From the Sector

Munich Fabric Start presents a new project-area that will take place during the next edition.
BLUEZONE with CATALYZER and KEYHOUSE will be the place to be for the blue community on 30 and 31 August. As a global key event for the denim industry, 90 international denim mills, weavers, manufacturers and suppliers will show their latest innovations and trends in the Zenithhalle, the Kohlebunker and the Kesselhaus.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will offer all visitors a deep dive into the Made in Italy supply chain with companies that have turbocharged growth by focusing on quality, innovation and research. Well-known and international companies that can make an important contribution to European and global brands.

From the production of trimmings and accessories, to the creation of unique fabrics, to the inspiration of new collections and their realization to the finishing of the garments, Made in Italy still represents the reality par excellence focused on ethical and sustainable production.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will allow all visitors an incredible journey into the Italian supply chain that has the ability to meet any demand of brands, from small to large production needs.

On the top floor of the Catalyzer Hall, it will be possible to view the individual collections of the companies in attendance and receive a beautiful gift specially created by the CADICA GROUP company from Carpi.

 
Participants
ACM - TRIMS AND ACCESSORIES PRODUCER
ACM was founded in 1982.
Since 1982, ACM has been providing the fashion world with unique, sought-after and customized details, guaranteeing prestigious and innovative workmanship. Each and every product is the result of the care we take at every stage of our production process: from the prototype, designed by putting the consumer's health first, to production with state-of-the-art machinery, which allows for fine workmanship and cutting-edge customization, while minimizing the impact on the environment (we are GRS certified) and complying with the strictest eco-toxicological regulations.

FASHION ART - LUXURY FASHION DESIGN
Fashionart is the brainchild of Andrea Rambaldi, who, after learning his trade from his parents, his mother a seamstress and his father the owner of a dye shop, decided to pursue a freelance career.
He began by collaborating with companies in the textile sector, where he deepened his knowledge in the field of chemistry and industrial processes, touching on the problems of processing cycles.
The real turning point came as a result of an important job for the Maison Chanel, which recognized the originality and effectiveness of his technical proposals. From that moment, this is 2008, FashionArt was born, a company focused on luxury fashion and design, expert in the design and production of garments.
From the idea to the final product, the company is able to support the client throughout the entire production process.
Since then, the company has grown and developed exponentially thanks to a team of managers, artists and experts whose experience makes them a benchmark in the high fashion industry. Fashionart operates exclusively in high fashion, a very difficult field in which to combine experience and technique with art and creativity, where our potential can be expressed to the fullest.

ELLETI - GARMENTS AND WASHING MAKER
Advocate of an approach that combines tradition, creativity, and innovation, for over 30 years Elleti Group has defined standards of absolute excellence for the denim industry. Born in the 80s in San Bonifacio, near Verona, the company developed in a one-of-a-kind context, a hotbed of ideas that led to the defining and establishing of new professions and skills in the field of denim treatment and garment personalization. Led by Luigi Lovato, right from the start the company established itself on the denim scene thanks to an ambitious and pioneering investment in new solutions. The following ten years mark an important growth which leads to the internationalization both of brand and production. After the implementing of a new department for garment dyeing, Elleti Group was ready to welcome the ever-increasing international demand, equipping itself with the first laundry in Tunisia, a country logistically central in the Mediterranean area, and as a result, ideal for the development of a complete textile supply chain. This successful story continues to unfold in the 2000s, a decade that marks the opening to the market of garment making thanks to two new structures in Romania, and peaks with the acquisition of Martelli Lavorazioni Tessili. Today Elleti Group stands firm in the market as a result of a complete offer that preserves the company’s artisanal vocation enriched through a constant process of responsible innovation.

In addition, companies BERTO INDUSTRIA TESSILE and OLIMPIAS GROUP will participate in the project by presenting their collections within their booths in the Catalyzer hall.

In light of the evolving pandemic circumstances in Shanghai, Cinte Techtextil China will no longer be taking place from 6 – 8 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. A new date for the technical textile fair will be announced in due course.
 
