As Korea’s largest B2B textile trade show, Preview in Seoul 2026 offered insights on regulation, frameworks, and engagement potential.
Cascale recently participated in Preview in Seoul 2026, South Korea’s largest business-to-business textile trade show.
The global nonprofit alliance demonstrated ongoing commitment to the Korean textile and apparel manufacturing sector.
Represented on the ground by Peony Tam, manager, global membership development APAC, Cascale established a strategic co-presence alongside technology partner Worldly. Together, the organizations engaged directly with key regional stakeholders, including existing members, prospective partners, and the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI).
During a joint seminar co-hosted by Worldly and FITI Testing & Research Institute, Worldly presented an overview introducing Cascale. The presentation highlighted the complementary roles both organizations play within the broader sustainability landscape – framing Cascale’s role in stewarding standardized tools and driving global collective action, alongside Worldly’s data hosting and software solutions, including the Higg Index.
The session featured high-level industry contributions, with speakers including Cascale members Textile Exchange, ZDHC Foundation, FITI Research Institute, Sae-A (Bureau Veritas), and GG Manufacturing. Networking was another highlight of the event; Cascale’s Tam met with members and stakeholders.
A primary focus of discussion during the trade show centered on regulatory readiness for the European Union’s upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements.
FITI Research Institute, supported by KOFOTI, highlighted an ongoing pilot project designed to calculate a garment’s environmental footprint by using the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM) as primary input data. This showed how Cascale’s foundational tools support regulatory alignment. (For policy mapping, see the Global Legislative Map).
Looking ahead, Cascale and regional stakeholders discussed expanding collaboration in South Korea. To learn more about Cascale’s regional engagement and upcoming industry events, explore our latest News & Press Updates.
Cascale strengthens presence in India’s textile industry at Bharat Tex 2026.
Cascale staff recently attended Bharat Tex 2026 in New Delhi, India.
The event drew more than 124,000 attendees and 1,600+ exhibitors, along with knowledge sessions featuring C-suite decision-makers from leading textile organizations across India.
Key Takeaways:
The event’s theme “Sustainable, Circular, and Competitive Bharat” prioritized actionable roadmaps over high-level commitments. Dedicated hubs showcased technical advancements in circular design, resource optimization, and ethical sourcing, positioning sustainability as a core driver of global competitiveness.
Many Cascale members exhibited at the event: among them were Arvind Limited, Shahi Exports, Cotton Connect, Solidaridad, and PDS. Attending Cascale staff included Canelia Mbida, manager of manufacturer member activation; Deepak Kashyap, senior manager, Higg Facility Tools; Isha Agnihotri, manager, Higg facility tools; Prasanth Nandakumar, manager, stakeholder engagement, APAC; and Yasotharan Manivel, manager, decarbonization program.
Audit fatigue remains a top concern for Indian manufacturers, according to one session titled “Decarbonizing Textile Clusters in India: From Commitment to Action.” Workshop facilitators included Cascale members Solidaridad and Fashion For Good, among others, where the discussion centered on how mid-to-medium-sized enterprises increasingly seek greater alignment around standards to ease administrative burdens. In other conversations, member representatives repeatedly cited Higg FEM, stewarded by Cascale and exclusively available on Worldly, as a critical component of the audit solution, showcasing the Higg Index as a trusted industry standard.
Policy conversations were also featured prominently. India’s government-led Mission on Cotton Productivity shared how it aims to boost cotton yields through seed research, modernized farming techniques, and upgrades to 2,000 ginning mills — part of India’s broader “5F” vision (“Farm to Fiber, Fiber to Factory, Factory to Fashion, Fashion to Foreign” initiative). The new India-UK Free Trade Agreement generated optimism among attendees about expanded market access.
Still, India’s supply chain is at an inflection point like the wider industry. Artificial intelligence, research and development, and smart manufacturing practices were cited as priorities by executives for providing newfound resilience. Meanwhile, India’s history of craft and reuse – an estimated $350-billion circular industry – supports ongoing strides for durable design and extended producer responsibility (EPR).
Panels also touched on the importance of financial incentives in nurturing India’s textile sector while preparing it for the future.
Cascale and SLCP convened in Denver ahead of the American Apparel & Footwear Association traceability event.
From Pakistan, Cambodia, to the Netherlands, Cascale deepened in-person engagement.
In June, Cascale staff engaged with manufacturers, policymakers, brands, and industry collaborators across external events in Pakistan, Cambodia, and the Netherlands.
