From the Sector

Stretching Circularity is a collaborative project initiated by Fashion for Good dedicated to accelerating the adoption of lower-impact elastane alternatives that are compatible with circular textile systems. By validating bio-based and recycled elastane solutions through pilot-scale testing and demonstrator garments, the initiative aims to remove one of the most significant technical barriers to a circular textile economy.

Present in approximately 80% of all clothing, elastane is a material added in varying concentrations (typically from 1–5% by weight in cotton or wool garments to up to 20% in polyester or polyamide garments) to provide stretch and comfort. This fossil-based material creates two critical sustainability challenges:

• First, it contributes to carbon emissions and non-renewable resource consumption across the industry. 
• Second (and more critically for circularity), even minimal concentrations of elastane act as a “contaminant” in textile recycling feedstocks, compromising fibre-to-fibre recycling of high-volume fibres like polyester and cotton. This effectively blocks circularity for the vast majority of clothing, leaving the industry with limited options beyond downcycling or landfill.

Stretching Circularity is a project initiated by Fashion for Good which tackles this challenge through two key workstreams. One workstream focuses on testing next-generation elastane materials made from alternative inputs, including bio-based materials and other feedstocks. This phase includes the creation of “demonstrator” garments, specifically a technical t-shirt (with 10% elastane) and a non-technical t-shirt (with 2% elastane). The other focuses on testing regenerated elastane made through emerging recycling innovations. Both workstreams follow a pilot-scale validation approach to generate comparable data on performance, impact, economical feasibility and scalability.

Driving this work is a powerful coalition of industry stakeholders representing the entire value chain. The consortium includes Fashion for Good partners Levi Strauss & Co (Beyond Yoga), On, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials, and Reformation, with Ralph Lauren Corporation as an Advisor. Supported by ecosystem experts like Materiom and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the group will support knowledge sharing across the consortium to identify gaps and generate comparative data to de-risk the adoption of these circular solutions for the wider industry. Stretching Circularity operates under a structured due diligence and validation framework to assess if alternative materials are not just conceptually sound but also meet the performance standards of conventional elastane. 

“Lower-impact elastane solutions exist, but they lack the pilot-scale validation brands need to scale them confidently,” Katrin Ley, Fashion for Good Managing Director. “This initiative seeks to provide that missing data, turning a well-known recycling “contaminant” into a functional component of a circular supply chain.”

“Elastane is one of the most overlooked blockers to true circularity in fashion: it’s everywhere and yet there is a significant challenge to recovering it at scale. Stretching Circularity is about tackling that problem at the root and proving that lower-impact stretch materials and new recycling pathways can meet real performance and design standards.” Carrie Freiman Parry, Senior Director of Sustainability at Reformation

“The launch of VIATT's inaugural Trend Forum marks an important new step for this fair,” stated Ms Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “Leveraging Messe Frankfurt’s nearly three decades of leadership in coordinating apparel and home textiles trend forecasting – a track record of consistently setting industry benchmarks – we are now extending this unparalleled expertise to enlighten the entire textile value chain. Utilising the expertise of our top-level trend curators, this holistic approach is designed to deliver unparalleled insights, foster robust innovation, and empower businesses to anticipate and shape consumer preferences with greater precision and relevance.”
 
Acting as a unified set of principles that flows seamlessly across sectors, the LIFESTYLE TRENDS shape fashion choices, home interior design, and interactions with technical products and interfaces.
 
Mr Kai Chow, Lead Curator, VIATT Trend Forum and Creative Director of MUSEATIVE, explained the unique approach: “Rather than treating fashion, home, and technology as separate worlds, the Trend Forum presents lifestyle trends as a shared design language – one that shapes what we wear, how we live, and how we engage with the products around us. Instead of presenting trends in isolation, it demonstrates how a single mindset can influence products, spaces, and technologies simultaneously. Because these themes are rooted in human behaviour, they naturally scale across sectors – creating one coherent language that connects what we wear, how we live, and the materials and technologies that support everyday life.”
 
In this vibrant tapestry for S/S 2027, ARTISANSHIP is set to elevate style into a rarefied realm of artistry, with NeIlyRodi™ Agency bringing the four distinct themes to life:
 
TO WORK
This theme slows the rhythm of the city and transforms metropolitan living into an oasis of calm. In fashion, garments take the shape of fluid tailoring, softly draped dresses, and minimal separates. Interiors echo this sentiment, with cushions, throws, and drapery that create restorative sanctuaries within dense cityscapes.
 
