Textile Exchange

Sueño en Azul (A Dream in Blue) is a photo series by Cusco-based photographer Alejandra Orosco, documenting the efforts of Indigenous women to sustainably revive indigo cultivation on their ancestral land. Indigo, present in Peru as far back as six thousand years, has since disappeared—likely due to climate change and colonization. Orosco won our 2024 photography competition, hosted in collaboration with the world-renowned Magnum Photos. The annual competition invites emerging photographers to visually explore the materials behind textiles and clothing. This year, its third edition attracted 356 photographers from 64 countries, submitting over 6,000 images that reflect the impact of textiles on people, places, cultures, and nature. See Alejandra's full project on our website https://lnkd.in/eDy_UpsC

Meet the winner of our 2024 competition in collaboration with Magnum Photos  📷 Based in Cusco, Peru, Alejandra Orosco’s work explores the intersection of identity, colonization, and untold stories. Her photographs transcend language barriers, encouraging viewers to appreciate distant realities while finding common ground with their own. Orosco’s winning project, Sueño en Azul (A Dream in Blue) visually explores the possible impact of climate change and colonization on Andean textile culture, focusing on the indigo blue plant. Used in the traditional textiles of Chinchero, a pre-Inca town renowned for its rich textile heritage, indigo has since disappeared from the country. Orosco’s work follows the journey of a group of Indigenous women who are working to revive its cultivation amid economic and environmental pressures, seeking to reconnect with their heritage by growing the plant on their land once again. See Alejandra's full project on our website https://lnkd.in/eDy_UpsC

As we get ready for our 2024 Textile Exchange Conference, these words spoken by our CEO Claire Bergkamp during New York Climate Week are feeling all the more relevant. At the heart of this year’s agenda is the subject of systems change and what resilient, regenerative materials production systems and sourcing really looks like. Here’s a taste of the topics we’ll be covering: - What beneficial outcomes for nature look like on the ground - The future of impact data and traceability - Reimagining growth - Financing the transition to preferred materials - Scaling textile-to-textile recycling - Fostering a just transition - Navigating certification - Policy updates from the US and EU Explore the updated agenda: https://lnkd.in/eSAQQY_k

At New York Climate Week, we welcomed some of our community for an afternoon of direct and honest conversations on the need for system-level transformation to enhance climate resilience within the textile industry. A pair of panel discussions, hosted with Tapestry, addressed two critical and often-overlooked areas in need of restructuring: the role of growth in environmental impact, and the imperative for women in leadership. Together, the dynamic conversations emphasized the need to reimagine industry practices and leadership dynamics from the inside – driving substantial, long-lasting change. Our first panel, “Fashion’s Climate Response and the Power of Women in Leadership” featured Textile Exchange’s CEO, Claire Bergkamp, alongside Brittany Sierra, Founder of Sustainable Fashion Forum, Helen Crowley, Global Business and Biodiversity Expert, and Taryn Bird, Director at the kate spade new york Foundation. The panel was moderated by the award-winning climate journalist Sophia Li. The second talk, “Reimagining Growth in the Fashion Industry, saw Beth Jensen, Senior Director of Climate and Nature Impact at Textile Exchange come together with Rachel Arthur, Consultant, Speaker, Writer, and UN Environment Programme Advocacy Lead for Sustainable Fashion, Joe Murphy, Executive Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of The Club of Rome. The panel was moderated by Sarah Kent, from The Business of Fashion. By creating space to talk about these systemic shifts, we aimed to spotlight the urgent need for a comprehensive approach that moves the industry forward.

Today is World Cotton Day, and with 24.7 million tonnes produced in 2023, we can’t underestimate this fiber’s potential to drive change. Accounting for 20% of the global fiber market, transforming the way the fashion, textile, and apparel industry sources its cotton can help to bring beneficial outcomes for climate and nature at scale. Discover more key stats about global cotton production in our latest Materials Market Report https://lnkd.in/gqF52H5Z

The production of certified animal fibers continued to increase in 2023, according to our latest Materials Market Report.    Wool produced under the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) reached 4% of all wool produced globally, while Responsible Mohair Standard certified mohair covered almost half of the market share. Alpaca fiber produced under the Responsible Alpaca Standard saw an increase to 7% in 2023 from only 3% in 2022.   These farm-level certifications incentivize farmers to realize and achieve high standards, with criteria covering animal care, land management and biodiversity, and social welfare.   Discover more insights from the Materials Market Report https://bit.ly/3zTJsoh

What recycled materials are on the market today? According to the data in our latest Materials Market Report, recycled fibers made up 7.7% of the global market in 2023. The most commonly found recycled fiber by far is polyester made from plastic bottles, followed by wool, elastane, nylon, and cotton. However, the global recycled fiber market remains small, with less that 1% coming from textile-to-textile recycled fibers. Read the full report https://bit.ly/3BoOzgV → #textileexchange #climate #fashion

Our annual Materials Market Report is here 📊 Global fiber production is showing no signs of slowing down – up 7% from 2022 and projected to reach 160 million tonnes by 2030 if current trends continue. For the past decade, the Materials Market Report has been a reference point for global fiber and materials production volumes, guiding the industry in its mission to cut emissions associated with raw material production and align with the 1.5°C climate target. This report is a wake-up call to move away from virgin fossil-based synthetics, embrace textile-to-textile recycling, and rethink how it defines growth and value creation. Want more insights? Dive into the latest fiber and material trends from our Materials Market Report https://lnkd.in/gqF52H5Z → #textileexchange #climate #textiles

Meet some of our speakers 📢 We’re pleased to unveil a first round of speakers for the 2024 Textile Exchange Conference. Bringing together leaders from diverse sectors across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry, this year’s line-up includes a range of experts – from fiber farmers to geospatial specialists to circular economy innovators – ready to offer their insights on what a resilient collective future really looks like. Under the theme “The Case for Change,” the three-day agenda will focus on the actionable steps needed to embed holistic raw materials targets across company operations and drive system-level transformation. Stay tuned for more speaker announcements in the coming weeks. Find out more about our conference https://bit.ly/4abJBiY #textileexchangeconference2024

At our upcoming conference, attendees can choose from a range of field trips designed to provide first-hand insights into what more sustainable materials production and processing might look like. From regenerative farming to closed-loop recycling, these experiences are a chance to connect with the people and places making a difference. Field trips are an integral part of our conference agenda because we believe that learning can’t happen solely within the walls of our plenary rooms – there’s no substitute for getting out on the ground and seeing innovation and challenges in action. Registration for field trips opens next week, and conference attendees will be notified via email.