These multi-city efforts reinforced the organization’s commitment to meeting its global community face to face and sharpening areas for impact across supply chains, policy topics, and more.
At GIZ TextileXchange 2026 in Lahore, Pakistan, Betty Li, director of manufacturer member activation, represented Cascale at an event that brought together approximately 80 delegates from across the apparel, textile, and footwear industry.
Through a presentation and one-on-one meetings with manufacturers, Li introduced attendees to Cascale’s evolving member value proposition, including updates on the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM), the Apparel Impact Institute Decarbonization Finance Program (AIDFEP), verification initiatives, decarbonization efforts, public affairs, Better Buying resources, and new opportunities for manufacturer membership.
The event also provided valuable insight into the unique challenges manufacturers face in Pakistan. Discussions highlighted persistent audit fatigue, increasing regulatory expectations around data transparency and Digital Product Passports (DPP), upstream traceability challenges, and the need for greater alignment between sourcing decisions and sustainability commitments.
Manufacturers also emphasized growing concern around occupational heat stress and called for more collaborative approaches to implementing emerging industry guidance.
Separately, Cascale’s senior manager of public affairs APAC, Howard Kwong, participated in the 2026 Cambodia Textile Summit in Phnom Penh. He joined government leaders, industry associations, international organizations, and manufacturing stakeholders to discuss the future of Cambodia’s garment and footwear sector.
Marking the 30th anniversary of Cambodia’s export garment industry, the summit highlighted the country’s growing importance within global supply chains as manufacturing investment continues to expand across Southeast Asia. Discussions focused on responsible purchasing practices, worker well-being, climate resilience, and stronger collaboration across the value chain.
Several themes closely aligned with Cascale’s APAC Policy Priorities Paper, including advancing responsible purchasing practices, reducing duplicative audit fatigue, strengthening occupational health protections such as heat stress mitigation, and promoting shared responsibility between stakeholders.
The summit also highlighted new worker safety initiatives from Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, including the development of a national commuting policy and pilot workplace monitoring programs.
Cascale also attended ZDHC’s Co-Creation Meeting Days 2026 in Amsterdam, an invite-only series of working meetings for the ZDHC Committed Community and peer organizations.
Shifting from the public Impact Day concept, this internal co-working format focused on advancing the Roadmap to Zero Programme, strengthening practical collaboration, and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
Representing Cascale were Erlinda Lee, senior director of member development; Sophie Roos, manager, partnerships; and Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco, vice president, tools and data.
During the event, Zarco spoke in the session, “Simplifying Suppliers’ Journey: Cascale and ZDHC Streamlining Verification,” an interactive discussion exploring how greater alignment between Cascale and ZDHC can help reduce complexity for suppliers.
Participants shared technical insights, implementation experiences, and case studies that will help inform a future joint pilot aimed at harmonizing verification across wastewater and sustainable chemical management programs.
Together, these event engagements demonstrate Cascale’s commitment to convening stakeholders across regions and disciplines to address the industry’s most pressing challenges. Whether advancing public policy, strengthening manufacturer engagement, or collaborating on technical solutions, Cascale continues to foster partnerships that support responsible purchasing practices, supply chain transparency, decarbonization, worker well-being, and more resilient global value chains.
Cascale joined Fast Retailing in London and New York City to discuss how long-term supplier partnerships, commercial predictability, and collaboration can accelerate supply chain decarbonization and sustainability.
Fast Retailing convened media, industry experts, and collaborators in London and New York City for annual media events focused on the group’s sustainability efforts.
In London, approximately 20 journalists from trade, business, and international media gathered in London recently for the event, moderated by fashion sustainability voice Rachel Arthur, to explore the role of long-term partnerships, supply chain visibility, decarbonization, and circularity in advancing sustainability across the apparel value chain.
Opening the event, Taku Morikawa, chief executive officer of UNIQLO Europe, reflected on a recent visit to Moldova, where the company works with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other international NGOs to provide emergency clothing relief for Ukrainian refugees. The event then moved into a broader discussion of Fast Retailing’s sustainability strategy, led by Odilia d’Aramon-Guepin, corporate PR and sustainability director, UNIQLO Europe.
D’Aramon-Guepin shared progress against the company’s climate goals, including a reported 90 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions across its own operations. She also highlighted Fast Retailing’s decision to increase its Scope 3 emissions reduction target from 20 percent to 30 percent by 2030, reflecting the company’s ambition to drive greater impact across its supply chain.
A common thread throughout the presentation was the importance of long-term supplier relationships. Many of Fast Retailing’s manufacturing partners have worked with the company for decades, creating the trust and stability needed to support investments in sustainability improvements.
