WHAT’S INSIDE
Top stories and what you’ll find in our newsletter this month:
● There’s a shemakes club online meet-up for TCBL Labs on Feb 11
● The IMASUS project seeks contributions to its material database
● North Face’s new Casentino wool collection helps save a traditional textile but is it too late?
OUR PROJECTS
SHEMAKES
Keeping the spirit of the shemakes project alive (it ended in December 2022) we occasionally hold calls or events to continue to address gender issues in the T&C industry. We’re holding a Shemakes Labs meet-up online on Wednesday February 11 at 16:30 CET to find out what TCBL Association labs have been up to lately. Developed to stimulate continued collaboration amongst labs in the shemakes project, all TCBL Lab members are welcome to attend. Info and to sign up here
FABRIX
20 SMEs and independents in Rotterdam and Athens have been chosen to kick off local community collaboration in the FABRIX project, which seeks to increase the level of circular economy in these pilot cities. Read more on the official website
TCBL MEMBER NEWS
The
IMASUS project, of which TCBL member Lottozero is a partner, seeks
contributions to a material database for innovative textiles. In return, you’ll get Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrographs of your material as well as access to the library, community and more.
See their information for submissions
Have you been listening to the Interweaving podcast produced by TCBL Member Faire Salon? Episode 3 explores the inner workings of the textile & fashion industry with Pedro Magalhães, Head of Innovation at Tintex Textiles (Portugal), and Pedro Filipe Gonçalves, Senior Policy Officer in the Innovation & Skills Department at EURATEX. Info at fairesalon.eu / find the podcast wherever you listen to them.
WHAT WE’RE READING
- North Face releases a collection with Casentino wool from Tuscany, acknowledging the value of a historic “performance” textile and potentially contributing to its continued production. But it also comes at a time when one of the largest producers of this wool, Manifattura del Casentino, announced its closure - affecting availability of machines and local knowledge - highlighting the need for political and economic structures to preserve the entire wool production chain so it doesn’t become just a luxury token, as local paper InToscana has commented (in Italian).
- The S+T+ARTS Prize 2026 is now taking applications. They seek groundbreaking collaborations and projects that must be at the nexus of technology and the arts. AI featured heavily amongst last year’s winners and runners up, though materials are also present - could something fabric based make the cut this year? There’s €20k up for grabs for each prize winner.
- According to IFM, as reported in Le Monde (paywall removed), the Made in France label accounts for 4% of annual clothing sales (steady in a stable market) and is mainly represented by major manufacturers like Saint James, Leo Minor, Regain, Manufacture de Layette Tricotée (MLT), Lemahieu, and Tuffery.
- At CES 2026, Physical AI takes center stage with AI advancing from software into robotics and humanoids. Research, training, and industrial robots are now being ordered for assembly lines, with logistics, service, domestic, and educational applications following. The focus is on functional systems ready for integration, production, and deployment. Read a summary on Scientific American or in French on Maddyness.
- Bas Timmer, founder of Sheltersuit, recently launched One of XX, a brand of streetwear made in small batches from quality deadstock materials. The process explores options for scalability and traceability.
AGENDA
CREDITS
Editors: Alexandra Korey, Frédérique Thureau, Jean-Renaud Cuaz
Contributors: Tessa Moroder, Margot Aleix Mata
Photos: Project photos and TCBL Member News photos © TCBL Association
Copyright: Online programming © 2026 Audasud
