Trützschler: New benchmark in flat tops for spinning preparation

Modern carding generations achieve higher production performance, placing significantly greater stress on flat tops. Higher cylinder speeds and increased fiber density, combined with tighter carding gaps, create more demanding operating conditions. At the same time, poorer raw material quality and the increased use of recycled materials further intensify these challenges. With STEELTOP®, Trützschler introduces a new full steel flat top series developed for these demanding modern carding processes. 
 
A new benchmark in flat tops for spinning preparation 
STEELTOP® is manufactured entirely from high-quality steel and is designed to deliver consistent performance under demanding production conditions. It is ideal for processing lower-grade natural and man-made fibers and is perfectly compatible with intelligent cards, including Trützschler cards equipped with T-GO, due to its superior electrical conductivity. 
 
Built to last under extreme conditions 

eVent Fabrics & PELLIOT: Lower-Impact Innovation in the Global Outdoor Market

In a big win for lower impact products, eVent Fabrics, a global leader in waterproof and breathable fabric technologies, is partnering with PELLIOT, one of China’s fastest-growing outdoor brands, to bring their flagship PFAS-free alpineST and windstormST laminates to the rapidly expanding China outdoor market. Founded in 2012, PELLIOT is a leading Chinese high-performance outdoor lifestyle brand. The company has a long history of supporting elite mountaineers and explorers in scaling the world’s highest peaks and conducting expeditions of significant scientific value.

PFAS in functional textiles has become a significant industry concern, making the transition to PFAS-free materials a clear market imperative. PELLIOT specializes in high-performance outdoor gear for mountaineering, travel, hiking, and skiing. Through this partnership with eVent Fabrics, PELLIOT is expanding its next-generation product range, further cementing its position as an industry benchmark for functional outdoor apparel.

ALADIN: Circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Under the coordination of the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), ten European project partners are developing and integrating platforms, technologies, and viable business models for circular textile production over four years. ALADIN stands for Advanced LocAl and Digital Innovation Network for Circular Garments and aims to establish viable business models for circular textile production.

The concept is based on four pillars:

CHINA WAVE at Pitti Uomo 110

With its fifth participation at Pitti Uomo, CHINA WAVE once again underscored the dynamic rise of Chinese designer brands on the international stage. The showcased collections demonstrated how Chinese labels are increasingly defining themselves through distinctive design languages, technological innovation and cultural authenticity, attracting growing attention from the global fashion industry. 

As the flagship brand of the collective presentation, SEPTWOLVES impressed visitors with a collection combining functionality, sustainability and Chinese cultural heritage. Alongside its further enhanced Business Travel Jacket featuring advanced technical innovations, the Wulin World Heritage Collection and the sustainable polo line crafted from natural fibres attracted particular interest. International buyers praised SEPTWOLVES for translating traditional Chinese craftsmanship and intangible cultural heritage into a contemporary design language with global appeal. The collections led to intensive discussions with buyers and distributors from Europe, South America, the Middle East and Central Asia, reaffirming the brand's growing international potential. 

USColorworks: Digital Platform with Kornit Atlas MATRIX and Atlas MAX PLUS Solutions

Kornit Digital Ltd., a pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production, announced that USColorworks, a North Carolina-based apparel decoration and fulfillment company specializing in custom and on-demand printing for retail and promotional markets, has expanded its Kornit digital production platform with the addition of Atlas MATRIX and Atlas MAX PLUS systems to deliver high-quality, on-demand apparel across cotton, blended fabrics and polyester. 

Solar-powered plastic recycling at real-world scale

Researchers demonstrate how to use the power of the sun to turn plastic waste, such as drinks bottles, into clean hydrogen fuel at a scale large enough to be genuinely useful in the real world using a scalable approach.

The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, have previously demonstrated that a solar-powered reactor can convert plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals, but only at laboratory scale. 

Now, they have shown a clear path for converting this technology to a commercial scale, in outdoor, real-world conditions. 

While previous demonstrations have used a small reactor (catalyst) about 25cm square, the new device is significantly larger – about one metre square – which they tested under natural sunlight outside Cambridge’s Chemistry Department. This is the first time that this technology has been successfully used in outdoor conditions using scalable techniques. 

Instead of generating electricity like a conventional solar panel, the Cambridge devices drives a chemical reaction that converts waste into useful products while converting water to release clean hydrogen.

Florence: Where Conversations Become Catalysts for Change

The first chapter of Catalyst Club debuted in Florence, bringing together creative directors, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, journalists and innovators from across the fashion and textile industry for an evening of dialogue, exchange and connection.

Hosted at the Soko Innovation Hub and developed in partnership with Pioneer Denim, the gathering took place around a single long table, bringing guests together in an informal and convivial setting designed to encourage open conversation and the sharing of ideas.

During his opening speech at the dinner, Matteo Urbini, MD of Soko Chimica, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative: "It’s a real pleasure to host an evening where we can finally move past virtual networking and connect in person. Getting together live is still the best way to build authentic relationships and make real things happen."

ROICA: A New Phase at Milano Unica

ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei returns to Milano Unica, entering a new phase in its evolution as a global premium stretch fiber brand.
Following the launch of its renewed global brand identity under the message “STRETCH YOUR FUTURE,” ROICA™ brings a strengthened focus on advanced stretch expertise and collaborative development, offering solutions designed to reduce environmental impact.

At the upcoming Milano Unica, ten selected European partners — Brugnoli, Eusebio, Iluna Group, Innova Fabrics, Inter Jersey Milano, Maglificio Ripa, Reda, Sitip, Tessitura Colombo Antonio and Tiba Tricot, — will present their latest collections integrating ROICA™ across a diverse range of textile applications.
Rather than standing alone, ROICA™ expresses its value through each partner’s creation — offering refined comfort, reliable stretch performance, and thoughtful material solutions that respond to the evolving needs of the apparel industry.

Associations on Single-Use Plastic Directive

The undersigned associations, representing several European industrial sectors, call on EU institutions to maintain the current legal text of the Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD), adopted in 2019. While the signatories recognise the importance of ensuring that the SUPD delivers measurable and meaningful environmental outcomes, reopening the Directive now will create legal uncertainty, add disproportionate burden for economic operators that are already navigating partial and often divergent national transpositions, and increase the risk of regulatory overlaps or contradictions with existing and upcoming legislation. Moreover, there is currently insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of the current SUPD to justify a revision, as described below: 

New Imperial-branded clothing line with BioPuff®

Ponda, a UK-based biomaterials company with roots at Imperial College London, has partnered with the university to make branded clothing from wetland-grown plants.

The first products in this collaboration – a Mallard gilet and a Fern cap – are insulated with BioPuff®, a material made from bulrush grown on restored wetlands rather than oil or animal products. The clothing will be on sale exclusively at the Imperial College Union campus shop and online store this autumn.

Full circle collaboration
The world produces around 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year. That is the equivalent of a bin lorry of clothing burned or landfilled every second. Branded merchandise sits at a difficult intersection of this problem: it often relies on conventional materials with significant environmental impacts, yet is discarded long before the end of its useful life. BioPuff® offers an alternative approach, using plant-based insulation designed to connect product manufacturing with wetland restoration, and lower-impact material systems. Importantly, it also outperforms premium synthetics on warmth.