From the Sector

eVent^®️ Fabrics, a global leader in waterproof and breathable laminates, announced the hiring of three key team members to assist with growing demand for the brand’s expanding line of performance laminates and recent expansion into the South Korean market. Founded in 1999, the company impressed the industry with the first air-permeable 100% waterproof membrane and continues to innovate with sustainable, high-performance textiles. eVent is globally recognized for its breathable waterproof solutions and commitment to reliable, high-performance laminates.

Recent hires include Bartosz Lassak to the US sales team and Xie Yi to engineer the next generation of eVent textiles. For the recent expansion into Korea, Terry Kim will assist as eVent’s Korean Market Consultant.

eVent’s recent expansion into the Korean market includes a new strategic partnership with GEO International Co., LTD, a leading Korean company in the textile industry. This collaboration will introduce eVent’s high-performance waterproof breathable laminate solutions for apparel, footwear, and accessories to the Korean market, catering to the increasing demand for premium outdoor and performance apparel.

eVent’s newest team members include:

Bartosz Lassak – Senior Sales Manager
Based in Washington D.C., Bartosz is a Senior Sales Manager for the Eastern U.S. region and will help expand eVent’s sales footprint as new customers are added to the eVent portfolio. Bartosz brings 20 years of global industry experience and has a deep knowledge of outerwear materials, end use applications, and component brand sales. Most recently, Bartosz was a Territory Sales and Marketing Manager for Primaloft, managing ingredient brand distribution in the UK, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey, and North America.
 
Xie Yi – Textile Engineer
Having recently graduated with a double Master’s Degree in Textile Materials and Product Design from the highly regarded Donghua University, Xie joins the eVent team full time as a Textile Engineer. Xie will be integral as eVent continues to enhance product strategy and new product introductions. Throughout her academic career, Xie worked as a Production Assistant for Oya Jacquard Belt limited and a Research and Development Assistant at Atelier LUMA.

Terry Kim – Senior Consultant in Korea
Terry will support the expansion of eVent’s global footprint into Korean markets and assist with marketing efforts in the Korean market as well. Terry has significant experience in the industry including 20 years working in roles such as Sales Director and New Business Development Director in his time at Gore-Tex. In his most recent role, Terry was the Managing Director of Fabric Division for Gore-Tex.

TrusTrace, a global SaaS company with a market-leading platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced a strategic collaboration with platform engineering firm Xoriant and environmental impact data leader Carbon Trail to deliver a comprehensive solution that supports international brands that want to implement more product marketing accountability.

The new solution is the first-of-its-kind in the industry and leverages Xoriant’s strong data architecture, Carbon Trail’s environmental impact data, and TrusTrace’s supply chain traceability data to provide brands with the information they need to market their products with specific details on how they’re made and where.

This new technological solution coincides with the implementation of the Green Claims Code, which launched in 2021 and was updated in 2023 to factor in product-specific environmental impact and strives to ensure that claims are clear, accurate and not misleading; provide specific and clear information about materials used; use accurate product filters and avoid misleading imagery; and support claims with verifiable strategics and third party accreditation.

On the data side, brands need to measure environmental impact on a product level, not only just related to carbon, but covering 16+ indicators such as water, land use, and microfibre impacts. Once environmental impact and supply chain data is aggregated, information can then be incorporated into a Digital Product Passport, a record that can tell a product's entire value chain via QR code/digital tag that will be required for EU brands between 2026-2030. For example, a buyer can theoretically scan a product’s QR code and be taken to a unique URL link in which the environmental impact for that specific product is available to view. This can be displayed alongside traceability data – like where the product has been manufactured – in addition to other information like recyclability, microplastics, product certifications, all those elements also come into play.

The Salvation Army announces a collaboration with celebrity fashion stylist Rebekah Roy for Sustainable Fashion Week. Rebekah will join as special guest for an exclusive online second-hand fashion event and share expert tips on styling second-hand fashion.  The webinar will be held on Tuesday 24th September at 8 pm (BST). The partnership presents an opportunity to promote second-hand shopping and create lasting change.  
 
Listed as one of the top 100 "Most original and influential people in the UK creative and media industries” by Time Out, Rebekah is an award-winning stylist whose career boasts working on more than 75 catwalk shows, including for London Fashion Week, Rolls Royce, Ascot and Harrods. Beyond the runway, Rebekah has collaborated with iconic musicians including Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Enya, Kate Nash and Max Rae.
 
As a strong advocate for sustainability, Rebekah has also pioneered the UK’s first vegan fashion show and regularly curates the Source Fashion show at London Olympia, reflecting her commitment to a sustainable lifestyle and her vision for a fashion industry that respects our planet.
 
Sustainable Fashion Week unites the community in taking creative action; to change the fashion system from the bottom up and the programme features a series of events to take action locally and change fashion globally.  As part of SATCoL’s commitment to sustain our planet and transform lives, the 30-minute webinar with Rebekah Roy will be available to the public for free and it will encourage second-hand shopping as she shares expert tips on styling vintage looks to make your wardrobe last. In addition to this, guests will receive a free guide to take away to support them further after the event.
 
