Textile Roundtable at the Regenerative Economy Meetings 2025

(7–8 November 2025, Lyon – Cité de la Gastronomie)

On the 7 and 8 of November 2025, we witnessed a pivotal moment for our movement. For the first time, an entire ecosystem of actors committed to the regenerative—or symbiotic—economy gathered in Lyon, at the Cité de la Gastronomie. A symbolic venue to reflect on what nourishes our societies, both literally and metaphorically. Over two days, more than a thousand attendees per day moved across the three levels of the building, revealing a rare effervescence and a genuine appetite for transformation.

These Meetings, powered by Mush, i-DEE and the local authorities of the Lyon metropolitan area, confirmed what many of us had already sensed: regeneration is no longer an emerging concept. It is a mature, established movement, ready to be structured—and we collectively have a key role to play in shaping that structure.

A diverse, vibrant and demanding environment

Workshops, roundtables, demonstrations, live activities, and association booths created a programme that felt more like a living map than a traditional event. Participants could move from a hands-on activation session to a high-level theoretical conference, then head downstairs in order to discover student-led projects experimenting with concrete solutions.

The first day, dedicated to professionals, opened with the “Avengers” roundtable led by Vinz Kanté and featuring Isabelle Delannoy, who immediately reminded us that transforming our models is a process of co-construction. Regeneration can only exist through cooperation—an idea that echoed through many conversations afterwards.

The afternoon featured two particularly notable workshops.

PEPS, led by students from the Symbiotic Enterprise initiative

The exercise invited participants to connect concepts, definitions and, crucially, real-world examples drawn from the three spheres of the symbiotic economy: the technosphere, the sociosphere and the biosphere. Seeing how many initiatives are already taking place, locally and globally, offered a grounded perspective and highlighted the very tangible nature of regeneration.

The second workshop explored the AFNOR Spec report on regeneration

This document is the result of a collective effort involving, among others, Catherine Dauriac and Isabelle Delannoy. Presenting the report in such an open environment made its significance even clearer: it is a structuring tool, a foundational reference for the years ahead, as we await the next milestone—the development of a full standard.

A calmer second day, yet truly fertile

The day dedicated to the general public attracted a smaller but deeply curious audience. The atmosphere was gentle, conducive to rich and almost intimate conversations. It was within this context that the textile roundtable took place.

The textile roundtable: restoring meaning and rebuilding connection

Bringing together Lucas Condé Salazar Thivolet (Fashion Green Hub), Marie-Eve Nardou (Groupe Human Ocean), Isabelle Arnardi (Les Tissages de Charlieu + textile artist), and Catherine Dauriac, President of Fashion Revolution France, meant assembling four profoundly complementary perspectives.

This diversity was not played by accident : it illustrated how the textile sector can become a genuine lever for regeneration, but only if we collectively accept to step out of our silos. Each speaker brought their own experience, doubts and practices, and together they sketched a clear panorama of the sector’s current situation.

Setting the scene

A sector still largely extractive, dependent on a globalised supply chain, vulnerable, and in which regenerative practices remain marginal—often carried by isolated pioneers.

Discussing regeneration, on the ground

How can we reintroduce vitality, value and resilience? By placing humans back at the centre, rebuilding territory-anchored models, restoring ecosystems, and reviving the skills and craftsmanship needed to imagine a sovereign and living textile industry.

Each participant contributed a key perspective:

• Lucas stressed the urgency of supporting companies in transitioning towards territorial circular models, while highlighting the structural challenges faced by social and solidarity organisations.

• Marie-Eve emphasised the need to reconnect textile issues with land-based challenges, especially agriculture—dimensions that often remain invisible.

• Isabelle pointed to the difficulties faced by industry when attempting to integrate new regenerative practices, while concluding with a promising innovation in hemp.

• Catherine reaffirmed the necessity of placing the living world at the heart of all actions, reminding us of the sector’s repeated abuses towards human life, and stressing the importance of education—one of Fashion Revolution France’s core missions.

From my role as facilitator

What I take away is the depth of the dialogue, the sincerity of the exchanges, and the shared desire to act as an ecosystem rather than stand in juxtaposition or competition.

We succeeded in creating a space where voices could circulate freely and ideas could resonate naturally. This is precisely what the sector needs today: spaces to think together without postures or injunctions, with lucidity and with hope.

What this says about the Fashion Revolution France movement

This moment confirmed the importance of our presence within these ecosystems and the legitimacy of our voice. Regeneration is not a niche concept for us: it is a structural pillar of our vision for a fair and sustainable textile future.

Moreover, textile is often disconnected from its central contribution to the revenue streams of major French luxury and mid-range groups, despite France’s status as a global fashion leader.

This event marked yet another step in our commitment to profoundly, sustainably and collectively transform the textile industry.

These Regenerative Economy Meetings demonstrated one thing clearly: 

We are moving forward, together. 

And the movement is growing.

Juliette Malaquin