Textination Newsline

The production of new materials from fungi is an emerging research area. In a research project at the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås, wet spinning of fungal cell wall material has shown promising results. In the project, fungi were grown on bread waste to produce textile fibers with potential in the medical technology field.

Sofie Svensson's project addresses, among other things, the UN's Global Goals 9, sustainable industry, innovation, and infrastructure, and Goal 12, sustainable consumption and production, as the project aimed to use sustainable methods in a resource- and cost-effective way, with less impact on people and the environment.

Sofie Svensson, who recently defended her dissertation in the field of Resource Recovery, explained:

“My research project is about developing fibres spun from filamentous fungi for textile applications. The fungi were grown on bread waste from grocery stores. Waste that would otherwise have a significant environmental impact if discarded.”

The novelty of the project lies in the method used – wet spinning of cell wall material.

“Wet spinning is a method used to spin fibres (filaments) from materials such as cellulose. In this project, cell wall material from filamentous fungi was used to produce fibres through wet spinning. The cell wall material from the fungi contains various polymers, mainly polysaccharides such as chitin, chitosan, and glucan. The challenge was to spin the material. It took some time initially before we found the right conditions”, explained Sofie Svensson.

Antibacterial properties
Filamentous fungi were cultivated in bioreactors to produce fungal biomass. Cell wall material was then isolated from the fungal biomass and used to spin a filament, which was tested for its suitability in medical applications.

“Tests of the fibers showed compatibility with skin cells and also indicated an antibacterial effect”, said Sofie Svensson, adding:

“In the method we worked with, we focused on using milder processes and chemicals. The use of hazardous and toxic chemicals is currently a challenge in the textile industry, and developing sustainable materials is important to reduce environmental impact.”

What is the significance of the results?
“New materials from fungi are an emerging research area. Hopefully, this research can contribute to the development of new sustainable materials from fungi”, explained Sofie Svensson.

Interest from the surrounding community has been significant during the project, and many have had a positive attitude toward the development of this type of material.

When will we see products made from these fibers?
“This particular method is at the lab scale and still in the research stage”, she explained.

The doctoral project was conducted within the larger research project Sustainable Fungal Textiles: A novel approach for reuse of food waste.

What is the next step in research on fungal fibers?
“Future studies could focus on optimizing the wet spinning process to achieve continuous production of fungal fibers. Additionally, testing the cultivation of fungi on other types of food waste.”

How have you experienced your time as a doctoral student in Resource Recovery?
“It has been an intense period as a doctoral student, and I have been really challenged and developed a lot.”

What is your next step?
“I will be taking parental leave for a while before taking the next step, which is yet to be decided.”

Sofie Svensson defended her dissertation on 14 June at the Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås.
 
Read the dissertation: Development of Filaments Using Cell Wall Material of Filamentous Fungi Grown on Bread Waste for Application in Medical Textiles

Opponent: Han Hösten, Professor, Utrecht University
Main Supervisor: Akram Zamani, Associate Professor, University of Borås
Co-Supervisors: Minna Hakkarainen, Professor, KTH; Lena Berglin, Associate Professor, University of Borå

From risottos to sauces, mushrooms have long been a staple in the kitchen. Now fungi are showing the potential to serve up more than just flavor—as a sustainable, bendy material for the fashion industry.

Researchers are using the web-like structure of the mushroom's root system—the mycelium—as an alternative to synthetic fibers for clothing and other products such as car seats.

"It's definitely a change of mindset in the manufacturing process," said Annalisa Moro, EU project leader at Italy-based Mogu, which makes interior-design products from the mycelium. "You're really collaborating with nature to grow something rather than create it, so it's kind of futuristic."

Mogu, located 50 kilometers northwest of Milan, is managing a research initiative to develop nonwoven fabrics made of mycelium fibers for the textile industry.

Called MY-FI, the project runs for four years through October 2024 and brings together companies, research institutes, industry organizations and academic institutions from across Europe.

MY-FI highlights how the EU is pushing for more sustainable production and consumption in the textile and apparel industry, which employs around 1.3 million people in Europe and has annual turnover of €167 billion.

While getting most of its textiles from abroad, the EU produces them in countries including France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Italy accounts for more than 40% of EU apparel production.

Delicate and durable
The mycelium grows from starter spawn added to crops such as cereals. The threadlike filaments of the hyphae, the vegetative part of the fungus, create a material that grows on top. It is harvested and dried, resulting in soft, silky white sheets of nonwoven fabric that are 50 to 60 square centimeters.

The delicate material is made stronger and more durable through the addition of bio-based chemicals that bind the fibers together.

Its ecological origins contrast with those of most synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester, which derive from fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

That means production of synthetic fibers adds to greenhouse-gas emissions that are accelerating climate change. In addition, when washed, these materials shed microplastics that often end up polluting the environment including rivers, seas and oceans.

The MY-FI mycelium needs very little soil, water or chemicals, giving it greener credentials than even natural fibers such as cotton.

Dress rehearsal
For the fashion industry, the soft, water-resistant properties of the mycelium are as appealing as its environmental credentials.

