From the Sector

When PERFORMANCE DAYS opens its doors on October 23 and 24, 2024, in Halls A1 and A2 at the Messe München exhibition grounds, visitors will once again find fabric innovations for Fall/Winter 2026 across the segments of performance wear, footwear, accessories, and, for the first time, bodywear. The jury, composed of renowned industry experts, reviewed the latest fabrics for the 2026 season in the Trend, Footwear, and Bodywear Forum, looking for outstanding innovations. A total of one Performance Award and one Eco Performance Award were presented.

PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to deliver plenty of highlights and innovations in technical fibers and materials in the Trend Forum at the winter exhibition. Since Fall 2023, the event has also focused on the footwear segment, summarizing the latest trends and news in the dedicated Footwear Forum. Starting in October 2024, the organizers will introduce a new Bodywear Collective, complete with a corresponding Trend Forum. In close collaboration with the London Contour Experts and designer and industry expert Nichole de Carle, PERFORMANCE DAYS will feature a Trend Forum dedicated to underwear, shapewear, bras & leggings, yoga in motion, and swimwear.

The expert jury, led by Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS, Jury Head Alexa Dehmel, and guest jurors Regina Goller, a textile expert with experience in sustainable functional fabrics at companies like Odlo, Puma, and Jack Wolfskin, as well as Stephan Prinz, Account Manager Germany at Klopman, praised the quality, sustainability approaches, and high level of innovation in the submissions. The jury awarded one Performance Award (Bodywear) and one Eco Performance Award (Apparel).

The winners are: A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA & Penn Textile Solutions GmbH/Penn Italia SRL
For the Fall/Winter 2026 season, the jury selected three awards for outstanding fabrics.

Alongside the Eco Performance Award, which went to A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA for the article “69222/Colorful chemistry featuring holistic farming,” one Performance Award
was also presented for the first time in the bodywear segment: Penn Textile Solutions GmbH/Penn Italia SRL made their debut in the Bodywear Forum with "13949.

ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD: A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA / Article “69222 - Colorful Chemistry Featuring Holistic Farming”
In collaboration with Good Earth Cotton, this project focuses on sustainable farming practices to reduce the environmental impact of cotton while improving soil health, paving the way for a carbon-neutral future. The supplier is also exploring innovations with organic cotton grown using regenerative farming methods, expanding the scope for future eco-friendly concepts. Additionally, the fabric is dyed using biological dyes—an innovative technique where natural bacteria produce pigments that bond efficiently with the fabric a low temperatures without the use of petrochemicals. The fabric is available in pink and
sand.

Jury Statement: “This fabric takes this year’s focus topic to the next level! A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA’s fabric innovation showcases the future of dyeing with microorganisms. Textile dyeing with living organisms is a sustainable and resource-efficient method that requires no harmful chemicals. Additionally, the fabric, made from 100% organic cotton, excels in performance due to an innovative body-mapping concept that provides optimal support during wear.”

PERFORMANCE AWARD: Penn Textile Solutions GmbH / Penn Italia SRL / Article “13949” This fabric, composed of 68% recycled polyamide and 32% ROICA, with a weight of 290 grams, is perfect for baselayer construction. It can be customized with the brand’s own design, featuring open structures and a 3D effect for added texture. Despite its structure, the fabric has an incredibly soft touch, ensuring maximum comfort during wear. Jury Statement: “Penn Textiles was a popular vote, an award worthy of the jury. The fabric has a combination of high density opaque areas with lighter breathable panels. A superior choice for the Bodywear Category because of its customisable 3D design aesthetic, printable qualities and second skin super soft touch. The fabric blend of Roica yarn and recycled PA has many admirable qualities for next to skin, including anti-odor, quick dry and outstanding stretch and recovery to adapt to the body shape. Fabric, with a perfect fit for body contouring products including leggings, underwear and light support shapewear.”

From 20 to 22 July 2024, Innatex will once again host international green fashion labels presenting their collections for Spring/Summer 2025 at Messecenter Hofheim Rhein-Main near Frankfurt. The motto of the upcoming trade fair, ‘BLOOM’, emphasises the confidence in more sustainable solutions despite challenges in the green fashion industry.

The organiser is seeing an increase in enquiries from first-time exhibitors and design dicoveries who work with remnants or waste from the textile and other sectors. The summer fair aims to emphasise this form of circularity.

