From the Sector

• Inspiring Interiors

Textiles are an inseparable part of the interior as they give a room atmosphere and good acoustics. But which fabric is best suited for which purpose? This month's drapilux  recommendation is drapilux835 and is aimed at classic and modern hotels as well as offices, healthcare facilities and hospitals.

• Nature-inspired lightness: drapilux 835

The translucency of drapilux 835 conveys openness, lightness and a sense of character. This  was  how  Holger  Schön,  Commercial  Property  Manager  at drapilux, described the series. That is the reason why this fabric, with its versatile floral patterns, adorns the four walls of the commercial property manager’s own home: “We live in the suburbs in a rural setting. Consequently, we chose a design with poppies, as this pattern harmonises well in the natural surroundings in which we live.” The fabric also plays a part in the hygiene chain thanks to the intelligent added function of drapilux bioaktiv. Silver ions on the surface of the fibres kill over 99 percent of any bacteria located on textiles.

• Wandfarbe als zentrales Gestaltungselement im Designhotel Laurichhof in Pirna

Klassisch, romantisch oder modern: Umgeben vom Elbsandsteingebirge und historischen Sehenswürdigkeiten und unweit von Dresden gelegen, bietet das Designhotel Laurichhof inmitten der Sächsischen Schweiz 27 unterschiedlich gestaltete Suiten für jeden Geschmack. Die Inhaberfamilie Seidel (Architekturbüro Seidel+Architekten) hat das Gebäude fünf Jahre lang minutiös geplant. Bei der gesamten Innenausstattung setzten sie auf Designmöbel, die die Gäste vor Ort auch erwerben können. Zudem bietet das Hotelteam eine komplette Design und Einrichtungsplanung für das eigene Zuhause an – ein ganz besonderer Service.

Die Wahl der Wandfarben war bei der Planung der Zimmer ein zentrales Thema. Gemeinsam mit den sorgsam zusammengestellten Möbeln und Accessoires bildet die Wandfarbe ein wesentliches Gestaltungselement. Die Luxus- Innenfarben von CAPAROL ICONS unterstreichen den hochwertigen Anspruch und erschaffen, dank ihrer eigens entwickelten Rezeptur an den Wänden der Hotelzimmer, matte farbtiefe Oberflächen und erzeugen so ein elegantes Raumgefühl. Insgesamt neun „Ikonen“ – so nennt CAPAROL ICONS seine einzelnen Nuancen – finden sich in den Räumen wieder. In der Suite My Way strahlt das intensive Sonnengelb der Farbe NO 99 LILO. Sie erinnert an die gelben, aufblasbaren Luftmatratzen oder auch „Lilos“ genannt, die der Klassiker beim Sonnenbaden am Pool sind. Die reduzierte Suite Bauhaus ist sehr funktional eingerichtet. Passend dazu bringt NO 14 CHESTERFIELD ein warmes Graubraun in den Raum, das von den berühmten Chesterfield-Sofas inspiriert ist.

Jede Farbe hebt den Charakter des jeweiligen Zimmers hervor und setzt gekonnt Akzente im Raum. Im Designhotel Laurichhof verwendete Farben: NO 07 DISCO BALL, NO 14 CHESTERFIELD, NO 20 AFRO, NO 39 SO BOHO, NO 45 UNTITLED PINK, NO 58 COPACABANA, NO 69 NEON GREY, NO 99 LILO, NO 110 POONA

• Lichterlebnisse leicht wie Papier
• Wohlfühlatmosphäre mit Leuchten aus Papiergarn - ökologisch und nachhaltig

Papier ist ein nachwachsender Rohstoff, ist nahezu überall verfügbar und kann recycelt werden. Die Deutschen Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf (DITF) haben diesen natürlichen Werkstoff in Form von Papiergarnen verarbeitet und daraus formschöne Leuchten entwickelt. Das Ergebnis des Forschungsprojekts „Papierlicht“ sind nachhaltige Produkte mit ansprechendem Design, die kostengünstig hergestellt werden können. Die Leuchten sind voll recycelfähig.

