From the Sector

Die Nachwuchsplattform Neo.Mode. geht den nächsten Schritt: Mit der Gründung des gemeinnützigen Neo.Fashion. e.V. entsteht ein starkes Netzwerk für Deutschlands kreative Modetalente – ein wichtiger Meilenstein auf dem Weg zu einer nachhaltigen Nachwuchsförderung im Designbereich. Das Ziel ist es Raum für Talente zu schaffen, Perspektiven zu eröffnen und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten zu bieten – ganzjährig, über die Berlin Fashion Week hinaus.

Plattform wird zum Netzwerk
In den vergangenen acht Jahren hat sich die Neo.Fashion. auf der Berlin Fashion Week (BFW) zu einer festen Größe für den Modenachwuchs entwickelt. Mehr als 620 Absolvent:innen aus ganz Deutschland präsentierten bereits ihre Abschlusskollektionen. Mit den Best Graduates Shows, dem Neo.Fashion. Award, den Aspiring Designer Shows, digitale Fashion Wettbewerbs- und Ausstellungsformaten oder der enge Partnerschaft mit der Ukrainischen Fashion Week, ist ein Format entstanden, das den Nachwuchs aktiv begleitet.
 
Dabei werden Erfolgsgeschichten geschrieben: Designer:innen, die ihre Arbeiten als Graduates auf dem Laufsteg präsentierten, kehren als junge, eigenständige Labels zurück oder etablieren sich später selbst als feste Größe während der BFW. Sie zeigen, wie wichtig es ist, den Übergang zwischen Ausbildung und Beruf kreativ zu begleiten.

Mit der Vereinsgründung ist eine Struktur entstanden, die das Format verstetigt und gleichzeitig neue Wege eröffnet: Workshops, Wettbewerbe, Präsentationen, internationale Kooperationen, Mentoring und Austauschformate machen das Netzwerk lebendig, sicht- und gestaltbar. Es geht um eine ganzjährige Teilhabe und Weiterentwicklung.
 
Die Neo.Fashion. finanziert sich in diesem Jahr komplett ohne staatliche Fördermittel, nachdem die Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe des Landes Berlin kurzfristig und ohne Ankündigung ihre Unterstützung ausgesetzt hatte. Die Gründung des Vereins war unabhängig davon geplant, gewinnt nun jedoch an Bedeutung: Die Neo.Fashion. 2025 verfolgt mit zuverlässigen Partner:innen und viel Engagement weiterhin ihr Ziel. Denn die Förderung kreativer Nachwuchstalente sei kein Projekt Einzelner, sondern liege in gemeinsamer Verantwortung.

Denim is timeless - jeans have become an essential part of modern life. On warm days, they can make you sweat. Outlast Technologies GmbH is changing that - by making denim that helps you sweat less and feel more comfortable throughout the day.

After intensive research and development, Outlast proudly introduces its temperature regulation technology into denim fabrics - without compromising the rugged authenticity and durability denim is known for. The result is a smarter, more comfortable denim that adapts to the body's temperature, no matter the season or activity.

The innovation lies in embedding natural wax directly into the fibers before the denim is woven - creating intelligent fabrics that interact with your body. When it’s warm, these fibers absorb excess body heat and store it, helping to reduce sweating and keep you feeling comfortably balanced. As temperatures cool or your activity level decreases, the stored warmth is gradually released - helping to prevent chills.

Achieving this level of functionality, however, was no easy task. The challenge was to ensure that the temperature-regulating effect could withstand the intense wash and finish treatments typical in denim production - all while preserving the look, feel, and durability expected of high-quality jeans.

To meet these demands, Outlast found the perfect partner in AGI, the renowned denim producer from Pakistan. With its deep expertise in denim manufacturing, AGI played a key role in refining the integration of temperature regulation technology - resulting in denim products that are highly attractive to both brands and end consumers alike.

Equally appealing to end users is the lasting performance of the innovation: the natural wax is embedded inside the fiber itself. This means the temperature-regulating function does not wash out or diminish over time. Unlike surface treatments, the technology remains effective throughout the entire life cycle of the garment.

Polyethylene and polypropylene account for two-thirds of the world’s plastics. But the polymers’ popularity has an equally large downside. Because they have similar densities and physical properties, the polymers are difficult – and expensive – to separate when mechanically recycled together. What results is a weak, degraded material that really isn’t good for anything.