In keeping with this, three of the five Design Discoveries selected so far are located in the area of textile waste reduction. Tentation uses discarded tents to create modern, mostly outdoor-compatible pieces. While Halt.clothing stands for an innovative upcycling concept, the underwear label Avonté works with deadstocks. Softclox with flexible soles and the very feminine women's fashion Verlinne from Romania enrich the special area.

The trade fair is responding to feedback from buyers and, in cooperation with the Hesse Retail Association, is offering a special expert panel on the last day of the event to provide effective sales strategies. Innovative sustainable space concepts have been developed in collaboration with the Akademie Mode & Design AMD Wiesbaden. The students of the Interior Design degree programme use old materials from the INNATEX trade fair construction.

REVECOL® (Recycled Vegetable Cooking Oil) represents a new generation of textile chemical auxiliaries, which are high-performing and obtained from vegetable exhausted cooking oil.

Chemical auxiliaries play a crucial role in several stages of the textile production cycle, from material preparation to dyeing and finishing, but represent a complex challenge from the point of view of reducing environmental impact. Herein lies the revolutionary aspect of REVECOL® by ERCA: for the first time, not just one product, but a complete range of auxiliary chemicals is available that meets the criteria of circularity.

The result of ERCA's continuous research, REVECOL® are in fact born from critical waste materials (exhausted vegetable oils), which, thanks to an environmentally and safety-friendly manufacturing process, are transformed into a line of innovative chemical auxiliaries destined for the entire textile industry and its various applications: from underwear to home textiles.

EVECOL® by ERCA has obtained several certifications – GRS, RCS, listed into ZDHC Chemical Gateway, bluesign® and GOTS, and are also finalizing the third-party certified PCF (Product Carbon Footprint), - as well as various international recognitions – first prize RESPONSIBLE CARE®, in Italy, from Federchimica, inclusion in the BAT (Best Available Techniques) document from the European Community.

HeiQ takes advantage of its presence at ISPO Munich 2022, 28th-30th of November, to launch HeiQ Mint, the new proprietary odor control technology. It is plant-based and designed to make textiles smell fresh even if we use them repeatedly, avoiding the need for frequent washes, thus enabling to save water and energy.

HeiQ Fresh MNT-01, under the HeiQ Mint product family, jointly developed with Patagonia, addresses body odors on textiles and regenerates at every wash, with superior efficiency and durability that meets most end-use performance requirements, while keeping all the fabric properties such as breathability, hand feel, or wicking. This textile technology is OEKO-TEX® suited, bluesign approved, and ZDHC compliant, with a USDA bio-preferred certification in progress.

The product development tests were highly demanding, with HeiQ Mint standing out in comparison to the other two tested solutions. According to Laura Hoch, Patagonia’s Materials Innovation Engineer, “out of all the anti-odor technologies we tested, HeiQ Mint provided the highest odor control performance, with the added benefit of being plant-based. This innovation enables Patagonia to deliver our customers high-performing products made with the best available chemistry.”

Another advantage of HeiQ Mint is the ability to be applied and marketed worldwide, without the need for biocidal declaration on product labels, since it is based on a blend of essential mint oils and naturally derived deodorizing ingredients. HeiQ Mint is just Fresh by Nature.

It is ideal for next-to-skin products like sports apparel, underwear, linings, casual and business wear but also home textiles such as bed linen, pillow fabrics, or mattress textiles, both on cellulosic and synthetic fibers.

• ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei for its responsible RF (Residual Free) line

Innova Fabrics, the Italian manufacturer of knitted fabrics for apparel, underwear and sports, confirms its choice of ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, the Japanese leader of premium stretch fiber, for its new responsible line RF (Residual Free).

Despite the deep-rooted history of the company's team in the world of textiles, Innova Fabrics is a reality that is not afraid to innovate with a focus on environmental sustainability. As a result of its push for local production and attention to third-party sustainability certifications (including OEKO-TEX Standard 100, one of the world's best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances), Innova Fabrics continues its promise of responsibility with an enrichment of its conscious proposals. In the last season, Innova has increased its smart proposition by launching the RF (Residual Free) line, with the aim of reducing the impact of microplastics residues produced by the fashion industry. This is possible thanks to the combination of two responsible ingredients: SENSIL® Biocare by Nilit and ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei.