That theme continued during a panel discussion on supply chain decarbonization featuring Kazumi Yanai, group senior executive officer at Fast Retailing, and Lee Green, vice president, marketing, communications & public affairs at Cascale.
Panelists highlighted fragmentation and supply chain complexity as major barriers to progress where oftentimes suppliers serve multiple customers with duplicate demands.
“Most emissions sit in the supply chain, not in a brand’s own operations,” said Green. “The question is no longer whether solutions exist. The question is how we create the conditions that allow them to scale.”
Drawing on insights from Cascale’s Better Buying program, Green emphasized the role that commercial relationships play in enabling sustainability progress. “Long-term relationships create something incredibly important: predictability,” he said. “Suppliers will invest if the relationship itself is deemed investible.”
He noted that when manufacturers have confidence in future business, they are more willing to make long-term investments in renewable energy, cleaner technologies, and operational improvements.
Yanai shared how its long-standing supplier partnerships have supported investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other emissions reduction initiatives, helping build confidence in the company’s ability to strengthen its Scope 3 targets.
The event also explored the growing importance of traceability and responsible sourcing. A discussion featuring Tomoya Utsuno, director (Materials), production department at Fast Retailing, and sustainable fashion journalist and consultant Megan Doyle examined how brands are working to gain greater visibility into their supply chains.
The final discussion focused on circularity and Fast Retailing’s collaboration with Central Saint Martins. Maria Ledous, Sustainability Manager at UNIQLO Europe Limited, and graduate designer Haseeb Hassan shared how the partnership challenged students to transform returned UNIQLO garments into commercially viable products while remaining true to the company’s LifeWear philosophy.
The resulting “Everyday Reimagined” collection will be introduced through RE.UNIQLO Studio locations across Europe, providing an opportunity to explore how circular design concepts can be scaled in a retail environment.
In the New York City programming, speakers similarly elevated the importance of Fast Retailing’s Scope 3 emissions reduction pathway, long-term supplier relationships, and innovative consumer-focused circular collaborations. Over 15 journalists and guests attended this intimate event.
Consultant Michael Sadowski moderated the sessions, joined by returning panelists Kazumi Yanai and Tomoya Utsuno from Fast Retailing. Cascale’s editorial director Kaley Roshitsh and Worldly’s Paula Bernstein, associate director of sustainability science, also contributed to sessions on emissions and traceability.
In highlighting the group’s emissions-reduction milestones, Fast Retailing’s Yanai stressed the necessity of “meeting commitments together” with suppliers.
Roshitsh highlighted the mutual benefits of this approach. “The No. 1 thing [suppliers] want is commercial predictability. That comes from long-term relationships where you know what order volume is coming.”
In the next session, Fast Retailing’s Utsuno and Worldly’s Bernstein explained the benefits of traceability. Utsuno outlined efforts to build stronger relationships further upstream in its supply chain, supported by systems that provide visibility into Tier 3 suppliers and raw material origins.
He highlighted the Australian Merino wool initiative as an example of how direct engagement with upstream partners can support traceability, responsible sourcing, and product quality. Bernstein, meanwhile, emphasized that a traceable supply chain is a resilient one.
In the final panel, Waste Management’s head of sustainability growth solutions Raymond Randall and Jean Emmanuel Shein, sustainability director at Uniqlo USA, spoke on a unique collaboration tackling waste at the point of item departure: the dreaded apartment move.
The collaboration between Uniqlo, Piece of Cake Moving and Storage, and Waste Management is called UNTRASH IT, and similarly, followed years of relationship-building.
The panelists touted the ease of the initiative with Uniqlo’s Shein joking about the importance of the “smell test” in determining an item’s next useful life. The collaboration foresees expansion plans outside of New York City into Dallas and Los Angeles.
Across both events, a common conclusion emerged. Whether addressing decarbonization, traceability, or circularity, progress depends on trust, collaboration, and the confidence to invest in long-term change. As one networking attendee remarked, “Why don’t more brands present like this?”
The Move! Sustainability Fashion Summit in Madrid gathered 250 attendees across the textile and apparel value chain to discuss circular systems and sustainability transformation.
Cascale recently attended Move! Sustainability Fashion Summit 2026 in Madrid, Spain, bringing together approximately 250 professionals from across the textile, apparel, and footwear industry to explore the future of circularity, textile waste, business resilience, and sustainability.
