#Raw Materials

2016-05-12

IWTO welcomes new Secretary General

IWTO is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Secretary General, Dalena White. Bringing with her a wide range of experience in marketing, retail and fashion, Dalena will take up the role as of 17 May 2016 at which time the current Secretary General, Elisabeth van Delden, will step down to pursue new career goals.

Dalena's background includes working as a designer and pattern maker to two successful design studios, and for a number of years serving on the board of Sweet-Orr and Lybro, a leader in the protective clothing business, as Merchandise Director for men’s, women’s and children’s denim/cotton garments.

More recently she has served as Marketing Consultant for Cape Wools SA, promoting Merino wool with retailers and designers, building brand awareness and educating consumers about the unique properties of wool. She has curated exhibitions such as Design Indaba and Wool Week South Africa.

Dalena was chosen in a competitive selection process from a strong field of international candidates. Background knowledge of wool and the wool industry combined with experience for marketing, trends and retail made Dalena stand out and the Executive Committee felt these were skills that will help IWTO to deliver even better services to IWTO members.

"We are delighted that Dalena is joining IWTO to continue our goal of creating a sustainable future for wool," said outgoing Secretary General Elisabeth van Delden. "We are confident that she will carry forward all that has been achieved over the past years to establish IWTO as the key platform in support of the wool textile industry."

Pic: Secretary General Dalena White

Wool shoes at the Paris Olympics

The Olympic flame’s journey to Paris 2024 has been a global spectacle, and it took on a particularly sustainable twist in Guadeloupe. Legendary French sprinter Marie José Perec played a pivotal role in carrying the flame, and she did so in style—wearing Circle Sportswear’s innovative SuperNatural Runner shoes, which are made with merino wool.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Bremen Cotton Exchange: Fritz A. Grobien re-elected as President

The members of the Bremen Cotton Exchange have re-elected Fritz A. Grobien as President during the association’s 152nd General Assembly on June 18, 2026. The election confirms the organization’s commitment to maintaining its role as a leading international platform for the cotton and fiber industry amid a period of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Organic cotton at the crossroads: Ideology, evidence, and the road ahead

Organic cotton occupies one of the most contentious spaces in global agriculture. While praised by brands and consumers for its environmental ideals, it also faces persistent questions about yield stability, certification integrity, and scalability. The current edition of The ICAC Recorder cuts through the ideology to deliver a rigorous, evidence-based assessment of both sides of the debate.

Christian Wichert appointed Chief Executive Officer to lead next phase of growth

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader in advanced biomaterials made from silk proteins, today announces the appointment of Christian Wichert as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 June. The appointment marks a pivotal moment in AMSilk’s journey, as the Company advances from development through scale-up to commercialization.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.