Now, Cornell researchers have developed an inexpensive and potentially scalable approach that uses a commercially available peroxide to bind the polymers together, thereby creating a more useful, high-quality plastic recycling additive.

The findings were published May 19 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The co-lead authors were postdoctoral researcher Moritz Kränzlein and doctoral student Shilin Cui. The project was led by Geoffrey Coates, the Tisch University Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, the paper’s senior author.

In a way, the project is itself a recycled product. In 2017, Coates’ lab worked with collaborators from the University of Minnesota to create a multiblock polymer that could combine polyethylene and polypropylene mixtures. The new material was an important scientific achievement, according to Coates, but it proved difficult to scale up. It was also too expensive to be practical.

“We had to go back to the drawing board and think of the Venn diagram of what material would work and what synthetic methods would be affordable,” he said. “Why didn’t we just do that in 2017? Trust me, if it was easy, somebody else would have done this long ago.”

The key to developing their new polyolefin compatibilizer was to look for  existing polymers that, with the right processing, could do the job, rather than creating a new one from scratch. Kränzlein began by experimenting with the materials that were already in the lab, always with a few parameters in mind.

“Every second meeting, when I was giving Geoff an update, his first question was, ‘What’s the cost?’ There was always this line of price per pound that I shouldn’t cross,” Kränzlein said. “We tried to really keep that as a focus of this project. Instead of finding a very elegant or sophisticated solution, we tried to find a real-world solution that works.”

A year and a half – and more than 200 experiments – later, the researchers settled on an organic alkyl peroxide that, when heated, essentially plucks hydrogen molecules off high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and isotactic polypropylene (iPP) so they can be grafted together and form a copolymer material that can be added to a mechanical recycling process for HDPE and iPP mixtures, restoring their properties.

The copolymer can basically be thought of as “plastic soap,” Kränzlein said.

“When we have mixtures of commodity plastics like HDPE and iPP, those don’t mix very well, and those phases separate from each other, which makes the material properties of those mixtures pretty bad,” Kränzlein said. “This process adds in a third component that acts like a soap between those two phases, and that soap facilitates a better miscibility between the polymers, and that restores the physical properties of those mixtures, essentially.

“It took us a very, very long time playing around with all the different tuning points,” he said, “until we finally achieved something that that we were happy with.”

To better understand their compatibilizer’s properties and the grafting reaction, the researchers turned to Brett Fors, the Frank and Robert Laughlin Professor of Physical Chemistry (A&S), and doctoral student Jenny Hu, who conducted rheological characterization studies on it.

“So we’ve got the material,” Coates said. “The question is, now can you make larger amounts? We’re doing grams-at-a-time scale. Ultimately, you’d want to be doing dozens of kilograms. We’re confident it’ll scale, but there’s going to be a lot of work to get it there.”

Coates is hopeful that the compatibilizer could also lead to the creation of new polymer alloys that leverage the respective strengths of different waste plastics. There would be no need for giant million-dollar plants: Just take some preexisting polymers and add the compatibilizer.

“You could make a whole kind of pallet of alloys that might have better properties than either one of the pure polymers alone, just like stainless steel,” said Coates, who recently launched a startup that specializes in the compatibilizer technology through Cornell’s Praxis Center for Venture Development. “The dream is, if you can make a really rigid polymer that’s also really tough, then you can make packaging that uses less material, yet has the same sort of properties. That’s one of the other big applications for this technology.”

Co-authors include Fors, Hu and research associate Anne LaPointe.

The research was supported the Gerstner Family Foundation, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Energy through Ames National Laboratory’s Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, an Energy Frontier Research Center.

From 11 to 13 June 2025, the China National Garment Association (CNGA) invites to the BIRD Fashion Fair 2025 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center (Futian) - China's first international trade fair with an exclusive focus on innovation and progress. More than 800 exhibitors from the country's most important womenswear hotspots, including Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhengzhou, will present themselves on over 34,000 square metres in parallel with Intertextile Shenzhen apparel fabrics and Yarn Expo.

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is one of the most dynamic economic regions in China and plays a key role in the development of the domestic women's fashion industry. With fashion metropolises such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the GBA combines creative excellence, highly developed manufacturing structures and international trade expertise in a very small area. The region is home to numerous leading womenswear brands, innovative designers and specialised suppliers - and is considered a significant growth driver for the integration of Chinese womenswear into global markets.

