From the Sector

Founded in 1970, Iluna Group has been synonymous with excellence, savoir-faire, creativity, and responsible innovation in the world of lace. A pioneer in interpreting lace as a language of contemporary beauty, Iluna has been accompanying women for decades through the many moments of their lives — from precious lingerie to sophisticated fashion, from sportswear to beachwear — offering solutions that combine research, aesthetics, elegance, and comfort.

A pioneer company in the field of sustainability and a promoter of continuous research for low-impact environmental solutions and maximum respect for the planet, since 2018 Iluna Group has been GRS certified for its sustainable Green Label range. A collection that proposes a new responsible approach towards the environment and people, combining innovation, aesthetics, and quality at 360°. From the polymer to the finished lace, Iluna is able to guarantee full control and total traceability of the entire production chain, measuring the company’s sustainability growth through the Higgs Index. 

Iluna Group presented at MarediModa the natural evolution of this vision with laces that go beyond the traditional concept of beachwear: technical, refined, sustainable, and surprising laces that, like a fluid material, caressing the skin celebrating body freedom and conveying effortless elegance. The collection ranges from stretch laces made with ROICA™ EF premium stretch fiber — featuring recycled content of up to 80% — to customizable GRS-certified Lurex nets with prints and flocking, up to materials made with 99% recycled yarns, and recycled polyamides like Qnova™ and Renycle™ marking a new generation of responsible beachwear.
Among the highlights, Iluna introduces:

• Customizable and luminous GRS-certified Lurex mesh fabrics 
• Exclusive certified printing and flocking finishes
• Sustainable fibers such as organic cotton, FSC-certified spun-dyed viscose, recycled polyamides like Qnova™ and Renycle™, and the premium stretch fiber ROICA™ EF, part of the ROICA Eco-Smart family™.

Materials that embody the new face of beachwear: elegant yet low-impact, merging aesthetics, innovation, and respect for the planet. The result is a sea to wear, made of light, sensual, and high-performing textures that express allure in every gesture and freedom in every wave.

The Uster 360Q universe is growing with new products, solutions and services. Innovation developments can also be recorded in the fields of man-made fiber testing and fabric inspection. Uster innovations address the industry’s trending topics as mill management and process control, optimization of delivered fabric quality and yield.

The simplicity of fabric quality control
Uster presents at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 the brand-new Uster Fabriq Vision 2. The next generation fabric inspection system stands for reliable performance – also in challenging environments – and shows enhanced detection capabilities. Both advantages result from the Smart Vision Camera 3 for high-performance in-camera image processing. Uster’s real-time process monitoring and quality inspection solution further convinces by simplified operation through Uster Intelligence-supported style creations as well as by image-based and supported visual setting adjustment for easier adaption. 

Fabric producers need to ensure a consistently high rate of defect detection by automated control during final inspection. Uster Fabriq Vision 2 offers advanced process safety through the Super Inspection Mode for increased security, even after production, and consistent Uster Intelligence-supported quality decisions. The system’s ability finally allows fabric yield to be optimized and prevents claims – quickly set up and easy handled when fine tuning.

Fiber process control for cotton, synthetics and blends
Uster AFIS 6 has been launched earlier this year but will be presented at ITMA Asia + CITME in Singapore first time to an audience in Asia. The next-generation AFIS stands out by uniquely testing man-made fiber properties in addition to cotton in the same unit. It provides critical data to optimize fiber process control in spinning, paving the way for superior yarn quality and reduced waste.

AFIS 6 can be seamlessly integrated in the mills quality management regime by connecting to Uster Quality Expert and the integration of the Uster Statistics. The enhanced user experience result from the new user interface and its various languages available is a key highlight. Another plus is simplified data analysis through the integral reporting functionality. 

Presented for the first time two years ago at ITMA in Milan, Uster 360Q has attracted considerable interest, and FiberQ has proven itself in practice as a raw material management solution with profit potential. Under 360Q Uster developed a further solution and tools.

Uster Fiber2Yarn for the great picture
Newly combining and correlating data of FiberQ – measured with Uster HVI – with data from Uster Quantum yarn clearers, spinners can learn about the influence of different raw material parameters on the end product quality. This highly sought-after information offers a great opportunity to optimize mixings and continuously achieve a higher level of quality consistency besides better control of the production process. The Uster Fiber2Yarn solution is available in two different views, like the correlations over time and the correlations over different mixings.

