SHIMA SEIKI at Pitti Filati 99

Leading Japanese computerized knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., along with its Italian subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., will exhibit at the 99th edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy. It will once again exhibit as part of the CustomEasy section, which explores various aspects of customization in the presence of textile machinery and design software, realized at the SHIMA SEIKI booth through its lineup of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine, design and knit software, as well as various web services. 

MACH2®XS173 
SHIMA SEIKI will be exhibiting its WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology whereby an item can be produced in one entire piece on the machine without linking or sewing. The MACH2®XS173 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine in 8L, featuring 4 needle beds and SHIMA SEIKI’s original SlideNeedle™, is capable of producing high-quality WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear in all needles. While fine gauges have remained popular, there has been renewed interest in coarser gauges, which is why the machine will be featured in 8L knitting a Norwegian sweater. 

Redesigned fire gear offers potentially more cooling, less toxicity

A Cornell researcher’s bold new redesign of firefighter gear – which hasn’t significantly changed in decades – is more versatile and better adapted to their actual work, only a small fraction of which involves actually fighting structure fires.

Heeju Terry Park, the Vincent V.C. Woo Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design in the College of Human Ecology, and his lab developed the new two-piece, Velcro- and zipper-equipped suits after interviewing more than 50 firefighters. 

“I was asked to design new turnout gear for better thermal management and work efficiency,” Park said. “Current turnout gear has been used for decades with modest changes of design and materials despite increasing fire service roles for handling more wildland fires and emergency rescue operations.”

Huieun Do, M.A. ’25, a member of the Performance Apparel Design Lab, works with a prototype of the redesigned fire gear the lab is developing in coordination with professional firefighters.

IMPLICIT: New Pathways for Recycling Auxiliary Composite Manufacturing Waste

The project valorises single-use auxiliary waste such as vacuum bags, films and technical fabrics for applications in the automotive, technical textile and urban furniture sectors.

The companies Solteco, Birziplastik, Faperin and Industrias Alegre, together with the technology centres AIMPLAS, Eurecat, Tecnalia and Leartiker, are participating in this research initiative funded by CDTI and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The composite materials industry has experienced significant growth in sectors such as aerospace, railway, naval and renewable energy, thanks to its ability to provide lightweight, strong and durable solutions. However, these processes generate substantial amounts of plastic waste, especially single-use auxiliary materials such as vacuum bags, release films and absorbent fabrics. These materials are essential to ensure the quality of manufacturing processes, but after use they usually end up in landfill or are incinerated due to the difficulty of recycling them.

U.S. Textile Industry Calls for Crackdown on Customs Fraud

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement today applauding a House Textile Caucus-led letter urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen customs enforcement and combat widespread fraud that is harming American textile manufacturers.

“Unfortunately, for decades, the American textile industry has suffered greatly from customs fraud and abuse by foreign competitors and organized crime,” the bipartisan group of House lawmakers state in a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Our trade policies and tariff structures are only as effective as their enforcement. As you begin your role as Secretary, we urge you to review and ensure the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is properly oriented and outfitted to fully enforce our customs laws.”

Barmag & Hitech Automation: Partnership for an auto-doff system for texturing machines

Barmag (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. and Hitech Automation Solutions PVT LTD. of Surat, India, have agreed to an exclusive partnership to jointly market Hitech’s Doffmatic automation solution for Barmag’s proven manual eFK texturing machines. In many texturing facilities, manual doffing processes remain heavily operator-dependent – resulting in issues such as increased scrap, inconsistent quality, and limited productivity.

Exclusive partnership for automation solutions for manual texturing machines
The goal of the joint solution for texturing customers is to create technological and economic value –with a solution positioned between manual and fully automated concepts, offering an attractive alternative for numerous operational and investment scenarios with a clear focus on rapid ROI and improved yarn quality.

Girbau: Internal system for more sustainable and efficient solutions

The greatest environmental impact of an industrial washing machine is not generated during its manufacturing process, but throughout the years it remains in operation at the customer’s facilities. Based on this reality, Girbau has developed G-Seeds, an internal sustainability currency designed to integrate emissions reduction into decision-making across the organization and accelerate the decarbonization of its customers’ operations. 

The initiative translates tonnes of CO₂ equivalent into a common unit of measurement, enabling the environmental impact of decisions related to product design, supplier selection, procurement, and the commercialization of more efficient solutions to be assessed consistently. Its aim is to ensure that sustainability is no longer an indicator reserved for specialized departments, but becomes an integral part of the company’s day-to-day operations.

Autopsy: New trend book by Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris

Autopsy, the new trend book by Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, deciphers the fractures of our time through 12 creative signals. Materials, colors, shapes, and narratives come together to create a forward-looking map for the Autumn-Winter 2027-2028 season. 
 
Presented during Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, from August 31 to September 2, 2026, at the Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Center, Autopsy offers a reinterpretation of the contours of fashion in a world undergoing profound transformation, balancing radical introspection and sensitive renewal. 
 
Designed under the artistic direction of Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud by the Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris Trends Table, this new edition marks a major evolution in the way trend forecasting is presented: replacing the four major narrative worlds that structured previous editions, Autopsy introduces this year a broader and more instinctive approach. Twelve emerging signals now shape a sensitive mapping of the cultural, social, aesthetic, and emotional tensions defining our era. 
 
A tool for decoding and creative insight. 

Neo.Fashion. Berlin: Emerging Fashion Talent Chart a New Course

More than 620 talents, nine editions, one milestone: Neo.Fashion. celebrates its 10th edition this July and announces a new organizational structure — a clear statement of commitment to the long-term development of emerging talent in the German fashion industry. 

Registration and Exhibit Reservations Are Open for Hygienix™ 2026

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced that registration and exhibit reservations for Hygienix™ 2026 are now open. Hygienix will take place Nov. 16-19 at the Hyatt Regency Houston in Houston, Texas.

Hygienix will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and business professionals from across the absorbent hygiene products (AHP) industry for expert-led conference sessions, product showcases, networking opportunities, Lifetime Service Awards, and the presentation of the Hygienix Innovation Award™.

Hygienix Program Highlights
Attendees will gain valuable insights across key areas driving the future of hygiene:

New Monforts systems deliver round-the-clock production for Kipaş

As a valued Monforts customer for many years, Türkiye’s Kipaş Textile has just installed a new Thermex dyeing range and a Monfortex sanforizer at its new dyeing and finishing plant in Kahramanmaraş.

Founded in 1984, Kipaş has grown into the largest vertically-integrated textile manufacturer in Greater Europe and now employs some 5,500 people throughout its operations. It produces 400 tons of yarn on a daily basis, with annual capacities of 48 million metres of denim and a further 36 million metres of non-denim fabrics.

“Türkiye offers fast logistics to European markets thanks to its strategic location, while its strong textile heritage and qualified workforce enable us to produce high-quality products,” says Kipaş CEO Halit Gümüser. “Our R&D capacity – especially in sustainable and technical textiles – makes Türkiye an indispensable solution partner in the global supply chain.”

Fully operational
Kipaş already operates a number of Monforts lines and the two latest machine systems have been operating 24/7 since the first day they were commissioned.