As a strategic platform for exchange between Chinese brands and international markets, the trade fair brings together forward-looking design, sustainable fashion, smart production technologies and global industry trends. The focus is on promoting international cooperation and creative synergies - all under the banner of BOLD / INTELLIGENT / RELENTLESS / DESIGN.

In four halls, BIRD provides a comprehensive overview of the entire spectrum of womenswear: from blouses, dresses, trousers, jackets and knitwear to activewear, loungewear and sun protection clothing through to accessories, bags, shoes, scarves, hats and belts.

Am 19. Mai 2025 fand an der TEXOVERSUM LDT in Nagold die diesjährige BTE-Delegiertenversammlung statt. Dabei standen u.a. turnusmäßige Präsidiumswahlen auf der Tagesordnung.

In diesem Zusammenhang wurde Mark Rauschen als BTE-Präsident wiedergewählt. Bestätigt wurden zudem Andreas Bartmann als BTE-Vizepräsident sowie die Präsidiumsmitglieder Jürgen Ahrens, Adrian Cüppers, Carlo Focke, Michael Genth, Lars Messerich, Carsten Obermeier, Jens Ristedt und Volker Warth. Die Amtszeiten von BTE-Vizepräsidentin Tatjana Steinbrenner sowie von Roman Degenhardt und Dominik Niedenführ waren noch nicht abgelaufen, so dass deren erneute Wahl nicht anstanden.

Nicht mehr für das BTE-Präsidium kandidierten Martin Knauff (Wohnen&Sparen GmbH, Bad Hersfeld) und Sabine Zollikofer (Galeria, Essen). An deren Stelle wurden Alexa Deters (Galeria, Essen) sowie Jochen Ruths (Bekleidungshaus Peter Ruths, Friedberg), der auch Präsident des Handelsverbands Hessen und Vizepräsident des Handelsverbands Deutschland (HDE) ist, neu in das BTE-Präsidium gewählt.

CHIC 2025 (September) will open its doors at the National Convention and Exhibition Centre in Shanghai from 2 to 4 September 2025. As the most important trade fair platform for the apparel industry in China, the event will once again bring together leading fashion companies and brands along the entire textile value chain with professional buyers from home and abroad. The focus is on innovative product presentations, precise business matchmaking and the development of dynamic future markets - this time under the motto ‘Fashion Picnic in Autumn’ in a relaxed atmosphere. More than 800 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors are once again expected to attend the autumn event on more than 50,000 sqm at the National Exhibition& Convention Center in Shanghai showcasing Spring / Summer collections 2026 of the entire fashion range: womenswear, menswear, kids wear, accessories / shoes / bags collections.

Structured trade fair concept with nine clear theme areas
With nine curated exhibition areas, CHIC 2025 (September) offers a comprehensive overview of current trends and developments in the fashion industry in the North Entrance Hall, Hall 2.1 and 3 of the National Exhibition & Convention Center Shanghai: CHIC SELECTED (market leader with a focus on quality and innovation), CHIC Impulses (designer), Denim World, Sports Outdoor, Tailoring Journey, Fashion Tech, The Wardrobe, Unique Specialties, and Accessories/Footwear/Bags.

Efficient matchmaking and focusing on new markets
As an established platform for business initiation and trade, CHIC held over 1,000 matchmaking sessions and successfully networked more than 600,000 trade visitors till today. The spring 2025 edition attracted 165,000 trade buyers, 55% of whom were at CHIC for the first time. In autumn, the trade fair will once again hold targeted matchmaking meetings for various channels and markets and tap into new buyer potential.

Autoneum's new impact protection plate, made from thermoplastic composite material, shields the battery of electric vehicles from impact, fire and corrosion. The lightweight com-ponent not only meets the highest requirements in terms of shock resistance and durability but also contributes to improved energy management and thus to a longer range thanks to its thermal insulation properties.

The ongoing transformation of the automotive industry towards an increasingly electrified mobility requires new shielding technologies to protect the battery system in electric vehicles. In this regard, Autoneum's new impact protection plate offers a high-performance, safe and cost-effective option thanks to its mechanical and thermal insulation properties, low weight and ability to withstand extreme temperatures.

