The Textile Institute

What The Textile Institute does

The Textile Institute is a UK-registered charity (No. 222478) and chartered professional body for the global textiles, clothing, and footwear industries, founded in 1910 and incorporated by Royal Charter granted by King George V in 1925. It operates from Manchester with 31 employees and serves individual professionals, corporate organizations, and educational institutions across approximately 70 countries, with over 1,500 members. Leadership comprises Professor Jess Power CText FTI as Chair of Council (fourth consecutive year), Charles Wood CText FTI as World President, Professor Małgorzata Zimniewska CText FTI as Immediate Past World President, and Stephanie Dick as CEO.

The Institute runs a portfolio of interconnected services anchored by its chartered status: individual and corporate membership subscriptions, internationally recognized professional qualifications (e.g., CText FTI), and global course accreditation and approval services for textile education programs. Its publications business includes the Textiles membership magazine, the TT&D research journal, and a book publishing program offering 20% member discounts on books. The events business is led by the annual Textile Institute World Conference (93rd edition held in Porto, October 2024; 92nd at University of Huddersfield in 2023) and the Parliamentary Lunch, supplemented by short courses such as the Introduction to Textiles (launched 2010) and the one-day Fabric Knowledge course (launched November 2024, £300-450 per delegate). Notable corporate members span BV, Avient, VeriVide, xiros, Roaches, Premier Textiles, DBL Group, RmKV Silk, Morgan DaDa, Roy Lowe, and academic institutions including the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring membership subscriptions, one-time publication and course fees, event registration fees, and accreditation/approval fees for educational programs. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with marketing conducted through social media (Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn), Mailchimp newsletters, website content, and partnerships with trade exhibitions (ITMA Asia+CITME), research consortia (Colour4CRAFTS), and emerging designer platforms (New Designers 2026). The underlying technology is a standard web-based platform supporting membership management, e-commerce for publications and events, and online applications for qualifications and course accreditation; no proprietary AI/ML or advanced technology components are evident.

Name

The Textile Institute

Legal name

The Textile Institute

Website

https://textileinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Textile Institute is a UK chartered professional body and registered charity, founded 1910 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1925, serving over 1,500 individual and corporate members in up to 70 countries across the global textiles, clothing, and footwear industries through membership, qualifications, accreditation, publications, and international events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association & Chartered Body

akta.pro primary industry

Textiles, Uniforms & Linens Procurement (Student/Staff Uniforms, Towels, Bedding) (EDAEAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Professional association
• Textile membership services
• Professional qualifications accreditation
• Textile industry conferences
• Textile education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual and corporate membership subscriptions providing access to global network, professional qualifications, discounts on publications, events, and industry information.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of books, journals, magazines and monographs. Members receive 20% off TI books and larger discounts on TI journals.
3. Course Fees: Revenue from short courses including Introduction to Textiles, Fabric Knowledge course, and other training programs.
4. Event Fees: Registration fees for conferences, webinars, and events including TIWC, Parliamentary Lunch, and section events.
5. Accreditation Services: Accreditation and approval fees for educational courses in textiles, clothing and footwear.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Textile Institute operates as a chartered professional body for the global textile, clothing and footwear industries, delivering individual and corporate membership subscriptions, internationally recognised professional qualifications, course accreditation services, industry publications (books, journals, magazines), training courses, and flagship events such as the Textile Institute World Conference (TIWC) and Parliamentary Lunch.