A wide range of valuable features and information can be found on the Uster 360Q Platform. Uster services are hosted on the cloud-based platform with a technology architecture that makes businesses more agile and cost-effective. Additionally, the cloud solutions enable businesses to leverage AI and machine learning capabilities. The integration of Uster Intelligence – combining artificial intelligence with Uster’s expertise – is opening up new possibilities for spinners. Additional benefits include further advancements in the Uster Academy, such as the introduction of the Uster Chatbot and Wiki, providing direct and easy access to Uster know-how. The Academy’s e-learning portfolio has been expanded to serve a broader range of users.

Furthermore, the platform serves as a central access point for notifications and alerts. The Uster 360Q Platform is also where users – free of charge and with no license needed – find Uster news and the latest application literature. Also, the content provided earlier via the Uster Insights App will be integrated into the platform. And of course, the new Uster Statistics web app is part with all well-known functionality in a new format. 

Naia™’s fourth consecutive ‘Dark Green Shirt’ recognition and the release of its 2025 Sustainability Progress Report and 2025–2030 goals together highlight continued progress in responsible sourcing and transparency. 

At the Textile Exchange Conference in Lisbon, Eastman Naia™ was honored with its fourth consecutive “Dark Green Shirt” in Canopy’s Hot Button Report, an annual ranking of man-made cellulosic fiber producers based on forest conservation, sourcing risk, and supply chain transparency. The recognition confirms Naia™’s ongoing leadership in responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship, distinguishing it as one of the industry’s most trusted fiber platforms. 

The award coincides with the launch of Naia™’s 2025 Sustainability Progress Report and the unveiling of its updated 2030 sustainability goals, which target climate mitigation, circularity at scale, and social impact. Together, these milestones reinforce Naia™’s long-term strategy to deliver measurable, transparent progress across the value chain and to help reshape the materials economy for good. 

At the conference, Naia™ also spotlighted the versatility of its fiber portfolio across performance, fashion, and circular applications. Naia™ On the Move supports light sports and urbanwear needs with high-performing Naia™ Renew staple fiber. Naia™ Denim blends comfort with circularity for authentic and fashion denim, while the new Naia™ GlowNow campaign reintroduces its signature filament yarn for low-impact women’s fashion. All Naia™ fibers are sourced from sustainably managed forests and, when produced with Naia™ Renew, contain 40% GRS-certified recycled content via Eastman’s molecular recycling technology.

International technology group ANDRITZ has entered into a collaboration with Tandem Repeat Technologies, a pioneering biotechnology company, to bring to the market industrial-scale solutions for producing ProcellTM, a new sustainable fiber for textiles and nonwovens.

The collaboration brings together Tandem Repeat’s expertise in advanced biotechnology and ANDRITZ’s extensive experience as a supplier of solutions and plants for the production of nonwovens and manmade cellulosic fibers. The two companies aim to support the textile industry’s transition toward more sustainable production and alternatives to conventional synthetic fibers.

Procell, developed and patented by Tandem Repeat, is a biomanufactured fiber made from proteins. Its wool-like softness, exceptional strength, durability, and versatility make it well-suited for a broad range of applications.

The partners will focus on offering industrial-scale solutions for fiber manufacturers in the textiles and nonwovens sectors to produce Procell. These solutions will utilize ANDRITZ’s proven process equipment, adapted to the specific requirements of Procell, while Tandem Repeat will partner on the development of Procell technology.

Dr. Sergey Malkov, VP Manmade Cellulosic Fibers at ANDRITZ, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Tandem Repeat on this exciting product. Procell fiber has the potential to be a true breakthrough in sustainable materials.” 

Dr. Melik Demirel, co-founder of Tandem Repeat, added: “By partnering with ANDRITZ, we can bring our revolutionary fiber to market on a commercial scale. This will support industries in achieving sustainable production and supply chain resilience.”

The nova-Institute is launching a new format to address the most pressing issues and current topics in the cellulose fibres sector: nova talks – a digital discussion series designed to spotlight key topics in the cellulose fibres sector. In these open online sessions, leading experts will regularly explore and discuss the latest developments, technologies, and challenges. 

Online cellulose fibre nova talk: 13 November 2025, 13:00-14:30 CEST

Lyocell, a material made from cellulose, is gaining strong attention in the textile industry for its strength, softness, and sustainable production. As the textile industry increasingly prioritises circularity and sustainability, Lyocell 2.0 offers promising solutions through balanced high-quality performance combined with environmental responsibility, while also standing out for its recyclability and versatility.