Der Klimaschutz und die Umweltbelastung durch Mikroplastik erfordern neue Ideen, wie nachwachsende Ressourcen sinnvoll genutzt werden können. Die Forscher an den DITF haben Papiergarn mit Hilfe der Strukturspultechnologie zu sehr leichten Strukturkörpern verarbeitet. Der Herstellungsprozess ist so flexibel, dass viele verschiedene Formen möglich sind und das Licht je nach Anwendungsgebiet unterschiedlich gelenkt werden kann. Die entsprechenden lichttechnischen Kennwerte wurden an den DITF ermittelt.

Aus den Papiergarnen werden mit einer neuartigen Methode dreidimensionale Körper gefertigt. Die Garne werden mit einem Klebstoff fixiert, der ebenfalls aus nachwachsenden und abbaubaren Rohstoffen besteht. Auf die sonst übliche tragende Grundstruktur aus Metall kann verzichtet werden. Das hat mehrere Vorteile für die Umwelt: Durch den Wegfall von Draht entsteht bei der Herstellung weniger Kohlenstoffdioxid. Bei der von den DITF entwickelten Leuchte THIRTY-ONE werden dadurch mehr als zwei Kilogramm CO2-Äquivalente eingespart – pro Stück!
Ohne Metallstruktur wiegen die Papierlampen auch deutlich weniger und können leichter transportiert werden. Nach der Nutzung können die Leuchten in das Kreislaufsystem eingebracht werden.

Das Forschungsteam hat drei Demonstratorleuchten aufgebaut die zeigen, was für Möglichkeiten unterschiedliche Garnstärken, Farben und die verschieden gespulten Strukturen eröffnen. Darüber hinaus zeigen die ermittelten mechanischen Kennwerte heute schon ein großes Potential für die Nutzung in anderen Anwendungsfeldern wie beispielsweise Konstruktionsbauteile. Hierfür stehen an den DITF viele Funktionsmuster zur Verfügung.

• Live Event Series Launched to Connect with Customers and Drive New Opportunities After COVID-19

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, has announced it will host a three-part virtual event series – Mimaki Live Series – to support customers looking for inspiration and advice on how to maintain or revive business after the COVID-19 crisis.

Building on the success of Mimaki’s Virtual Print Festival in March and April this year, Mimaki has created an exciting and insightful three-day programme for three market-focused virtual events:

• Event I – Sign Graphics – 30th June 2020
• Event II – Textiles – 14th July 2020
• Event III – Industrial Printing - 27th August 2020

Each event will provide a platform for Mimaki representatives, customers, and suppliers to discuss the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on their business and the wider industry, as well as share their experiences, challenges, and success stories.

The Mimaki Live events will feature a host of engaging panel discussions, opinion polls, live chats and Q&As, all designed to prompt important, topical discussions and share information and advice across the print community.  

To register for the Mimaki Live event series, please visit www.mimakieurope.com/mimaki-live-event.

Trevira will be joining the first BCFA Open Berlin pop-up exhibition, which will be held at the British Embassy on 6 May at the same time of Berlin Design Week (4 – 10 May 2020). The one-day fair is being organised by the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA), and members of the association will have the opportunity to display their products in the atrium of the post-modern embassy building.  

At the exhibition, specially invited interior designers and furnishers, along with purchasers from the contract market, will be able to find out more about the collections and products of high-end British manufacturers and textile houses, and attend interesting talks by two top specialists of the sector.

Trevira will be showing a selection of Trevira CS fabrics which were on display earlier this year at the Heimtextil 2020, where they featured in the special exhibition ‘Textile Future by Trevira CS’. These fabrics are permanently flame retardant and can be deployed in a wide range of applications, as Berlin design company studio aisslinger impressively showed in the exhibition at the Trevira stand. For the Heimtextil fair, the prestigious studio aisslinger design team worked together with Trevira, creating a concept that revealed just how attractive and playful Trevira CS fabrics can be in a variety of settings on the contract market, including hospitality, healthcare, workspaces, public spaces and transport.

