From the Sector

Through the collaboration Payal Pratap and Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei show a new way of making fashion, based on merging craft & tech, cutting-edge materials and deeply rooted optimism in troubled times.

With a strong focus on prints, the designer, Payal Pratap, has worked on hand-painted artworks which have then been digitized. The designs capture detailed elements and a three-dimensional depth and texture from the age-old crafts of Batik, plus powerful imagery and minute detailing from the ancient craft of Chintz printing. Batik was named after the Javanese words “Amba” which means to write and “Titik”, which translates to a dot or a point, while Chintz comes from the Hindi word “Cheent”, meaning spotted or speckled.  Both these techniques and crafts have been used in a contemporary context while creating the art works.

The prints encompass flora and fauna, bringing nature from the outside to the inside through the use of extensive flower, leaf, tree, vine and bird motifs, as an ode to sustainability. Placement prints have been engineered to make tailored jackets and structured pieces. A timeless collection comprising experimental pieces that blend the far east with India. A collection signaling holiday with a burst of colour. Bemberg™ in various avatars ranging from satins, muslins, mulmul, and silk blends have been used to create a collection with fluid drapes as well as structure.

The fabric takes printing and colour beautifully and has a slight sheen and glazed feel which resonates with chintz. The colour palette ranges from indigos, browns, rust, to burgundy brick and gold. Furthermore, Bemberg™ is an inherently sustainable ingredient, since it is made with cotton linters, pre-consumer materials derived from the cotton oil industry, and converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process. Coming from nature and going back towards nature, the Bemberg™ fiber is also biodegradable and compostable.

• Participants Embrace Renewed Face-to-Face Business with Global Leaders in Nonwovens & Engineered Materials at IDEA® 2022 and FiltXPO™

Approximately 5,000 participants embraced the opportunity to again engage in face-to-face business meetings with global leaders in nonwovens and engineered materials at IDEA® 2022 in Miami Beach, Fla., co-located with the second FiltXPO™,  North American’s only exhibition and conference dedicated exclusively to filtration and separation.

Industry participants at IDEA® 2022,  the 21 st edition of the world’s preeminent event for nonwovens and engineered fabric professionals, expressed their business confidence through the floor exhibits and the return to face-to-face business interaction. Scott Beir, Executive Officer, CFM Global, called IDEA® 2022 “an exceptional show.”

Bob Usher, Technical Director, US Fibers, added that his company made valuable business connections. According to Rolk Kammermann, Head of Sales and Marketing, Innovative Swiss Made Nonwovens, “the size and scope of IDEA and FiltXPO have been excellent for us as both exhibitors and as visitors.”

Organized by INDA, IDEA® also featured five essential nonwovens training classes; market presentations from China, Asia, Europe, North America and South America; industry recognitions with the IDEA® Achievement Awards and the IDEA® Lifetime Achievement Awards; and a welcome reception celebration.

Also, organized by INDA, FiltXPO™ featured five panels of global leaders in filtration and separation for the first-ever “Summit for Global Change,” discussing societal challenges such as indoor air quality, environmental sustainability, pandemic readiness, clean water, and filtration standards.  The event also featured a 1.5-day filter media training course, and sessions highlighting filter media market trends and filtration industry statistics.  

Exhibitors and attendees noted the welcome return to meeting face-to-face among industry senior leaders participating in the three-day event.

A highlight of IDEA® was the announcement of the IDEA® Achievement Awards by INDA, in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine. Moderated by Rousse and Karen McIntyre, Editor, Nonwovens Industry the awards recognize the leading introductions in equipment, raw materials, short-life, long-life and nonwovens products, and sustainability, since the previous IDEA® Exposition in 2019.

In addition, INDA presented the IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award to Val Hollingsworth, board chair and CEO of Hollingsworth & Vose, and Nonwovens Industry presented the IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award to Doug Brown, president of Biax-Fiberfilm/5K Fibres at the event.

