more sustainable than polyamide or polyester. Nevertheless, there are new researches based on bacteria. When they multiply they are able to create material. It’s a long process but it’s the future. Louis and Gregory already tried to create lace with this new method but this is still at an experimental stage and a huge investment.

With TextWorld I learned a lot about new sustainable material and way of work. Meet the two French designers was a great experience. They gave me hope for a new sustainable future even if there are lots of effort to do, the fashion world can do it!