Jeanologia urges industry to accelerate PP Spray phase-out

Since 2015, Jeanologia has set the standard with laser, Light Bright and G2 Ozone technologies, achieving authentic vintage effects in denim without chemical spraying.

Potassium permanganate has officially entered the Chemical Watchlist of the ZDHC Foundation, signaling increased scrutiny and potential phase-out of one of the most hazardous chemicals still used in denim finishing. The inclusion confirms an industry shift that Jeanologia anticipated more than a decade ago.

For years, Jeanologia has called for the elimination of PP spray, warning about its impact on worker health, operational safety and the environment. Now, the industry is formally acknowledging what has been evident on factory floors worldwide.

PP spray is commonly used to create localized vintage effects in denim, but it exposes operators to chemical micro-particles and presents serious occupational risks. Despite growing awareness and available alternatives, this practice continues to be used in parts of the industry. According to Jeanologia, millions of workers globally are still affected by this process.

Solid Air Dynamics wins second place at RWTH Innovation Award

On 30 January, RWTH spin-off Solid Air Dynamics was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Awards for its research in the field of aerogel fibres. Manufactured from renewable raw materials, aerogel fibres offer outstanding thermal insulation, are extremely lightweight and completely biodegradable, and can consist of over 90 per cent air.

The founders, Dr Sascha Schriever, Dr Jens Hofer and Maximilian Mohr from Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) and Dr Christian Schwotzer from Department for Industrial Furnace and Heat Engineering (IOB) of RWTH Aachen University, want to revolutionise the market in the future with high-performance materials for sports and outdoor clothing or the mobility and construction sectors.

The award ceremony took place during the annual RWTHtransparent event in Aachen. The top three places were honoured with the RWTH Innovation Award. The RWTH Innovation Award recognises contributions that demonstrate particular innovation and charisma in the Aachen region.

U.S. Textile Industry Applauds Legislation Aimed at Ending Harmful Customs Rule

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), which represents the full U.S. textile supply chain from fiber and yarn to fabrics and finished sewn products, lauds a bill introduced today aimed at ending the U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s (CBP) “first sale” rule.

National Council of Textile Organizations President and CEO Kim Glas
“NCTO and the U.S. textile industry strongly support the Last Sale Valuation Act, a bill that would eliminate a harmful CBP rule that significantly lowers duties paid by importers on textile and apparel goods and disadvantages U.S. textile manufacturers in favor of countries that often employ predatory trade practices and fail to provide reciprocal market access.

“We sincerely thank Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for their leadership on this bill. Closing this loophole will help level the playing field, bolster the U.S. textile industry, and spur more onshoring and investment here and in our Western Hemisphere.”

"Deliver emergency measures as Europe’s competitiveness crisis deepens"

EURATEX, representing the European textile and fashion industry, joins the Antwerp Declaration Community’s call on EU Heads of State and Government to adopt emergency measures that restore industrial competitiveness and deliver tangible results for Europe’s manufacturing base in 2026.

The call was made at the European Industry Summit, which brought together over 500 business leaders, 30 factory workers, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, under the auspices of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Senior EU leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, as well as Executive Vice-Presidents Teresa Ribera and Stéphane Séjourné, and Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, also joined the discussions — underscoring the growing political urgency of Europe’s industrial competitiveness crisis.

The European Industry Summit urged a coordinated package focused on:

Avgol: New Global R&D Head for the Nonwovens Business

Marco Bruno is the new Global R&D Head for the nonwovens business at Avgol, an Indorama Ventures company. With more than 20 years of experience in the textile and nonwovens industry, including extensive expertise in high technology textile substrates, the manager brings deep knowledge in nonwoven and textile-related applications. He is one of the inventors on more than 10 international patent filings covering advanced breathable functional materials and innovative material engineering developments in the nonwoven field.