IDEA® 2022 Achievement Awards winners:

• IDEA®  Equipment Achievement Award – Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics, Inc.
• IDEA®  Raw Material Achievement Award – ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc.
• IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award – LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC
• IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award – Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL GmbH
• IDEA®  Sustainability Advancement Award – Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
• IDEA®  Nonwoven Product Achievement Award – HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
• IDEA®, the Preeminent Event for the Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics Industry, will next be held on its new 24-month schedule on April 23-25, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Names of the IDEA® Achievement Award honorees pictured:

Row 1, Left to right:
IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award winner, Jon Nichols, MANN + HUMMEL, GmbH and Dave Rousse – Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL, GmbH
IDEA®  Nonwoven Product Achievement Award winners, Pramod Shanbhag, Suominen Corporation, Karen McIntyre, Nonwovens Industry Magazine, and Avinav Nandgaonkar, HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
Row 2, left to right:
IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award winner, Georgia Crawford, LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC, and Karen McIntyre, Nonwovens Industry Magazine
IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Val Hollingsworth, Hollingsworth & Vose, and Dave Rousse, President, INDA
IDEA®  Equipment Achievement Award winners, Uwe Peregi, Dave Rousse, and Thomas Herrmann – Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.
Row 3, left to right:
IDEA®  Raw Material Achievement Award winner, David Schneider, ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc. and Dave Rousse, INDA
IDEA®  Sustainability Advancement Award winner, Chris Astley, and Karen McIntyre Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award winner, Doug Brown, Biax-Fiberfilm / 5K Fibres

• Kornit Digital Introduces High-Volume Digital Production Solution for Vibrant Decorative Designs on Polyester and Polyester-Blended Apparel
• Kornit Atlas MAX Poly to Transform Professional and Recreational Sportswear, Teamwear, and Sports Brands; Injecting Life into Apparel with Power of Design Across Full Color Gamut

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT) (“Kornit”), a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand digital fashionx and textile production, introduced today its distinctive Kornit Atlas MAX Poly system – an industry-first direct-to-garment (DTG) solution delivering superior-quality digital decoration for vibrant, colorful design on polyester and poly-blended apparel.

Kornit’s Atlas MAX Poly capitalizes on the demand for fashionable, unique sportswear and apparel. As the industry emerges from a post-pandemic environment in which athletic and leisurewear became mainstream, there is increasing demand for apparel combining polyester and poly-blends with vivid designs across a range of colors. Atlas MAX Poly can transform the multi-billion-dollar professional and recreational sports apparel and teamwear markets, limited today by limitations in mass customization of polyester.

“Kornit Atlas MAX Poly is a game-changer,” said Omer Kulka, Chief Marketing Officer at Kornit Digital. “As fashion and sports apparel merge, there’s new opportunity for innovative fashion on polyester, currently the fastest-growing textile vertical. For the first time, recreational sportswear, promotional, and sports brands can embrace vibrant and colorful design with Kornit’s proven MAX technology – setting superior quality standards for on-demand production previously not possible.”

Unveiled during Kornit Fashion Week Tel Aviv 2022, Atlas MAX Poly incorporates Kornit’s field-proven MAX technology for high-quality premium decoration, process automation, and smart autonomous quality control. With Kornit’s XDi decorative applications, Atlas MAX Poly enables endless designs and creativity on polyester, and empowers new styles for multiple effects and unlimited combinations such as emulating threadless embroidery, high-density vinyl, screen transfer emulations, and 3D effects.

The solution is compatible with mesh and plain fabrics, including brushed polyester, while maintaining durability and breathability. It brings the highest throughput for on-demand polyester decoration, reducing total cost of ownership to drive profitability. Customers gain competitive advantage via Pantone color-matching and a wide color gamut including neon colors for bright and vibrant impressions, using single-step mechanisms minimizing production footprints while maximizing versatility.

Beyond superior quality, graphics, color, and application variety, Kornit Atlas MAX Poly offers efficient, reliable, profitable end-to-end polyester production via:

• Kornit’s ActiveLoad automated garment-loading and pallet adjustment for repeatable, high-quality output with minimal errors reducing time and waste, eliminating operator ramp-up and boosting throughput up to 20%.
• Seamless integration with KornitX Global Fulfillment Network, enabling a pixel-to-parcel-to-doorstep experience. This unleashes untapped demand for polyester short-run production, personalization, and disruptive direct-to-fan and direct-to-recreational business models.
• Integration with KornitX’s workflow ecosystem and Kornit Konnect™ dashboard, optimizing process visibility and control, adding data-driven insights for production floor efficiencies.

Monforts will highlight its advanced finishing and coating technologies for the production of technical textiles at Techtextil North America, which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from May 17-19.

The company and its US representative PSP Marketing, of Charlotte, North Carolina, will be part of the centrepiece VDMA German Pavilion at the show.

Energy prices
With energy prices continuing to go through the roof, an emphasis at Techtextil North America will be on the energy and heat recovery that can be achieved with Montex stenters, through features such as the MonforClean system, in which waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air. This results in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required. A range of further resource-saving and energy recovery options can be specified per individual line installation.