It is expressed through a colour palette of soft, natural hues, accented by slate blue and black. Fabrics are notably soft, tactile, and sustainable. Design direction emphasises minimalist botanicals, tonal motifs, and organic lines. Applications span tailored separates, light outerwear, and city-chic loungewear in fashion; cushions and drapery for the home; and aesthetically innovative, wellness-tracking technical textiles.
 
TO RELAX 
Celebrating the season’s carefree spirit, this theme encapsulates the romance of leisure, expressed through light, airy, and deliberately imperfect fabrics. This mood is liberated by a jubilant blend of airy pastels and sun-soaked brights, including mint, aqua, and teal for freshness, a soft touch of blush and pink, and optimistic pops of vivid yellow and orange.
 
Fabrics include linen, cotton voile, chambray, and organic blends. Design direction highlights hand-drawn botanicals, romantic florals, nautical strips, and country checks. Applications include airy curtains and casual throws for the home; relaxed fashion pieces; and tech innovations focusing on functional performance, wellness tracking, and circular materials.
 
TO HAVE FUN
This theme presents an unapologetically dramatic counterpoint, unfolding a world of grandeur, decoration, and glamour. Terracotta, sage, and lavender establish a grounded base, while golden ochre, crimson, cobalt, and royal purple electrify the narrative with jewel-like vibrancy, balanced by the mysterious depth of deep teal and midnight blue. 
 
Luxurious fabrics and textures include ornate brocade, jacquard, beading and jewel. Design direction features baroque florals, ornate geometrics, and embellished surfaces. Applications span statement bedding and dramatic drapery for interiors; evening gowns and statement accessories in fashion; and textural, 3D-printed, and light-emitting textiles in tech.
 
TO CREATE
Being the most personal and expressive of the S/S 2027 narratives, this theme champions individuality and cultural storytelling. It blends earthy-warm colours with bold vibrancy, where terracotta reds, golden yellows, and forest greens echo artisanal roots, while teal and indigo provide modern contrast.
 
Fabrics and textures are notably natural and textural, encompassing hemp, bamboo blends, patchwork, and circular/recycled textiles. Design direction draws from cultural motifs, alongside painterly abstracts and hand-painted details. Applications range from fashion-forward layered streetwear and boho ensembles; to bold rugs and artistic throws for the home; to AI and digital design integration, protective textiles, and real-time data integration in tech.
 
Overall, trends will be an important aspect of the fair’s fringe programme. Mr Kai Chow will present the VIATT Lifestyle Trends Spring/Summer 2027 Seminar, along with two Trend Forum Introduction Tours taking place on 26 and 27 February in Hall B. The first tour will occur right after the seminar on Day 1 – ideal for fairgoers seeking more in-depth analysis.
 
In addition, the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association (TiHTA) will return to the fair to host a seminar focused on design and trends. The association aims to captivate global buyers with fashion designs that leverage organic raw materials and promote sustainable fashion made from hemp fibres. 
 
Meanwhile, Style Republik, Vietnam’s fashion media dedicated to championing and empowering the country’s fashion talents, will also lead a panel discussion on upcoming local fashion trends.
 
The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE). VIATT 2026 will be held from 26 – 28 February 2026.

adidas announced preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 2025. In Q4, currency-neutral revenues for the adidas brand increased 11%. Including Yeezy sales in the prior year (2024: around € 50 million), currency-neutral revenues increased 10%. In euro terms, revenues reached € 6,076 million in the quarter (2024: € 5,965 million). The company’s gross margin improved 1.0 percentage points to 50.8% (2024: 49.8%), while operating profit more than doubled to € 164 million (2024: € 57 million).

Based on preliminary unaudited numbers for the full year of 2025, currency-neutral revenues for the adidas brand increased 13% for the second consecutive year, driven by double-digit growth in all markets and channels. Including Yeezy sales in the prior year (2024: around € 650 million), currency-neutral revenues increased 10%. In euro terms, revenues reached a record level of € 24,811 million (2024: € 23,683 million), despite a negative currency translation impact of more than € 1 billion. The company’s gross margin improved 0.8 percentage points to 51.6% in 2025 (2024: 50.8%), despite the negative impacts from unfavorable currency developments and higher tariffs. Full-year operating profit increased by more than € 700 million to € 2,056 million (2024: € 1,337 million). The operating margin improved 2.6 percentage points to 8.3% in 2025 (2024: 5.6%).

