Textiles: News, Trends and Industry

Market and industry information is a crucial tool when compiling trend forecasts or writing reports or essays about developments in the fashion and textile markets. The sources below can help you find this:

Business of Fashion (BoF) is a daily news resource for fashion creatives, executives and entrepreneurs, providing information about industry developments, emerging designers, global brands and a point of view on the fashion business. The BoF Education section provides a platform for online learning, including a fashion A-Z for designers, fashion history and introductory business information for new designers, including how to write a business plan.

Students can upgrade a basic account to professional-level account for free here  – which includes unlimited access to articles and features –  so long as you register with your AUB email address. 

The Library has a physical Materials Library, located on the ground floor (click here to find out more about the Materials Library), and online database resources useful in the study of materials:

• EduSeries by The Sustainable Angle
  Tools and resources about the significant environmental impacts of materials, the commercially-available sustainable material alternatives and emerging innovations. Contact the Library for the password to this resource. 
• Material ConneXion
  Database of physical materials as well as processes. It includes more than 10,000 innovative materials in various categories for architecture, design, and textiles. Find out how to register for this database on the Materials Library page.

• Stylepark
  Product selector and magazine for interior design and architecture.

• Transmaterial
  Searchable database specialising in hi-tech materials and textiles for design.

Data from companies or websites can sometimes be biased and misleading. Reliable statistics are generally produced by government agencies, dedicated statistical departments and other official organisations: 

Office for National Statistics
UK's largest independent producer of official statistics, including business, employment, population, health and environmental data.

Government Departments & Agencies
UK government information, data and reports on matters such as immigration, tobacco, social housing, sport, gambling, the environment, etc. 

Eurostat
Statistics from the European Union. Includes data on health, education, food and packaging, tourism, population, climate change and more.

Data.gov
USA Government's open data. Information on retail, trade, climate, health, education and other sectors, at a federal, state, and local level.

Access our industry-standard trend forecasting tools.

Arts Thread

Digital platform for emerging artists and designers representing students in more than 100 countries.

Contemporary Applied Arts

Representing craftspeople and advocate for the applied arts.

The Crafts Council

Advancing craft in the UK

Embroiderers' Guild

Raising the profile of textile and stitched art.

Society of Designer Craftsmen

Promoting and supporting the work of creative thinkers, designers and makers.

The Textile Society
Promoting the study of textile disciplines and celebrating the history and culture of traditional and contemporary textiles.

TrendTablet
A free online trend tool founded by Li Edelkoort, an influential trend forecaster, which looks at how trends grow, evolve and flow.

UK Fashion and Textile Association
An inclusive and influential network for UK fashion and textiles companies.