The two-day fashion and textile event will take place from 26-27 October at the Little Finlandia event centre in Helsinki.
The textile and fashion forum will showcase the industry's pioneering companies and their pursuit of a sustainable and resilient future. With insightful discussions, inspiring speakers and thrilling business cases, the event drives transformation and sets new benchmarks for the textile and fashion sector.
Speakers include Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, president & CEO of Marimekko; Kai Mykkänen, minister of climate and the environment of Finland; Marcus Hartmann, Head of public affairs & sustainability at H&M; Liljana K. Forssten, Range Strategist at IKEA; and Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner.
"Our fantastic speakers represent the forefront of sustainable fashion, each bringing their unique know-how to drive positive change," says Marja-Liisa Niinikoski, CEO of Finnish Textile & Fashion.
The Textile & Fashion Forum Helsinki 2023 will focus on critical industry themes. The transformation of the textile and fashion industry relies on three key pillars: the creation of different circular business models matching growth with sustainability, a green and digital transition where information technology is necessary to deliver sustainability, and scaling the business, as how start-ups can make a leap and big companies can evolve their growth strategies. These three themes will be discussed in depth during the event.
“Textiles are essential components of our society and our well-being. It is key for Europe to maintain its capacity to manufacture high-quality, sustainable and high-technology textiles. That’s why we need events like this one, where the whole European value chain can meet and develop a common strategy for the future”, said Dirk Vantyghem, Euratax director general.
Finnish apparel brands have previously taken steps towards sustainability. In August 2022, fashion and textile business Marimekko launched its own pre-owned apparel platform. Finland's Helsinki Fashion Week was also the first event of its kind to ban the use of leather, starting in 2019.