Given the strong brand momentum, the company’s robust fundamentals, its healthy balance sheet and strong cash flow generation, as well as Management’s confidence in the future development of adidas, the adidas Executive Board has, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, decided to launch a share buyback. Starting in early February, the company plans to buy back shares worth up to € 1 billion in 2026. The share buyback will be financed through the company’s anticipated strong cash flow generation in 2026. adidas intends to cancel the repurchased shares.

adidas will publish its final set of financial results for 2025, issue financial guidance for 2026, and provide an update on its future capital allocation plans on March 4, 2026.

adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden:
“I am again very proud what our people have achieved. Driving double-digit growth in the fourth quarter despite all the external turbulence, and more than doubling our operating profit in the quarter made the year end very well and made 2025 much better than we had planned and expected when the year started.

The double-digit growth in all markets and all channels is of course very pleasing, but even more important is that this is quality growth. Our markets have been very good at managing that the right product in the right amount has been sold in their markets and that we have managed to keep full-price sell-throughs high and discounts under control. The gross margin of 51.6% (without Yeezy) is historically high and underlines this performance and the strength of our brand.

Our mission is to do everything we can to serve and please the consumer, the athlete and our retail partners. To do that we need to be as close as we can to the markets. We want to be a global brand with a local mindset.

We are lucky to be in an industry that sells consumer products for many segments. We sell products for sport, comfort, lifestyle and fashion. We are very confident that all these segments will continue to grow all over the world and we are also very confident that we will continue to take market share.

Our confidence in adidas future top- and bottom-line growth and cash flow generation is also the reason why we now have decided to launch a share buyback. We will buy back shares up to € 1 billion this year. We will come back with our detailed numbers for 2025, our financial guidance for 2026 and our future capital allocation plans at the beginning of March.

Now we look forward to great Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Italy starting next week and we continue to prepare for a fantastic FIFA World Cup in the summer.

These are great events that I think the world needs. Sports and global sport events bring people from all over the world together. We need that now!”

BTMA member Alchemie Technology, the pioneer of precision jet dyeing solutions based in Cambridge, UK, is partnering with Acatel, the Portuguese leader in sustainable textile manufacturing.

The two companies will work together to validate and optimise Alchemie’s Endeavour system for knitted cellulosic fabrics. 

Endeavour enables dye houses to eliminate energy and CO2 emissions by up to 85%, achieve chemistry savings of up to 30%, and reduce water usage by up to 95% compared to traditional methods. The proprietary liquid application solution combines a large droplet size and high droplet velocity to deliver unrivalled penetration and precision into a textile fabric. 

R&D programme
As part of the collaboration, Alchemie and Acatel will run a twelve-month R&D programme to prepare the technology for large-scale manufacturing and demonstrate how the fully electric, non-contact dyeing process can replace conventional dyeing routes.

The partnership will operate from the Acatel Innovation Hub in northern Portugal, with the industrial expertise, manufacturing infrastructure and focus on innovation necessary to accelerate the adoption of this next-generation textile technology. 

Through the platform, Alchemie will advance the commercial readiness of its low-carbon digital dyeing system tailored for knitted cellulosic fabrics based on cotton, lyocell, linen, hemp and wool blends.
“Transforming one of the world’s most resource-intensive industrial processes requires resilience, vision and innovation,” says Dr Alan Hudd, founder and CEO of Alchemie Technology. “Being part of the Acatel Innovation Hub represents exactly the kind of partnership needed to scale sustainable textile solutions globally.”

Acatel has been a leader in sustainable textile processes since 1985, combining advanced technology with a strong environmental commitment. By leveraging Acatel’s innovation ecosystem, the partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of next-generation dyeing solutions and highlight the role of the Acatel Innovation Hub in bringing scalable, sustainable innovations to industry.

“Acatel’s commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship aligns perfectly with Alchemie’s mission,” says Tércio Pinto, member of the board at Acatel “With this collaboration we are empowering textile producers to redefine responsible manufacturing.”
 
Première Vision
To mark the partnership, Alchemie and Acatel will be exhibiting side-by-side at Première Vision in Paris from February 3-5, where visitors will be able to directly assess the touch and feel of fabrics processed with the technology. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn first-hand how Endeavour technology can deliver substantial sustainability and efficiency gains.

“This development is great news to kick off 2026,” said BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “Textile dyeing is a significant polluter and Alchemie’s digital technologies, developed here in the UK and now to be further commercialised within Europe, promise to archive a dramatic reduction in energy consumption while eliminating contaminated wastewater emissions, which will be a major boost for the industry.”

