From the Sector

The premiere of the large Premium Group event cosmos in Berlin was with a number of visitors of 70% compared to before Corona a great success. The new combination of B2B and D2C, entertainment and edutainment, fashion and culture provided a lot of exchange, new input, ideas, contacts and 360 degree inspiration.

In focus: content & communication
With the conferences FASHIONTECH, CONSCIOUS CLUB Conference and The Ground Talks, the Premium Group Team put an additional focus on communication and edutainment. Important topics such as diversity, wellbeing, metaverse and sustainability were discussed and relevant lessons learned for the market, brands and consumers.

“Restart was a statement!”
“It's been quite a rodeo ride putting together two B2B trade shows, one D2C festival, three conferences, parties, dinners and receptions for so many different audiences and all while the pandemic continues in full swing – barring the rain and flight chaos. I would have wished that even more visitors would have come, but overall the restart was much better than expected. It was definitely an announcement." Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner Premium Group

New togetherness, new exchange, new ideas
With the premiere of the festival for style & culture, The Ground, young consumers and Berlin communities from GenZ and GenY were part of the Premium Group event cosmos for the first time. Almost 6000 fashion enthusiasts and trade visitors came together at The Ground. Exciting conversations, interactive fire moments and cool shows created a special vibe in and around the Palais am Funkturm. The focus was on young target groups wearing, feeling and thinking. How brands can reach young customers, communicate with them and build trust and much more.

New community through 'Larger than Life Ball'
On Saturday, the day with the most visitors at The Ground, the spectacular ballroom event, the Larger than Life Ball, curated by The House of Gorgeous Gucci in the summer garden of the Palais, caused enthusiasm. Numerous stars and friends of the international LGBTQ+ scene from New York, Rio de Janeiro and Berlin celebrated a colourful open-air party for over 5 hours with cool music and live MC, sensational outfits, plateau heels and wild vogueing and dance competitions on a water catwalk.

Must have PEACE charity initiative
The must-have PEACE merch collection initiated because of the Ukraine war in favour of Be An Angel e.v. was very well received. The sale of limited-edition clothing and accessories from Carry, Closed, Drykorn, Eastpak, Lala Berlin, Lee, Le Specs, MCM, Merz b. Swans and Wranglers as well as generous donations from Boss, among others, brought in a total of almost 15,000 euros. The remaining stocks are promoted and sold via influencer accounts.

January 2023: Happy Birthday, PREMIUM!
The next Premium Group event cosmos will take place from Tuesday, January 17th to Thursday, January 19th, 2023 with a B2B focus again at the Berlin exhibition centre. The focus is on a big anniversary: the PREMIUM will be 20 years old! After the successful kick-off, the CONSCIOUS CLUB Conference will also be further developed for the next round.

The Berlin Fashion Week and Premium Group events will take place at the same time again from 2023.

Facts

• Premium Group event cosmos
• 2 trade shows: PREMIUM and SEEK
• 1 festival: The Ground
• 3 conferences: FASHIONTECH, CONSCIOUS CLUB Conference, The Ground Talks
• More than 800 participating brands
• 45,000 sqm total area
• 50 talks & panels with 85 speakers
• Newcomer brands: 230 at PREMIUM, 134 at SEEK

ROICA™, Asahi Kasei's premium stretch fiber manufacturer, strengthens its presence in the high fashion segment thanks to its established network of partners, who will present their latest innovations - activated by ROICA™ - at the upcoming edition of Milano Unica, taking place at Rho Fiera Milano from 12th to 14th July 2022.

Going more in depth in the offers of ROICA™ partners for this season of Milano Unica, they are:

• Cifra, which presents its innovative garments for men and women, combining fashion and function. Base layers, tops, leggings and jumpsuits are made with natural yarns, or recycled pre- and post-consumer yarns in combination with ROICA™ EF, the sustainable recycled stretch yarn able to complete proposals that offer design, performance and responsibility. The design of the garments, created in Cifra's design office, offers a perfect shape with body mapping technology that creates dedicated ventilation zones, for a feeling of comfort and freshness as well as an innovative aesthetic impact.
• Iluna Group, whose journey into the new dimension of responsibility continues with developments in GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified recycled yarns aimed at unprecedented effects in looks, performance and hands. Brand new for this edition of Première Vision is the inclusion of GOTS-certified organic cotton in GRS-certified galloons and allover lace containing ROICA™ EF, so as to meet market demands for natural comfort in the underwear sphere.
• Maglificio Ripa, which presents the Splash collection for summer 2024, developed in two major themes, united by the same focus on sustainability that results in the use of recycled pre- and post-consumer polyamide and polyester yarns including ROICA™ EF for the sustainable recycled stretch fiber. The first theme encompasses printed, 3D jacquard fabrics, ennobled by innovative processes that move the bottoms for an organic and sometimes irreverent final look. The second theme embodies a cocoon spirit, enveloping like a caress, soft as a hug.
• Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italia, whose highlights of the new collection are on one side fabrics developed with the use of Neride eco yarns by Nurel with ROICA™ V550, characterized by restraining lace effect, soft touch and breathable, in combination with tulle as a sustainable basic, and on the other side charmeuses with soft hand, raw cut in combination with a band fabric from the dreamshape family with reinforced gripping edge, made again in Neride eco yarns by Nurel with ROICA™ V550
• Piave Maitex, whose orientation is, as always, to present new products with the right  balance between technological innovation and aesthetic look, between fashion and comfort, proposals that include sustainable fabrics made in recycled polyester,  polyamide and the sustainable recycled stretch fiber ROICA™ EF, three-dimensional and optical, perforated, plush effects, made by prioritizing technical functionalities such as waterproofness, breathability, transfer and moisture management, opacity and anti-UV as well as anti-abrasion.
• Sitip, which is one of the premium partners, together with ROICA™, for the creation of the first Scott Racing Team’s responsible biking uniform. This year, the evolution of research and development has also led to the creation of new responsible shorts, made with NATIVE-THUNDERBIKE POWER fabric by Sitip in recycled polyamide and ROICA™ EF yarn by Asahi Kasei. A fabric designed for high-performance sports, particularly suitable for making cycling pants for its maximum coverage and UV protection - thanks to ECLIPSE Sun Protection technology - breathability, comfort and fit. Also the shirt has been produced with Sitip recycled fabrics - NATIVE-BICIMANIA and NATIVE-PIRATA - made with Asahi Kasei's ROICA™ EF sustainable, stretch and certified recycled yarns.

ROICA™ strengthens its presence in the apparel segment thanks to its established network of partners, who will present their latest innovations at the upcoming Première Vision.

ROICA™ partners are the “artists” and “heartists” of premium stretch in fabrics: because they have at heart all the values for which ROICA™ stands for. These partners presenting at Première Vision are:

• Iluna Group, whose journey into the new dimension of responsibility continues with developments in GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified recycled yarns aimed at unprecedented effects in looks, performance and hands. Brand new for this edition of Première Vision is the inclusion of GOTS-certified organic cotton in GRS-certified galloons and allover lace containing ROICA™ EF, so as to meet market demands for natural comfort in the underwear sphere.
• Innova Fabrics, which recently enhanced its smart offering by launching the RF (Residual Free) line, with the goal of reducing the impact of microplastics derived from the fashion industry. This is made possible by mixing two responsible ingredients, SENSIL® BioCare by Nilit and ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei, which give birth to both sporty and casual fabrics.
• Inplet, which enriched its production of smart elastic and rigid knitted fabrics with three new products: a powernet fabric in 77% polyamide RECO and 23% ROICA™ EF with good recovery; a net fabric in 55% polyamide RECO and 45% ROICA™ EF characterized by a soft hand and good elasticity; and a 79% polyamide and 21% ROICA™ V550 good power, good recovery and a soft touch.
• Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italia, whose highlights of the new collection are on one side fabrics developed with the use of Neride eco yarns by Nurel with ROICA™ V550, characterized by restraining lace effect, soft touch and breathable, in combination with tulle as a sustainable basic, and on the other side charmeuses with soft hand, raw cut in combination with a band fabric from the dreamshape family with reinforced gripping edge, made again in Neride eco yarns by Nurel with ROICA™ V550
• Tessitura Colombo Antonio, which in its new A/W 23-24 collection expands its proposal of regenerated lace from the ECO-LACE line: new designs inspired by fashion trends using ROICA™ EF. Also, in its BIODEGRADABLE line it uses ROICA™ V550 for the realization of new designs. The new MICROMODAL line uses ROICA™ V550; the effect of this lace range is softness, elegance and relief effect.

ITM 2022 hosted textile technology leaders in Istanbul for 5 days, presenting the latest innovations in every field of textile from weaving, knitting, yarn, digital printing, finishing to denim. The ITM 2022 Exhibition, where a business volume of over 1.5 billion Euros was created in 5 days, accelerated the Turkish and world economy.

Organized by the partnership of Teknik Fairs Inc. and Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım Inc., ITM 2022- International Textile Machinery Exhibition was held at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center between 14-18 June.  ITM 2022 Exhibition, attended by 1280 companies and company representatives from 65 countries, was visited by 64,500 people from 102 countries, consisting of 44% international and 56% domestic visitors.