Product overview

The Textile Institute is a professional membership organization that offers a portfolio of interconnected services centered around promoting professionalism in textiles globally. The core offerings include individual and corporate membership with access to a global network, professional qualifications for textile industry practitioners, and accreditation services for educational courses. The Institute also provides publications including books, journals (TT&D), and the textiles magazine with member discounts. Events form a key component with the annual Textile Institute World Conference (TIWC) as the flagship event. Educational offerings include short courses such as the Introduction to Textiles Short Course (launched 2010) and Fabric Knowledge Course. The Institute also administers medals and awards recognizing excellence in the textile industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership
• Corporate Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1500 members globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Designers 2026coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 June 2026The Textile Institute is a media partner of New Designers 2026 (1-4 July 2026 at Business Design Centre, Islington, London). TI Members receive a 20% discount on event access. This partnership supports emerging designer visibility and industry networking.
• ITMA Asia + CITMEcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 October 2025The Textile Institute exhibited at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 at Singapore Expo to strengthen international partnerships and welcome new Corporate Members. The TI seeks to expand its global network at this leading textile machinery exhibition.
• Colour4CRAFTS Research ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2025Organised the International Student Textile Design Competition in collaboration with the Colour4CRAFTS research consortium. Competition theme: 'Colour for Tomorrow' focusing on natural and bio-based dyes.
• Accelerating CircularityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2023Karla Magruder, President of Accelerating Circularity, was VIP speaker at the 2023 Parliamentary Lunch, speaking on Building Circular Systems.
• University of HuddersfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2023Host of the 92nd Textile Institute World Conference (TIWC) 2023 with theme 'Sustainability of the Textile and Fashion Supply Chain – Transitioning to Zero Carbon and Zero Waste'.
• UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2023Partnered with UKFT for the 92nd TIWC 2023. HRH The Princess Royal attended in her role as President of UKFT. UKFT led the ACT UK project for textile recycling technology.
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2023Elizabeth Brown from MTC delivered a keynote at TIWC 2023 on 'Waste to Raw Material: Technology Development for Advancing Textile Recycling'.
• VeriVidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2018VeriVide was the Founding Sponsor of the 91st Textile Institute World Conference 2018 held at the School of Design at the University of Leeds. They are world-leading lighting and imaging specialists for colour management.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Textile Exchange: Global non-profit focused on sustainable fibres and materials in textiles, running conferences, standards, and membership programmes; comparable as a non-profit textile membership body with strong focus on sustainability, overlapping with TIWC themes and PROSE-winning content.

Broad incumbents

• EURATEX (European Apparel and Textile Confederation): EU-level confederation representing the European textile and apparel industry with policy, networking, and events; comparable as a textile industry body serving corporate members across Europe, but with a policy/lobbying focus rather than individual professional credentials.
• International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF): Switzerland-based international federation representing the global textile manufacturing industry, organising conferences and producing industry statistics; comparable as a globally operating textile industry body, though more industry/trade oriented than professionally credentialing.
• American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA): US national trade association for the apparel and footwear industry, providing advocacy, education, and events; comparable as a membership-based industry body serving apparel and footwear professionals, overlapping with TI's scope.

Direct peers

• Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC): UK-based chartered professional body for colour science and dyeing in textiles, offering its own professional qualifications (ASDC) and accrediting courses; directly comparable as a chartered textile professional association with similar membership, qualification, and accreditation offerings.
• AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists): US-based professional association serving textile chemists, colourists, and related professionals with testing standards, publications, conferences, and education; highly comparable membership body serving the textile industry with similar events and credentialing functions.
• UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT): UK industry body for fashion and textiles representing brands, manufacturers, and suppliers; a confirmed partner on TIWC 2023 and a directly comparable UK textile association serving corporate members and running events.

Others

• Confederation of European Textile Professionals (Texfed): European body coordinating textile professional associations across countries; adjacent to TI as a meta-association of textile professionals, useful as a benchmarking peer on cross-border credentialing initiatives.
• The Worshipful Company of Weavers: Historic London livery company supporting the textile trade through education, bursaries, and industry recognition; comparable as a long-standing textile-focused UK institution providing education grants and industry awards, similar in heritage dimension to TI's Royal Charter.

Regional players

• International Apparel Federation (IAF): Global federation convening apparel industry associations and events such as the IAF World Fashion Convention; comparable as an international apparel/textile membership body, though focused more on manufacturing than professional credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/textileinst
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheTextileInst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-textile-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/the.textile.institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Textile Institute