Inspiring Textile Tech: FEL at ITMA Milan

It’s a confusing time for fashion manufacturing, orders are down and some factories are struggling to survive. However, new technologies are paving the way for leaner, made to demand and transparent production, and while this shakes up traditional production methods it is crucial to evolve and adapt. For Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) the focus is on micro factory technology and how it can and is being incorporated into the industry as we head into a new era.

Jenny and Callum from the FEL team are fresh back from ITMA in Milan. ITMA (8th – 14th June 2023) is owned by CEMATEX, it’s the place where the industry converges every four years to showcase the latest textile and garment processing technologies, machinery and materials, promote collaborations and forge partnerships.

One of the world’s largest international textile and garment technology exhibition spanning across 12 halls on the ground level of Fiera Milano Rho, the exhibition covers features all textile sectors, ranging from spinning to finishing, software, logistics, and fibres, yarns and fabrics. With the two biggest sectors, finishing and spinning, at both ends of the exhibition, it is huge!

Top of the agenda at ITMA 2023 were themes of Advanced Materials, Automation and the Digital Future, Innovative Technologies along with Sustainability and Circularity.

Jenny Holloway commented: “Our FTA is leading in technical skills today and the only way to stay ahead is to constantly review the latest innovation. The ITMA exhibition was, OMG, huge and very busy, and we networked well with a wide variety of suppliers and bumped into retailers too. 

“Every time there was a new contract signed there was a celebration and there were lots of celebrations! Great event all round.

“Plus a huge thank-you to Kornit Digital for a great evening on Monday 12th at the Spirit of Milan. It was particularly exciting to see the clothes FEL printed, using our onsite Kornit printer, and manufactured for Phygitaltwin, being worn by models at a catwalk event during this highly influential event.”