Advanced machine operation
With the highly intuitive Qualitex 800 visualization software, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

The Qualitex 800 system is available for the automatic and continuous operation of the company’s Montex stenters, as well as its Thermex continuous dyeing ranges, Monfortex shrinking systems and Montex®Coat coating units.

Versatility is the key
Monforts Montex®Coat coating units serve an equally diverse number of markets, including tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments and solvent coatings (in explosion-proof conditions) with knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can all be accommodated with this system.

• March 16-18, 2022, Istanbul Expo Center
• Successful start of Texhibition, Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair with over 10,000 visitors from 63 countries
• More than 160 exhibitors presented fabrics, yarns and accessories on approx. 5,000 square meters in the Istanbul Expo Center
• Intensive order activity in a professional trade fair atmosphere of over 1billion US$
• The organizer's objective: to double the area and number of exhibitors for the second event in September

With over 10,000 visitors, the premiere event of Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair, organized by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (ITHIB) and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) from March 16th to 18th, 2022 has successfully started.

İTHİB President Ahmet Öksüz: "Our exhibition platforms Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair and IFCO, Istanbul Fashion Connection, which was launched by our sister association IHKIB in February, play an important role in making Istanbul the fashion center of the Turkish textile and clothing industry. For the follow-up event to Texhibition in September this year, we expect the number of exhibitors and space to double."

The consistently positive feedback from the exhibitors underscores this expectation, as does the great interest shown by international visitors, including those from Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK.

The Turkish textile industry started with an export target of US$ 15 billion in 2022. The exhibition organizers assume that their platforms will contribute US$ 1 billion. Turkey is one of the most important procurement markets for the European textile industry and is becoming even more important in the course of the global supply chain problem and is now one of the top 3 most interesting procurement locations with its low prices, good quality products, reliable suppliers and short delivery times.

Exhibitors
On offer were high-quality and innovative fabrics from the weaving sector, including Kipaş Textiles, BTD Textile, Özdoku, Bossa and Yünsa; knitters like Gülle, Saka, Örkumod or İskur showed their current collections; yarn market leaders such as Korteks, Tepa and Gama were present, as were Şimşek Ege, EMR Zippers, Çağ-Tek and Öz-El Lastik for the accessories sector. A total of 166 exhibiting companies presented themselves in clearly structured segments in a professional trade fair atmosphere.

Frame program
In the Texhibition Forum, experts discussed the topics Sustainability, New Trends, Supply Chain and GMO-Free Cotton giving an outlook on the upcoming trends and developments in the Turkish textile industry. All events were heavily frequented by visitors.

Next Texhibition September 21-23, 2022

• Complete fibre portfolio for geotextiles, hygiene & wipes, floor coverings, automotive, upholstery, filtration, RTM and construction
• Increasing nonwoven & engineered fabric performance with new fibres that reduce carbon footprint & support design for recycling
• Exploring new possibilities for collaboration using BFI’s expertise, pilot line and equipment

 Beaulieu Fibres International, the largest and most differentiated European staple fibre producer, turns the spotlight on future-focused solutions for nonwovens & engineered fabrics at IDEA®22, 28-31 March. A key priority is innovation in polyolefin and BICO fibres to advance sustainable design, end-of-life recyclability, and resource and carbon footprint reduction for industrial and hygiene applications.

Sustainability is key to Beaulieu Fibre International’s long-term strategy, and the company is heavily focused on defining its green portfolio to support evolution in diverse market applications.

Bio-based fibres
From June 2022, Beaulieu Fibres International will offer ISCC+ certification on mono-PP and BICO PP/PE fibres. The fibres will be offered in 1,3-8,9 dtex and will be available with all the main available finish classes (ie. hydrophilic, hydrophobic, etc.) suitable for the main carding and consolidation technologies. These drop-in solutions with no loss in quality will support customers looking to reduce reliance on virgin fossil carbon in their nonwoven and engineered fibre applications. The bio-based fibres enable customers to contribute to the transition towards a circular economy.

Achieving material savings
For customers in industrial segments like geotextiles, high-tenacity HT8 staple fibres enable customers to achieve nonwovens for construction projects with high mechanical performance but with 15% less weight. The durability of the fibres means that customers can use less raw material for a longer service lifetime, supporting more sustainable design in addition to resource reduction.
For hygiene nonwovens, the Meralux fibres provide significant sustainable design advantages. Meralux fibres deliver substantial sustainability benefits including around 55% savings in raw materials, with equivalent carbon emission savings. These emission savings are thanks to weight reduction in nonwovens with the same coverage level and also the higher recyclability of PP/PE compared to BICO materials.

