Last week, Cascale’s Katie Hess, head of product, Better Buying, attended the joint International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and International Apparel Federation (IAF) Conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The event offered a comprehensive look into the future of the textile, footwear, and apparel industries.

As a critical networking and convening opportunity for suppliers, sourcing experts, and textile stakeholders, the event offered insights into emerging technologies and sustainable practices, as well as highlighting Southeast Asia’s rapidly growing textile market.

Among the attendance were Cascale members and affiliates such as the Apparel and Textile Transformation Initiative (ATTI), and speakers such as independent consultant Olivia Windham-Stewart, Mehmet Kaya (IHKIB – Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association ), and Vidiya Amrit Khan (Brand BGMEA), who are leading their associations’ pioneering roles in the initiative.

Scenes from the IAF ITMF joint conference in October 2025 in Indonesia.

Elevating Manufacturer Voice, Partnership

Chief above all, the conference reinforced the important role manufacturers play in shaping industry transformation. IAF’s president Cem Altan opened the event with a call for stronger collaboration and equal partnership between manufacturers and brands, noting that suppliers are “very often the starting point for the industry transformation that we need.”

Moving from Audit Fatigue to Audit Convergence

Speakers also unpacked how reducing duplicative audits remains a top priority for suppliers – with progress visible through initiatives such as the Social and Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) and Cascale’s Better Buying. Data from the Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) 2025 revealed buyer acceptance of SLCP assessments has doubled since 2021, signaling a shift toward more coordinated approaches. Attendees agreed that convergence should serve as a foundation for shared accountability and continuous improvement – not just operational efficiency.

Taking an active role, Cascale also participated in the IAF Committee Meeting on Purchasing Practices and took an all-encompassing factory tour at Indonesian firm Danliris. Established in 1974, the fully-integrated factory serves a growing portfolio of multinational textile and apparel clients.

Inside the Danliris factory, part of the IAF ITMF joint conference in October 2025 in Indonesia.

Linking Climate Action to Purchasing Practices

Decarbonization emerged as another unifying theme throughout the conference, with panelists from IKEA and Cascale members TAL Apparel and PUMA emphasizing that climate goals are realized through purchasing decisions as much as through technical solutions. Suppliers are already investing in renewable energy and cleaner production, but continued progress depends on commercial models that support and reward those efforts.

This decarbonization panel showcased a range of global initiatives advancing climate action in the apparel and textile sector. Among the mentions was the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, represented by Cascale members Matthew Guenther (TAL Apparel) and Stefan Seidel (PUMA).

Be it decarbonization or responsible purchasing practices, participants emphasized the importance of recognizing manufacturers’ leadership on every touchpoint.