Turkey became a Supply Center at the ITM 2022 Exhibition
The successful sales graph achieved at the ITM 2022 Exhibition proved that the difficulties experienced due to the pandemic for the last 3 years have been left behind. Turkey has become a supply center for European, Middle Eastern and African countries, especially with the disruption of the supply chain in Far East countries, including China. The profile of the professional visitors visiting the ITM 2022 Exhibition revealed that in the new world order that has shifted after the pandemic, the trade network has also changed hands and new players have appeared on the scene. The fact that manufacturers from all over the world such as Andorra, Angola, Honduras, Peru, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Egypt, Iran, and Oman purchased a large number of machinery and signed collaborations at the ITM 2022 Exhibition has proven this.

Exhibitors of ITM 2022 enlarge their stands for ITM 2024
Many company officials, who stated that they have achieved a sales graphic far above their expectations starting from the very first day of the ITM 2022 Exhibition and that they have hosted visitors from all over the world, decided to enlarge their stands at the ITM 2024 Exhibition. During the exhibition, companies visited the registration application points and applied for ITM 2024 participation.

The next meeting of the ITM and HIGHTEX Exhibitions will be held in Istanbul between 4-8 June 2024.

Archroma launched Perapret® AIR liq, a new light-activated air purification technology for all kinds of fabrics. The new innovation was presented at the Techtextil last month.

The mineral-based Perapret® AIR liq eliminates air pollutants and airborne smells by imitating the natural process of photocatalysis under normal day and artificial light sources.

The chemistry usually used in such applications is nano-sized TiO2 (dioxide titanium), which attack every organic matter, including the textile fiber, and not only pollutants.

Perapret® AIR liq is produced using a patented Core Shell technology that partially surrounds the TiO2 molecules, solving the issue of fiber damage, and at the same time still allowing the photocatalytic process to work efficiently.

Therefore, the innovative Core Shell technology behind Perapret® AIR liq makes it possible to use the capabilities of nano-sized TiO2 also on organic based substances such as cotton, polyester, polyamide, viscose and any additional fiber and its blends.

In addition, the treatment is highly durable, as the product doesn’t self-consume and retains its performance over time.

Perapret® AIR liq is ideally suited for indoor applications, such as curtains, textile wall coverings, as well as cars and other automotive interiors, allowing to reduce air pollutants and airborne smells and thus improving overall air quality*.

The technology is at the core of CLEAN AIR, a new system that combines Perapret® AIR liq with other recent innovations such as Smartrepel® Hydro TS liq for PFC-free** durable water repellence, and Sanitized® T27-22 liq antimicrobial agent.

Exhibiting companies can now register for A+A 2023! The world's leading trade fair and congress event for personal protection, occupational safety and health at work will take place in Düsseldorf from 24 to 27 October 2023.

Under the motto "People count", numerous exhibitors will present innovative solutions and concepts for safe and healthy working at A+A 2023. This time, the thematic umbrella of the international trade fair is formed by the megatrends of digitalisation and sustainability.

Decision-makers and experts will find cross-sector solutions and answers to the important questions surrounding a safe, healthy and sustainable workplace. From personal protective equipment (PPE), operational fire protection, environmental protection or disaster prevention to offers for ergonomic and healthy workplace design.

The focus will be on topics such as sustainability and the circular economy of products, digital services in the provision, care and storage of PPE, mobile working, exoskeletons (wearable robots) and wearables. Forums and side events as well as an innovative Start-up Zone complement the trade fair and set new, future-oriented impulses.

For more information and registration click here.

The ReHubs initiative brings together key European and world players to solve the European textile waste problem by transforming “waste” into a resource, and to boost textile circular business model at large scale.

This collaboration is set to turn the societal textile waste issue into a business opportunity and to fulfil the EU ambitions of the Green Deal, of the mandatory texile waste collection by end 2024 and the transition into Circular Economy.

In 2020 EURATEX launched the ReHubs initiative to promote collaboration across the extended textile value chain and considering all perspectives on chemicals, fibers making, textiles making, garments production, retail and distribution, textiles waste collection, sorting and recycling.

In June 2022 ReHubs completes a Techno Economic master Study (TES) which researches critical information on the feedstock (textile waste) data, on technology, organizational and financial needs to recycle 2.5 million tons of textile waste by 2030 and to effectively launch the ReHubs.

EURATEX’s ReHubs initiative plans to pursue fiber-to-fiber recycling for 2.5 million tons of textile waste by 2030
According ReHubs Techno Economic Master Study (TES), the textile recycling industry could generate in Europe around 15,000 direct new jobs by 2030, and increase need for nearshoring and reshoring of textile manufacturing.

The textile recycling industry in Europe could reach economic, social and environmental benefits for €3.5 billion to €4.5 billion by 2030
“Transform Waste into Feedstock” announced as first project supported by the ReHubs, and aiming at building up a first 50,000 tons capacity facility by 2024.

Europe has a 7-7.5 million tons textile waste problem, of which only 30-35% is collected today.  

Based on the ambitious European Waste law, all EU Member States must separately collect the textile waste in 2 years and half. While some countries are designing schemes to face the waste collection challenge, currently no large-scale plan exist to process the waste.

The largest source of textile waste (85%) comes from private households and approximately 99% of the textile waste was made using virgin fibers.

Euratex  assesses that to reach a fiber-to-fiber recycling rate of around 18 to 26 percent by 2030, a capital expenditure investment in the range of 6 billion € to 7 billion € will be needed, particularly to scale up sufficient sorting and processing infrastructure. The economic, social, and environmental value which could be realized, potentially total an annual impact of €3.5-4.5 billion by 2030.

Once matured and scaled, the textile recycling industry could become a profitable industry with a total market size of 6-8 billion € and around 15,000 direct new jobs by 2030.

Next steps of the ReHubs initiative

• A European textile recycling roadmap proposing Objectives and Key Results to recycle fiber-to-fiber 2.5 million of textile waste by 2030
• A leading collaboration hub with large players and SMEs from across an extended European textile recycling value chain
• A first concrete portfolio of 4 launching projects:
  - Transform textile waste into feedstock
  - Increase the adoption of mechanically recycled fibers in the value chain
  - Expand capacity by solving technical challenges for thermo-mechanical textiles recycling
  - Create capsule collection with post-consumer recycled products

The 1^st project addresses current sorting technologies which have limits to identify materials with sufficient accuracy for the subsequent circular recycling processes. The “Transform Waste into Feedstock” project will focus on further developing and scaling such sorting technologies. The project group led by Texaid AG aims on building up a first 50,000 tons facility by the end 2024.

• ITA Augsburg und Hochschule Augsburg setzen Modellfabrik zum nachhaltigen Stoffkreislauf im Rahmen des KI-Produktionsnetzwerks Augsburg um

Nur ein Prozent der Textilien wird aktuell im weltweiten Stoffkreislauf recycelt. Schnelllebige Modetrends, die ausgelagerte Unternehmensverantwortung und eine allgemein sinkende Rohstoffqualität befeuern diese Entwicklung. Das Recycling Atelier, das die Hochschule Augsburg und das Institut für Textiltechnik Augsburg (ITA Augsburg) eröffnet haben, stellt sich diesem Trend entgegen.

Das Recycling Atelier ist die erste Modellfabrik, die sich in Forschung und Entwicklung gemeinsam mit Partnern aus der Industrie dem nachhaltigen Stoffkreislauf entlang der kompletten textilen Produktionskette widmet.

Das Recycling Atelier bietet als erste Modellfabrik ein weltweit bisher einzigartiges Konzept für ein ganzheitliches Recycling von Textilien an. Die Wissenschaftler:innen von ITA und Hochschule forschen dort an sämtlichen Prozessschritten des Textilrecyclings: von der Materialanalyse, über die Sortierung, die Aufbereitung und die textile Verarbeitung, bis hin zur Produktgestaltung. Sie betreiben die Prozesse zunächst modellhaft mit dem Fokus auf einer sinnhaften Produktion, bevor dann die Skalierung auf einen industriellen Produktionsmaßstab erfolgt.

Die Schwerpunkte des Recycling Ateliers liegen auf der Entwicklung neuer Produkte und Prozesse für textile Sekundärrohstoffe und der Erarbeitung von Konzepten für das vollständige Verwerten von Alttextilien mit bestmöglicher Qualität sowohl durch integriertes und hochwertiges Recycling als auch durch kreislauforientiertes Produktdesign. Die Ergebnisse münden letztendlich im industriellen Einsatz von Recyclingkonzepten und schlagen die Brücke hin zu aktuellen Geschäftsmodellen.

Bei jedem Prozessschritt unterstützen Unternehmen aus der gesamten Wertschöpfungskette die Forschung und bringen die industrielle Sichtweise und Kompetenz ein. In einem großen Workshop-Areal bietet das Recycling Atelier in Kooperation mit internationalen Unternehmen die Möglichkeit, die Produkte der Firmen auf den Prüfstand zu stellen und im direkten Austausch neue Konzepte für eine nachhaltige Textilproduktion zu erarbeiten.

