From the Sector

By establishing touchpoint textile, drupa has created a special forum to showcase pioneering applications in digital textile printing. The highlight will be the Digital Textile Micro Factory – a fully connected, integrated process chain starting with the customer enquiry and design through to large-format digital textile printing.

touchpoint textile represents drupa’s growing expansion into new markets comprising such segments as packaging production, large-format or industrial and functional printing next to packaging production. All of these segments are undergoing the same transformation processes and offer enormous growth potential. The special forum revolves around the opportunities and challenges of digital textile printing, brings together renowned exhibitors, industry partners and brand owners and provides scope for cross-industry cooperation, new projects as well as product and manufacturing ideas. The operational content partners of touchpoint textile include the German Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research Denkendorf (DITF), as Europe’s largest textile research centre, as well as ESMA, the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association.

Digital Textile Micro Factory: on-demand and virtual products – on the path towards sustainable production
In cooperation with 12 partners from industry and research the DITF will demonstrate a Digital Textile Micro Factory live at drupa and, hence, a fully connected, integrated process chain from design to finished product. This will present new possibilities for digitalisation and direct customer involvement, for instance in the form of 3D apparel simulations complete with links to design networks for creative input. Digital workflows and virtual products are integrated directly in the manufacturing process. As a special highlight for all trade visitors the technology partners of this Micro Factory will demonstrate an automated on-demand production, textile printing, cutting and sorting – without any manual interaction. Such decentralised and digitally connected design and production chains will enable the textile industry to respond to customers’ requests and trends in a more targeted manner in future. This means, touchpoint textile 2024 technologically points the way to a future without shelf-warmers. In addition, the carbon footprint for the complete process from virtual development to finished product will be modelled and presented at the trade fair.  

2024 will see the design competition “drupa – textile design talents” being held for the first time. This was conceived of by the DITF and will be implemented by the partner Mitwill. This provides up-coming textile designers and newcomers with a unique opportunity to introduce their ideas and visions to a professional audience.

Broad industry support
A project as comprehensive as the Micro Factory requires many strong partners. The companies “on board” here include: Assyst/Germany (3D simulation for digital apparel twins), Mitwill Textiles Europe/France (creative design network), D.G.I. Digital Graphics Incorporation/South Korea, Multi-Plot Europe/Germany (large-format textile printing), LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung/Germany, Zünd/Switzerland (digital cutting), robotfactory/Denmark, Asco/The Netherlands (presenting an innovative buffer solution between digital printing and cutting, automated sorting of cut parts from the cutter by robotfactory) as well as Brother/Japan (for small-format textile printing and bonding technology). Vaude and berger textiles will be sponsoring the touchpoint. Another key partner is the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University that is supporting the project as a conceptual sponsor and which has set itself the clear mission to incorporate these new topics into its curriculum. This means the staff of the future will be geared up to the new challenges ahead.

Another partner of touchpoint textile is the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association (ESMA), which is responsible for the lecture programme. ESMA represents industrial, functional and specialist printing and acts as an organiser of educational events in the field of textile printing. At drupa speakers from research, development, and industry will address issues related to printing and finishing techniques, workflows, market developments and sustainability, to name but a few. The focus will also be on trends and applications that unlock ever new potential through the interplay of digital printing and textile printing substrates. The lectures are divided into the categories Research, Finishing, Print Systems & Hardware, Substrates, Inks & Chemistry and Software & Electronics. Assyst, for example, will deliver talks on the virtual development of apparel as well as the research project ECOShoring, which is funded by the “Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt” – DBU (German Federal Environmental Foundation) and focuses on personalised and on-demand sustainable manufacturing. Other speakers represent Adobe, Balta Group, Barbieri Electronic, Brother, Centexbel, CST, DITF, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems, HS Albsig, Kornit Digital, Meteor Inkjet, Mimaki, Mitwill, Multiplot, Print-Rite, RWTH Aachen, Seiko Instruments, Tiger Coatings, Xaar, Zünd and the list is updated on regular basis.

drupa will be held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 28 May to 7 June 2024.

• GOTS Version 7.0 released
• GOTS certified entities grow by 8% and expand to 89 countries
• GOTS releases Due Diligence Handbook for certified entities
• Farm-Gin Registry implemented in India, creating a direct link and better evaluation of incoming data
• GOTS collaborates with European Space Agency and Marple for AI organic cotton project
• #Behindtheseams campaign reaches 21 million+ unique individuals

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), managed by non-profit Global Standard, recognises 2023 as a year of significant milestones. From expansion of GOTS-certified facilities to the release of a new standard version, GOTS remained a beacon for businesses navigating changing legislation, social and environmental demands.

Coming out of one of the strongest years for GOTS, 2023 culminated with 25 GOTS-approved certification bodies reporting a noteworthy 14,676 certified facilities (an 8% growth from 2022) in 89 countries.

Ushering in GOTS Version 7.0
As of 1 March, facilities that become GOTS-certified will operate under the new GOTS Version 7.0, released in March 2023 with a one-year transition period. GOTS Version 7.0 and its accompanying Implementation Manual provides a comprehensive solution for companies who want to produce organic textiles and be supported to ensure compliance with environmental and human rights due diligence along the entire value chain, from field to finished product.

GOTS Version 7.0 also introduced a six-step due diligence process and handbook that equips GOTS-certified operations to proactively identify, assess and mitigate adverse impacts throughout their value chains.

Looking to the future
GOTS initiated in 2023 two major projects in India, the globe’s largest producer of organic cotton. The Farm-Gin Registry was introduced for the 2022-2023 harvest season, which acts as a link between farm and gin and is a tool to strengthen integrity by collecting organic raw seed cotton data producing farm or farm group.

GOTS, the European Space Agency (ESA) and software company Marple launched a new project that aims to show the potential for remote satellite monitoring of organic cotton cultivation systems. The project trained artificial intelligence (AI) to use ESA satellite data to detect cotton fields across India and automatically classify them according to their cultivation standard. By integrating standardised yield metrics, this innovative approach will enable GOTS to generate realistic estimates of organic cotton yields in specific areas. In addition, the project is expected to empower GOTS to recognise cotton fields that have not yet obtained organic certification but possess the potential for a transition to organic cultivation. The first results of the project will be announced in June.

Educating the consumer
GOTS, in its ongoing commitment to stakeholder education, orchestrated in November an immersive 360-degree awareness and educational campaign. Successfully engaging both consumers and industry professionals, the initiative shined a spotlight on GOTS-certified companies and their products, which empowered consumers to make more conscientious choices while shopping. With an impressive turnout of over 250 certified entities, the campaign made a significant global impact, reaching more than 21 million unique individuals worldwide.

Cascale, a non-profit alliance for driving impact in consumer goods (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), announces Colin Browne as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2024.

Browne previously served as Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Under Armour, a Cascale member. During his tenure at Under Armour, Browne oversaw sustainability efforts and, in addition, led significant transformations across supply chain, go-to-market and technology. In 2023, the company shared achievements related to its environmental footprint, product circularity, and renewable energy goals – some accomplished with Cascale’s Higg Index suite of tools.

Prior to joining Under Armour, Browne was managing director of Asia Sourcing for VF Corporation, a Cascale member that includes The North Face, Timberland, Vans, and Smartwool brands. In addition to his experience leading brands, Browne also spent four years running manufacturing plants in Thailand and began his career at Bally Shoe factories in the UK. He has lived and worked in the UK, South Korea, mainland China, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and the USA; his international experience and localized approach underscore his commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) both in and outside of the workplace. Browne also served as the Chairman of the American Apparel and Footwear Association and was on the board of the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries. As a member of the Worldly Board, the leader in environmental and social impact data for the apparel and footwear industry and the exclusive platform for Cascale’s Higg Index tools, Browne will ensure a unified approach to advancing sustainability initiatives across both organizations.

During his first 100 days with Cascale, Browne will connect with the organization’s 300+ members across the value chain, emphasizing manufacturer engagement and relationship building. He will also engage Cascale’s broader ecosystem of stakeholders including NGOs, governments, and academia. Browne is personally committed to Cascale’s vision to lead the consumer goods industry to combat climate change, foster decent work for all, and build a nature-positive future.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, held its officer elections for fiscal year 2024 at its annual meeting April 9-11.
NCTO has elected Charles Heilig, President of Parkdale Mills, as Chairman; and Chuck Hall, President and CEO of Barnet, as Vice Chairman.

In addition to the appointment of a new chairman and vice chairman, NCTO elected chairs for each of its five councils. NCTO is comprised of five councils to ensure a broad representation of the industry supply chain. Each council has an allotted number of members who are elected to the association’s Board of Directors, in addition to the Executive Committee.

Elected as NCTO Chairman and Vice Chairman for 2024:

• Chairman – Charles Heilig, President of Parkdale Mills based in Gastonia, North Carolina, a leading American manufacturer of yarn and cotton consumer products.
• Vice Chairman – Chuck Hall, President and CEO of Barnet based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a 125-year-old manufacturer of technical textiles.

Elected to the NCTO Board of Directors:

• Fiber Council – David Adkins of Lenzing; John Freeman of Nan Ya Plastics; and Melissa Stewart of The LYCRA Company
• Yarn Council – Justin Ferdinand of Kentwool; Peter Iliopoulos of Gildan; Eddie Ingle of Unifi; Eric Noe of Buhler Quality Yarns; Marvin Smith of Shuford Yarns; and Jay Todd of Service Thread
• Fabric and Home Products Council – David Smith of Milliken & Company; James McKinnon of Cotswold Industries; Blake Millinor of Valdese Weavers; Leib Oehmig of Glen Raven; Dan Russian of Sage Automotive Interiors; and Walter Spiegel of Standard Textile
• Finished Textiles and Apparel Products Council – Marisa Fumei-South of Two-One-Two New York (Alternate: Gabrielle Ferrara of Ferrara Manufacturing)
• Industry Support Council – Todd Bassett of Fi-Tech; Greg Duncan of American Truetzschler; and Jim Reed of YKK Corp.

Elected by their respective Councils to serve on the Executive Committee:
David Adkins, Lenzing; Eddie Ingle, Unifi; Marvin Smith, Shuford Yarns; David Smith, Milliken & Company; James McKinnon, Cotswold Industries; Marisa Fumei-South, Two-One-Two New York; Gabrielle Ferrara, Ferrara Manufacturing; and Todd Bassett, Fi-Tech.

NCTO Chairman Charles Heilig has elected additional executives to serve on the Executive Committee: Anderson Warlick of Parkdale Mills; Norman Chapman of Inman Mills; John Maness of Gildan; Amy Bircher Bruyn of MMI Textiles; and Jackie Ferrari of American Fashion Network.

Elected to chair the Councils:

• Fiber Council: David Adkins of Lenzing
• Yarn Council: Justin Ferdinand of Kentwool
• Fabric and Home Products Council: David Smith of Milliken & Company
• Finished Textiles and Apparel Products Council: Marisa Fumei-South of Two-One-Two New York.
• Industry Support Council: Todd Bassett of Fi-Tech

Vandewiele Sweden is spearheading a transformation in B2B operations for the industry, with a new e-commerce platform developed in Sweden. The company, a member of TMAS, the Swedish Textile Machinery Association, has taken on the task of developing the digital solution that will meet the future demands for Vandewiele Group customers worldwide.

The Vandewiele Sweden team has developed a user-friendly interface that exploits the latest "exploding view" diagrams to ensure customers can easily identify and order the components they need, all within a 1:1 digital representation. The next stage in 3D technology is set up and ready, although it awaits implementation and market readiness to fully integrate and utilize its features.

Adopting a phased approach, the company is initially introducing its IRO-branded accessories, spare parts and gauge parts, targeting textile mills, weavers and distributors. The platform has been carefully crafted to cater to the varying needs of its diverse clientele, offering streamlined direct sales and a transparent commission structure for agents and distributors.

With an ambitious logistics promise of 48-hour dispatch and leveraging third-party payment service providers like Nets, the company assures speed and reliability in every transaction.

Scheduled for launch in April, Vandewiele stands ready to introduce its new e-commerce solution to key markets, including Scandinavia, the Baltics, parts of Europe, Turkey, and India.

Stratasys Ltd. announced the launch of its Direct-to-Garment (D2G) solution for the J850 TechStyle™ printer, the newest offering in the Stratasys 3DFashion™ direct-to-textile printing technology. The first example of its application is an Urban Tattoo denim collection which will be revealed at the Texprocess exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany on April 23.

The D2G solution is ideal for customization and personalization by enabling the application of full color multi-material 3D print directly on fully assembled garments of various fabric types including denim, cotton, polyester, and linen. It allows fashion brands to facilitate personalized and bespoke designs for customers, including the ability to tailor 3D prints according to individual preferences, sizes, and styles.  