SENSIL® BioCare is the premium, sustainable nylon 6.6 fiber enriched with a special technology that helps reduce the persistence of textile waste in the ocean and landfills by acting during and after the product's life cycle. Therefore, if the microplastics in SENSIL® BioCare garments are released during washing, they will decompose much faster than conventional Nylon 6.6 fibers, reducing textile waste. ROICA™ V550, part of the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, is the premium, sustainable stretch yarn that degrades without releasing harmful substances into the environment, according to the Hohenstein's environmental certification. ROICA™ V550 also carries the Gold Level Material Health certificate from the Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute, which evaluated the yarn's impact on human and environmental health. The strong relationship established between Innova Fabrics and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is a long-standing one: from the very beginning, the textile company chose ROICA™ as its main reference for premium stretch, using ROICA Colour Perfect™ in most of its articles. Having experienced the innovation of the ROICA™ line dedicated to high-quality color, Innova decided to opt for the ROICA Eco-Smart™ line as part of the extension of its environmentally conscious line.

Thanks to the constant synergy with its premium partner in innovative and responsible stretch, Innova continues its path towards a textile and fashion industry that respects the planet, without forgetting profit. And this is just the beginning. Innova Fabrics pieces containing SENSIL® BioCare and ROICA™ V550

From athleisure to fashion, via underwear, from sarongs to bodysuits, through evening and bridal gowns, up to the world of denim and high fashion, Iluna's lace continues to expand its applications, confirming its versatility, performance and beauty. Trends run and pass quickly, but Iluna lace remains a certainty in all its forms, variations and colors. Since 2017 Iluna has been using only sustainable and certified ROICA™ stretch yarns from the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, while the percentage of sustainable references has risen from 3% in 2018 to 52% in 2021.
There are four main proposals presented by Iluna Group during Première Vision ( 8-10 February 2022) :

• Flock in flounce or allover entirely made with recycled ingredients and equipped with endless printing possibilities, with 3D and multicolor effects that allow the inclusion in fashion, underwear and athleisure looks. All certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard).
• Continued investment in both the Green Label and Bioline, two collections totally dedicated to innovative and responsible aesthetics. Both include lace made with the responsible 6.6 polyamide yarn Amni Soul Eco® and the degradable stretch fiber ROICA™ V550, combined with natural vegetable dyes with OEKO TEX and GOTS certifications.
• The union of a chenille yarn blended with FSC-certified viscose and Renycle® yarn, a product obtained by recycling nylon 6, a high-value material with excellent strength, dyeing, softness and versatility, gives life to surprising new Textronic. The embossed designs with 3D effect create a cloud effect that, combined with Lurex, gives unexpected glows.
• GRS-certified tulles printed with GREENDROP technology, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system, with lower energy consumption and low water waste, thanks to an internal closed-circuit process for water recycling.

Archroma announced the launch of EARTH SOFT, a new softening system for textile and fashion applications, based on Archroma's latest innovation, a vegan silicone softener, Siligen® EH1, with 35% plant-based active content.

Siligen® EH1 is the latest addition in the plant-based innovations developed by Archroma in recent years, such as EarthColors® dyes and Appretan® NTR binders, as alternatives offered to manufacturers and brands looking to reduce the use of fossil fuel based ingredients without compromising performance.

The range has been developed in line with the principles of “The Archroma Way to a sustainable world: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. More than 35% of the Siligen® EH1 softener's active content is based on plant-based, renewable raw materials. In addition, the product features ultralow cyclic siloxanes (D4, D5, D6) which are classified by the European Chemicals Agency as “Substances of Very High Concern” due to their very persistent and bioaccumulative properties.

Siligen® EH1 is ideally suited for shirts, underwear, sportswear, towels, bed sheets, etc. as it provides an excellent wearing comfort by supporting a good moisture transportation and delivering a smooth and soft touch.

The new softener, and the EARTH SOFT system which also includes a Hydroperm® wicking agent to boost hydrophilic properties on synthetic and blended fibers, can be applied on all natural and synthetic textile fibers.

Siligen® EH1 is suitable for both woven and knitted articles. It can be applied by padding process, as well as by exhaust process as it shows a very good shear stability and a low foaming profile. It can be used on white articles and those treated with optical brighteners, as it doesn’t cause thermomigration nor phenolic yellowing.

