The Sustainable Angle’s Future Fabrics Expo 2023

The Sustainable Angle announces its next FUTURE FABRICS EXPO (FFE), open across the 26th - 28th June at Magazine London.

Pioneers since 2011, the annual FFE is the largest dedicated global sourcing destination of commercially available, sustainably and responsibly produced textiles and materials for the fashion industry.

In addition, FFE is an educational platform for visitors to learn by sourcing, with the aim to galvanise the industry around the critical imperative for sourcing responsibly and operating within planetary boundaries. FFE also provides a platform for first-in-class innovators developing sustainable solutions for the fashion industry of tomorrow.

Highlights:

• 10,000+ materials and solutions on display: Thousands of textiles which are certified and globally-sourced around the world. These textiles spotlight positive, commercially-available solutions that are alternatives to extractive and polluting conventional materials.
• 5,000+ commercially available, sustainably and responsibly produced fabrics in fibre categories in our Curated Textiles Area. Materials are labelled with detailed sustainability information, environmental certifications and supplier details.
• Diversification of the fibre basket - Materials will include textiles from regenerative agriculture farming systems, agricultural waste, cellulosics such as TENCEL™ Lyocell and REFIBRA™ Technology by Lenzing Group; post-consumer recycled natural materials, certified organic cottons, low impact and regeneratively farmed wools and animal fibres, sustainable silks, linen and hemp, responsibly produced leather and innovative alternatives to animal skins.
• Over 250 best-practice mills and suppliers displaying their material and sustainability initiatives in their own booths. Connect in person and experience the materials of the future.

Curated Areas and Brand Partnerships

The FFE will show specially curated areas:

• Next Gen Fibres, Here Now supported by Laudes Foundation and powered by Canopy and Fashion for Good. This Solutions display highlights the latest innovation research and opportunities in next generation feedstocks and fibres (including agro-residues), for the future of fashion.
• Biodiversity Applied supported by LVMH, showcases the action-oriented projects the Group has taken to ambitiously address three key pillars – Regenerate, Circulate, Innovate – aiming to protect ecosystems and preserve biodiversity within and outside the fashion supply chain.
• Regenerative Agriculture Area Since 2019, the FFE has showcased advancements in regenerative agriculture solutions for fashion. This year, we’ll continue to communicate how the fashion supply chain can create positive impacts in biodiversity, climate change and soil health through regenerative outcomes.
• Forgotten Fibres Area, featuring Fibral, The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, and a dedicated Hemp Hub. Fibral is an international Material Alliance that brings together companies and individuals that create innovative materials out of ancient, underrepresented and novel plant-based sources. The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (formerly known as CELC) is the only European agro-industrial organisation that brings together all players in the European Flax-Linen and Hemp value chain.

Innovation Hub

Our partnership with Parley for the Oceans will continue across our Innovation Hub, which features emerging, cutting-edge materials and technologies representing the Material Revolution of the future.

Seminar Series

Some of the world’s leading industry experts, innovators and thought-leaders, will explore the themes of this year’s Expo in thought-provoking discussions, to inspire listeners to take action by working with the solutions presented at FFE – many of which span the long and complex textile supply chain – in order to lower impacts on climate, biodiversity, soil and the oceans.

New in 2023

Revival of the UK Textile Supply Chain: Through a Sustainability Lens, supported by Alexander McQueen

This curated display will spotlight the heritage of the UK textile supply chain and how the industry is pushing boundaries to advance sustainability for textiles and with it, reviving the entire industry: from farmers and tanners, to artisanal weavers and knitters, to academia and innovators and pioneering entrepreneurs.

Packaging Solutions supported by Canopy

This installation aims to inspire and educate the industry to rethink the materiality of packaging; our unsustainable dependency on forests as feedstocks; and how we can innovate to redesign systems and shift to low-impact, circular solutions – to protect Ancient and Endangered Forests.

Home & Interiors area

Our Home & Interiors area, curated by Edward Bulmer the renowned interior designer, will spotlight the environmental impact of home materials, from textiles to his own natural paint, created in response to the conventional paint industry's environmental impact and lack of transparency. The dedicated area will also show research into industry-specific finishings, waste and recycling.

Knowledge Hub

The Knowledge Hub will be a dedicated space for information sharing, featuring organisations and certification bodies. It will continue to host a curated Waterstones bookshop and will include a 'Meet the Author' segment.

Future Fabrics Virtual Expo

At the FFE, visitors can scan QR codes on selected materials linking back to Future Fabrics Virtual Expo, an online sourcing tool for brands to discover a curated range of fabrics from our showcase. During and after the FFE, those registered can view their saved materials on their profile, continue to source fabrics with sustainability background information, and explore educational resources – all rigorously researched by The Sustainable Angle.