The webinar is a call to action to drive lasting change and SATCoL will take the opportunity to introduce the great work they do to help sustain the planet and give used textiles a second lease of life whilst, helping to raise vital funds for charity. The webinar will be hosted by Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), who operates around 250 stores and a UK-wide clothing bank collection service on behalf of the charity. SATCoL has received industry wide recognition in fashion for their efforts to support brands and retailers to meet their sustainability goals and the webinar encourages the public to also take part in diverting more items away from disposal and to shop second-hand.

The sixth edition of Texhibition Istanbul from 11 to 13 September 2024 will once again bring together all components of the textile industry and offer an overview of all product groups in the textile preliminary stage: from woven goods to knitwear, from yarns and denim to artificial leather and textile accessories.

Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair, organised by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in cooperation with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB), is following on from this year's March event with the upcoming edition.

Highlights:

• Over 500 exhibitors will be presenting a wide range of products such as woven fabrics, knitwear, denim, accessories, artificial leather and yarns covering 35,000 square metres
• Over 25,000 trade visitors are expected from more than 100 countries, including the European Union, Great Britain, the USA, North Africa and the Middle East
• Yarn Hall completes the range of the preliminary stage and has firmly established itself at Texhibition with 41 exhibitors
• BlueBlackDenim showcases Türkiye's leading 25 denim manufacturers and inspires with creative denim installations
• Texhibition Trend Areas: The trend areas are created by combination of quality and creative themes of fabrics, yarns, denims and accessory products from the participants
• Texhibition Art Events: digital art, accessoires and yarn installations

As Interfilière Paris is approaching, ROICA™ introduces its three partners that will exhibit at the fair focusing on intimate wear: Iluna Group, Innova Fabrics and Lauma Elastic.

Iluna Group
Iluna Group is specialized in the production of lingerie and fine fabrics. The company is known for its commitment to sustainability, using eco-high-tech materials and adopting responsible production practices. Its product line includes a wide range of lace, embroidery, and delicate fabrics.

Innova Fabrics
Innova Fabrics produces innovative and high-quality fabrics. It stands out for its ability to combine textile tradition with advanced technologies and offering a range of fabrics for various applications, as fashion, furnishings, and technical textiles.
I LOVE RF: the residual free (RF) line, aimed at reducing the impact of microplastics, is made with 84% Sensil Biocare polyamide and16% ROICA™ V550. PARIS SPECIAL V550: it weighs 180 g/m2, has a height of 160 cm and is composed of 86% TENCEL and 14% ROICA™ V550. RYON RF: part of the “residual free” (RF) line, the Ryon RF fabric is developed using Sensil Biocare polyamide and ROICA™ V550. This combination is designed to minimize the residual persistence of polyamide and elastomer in the environment.

Lauma Elastic
Lauma Elastic is a brand for quality textile and medical materials with a long heritage and constant innovation. Today Lauma is focused on innovation and committed to introducing environmentally friendly, new technologies into the textiles industry. The company presents its fabric 323309 with Tencel™ (84%) and ROICA™ V550 (16%), weight 165cm x 350g, primarily used for sports and yoga leggings for its characteristics of softness and durability.

Archroma, specialist in chemicals towards sustainable solutions, Kipaş Denim, a Turkish company with a focus on integrated textile production, and Jeanologia, a sustainable textile solutions company, are collaborating to pioneer a new denim finishing process for enhanced aesthetic appeal and greater sustainability.

Combining their advanced technologies, the three textile innovators are behind the launch of Kipaş Denim’s new Contra Denim concept – a breakthrough in denim dyeing and finishing that enables brands to create stunning and long-lasting distressed looks and designs effects, including intricate patterns, whiskering and fades, through cleaner processes that save water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Denim has traditionally been challenging to produce, especially for black and indigo fabric with a worn or distressed look, requiring significant water usage, harmful chemicals and intensive manual labor. The Contra Denim collection is laser- and laundry-friendly, with colors that are deep and durable. Stunning wash-down vintage effects and high contrasts are achieved via washing or laser techniques.

Contra Denim is based on Archroma’s DENIM HALO, a new approach to denim production that incorporates resource-saving pretreatment that includes DIRSOL® RD and dyeing processes to produce easy-wash laser-friendly denim. It delivers a substantially reduced environmental footprint compared to the industry-standard denim finishing process while reducing yarn shrinkage and improving garment tensile strength.

The Contra Denim’s vintage looks are achieved with advanced laser marking technology from Jeanologia. Thanks to the combination of Archroma and Jeanologia technologies, manual hand scraping or potassium permanganate spraying harmful for workers and the environment are completely eliminated.

Fernando Cardona, Brain Box Team Manager, Jeanologia, said: “As a purpose-driven textile technology company, we take pride in working with partners to accompany them through their transformational processes. We are delighted to work with industry leaders such as Archroma and Kipaş Denim, who are at the forefront of responsible denim production.”