Just ask Mariagrazia Sanua, sustainability and certification manager at Dyloan Bond Factory, an Italian fashion designer and manufacturer that is part of MY-FI.

The company has used the mycelium-based material—in black and brown and with a waxed finish—to produce a prototype dress, a top-and-midi-skirt combination, bags and small leather accessories.

Laser cutting and screen printing were used to evaluate the material's behavior. The challenge was to adapt to the sheets of fabric—squares of the mycelium material rather than traditional rolls of textiles like cotton, linen and polyester—as well as properties such as tensile strength and seam tightness.

"We have had to completely change the paradigm and design processes and garments based on the material," said Sanua.

The company hopes the mycelium material will be a way of offering consumers a range of products that can be alternatives to animal leather.

Leather-unbound
Meanwhile, Germany-based Volks¬wagen, the world's No. 2 car manufacturer, is looking to mycelium technologies to reduce its environmental footprint and move away from leather for vehicle interiors.

Customers increasingly want animal-free materials for interiors from seat covers and door panels to dashboards and steering wheels, so adding a sustainable substitute for leather is an exciting prospect, according to Dr. Martina Gottschling, a researcher at Volkswagen Group Innovation.

"A fast-growing biological material that can be produced animal-free and with little effort, which also does not require petroleum-based resources, is a game-changer in interior materials," she said.

The mycelium material is also lighter than leather, another positive for reducing VW's carbon footprint.

The company's involvement in MY-FI is driving project researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and I-TECH Lyon in France to enhance the durability of the mycelium fabric. To move from prototype to production line, the fabric must meet quality requirements set by VW to ensure the material lasts for the life of the vehicle.

It's a challenge that Gottschling believes will be met in the coming decade.

"We already see the material as one of the high-quality materials for interior applications that will be possible in the future," she said.

When life gives you tomatoes
Mushrooms aren't the only food with the potential to spin a sustainable-yarn revolution. Tomato stems have a hidden talent too, according to Dr. Ozgur Atalay and Dr. Alper Gurarslan of Istanbul Technical University in Turkey.

Seeing tomato vines left to wither in the fields after the crop was harvested, Atalay and Gurarslan began to investigate whether the stems could be transformed into sustainable fibers.

Tests proved that the agricultural waste could indeed be turned into yarn. But Atalay and Gurarslan were determined to go a step further. They wanted to use tomato stems to create a type of yarn for garments that monitor heart beats, respiratory rates and joint movements.

The two researchers lead a project to create this kind of electrically conductive apparel using—for the first time—sustainable materials.

Called SMARTWASTE, the project runs for four years until the end of 2026 and also involves academic and research organizations from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland.

"The beauty of the project is that we are starting from waste," said Atalay. "We are taking agricultural waste and not just creating regular textiles but something much more valuable."

While cost estimates will follow later in the project when design partners work on creating actual products, he signaled that smart clothing will be a good deal more expensive than the ordinary kind.

A smart textile shirt could cost as much as €1,000, according to Atalay.

The specialized material, limited production runs and research and development needed to create wearable technologies that are durable, washable and comfortable all contribute to the price tag.

Advancements in technology should eventually lead to lower production costs and consumer prices.

Seeds of poplar success
The Turkish countryside has also inspired a second strand to the project. Turkey's abundant poplar trees and—more specifically—their white, fluffy cotton-like seeds prompted Gurarslan to investigate whether they could be a sustainable textile source.

While their fibers have been dismissed as too short to make a yarn, the seeds have three particular properties that appeal to the textile industry: a hollow, pipe-like structure that can trap heat to provide thermal qualities, an antibacterial nature and water resistance.

The network of SMARTWASTE experts has blended the seeds with recycled polyester to make a nonwoven fabric that the team intends to turn into textile products with enhanced thermal properties.

The researchers hope this is just the start of a far-reaching transformation of textiles.

"Our goal is to train the next generation of researchers and innovators in sustainable textiles," said Atalay.

Developed by the Self-Assembly Lab, the 4D Knit Dress uses several technologies to create a custom design and a custom fit, while addressing sustainability concerns.

Until recently, bespoke tailoring — clothing made to a customer’s individual specifications — was the only way to have garments that provided the perfect fit for your physique. For most people, the cost of custom tailoring is prohibitive. But the invention of active fibers and innovative knitting processes is changing the textile industry.

“We all wear clothes and shoes,” says Sasha MicKinlay MArch ’23, a recent graduate of the MIT Department of Architecture. “It’s a human need. But there’s also the human need to express oneself. I like the idea of customizing clothes in a sustainable way. This dress promises to be more sustainable than traditional fashion to both the consumer and the producer.”

McKinlay is a textile designer and researcher at the Self-Assembly Lab who designed the 4D Knit Dress with Ministry of Supply, a fashion company specializing in high-tech apparel. The dress combines several technologies to create personalized fit and style. Heat-activated yarns, computerized knitting, and robotic activation around each garment generates the sculpted fit. A team at Ministry of Supply led the decisions on the stable yarns, color, original size, and overall design.

“Everyone’s body is different,” says Skylar Tibbits, associate professor in the Department of Architecture and founder of the Self-Assembly Lab. “Even if you wear the same size as another person, you're not actually the same.”

