Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference

29th - 30th April 2026

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Akbar Ali

Senior Manager, Responsible Business Projects

Artistic Milliners

Akbar Ali is a sustainability and business professional with deep experience in Pakistan’s textile and manufacturing sector. With a background spanning marketing, brand management, CSR, communications, and business development, he brings a strategic and systems-oriented approach to organizational growth and environmental stewardship. His work is particularly rooted in advancing climate resilience, environmental management systems (EMS), and responsible sourcing within global value chains.

Akbar has played an active role in driving sustainability transformation in textile manufacturing, contributing to initiatives aligned with international standards and stakeholder expectations. He has been involved in certifications, impact frameworks, and collaborative industry platforms, including organizing knowledge-driven forums such as the Cotton Conference – Ideathon to engage academia and industry on sustainable cotton and innovation.

With hands-on exposure to mill-level implementation and strategic planning, Akbar bridges on-ground realities with long-term sustainability vision. He is also engaged in exploring digital commerce opportunities, combining traditional industry expertise with emerging business models. His work reflects a commitment to measurable impact, cross-sector collaboration, and positioning Pakistan’s textile sector within a more transparent and climate-resilient global market.

Akbar 's sessionsView full agenda

Day 0

Tuesday 28th April 2026

Time
Session title
Session type
14:45 - 17:15
Workshop
17:30 - 18:30
Networking
Day 1

Wednesday 29th April 2026

Time
Session title
Session type
10:00 - 10:45
Case study
11:30 - 12:20
Net-zero: Everyone pays for inaction. Who pays for action? 
Marks and Spencer | Soorty Enterprises | Good Fashion Fund | Action Speaks Louder | Sustainable & Social
Plenary
12:20 - 13:00
Plenary
13:00 - 14:00
14:00 - 14:45
14:45 - 15:30
15:30 - 16:00
16:30 - 17:15
17:15 - 18:15
Day 2

Thursday 30th April 2026

Time
Session title
Session type
09:00 - 10:00
The consumption cyclone: Can circularity fix overproduction? 
Hirdaramani Group | Reju | ON | Tapestry | Sustainabelle
Plenary
10:25 - 10:55
10:55 - 11:30
Transitioning to regenerative cotton: Impact, opportunity, and operational reality from farm to brand 
Turnrow Farm Services | adidas | COTTON USA™ and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Case study
00:45 - 01:45
13:45 - 14:10
A just transition: How we can centre waste pickers, not just waste, in the circular economy 
Saamuhika Shakti | H&M Foundation | Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Plenary
14:10 - 14:50
Plenary
14:50 - 15:25
Emotional durability: Why consumers neglect the clothes they own – and how psychology can help 
University of Amsterdam | Zalando | Axel Arigato / Informed Collective
Plenary
15:25 - 15:40
Closing reflections from the next generation of designers 
Institut Francais de la Mode | Institut Français de la Mode
Plenary