LAB 102 – the blue veins of CHT – brings the Denim Industry closer to permanganate-free bleaching through new application findings within the organIQ seek platform

CHT Group announces new technical findings within its organIQ seek platform that significantly advance the transition toward permanganate-free denim bleaching. Through extensive industrial testing and application research, CHT confirms that organIQ seek can now be used with remarkable effectiveness as a substitute for potassium permanganate in spray bleach, while remaining aligned with sustainability expectations and cost realities in the European market.

The global denim sector continues to rely heavily on potassium permanganate to achieve the characteristic “used look.” Internal calculations indicate that approximately 250,000 liters of permanganate solution are consumed daily in continuous global production. Despite growing regulatory pressure and brand commitments under European sustainability frameworks, the adoption of ecological alternatives has been limited due to technical challenges such as inconsistencies in color loss, fiber sensitivity and equipment corrosion.

CHT has a long history of pioneering sustainable denim chemistry. In 2015, the company introduced organIQ BLEACH T, the first ecological alternative to potassium permanganate with near-unrestricted application performance. Although highly effective, costs prevented broad industry adoption at the time.
 
After more than a decade of focused research conducted by the specialists at LAB102, the blue veins of CHT can now confirm a major advancement within its organIQ seek ecosystem. While organIQ seek has been known for its versatility and ecological profile, its performance level now brings the industry significantly closer to truly permanganate-free bleaching. The technology has reached a stage where it performs incredibly well as a permanganate substitute in spray bleach, delivering consistent fading effects, excellent color removal and reliable process stability – without the environmental drawbacks traditionally associated with KMnO₄. Furthermore, the same chemistry remains fully compatible with water-based bleaching, nebulization (fogging) and foam applications, including sharp contrast effects such as the classic salt-andpepper finish.

“Since the introduction of organIQ BLEACH T, our objective has been to offer ecological solutions that meet the technical realities of industrial denim finishing. The confirmed capabilities of organIQ seek in spray bleach applications represent a meaningful step toward reducing and ultimately replacing permanganate use - both technically and economically. This is an important development for the denim industry in Europe and worldwide.” says Thomas Aplas, Head of LAB102.

These new findings fit naturally within the existing organIQ seek platform and support the growing demand for safer and more responsible chemistry in the EU textile sector. They also align with emerging European regulatory frameworks, including the EU Green Deal, the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and increasing brand commitments to phase out hazardous substances.

The Netherlands will host one of Europe’s leading international fashion, textile, and ready-to-wear trade fairs. The 4th Amsterdam Textile Show (ATS) will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, designers, and buyers from more than 14 countries across Europe and other regions of the world, offering a unique platform for international business opportunities and innovation.

Organized by Exponew Fuarcilik, the fair will be held at the World Fashion Centre in Amsterdam. The event will present visitors with a wide product range covering ready-to-wear, fabrics, yarns, sportswear, leather, footwear, accessories, and home textiles. With its new concept and expanded exhibition area, ATS aims to strengthen commercial relations in Europe, Asia, and other global markets, and to create new business opportunities within the textile supply chain.

Over the course of three days, participants will have the opportunity to meet potential business partners, discover new trends, and establish direct contact with decision-makers shaping the future of fashion and textile production.

“We are proud to bring the international fashion and textile community together under one roof in Amsterdam. This fair is not only a trade event; it is an important meeting platform for innovation, business partnerships, and sustainable growth. It hosts both well-established brands and emerging players from around the world.” — Burak Serer, Project Director of Amsterdam Textile Show

Conventional sports textiles made from petroleum-based synthetic fibres are to be replaced in the future by sustainable, bio-based, cooling textiles. Polyethylene, previously used mainly in the packaging industry, is thus qualified for use in textiles and, as a bio-based drop-in solution, offers a cost-effective, sustainable alternative for the future.

TECNARO (Ilsfeld/Germany), BB Engineering (Remscheid/Germany), FALKE (Schmallenberg/Germany) and the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University have developed textiles from bio-based polyethylene (bioPE) in the bioPEtex project of the BIOTEXFUTURE Innovation Space.

TECNARO develops the bio-based PE compounds and handles their dyeing. ITA is concentrating on the process development for melt spinning (partially-oriented yarn, POY) and false-twist texturing (draw-textured yarn, DTY) of the bioPE yarns. BB Engineering implements the false-twist texturing on an industrial scale, and FALKE is developing the final T-shirt, which will be treated with a bio-based finish for improved elasticity.

The successful creation of a first T-shirt from the yarns developed in this project underscores their promising characteristics. This represents a key milestone and forms the basis for investigating potential market readiness in subsequent phases. Above all, the white BioPE T-shirt impresses with its pleasantly cool and soft touch. However, additional development, characterisation, and optimisation steps are necessary to make a market introduction possible.