Active textiles
Students in the Self-Assembly Lab have been working with dynamic textiles for several years. The yarns they create can change shape, change property, change insulation, or become breathable. Previous applications to tailor garments include making sweaters and face masks. Tibbits says the 4D Knit Dress is a culmination of everything the students have learned from working with active textiles.

McKinlay helped produce the active yarns, created the concept design, developed the knitting technique, and programmed the lab’s industrial knitting machine. Once the garment design is programmed into the machine, it can quickly produce multiple dresses. Where the active yarns are placed in the design allows for the dress to take on a variety of styles such as pintucks, pleats, an empire waist, or a cinched waist.

“The styling is important,” McKinlay says. “Most people focus on the size, but I think styling is what sets clothes apart. We’re all evolving as people, and I think our style evolves as well. After fit, people focus on personal expression.”

Danny Griffin MArch ’22, a current graduate student in architectural design, doesn’t have a background in garment making or the fashion industry. Tibbits asked Griffin to join the team due to his experience with robotics projects in construction. Griffin translated the heat activation process into a programmable robotic procedure that would precisely control its application.

“When we apply heat, the fibers shorten, causing the textile to bunch up in a specific zone, effectively tightening the shape as if we’re tailoring the garment,” says Griffin. “There was a lot of trial and error to figure out how to orient the robot and the heat gun. The heat needs to be applied in precise locations to activate the fibers on each garment. Another challenge was setting the temperature and the timing for the heat to be applied.”

“We couldn’t use a commercial heat gun — which is like a handheld hair dryer — because they’re too large,” says Griffin. “We needed a more compact design. Once we figured it out, it was a lot of fun to write the script for the robot to follow.”

A dress can begin with one design — pintucks across the chest, for example — and be worn for months before having heat re-applied to alter its look. Subsequent applications of heat can tailor the dress further.

Beyond fit and fashion
Efficiently producing garments is a “big challenge” in the fashion industry, according to Gihan Amarasiriwardena ’11, the co-founder and president of Ministry of Supply.

“A lot of times you'll be guessing what a season's style is,” he says. “Sometimes the style doesn't do well, or some sizes don’t sell out. They may get discounted very heavily or eventually they end up going to a landfill.”

“Fast fashion” is a term that describes clothes that are inexpensive, trendy, and easily disposed of by the consumer. They are designed and produced quickly to keep pace with current trends. The 4D Knit Dress, says Tibbits, is the opposite of fast fashion. Unlike the traditional “cut-and-sew” process in the fashion industry, the 4D Knit Dress is made entirely in one piece, which virtually eliminates waste.

“From a global standpoint, you don’t have tons of excess inventory because the dress is customized to your size,” says Tibbits.

McKinlay says she hopes use of this new technology will reduce the amount of waste in inventory that retailers usually have at the end of each season.

“The dress could be tailored in order to adapt to these changes in styles and tastes,” she says. “It may also be able to absorb some of the size variations that retailers need to stock. Instead of extra-small, small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes, retailers may be able to have one dress for the smaller sizes and one for the larger sizes. Of course, these are the same sustainability points that would benefit the consumer.”

The Self-Assembly Lab has collaborated with Ministry of Supply on projects with active textiles for several years. Late last year, the team debuted the 4D Knit Dress at the company’s flagship store in Boston, complete with a robotic arm working its way around a dress as customers watched. For Amarasiriwardena, it was an opportunity to gauge interest and receive feedback from customers interested in trying the dress on.

“If the demand is there, this is something we can create quickly” unlike the usual design and manufacturing process, which can take years, says Amarasiriwardena.

Griffin and McKinlay were on hand for the demonstration and pleased with the results. For Griffin, with the “technical barriers” overcome, he sees many different avenues for the project.

“This experience leaves me wanting to try more,” he says.

McKinlay too would love to work on more styles.

“I hope this research project helps people rethink or reevaluate their relationship with clothes,” says McKinlay. “Right now when people purchase a piece of clothing it has only one ‘look.’ But, how exciting would it be to purchase one garment and reinvent it to change and evolve as you change or as the seasons or styles change? I'm hoping that's the takeaway that people will have.”

By reinforcing concrete with textiles instead of steel, it is possible to use less material and create slender, lightweight structures with a significantly lower environmental impact. The technology to utilise carbon fibre textiles already exists, but it has been challenging, among other things, to produce a basis for reliable calculations for complex and vaulted structures. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, are now presenting a method that makes it easier to scale up analyses and thus facilitate the construction of more environmentally friendly bridges, tunnels and buildings.

"A great deal of the concrete we use today has the function to act as a protective layer to prevent the steel reinforcement from corroding. If we can use textile reinforcement instead, we can reduce cement consumption and also use less concrete − and thus reduce the climate impact," says Karin Lundgren, who is Professor in Concrete Structures at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers.

Cement is a binder in concrete and its production from limestone has a large impact on the climate. One of the problems is that large amounts of carbon dioxide that have been sequestered in the limestone are released during production. Every year, about 4.5 billion tonnes of cement are produced in the world and the cement industry accounts for about 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Intensive work is therefore underway to find alternative methods and materials for concrete structures.