At Indorama Ventures’ Avgol nonwovens business, Marco’s key goal is to further strengthen the company’s collaboration with up- and downstream partners across the value chain, ensuring that innovation translates into tangible, high value benefits for customers.

Being an active member of the company’s cross-business R&D community globally, he will also work closely with colleagues developing next-generation fibers for nonwovens and those focusing on the further enhancements of surfactants for technical and personal care applications.

Mayer & Cie. acquired by Chinese owner family

On Monday, February 09, Xu Hongjie signed the purchase agreement for Mayer & Cie. The Chinese entrepreneur is thereby acquiring the company’s entire circular knitting business, including its subsidiaries in Vsetín (Czech Republic) and Jintan (China).

Xu Hongjie comes from a southern Chinese entrepreneurial family that has been running the company Huixing for almost 30 years. Huixing employs around 1,000 people and develops, manufactures and sells circular knitting machines worldwide. With machines under the Mayer & Cie. brand, Huixing aims to enter the premium segment in the future. As development and manufacturing are at the core of the Mayer & Cie. brand, the Albstadt site will continue to be of strategic importance going forward.
 
“We are very pleased that a future perspective has emerged for the company and for everything we associate with it,” says Wolfgang Müller. He has worked at Mayer & Cie. for many years as Head of Sales and, over the past weeks, has worked intensively with his colleagues and Xu Hongjie on a plan for the restart of Mayer & Cie.

VIATT 2026 announces inaugural lifestyle Trend Forum

“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.
 

INDEX™26: Pioneering highlights at Geneva

INDEX™26, the World’s Leading Nonwovens Exhibition, will take place from 19 to 22 May 2026 at PALEXPO in Geneva. With 600 exhibitors expected, INDEX™26 represents the entire value chain of the industry, from raw materials, machinery, producers of nonwovens, components to converters.

This year’s event highlights a clear trend toward high-performance lightweight materials emerging from an increasingly integrated global supply chain. From breakthroughs in engineering to innovations in raw materials, the focus remains firmly on enhancing efficiency and sustainability without compromising quality.

One of the most eagerly awaited unveilings is the introduction of RF6 technology from Reifenhäuser Reicofil. This latest generation of spunmelt production is poised to set new global standards by delivering higher throughput for the finest fibres while enabling user-friendly, low-maintenance operation.

DIGEL: New Premium Showrooms in Düsseldorf and Munich

DIGEL AG is strengthening its national and international presence with two new, representative locations in Düsseldorf and Munich, set to open for the Spring/Summer 2027 order season. With these two showrooms, the menswear company is making a clear statement for growth, internationality, and brand strength in the premium segment.

The new showroom in Düsseldorf is located in one of Germany’s most prestigious menswear environments, in the immediate vicinity of brands such as Boss, Strellson, and PVH. Spanning 550 square meters—around 30% larger than before—the two brands Digel and Digel Move will in future offer an exclusive brand experience in an urban lifestyle setting. In addition to order activities, the location will also be used as an event venue, for the DIGEL Academy, and for VIP customer events. Thanks to Düsseldorf’s central location and international character, more than 60% of export customers can be optimally served here, with further growth potential.

Fiber chip: Complex electronic circuits inside thin, flexible fibers

A research team at Fudan University in Shanghai has successfully built complex electronic circuits inside thin, flexible fibers. This breakthrough, referred to as a fiber chip, allows fabrics to process information like a computer while remaining soft enough to be stretched, twisted, and woven into everyday clothing.

The development could transform industries like brain-computer interfaces — which allow the brain to communicate directly with external devices — as well as high-tech textiles and virtual reality.

Typically, computer chips are flat and rigid, built on stiff materials like silicon. And because fibers are curved and have very little surface area, it has been difficult to fit enough electronic parts onto them to make them useful. To solve this, the Fudan University team moved away from just using the surface of the fiber. Instead, they designed a multilayered spiral architecture, essentially building several layers of circuitry inside the fiber to use all the available internal space.