Available in two sizes, the D2G tray kits facilitate the personalization of garments ranging from jeans to jackets, enabling designers and manufacturers to adopt more sustainable practices by reducing material waste. The seamless workflow delivers ease of calibration and compatibility with various garment sizes, streamlining the production process and fostering the creation of unique, personalized apparel.

Demonstrating this innovation, the Urban Tattoo collection showcases the potential and the ease of direct-to-garment 3D printing. Working with noted designers Karim Rashid, Travis Fitch, Zlatko Yanakiev at Meshroom along with Foraeva Studio, this collection shows the transformation of ordinary garments into pieces of wearable art, imbuing them with personal identity and meaning.

Like body tattoos, Urban Tattoos promote a deeper emotional connection, encouraging the upcycling of existing garments and contributing to a more sustainable fashion ecosystem. This aligns with Stratasys’ strategy for Mindful Manufacturing™. Stratasys has been able to create a new collection that will appeal to multiple brands that reach across diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Archroma and ColorDigital GmbH, a company in textile supply chain digitalization, are joining forces to bring the library of engineered color standards to the DMIx ecosystem of fashion brands and suppliers.

All 5,760 color references in the Color Atlas by Archroma® will be integrated into ColorDigital’s DMIx interactive collaboration platform, enabling brands to embrace almost unlimited color creativity with an assurance of color precision. Based on digital twin technology, the DMIx solution ensures that color choices are aligned across design, sourcing and production, reducing sampling costs and collection development time as well as improving color accuracy and end-product quality. DMIx marks a significant step forward in enhancing color management processes for both digital product creation (DPC) and physical production.

Sustainability is an essential factor for both Archroma and DMIx. Colors in the Archroma Color Atlas are formulated to comply with leading eco-standards while also delivering consistent and accurate color reproduction. This complements the DMIx ImpAct approach, which provides data on the environmental impact of raw materials to enable brands to select inputs that meet their sustainability targets.

A new feature on the DMIx platform is DMIx eXcite, an inspirational material and color-trend hub that uses interactive moodboards to share new color and material scenarios ahead of each season. Designers and colorists will be able to directly use colors presented in the eXcite trend reports, including colors from the Color Atlas by Archroma®, across the DMIx color and 3D technology tools.

Quickly becoming the benchmark for sustainability, circularity presents a simple solution for many of the world’s complex waste issues. However, in a quickly changing textile marketplace with increasing regulatory pressures, designing circular products can be anything but simple.

To help demystify this accelerating paradigm shift, the Designing for Circularity panel is coming to Portland’s Functional Fabric Fair, where expert panelists will inform and inspire the next generation of product designers and developers.

Scheduled for Wednesday, April 17th at 2:00pm and hosted by textile industry communications agency Formidable Media, the Designing for Circularity panel will bring together experts in materials sourcing, textile finishes, trims, sustainability, recycling, natural materials, and more, to help designers, product developers, and brand representatives make the choices needed to become leaders in the future of sustainable products.

“Fashion is regularly listed among the top five largest polluting industries in the world and our panel of experts hope to  help shape future design and sustainability decisions to mitigate fashion’s outsized impact on the environment,” said Scott Kaier, Founder and President of Formidable Media. “Informed and innovative design is the first step in creating circular products, so today’s designers will be instrumental in creating a cleaner, more sustainable future.”

Hand-picked from across the outdoor, fashion, lifestyle, and footwear industries, the Designing for Circularity panelists include:

• Daniel Uretsky, President, ALLIED Feather + Down
• Martin Flora, VP of Business Development, Green Theme Technologies
• Sarah Schlinger, R&D Commercialization Manager, Woolmark
• Sharon Perez, Senior Business Development Manager, Lenzing Group
• Brian La Plante, Senior Manager of Sustainability, YKK
• Theresa McKenney Director of Sustainability, NEMO Equipment

In accordance with California’s Proper Labeling of Wet Wipes law (AB 818), state wastewater agencies and industry experts went deep to find out exactly what is passing through—and clogging up—municipal wastewater systems. The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) alongside the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) released the results from the largest known domestic sewage collection study conducted to reveal what’s really being flushed down the drain – and shouldn’t be.

“We took a forensic approach to this collection study, engaging industry and wastewater experts to examine our findings and determine what exactly is being flushed and how much of it,” said Adam Link, Executive Director at CASA, a co-sponsor of the Proper Labeling of Wet Wipes Law. “Now that we have the data to see what Californians are flushing and the types of non-flushable items that are causing issues within wastewater systems, local agencies can refine their public outreach and messaging to target specific problems and educate more efficiently.”

Collection and material investigation took place in October 2023 at two locations: Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) in Southern California and Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) in the greater San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. Wastewater and wipes experts collected, sorted and identified more than 1,700 items pulled from the two locations during peak flow times. Kennedy Jenks, an independent engineering firm, designed the study and compiled the findings into the report.

Why Study What’s Being Flushed?
When products that aren’t meant to be flushed down the toilet wind up in the sewer system, it can cause serious threats to public and environmental health. In fact, estimates show that local public agencies throughout California (and the ratepayers they represent) are spending more than $47 million annually to repair wastewater treatment equipment and respond to sewer overflows caused by improper flushing.

“Part of keeping communities healthy requires not flushing things we shouldn’t,” said Lara Wyss, President of the RFA. “However, the data to support which non-flushable items to target as part of education campaigns has been lacking. That’s likely why when we surveyed Californians about what they are flushing, the results revealed that approximately 25% think baby wipes are flushable (which is never true) and 60% self-reported that they flushed something they knew they shouldn’t have.2 Our study results reinforce that finding, as more than 99% of materials collected were items that shouldn’t have been flushed.”

The breakdown of items collected from pipes at the two study locations included:
•    34.1% wipes labeled with the “Do Not Flush” symbol (baby wipes, cleaning wipes, makeup wipes, etc.)
•    64.9% other non-flushable items (paper towels, period products, trash, etc.)
•    0.9% wipes labeled as flushable

“We pulled material larger than 1-inch square directly from the bar screens, and it wasn’t until everything was sorted and identified that we could see what we actually had,” said Matt O’Sickey, Director of Education and Technical Affairs, INDA. “There were a lot of paper towels and baby wipes and all of the ‘Do Not Flush’ labeled wipes we collected were fully intact, showcasing why they should never be flushed.”

What Not to Flush—and How We Tell Consumers
According to the Proper Wet Wipes Labeling law, manufacturers of non-flushable wipes, including products such as baby wipes, cleaning wipes, makeup removal wipes and many others that are primarily used in a bathroom setting must include the “Do Not Flush” symbol on the front of the packaging.
The #FlushSmart consumer education campaign promotes the “Do Not Flush” symbol and provides information on what should and should not be flushed. The message shared with consumers is simple: Look for the “Do Not Flush” symbol on wipes packaging, and if you see it – throw the wipe out. Extrapolating from the results of this study, refraining from flushing “Do Not Flush” labeled wipes, paper products and feminine hygiene products would capture over 90% of items clogging sewers.

The association has launched another initiative to promote upskilling and reskilling in the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industry: the “TCLF SkillBridge” project will focus on establishing regional skills partnerships.

In the context of the EU TCLF Pact for Skills, EURATEX will work together with CEC  and COTANCE  to support the creation of regional partnerships in the area skills; this new SkillBridge project, supported by the European Commission DG GROW, will specifically help to develop action plans with regional authorities, local TCLF industry and education providers. These action plans should respond to the changing needs of the TCLF industry in the area of education and skills. The project will also offer a mobility scheme for regional stakeholders from the industry and offer support to SMEs, to help them develop reskilling or upskilling initiatives in their company.

The TCLF SkillBridge project complements the MetaSkills and Aequalis projects, which have been launched earlier this year. They all share the same objectives which have been established in the TCLF Pact for Skills, and thus contribute to addressing one of the most critical bottlenecks which is faced by the TCLF industry: the shortage of qualified labour. These 3 projects will, collectively, allow EURATEX and its partners to work with all relevant stakeholders from our sector across the EU and beyond.

Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director General, welcomes these initiatives to support the TCLF industries: “Addressing the skills gap, and attracting young people with the right set of skills, is essential to strengthen the European textiles industry. We are grateful to the European Commission to offer the necessary support, and want to reach out especially to the regional authorities, to work together and design a skills strategy that works for its local TCLF industry.”