Key Takeaways
Across sessions and discussions, a clear theme emerged: sustainability is increasingly shifting from a strategic differentiator to a business requirement driven by evolving regulations. Industry leaders highlighted the growing need for collaboration, harmonized data systems, and scalable solutions to address some of the sector’s most pressing challenges.
Speakers from organizations including H&M, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ReHubs, Pangaia, and the Regenerative Fund for Nature shared perspectives on circular business models, post-consumer textile waste, regenerative production systems, and the infrastructure needed to support industry-wide transformation.
Several discussions focused on the significant gap between circularity ambitions and current operational realities. While brands continue to invest in resale, collection, and recycling initiatives, speakers acknowledged ongoing challenges related to traceability, data fragmentation, and limited recycling capacity. Industry experts also emphasized that textile-to-textile recycling remains below one percent globally, underscoring the scale of the work ahead.
Roundtable conversations explored the relationship between sustainability investment and business performance, with speakers noting ongoing challenges in building the broader financial case. Participants also noted that consumers continue to prioritize quality, design, and value, with sustainability increasingly viewed as an expected baseline rather than a primary purchasing driver.
For Cascale, the discussions reinforced several priorities already shaping our work. Industry collaboration, consistent and credible sustainability data, and harmonized measurement tools are essential in supporting meaningful progress across the value chain.
The Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen returned for its 17th edition, with host Arizona Muse.
Insights from GFS
Global Fashion Agenda returned with its 17th annual Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen earlier this month. Host Arizona Muse and chief executive officer Federica Marchionni played guiding roles throughout the event which spanned 140 speakers and hundreds of global attendees, including Cascale staff and members.
Finance, policy, artificial intelligence, luxury retail, consumer behavior, and more were among the three-day programming.
Financing sustainability was another topical subject. One session included H&M’s head of green investment Ulrika Leverenz; BESTSELLER’s head of sustainability Dorte Rye Olsen; Kering’s sustainable finance director Laurence Barrère; and Boston Consulting Group’s managing director Catharina Martinez-Pardo. It accompanied GFA’s “Fashion CFO Agenda 2026: Building Financial Resilience Through Sustainability” report produced with BCG. This report was one of many GFA-authored reports released during the week, others with impact measurement or policy in mind.
Both Cascale members, BESTSELLER’s Olsen emphasized the importance of deeper finance team involvement in sustainability efforts and integrating sustainability beyond dedicated ESG functions. H&M Group’s Leverenz framed sustainability as enterprise risk management.
In a separate conversation between Marchionni and Chalhoub Group’s executive chairman Patrick Chalhoub centered an honest look at retail normalcy amid geopolitical strife. “The human being has this level of resilience and reinventing itself,” Chalhoub said. Cost-cutting, sourcing shifts, and supply chain efficiency are among the ongoing lessons in an evolving business landscape.
In “Redefining the Diamond,” Pandora’s marketing chief Jennier Farmer and celebrity ambassador Pamela Anderson sat down for a look at what it means to be a “romantic activist,” in Anderson’s words. Consumers, as she sees it, are not far off. “I think they’re more aware. Young people know what carbon footprinting is.” Meanwhile, Farmer spoke to the growth in lab-grown diamonds and their cited lower carbon footprint.
Throughout the conference, speakers called for brands to integrate labor and climate indicators into supply chain and enterprise risk management strategies. This included a session featuring Janet Mensik, CEO Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP). In it, Mensik mentioned the importance of SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF), noting that approximately 15,000 facilities are currently using the framework globally. She also highlighted the collaborative work of SLCP and GFA in examining pay equity in fashion supply chains, including research focused on Turkey.
Another highlight was the “Fashion, Climate & Women’s Health” side session which convened Dr. Harshita Umesh, founder of Vaada Hope Foundation; Rawnak Jahan, director of women and youth programming at CARE Bangladesh; Farhana Islam, quality inspector at Tusuka Trousers Ltd.; and Tiffany Rogers, vice president of research and development at Fair Labor Association. Dr. Hakan Karaosman moderated the session which was a presentation-style format.
Umesh set the tone with gripping stories from the emergency room where garment workers were plagued by finger infections, respiratory illness, tuberculosis, and other gender-based issues exacerbated from time spent in hostile, inadequate working conditions.
Her quote rang soundly throughout the room: “I’m treating the consequences of a system of an industry that has refused to address these injustices.”
Innovation Forum’s Amsterdam 2026 event convened 300 stakeholders, including Cascale, and highlighted operational resilience.
Innovation Forum recently convened its Sustainable Apparel and Textiles conference in Amsterdam, convening 300 stakeholders from across the apparel and textiles value chain to discuss the future of sustainable business transformation.