Der Augenmerk liegt vor allem auf dem Bereich der Digitalisierung: Durch eine hochwertige und moderne Erfassung, Aufbereitung und Auswertung von Daten sollen neue Produktionsprozesse ermöglicht werden. Dabei wird der Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz im Bereich des maschinellen Lernens und der Neuronalen Netze für die Textilbranche erforscht.

Das Recycling Atelier ist ein Beitrag der Hochschule Augsburg und des ITA Augsburg zum KI-Produktionsnetzwerk Augsburg. Das KI-Produktionsnetzwerk Augsburg, eingerichtet von der Bayerischen Landesregierung, ist ein Verbund von zahlreichen KI-Kompetenzträgern im Großraum Augsburg. Verbundpartner sind die Universität Augsburg, das Fraunhofer-Institut für Gießerei-, Composite- und Verarbeitungstechnik IGCV, das Zentrum für Leichtbauproduktionstechnologie (ZLP) des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Augsburg sowie die Hochschule Augsburg. Beteiligt sind zudem auch regionale Industriepartner. Ziel ist eine gemeinsame Erforschung KI-basierter Produktionstechnologien an der Schnittstelle zwischen Werkstoffen, Fertigungstechnologien, datenbasierter Modellierung und digitalen Geschäftsmodellen.

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is endorsing further sustainable products with its ECO-CHECK label introduced last year. These products comply with various environmental criteria. With immediate effect, five more solutions bear the label making the company’s commitment to sustainability visible.

Leather goods
The newly-endorsed ECO-CHECK products include one Evolon® microfilament textile application. This is a reinforcement material for leather goods that is manufactured with no solvent and no binder. It contains up to 80 percent recycled PET and is suitable for a broad range of applications. The material is produced at Freudenberg’s facility in Colmar, France, where the manufacturing process is highly sustainable: it is certified to STeP by OEKO-TEX® and fully complies with the DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® criteria.

Healthcare applications
In the field of healthcare, the bio-based M 1714 wound pad with superior absorption for more challenging wounds has now been endorsed with the ECO-CHECK label. The dressing consists of a mix of bio-based fibers derived from natural sources and exhibits a smooth wound contact layer. The product has been evaluated for industrial compostability and conforms to ISO 13432.

Architectural applications
The sustainable TF 400 Eco F mesh fabric for textile architecture from Mehler Texnologies® now also bears the ECO-CHECK label. Its yarn is made of 100% recycled PET bottles and its characteristics are very similar to those of conventional mesh fabrics. In 2021, it was awarded first place by the Architectural Membrane Association (AMA) in the “product” category in recognition of its properties.

Shoes
In the shoe industry, the binder-free strobel insoles have been endorsed as particularly sustainable. They contain a high percentage of recycled green bottle flakes. Moreover, the insoles themselves are fully recyclable.

Filtration applications
The two layered, needle-punched nonwoven filter medium that has just been endorsed with the ECO-CHECK label has impressive sustainability characteristics. Made entirely of polyester, more than half the fibers consist of recycled material.

Lectra, whose connected industrial equipment and software facilitate the digital transformation and Industry 4.0 transition of fashion, automotive and furniture companies, announces its selection for the new Euronext Tech Leaders stock market index. This brings Lectra into the community of European technology leaders identified by Euronext as innovative and high-growth companies.

The new Euronext Tech Leaders market index, launched on June 7, comprises 100 European technology companies listed on the Euronext markets, which meet various performance and growth criteria. With the launch of this initiative, Euronext aims to offer better visibility and new services to selected European technology leaders.

Lectra is one of the 41 French companies that are now members of Euronext Tech Leaders. The company, founded in 1973 on a close relationship with fashion industry players, has also for the last three decades worked globally with automotive equipment and furniture manufacturers. In its three strategic markets, Lectra sells connected equipment that optimizes the cutting processes of fabric, leather and other soft materials used by manufacturers, and markets software and services that streamline their production processes while enabling them to be more agile and make considerable material savings.

In fashion, through the use of market data – made accessible and exploitable by the Internet of Things, the cloud, artificial intelligence and big data – Lectra’s software solutions also enable a better understanding of consumers’ behavior. They therefore facilitate strategic decision-making for brands, manufacturers and distributors at the key steps in the value chain of design, production and distribution. In this industry, the impact of Lectra’s solutions on reducing material consumption is even greater because it takes effect as early as the garment design stage.

Technology and innovation are therefore at the heart of Lectra’s strategy, with the company aiming to become a key player in Industry 4.0 in its strategic markets by 2030.