Bringing Asia’s leading functional fabric suppliers to Nordic Fabric Fair

We speak to Jan Stala for more on the partnership with Taiwan Textile Federation – and why the event in June was the perfect place to showcase it.

Jan Stala is the managing partner of Peak 63, a consultancy that supports the sports and outdoor industry with sustainability expertise. The company operates out of Sweden in a well-established international network of industry, academia, and industry organisations.

— We help individual companies with sustainability strategy work and change management as well as sports and industry organisations coordinating their collaborative efforts on sustainability. We are coordinating the sustainability network for Scandinavian Outdoor Group, the hardgoods round table for European Outdoor Group, and, together with FESI, we run the winter sports sustainability network.

For the next edition of Nordic Fabric Fair, Peak 63 has gathered 8 companies working with sport and outdoor material. This will improve the fair’s functional and technical fabric offering, aiming to attract a new group of buyers working in the segment. Together with Taiwan Textile Federation, Peak 63 has also curated a group of exhibitors with a special focus on sustainability.

— We have previously helped Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) with different projects, and we wanted to find a way to increase the focus on sustainable production of technical fabrics. This project is especially targeting the needs of Scandinavian sports and outdoor brands that we are working with in our different networks. We want the dialogue with the brands to also increase the suppliers’ understanding of what types of sustainable solutions are requested today and tomorrow, to support accelerated sustainable development, Stala explains, continuing,

— As a first step we have invited this group of Taiwanese suppliers to showcase their sustainable solutions. We wanted to find an existing event that would be a good fit, both for the suppliers and for the visiting buyers from the sports and outdoor brands. When searching for one, we came across Nordic Fabric Fair — and we saw a very good match.

When signing up as exhibitors in the shared TTF booth, Peak 63 asked the suppliers for more detailed information about their sustainability approach. 

— Their supplier profiles, with sustainability information, were communicated in the invitation to the brands and will hopefully give the buyers a better understanding of what can be expected. We also hope it will form a good foundation for more in-depth sustainability dialogues and collaboration. The categories covered in the supplier sustainability information are certifications, better materials, better processes, traceability, and climate.

According to Michael Liu, specialist at the Market Development department at Taiwan Textile Federation, the country’s suppliers do stand out, both in terms of sustainability and innovation.

— With sustainability and biobased solutions being the major trends, we really look forward to letting Scandinavian visitors experience Taiwanese textiles, full of innovations, he says.

Nordic Fabric Fair takes place on June 26-27th in Nacka Strand.