Autoneum’s composite impact protection plate shields the vehicle battery from damage caused by impact, fire and corrosion. It is significantly lighter than metal alternatives and at the same time ther-mally insulating, which contributes to a longer driving range. In addition, the part meets the highest requirements for impact resistance and springs back into shape without structural loss or deforma-tion even after repeated exposure to stones and road debris. The new impact protection plate is based on long-fiber thermoplastic (LFT) technology, which allows the greatest possible freedom in terms of design and construction as well as waste-free production. Moreover, the additional rein-forcement of the basic structure ensures maximum rigidity and impact protection at minimal weight.

The impact protection plate reflects Autoneum’s technological expertise in underbody shields, ther-mal management and the application of the LFT process, adapted specifically for battery electric vehicles. The technology for the composite impact protection plate has been validated by simulations and vehicle testing at different European OEMs.

Eastman Naia™ joined Challenge the Fabric 2025 as an official Innovation Partner, reaffirming its commitment to scalable sustainability through cross-sector collaboration. The event held May 13–14 in Milan, brought together leaders from fashion, textiles, and forestry to accelerate circular solutions and spotlight man-made cellulosic fibers.

A key highlight of the event was the CTF Award, a global competition pairing emerging designers with material innovators to co-create visionary garments. As part of the program, Naia™ collaborated with designer Oscar Ouyang and Italian mill Lady V to co-create a garment using NAIA/WO, a custom textile made from 50% RWS-certified virgin wool, 50% GRS-certified recycled wool, blended with Naia™ Renew fiber. “The esteemed Prato-based textile company Lady V have introduced Naia™ into their apparel by creating NAIA/WO. The fabric is finished using traditional wooden barrels, ensuring a soft, luxurious ‘lambswool’ texture without overfelting. This partnership exemplifies our shared commitment to creative, sustainable innovation in fashion,” said Cristiano Vieri from Lady V.

Designer Oscar Ouyang reflected on the inspiration behind his piece: “It has been a pleasure working with the Eastman Naia™ fabric. The versatility and the sustainability of the MMCFs fabric is truly impressive. The combination of cutting-edge and traditional techniques behind the production of the fabric inspired me to create this shepherd's look,” said Oscar Ouyang.

At the heart of the textile is Naia™ Renew, Eastman’s cellulosic fiber made from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% GRS-certified recycled waste, enabled by molecular recycling. “Challenge the Fabric is a unique event where we have real, action- and collaboration-based conversations,” said Claudia de Witte, Marketing & Sustainability Director at Eastman. “We are proud to have participated in the design competition and even prouder to see Oscar, his design, and how he showcased the versatility of our Naia™ Renew staple fiber.” De Witte also expanded on this vision during the CTF panel “From Ambition to Execution,” emphasizing the role of partnerships in scaling sustainable solutions.

On May 23 and 24 an Open Day will be held in Rome at the Centro Apostolato Liturgico Largo Brancaccio 57, run by the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master. The event will unveil the first collection of chasubles (vestments worn to celebrate Holy Mass) made with Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei.

The POPOLO IN CAMMINO – ON THE OCCASION OF THE JUBILEE 2025 – PELLEGRINI DI SPERANZA collection features liturgical vestments including chasubles, dalmatics and copes. During the event, Ettore Pellegrini, Marketing & Sales Manager of Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia, and Junshu Furusawa, Sales Manager & Board Member of Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia, will be present and will welcome all guests.

The choice of Bemberg™ - the brand of cupro fiber by Asahi Kasei, a regenerated cellulose fiber obtained from the closed-loop process using cotton linters -  was the result of a journey that began with a visit to Milano Unica (Italy’s premier textile trade fair) and continued with several presentations of the material in Rome. Bemberg™ stood out for its uniqueness and circular economy footprint. Thanks to its transparent and traceable supply chaih, it offers certified sustainability credentials and premium quality. The fiber respects form and drape, with a truly unique and precious feel: cool in summer, with excellent moisture control, offering superior comfort and a soft, impalpable touch on the skin.

The collection is a testimony to the Church’s commitment to sustainable conversion, made possible thanks to the work of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, a religious congregation of nuns who, with experience, skill, and creativity, design and craft liturgical vestments and a variety of  handcrafted items, including iconography, sculptures and ceramics. Their work is dedicated to serving the Church’s liturgy, guided by the principles of liturgical renewal: noble simplicity, dignity, and beauty in sobriety (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 34; 122; 124).

