What We Learnt From The Sustainable Angle’s 10th Future Fabrics Expo

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in London when I head to the 10th Future Fabrics Expo, founded by The Sustainable Angle–a Swiss not-for-profit organisation– which this year took place at Magazine in Greenwich across two days. 

Inside the venue, the exhibition, curated like a maze, has something exciting to see every way you turn. The largest and most ambitious showcase to date, The Sustainable Angle curator Amanda Johnston tells GUAP this is the first time they’ve been able to put on an event since the pandemic hit in 2020. COVID 19 has been a catalyst for innovation in many industries globally, and Fashion has not been exempt. From technology, farming and politics, especially around the climate crisis, Fashion is facing unprecedented pressure on questions and issues it must answer to. 

The Future Fabrics Expo did the necessary work of breaking down what this means for the future of fashion in an accessible way with seminars on regenerative agriculture and helping people implement innovations. Researchers, suppliers and exhibitors occupied dedicated booths with examples of effective, sustainable solutions throughout the textile supply chain and thousands of commercially available, sustainably and responsibly produced fabrics and materials were on display. Swathes of denim, cotton, silk, leather, linen and more could be touched, each labelled with detailed sustainability information, environmental certifications, and contact details of suppliers.

This year the expo saw new partnerships such as the Innovation Hub in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans and the Curated Area of Solutions exploring agricultural waste (ag-waste), supported by Laudes Foundation, led by Fashion for Good and Canopy Planet. The focus on biodiversity was supported by LVMH, which has made an effort to make its brands more sustainable in recent years, commenting:

“From flowers to grapes to wool, most of LVMH’s products rely on exceptional natural resources, which gives the products their exceptional character in return. Therefore, the protection of ecosystems is an imperative forLVMH: it is fully embedded in the LVMH LIFE360 environmental program and targets through the implementation of raw materials certification, regenerative agriculture and the preservation or regeneration of high-value ecosystems. LVMH and its Maisons are proud to collaborate with the Future Fabrics Expo to showcase how we transition to the integration of biodiversity preservation in the fashion industry.” said Alexandre Capelli, Group Environment Deputy Director at LVMH.

The Future Fabrics Expo was a lesson in collaboration, highlighting the importance of simply coming together and being curious to create forward-thinking momentum. In particular, the expo highlights the power of changing policy and legislation globally to effect change across the board for a fairer and more sustainable future. 

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