When it comes to innovations, the interplay of new technologies and sustainability is key. To actively drive forward and shape the current transformation in the textile and fashion industry, it is therefore imperative that we put the spotlight on these topics. Held digitally due to coronavirus restrictions, this summer’s edition of the Fashionsustain conference from 6 to 8 July 2021 is the place to be for all fashion enthusiasts, drivers of innovation and creative minds who wish to join forces and play an active role in this process.

Future-relevant topics

For the first time, the conference will take place during Frankfurt Fashion Week on the digital FFW Studio platform. The challenging topics of sustainability, digitisation and innovation will be examined in great depth from different perspectives during keynotes, interviews, panel discussions and interactive formats, offering a trailblazing, progressive and future-oriented contribution to the current fashion discourse.

3 days, more than 20 individual formats, a multitude of insights: the varied and multidisciplinary line-up of Fashionsustain will cover the State of the Industry, Innovating the Industry and State of Retail as its central topics. The focus of the content will be on Fashion Design & Circularity, Values & Diversity, Digitisation, Textile Certifications and Cotton & Denim. In various talks, discussions and presentations, the community will become aware of the challenges currently facing the sustainable fashion sector, of how the stakeholders involved are pushing ahead with their visions and how they can be applied to bring about real change within the industry.

The program in detail

• State of the Industry – what are the current concerns of the fashion industry?

This question will be asked on 6 July 2021, the first day of the conference, from 10:00 am. The key topics that are currently challenging the sector – such as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the international fashion industry; the extent that textile production will shift from global to local in the long term; or how sustainability can be holistically integrated into processes and become a permanent fixture – will be discussed by moderator Alex Bohn (Style Director of F.A.Z. Quarterly) with Christopher Veit (CEO of Veit GmbH), Mariska Schennink (Sustainability Manager at Euretco Fashion) and other speakers from various fashion brands in the panel “Global supply. Local demand. Total change?”.

The recently adopted German supply chain law also plays an important role. In the panel “Same Goals. Different Systems. How transparency triggers responsibility”, initiated by Grüner Knopf and the German Society for International Cooperation, experts from Gru?ner Knopf, fashion labels and, among others, Veronika Bates Kassatly (Woolmark) will be speaking to moderator Max Gilgenmann (founder and CEO of Studio MM04 and Neonyt’s Sustainability Content Consultant) about social justice within the textile supply chain and how to achieve it.

The correlation between finances, sustainability and fashion: by specifically choosing credit borrowers based on their sustainability efforts, the financial services sector can contribute to a more sustainable future. What that really means, which repercussions this can have on lending and how else the industry can contribute to the transformation of the textile and fashion industry will be debated by Frank Wächter (Global Director Treasury & Insurance at Puma SE), Viktoria Kalb (Global ESG & Sustainability Analyst at Emea ESG Research, UBS), Dr Andreas Wagner (Sustainable Finance Lead Commercial Banking Western Europe at HVB/Unicredit) and Ullrich Hartmann (Partner, Auditor, Tax Advisor, Financial Services, FS Compliance at PwC) in a discussion entitled “Finance. How it triggers sustainability in fashion”.

• Digitisation & innovation: transformation, transparency, certifications

The two central topics of the second conference day, 7 July, are highly topical and, particularly in the context of Frankfurt Fashion Week, take on a pivotal role. In the panel “Digital transformation. It is what you make of it”, initiated by PwC and moderated by Tim Dörpmund (Head of Online at TextilWirtschaft magazine), Patric Spethmann (COO of Marc O’Polo), Susanne Arnoldy (CIO Advisory at PwC), Dr Andreas Krostewitz (Senior Manager Valuation, Modeling & Analytics at PwC) and Philipp Vospeter (CEO of Westphalia DataLab) will be showing us how data and Artificial Intelligence can be key to excellent customer experiences and optimised forecasts and examining the significance of digital platforms for the retail business.

Afterwards, Sam Field (Ryot International at The Fabric of Reality), Damara Inglês (Designer at The Fabric of Reality), Kim Bernd (3D Digital Designer & founder of @3MBassy Digital Design Studio) and Esther Perbandt (founder & designer at Esther Perbandt) will provide exciting insights into avatars, NFTs, virtual fashion shows and answers to questions about the future of fashion in the “Virtual Fashion. Me, Myself and avatar.” panel.

Transparency along the textile supply chain is becoming increasingly relevant. And as the topic is closely linked with digital innovations, Lukas Pünder (co-founder and CEO of Retraced), Marian von Rappard (owner of Dawn Denim), Gediminas Mikutis (CTO and co-founder of Haelixa AG) and Shannon Mercer (CEO of Fibretraced) will be presenting various technical solutions that enable more transparency when buying clothing in the panel entitled “Transparency. The tech solutions for new supply and value chains”.

In the interactive Certification Buzzword Bingo with Max Gilgenmann powered by Grüner Knopf, viewers will be incorporated into the gamification aspect, before Angela Adams (Global Apparel Lead at Quantis), Urs Schellenberger (owner and CEO of Schellenberg Textildruck AG) and Sönke Giebeler (Head of Business Development at Oeko-Tex) delve even deeper into the topic of certificates in the panel “Carbon and Water Footprinting. How to drive it in the fashion industry” by Oeko-Tex.

• State of Retail – from the innovation to the consumer

On Thursday, 8 July, the Fashionsustain line-up will revolve around the state of retail. How can small, sustainable labels find the suitable retail platform to ensure successful cooperation? In the panel “Boutique Platforms. The perfect home for sustainable fashion trends”, Bernd Hausmann (founder of Glore), Christina Wille (founder and CEO of Loveco) and Helene Oudman (founder of Ikigai Labels) will be discussing the answers to this with moderator Siems Luckwaldt (journalist at Capital).

Insights into new business models are a must when it comes to retail. Second-hand, lending, leasing, reselling – the circular options for the retail sector are wide and varied. More insights will be provided in the panel “New business models. From pre-loved to repaired and recycled”. Now that sustainability, an environmentally aware lifestyle and a respectful approach to nature have meanwhile taken their place in mainstream society, it is all the more important that brands and labels provide consumers with orientation and transparency. In the “Sustainable Branding” Design Talk by the German Design Council with experts including Lutz Dietzold (CEO of the German Design Council) and Bernd Draser (ecosign/Academy of Design), the focus will be on sustainable brand management, the development of a corresponding brand strategy and the crucial role of good sustainability communication.

To the program with the individual dates