Reduced carbon footprint with thinner constructions and alternative binders
By using alternative binders instead of cement, such as clay or volcanic ash, it is possible to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But so far, it is unclear how well such new binders can protect steel reinforcement in the long term.

"You could get away from the issue of corrosion protection, by using carbon-fibres as reinforcement material instead of steel, because it doesn't need to be protected in the same way. You can also gain even more by optimising thin shell structures with a lower climate impact," says Karin Lundgren.

In a recently published study in the journal Construction and Building Materials, Karin Lundgren and her colleagues describe a new modelling technique that was proved to be reliable in analyses describing how textile reinforcement interacts with concrete.

"What we have done is to develop a method that facilitates the calculation work of complex structures and reduces the need for testing of the load-bearing capacity," says Karin Lundgren.

One area where textile reinforcement technology could significantly reduce the environmental impact is in the construction of arched floors. Since the majority of a building’s climate impact during production comes from the floor structures, it is an effective way to build more sustainably. A previous research study from the University of Cambridge shows that textile reinforcement can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 65 percent compared to traditional solid floors.

Method that facilitates calculations
A textile reinforcement mesh consists of yarns, where each yarn consists of thousands of thin filaments (long continuous fibres). The reinforcement mesh is cast into concrete, and when the textile-reinforced concrete is loaded, the filaments slip both against the concrete and against each other inside the yarn. A textile yarn in concrete does not behave as a unit, which is important when you want to understand the composite material's ability to carry loads. The modelling technique developed by the Chalmers researchers describes these effects.

"You could describe it as the yarn consisting of an inner and an outer core, which is affected to varying degrees when the concrete is loaded. We developed a test and calculation method that describes this interaction. In experiments, we were able to show that our way of calculating is reliable enough even for complex structures," says Karin Lundgren.

The work together with colleagues is now continuing to develop optimisation methods for larger structures.

"Given that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) expects the total floor area in the world to double over the next 40 years due to increased prosperity and population growth, we must do everything we can to build as resource-efficiently as possible to meet the climate challenge," says Karin Lundgren.

Protection for snow and ice: Cellulosic LENZING™ fibers offer solution for preservation of glacier mass

In field trials on Austrian glaciers, nonwovens made of cellulosic LENZING™ fibers are being used to cover glacier mass. They are showing promising results and offer a sustainable solution for glacier protection. Nonwovens containing fossil-based synthetic fibers might cause negative environmental consequences such as microplastics on glaciers.

Geotextiles are already widely used to protect snow and ice on glaciers from melting. The use of nonwovens made from cellulosic LENZING™ fibers is now achieving a sustainable turnaround. Geotextiles show great success in Austria in protecting glaciers, which are highly endangered by global warming. By covering glacier mass, its melting is slowed down and mitigated. So far, the nonwovens used to protect glaciers are usually made of fossil-based synthetic fibers. The problem with that might occur as microplastics left behind after the summer flow down into the valley and can enter the food chain through small organisms and animals.

Sustainability from production to reuse
An innovative and sustainable solution for the protection of snow and ice is now possible with the help of nonwovens made of cellulosic LENZING™ fibers. "LENZING™ fibers are derived from renewable, responsibly managed wood sources and are produced in an environmentally responsible process. Thanks to their botanic origin, they have the ability to break down, returning into nature after use" explains Berndt Köll, Business & Innovation Manager at Lenzing.

In a field trial on the Stubai Glacier, the covering of a small area with the new material containing cellulosic LENZING™ fibers was tested for the first time. The result was convincing: 4 meters of ice mass could be saved from melting. Due to its success, the project is now being expanded. In 2023 field tests started in all Austrian glaciers, which are used for tourism.

"We are pleased with the positive results and see the project as a sustainable solution for glacier protection - not only in Austria, but beyond national borders," Berndt Köll continues. There should also be a possibility to explore for recycling after the nonwovens are used: These geotextiles can be recycled and ultimately used to make yarn for textile products.

Awarded with the Swiss BIO TOP
The sustainable glacier protection and its results also convinced the jury of industry experts of the BIO TOP, a major award for wood and material innovations in Switzerland. With this award innovative projects in the field of bio-based woods and materials are promoted and supported. At the award ceremony on September 20, 2023, Geotextiles containing LENZING™ fibers were honored with the award for its solution.

Set against the vast and surreal backdrop of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, Burning Man is an annual gathering that transforms the flat, barren expanse into a vibrant playground for artistic and creative expression. Here, "Burners" come to both witness and contribute to the ephemeral Black Rock City, which participants build anew each year. With its myriad art installations and performances, Black Rock City is a temporary home for creative minds from around the world.

This year among the large-scale art stood the Living Knitwork Pavilion, an unusual architectural piece crafted from knitted textiles and a lattice network of wood. Developed and built by a team of researchers from the MIT Media Lab and MIT School of Architecture and Planning, and led by PhD student Irmandy Wicaksono, the installation received a 2023 Black Rock City Honorarium. For the team, it was a highly challenging and fulfilling project, full of learning and surprises. Seeing it emerge and illuminate in the middle of the desert was truly magical.

