2025 Keynote Panels

ApparelCamp 2025 introduced two keynote panels discussing the current landscape of our industry.

A Discussion on Navigating Tariff Turbulence

Bob Kirke from the Canadian Apparel Federation, Dave Pentland from Carson Custom Brokers, Mathieu St-Arnaud from mmode, the Montreal Fashion Cluster, Ayr Barnett from AYRTIGHT and Once was Wolf Consulting, and Paul King from KenDor Textiles and BCAG as they covered such topics as:

• Tariff Engineering to minimize Duty Exposure

• Finding new Global Markets vs US Duty Challenges

• Value for Duty in a Changing Landscape

Beyond Borders: Innovation as a Competitive Edge

Hosted by Ruth Kelly of Weft x Warp, and joined by Betsy Franjola of PREFACE, Stephanie Phillips of Kwantlen Polytechnic, Alexa Suter of Huha Underwear, and Molly Kremidas of Prutex Nylon. This panel brought together voices from across the apparel and textile innovation landscape. Speakers included a founder from a major brand and experts from the fibre and mill sectors.

As tariffs reshape the flow of textiles and apparel between Canada and the United States, innovation has become the defining factor for competitiveness. From advanced fibres and performance wear to circular design, forward-thinking companies are finding ways to thrive beyond the barriers of trade policy.

A special focus was given to The Fabric of the Future: Cross-Border Collaboration in R&D—how Canadian and U.S. companies and institutions can jointly advance textile science through textile innovation breakthroughs.