The Textile Innovation Podcast presents Noble Biomaterials’ panel discussion on “Supply Chain Collaborations: Solving for Innovation and Certification” at Functional Fabric Fair in November 2024.

In this special episode of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we have partnered with global supplier of antimicrobial and conductive solutions for soft surface applications, Noble Biomaterials.

WTiN sponsored Noble Biomaterials’ panel discussions at Functional Fabric Fair (20-21 November 2024) in Portland, titled "Supply Chain Collaboration: Solving for Innovation and Certification". The panel featured Noble’s SVP and CMO Allon Cohne, and industry leaders from Coolcore, Sustainable Fabric, S-Group, Hohenstein, and HILOS. Together, these experts provided insights on best practices, challenges, and examples of how to leverage collaboration and drive rapid innovation.

In episode 105 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we present this panel discussion, which explores innovation through collaboration, navigation certification requirements, and sustainable and ethical practices.

Noble Biomaterials was the winner of WTiN’s Innovate Textile Awards 2024’s Material Innovation category for its Iconic + Botanical technology. The groundbreaking innovation is a testament to Noble’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of material science. If you would like to learn more, please visit noblebiomaterials.com.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

In the final episode of 2024, the Textile Innovation Podcast speaks with the WTiN content team.

2024 has been a huge year for WTiN and in this final episode of the year members of the content team come together to discuss are greatest achievements of the year including our first in-person event in China.

Lucy-Anna Stallard, event coordinator; Jessica Basey, business innovation lead and consultancy lead; Otis Robinson, editor and channel lead digitalisation; and Joseph Link, senior editor and digital textiles lead come together to speak about the biggest trends of the year that have shaped the textile industry.

The team share their insights on topics and sectors from printing and industry 4.0 to sportswear and apparel. The also speculate on how these will develop in 2025 and delve into upcoming regulations and uncertainty in trade relations that are surfacing in the industry.

You can read WTiN’s Digital Transformation Survey: Manufacturers here and our latest dissection of textile-to-textile recycling. Read more from WTiN at WTiN.com.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

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Knitwear Lab develops smart technological applications for knitwear. At its Lab in Almere, the Netherlands, its team of programmers and designers develop prototypes and run small productions. The team of knitwear specialists combine material research with the latest knitwear technologies. 

For example, Knitwear Lab has developed virtual kitting, a method of industrial knitwear development, which has the potential to create new opportunities for sustainable, cost-efficient and design-driven sample development and knitwear production. Using Knitwear Lab’s extensive knitwear knowledge combined with the latest 3D software and Stoll Create Plus, a massive waste from sample and pre-production stages can be reduced. 

In episode 104 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak to founder Thijs Verhaar owner of Knitwear Lab and Lyske Gais, founder of virtual knitting, about the potential for digital solutions in the knitwear sector. 

We explore how the sector has developed and the potential for modern technologies moving forward. Knitwear Lab offers a huge range of educational resources and in January 2025 will launch a funding round, to enhance its offering and training opportunities. If you would like to learn more, please visit knitwearlab.nl and knitwearlab.nl/kl-academy. 

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

Australia’s clothing product stewardship scheme Seamless is on a mission to transform the way people choose, enjoy and recycle clothing in Australia. It has been operational since 1 July 2024, launching to drive the textile industry towards circularity and sustainable practices. 

Seamless addresses the critical problems facing the clothing industry, with over 200,000 tonnes of waste ending up in Australian landfill annually. With the pooled investments raised from member contributions, the priorities for the next twelve months are clear.

In episode 103 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak to general manager industry transformation, Danielle Kent, about the [PREVIEW ENDS] organisation’s priorities for the next 12 months to drive the Australian clothing industry towards circularity by 2030. 

We speak about how Seamless was created by a consortium led by the Australian Fashion Council and the benefits of a stewardship led approach to addressing the challenges of textiles and fashion. If you would like to learn more, please visit seamlessaustralia.com.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

The Textile Innovation Podcast speaks to Gillian Ridley Whittle, founder and CEO of ethical underwear and clothing brand Peachaus.

Ethical underwear and clothing brand Peachaus was born out of a need to drive positive change in the fashion industry and wider world. The collection of underwear, lifestyle separates and sleepwear is crafted entirely from recycled Italian lace, ethically sourced cotton and sustainable bamboo. 

In episode 102 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak with founder and CEO Gillian Ridley Whittle about the evolution of the brand and the wider sustainable and ethical challenges in the lingerie industry. 

Whittle speaks about her extensive experience in the fashion and textile industry, having held top positions in companies including Topshop, Marks & Spencer and Target. 