On 13 November 2025, 13:00-14:30 CEST, nova-Institute will host the first ever nova talk — an interactive online-discussion format offering in-depth discussions on cellulose fibre innovation. This event will bring together internationally recognised experts Asta Partanen (nova-Institute), Philipp Köhler (Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research Rudolstadt e.V.  – TITK), and Manuel Steiner (LIST Technology AG) to explore next generation cellulose fibres from multiple perspectives.

As current EU directives for textiles are focussing on circularity and sustainability in textile fibres, the discussion will offer an overview of different fibre-to-fibre recycling methods as well as market figures and technology data. A special focus is set on one of the most growing textile fibres: Lyocell. Other key topics will include the emerging use of ionic liquids in Lyocell production, a comparison of chemical and mechanical fibre recycling, and how Lyocell compares with viscose in terms of recyclability and circularity. The panel will also cover technical advances in re-pulping cellulose to regenerate full Lyocell fibres, current trends, and international highlights.

This event is sponsored by LIST Technology AG. Based in Switzerland, LIST Technology AG is the leading technology provider for highly viscous and phase-changing industrial processes based on KneaderReactors, such as dissolution processes for spinning solutions, and inventor of the Lyocell 2.0 technology. LIST’s support highlights the importance of sustainable materials research in driving the textile industry’s future.

The TITK – Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research Rudolstadt e.V. is among the leading private institutes for polymer-based functional and engineering materials. With a modern technology park, it has recently advanced textile recycling, presenting at the World Expo in Japan the first polo shirt made from triple‑recycled cellulose fibre. The fibre, Lyohemp®, is TITK’s innovation and the first Lyocell made from hemp pulp.

With a new strategic partner, its showroom now open in Sweden, and the successful commissioning of a Dye-Max spray dyeing system for a key H&M supplier in Bangladesh, imogo is looking to make a splash at next week’s ITMA Asia+CITME in Singapore.

Compared to conventional jet dyeing, impressive savings can be achieved with imogo’s Dye-Max, which is based on a series of spray cassettes with precision nozzles for accurate and consistent coverage combined with a patented pro-speed valve that controls the volume to be applied.

“The savings in treatment water the Dye-Max achieves are due to the extremely low liquor ratio of 0.5 litres per kilo of fabric,” explains imogo executive partner and board member Christian Moore. “At the same time, the low liquor ratio and the spray process require considerably less auxiliary chemistry to start with, and all of it is used in the process, which also greatly reduces the production of waste water, with only 20 litres being required for wash at changeovers. The low liquid content in the fabric meanwhile minimises the energy needed for fixation, while meeting industry quality standards and maintaining superior fabric performance.”  

The Dye-Max machine operates without the need for any changes to existing dyeing installations and employs traditional dyes suitable for application at room temperature. 

Blåkläder backing
In addition to ACG Kinna with whom it will share exhibition space in Singapore, imogo now has the support of Swedish workwear specialist Blåkläder.

With fully owned factories in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh, more than 8,000 employees and an annual turnover of SEK 2.7 billion, Blåkläder is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of quality workwear.

Blåkläder already uses dope dyeing, which reduces resource use in the dyeing of synthetic materials such as polyester, while imogo’s technology can also be used for natural fibres such as cotton, linen and viscose.

“Since most of the environmental impact from clothing occurs during manufacturing, it’s vital to develop methods that reduce resource consumption,” says Anders Carlsson, MD of Blåkläder. “Imogo’s groundbreaking technology addresses several of the industry’s toughest sustainability challenges and we naturally want to support that.

“Ninety percent of all the fabric we use comes from only ten carefully selected textile producers and by building long-term, trust-based relationships with them, we are well placed to influence sustainability efforts throughout the value chain.”

New showroom
Imogo’s new showroom and test centre is meanwhile now open and available for demonstrations and trials at the dyehouse of 7H Färgeri in Kinnahult, Sweden

“With this showroom, we are creating a platform for dialogue and collaboration with textile producers, brands and research partners,” says imogo CEO Joacim Wellander. “It enables visitors to see the technology in operation, understand the business impact and explore how innovation can drive transformation in their value chain.”

The facility will also serve as a knowledge hub, supporting technical training, application testing and joint development projects with partners. 

Chorka Textile
In Bangladesh, imogo has successfully installed a Dye-Max system at the plant of Chorka Textile, as part of retail giant H&M’s Green Fashion Initiative to support its key suppliers.

