The line-up of ISPO Textrends conferences highlights a wide range of topics that will shape the future of the industry. © ISPO

ISPO Textrends, ISPO’s platform for designers and product managers to discover the latest fabrics, fibres, trims, and accessories for sports, and outdoor apparel, has announced a wide range of conferences covering a host of topics from digitalisation, micro factories to the dawning of a new era in sustainability, as the textile industry maps out the future.

“The Fall/Winter 20/21 season takes on a new direction in the textiles industry as efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability emerge triumphant,” organisers report. “The textiles chain is changing, driven by the demands of the consumer, as transparency and traceability, to a renewed waste-less, recycled and reuse attitude come to the fore-front. A smart approach to textiles also features, from innovative sustainable solutions to artificial intelligence (AI), illustrating how we can embrace new technology through the entire textiles chain.”

Textile trend consultant Louisa Smith will share ISPO Textrends mega trends, colour palettes and textile trend directions daily, which connects to the latest developments for Fall/Winter 20/21, featured in the ISPO Textrends forum.

Occurring over four days, from 3-6 February, the first two days of the conferences fall under the title of Road Map to the Future with the final two days featuring a wide range of conferences incorporating the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Road Map to the Future

The inspiring Reaching for Utopia presentation by David Shah, Editor in Chief, View, will deliver an understanding of the future needs, worries and demands of the consumer. Mirella Becucci of C.I.A. and Dorota Kabala, of we-design.studio, will discuss the contemporary  society with User Centered Design and Sport-Gener-Actions, as a borderless sports industry emerges.

Coloro, in collaboration with WGSN, will give a global preview of the S/S 2021 colours that will be key for the sportswear and activewear industry. Jeffrey Hsu from FENC will focus on the problem of textile waste to landfill, and how it is possible to eliminate this through innovative new systems.

ISPO Textrends conferences feature daily in Hall C4. © ISPO

A view on social and economical developments of the next decade and its impact on the industry is the topic from Sara Canali, of Sara Canali Creative Consulting, focusing on the faster commerce revolution, and how higher paced innovation in the next decades will impact our life and business.

Artificial Intelligence

On the last two days of the show the conferences’ theme changes, highlighting the textiles industry’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and technology. Dominik Šurc and Alexander Artschwager, from DITF, in corporation with Stoll, the flat knitting machine manufacturer, will present a micro factory workflow for automated knitting of shoe uppers.

Fashion design consultant Nora Kuhner presents Everything AI, everything o.k.? focusing on artificial intelligent (AI) and the fundamental transformation it will deliver to the textiles chain. Virtual prototyping, individualised mass production and smart textiles are just some of the buzzwords which are used to highlight the potential of a fundamental transformation in the whole process chain.

From sustainability to circular economy: Activating a new dimension of values for contemporary consumer by Giusy Bettoni, CEO and founder of C.L.A.S.S. and a pioneer of the importance of sustainability in the textiles industry, will highlight the new smart approach being taken. Embracing a new way for design thinking that represents a shift in culture to empower businesses to be competitive and socially responsible.

With the micro factory becoming a more prominent feature in the industry, Professor Christian Kaiser from Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen will show that a fully integrated, fully automated and adaptable workflow process from design concept to finished garment is possible with digital technology.

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