In the Living Knitwork Pavilion, 12 modular fabric panels, known as Knitwork petals, are connected through a central tower. The whole installation stood as a dodecagonal pyramid shade structure, 18 feet tall and 26 feet wide, resembling a teepee. The fabrics were developed using digital machine knitting and a collection of functional and common yarns, including photochromic, luminous, and conductive yarns. Taking inspiration from the intricacy of textile patterns and temple carvings of Indonesia, Wicaksono leveraged the tension between knitted polyester and spandex yarns to create textural textile patterns or reliefs. The fusion of parametric and hand-designed motifs transforms the "Living Knitwork" into a narrative artwork, reflecting both a reverence for ancient artistry and a vision of the future. These reliefs, full of symbols and illustrations, depict 12 stories of the future — from solarpunk cities and bio-machine interfaces to the deep ocean and space exploration.

Burning Man and the Black Rock Desert are famed for their climbing enthusiasts and intense winds. Given that strong winds can make the fabrics behave like sails, exerting significant force, the team designed a structure capable of supporting the weight of many climbers, and withstanding wind speeds of up to 70 mph.

The finalized central structure of the pavilion consists of an asymptotic lattice network of lumber and joint elements, optimized for structural integrity while minimizing material use. The knitwork petals, integrated with double-knit structure and mesh openings, and thermoformed through melting yarns, maintain structural stability. Tailored channels for ropes and cables were also incorporated into the knitting design, ensuring each fabric and electrical component is securely anchored and protected, without compromising visual elegance. Facing winds that reached 36 mph this year, the Living Knitwork Pavilion remained steadfast throughout the Burning Man event, demonstrating its resilience in extreme desert conditions.

In support of Burning Man's push for more sustainable art, the Living Knitwork Pavilion utilized additive manufacturing of digital knitting. This method allowed for the creation of custom multi-layer textiles that are both aesthetic and functional, all while minimizing raw material use and waste. The team incorporated recycled materials in their fabrics, with 60 percent of the yarns coming from recycled plastic bottles. The pavilion also runs entirely on battery power and solar cells. The team worked together with the Solar Library, a sculptural solar panel that distributes energy to other arts on the playa, to eliminate generators and noise while promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

By day, the Living Knitwork Pavilion served as a shade structure, while providing a communal space for meditation and discovery. As the sun shifts through the day, hidden-encrypted textile patterns and visual experience are revealed through photochromism and luminescent glow. As dusk descended upon the desert, the pavilion underwent a metamorphosis, illuminating its surroundings through an immersive lighting and audio system. Through a distributed network of antennas embedded within the central structure and each knitwork petal, the team’s ultimate goal was to create an intimate experience that allows individual and collective movement and activity to influence the overall ambience of the space, involving sound and illumination.

Throughout Burning Man, the pavilion also hosted pop-up events, from yoga sessions, dance performances, live music, and even a wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, in the last two days of the event, a heavy rainstorm hit the Black Rock Desert — a rarity for the event. Yet, this climatic twist worked in favor of the pavilion, helping cleanse its textile surface from the accumulated dust and reviving its vivid blue color.

The result of this grand project is a collaboration that transcends disciplinary boundaries. The research team aims to exemplify the remarkable possibilities that arise when architecture, technology, and textile arts converge and bring communities together.

The interdisciplinary group behind the Living Knitwork Pavilion includes researchers from across the Media Lab, the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, and the Department of Architecture: Irmandy Wicaksono, Sam Chin, Alfonso Parra Rubio, Nicole Bakker, Erik Strand, Gabriela Advincula, Manaswi Mishra, Age van der Mei, Judyta Cichoka, Tongge Yu, and Angelica Zhang.

Under the theme "New Sensitivity", textile transformation is the focus of Heimtextil Trends 24/25. Three approaches show ways to a more sensitive world of textiles: the plant-based production of textiles, the support of textile cycles by technology and the bioengineered use of natural ingredients. In addition, Future Materials curates regenerative materials and designs.
 
After last year's focus on circular solutions, Heimtextil Trends 24/25 will once again shed light on transformative textile innovations.
Under the title "New Sensitivity," the focus is on innovations and changes in the composition of textiles, in addition to aesthetic aspects. "In this context, sensitivity means considering the impact on the environment when making a decision or creating a product. Understanding how natural ecosystems work and prioritising balance as the default are key," says Anja Bisgaard Gaede, Founder of SPOTT trends & business.

How does New Sensitivity translate into something concrete in the lifestyle industry, and what does having a sensitive approach to design and products mean? Also the adoption of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is transforming current times. AGI has the potential to bring innovative solutions and help tackle significant challenges, also in the textile industry. However, AGI can have the opposite effect on society. AGI needs the mindset of New Sensitivity that helps simplify complexity, expand creativity, and find unseen solutions, also within the world of textiles.
     
"With Heimtextil Trends 24/25: New Sensitivity, we encourage the textile industry to approach the future with thoughtfulness and consideration. Specifically, we see this change in three different trends for a more sensitive world of textiles: biotechnical, plant-based and technological," Bisgaard Gaede continues.

