Challenge The Fabric Returns To Paris, Advancing The Conversation Around Next-Generation Materials
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By PAGE Editor
As the fashion industry continues to reassess the environmental and economic realities of its supply chains, few conversations have become as consequential as the future of man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCF). On May 26–27, 2026, Challenge the Fabric 2026 returns to Paris, positioning itself once again as a platform where the fashion, textile, and forest industries meet to address one of fashion’s most complex material ecosystems.
Hosted by Ekman Group and organized alongside the Swedish Fashion Council, the two-day gathering has evolved into a critical forum for stakeholders working to reshape how MMCF—from viscose and modal to emerging next-generation fibers—moves from raw material to finished garment.
Now in its sixth edition, Challenge the Fabric has shifted from being a niche industry meeting to a strategic checkpoint for brands and material innovators navigating the rapidly changing landscape of textile sourcing. With registration now open, the 2026 program signals a renewed focus on collaboration, transparency, and scalable innovation.
“Six editions in, CTF has established itself as a critical platform for advancing the MMCF industry,” said Nina Elmersson, Vice President of Innovare at Ekman Group. “CTF 2026 brings the right voices together to challenge the status quo, align the value chain, and accelerate real, measurable progress.”
A Global Industry Perspective
The event will open with a keynote from Achim Berg, Managing Director and Founder of FashionSIGHTS, who will present a global outlook on the fashion industry. Berg’s analysis is expected to frame the economic and cultural shifts influencing how brands approach materials, supply chains, and innovation.
From there, the program unfolds through a mix of keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive formats designed to unpack the complexities of MMCF production and adoption. Speakers representing organizations such as Altri Group, AeoniQ, Armedangels, Canopy, PDS Ventures, and Lenzing Group will examine how brands are reevaluating material systems while navigating the demands of transparency and scale.
Topics range from the role of cross-industry partnerships to the importance of credible fiber tracing and the development of diverse funding models capable of supporting next-generation materials.
Collaboration As Infrastructure
If the industry has learned anything over the past decade, it is that innovation in materials rarely happens in isolation. Recognizing this, Challenge the Fabric will also host an MMCF Multi-Stakeholder Forum in collaboration with Textile Exchange, Canopy, ZDHC, and the Forest Stewardship Council.
The forum underscores a broader shift within fashion’s sustainability movement: moving from fragmented initiatives to coordinated industry frameworks capable of driving systemic change.
Guiding the initiative is an advisory board composed of leaders across materials innovation, manufacturing, and brand strategy. Members include Carmen Danner of AeoniQ™, Manuela Gesslbauer of Lenzing Group, Elsa Parente of Positive Materials, Bernhard Riegler of Sappi Verve, and Alexander Granberg of BESTSELLER.
Together, their expertise reflects the multi-layered nature of the MMCF value chain—from forestry and pulp production to textile innovation and brand adoption.
From Dialogue To Action
Partnership across the value chain remains a cornerstone of the event’s philosophy. This year’s partners include gold partners Arauco and AeoniQ™, silver partners Lenzing Group and LIST Technology AG, and bronze partners Altri Group and Sappi Verve. Additional collaborators include field-trip partners Södra, OnceMore, and TreeToTextile, along with supporting organizations such as Future Fabrics Expo.
For the organizers, the event’s value lies not only in the discussions that take place on stage but in the connections formed off it. CTF has become a meeting point where brands, manufacturers, NGOs, and policymakers can transform shared challenges into shared solutions.
That collaborative ethos has become increasingly important as the industry confronts a future where material choices carry economic, environmental, and reputational consequences.
In Paris this May, Challenge the Fabric will once again test whether collective action across fashion’s supply chain can move the MMCF conversation from ambition to implementation.
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