Innovations, business, and lots more — Munich Fabric Start gets going on 18 July as the fash frat descends on the Bavarian city to source collections for Autumn/Winter 2024/25. Participating in these events is not just about showcasing something new each time; it's about fostering an environment of growth, exploration, and staying at the forefront of positive change. 

What does it take to stay relevant in this ever-changing world? From a business standpoint, this may well be the central question of our time. Relevance versus redundancy seems to be the modern-day dichotomy, as if there is no room left for naive yet stable growth with the aim of becoming relevant, or as if there is no forgiveness for recognizing and reversing obsolescence early enough.

The RMG industry in Bangladesh has made remarkable progress since the Rana Plaza disaster a decade back. But, ground truths almost always are hard ones. And although much aid/relief has poured into the country since, it still leaves half of the survivors of that tragedy crying for justice. Clearly, something is amiss. A texfash.com analysis.

The Bangladesh textiles industry before and after the Rana Plaza disaster is a different story. While earlier the focus was on capacity building of management teams on productivity, quality, and HR systems aimed at worker welfare, after the mishap the highlight was that the responsibility of making a factory safe does not rest with only the safety or compliance officer. Dr Rajesh Bheda, CEO and Managing Director, Rajesh Bheda Consulting, shares with texfash.com his observations.

Can market forces help prevent tragedies such as Rana Plaza? Not really, say Professors Vinod Singhal and Brian Jacobs as they explain that in terms of sourcing strategy, most firms are going to continue to search for the lowest costs even as the larger idea of responsible sourcing has gained traction following an increase in activists and watchdogs as also the ubiquity of 24/7 news and social media.  

The times they are a changing and Bangladesh continues to adopt advanced apparel manufacturing technology. Undoubtedly, if this country wishes to remain competitive at this critical juncture of its journey, the apparel sector needs to take the lead in innovation, exhorts Abdullah Hil Rakib, Director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

The Rana Plaza disaster of March 2013 exposed many faultlines in the fashion ecosystem. That tectonic day threw up a whole lot of issues that were furiously debated the world over. One critical issue was the seemingly confrontational interface between business and human rights. In this freewheeling conversation, Salil Tripathi, Senior Advisor at the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and Sanchita Banerjee Saxena, IHRB Research Fellow and Director at the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, talk about the lessons for business and human rights.

Innovation and sustainability are not disparate elements — they go hand in hand at Munich Fabric Start. The Sustainable Innovations forum at the event is a stepping stone towards big things for startups and design entrepreneurs. Simon Angel, the Curator of Sustainable Innovations, talks about newcomers and industry. Brought to you in association with and being presented at Munich Fabric Start. 

When design is used as a tool to optimise natural materials by using existing resources, a new product is born. The test is whether it can be used for the greater good of the planet. A bunch of designers are doing just that. texfash.com profiles some. These are brought to you in association with and being presented at Munich Fabric Start. 

When yarns of art meld and intertwine with threads of science, there must emerge an innovative new weave. texfash.com brings to you three designers and their craft. The three-day event gets under way on 24 January. These profiles are brought to you in association with and being presented at Munich Fabric Start.