The Czech Association for Textile Care organized the first TexTalk. A networking event to support the sustainability of clothing and education in textile maintenance was held on April 12 in Jihlava. Representatives of laundries, dry cleaners, textile manufacturers, clothing brands, designers and students oriented in this direction gathered for the first time to exchange their views, opinions and experiences.
The idea to organize the very first event of this kind in the Czech Republic came from a discussion with members of the Association of Laundries and Dry Cleaners. “They often talked about the fact that they repeatedly get their hands on clothes whose maintenance is complicated by, for example, inappropriate combinations of materials. This was the impetus for us to invite experts from across the textile industry to discuss. In addition, it is a great opportunity to let the world know that it is people from laundries and dry cleaners who play a vital role in sustainability,” explains the executive director of the Association, Monika Býmová.
Among the guests, in addition to representatives of members of the Association, appeared, for example, one of the most sought-after Czech fashion designers, Tatiana Kovaříková, the chief costume designer of the Czech Television, Jaroslava Voláková, or representatives of the well-known clothing brands SPORTISIMO, Bandi Vamos or Vývoj Třešť.
The event was started by the students of the Helenín Secondary School of Art and Industry with an author’s fashion show “On the second hand”, whose models were created from recycled materials. Some of them came from laundries and dry cleaners, for example, they were cleaned shirts that customers did not pick up, or discarded bedding with defects The young designers, among other things, emphasized the presentation of maintenance symbols, the correct use and observance of which is the absolute basis of the sustainability of clothes.
The program also included an excursion to the Jihlava Laundry and Dry Cleaning in the presence of director Martina Prošková and head of operations Hana Šabatková, who accompanied her throughout the day.
Feedback from the event:
“I think it was very successful. The guests were amazing, the fashion show was interesting, I felt enthusiasm. For me personally, it was very interesting to listen, for example, to Mrs. Kovaříková, how she creates her amazing models.”
Hana Šabatková, head of operations of the Jihlava laundry and dry cleaners
“It was very interesting for me to see all this. I had no idea how complex the processes in laundries and dry cleaners are. I’m very happy for this day, because I met a lot of people from other professions, with whom I also have a lot in common.”
Tatiana Kovaříková, fashion designer
“It’s a completely different view. We consumers are often smart about how things should be done, but now that you see it, I laugh. For example, I learned that some decorative elements on clothes can dissolve in chemistry. So now I know why dry cleaners sometimes cut buttons off our clothes.” (smile)
Jaroslava Voláková, chief costume designer of Czech Television
“I realized how important communication is. All of us who were here deal in depth with the issues of our field. But if we don’t talk about how the other person sees it, then we only have our own slice of the point of view, which can be misleading and cause us to go around in circles. It is also right to talk to the younger generation. Their show pleasantly surprised me with its craftsmanship.”
Vítězslav Šalanda, deputy chairman of the board Vývoj Třešť
“Representatives of clothing manufacturers have no idea what problems we, who then do their maintenance, have. This is how we establish cooperation, and if we have a problem, we call them and we can avoid a lot of inconvenience.”
Eva Wernerová, manager of the Prague network of Smart Dry Cleaners
The next TexTalk will be held by the Association in November 2023. For more detailed information, follow our website.
You can find a complete overview of the participants of the first year HERE.
You can watch the video of the event HERE.