Initially producing a ContraBlack Denim collection, Kipaş Denim has now extended the Contra line to classic indigo and other colors from the DIRESUL® RDT range.

The ContraBlack collection earned a Jeanologia Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) score of 11 on stone wash versus the ring dyeing market standard score of 67. This confirms the low impact of the ContraBlack range in both water and energy consumption, chemical impact and workers’ health.

adidas TERREX unveils the Xperior PrimaLoft Loose Fill Hooded Jacket, built for all types of adventures.

The Xperior PrimaLoft Loose Fill Hooded Jacket features:

• PrimaLoft® insulation – Made with 100% recycled polyester, PrimaLoft® RISE Loose Fill insulation – which is strategically placed on the jacket – keeps adventurers warm even in wet conditions.
• Packable design – Designed with versatility in mind, making it ideal for on-the-go adventures.
• Award-winning quilted design – Ensuring it never looks crinkled after being unpacked, the pattern supports breathability, enhancing comfort during various activities. 

HeiQ and Thailand-based tech apparel brand GQ Apparel collaborate to bring innovative cooling to denim in Thailand.

GQ Apparel’s denim segment was just launched this August and underscores the company’s commitment to innovation, textile performance and solving consumer pain points. By integrating HeiQ’s biobased technology HeiQ Cool, the new GQ Cool Tech™ Jeans introduce a new era of denim that exceeds the expectations of consumers who value quality, functionality, and environmental responsibility.

Thailand's traditionally hot weather makes it impractical to wear jeans as they become too warm. The localized application of HeiQ Cool in the leg zone solves this problem by providing wearers with an immediate cool sensation when putting the jeans on, and continuous cooling throughout the day.

The cooling technology, paired with a detailed, pain-point solving design, underwent an intense research and development process with more than 500 prototypes tested. 95% of consumers who took part in a wear trial preferred the GQ Cool Tech™ Jeans to their usual ones.

Praised by local media for their design, the jeans have become a viral sensation in Thailand, with videos showing the cooling technology.

Computerized textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the 30th edition of the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics show in Shanghai, China this month. It will exhibit as part of the newly established Digital Solutions Zone which allows visitors to capture various opportunities available as part of the digital revolution that is currently making waves in the apparel industry.

SHIMA SEIKI will be showing its APEXFiz® subscription-based design software which supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that eventually go to waste. The remarkable realism of textile simulation is achieved by using scanned data of actual yarn to virtually weave or knit, creating an image that resembles real fabric. These fabrics can be utilized in various 3D simulation software including APEXFiz® to create realistic product images. Should the design be approved for production, machine data can be generated to allow smooth communication for digitally bridging the gap between the studio and factory. APEXFiz® thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

The product planning capability of APEXFiz® is enhanced by several web services featured as part of the SHIMA SEIKI Online Services (SHIMA online) web platform. These include SHIMA Datamall™ digital content web service that allows users to search, browse and purchase a variety of useful data for streamlining the planning and production of fashion items, as well as the yarnbank® digital yarn sourcing web service that offers digitized yarn data by yarn companies from around the world for download and use in virtual sampling.

Knitwear samples produced on the latest lineup of computerized flatbed knitting machines and exclusive to SHIMA SEIKI computerized knitting technology will also be on display, including WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear that can be produced in their entirety without linking or sewing, as well as hybrid knit-weave samples proposed as an alternative to wovens.

adidas launches its 19-piece FW24 New York Tennis apparel collection – a range of high-performance pieces built to optimize movement and reduce distraction.

The collection, which features blue and white colorways inspired by the hard courts of New York, has been crafted utilizing insights from motion capture technology. The technology, which uses digital image recording to test a moving target, measures the strain on an athlete’s body over time, revealing areas that generate the most heat during play.

These insights informed key design features, such as the strategic material placements of fabric and cut-outs. Following the natural curves of the body, they were purposefully placed in high-movement areas – such as the shoulders and under the arm – to help maximize players’ range of motion. Pieces featuring this technology include the women’s AEROREADY Dress Pro and the women’s HEAT.RDY Match Skirt Pro, which features pleats over the upper leg, allowing for maximum flexibility and adaptability, to help players change direction with ease.

White color blocking is placed in the shoulder and torso areas, which is where the most heat is generated, of the men’s HEAT.RDY FreeLift Polo Shirt Pro and men’s HEAT.RDY Tank Top Pro, to help keep players feeling cool. adidas’ AIRCHILL technology is leveraged to create ventilation zones in high-sweat areas of the body in the men’s AIRCHILL FreeLift T-Shirt Pro and women’s AIRCHILL Match Tank Pro, which uses thermally zoned, raised pattern motifs and mesh layers to maximize airflow.

The head-to-toe collection premiers at the final major tournament of the season and will be worn by athletes including Jessica Pegula, Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Maria Sakkari, Daria Kasatkina, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime.