Meet our Experts, the FORUM Jury

MARCO WEICHERT
The third-generation owner of a Munich based textile agency, has textile expertise in his DNA. After early work experience at Burlington (USA) and Pontetorto (Italy), he has developed and sold fashion, sports, and workwear fabrics, giving him more than 20 years of experience working with numerous textile, yarn, and finishing manufacturers from USA, Italy, and the Far East. His expertise includes the construction, composition, lamination, etc. of functional fabrics.  

CLAUS HABBICHT, CH COMPANY
In 2005, he founded his own garment consulting agency for Asian manufacturers. As a service provider, he works with active sports brands for skiing, outdoor, running, fitness, team sports, corporate fashion, and workwear brands. He is a founding member of PERFORMANCE DAYS and supports the PERFORMANCE FORUM Jury since 2009. His focus is on the processing of the materials.

ALEXA DEHMEL, CONSULTING & DESIGN

Performance Apparel Design & Functional Material Advisory | Innovation & Sustainability | Functional Fabric Curator | Guest Lecturer | Freelance Journalist| Podcaster

Alexa Dehmel is a performance sports clothing & sportswear design expert and functional material advisory with over 20 years experience in the industry apparel business and design agency, Head Judge and Functional Fabric Curator of the TREND Forum since over 15 years for Performance Days/ Munich and Functional Fabric Fair/ Portland & New York, Functional Textiles/ Shanghai. Since 2023 she curates the new INNOVATION AREA and FOOTWEAR Forum. With the podcast: „Designing the Future: Textiles & Transformation Talks…Alexa inquires – powered by Performance Days“, she engages with experts to uncover process optimizations and innovative solutions, propelling the sector towards a truly circular and thriving future. Her guiding principle is to champion future-responsible design, transformation and effective success strategies within the textile and apparel industry.

UTE MAUCH
With 20 years of International Experience as Designer & Creative Productmanager in the Sports-Fashion e.g for the French Brand Marithé + François Girbaud and Schöffel, Ute Mauch has a great passion & knowledge for functional fabrics. With her fine sense for Trends, Colors and Materials she knows the needs and preferences of the sports fashion market to create a desirable product.

CHARLES ROSS
Having exchanged being an Outward Bound Instructor for the warmth of indoors, Charles has helped teach the next generation of designers for two decades now. Sustainable through longevity is a core principle.