Plant-based: textiles made from plant crops or plant by-products
Plant-based textiles mean that the fibres are derived from something that grows rather than being synthetically produced. The sustainable advantage of plant-based textiles is that their origin is natural and, therefore, more able to recirculate in existing ecosystems. They can be divided into two groups. The first group of textiles are made from plant crops. New resilient crops like cactus, hemp, abaca, seaweed, and rubber offer new sustainable textile solutions. Because of mechanical extraction, they can grow despite climate changes and require fewer chemicals in their development. The second group consists of textiles made of plant by-products which are leftover raw materials from production such as banana, olive, persimmon and hemp.

Technological: technology and technical solutions transforming textiles
Technology can support the transformation of textiles through the use of different methods: upcycling and recycling of textiles, textile construction, and textile design. Due to decades of production, textiles are now a material available in abundance. Developing technologies for recycling textile waste and methods for upcycling textiles increases the circular usage of existing textiles. Furthermore, old textile construction techniques also offer pathways to sustainable solutions: For instance, using knitting technology for furniture upholstery produces less fabric waste; alternatively, weaving technique allows the creation of several colours using only a few coloured yarns. Textile Design Thinking is another method that addresses critical issues such as energy usage and durability of natural fibres and enhances these through technological textile advancement.

Bio-engineered: engineered to enhance bio-degrading
To a certain degree, bio-engineered textiles represent a fusion of plant-based and technological textiles. Bio-engineering bridges nature and technology and transforms the way textiles are made. They can be divided into two directions: fully bio-engineered and bio-degradable textiles. In the production of fully bio-engineered textiles nature-inspired strategies are adopted. Instead of growing plants and extracting their fibres, textiles are made from the protein, carbohydrates, or bacteria in corn, grass, and cane sugar. Manufacturing involves a bio-molecular process that creates filaments which are made into yarn. The sustainable advantage of bio-engineered textiles is that they can have some of the same functionalities as synthetically produced textiles, while still being biodegradable because of their natural origin. Biodegradable fibres can be added to conventional textiles like polyester to enhance the conventional textiles’ ability to revert to materials found in nature and hence biodegrade in natural environments such as water or soil. Although not biodegrading completely, these bio-enhanced textiles will biodegrade up to 93 % compared to conventional textiles.

Heimtextil Trends 24/25: new colourways
A sensitive approach to colouring methods is expressed by a dynamic yet subtle colour palette created through natural pigments deriving from the earth, as traditional colouring processes are brought to the next level through innovative bioengineering technology. In pursuit of creating colours that evoke emotions in our senses while at the same time respecting our values in protecting the environment, we see colour bacteria growing pigments generating hues with great richness and depth.
               
This New Sensitivity includes acceptance of natural colour flows, as colours may fade with time or morph into new colourways. The colourways for Heimtextil Trends 24/25 were inspired by natural colours deriving from avocado seeds, algae, living bacteria, antique pigments such as raw sienna, and bio-engineered indigo and cochineal. The high black component in most colours allows for widespread application and a greater variety of combinations. The punchy saturated accents enhance our senses as they lift our spirits. In contrast, the grounding neutrals in different shades of grey, terra and even dark purple allow for calmness and tranquillity.

Future Materials: regenerative design
How are regenerative textiles and materials defined? Regenerative design is dedicated to developing holistic creative practices that restore or renew resources, have a positive impact on the environment, and encourage communities to thrive. For Heimtextil 2024, design futures consultancy FranklinTill is curating a global showcase of cutting-edge textiles and materials to illustrate the principles of regenerative design and recognize pioneering designers, producers and manufacturers who are at the forefront of regenerative design.
The Trend Space at Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, January 9-12, 2023, will showcase these pioneering solutions in an inspiring way. In addition, Heimtextil Trends will offer visitors orientation and insights into the future of home and contract textiles in the form of workshops, lectures and other interactive formats.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an electronic yarn capable of precisely measuring how a person’s body moves. Integrated directly into sportswear or work clothing, the textile sensor predicts the wearer’s exhaustion level during physical exertion.

Exhaustion makes us more prone to injury when we’re exercising or performing physical tasks. A group of ETH Zurich researchers led by Professor Carlo Menon, Head of the Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab, have now developed a textile sensor that produces real-time measurements of how exhausted a person gets during physical exertion. To test their new sensor, they integrated it into a pair of athletic leggings. Simply by glancing at their smartphone, testers were able to see when they were reaching their limit and if they ought to take a break.

This invention, for which ETH Zurich has filed a patent, could pave the way for a new generation of smart clothing: many of the products currently on the market have electronic components such as sensors, batteries or chips retrofitted to them. In addition to pushing up prices, this makes these articles difficult to manufacture and maintain.

By way of contrast, the ETH researchers’ stretchable sensor can be integrated directly into the material fibres of stretchy, close-fitting sportswear or work clothing. This makes large-scale production both easier and cheaper. Menon highlights another benefit: “Since the sensor is located so close to the body, we can capture body movements very precisely without the wearer even noticing.”