Ms Wendy Wen, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, explained: “After discussions with stakeholders, and in support of the government’s pandemic control measures, we have decided to postpone Cinte Techtextil China 2022 to a later date. The safety of fairgoers is of paramount importance to the fair’s ongoing success, and we are working tirelessly to provide an efficient sourcing platform for the technical textile industry. I would like to thank all participants for their sustained support and understanding.”

Cinte Techtextil China’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry. The 2021 edition attracted 366 exhibitors and recorded 14,868 visits. The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA).

The FACHPACK in Nuremberg ranks among the most important packaging industry gatherings. From 27 to 29 September 2022, Sappi will be presenting its latest products and solutions for functional paper packaging, flexible packaging papers, label papers, containerboard and paperboard. The company is focusing its efforts on sustainable, recyclable and innovative solutions.

• Wide range of barrier papers in the market for sustainable and recyclable packaging solutions
• High-impact brand presence in corrugated board packaging thanks to Fusion Nature Plus in combination with Fusion Topliner
• Parade Label Pro wet-glue label paper for an efficient operation and an excellent visual impression

Wide range of barrier papers
Sappi’s ultimate goal as a specialist in barrier papers is to replace non-recyclable aluminium and plastic multi-layer laminates through the introduction of truly sustainable alternatives that meet all market requirements in terms of performance and recycling. Sappi is continuously expanding its portfolio of barrier papers. At the show, Sappi will be showcasing several examples of food and non-food applications using these barrier papers.

A smooth surface and a high degree of whiteness: Parade Label Pro
Sappi will also be presenting its new, non-wet-strength wet-glue label paper Parade Label Pro – featuring samples from all over the world. This glossy, double-coated quality paper offers a smooth surface plus a high degree of whiteness. It’s suitable for numerous label and flexible packaging applications, such as labels for disposable bottles, food and non-food containers as well as wrappers for a variety of products. It can be printed in offset, flexo and gravure, and finished with hot foil and blind embossing, for example.

Brand presentation that appeals to the senses
“For manufacturers of branded goods, it is becoming increasingly important to convey brand values and product characteristics in a way that is emotionally appealing and that really sets the stage,” explains Luis Mata, Sales Director Packaging of Sappi Europe. At the FACHPACK, Sappi will also be presenting its containerboard products for corrugated board applications, which, with their brilliant colour reproduction, enhance on-shelf product impact and ensure real brand differentiation.

Sappi’s popular Algro Design paperboard portfolio also allows the design scope and leeway to communicate brand values in an emotionally appealing way.

New ideas were exchanged, brainstormed, and discussed freely at members’ booths at the Swiss Textile Machinery Pavilion during the recent Techtextil in Frankfurt. “Customers and researchers met Swiss textile machinery companies to explore the possibility of the not-yet-invented. “We regard our Pavilion as the place where future innovations catch a spark,” says Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association. Further developments in the field of hybrid yarns were a hot topic. One example of this involves producing a yarn which has all the typical characteristics and advantages of carbon – but which also prioritizes careful use of resources, combining carbon fibres with thermoplastics.

Technical textiles cover a vast range of applications, and it’s still growing thanks to intensive research by specialist institutes and universities. Many members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association maintain long-standing partnership with such bodies. Innovations are often joint efforts.

Feel-good technical fabrics
Some technical textiles feel like a second skin. A well-known example is activewear from the ‘sport tech’ field. Activewear includes breathable clothing, usually consisting of a three-layer-laminate: an inner lining, a breathable membrane in the center, and an outer fabric. The challenge is to bond the individual layers without losing breathability or softness, while meeting technical requirements such as resistance to a number of wash cycles.

Bonding solutions meeting top quality requirements, as well as ambitious standards for environmental protection and sustainability, were reinvented by the Cavitec brand from the Santex Rimar Group. This company’s hotmelt technology uses one-component polymers applied to textiles in a hot, molten state. Bonding based on hotmelts is both water- and solvent-free. Drying and exhaust air cleaning are not necessary, which is an ecological advantage. Energy consumption is also significantly lower. Cavitec hotmelt technology is also developed for laminated medical protection fabrics which are safe, high-quality and sustainable. These fabrics can be washed, sterilized, and used again.   

A second skin with added value is the result of Jakob Müller Group’s cooperation with an institute for an established outdoor fashion brand. They have devised a heating mat applied as an inner jacket. Outdoor gear with a heated inlay offers the wearer a comfortable feeling even in a cold climate. The heating mat is particularly light, breathable, flexible and adjustable to three temperature levels.

Fabrics with these advantages are now possible thanks to multi direct weaving (MDW) technology from the Jakob Müller Group. A lacquer-insulated heating strand is inserted into the base textile as a ‘meander’ using MDW technology. The technology is offered with both label weaving machines and the latest generation of ribbon weaving machines. The textile pocket calculator is another MDW based future-oriented application developed in cooperation with a textile research institute.

Safety and health
Life-saving reliability is a must for vehicle airbags. They have to fulfil high security aspects, and must remain inflated for several seconds when an accident occurs. Airbags made of flat-woven fabric – cut and seamed – can show weakness at seams during the inflation phase. Latest Jacquard technology by Stäubli enables one-piece-woven (OPW) airbags to be produced, creating shape and structure in a single process. The final product is an airbag consisting of a sealed cushion with woven seams. OPW airbag weaving reduces the number of production steps, and increases the security aspects.
Another big advantage of Stäubli’s new weaving technology is the flexibility in formats required in today’s mid- and upper-range cars, where lateral protection (in the seat or in the roof over the door) has become standard and is designed in line with the car shape. Safe airbags are woven on modern high-speed weaving machines. The warp material, the variety of fabric patterns, and the importance of precisely shaped airbags require the use of a robust and reliable Jacquard machine.

A revolution for orthopaedic patients is a knitting machine from Steiger Participations, which uses compressive yarns developed to meet the needs of the specific health market. This machine model was exclusively designed for production with inlaid elastic yarns and offers optimum performance with guaranteed final product quality.

In the orthopaedic field, many Steiger flat knitting machines have already been operating as automatic, custom-made production systems. For example, the dimensions of an injured limb are taken by the doctor and fed into a web-based application. The doctor selects the compression class in the various sections of the item and a data file created by the software automatically applies a preconfigured program. With no human intervention required, the program is generated and produced on the machine, precisely matching the patient’s dimensions. Each product is different, and generally available within 48 hours.

More than 450 participants from 18 countries made in-person connections and gained innovative insights into the segment’s future at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, reported strong attendance and activity at its 16th WOW conference, June 27-30. Highlights included a conference, award presentations, a separate 1.5-day WIPES Academy training course, and a new mentorship program.  

WOW speakers focused on the future of the $17 billion wipes sector amid changing consumer trends, supply chain complexities, sustainable packaging demands, and medical disinfection challenges. Program sessions included Circular and Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges, Sustainable Substrates, Disinfection Concerns, Sustainable Packaging Trends, and Flushability Developments.

Tony Fragnito welcomed participants in his new role as INDA President for the first time since succeeding Dave Rousse, now President Emeritus and advisor.

WOW highlights included the announcement of Nice’ N CLEAN® SecureFLUSH™ Technology Flushable Wipes from Nice-Pak as the winner of this year’s World of Wipes Innovation Award® for their flushable wipes made of 100 percent cellulose nonwoven. A specialty “lock and key” design of plant-based fibers and formula leverages patent-pending technology to ensure responsible care of plumbing and wastewater.

Other highlights included the presentation of the 2022 INDA Lifetime Technical Award to Richard Knowlson, Principal, RPK Consulting. The award honors an individual with a long-established nonwovens career that advance technology and the commercial success of the North American nonwovens industry. Knowlson pioneered the use of powder super absorbents in airlaid forming systems creating new period product designs for ultra-thin products. He co-founded Airformed Composites, co-invented the first commercial multi-bonded airlaid products in North America that were used in characters for Sesame Street and served in leadership positions with Rayonier, Ciba/Huntsman and Jacob Holm.

On June 13, EREMA Group and Borealis invited representatives of the international plastics and recycling trade press to Upper Austria for a sneak preview of the technological developments and lighthouse projects that the companies will present at K 2022, the plastics industry's international meeting place. The venue for the pre-K event was EREMA Group headquarters in Ansfelden.

EREMA Group K 2022 preview
In Düsseldorf, the subsidiaries of the EREMA Group - which are EREMA, PURE LOOP, UMAC, 3S, KEYCYCLE and PLASMAC - will present their technological innovations, services and support together at a Group trade fair stand for the first time. Seven new recycling systems and components will be presented that enable large-scale plants with a production capacity of up to 6 t/h while setting a milestone in recyclate quality and process stability. This is made possible by technological innovations in the plasticizing unit that have been specially developed for high throughputs with low specific energy consumption, the new EREMA 406 laser filter with a 50 percent larger screening area, and new digital assistance systems that will be launched at K 2022 and made available on the BluPort® customer platform. These include, for example, the PredictOn app, which helps to anticipate and eliminate imminent malfunctions based on continuous measurement and evaluation of machine data.

New series of machines for new target groups
For customers looking for rapidly available recycling systems for simple applications, EREMA Group subsidiary UMAC has an innovation in store for K 2022. The company, which has so far specialised in refurbishing and trading in previously owned equipment, is expanding its business area and in Düsseldorf will launch READYMAC, a standardised, prefabricated recycling solution that can be produced from stock, based on proven EREMA TVE technology.

Finally, in the inhouse recycling segment, PURE LOOP and PLASMAC will round off the wide range of machines offered by the group of companies with their product portfolio.

Live recycling and lighthouse projects at the Circonomic Center
In the outdoor area of the K show, EREMA will bring plastics recycling to life with live demonstrations in conjunction with cooperation partners. Different waste streams are processed for this purpose. The wide variety of high-quality applications for recyclate will be showcased in the "products made of recyclate" exhibition, ranging from technical components to consumer goods and food packaging.

Borealis – accelerating the transition towards a more circular future
Borealis is committed to using their expertise and global reach to advance the circular economy of plastics. At the joint Pre-K 2022 kick-off on June 13, Borealis provided a preview of their integrated way of circular thinking and featured topics and activities at the K Fair 2022 in October. The preview covered new technologies and innovations including new packaging and infrastructure applications of the Bornewables™ portfolio of circular polyolefin products, manufactured with renewable feedstocks. New applications for Design for Recyclability, Re-Use, chemical recycling and advanced mechanical recycling were also on display.

This year, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles again joins forces with NellyRodi™, the renowned French agency for international forecasting, to present the design theme for 2023 – ‘ALIVE’ – together with three trends: HUMAN CAPITAL, ROUSING COMMITMENT and UNREAL REALITIES.

Nature is a keyword in HUMAN CAPITAL
This direction reflects how people want to reconnect with the environment by choosing a local approach, short supply chains, raw and natural materials, and traditional techniques. For instance, 100% plant-based materials, as well as metalised fringed jacquards and gold yarns are used to illustrate this concept.

Inspired by everyday basics and daily essentials, the trend uses a soft, luminous white palette mingled with muted and amber shades of vegetal dyes. Designs also incorporate figurative hand-drawings, archaic bestiary, stylised wildflowers and geometric patterns.

ROUSING COMMITMENT celebrates creative self-expression
The trend combines a lively play of mix-matching patterns and colours. This embraces the integration of neutral shades through touches of metallic silver and fluorescent colours to represent the urban life.

Foamback and other fabrics influenced by sports materials, as well as extravagant jacquards, silicon embossing and bouclé fabrics draw out feel-good factor of the theme. Prints using modern twists on traditional patterns, lettering plays, exuberant florals and bold geometrics, also deliver the desire to live freely by sharing joy and happiness with others.

