Articles by Regina Henkel
Dr. Regina Henkel has been a trade journalist for the fashion and sports industry since 2000 and has been working for FashionUnited since 2015.After studying textile science and business administration, she began her career at the international fashion magazine Sportswear International at Deutscher Fachverlag. She then completed her doctorate and returned to trade journalism. Since 2010, she has been writing freelance for international B2B publications, special interest magazines and cultural studies publications, with a focus on sustainability and digitalization in addition to general business topics.
Premium over mass: how the ski market is reinventing itself
As tulips begin to bloom in the valleys and trees start to bud, the winter high season returns to the mountains. At Easter, snow enthusiasts travel to the mountains one last time to enjoy the final runs of the season. What is the current state of the ski and snowboard market? For decades, the health of the industry could be reliably gauged at...
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Study: European retail grapples with AI implementation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is regarded as a key future technology in European retail. However, a recent study by London-based market research firm Retail Economics and Swedish technology provider Voyado reveals a significant gap between strategic ambition and practical implementation within the sector. The report, “The State of AI in European...
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China: AI scanner analyses textiles for recycling in seconds
A recycling plant has been developed in China that uses artificial intelligence to quickly and automatically analyse textile waste according to its material composition. The “Fastsort-Textile” machine was developed by the Chinese company DataBeyond and named one of the best inventions of 2025 by The Times Magazine. The plant combines a conveyor...
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Performance Days Munich remains a 'must' for functional textiles
Performance Days in Munich has once again shown why it is one of the most important meeting points for the international functional textiles industry. The public transport strike in the Bavarian capital did nothing to change this. “The trade fair is well attended,” said Eva Doll, brand strategy manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa...
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Destruction ban: How Save Our Returns aims to bring returns out of the black box
Millions of returned products, increasing regulation and a rapidly growing re-commerce market are making returns management a strategic issue for the fashion industry. Ernst Lameyer, founder of Save Our Returns, explains why transparency will become mandatory, the risks associated with non-transparent processes and why professional returns...
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Munich Fabric Start & Bluezone: Pleasure, imperfection and the return of elegance
Munich (Germany) - This was the second edition of Munich Fabric Start/Bluezone under new leadership. Last March, new managing director Florian Klinder took over responsibility for the trade fairs from his brother, Sebastian Klinder, who had led them for over 17 years. “We deliberately chose the motto ‘Pleasure’. It is about enjoying fashion,...
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Second-hand in the outdoor market: From trend to economic factor
As the political deregulation of sustainability targets becomes the new norm, voluntary initiatives from industry and retail are gaining even greater importance. With these introductory words, representatives from Bergzeit, Globetrotter, Sport Conrad and Patagonia met at the Bergzeit headquarters in Otterfing near Munich at the end of November....
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Sportswear: “Emerging markets" are driving the next growth phase
The global sportswear market is set to achieve its most significant growth in the coming years within emerging markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions. This states the “Global Sportswear Market to 2029” report by UK market research firm GlobalData. It analyses the development of the global sportswear market up...
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Klättermusen acquires distribution partner in South Korea
Swedish outdoor brand Klättermusen has acquired its distribution partner AYL in South Korea. Klättermusen has been working with AYL for nine years. It will now establish a subsidiary there with the existing AYL team. “The acquisition is a logical next step after almost a decade of partnership. It leads to closer collaboration between the teams...
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Driving textile innovation: Highlights from Performance Days Munich
With approximately 4,500 domestic and international visitors and 515 exhibitors, the Performance textile trade fair in Munich has once again demonstrated that its concept resonates with the industry. From October 29 to 30, the segment's leaders presented their innovations for the autumn/winter 2027 season. The positive atmosphere was remarkable,...
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