“The installation was handled by our own team and quality results were quickly achieved,” says Christian Moore. “This installation clearly proves that our technology is ready for the global market after years of development and fine-tuning, and working in Bangladesh taught us a lot. We look forward to discussing the opportunities that our technology can provide to mills around the world in Singapore.”

A closed-loop recycling project has successfully transformed 24 tons of post-consumer textiles into nearly 50,000 garments for Dutch retailer Zeeman, with each product containing a high-rate of 70% recycled content. This achievement represents a major milestone in accelerating textile-to-textile recycling in Europe.  

The project was initiated by the Boer Group, with financing support from Refashion, both active partners of ReHubs. The entire value chain was established within Europe. Textiles were collected and sorted in France, before being prepared by mechanical recycling specialist Frankenhuis (part of the Boer Group) in the Netherlands, where colour sorting and defibration took place. Blue and white textiles were selected to naturally influence the colour of the final yarn. The feedstock was then transferred to Italy, where Spinaker spun the yarn and Stella Sky knitted the fabric. Zeeman, as the final customer, played a vital role by defining the type of product to be created and ensuring it aligned with consumer expectations. 
 
The project, which ran over eight months, was designed to test both the technical and financial feasibility of producing garments with high levels of recycled content in Europe. The project successfully showcases that post-consumer textiles can be transformed into high-quality yarns and garments, as well that a circular value chain with collaboration across collection, sorting, recycling, spinning, and manufacturing can be achieved within Europe. An accompanying environmental impact report confirmed the benefits of this approach by replacing conventional yarn with the yarn developed in this project, the environmental footprint of the product is significantly reduced, including lower GHG emissions, reduced water use, and decreased energy consumption. 

ReHubs’ recently updated strategy aims to break the supply-demand deadlock in which recyclers struggle to scale without brand commitments, and brands are lacking access to cost-competitive, reliable recycled fibers. This project shows how collaboration across the value chain from collection and sorting to recycling, spinning, and retail can deliver real products to the market.  

This project’s success highlights the power of collective action in transforming Europe’s textile waste into valuable new products. By uniting stakeholders with a shared vision, it has proven that closed-loop recycling is both technically possible and commercially viable. With a circular European value chain now demonstrated, this project sets a benchmark for future initiatives and strengthens momentum towards scaling textile-totextile recycling across Europe.  

Kornit Digital LTD., a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies, announced today UK-based Snuggle has expanded its investment in the Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS direct-to-garment platform  to meet increasing customer demand and maintain its exceptional time-to-market and its reputation for quality apparel.

Leveraging the Atlas MAX PLUS, Atlas MAX POLY, and a Kornit Titan Smart Textile Dryer, Snuggle can produce more than 24,000 pieces daily – all offering consistent world class print quality. The Peterborough company serves a broad range of online retailers and decorators with an array of print-on-demand services. Growing alongside customer needs, Snuggle has expanded its production space more than 3x since 2017.

“We were the first Atlas MAX customer in the UK when it was unveiled over five years ago, and have always been delighted with its ability to deliver consistent quality and an economical cost per print to ensure profitability in any quantity,” said Akil Thathia, Director and Founder at Snuggle, Ltd. “A key element of our business growth is directly tied to the power of Kornit technology – which is why we have invested so heavily in their advanced direct-to-garment systems over the years. Our partnership with Kornit is strategic to our continued planned growth and success.”

“If you’re looking for a real-world example of how digital textile production is transforming the industry – look no further than our partnership with Snuggle. The company has been at the forefront of high-quality, on-demand fulfillment since it was founded more than a decade ago – and continues to evolve and grow alongside customer requirements to match demands of a market requiring speed, adaptability and quality,” said Guy Yaniv, President of Kornit Digital Europe. “We’re proud Snuggle has chosen Kornit as the foundation of their digital textile production environment. Working together, we’ve enabled them to produce with the agility today’s market requires to rapidly grow their business. Partnership is the foundation to our joint success.”

ALLIED Feather + Down, a global leader in high performance, responsibly sourced, and sustainably processed down, recently secured Okeo-Tex® Standard 100 Certification and bluesign® approval for their ExpeDRY Ultra Dry Down insulation. 

Designed to outperform current chemistry-intensive hydrophobic down treatments and approved for safe use by the textile sustainability authorities at Okeo-Tex and bluesign, ExpeDRY is both cleaner and better performing than standard down treatments in real world situations. It is the result of years of research into how down and moisture interact inside of an insulation chamber. 