An extraordinary yarn
When people get tired, they move differently – and running is no exception: strides shorten and become less regular. Using their new sensor, which is made of a special type of yarn, the ETH researchers can measure this effect. It’s all thanks to the yarn’s structure: the inner fibre is made of a conductive, elastic rubber. The researchers wrapped a rigid wire, which is clad in a thin layer of plastic, into a spiral around this inner fibre. “These two fibres act as electrodes and create an electric field. Together, they form a capacitor that can hold an electric charge,” says Tyler Cuthbert, a postdoc in Menon’s group, who was instrumental in the research and development that led to the invention.

Smart running leggings
Stitching this yarn into the thigh section of a pair of stretchy running leggings means that it will stretch and slacken at a certain rhythm as the wearer runs. Each movement alters the gap between the two fibres, and thus also the electric field and the capacitor’s charge.

Under normal circumstances, these charge fluctuations would be much too small to help measure the body’s movements. However, the properties of this yarn are anything but normal: “Unlike most other materials, ours actually becomes thicker when stretched,” Cuthbert says. As a result, the yarn is considerably more sensitive to minimal movements. Stretching it even a little produces distinctly measurable fluctuations in the sensor’s charge. This makes it possible to measure and analyse even subtle changes in running form.

But how can this be used to determine a person’s exhaustion level? In previous research, Cuthbert and Menon observed a series of testers, who ran while wearing athletic leggings equipped with a similar sensor. They recorded how the electric signals changed as the runners got more and more tired. Their next step was to turn this pattern into a model capable of predicting runners’ exhaustion which can now be used for their novel textile sensor.  But ensuring that the model can make accurate predictions outside the lab will require a lot of additional tests and masses of gait pattern data.

Textile antenna for wireless data transfer  
To enable the textile sensor to send electrical signals wirelessly to a smartphone, the researchers equipped it with a loop antenna made of conducting yarn, which was also sewn directly onto the leggings. “Together, the sensor and antenna form an electrical circuit that is fully integrated into the item of clothing,” says Valeria Galli, a doctoral student in Menon’s group.

The electrical signal travels from the stretchable sensor to the antenna, which transmits it at a certain frequency capable of being read by a smartphone. The wearer runs and the sensor moves, creating a signal pattern with a continuously fluctuating frequency, which a smartphone app then records and evaluates in real time. But the researchers still have quite a bit of development work to do to make this happen.

Applications include sport and workplace
At the moment, the researchers are working on turning their prototype into a market-ready product. To this end, they are applying for one of ETH Zurich’s sought-after Pioneer Fellowships. “Our goal is to make the manufacture of smart clothing cost-effective and thus make it available to a broader public,” Menon says. He sees the potential applications stretching beyond sport to the workplace – to prevent exhaustion-related injuries – as well as to rehabilitation medicine.

A newly developed concept for chemical protective suits is designed to make use more comfortable and safer for the user. New materials and an improved design increase wearer comfort. The integration of sensor technology enables the monitoring of vital functions.

In the event of hazards from chemical, biological or radioactive substances, chemical protective suits (CSA) protect people from physical contact. CSAs consist of breathing apparatus, head protection, carrying frames and the suit itself. This adds up to a weight of around 25 kg. The construction of a multi-coated fabric makes the CSA stiff and provides for considerable restrictions in freedom of movement. As a result, the emergency forces are exposed to significant physical stress. For this reason, the total deployment time when using a CSA is limited to 30 minutes.

In a joint project with various companies, institutes and professional fire departments, work is currently underway to completely redesign both the textile material composite and the hard components and connecting elements between the two. The goal is a so-called "AgiCSA", which offers significantly more comfort for the emergency forces due to its lighter and more flexible construction. The DITF subproject focuses on the development of a more individually adaptable, body-hugging suit on the one hand, and on the integration of sensors that serve the online monitoring of important body functions of the emergency personnel on the other.

At the beginning of the project, the DITF received support from the Esslingen Fire Department. They provided a complete CSA that is used as standard today. This could be tested at the DITF for its wearing properties. The researchers in Denkendorf are investigating where there is a need for optimization to improve ergonomic wearing comfort.

The aim is to construct a chemical- and gas-tight suit that fits relatively closely to the body. It quickly became clear that it was necessary to move away from the previous concept of using woven fabrics as the basic textile material and think in terms of elastic knitted fabrics. In implementing this idea, the researchers were helped by recent developments in the field of knitted fabric technology in the form of spacer fabrics. By using spacer textiles, many of the requirements placed on the base substrate can be met very well.

Spacer textiles have a voluminous, elastic structure. From a wide range of usable fiber types and three-dimensional design features, a 3 mm thick spacer textile made of a polyester pile yarn and a flame-retardant fiber blend of aramid and viscose was selected for the new CSA. This textile is coated on both sides with fluorinated or butyl rubber. This gives the textile a barrier function that prevents the penetration of toxic liquids and gases. The coating is applied to the finished suit by a newly developed spraying process. The advantage of this process over the conventional coating process is that the desired elasticity of the suit is retained.

Another innovation is the integration of a diagonal zipper. This makes it easier to put on and take off the suit. Whereas this was previously only possible with the help of another person, the new suit can in principle be put on by the emergency responder alone. The new design is modeled on modern dry suits with diagonal, gas-tight zippers.
The new AgiSCA also features integrated sensors that allow the transmission and monitoring of the vital and environmental data of the emergency worker as well as their location via GPS data. These additional functions significantly enhance operational safety.