The fabric used for the vestments in this collection was designed by the Sister Disciples themselves and produced with textiles supplied by Brunello.

The Sister Disciples of the Divine Master present their creations through the Apostolato Liturgico, a retail point with an online shop offering religious articles—from sacred vestments to other liturgical items. Following the launch on May 23, the Apostolato Liturgico stores in Milan, Bari, Palermo, Florence, Cagliari, Rome, and others will feature window displays dedicated to the collection for the next three months.

Am 13. und 14. Mai 2025 fand in Stuttgart der 12. Internationale Alttextiltag des bvse mit über 100 Teilnehmenden statt. Zwei Tage lang diskutierten Expert:innen, Verbändevertreter und Unternehmen über die drängendsten Herausforderungen der Alttextilbranche – von EPR-Systemen über Marktverwerfungen bis zu innovativen Recyclingansätzen.

Im Zentrum der Eröffnungsrede von bvse-Hauptgeschäftsführer Eric Rehbock standen die neue Getrenntsammlungspflicht für Textilien ab 2025 sowie die dringend benötigte Einführung einer erweiterten Herstellerverantwortung (EPR), die auch im Koalitionsvertrag der neuen Regierung festgeschrieben wurde. Rehbock forderte eine schnelle, unbürokratische Umsetzung der EU-Vorgaben, betonte den unverzichtbaren Erhalt des bestehenden bewährten Sammelsystems in Deutschland und forderte faire Wettbewerbsbedingungen für alle Marktakteure.

Stephan Kowoll, stellvertretender Vorsitzender des bvse-Fachverbands Textilrecycling, zeichnete ein alarmierendes Bild der aktuellen Marktlage mit einer "historisch nie erlebten Situation" mit massiv steigenden Kosten, Qualitätsverlusten bei Sammelware, wegbrechenden Absatzmärkten und unsicheren Zahlungsbedingungen. Kowoll forderte mehr politische Anerkennung und gezielte finanzielle Unterstützung – insbesondere für Sammlung und Sortierung, die als Teil der kritischen Infrastruktur unverzichtbar sind. Gerade in wirtschaftlich schwierigen Zeiten müsse die textile Entsorgungs- und Recyclingbranche von der neuen Bundesregierung als das anerkannt werden, was sie ist: ein zentraler Pfeiler der Kreislaufwirtschaft. Parallel dazu wird der Dialog entlang der gesamten textilen Wertschöpfungskette immer wichtiger – als Grundlage für fairen Wettbewerb und ein funktionierendes EPR-System in Deutschland, machte Kowoll deutlich.

Florian Werthmann, Mitglied im Vorstand des Fachverbands Textilrecycling, sprach über die Anforderungen an ein zukunftsfähiges EPR-System für Textilien. Er betonte die zentrale Rolle von Sammel- und Sortierunternehmen in einem zukunftsfähigen EPR-System und forderte den Erhalt des Eigentums an Sammelware sowie klare Anreize für Ökodesign und hochwertige Materialien. Sein Fazit: Der bvse-Fachverband Textilrecycling spricht sich klar für ein nationales, wettbewerbsorientiertes EPR-System aus, in dem Systeme im fairen Wettbewerb zueinander stehen und das auch Online-Plattformen und Ultra-Fast-Fashion in die Verantwortung nimmt.

Beiträge von Vertretern des europäischen Branchendachverbands EuRIC, dem VKU, textil+mode und SPORT 2000 vertieften weitere zentrale Aspekte zur internationalen Gesetzgebung, EPR-Anforderungen oder Ökodesign. Die Hochschule Niederrhein präsentierte erste wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse zur neuen bvse-Alttextilstudie mit aktuelle Daten zur Recyclingfähigkeit von Alttextilien. Start-ups wie eeden, TURNS und matterr zeigten im Pitch Updates ihrer zukunftsweisenden Ansätze für chemisches Recycling, digitaler Erfassung von Alttextilien und Faserverwertung. Der Ausstellerbereich – u. a. mit MEWA und T&B electronic – bot praktische Einblicke in Lösungen rund um Arbeitsschutz, Digitalisierung und Brandschutz.