Paul Cowell, Head of Competence Centers for Brand & Performance Textile Specialties at Archroma, comments: “The new EARTH SOFT system based on Siligen® EH1 softener adds to our growing portfolio of innovations based on natural and renewable plant-based resources. This new breakthrough innovation by Archroma helps us and our partners in the textile and fashion industry to minimize our dependence on petroleum fossil fuel products.”

• High-Performance Solutions and Protection Effects

Huntsman Textile Effects, a global leader in innovative and sustainable textile dyes and protection effects, is bringing a complete suite of solutions for performance apparel, technical textiles and casual wear to Colombiatex de las Américas 2022 from January 25 to 27.

Sustainable solutions
Huntsman Textile Effects will showcase the latest addition to the third generation of its AVITERA® SE polyreactive dye range; it delivers brilliant bluish-red shades while reducing the water and energy required for production by up to 50% and increasing mill output by up to 25% or more. It also outperforms the best available dyeing technologies for cellulosic fibers and blends in terms of value by reducing recipe costs, minimizing processing costs and eliminating reprocessing.

ERIOPON® E3-SAVE is another next-generation water-saving innovation. An all-in-one textile auxiliary for polyester processing, it allows pre-scouring, dyeing and reduction clearing to be combined in a single bath and eliminates the need for anti-foaming products. This shortens processing time and saves water and energy.

rPET processing innovations
As leading brands begin to work towards a circular economy for textiles, mills are being asked to overcome challenges associated with transforming recycled polyester (rPET) into high-quality new textiles. Huntsman Textile Effects is presenting an end-to-end solution for achieving full whites and consistent shades on rPET with right-first-time quality. This eco-friendly rPET processing solution includes pre-treatment chemicals, fluorescent whitening agents, state-of-the-art washfast dyes, and finishing solutions for high-performance protection and comfort.

Washfast disperse dyes for polyester and man-made fibers
TERASIL® BLUE W is the latest addition to Huntsman’s TERASIL® W/WW range of washfast disperse dyes for polyester and man-made fibers and their blends. Crucially, it is not sensitive to reduction, leading to higher reproducibility, higher right first-time results and operational excellence. It also reduces overall water and energy consumption, as well as water effluent. TERASIL® BLUE W offers high build-up for deep blues that stay vibrant.

Next-generation odor control
In partnership with Sciessent, Huntsman Textile Effects presents antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to Colombiatex to enable mills to produce garments that smell fresh for longer and need less frequent washing. Featured is Sciessent’s new anti-odor technology - NOBO™. It is specifically designed to reduce odors in natural and synthetic fabrics; it can be incorporated into virtually any fabric. From base layer and activewear tops to socks and underwear to jeans and chinos. It offers a cost-effective way to upgrade everyday products and add value to your customers.

“Sustainability is becoming a priority for regulators in South America and around the world, and consumers are increasingly keen to make a difference by choosing green brands,” said Ben Powell, Commercial Director Americas, Huntsman Textile Effects. “Huntsman is redefining what’s possible to help textile and apparel companies make the shift to more environmentally sustainable operations while enhancing their competitiveness at the same time. Our innovations make it possible to benefit from efficiency gains and resource savings in the factory as you deliver products that stand out in the market.”

Showing its leadership, ROICA™ marks a milestone in the world of stretch, enhancing a contemporary wardrobe made of new generation values that are fully conveyed and visible to the end consumer. Indeed, by creating cutting-edge tools, such as the hangtags that provide, through simple and well-designed icons, clear and concise functional information showing for each application the values and performances of each single ROICA™ families: ROICA Colour Perfect ™, ROICA Resistance™, ROICA Feel Good™, ROICA Eco-Smart™, ROICA Contour™.

On top of this, in order to ASSURE that what is labelled as ROICA™ Sustainable truly reflects the brand’s new generation values, the company created and introduced a branding policy indicating the allowed blends for their smart yarns belonging to the unique ROICA Eco-Smart™ family. A big step toward complete transparency and transparent AUTHENTIC communication.
ROICA™ identity will be activated in all its communication tools and channels, such as a renovated website and social media presence.

At MarediModa – the international fair dedicated to fabrics and accessories for the beachwear, underwear and athleisure sectors - ROICA ™ partners such as Eusebio, Iluna Group, Interjersey Milano, Maglificio Ripa, Penn Textile Solutions GmbH, Piave Maitex and Sofileta shared their latest fabric innovations where sustainability cutting-edge performance and design realized with ROICA™ premium stretch ingredient, were on stage.