The fantasy of UNREAL REALITIES
In order to push the limits of imagination, science and technology, consumers tap into digital realms to connect with other realities, augmented worlds and futurist utopias that draw out the potential of today’s technology. Metalised rainbow colours highlight the magic and wonder under this virtual reality theme, while surrealistic photoprint shapes, misty landscapes, blurry effects and fantastical nature adds a futuristic touch.

The theme adopts iridescent gleam of semi-transparent voiles, muslins, recycled synthetics and added pearly or glazed aspects. Soft, light meshes, honeycombed or blistered surfaces and cloudy seersuckers elevate the textures in the fabrics.

The trends are decided by a committee led by the NellyRodi™ Agency (France) and formed by top forecasters including Mr Vincent Grégoire (France), the agency’s Consumer Trends and Insights Director; Mr Shen Lei (China), Founder and Chief of Interior Architects Design; and Ms Tracy Jen (Taiwan, China), the Host of ‘Eremito’; as well as Ms Sakina M’sa, the beloved French fashion designer and entrepreneur.

In order to integrate exhibitor and industry resources more effectively, the organisers of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles have announced that the Spring and Autumn editions will be merged this year. The two fairs will now be held concurrently from 15 – 17 August 2022 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.

The ITMC 2022 conference, which will take place at the BAnQ from September 19 to 21, 2022, is aimed at attendees from various sectors of the textile industry. Its interdisciplinary approach is the key to maximizing the potential and development of textile materials and tools for various applications. The objective of the conference is to explore new ideas, effective solutions and collaborative partnerships for business growth by creating synergy between designers, manufacturers, suppliers, students and end users from all sectors and fully exploiting this potential.

The main topics are: Composites and textile reinforcement - Sustainable Production & Ecotextiles - Smart and functional textiles - Nanotechnology & Advanced Technical Textiles - Comfort & Protective Textiles - Medical Textiles - Digital Tools & Mass Customization

Keynote speakers :

• Omar Cherkaoui, ESITH : how ESITH was able to support the operators of the Moroccan textile sector during the covid-19 crisis
• Tracy Toulouse, TT : the impact and legacy of our clothing is to identify us as a nation
• Prof. Raul Fangueiro, University of Minho: fiber-based materials: from nano to macro scale
• Pierre-Alexandre Fournier, Exoskin: the role of smart textiles in the future of health
• KyoungOk Kim, Shinshu University: Patternmaking for attractive clothing for mass customization
• Marie O’Mahony, Consultant, Royal College of Art (RCA): smart materials & systems: has embracing uncertainty become vital to commercialization?
• Xianyi Zeng, Ensait: intelligent garments for online monitoring of human health and well-being
• Corinne Farace, Techtera: The collaborative approach: a major stake in meeting the challenges of tomorrow

From 7 - 9 July, the who's who of the fashion industry and the entire fashion ecosystem will finally meet again in person at the events of the Premium Group at Messe Berlin! For business and exchange, for new experiences and impulses, for new brands and above all for one thing: for a new togetherness!

As usual, the trade shows PREMIUM and SEEK as well as the conference format FASHIONTECH are reserved for business professionals - who can find inspiration on site entirely. With the new D2C festival ‘The Ground – Celebration of Style & Culture’, young consumers and fashion enthusiasts from GenZ and GenY as well as the international community living in Berlin are invited to the exhibition grounds for the first time.

More than fashion: 360-degree inspiration at The Ground Festival
At The Ground, industry professionals meet young enthusiasts to inspire each other and discover new worlds. The Ground presents a completely new mix of topics, brands and partners around beauty, music, sport, play, soul and talks. Fashion is the connecting element of The Ground and runs through all areas. Creative and interactive brand presentations meet pre-loved and vintage store pop-ups, inspiring panel talks, sports and mental health workshops and live performances.