For the hard components, i.e. the helmet and the backpack for the compressed air supply, lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials from Wings and More GmbH & Co. KG are used.
The first demonstrators are available and are available to the project partners for testing purposes. The combination of current textile technology, lightweight construction concepts and IT integration in textiles has led to a comprehensive improvement of a high-tech product in this project.
 
BMBF project "Development of a chemical protection suit with increased mobility for more efficient operational concepts through increased autonomy of the emergency forces (AgiCSA)".
The project addresses the objectives of the Federal Government's framework program "Research for Civil Security 2018-2023 and the funding measure "SME-innovative: Research for Civil Security" of July 3, 2018.

 

Just in time for summer: The Swiss start-up Swijin is launching a new sportswear category with its SwimRunner – a sports bra together with matching bottoms that works as both swimwear and running gear and dries in no time. The innovative product was developed together with Empa researchers in an Innosuisse project. The SwimRunner can be tested this weekend at the Zurich City Triathlon.
 
A quick dip after jogging without having to change clothes? Swijin (pronounced Swie-Djin), a new Swiss TechTex start-up, is launching its first product, the SwimRunner: a sports bra and bottoms that function as both swimwear and running gear and dry in a flash.

For the first time, this innovation enables women to make a smooth transition between land and water sports without having to change clothes. For example, hikers and runners can easily go into the water to cool off. Stand-up paddlers wearing the SwimRunner enjoy unrestricted freedom of movement and at the same time sufficient support, both on the board and in the water.
Science to boost sports performance
 
What appears to be a relatively simple requirement at first glance has turned out to be an extremely complex product to develop. As part of an Innosuisse project, Swijin collaborated with the Empa Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles laboratory in St. Gallen. Led by Empa engineer Martin Camenzind, the researchers first defined the requirements for the material and cut of the sports bra. "During development, we faced three main challenges: On the one hand, the product had to meet the requirements of a heavy-duty sports bra on land. At the same time, it had to maintain the compression of a swimsuit in the water – and do so with a very short drying time," says Camenzind.

Since no comparable garment exists on the market yet, the team also developed new tests for evaluating the high-performance textile. "Moreover, we designed a mannequin: a model of the female torso that can be used to measure the mechanical properties of bras," explains the researcher. In addition to scientific findings, the product development process also incorporated a great deal of expertise from sports physiologists, textile engineers, industry specialists, designers and, of course, female athletes.

Highest demands
Many of these athletes come from the swimrun scene. Swimrun is a fast-growing adventure sport that originated in the skerry gardens of Sweden. Unlike triathletes, who start out by swimming, then bike, and finally run, swimrunners switch back and forth between trail running and open water swimming throughout the race. The intensity of this sport provided Swijin with the optimal conditions for product development – and gave its name to the first collection, SwimRunner. "The feedback from female athletes was one of the deciding factors for the success of the product. They often swim and run for six to seven hours at a stretch. When they were satisfied with our prototypes, we knew: The SwimRunner is ready for market," says Swijin founder Claudia Glass.

The product idea first came to Claudia Glass while she was on vacation on Mallorca. During her morning runs, she longed to be able to take a quick dip in the sea. "Sports bras, however, are not designed for swimming," the founder explains. "They soak up the water and never seem to dry because of their thick compression material. Last summer, I wore the SwimRunner prototype all day. In the morning, I ran to Lake Zurich with my dog and jumped in. When I got back home, I could have just sat down at my desk and started working – I was completely dry and felt very comfortable."

Design and sustainability
The young company makes a point of combining engineering and design. Swijin's creative director, Valeria Cereda, is based in the center of the world's fashion capital, Milan, and infuses her experience with luxury brands into Swijin's aesthetic. But as a former competitive swimmer, she is also focused on functionality.

Swijin's high-performance products can only be realized with synthetic materials. The young company is determined to reduce the environmental impact of its products to a minimum. The tight supply chain keeps the CO₂ footprint low. The materials of the SwimRunner are 100% made in the EU and designed for quality.

Traditional garment labels only provide information about where the garment was made. Swijin is working with supplier Avery Dennison to provide all products with a Digital Identity Label. This gives consumers detailed information about the entire value chain, right down to the textile manufacturer's investment in reducing its carbon footprint and the use of the water-based, solvent-free logo. Swijin packages all materials in Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certified packaging, which is produced by Voegeli AG in Emmental.

Furthermore, Swijin proactively addresses the challenges at the end of the product life cycle. In order to come one step closer to a truly circular economy for functional textiles, Swijin participates in the Yarn-to-Yarn® pilot project of Rheiazymes AG as a lighthouse partner. This biotech solution uses microorganisms and enzymes to generate new starting materials directly from used textiles in a climate-neutral way. When customers return end-of-life Swijin products – for which the company offers incentives – the high-quality monomers can be returned to the supply chain in their original quality: true circularity.

"As an emerging brand, we have both the obligation and the luxury of choosing partners whose vision and values align with our own," says Claudia Glass. "I had a clear understanding of what kind of brand I would buy, but I couldn't find it anywhere. With Swijin, we feel obligated to actually make our values a reality."