Sitip confirms for the third year its partnership with SCOTT Racing Team in the production of the team uniform created in collaboration with ROICA™ EF of Asahi Kasei and Rosti.

The partnership was born in 2019 and celebrated during Ispo 2020, which returns for the third consecutive year to re-propose an exclusive and special uniform, designed to be extremely performing but also, and entirely, eco-sustainable.

Starting from the performance requirements of athletes, who need highly technical fabrics extremely breathable, comfortable on the skin, resistant and with perfect shape retention able to support them in competitions, Sitip has chosen the fabrics of its Native Sustainable Textiles line - technology which applies to fabrics produced with recycled yarns and chemicals with low environmental impact, implementing the GRS (Global Recycle Standard) standard, with Asahi Kasei’s premium ROICA™ EF stretch yarn.

This line includes NATIVE-BICIMANIA and NATIVE-PIRATA, two GRS-certified recycled polyester fabrics chosen for the production of the uniform shirt, enriched by Microsense Soft Performance technology - able to guarantee the product a delicate softness and maximum comfort on the skin.

This year the absolute novelty is represented by the shorts, for a complete uniform: made with the NATIVE-THUNDERBIKE POWER fabric, designed for high performance sports, in recycled polyamide and always with the ROICA™ EF yarn by Asahi Kasei.

The Trevira CS brand was showcased on the German Pavilion at the BIG Show Oman, an international exhibition for building materials, construction equipment, and interior design, in Muscat, Oman. This year, BIG Show, which is part of Oman Design & Build Week, was held from March 14-16.

Trevira CS has been part of BIG Show for years, as it is an important meeting point for the exhibiting companies with interior designers, construction companies, and project managers. Important authorities from the Middle East as well as major hotel brands were present again this year. In the Middle East, important tenders for major projects are due this year. The main focus of the trade show will be on the hotel & catering and hospital & care sectors, for which Trevira CS fabrics are of great interest because they meet the safety requirements that are usually required by law.

Trevira CS presented its extended brand concept that offers customers even more flexibility and also addresses sustainability. Building on to the high brand quality and performance, the recently introduced brands Trevira CS flexand Trevira CS eco offer properties and functions tailored to specific requirements. Furthermore, the Trevira CS Bioactive brand compliments the range, combining flame retardancy with antimicrobial properties. Fabrics bearing this brand meet the requirements for preventive fire protection and increased cleanliness.This brand concept is very well received by Trevira's customers. Many new flame retardant fabric developments embracing one of the Trevira CS brands were on display at BIG Show.

• DUARTE  brings on the runway its SEASON 2 “Eco-Street Dance” collection

By mixing C.L.A.S.S. responsible materials, colorful prints, urban feels and artistic inspiration, the Portuguese streetwear brand creates a new style and a clear yet cool message for conscious fashion consumers.  The rewarded 2021 C.L.A.S.S. Icon Award Portuguese brand Duarte is ready to presents its Fall/Winter 2022/23 collection developed in collaboration with C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub at ModaLisboa after a first presentation at Milan Fashion Week. From February 24th until 27th, Duarte’s creations have been featured as a special project at WSM (WHITE Sustainable Milano) platform space inside “Unveiling the fashion Backstage”, a docu-event focusing on an immersive journey into the amazing world of premium and smart supply chains that make innovative and responsible fashion wardrobes a reality.

For its second collection Duarte still counts on C.L.A.S.S. support in sourcing materials and communication activities as part of the Icon Award yearly program. The streetwear designer Ana Duarte, with the help of the Milanese hub, is back with a renewed collection that counts 40 pieces continuing the concept and the story behind the previous World Keeper: the irresistible superhero Tadao - Ana Duarte’s dog – fighting against the environmental issues created by mankind and personified as Smog Man (air pollution), Fire Man (climate change), Deforestation Man (forests destruction) and Wave Man (water overconsumption). 

This time the inspiration is also Street Dance drawn directly from the city streets, with majorly unisex pieces (apart from some small specific details linked to sizes or ergonomics) and materials that both respect the planet and keep you warm. The prints drawn from ripped posters giving birth to a sort of new style that we can name “Eco-Street Dance”. The color palette explores the dark shades of grey, cream, blue and black, with artistic pops of color of a hopeful urban culture that tears apart posters from the past and turns them into a new brighter story. 