Designers and architects who are interested in taking part in the event are welcome to register their details with Trevira.

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR (March 24-26) – the leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings in the Asia Pacific region - expands the design and conference area and welcomes new and returning brands.

Shanghai - For the 22nd edition, each flooring sector will have a theme. The highlighted product category in wood is solid wood for ground heating systems. The category is taking over the entire hall showing new technologies, new designs and new products in floor heating. Solid wood for ground heating systems is growing in China – according to China National Forest Products Industry Association, around 80% of China's wood flooring brands have developed the product.

At the same time the market share is increasing by more than 30% annually. It is expected that by 2025, the market size of solid wood for ground heating systems will reach RMB 10 billion (approx. 1.4 billion USD). The international and local market leaders, such as Junckers, Foglie d’Oro, Edelholz, IBF, Teclic, Nature, Fudeli, Bloor, Jinyi, Licher, Nuogao and Moganshan have already confirmed their participation at the show. Also in this hall we see the latest developments in the market in the dedicated InnovAction campaign.

The resilient flooring section will be spread out to 69,500 sqm gross, featuring Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) flooring. Among the resilient halls, there will be an “Inspiration Hall”, housing InnovAction campaign and design forum, where famous interior designers will educate the audience on using resilient flooring in interior. The InnovAction will be upgraded by showcasing the new products within matching interior spaces. This new way of presenting the InnovAction products is ideal for both manufacturers to share the ideas and for visitors to keep up to date with the market trends.

Carpet section will promote carpet as a driving force for interior design, with a dedicated hall being the epicenter of home and design carpets and the host hall for the Luxury Brands Carpet Show – a showcase of the most sought-after international high-end carpet design brands. After the successful first edition in 2019, Chinese Original Carpet Design Show comes back to promote the works of young Chinese carpet designers. Country pavilions from Germany, Belgium, Iran and Turkey will also showcase their products among the carpet halls. Traditionally DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR has been focused on B2B, however due to the market changes, the end users are more and more welcome to the show. In order to give the oriental carpets and rugs the spotlight and follow the trends, Indian and Afghanistan pavilions will be creating a new area - “Treasure of Orient”.

In 2020, DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR will cover more than 185,000 sqm of gross space, taking up 16 halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. Five of the exhibition halls will be dedicated to carpets and rugs, four to wood, bamboo and other hard floors, 2 to FLOORTECH asia and 5 halls to resilient floor coverings. In 2019, the show gathered 1,579 exhibitors from 36 countries and attracted 66,875 trade visitors, of which 15,092 international, coming from 107 nations.

• Heimtextil celebrates its anniversary: from 7-10 January 2020, the global home textiles industry will meet for the 50th time in Frankfurt am Main.

With a great anniversary party, a showcase presenting design classics from the past few decades, an anniversary film and other activities, Heimtextil will review the past half century since its first edition in 1971.

‘50 editions over the course of the past five decades are a rarely experienced phenomenon in the fast-moving global trade fair industry and are practically an eternity’, says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Like no other trade fair, Heimtextil stands for product variety, international clout and undisputed market leadership in the textile sector’. As a design show, it constantly reinvents itself, continues to present
state-of-the-art home trends as it has always done and makes the furnishing trends of tomorrow tangible’.

Big celebration party on the Wednesday of the trade fair

Messe Frankfurt will be inviting exhibitors and visitors to the highlight of the celebrations, the big Heimtextil @ Night party in hall 11.1 on Wednesday, 8 January 2020. Heimtextil exhibitors from the very beginning will be warmly welcomed and paid special attention. As part of the celebrations, Messe Frankfurt will present an anniversary film with a look back at earlier Heimtextil editions as well as music acts from the last five decades.