After bringing the world’s first hydrophobic down insulation to market, ALLIED learned that these traditional chemistries not only introduce PFAS and other questionable chemistries into the environment, but also lack performance as they tend to slow evaporation and retain moisture inside jackets and sleeping bags. While the down itself stays dry, water droplets can become trapped inside the insulation chamber, slowing dry times and compromising warmth. 

ExpeDRY uses FUZE Technologies’s unique gold micro particles to actively reduce moisture in the entire insulation chamber by slowing the formation of water droplets and speeding evaporation. Gold itself is inert, and with FUZE’s ability to control the size and shape of the particles, there is no concern over nano or cytotoxicity. And due to the minute size of the gold material, the amount needed in a common down jacket equates to roughly two grains of salt. Because of this, ALLIED is able to secure Oeko-Tex standard 100 certification and bluesign approval.

“For decades, there has been a fear of using metals to enhance performance, but this is all based on toxic, outdated, silver, zinc or copper ion release technology,” said Andrew Peterson, CTO of FUZE. “FUZE’s parent company is heavily involved in the biomedical space and its proprietary gold meta material technology aids in targeted pharmaceutical therapeutics and medical device development. By using this pharmaceutical grade material, ExpeDRY addresses all environmental and safety concerns, and we are glad to see the certifications backing this technology.” 

“As material innovation evolves and incorporates new solutions, globally recognized certifications play an increasingly important role in supporting sustainability claims and building trust with product developers and brands,” said Daniel Uretsky, President of ALLIED Feather + Down. “The Okeo-Tex Standard 100 certification and bluesign approval bring credibility to what we already know: ExpeDRY takes down, which is arguably the lowest impact insulation on the market, and elevates it to the highest performing insulation, all with less impact on the material than traditional hydrophobic chemistry.” 

ExpeDRY has been adopted worldwide by ALLIED partner brands and demand has quickly overtaken ALLIED’s own hydrophobic down treatment. Now, brands will have even more reason to adopt it. 

ALLIED will be exhibiting at Performance Days in Munich, Functional Fabric Fair in Portland , and ISPO in Munich. 

At Textile Exchange Conference 2025, Eastman Naia™ released its 2025 Sustainability Progress Report and announced its 2025-2030 Sustainability Goals, presenting a record of genuine progress and outlining a renewed roadmap for the years ahead. Rooted in transparency and measurability, the updated goals set a course through 2030 across three key priorities: mitigating climate change, mainstreaming circularity, and caring for society. These commitments reflect the very principles championed at the Textile Exchange conference. 

“We mark five years into our Naia™ sustainability goals journey with pride and humility. This update is a meaningful checkpoint documenting verifiable progress, acknowledging the work still to be done, and presenting a renewed roadmap for the years ahead,” said Ruth Farrell, General Manager of Eastman Textiles. “Most importantly, it reaffirms our unwavering commitment to sustainability, circularity and the health of our industry.”

“We are grateful to our customers, business partners, fellow innovators, and collaborators for their trust, accountability, and continued support. Their engagement has helped drive momentum for Naia™ Renew products and advance regulations and standards for man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCF)” said Claudia de Witte, Marketing and Sustainability Director, Eastman Textiles.

“Achieving circularity at scale remains a major challenge. It requires transforming feedstock infrastructure, advancing regulation, and strengthening industry-wide collaboration. Together, we can help shape the systemic change our industry needs.” 

At Textile Exchange, Naia™ is showcasing the versatility of its sustainable fiber platform through three applications that address brand needs across performance, fashion, and circularity. Designed for light sports and urban lifestyle wear, the Naia™ On the Move blending solution builds on the exceptional performance of Naia™ Renew staple fiber. Naia™ Denim offers comfort and circularity for authentic and fashion denim, also using staple fiber formats. Meanwhile, the new Naia™ GlowNow campaign pays tribute to the classic Naia™ filament yarn, known for its exceptional comfort, easy care and style in low-impact women’s fashion.

These applications are made using Naia™ fibers sourced from sustainably managed forests. When produced with Naia™ Renew, they contain 40% GRS-certified recycled content, through Eastman’s molecular recycling technology. As these fibers demonstrate, Naia™’s sustainability strategy is not just a long-term vision, it’s already taking shape in products designed for real life. From fashion to function, from sourcing to scaling, Naia™ is proving that sustainability and style can go hand in hand.