Talking about materials, the collection presents a selection of urban pieces for everyday superheroes, fighting against environmental issues - with a holistic approach to sustainability values thanks to the synergy with C.L.A.S.S. and its Back in the Loop area: a section dedicated to alternative and sustainable sourcing against the massive amount of materials and textiles produced that are not used and discarded by the fashion system. This is mostly powered by MAEBA International - and its ReLiveTex® fabrics - leader in selecting and repurposing premium Italian fabrics with exceptional 60 years of expertise in collecting high quality materials from leading brands and textile manufacturers, and the first company at an international level to be accredited for the UNI EN ISO 14021 certification which grants the traceability of the collected materials.

The linings complete the full sustainable picture, thanks to Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei fabrics by Gianni Crespi Foderami. Bemberg™ is a new generation material made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linter pre-consumer material, converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process. Entirely made in Japan, it comes with Compostability and Ecotoxicity Certifications verified by Innovhub SSI, RCS, OEKOTEX® Standard 100 and the Eco Mark certifications. The factory is ISO 14001 certified, too. 

Sustainability has become a major trend in the global home textiles industry. It is more common nowadays to find natural and sustainable fibres in an extensive range of home furnishing products. From this angle, the Lenzing Group (Lenzing) will take led in a brand new pavilion at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition. Lenzing is the world’s leading manufacturer of renewable specialty fibres, and will highlight the latest eco-friendly fibres that can meet the ever-rising sourcing demand. The fair is set to take place from 14 – 16 April 2022 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

As an upswing from the growing public awareness of environmental issues, consumers are now more willing to switch to sustainable products. According to a CottonWorks’ survey, 90% of the interviewed Chinese consumers want their home textiles to be environmentally friendly[1]. It also found that more consumers are paying attention to the fibre content that can deliver safe and sustainable home textiles.
Furthermore, the Chinese government’s ‘Outline Of the Development of the Textile Industry during the 14th Five Year Plan’, also encourages the acceleration of low cost, functional and sustainable renewable fibres in the local textile industry.

The Lenzing satellite pavilion: a one-stop platform for green home textile materials
To help home textile suppliers source a variety of eco-friendly materials efficiently, one of the fair’s long-time exhibitors is set to form a new pavilion at the upcoming Spring show. Lenzing, the Austrian brand widely known for its ecologically responsible production of specialty fibres made from renewable raw material wood, gathers seven of its local downstream supply chain manufacturers to showcase their renewable products.

Mr David Dai, Senior Commercial Director Textile China of Lenzing spoked about why they decided to organise a new pavilion at the show: “As we received positive feedback from our pavilion at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, our business partners from the home textile supply chain were hoping for a similar arrangement in this sector. We believe all the participating manufacturers can benefit from this pavilion by finding ways to better serve their clients and consumers.”

Brands in the Lenzing satellite pavilion will include:
•    Lenzing Group will introduce the first Carbon-zero TENCEL™ fibres which are CarbonNeutral™ certified products by Natural Capital Partner.
•    Botou Jinglun Textiles Co Ltd focuses on new fibre yarns. The company develops multi-component yarns for cotton, wool, silk and linen with combinations of MODAL, TENCEL™ fibres and various functional materials.
•    Fujian Yongtai County Huaerjin Textile Co Ltd provides high-quality, natural, renewable pure and blended yarns including TENCEL™ fibres, US cotton, Australian cotton, acrylic cotton, silk and other plant-based yarns.
•    Jiangsu Dasheng Group Co Ltd has one of the largest cellulosic fibre yarn spinning mills in China and focuses on producing top-quality home textiles.
•    Qingdao Textiles Group produces natural fibres, cellulose fibres, copper antimicrobial fibres and other nature-based materials for home and contract textiles.
•    Suzhou Zhenlun Spinning Co Ltd is an advanced enterprise specialising in regenerated cellulose yarns like ECO VERO, FSC Viscose, Circulose, Carbon Zero Yarn and more.
•    Ton Design Industrial Co Ltd produces medium and high-end bedding fabrics. The brand’s TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres and TENCEL™ fibres blend cotton series products are certified by Lenzing.
•    Wuxi Tianmu Extra Width Printing Dyeing Co Ltd mainly produces extra-wide, high-count and high-density down-proof fabrics and fabrics for bedding. The technique can handle different procedures for dealing with pure cotton, bamboo fibres, TENCEL™ fibres and other fibre fabrics.

In addition to the new pavilion, a number of other featured exhibitors will also showcase their sustainable products at the fair. This includes Cotton Council International (CCI) promoting US cotton fibres and cotton products, and Zhangjiagang Coolist Life Technology Co Ltd bringing their unique bedding products made from organic and environmental-friendly materials.