Representing Cascale at the event, Christina Mašánová engaged in industry sessions, networking discussions, and business development meetings focused on the evolving challenges and opportunities shaping the consumer goods sector.
Held under Chatham House rules, the conference brought together brands, manufacturers, NGOs, solution providers, and sustainability leaders around a central theme increasingly resonating across the industry: sustainability must be integrated into core business strategy rather than treated as a standalone function.
Throughout the event, discussions reinforced that long-term business resilience and value creation will depend on how organizations operationalize sustainability across sourcing, finance, and commercial decision-making. At the same time, participants acknowledged that the industry still needs more practical case studies demonstrating how these approaches can be implemented and scaled successfully.
A recurring topic throughout the conference focused on the distinction between supplier engagement and supplier enablement. Conversations highlighted growing recognition that suppliers are often expected to deliver sustainability progress without sufficient investment in the systems, incentives, and operational support needed to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Sessions exploring circular business models further emphasized the need for companies to move beyond concerns about sales cannibalization and instead focus on long-term resilience, innovation, and business transformation.
At High Point Market, Cascale’s Angie Kenny moderates a panel highlighting sustainable furnishing materials.
Recently, Cascale staff, Scarlette Tapp and Angie Kenny, represented the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) at the Spring High Point Market in High Point, N.C., in April.
Twenty-five SFC members exhibited at the market, among them Rowe Furniture, Copeland Furniture, Gat Creek, Currey & Company, Home Trends & Design, Lee Industries, Norwalk Furniture, Vanguard Furniture, Simply Amish, and Arteriors. The brands’ showrooms were spread across the furniture market district.
As one of the world’s largest furniture industry events, High Point Market features 11.5 million square feet of showrooms, expert-led tours, and trend spotting, and is open to trade professionals with a focus on networking and product launches.
A highlight of Cascale’s participation was an industry seminar, organized by ANDMORE, titled “Designing for Impact: Procuring Materials that Shape a Sustainable Future.” Moderated by Cascale manager of SFC Angie Kenny, the session featured guest speakers Rico Ruffino, assistant professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at North Carolina State University, and Jerri Hobdy, award-winning furniture and lighting designer at Meno Home. The conversation explored how material choices in furnishings and interiors directly influence both human and environmental health, and offered practical strategies for reducing toxins and selecting more climate-friendly materials — with a focus on what designers and retailers should consider when shopping the market. Attendees included interior designers, product designers, and industry leaders.
Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week marked its most international event to date, with sustainable Spanish designs also a highlight.
Key Takeaways
Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week marked a wide array of bridal, evening, and red carpet fashion at its event held in April. According to show organizer Fira de Barcelona, this edition was its most international to date. This edition attracted nearly 23,500 visitors, 81 percent of whom were international attendees from 107 countries, the highest in its history. The trade show featured nearly 420 exhibiting brands from 37 countries, 87 percent of which were international — representing the highest proportion for the event to date.
The first three days of the event showcased runway collections from 34 designers. The collections presented a wide-ranging take on the trends that will define the 2027 season – including sustainability. On day one, designer Barcelona-based bridal brand Yolancris – founded by sisters Yolanda and Cristina Pérez in 2005 – demonstrated a modern commitment to sustainable, handcrafted, and locally-produced wedding fashion. Feather-dotted frocks and crocheted details took over the runway with 80’s pop hits energizing a lively crowd.
Marta Martí was another Barcelona-based bridal and guest fashion brand that stood out for its focus on slow fashion, local production, and sustainable craftsmanship. Founded by designer Marta Martí, the firm emphasizes artisanal techniques, custom-made designs, and high-quality, responsible sourcing of fabrics, aiming to avoid mass production.
Spanish bridal brand INUÑEZ, founded by Isabel Nuñez, featured understated made-to-measure and artisanal production methods in modern twists like a billowy suit set.
Meanwhile at Unbridled Studio, the focus was on giving wedding looks a revival for everyday wear. The Liverpool-based, U.K.-made bridal brand focused on modern sustainability through multifunctional, re-wearable designs, and ethical sourcing. Highlights included cropped dresses with corset waists and bubble hems.
Exhibitors such as The Touch Barcelona explored the persistence of natural elements like feathers and mohair to adorn winter bridal looks. Victoria Espar Almeda, part of a mother-daughter design duo, told Cascale she prefers the use of more natural materials for the longevity and luxurious look.
The next edition of BBFW will take place from April 14 to 18, 2027 at Fira’s Montjuïc venue, with the intent of furthering international creative reach.