In the name of peace and unity: The Ground Festival opened by #FashionUnites Parade
On 7 July, the first The Ground Festival will open with a colourful parade through the capital. Together with the PLATTE.Berlin community, The Ground is organising a parade under the motto #FashionUnites starting at noon from the Victory Column through the west to the festival location of the Berlin exhibition centre. Accompanied by a Berlin DJ, everyone is invited to take part in the parade and can register here and thus also receive free access to The Ground on the first day of the festival.

High-profile charity campaign: The Ground launches 'MUST-HAVE PEACE Merch Collection'
Due to the ongoing war situation in Ukraine, the makers behind The Ground have launched a charity campaign: the MUST-HAVE PEACE Merch Collection. In this exclusive collaboration, players and brands such as Closed, Drykorn, Eastpak, Lala Berlin, Lee and others design one piece of merch each (denim jackets, shirts, shorts, bags) that can be bought during The Ground Festival.

New hub for sustainability: the SEEK Conscious Club
SEEK has always been a magnet for brands and people who have a common vision, tackle things and get them on the road. With the new SEEK Conscious Club, there will be a separate exhibition area focusing on sustainability - more than 80 sustainable brands are joining the club already.

New brand worlds at PREMIUM
This July, PREMIUM will be divided into three sections for the first time: High, Icon and Volume. High is the new home for brands that operate in the market above the premium segment. These include Lala Berlin, Nove, Helene Galwas and Jane Kønig. Icon covers the classic premium segment from Strellson and Seidensticker to Mos Mosh and Denham to Young Poets Society and Fabienne Chapot, and Volume is the new area for commercially successful brands that approach premium from the middle of the market. Here you will find brands like Gerry Weber, Mexx, Pierre Cardin or Miracle of Denim.

The Content Stage program
The stage program will reflect all relevant topics of the fashion ecosystem as part of the new Premium Group cosmos.

• It starts on the first day of the fair, Thursday 7 July, with the popular FASHIONTECH conference.
• On 8 July, the SEEK Conscious Club will host an extensive stage program on the subject of sustainability in all its facets for the first time.
• On Saturday, 9 July, the stage will become the entertainment spotlight for The Ground visitors.

• Svegea, a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machine association, is marking a company milestone this year at Texprocess in Frankfurt from June 21-24  – the 70th anniversary of its automatic collarette cutter.

 On its introduction back in 1952, this machine – used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements – caused a sensation with its then-unprecedented output of 300 metres per hour.

Time doesn’t stand still, however, and the latest EC 300 machine Svegea will demonstrate at Texprocess 2022 has a slightly improved output – of around 20,000 metres per hour.

“Advances in automation are only making the specialised, bespoke machines we engineer even more efficient and we are expecting a very busy show in Frankfurt and a busy year,” says Svegea Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The garment components our collarette cutters produce make it logical for them to be integrated into the operations of making-up operations wherever they are, and at the moment we’re seeing a lot of interest in the reshoring of operations by our customers, to bring final-stage manufacturing closer to the key European and US markets.”

E-Drive 2
The EC 300 collarette cutter on show in Frankfurt is equipped with the latest E-Drive 2 system providing the operator with a very user-friendly touchscreen, providing full control of the cutting process.

The integrated, fully automatic FA500 roll slitter accommodates diameters up to 400mm and is equipped with three separately adjustable settings enabling three different band widths to be cut within the same cutting cycle. Automatic tube sewing units are provided for sewn tubes in optional rolled or flat folded forms, depending on customer preference.

Niche applications
Svegea supplies many other bespoke machines for applications in the production of both garment components and technical textiles, including rewinding, measuring, inspection and band knife machines.

The ability to produce tubular fabric which is cut on the bias allows customers to provide textiles which not only have improved drape and elasticity properties for complex and intricate shapes, but also offer ways to reduce production costs by eliminating unnecessary wastage from the manufacturing process. Pre-cutting the fabric to a specific bias reduces extra handling of the fabric in further processes, saving customers both valuable production time and costs.