Textile Exchange

We’re pleased to announce this year’s jury panel of Textile Exchange’s photography competition, run in partnership with Atmos.

Under the theme Fashion Regenerated, the competition sets out to document the potential of clothing and textiles to bring about beneficial ecological, social, and animal welfare outcomes.

We’re looking for photographers and filmmakers whose work documents different approaches to growing raw materials and producing textiles that enable local communities and landscapes to thrive. Submissions are open until July 19.

This year’s jurors include:
- ANDREA CHEONG, Author, Creator, and Commentator
- Arianna Lago, Photographer
- Beth Jensen, Chief Impact Officer, Textile Exchange
- Briar Rose, Director of Storytelling, Farmer’s Footprint
- Claire Bergkamp, CEO, Textile Exchange
- kin chan coedel, Photographer, 2023 competition winner
- Marina Testino, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Earth Partner
- tessa forrest, Art Director, Atmos

To find out more and enter, head to the link in our bio.

📸 Photo by Alejandra Orosco, 2024 competition winner

🎙️Meet the host of the 2026 Textile Exchange Conference

We’re excited to share that Samata () will return to host this year’s conference.

Samata is a storyteller, entrepreneur, and sustainability leader working at the intersection of fashion, culture, climate, and education. As founder and CEO of BLACK PEARL, she has partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Billie Eilish’s Overheated to drive systemic change across entertainment and fashion, including clients such as ROC NATION and Universal Music Group.

She is widely recognized for helping bring sustainability to the Oscars, creating a visible platform for eco-conscious fashion on one of the world’s most influential stages. By collaborating with high-profile cultural figures including Zoe Saldaña, Tati Gabrielle, Billie Eilish, Maggie Baird, and others, Samata has pioneered conversations around circular fashion, recycling, and the importance of indigenous and underrepresented designers. She is also a regular contributor on culture and sustainability across fashion, music, and entertainment for Access Hollywood on NBC.

We look forward to the perspectives and expertise she will bring to this year’s conference!

🔗 Get your tickets now at the link in our bio

“Being here today is something very concrete, and a recognition of a life transformed by organic cotton.”

Day two of the Organic Cotton Summit focused on regional realities and the conditions needed for organic cotton systems to thrive long term 🌱

Throughout the day, farmers, producer groups, brands, and supply system partners shared perspectives on the unique challenges and opportunities shaping organic cotton across different regions. We had the opportunity to learn about innovations and solutions already advancing these systems, and the challenges and locally grounded insights that come with them.

A strong theme across the regional dialogues was the need for long-term demand, stronger collaboration, and sourcing approaches that better reflect local realities. The central question guiding these dialogues was, “what conditions are needed for organic cotton systems to remain economically and environmentally viable over the long term?”

The closing sessions highlighted both the shared challenges facing organic cotton globally and the importance of region-specific solutions, partnerships, and continued cross-regional learning.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the conversations over the past two days. We’re grateful to our partner Organic Cotton Accelerator in helping us bring together this landmark event.

➡️ Next stop: a field trip into the cotton fields of Izmir, Türkiye to see organic cotton practices firsthand.

What a day kicking off the Organic Cotton Summit 🌿

Day one’s conversations brought together voices from across the supply chain, from farmers and brands, to producers and policymakers. Across every session, one message came through clearly: scaling organic cotton depends on long-term commitment, stronger collaboration, and systems that work for the people growing it.

We heard directly from farmers in Pakistan, India, Türkiye, and Brazil about the realities of transitioning to organic cotton, including the risks, resilience, and support needed to make that transition viable long term. Discussions throughout the day reinforced the importance of fair pricing, demand security, technical support, and sustained partnerships that go beyond short-term sourcing cycles.

Traceability, certification integrity, and credible data were recurring themes across the summit. Sessions explored how stronger verification systems, farmer-centered traceability, and better impact measurement can help connect on-the-ground practices to meaningful climate, biodiversity, and market outcomes.

There was also a strong focus on policy and investment. From financing models that better support farmers and supply chain actors, to upcoming EU sustainability legislation and evolving certification systems, the conversations highlighted the scale of coordination needed to move the sector forward.

As we head into day two, there’s a growing sense of momentum around building organic cotton systems that are both transparent and rooted in long-term collaboration 🤝

For our global team, taking time to connect matters. 

A few weeks ago, we came together as an organization for our all-team meeting near Barcelona, Spain—a rare chance for our global, remote team to gather in person. Over 130 team members traveled from around the world to make connections and get inspired by hearing insights and milestones from other teams.

This is an important year for Textile Exchange. With the launch of our new membership structure earlier this year, and the transition to the Materials Matter Standard system underway, it’s more important than ever to take the time to reflect and align, ensuring we can move forward with a shared purpose and direction.

Bringing people together from across regions, roles, and areas of expertise was a valuable opportunity to learn from each other and reconnect to the purpose that underpins everything we do. 

Follow along as we build on this strong foundation and continue to support meaningful change across the textile industry.

📷:

Biodiversity is a critical component of climate resilience.

Healthy ecosystems capture carbon, support soil health, retain water, and make farms more resilient to droughts, pests, and extreme weather.

And because so many textile raw materials begin in agriculture, biodiversity is deeply connected to the clothes we wear.

From pollinators and soil organisms to crop diversity and tree coverage, biodiversity indicators can help us better understand the health and resilience of farming systems.

On , it’s worth remembering: climate action and biodiversity protection cannot be separated 🌱

📷: .i .ravichandran

🔔The 2026 Textile Exchange Conference is now open for registration!

Bringing together leaders and experts from across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry, this year’s conference will explore The Implementation Era—how we can scale what works across businesses, supply systems, and landscapes.

Supported by the release of Textile Exchange’s new action pathways, designed to scale preferred cropping, recycling, and animal material production systems, the conference focuses on translating desired outcomes into decision-making.  

📅 October 12–16, 2026
📍 Vancouver Convention Center, Canada, and online

We’re proud to welcome  as the title sponsor of the 2026 Textile Exchange Conference. Reju is helping to lead this industry-wide shift by scaling textile-to-textile recycling solutions designed to turn post-consumer textile waste into new resources. Its focus on innovative infrastructure and strong partnerships reflects the practical, system-level action this year’s theme calls for.

The 2026 Textile Exchange Conference is taking place on the unceded territories of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Textile Exchange recognizes their strength, endurance, and resilience and expresses solidarity.

We’re excited to bring the sector together to align individuals and organizations into a coordinated movement for climate, nature, people, and animals. 

🎟️ Register for your ticket at our link in bio.

Less than a month to go until the Organic Cotton Summit 🌱

We’ve partnered with the Organic Cotton Accelerator to bring together important voices across the organic cotton community. With a program grounded in farmer knowledge, featuring farmers from India, Türkiye, Pakistan, and Brazil, we’re turning ambition into action that works on the ground.

Whether you are already engaged in organic cotton or exploring its potential, the Organic Cotton Summit offers a space to learn, connect, and contribute.

📅 2-4 June 2026
📍 Istanbul Marriott Hotel Şişli, Türkiye
🎟️ Registrations are open

Learn more about the summit and register for the field trip at our link in bio.