She also touches upon how the lingerie industry has changed and adapted during her career. If you would like to learn more, please visit peachaus.com. 

This September, Whittle will be at Verve Festival giving one of her Naked Talks on the main stage. This is an event designed to help women feel comfortable in their own skin and have the courage to be themselves.

Peachaus has recently launched its latest crowdfunding campaign to expand its sales channels, build its community, and create memorable experiences.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

The Textile Innovation Podcast speaks to Jeannette Cook, communications manager at the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), about the global wool supply chain and the main challenges it currently faces.

The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) is the global authority for standards in the wool textile industry. Since 1930, the organisation has represented the collected interests of the global wool trade.

In episode 100 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak with the IWTO’s communications manager, Jeanette Cook, about how the organisation works and the challenges it aims to overcome. We also discuss its work in education and the annual events it holds.

Cook details how the IWTO prioritises sheep welfare as it looks to create a more traceable woollen supply chain within the textile industry.

She also speaks at length about the organisation’s work in creating a sustainable future for the wool trade. If you would like to learn more, please visit iwto.org.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

The Textile Innovation Podcast speaks to Meredith Boyd of US-based textile solutions provider Unifi about its hero product Repreve and initiatives to create a sustainable value chain in textiles. 

Unifi is a global textile solutions provider and leading innovator in manufacturing synthetic and recycled performance fibres. Through Repreve, one of the US-based company’s proprietary technologies, Unifi has transformed more than 40bn plastic bottles into recycled fibres for apparel, footwear and other consumer products. 

In episode 99 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak with the company’s executive vice president and chief product officer at Unifi, Meredith Boyd, about her role in bringing Repreve to a global consumer market. We also discuss how the company continually innovates technologies to meet consumer needs across the textile industry. 

Boyd also details Unifi’s Textile Takeback programme. This initiative collects pre- and post-consumer polyester-based fabric waste before transforming it into raw material. 

If you would like to learn more, please visit repreve.com.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

The Textile Innovation Podcast speaks to Katie Fensome of UK conservation consultancy Biodiversify about biodiversity and how fashion businesses can better meet Environmental, Social and Governance targets.

Biodiversify is a conservation consultancy advising a range of private, public and third-sector clients who want to act for nature. The company has worked with fashion brands including Primark and Kering – owner of Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent – to design strategies that incorporate biodiversity and develop sustainable supply chain solutions.

In episode 98 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak with Katie Fensome, principal consultant at Biodiversify about how the consultancy advises the fashion and textile industry to help businesses meet their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets.

Fensome explains why collaboration is key to addressing environmental issues, how the consultancy helps companies address biodiversity in their supply chain management and how to overcome challenges that arise in implementing them.

If you would like to learn more, please visit biodiversify.com.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].   

The Textile Innovation Podcast speaks with Dr Yuly Fuentes-Medel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Fabric Innovation Hub about how academic collaboration is transforming practices within the fashion industry. 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT)’s Fabric Innovations Hub seeks to answer how academia can benefit industry. The hub fosters a community of experts in fibres and fabrics to promote research, technology, education and innovation in support of the future of the textile industry. 

In episode 97 of WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak with Dr Yuly Fuentes-Medel, project manager for fibre technologies at MIT’s Fabric Innovations Hub about the relationship between academia and the fashion industry. She speaks about how the hub operates and both its internal and external partnerships. 

Fuentes-Medel also touches on her work with the Footwear Collective, which is driving a collaborative and circular approach for the footwear industry by partnering with leading brands, dedicated to scope, develop and scale circular solutions. 

If you’d like to learn more, please visit fabric-ideas.mit.edu. 

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected]. 

Cotton accounts for roughly 65% of the fibres present in wardrobes worldwide. It is therefore a key discussion topic in the textile industry’s transition towards a sustainable future. 

In episode 96 WTiN’s Textile Innovation Podcast, we speak with Alia Malik, chief development officer at Better Cotton, about the company’s drive towards a traceable supply chain. Better Cotton is a world-leading sustainability initiative for the natural fibre. Its mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.

Better Cotton already accounts for 22% of global cotton production. Malik speaks to WTiN about the company’s 2030 strategy, within which it launched Better Cotton Traceability at the end of 2023, to make it possible to trace Better Cotton back to its country of origin. She explains how the market is demanding more information and how this aligns with the company’s efforts to help farmers access these markets and generate sustainable livelihoods. 

If you’d like to learn more, please visit bettercotton.org.

You can listen to the episode above, or via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To discuss any of our topics, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @abi_wtin on X, formerly Twitter, or email [email protected] directly. To explore sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].