WHAT’S INSIDE
You’d think we’d all be sliding into summer on a cool, wet banana but if your schedule is anything like ours, there’s plenty of work to be done for upcoming events in the Fall! Inside you’ll find:
● A super cascade funding opportunity we spotted for you
● A Berlin fashion week event (July 3) for the newborn ALADIN project, where we’ll hint at an upcoming funding opportunity
● Our fall events including Avantex, Ecosystex, and the Fabrix final conference
We’ll be back with an events update in late August. Have a great summer!
OUR PROJECTS
ALADIN
Berlin Fashion Week - July 3
VORN, the Berlin Fashion Hub, is hosting a Circular Society event on July 3 in the context of Berlin Fashion Week. Bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers, the summit explores scalable solutions for a circular fashion economy. TCBL will be there with the nascent ALADIN project to talk about a future vision of interconnected, local microfactories. Info and tickets here.
ALADIN
Threading Circularity Forum - September 2
This year at Avantex, TCBL shares the floor with Fédération de la Mode Circulaire for an even richer morning of conversations. Topics include extending the lifecycle of textile goods including a focus on repair; the role of the microfactory, the reevaluation of rustic wool, and cellular membranes for technical textiles. Join us on September 2 for the morning of talks in the Agora space. In the days before, from August 31, find our speakers with their companies or projects in the Avantex dedicated Resources area, Hall 2, next to Agora space, including Mitwill, Le Textile Lab Lyon, Roadmapper, Vetrine project and a range of Sicilian brands.
ECOSYSTEX
Circular textiles beyond recycling
The Ecosystex network’s annual conference this year is in Antwerp, 22-24 September. Expect two days of insightful discussions, networking, and collaboration highlighting work from EU projects CISUTAC, Circula-TEX, SOLSTICE, FABRIX, JUST FASHION, and CRAFT-IT4SD. Cedecs-TCBL will also be there with recent educational projects VETRINE and Circufash in the dedicated poster area. This is always a great conference to find out the latest in the industry and network with the best. For info and registration see the Ecosystex website.
FABRIX
Save the date for the Final Conference
Join us in Rotterdam on October 7 during Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week. De HER will be the inspiring location for keynote speeches, project updates, and roundtables with awarded SMEs and Facilitators. In the evening, showcasing of sustainable garments and accessories. More info forthcoming at fabrixproject.eu.
GREENFASHION
Green Fashion Startup is an Erasmus+ project to help tailors become entrepreneurs. The free online course, developed with the extensive experience of its partners, is now available in German, Turkish, English and French. Find the course here.
CIRCUFASH
The CircuFash Erasmus+ project is seeking feedback from SMEs in fashion and textiles operating in Greece, France, the Netherlands, or Romania. Are you a small producer, repair and resale start-up, textile recycler, micro-factory, or sustainable brand interested in testing circular solutions? For the project, TCBL has developed a 10–15-minute assessment to be considered for further monitoring, training, consultancy, and business lab pilots! Can you spare a moment for us? Find the questions here.
WHAT WE’RE READING
- Cascade funding alert! The ELEVATEX Open Call 2026 seeks textile ecosystem SMEs developing market-oriented solutions contributing to green and digital transition. Lump sum €30k, deadline 31 July! Find the call info here.
- The fashion industry needs visionary talents to reinvent itself. At the crossroads of fashion, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability, the Avantex Fashion Pitch highlights, supports and rewards entrepreneurs who are transforming fashion. Apply by July 10 - here’s how.
- The Palais Galliera presents Tisser, broder, sublimer, highlighting materials and expert craftsmanship since the 18th century. French couture relies on skilled artisans for weaving, embroidery, dyeing, and material innovation. The exhibition (until October 18) emphasizes the many crafts behind both intricate and simple designs, fostering love for our clothing. See the article.
- The right to repair directive comes into play July 31 2026. So you’d think by now, guarantees would be extended, planned obsolescence would be… obsolete… Not quite. Here’s a watchdog organization keeping tabs on the scattered EU legislations that are supposed to enforce the directive.
- Fast fashion kills the reseller. The latest in a long list of laments: In France, collector Le Relais has announced the closure of 4,300 collection points out of its 22,000 nationwide network and the elimination of 60 jobs. The organization reports that, of the 120,000 tonnes of textiles collected in 2025, only 90,000 tonnes could be sorted and processed. The cost of collecting one tonne of textiles has risen to around €250, while the resale value averages only €150 per tonne. The declining quality of donated garments is widening this gap and putting pressure on the entire recycling ecosystem. Sad news at Reporterre (in French).
- Zara partners with John Galliano for the next two years. As Creative Partner, Galliano is expected to “deconstruct” and “re-author” pieces from Zara’s extensive archive, applying a couture lens to the ephemera of fast fashion. The first collection is set to launch in September 2026. What makes this move interesting is that in a world of abundant products and instant imitation, distinctive creative vision becomes a strategic asset. The partnership also illustrates the concept of transient competitive advantage that is is less about defending territory and more about orchestrating a sequence of temporary advantages that continually redefine the landscape. See the article.
- Everlane sells out. What does it mean for the market? As Everlane throws in the towel in front of a tempting offer by Shein, other companies such as Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, and Boll & Branch—as well as smaller players like American Giant, Cleobella, Christy Dawn, and Hanna Andersson—have shown resilience while staying close to their values. Their success reminds us that business can be a powerful force for positive change when ethics, environmental responsibility, and long-term profitability are embedded in the business model from the start. Analysed by Fast Company.
- Upcoming AI events to keep an eye on: FrenchWeb provides a useful summary of interesting AI events where the next ruptures in the technology will be made - read their article here.
AGENDA
CREDITS
Editors: Alexandra Korey, Frédérique Thureau, Jean-Renaud Cuaz
Photos: Project photos and TCBL Member
News photos © TCBL Association
Copyright: Online programming © 2026 Audasud
