Global professional clothing summit and awards

The 2022 PCIAW^® Summit, hosted by Charles Ross, Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, is an essential educational event for the professional clothing, workwear and textiles industry and is esteemed and unique in the UK for its international networking opportunities across the supply chain for fibres, textiles, uniforms, workwear, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

As the industry accepts the new normal, the PCIAW^® Summit and Awards 2022 will be the one-stop-shop for all the education and advice the textiles industry needs. Specialist data will extrapolate the state of the market for professional clothing, whilst key figures talk strategy on the reconfiguration of disrupted supply chains, and representatives of onshore, nearshore manufacturing partners pitch to be the next solution. 

“PCIAW^® is the first member-led UK organisation to represent the global companies of the professional clothing industry,” states Yvette Ashby, Founder and CEO of PCIAW^®.

“We are unique in that we encompass the entire supply chain from buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors and take pride in being the association that connects international partners for collaboration and education. Tickets for both the summit and awards ceremony are already proving popular with our long-term members plus new organisations that are often introduced to the benefits by existing attendees.”

For the very first time, the PCIAW® Exhibition will take place alongside the global conference, showcasing 20 international specialists in design-led uniforms, functional workwear, and lifesaving PPE. Both days feature a state-of-the-art fashion show highlighting the cutting-edge garments from the exhibiting stands. Organisations should book tickets at www.pciaw.org/shop

This year’s theme: ‘What’s Next in Professional Clothing?’

The PCIAW^® Summit’s 2022 theme will be ‘What’s Next in Professional Clothing?’ featuring leading international experts who are set to examine the fluctuating trajectory of the textiles industry, whilst interactive panels explore the impact of the war in Ukraine, hyperinflation, skills shortages, and the unstoppable drive towards sustainability innovation. 

Global sponsors and partners of the PCIAW® Summit 2022

Meryl Fabrics, the pioneers of sustainable textiles are this year’s headline sponsor of the PCIAW^® Summit & Awards event, alongside Hohenstein and Klopman International. The PCIAW^® would also like to thank the President of ANIVEC, César Araújo and Milliken & Company for our long-term partnerships for the two-day networking event.

Collaborative discussions on policy and best practice

The textiles industry is changing and so is the art of tendering, with environmental and social value criteria beginning to amplify in importance in the buyers’ minds. Collaborative discussions from key figures in diverse sectors of professional clothing will share insights on best practices and policy on delivering tenders for a win-win outcome.

Make better, buy better, protect the future will be a focus across the two days. The temptation of the make-use-dispose model for low unit costs is damaging the environment and buyers’ bottom lines in the long run. The professional clothing industry is unrivalled in its ability to make products to last with durable materials and reverse the commoditisation and single use mindset of garments and PPE.

Showcasing sustainable textiles technologies 

The PCIAW® Summit 2022 will showcase sustainable technologies which are transforming the possibilities at end-of-life, offering hope that the current 1% figure for garments being recycled in a circular system can start to improve. For all the interests of the textiles industries, the PCIAW® Summit is gathering the most informed speakers for expert guidance in troublesome times.