Texworld USA to spotlight sustainability in NYC

By

Robin Driver

Published
Jul 18, 2019

Texworld USA returns to New York’s Javits Convention Center this month and will kick off with Fashionsustain, a one-day conference addressing some of the most pressing sustainability issues currently facing the fashion industry, including circularity and traceability.

 
Co-located with Apparel Sourcing USA and Home Textiles Sourcing Expo, the summer edition of the Messe Frankfurt-organized trade show will host Fashionsustain on July 22, welcoming industry professionals from companies such as Walmart, PVH Corp and Athleta to discuss how fashion can be made more sustainable.
 
The conference’s keynote speaker will be Liz Hershfield, head of product development, production and sustainability, as well as of digital consumer brand Incubation at Walmart e-commerce, who will be presenting a talk entitled “Where Are We Going? The Future of Sustainability in the Fashion Industry”.

The event will also include two panels, the first of which, “Transparency and Traceability: Challenges Facing Major Brands”, will be moderated by Glasgow Caledonian University’s director of strategy and integrated partnerships, Maggie Kervick, and will feature PVH Corp’s Louise Claughton, Athleta’s Leslie Ferrick, Juliette Barr of Sourcemap Inc. and UN consultant Karen Newman.
 
The second panel, “Discussing Circular Solutions”, will be moderated by Fabrikology International founder Karla Magruder. Panelists will include Tricia Carey, director of global business development for denim at Lenzing Fibers; Scott Echols, program director at the ZDHC Foundation; and Michele Zollinger, sustainability consultant at Quantis International.
 
The conference will wrap up with closing remarks given by Messe Frankfurt show director and director of marketing and communications, Thimo Schwenzfeier, before attendees are offered a tour of sustainable exhibitors on the show floor.
 
“We’re very excited to have Fashionsustain as a part of this year’s show,” said Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA show director Jennifer Bacon in a release. “Sustainability isn’t just a buzz word anymore. It’s a real issue that consumers are looking for answers to and companies need to adapt. We’re honored to host the platform that will harness and educate our attendees on patterns of consumption and use, and how to move forward, and adopt better practices.”
 
Aside from the conference, Texworld USA will also be offering its ever-popular Textile Talks and a series of seminars on topics ranging from upcoming trends, sourcing in Africa and organic textile certification.
 
On the show floor, there will be exhibitors representing over 16 different product groups, while a range of country pavilions will highlight international markets including Portugal, Korea, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal, among others.
 
Texworld USA, Apparel Sourcing USA and Home Textiles Sourcing Expo run July 22 through 24.