In hall 9.0, Heimtextil will present design classics from the past 50 years in a special showcase area. Here, the trade fair will invite people to take a journey through time and a tour of discovery through five  decades of Heimtextil history. The presentation is based on editorials from interior magazines. Four rooms incorporate colours, shapes, furniture and design objects from past decades. The showcase is complemented by a café that will be realised in cooperation with Schöner Wohnen, Europe's largest living magazine.

Exclusive offer: anniversary scarf in the Heimtextil look

To mark the anniversary, Heimtextil will launch a textile accessory of its  own creation: a scarf in the look of the current trade fair campaign. The scarf in the unisex colour combination of petrol, turquoise and lilac will be available for exhibitors and visitors to buy during the trade fair.

• Inspired by the health megatrend, the keynote theme for DOMOTEX puts wellbeing, naturalness and sustainability at the top of the agenda  
• Stronger focus on contract business
• Manufacturers invited to creatively frame their products as expressions of the keynote theme

Preparations are already ramping up for the 2020 edition of the world’s leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings DOMOTEX. The upcoming show, to be held from 10 to 13 January 2020, has ATMYSPHERE as its keynote theme, symbolizing its central focus on all those qualities of floors and floor coverings that contribute to wellbeing, naturalness and sustainability.
 
Examples of products from the floor coverings industry that possess these qualities include floors with acoustic properties or sound-insulation components; carpets that bind fine dust particles or have thermal insulation properties; resilient floor coverings that are hypo-allergenic; and natural-wood floorboards that improve the interior climate by capturing excess humidity and releasing it again when the air in the room is dry. Other qualities that enhance positive indoor atmospherics include softness and pleasantness to the touch, sustainability, and aesthetic details that help transform rooms into oases of personal wellbeing.
 
“This year, as indeed in previous years, the lead theme is inspired by a current megatrend,” explains Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Deutsche Messe’s Global Director DOMOTEX. “And that trend is society’s heightened focus on health. Health is synonymous with quality of life and living well – and therefore translates into high expectations of the spaces around us. Alongside this, considerations of sustainability and recycling – and hence natural materials – continue to play a major role in our society. In terms of floor coverings, these are considerations and themes that are currently very much to the fore with our exhibitors and their work, especially given the great importance of floors as elements of creative interior design. With the right materials and design, carpets and floor coverings can be important factors in personal wellbeing and in the design of homes and workplaces that promote it. That is why ATMYSPHERE is of such definitive importance for all our exhibitors and visitor target groups.”

The “Framing Trends” showcase at DOMOTEX 2020 is a unique opportunity for manufacturers, artists and students to stage interior designs inspired by the ATMYSPHERE keynote theme and hence position themselves as trend leaders in innovative products and solutions for today’s modern floors and their positive, lifeaffirming qualities. Applications for participation at the “Framing Trends” showcase  are now open. Interested exhibitors and flooring-industry companies are invited to submit their ideas for displays of indoor oases of wellbeing that are built from the floor up.

The international home textiles industry has enjoyed a promising start at Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main, which finished Friday, 11 January. The challenging economic situation and uncertainty in the retail sector were countered by a positive and confident mood at the world’s leading trade fair.

3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’. [*For comparison, 2018: 2,975 exhibitors from 64 countries; 68,584 visitors from 135 countries, FKM-tested)]

3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’.

One topic that occupied both exhibitors and visitors was the current and future economic situation. A further challenge is the increasingly evident changes that are happening in trade. Increasing revenues and revenue shares in online retailing stand in the way of the efforts made by the stationary retail trade to maintain their inner-city businesses. ‘The small business specialist trade, but also department stores and multibrand stores, and thus the heart of our visitor target groups, are under pressure from the constantly increasing levels of e-commerce. With Heimtextil and our consumer goods fairs in general, we offer these retailers in particular clear perspectives and diverse inspiration in an ambiguous world’, continues Braun.