• EMMA SCALCON is the winner of the first edition of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION AWARD, an international competition for communication in sustainable fashion.

The award was established in October 2020 by Connecting Cultures and C.L.A.S.S. with the aim of creating new visual imagery and innovative communication models in sustainable fashion. Stylists, photographers, designers, illustrators, artists and other creatives, invited to rethink how to communicate the new generation of values of an ethical and sustainable fashion system, joined the open and international call.

The name of the winner of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition was announced during a webinar on March 30th at 4pm led by Giusy Bettoni, CEO of C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub; Anna Detheridge, President of Connecting  Cultures; Lucy Orta, Chair, Art & the Environment, University of the Arts London; and Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner of The Bear Scouts.

Born in Padua, Italy, 22 years old, and a student in her second year in Textile & Fashion Design at IAAD - Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design, Emma Scalcon won the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition with her project TAKE A WALK ON THE GREEN SIDE, designing communications crafted with strong and impactful images and simple but detailed wording intended for younger consumers to inform them about sustainable fashion issues.

Scalcon ranked first among the finalists selected by a high profile jury composed of:
·   Anna Detheridge, Founder and President, Connecting Cultures
·   Giusy Bettoni, CEO and Founder, C.L.A.S.S.
·   Rita Airaghi, Director, Gianfranco Ferré Foundation
·   Paola Arosio, Head of New Brands & Sustainability Projects, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
·   Jeanine Ballone, Managing Director, Fashion 4 Development
·   Evie Evangelou, Founder and President, Fashion 4 Development
·   Chiara Luisi, Sustainability Projects Coordinator, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
·   Sara Kozlowski, Director of Education and Sustainable Strategies, Council of Fashion Designers of America  
·   Dio Kurazawa, Socio fondatore, The Bear Scouts
·   Renata Molho, Founding Partner, The Bear Scouts
·   Lucy Orta, Chair, Art & the Environment, University of the Arts London
·   Stefania Ricci, Director, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

Emma Scalcon was awarded the €3,000 prize, made possible by the Main Sponsor ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei and by the other sponsors of the project: ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei - a latest generation fabric collection that promotes responsible innovation with advanced high-tech performance, C.L.A.S.S., and the Greek smart cotton SUPREME GREEN COTTON® by Varvaressos.
 
“It is time to be pioneers in communication and for this we have supported the Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award,” commented Takaaki Kondo, global marketing department manager for ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, the Main Sponsor of the award. ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is a high quality stretch fibre with an innovative range of intelligent functions to satisfy every modern wardrobe need for sports, underwear, and fashion. “We believe that together with responsible innovation, communication is the key to bring sustainability to the next level: to inspire, educate, inform and allow both professionals and consumers to make the right choices.”

“The competition is an opportunity to rethink how to communicate the new and different values of an ethical and sustainable fashion system,” explained Anna Detheridge. “I am quite impressed with the results of the competition — the diversity of forms that we received show both an interesting change in sensibility and a practical approach to communicating these values. There is less visual rhetoric and reliance on compelling images and more investment in basic information and a greater variety of narratives.

It is a great pleasure to see the energies from a wealth of young creatives, small businesses, and designers from all over the world with cross-disciplinary interests and a diversity of talents who are ushering in a new culture of design. My heartiest congratulations go to Emma Scalcon".

“I completely agree with Anna's comments on the quality of the work submitted by participants in the competition and together we have renewed our intention to continue IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION into 2021 with a new edition of the award,” stated Giusy Bettoni. “After this initial experience, we find ourselves even more motivated to explore some of the themes that emerged during the selection process, in particular those regarding the ethics of intellectual and cultural property, a topical issue in an industry like fashion. For this reason, we are already working together on organizing a webinar on this topic with outside specialists, including legal experts.”

 21 Grams, the group comprised of Veronica De Nigris, Serena Paone e Immacolata Esposito, won a special contest open to the public among the finalists selected by the jury, receiving the most votes from Instagram followers on C.L.A.S.S.’s corporate Instagram profile. The media partner for the initiative is Renoon, the leading search tool and data hub for sustainable fashion, a rising start-up of the year, aggregating +190 brands offering sustainable options to consumers.