New York City
Empowering summit unites 140 textile professionals for networking, insight and inspiration.
The 7th annual Women in Textiles Summit, hosted by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), brought together 140 attendees from across the textile industry at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City from 31 March to 2 April 2025. Held in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, the event featured two full days of workshops, keynotes, panel discussions and hands-on sessions focused on professional development, sustainability and industry innovation.
The summit began with a welcome reception aimed at connecting attendees, including over 80 first timers. Among them was Shanya Scott of AATCC, who noted, “As a first-time attendee and as someone newer to the textile industry, it was a truly invaluable experience.”
Tina VanSteenbergen opened the conference with a keynote addressing the myth of confidence, framing it as a spectrum rather than a fixed trait. This theme of empowerment ran throughout the summit, which tackled topics such as sustainability, imposter syndrome and bridging academia with industry. Samantha Marion of TVF, Inc. shared, “I really enjoyed each session. I’ll be taking home so many new tools and friends.”
Technical insights were offered in sessions such as Christina Rapa’s presentation on 3D material creation at W.L. Gore & Associates, while Jasmine Cox-Wade of the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College led discussions on sustainable textile practices. A spotlight series highlighted the efforts of several companies actively advancing sustainability within the industry.
Hands-on workshops hosted by FIT included weaving with recycled materials, exploring natural dyes from the institute’s dye garden, and infusing textiles with scent. “Loved the FIT workshops—hands-on ways to learn more we don’t always have exposure to,” said Lindsey Hynek of Lectra.
Students from FIT were also involved in the summit, attending sessions and networking with established professionals. FIT student Andie Zion remarked, “I really enjoyed the education panels and discussions. I also got a lot out of speaking to many strong and empowering women.”
Day two opened with a discussion on transforming workplace competition into collaboration and concluded with a panel entitled Beyond the Runway: Bridging Industry and Academia in Textiles. This session provided valuable perspectives from recent graduates, professors and professionals on guiding students into successful careers. Nicole Meier, a FIT graduate and Director of Product Marketing at Pantone, closed the event with a keynote encouraging attendees to “trust your gut,” championing intuition as a professional strength.
Attendees were asked to contribute to a Word Cloud at both the start and end of the summit. The most prominent concluding words—“community”, “inspiration”, “confidence” and “connection”—reflected the event’s resonant impact.
“I was able to learn from so many women across sectors, generations, and years of experience,” said Scott. “I recommend anyone attend who’s looking for camaraderie, guidance, and building connections with supportive women in the textile industry.”
The Women in Textiles Summit will return in 2026, with dates and location to be announced.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