Heimtextil made it easier for its visitors to access valuable inspiration and business momentum thanks to an optimised trade fair concept and the associated new hall structure. ‘The new concept brought more visitors to the stand’, was the feedback from Andreas Klenk, Managing Director of Saum & Viebahn from Kulmbach in Franconia about hall 8.0 which offered textiles editeurs and manufacturers of curtain and sun protection systems a common platform for the first time. ‘It was the right decision to merge the different segments. We had high quality discussions with respect to both export and domestic business, and are satisfied with the trade fair’.

As part of the new concept, Heimtextil expanded its unique product range across the entire exhibition site and also included the new hall 12, which has been an additional architectural highlight on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds since September.

Top international companies from the Bed & Bath Fashion segment presented their wares here. For the company Curt Bauer from Aue in Saxony, the première of the new hall was a successful one. ‘We're very enthusiastic about the new hall 12. The product range there was very well received. We are very satisfied with the quality of visitors to our stand. In addition to a good frequency of German visitors, we are particularly pleased about growth from China and Russia’, says Managing Director Michael Bauer.

Natural materials, PET and ocean plastics 
Heimtextil set a standard in terms of sustainability: after the first global climate protection agreement for the textile industry was signed by 40 leading fashion companies, organisations and associations at the World Climate Conference in Katowice last December, the focus in Frankfurt was also on environmental progress in the textile industry. Numerous exhibitors presented progressive solutions, for example in the recycling of PET bottles and ocean plastic as well as in the use of certified natural materials. ‘Sustainability was the theme for us at this year’s Heimtextil. Major media players visited us and the 'Green Tour’ guided tour stopped by. We presented many things, including our first vegan duvet and fair silk products, all 100 per cent produced in Austria’, says Denise Hartmann, Marketing Manager at Hefel Textil. The topics of water consumption in the textile industry and microplastics also increasingly came to the fore. The exhibitor directory ‘Green Directory’ alone contained around 150 progressive companies listing sustainably produced textiles. The offer was supplemented by its own lecture series as well as theme-specific tours, which provided valuable impetus and
underpinned the pioneering green position of the trade fair.

Sleep becomes new lifestyle theme
Heimtextil also focused on sleep as one of the upcoming lifestyle trends. While a balanced diet and sufficient exercise are now a natural part of a healthy lifestyle, restorative sleep is still neglected* although it is one of the most important building blocks for long-term physical and mental well-being. At Heimtextil, a number of new products and aspects came to the fore that help people become sensitised to and analyse their sleep behaviour and promote healthy sleep. Around the redesigned hall 11.0 and in the adjoining lecture area ‘Sleep! The Future Forum’, representatives from the national and international bed industry enjoyed attractive product presentations and superb speeches on the topics of sustainability, hospitality, sport and digital.

In addition to the renowned trend show, the trade fair also focused on contract business, particularly in the hotel and hospitality sector, as well as decorative and upholstery fabrics, digital printing solutions and wallpapers.

The next Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main – its 50th edition – will take place from 7 to 10 January 2020.

*According to a forsa investigation commissioned by the Techniker Krankenkasse

• Performance Days - November 28 and 29, 2018 – Hall C1 Booth B18
• Two of TINTEX’s fabrics have made it into the PERFORMANCE FORUM Jury’s Pick Category that represents fabrics which are a valuable contribution to this season Performance Days Focus Topic “WATER – OUR RESPONSIBILITY”

See, touch and experience the latest collection from TINTEX as they reveal a wonderful range of innovative fabrics that redefine fashion, inspire creativity, spark emotion and optimize responsible solutions. TINTEX, being an ingenious leader in textile and research innovation for over twenty years, transforms a new generation of cotton and other natural based materials. Established in the Porto region as authorities in superior dyeing and finishing techniques making TINTEX Textiles the perfect choice for fashion.

All the recent awards bestowed, demonstrate TINTEX continue research and commitment. They have been awarded for the Best product of the Base Layer Category by ISPO jury, moreover they have just received the prestigious German Design Awards 2019 and last but not least, they are selected as finalists for the Future Textile Awards in the category Best Innovation for Sustainable Textiles.
TINTEX continues to lead the way, as they proudly take part in the Make Fashion Circular initiative, by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and activate change industry wide. This initiative aims to collaborate and innovate towards a new textile economy based on the principles of a Circular Economy.

In addition, since this November, TINTEX is a bluesign® system partner, thus means that they are responsibly acting parties of the textile value chain committed to applying the bluesign® system, continuously improving their environmental performance and always been focused on a sustainable future.

A milestone for TINTEX and fashion, as they launch Naturally Clean - an exceptional smart finishing process that is uniquely responsible. Naturally Clean enhances the natural beauty of cotton, takes a cost effective modern approach to eliminate aggressive treatments and optimizes clean surfaces, vivid colors, providing an exquisitely smooth handfeel. Naturally Clean achieves this by using Novozymes technology, a company that is indeed the world leader in biological solutions. Second, using textile chemicals with the lowest possible environmental impact, without compromising performance, from Beyond Surface Technologies AG. Naturally Clean maintains the original characteristics for an extended period of time. All materials are Oeko-Tex and soon bluesign® certified, thus eliminating harmful substances.
TINTEX’ Autumn/Winter 2019/2020 collection includes vibrant tones, refreshing turquoise and electric green, light and warm copper with chocolate browns that connect the natural and spiritual in an extra-sensorial universe. Infused with a stunning palette of nostalgic and multicultural colors - warm yellow with darkened reds, dynamic purple with urban greys - that express globalization and human connection.
Key smart ingredients of the season are:

• A New Generation of Cotton: GOTS certified organic cotton, Supima® cotton, and ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi the smart cotton that saves up to 77.9% water consumption and introduces the concept of a circular economy.
• SeaCell™ and Smartcel™: produced using the Lyocell process in a closed loop with no chemicals released as waste. The patented process of SeaCell™ allows that the positive properties of the seaweed are permanently preserved within the fiber, even after multiple washing cycles. Smartcel™ includes the essential trace element zinc providing anti-inflammatory capabilities.
• REFIBRA™ by Lenzing technology involves upcycling a substantial proportion of cotton scraps e.g. from garment production, in addition to wood pulp, where the raw material is transformed to produce new TENCEL™ Lyocell fiber to make fabrics and garments.
• Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei: A new generation GRS Certified material, made from cotton linters, with a biodegradability certification by Innovhub. A matchless, high tech natural material, with a special handfeel and aesthetics.
• ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei
  - ROICA™ EF has a percentage of pre-consumer recycled content that is more than 50%, and thanks to this it has been GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified.
  - ROICA™ V550 a premium stretch innovative yarn boasting the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold Level for Material Health product and ingredients as it was evaluated throughout the supply chain for lower impacts on human and environmental health. Striving toward eliminating all toxic and unidentified chemicals for a safe continuous cycle. Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certificate - ROICA™ proudly breaks down without releasing harmful substances.

Of special interest this season, the two TINTEX’s fabrics that made it into the PERFORMANCE FORUM Jury’s Pick Category for their contribution to this season Topic “WATER – OUR RESPONSIBILITY”.

A smart rib developed to reduce the water usage as most as possible, from cultivation of raw materials until fabric finishing. A blend of TENCEL™ Modal, cellulosic & biodegradable material treated with no hazardous chemicals, pesticides nor fertilizers, and European hemp, a fast-growing plant that requires very little water and no herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or GMO seeds. Both fibres are biodegradable.

The second selected article is a 100% Merino Wool jersey made unique thanks to Colorau® by TINTEX, a patented natural dyeing process technique that uses vegetable herbs and extracts. A great amount of water was saved by avoiding subsequent washing steps. Also, lower water pollution is achieved by avoiding synthetic dyestuffs.