From the Sector

Companies, designers, architects and agencies worldwide are now invited to submit their products and projects for the German Design Awards 2025. The German Design Awards by the German Design Council honours projects that are pioneering in the German and international design landscape and highlights positive developments in circular design. The award not only makes success visible, but also opens up a network, international reach and additional market opportunities for the award winners. Application deadline is 6 September 2024.
 
Whether digitalisation, AI or circular design - the German Design Award platform reveals the contribution that design can make to the sustainable transformation of the economy. Now more than ever, outstanding design can provide answers to the challenges of our time, focussing on the impact of products and services on the planet and our society - through multi-perspective approaches, sustainable and circular design processes or resource- and environmentally friendly production. The German Design Award has set itself the goal of promoting the diverse transformation tasks of our time through design and providing orientation for others through outstanding examples.

Focus on circular design
Starting this year, companies and designers can submit their projects in an additional category called "Circular Design". This category recognises particularly innovative solutions that implement the current objectives of the circular economy and provide inspiring impulses.

The  international jury of the German Design Awards honours these pioneering design achievements in three main categories: "Excellent Product Design", "Excellent Communications Design" and "Excellent Architecture".

New category
To visualise pioneering developments in architecture through the influence of artificial intelligence and digital design methods, designers and developers can submit projects, service designs and virtual architectures in the "AI in Architecture and Metaverse Space Design" category from this year onwards.

Access to the American market
The German Design Council has entered into an exclusive TV partnership with CBS/Paramount's new US documentary series Europe ByDesign, offering German Design Award winners far-reaching opportunities to position themselves on the US market. You can present your work in the next season of Europe ByDesign, which will be broadcasted in prime time on CBS in the USA as well as streamed worldwide.
 
Important dates at a glance

• Call for entries: 23 April 2024
• Register at the Early Bird price: until 21 June 2024
• Deadline for grant applications: 30 August 2024
• Registration deadline: 6 September 2024
• Jury meeting: 26 and 27 September 2024
• Awards Show: Beginning of February 2025

RadiciGroup announced the launch of the first physical and digital nylon traceability project at Techtextil 2024. A gilet made from the yarn manufactured in one of the Group’s European industrial sites, which, thanks to a QR code on the garment, can reveal its origin and display information about its production process.

Product traceability is a key element in guaranteeing transparency along the entire supply chain, as it means each stage of production – from spinning to weaving and from packaging through to retail – can be monitored and recorded. The project, made possible by a partnership with FibreTrace, allows manufactured nylon yarns to be traced both physically and digitally. In fact, RadiciGroup inserts a tracer (an inorganic additive) that is uniquely associated with the yarn and remains identifiable throughout all stages of processing – on both the fabric and the finished garment. Naturally, the tracer does not alter the esthetical, functional and technical performance of the yarns in any way.

In terms of digital traceability, during the production stages a scanner detects the presence of the tracer and can transmit the data relating to provenance onto a dedicated digital platform. Finally, the consumer, via a QR code, can access the digital platform that provides all information concerning the provenance of the product and its journey through the supply chain.
 
“This project is the result of almost two years’ work by our Research & Development team. We’re very proud to bring to the market the first physical and digital nylon traceability solution and we plan to extend this initiative to other fibres produced by the Group,” emphasised Filippo Bona, R&D Manager of RadiciGroup Advanced Textile Solutions.

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.

Archroma and Cotton Incorporated, a research and promotion company for cotton, have renewed their eight-year collaboration to help accelerate the shift to more sustainable circular economy.

The two organizations began working together in 2016 when Cotton Incorporated approached Archroma with the goal of developing a dyestuff from the byproducts of cotton production.

The U.S., the world’s third-largest cotton producer and largest exporter, produces sustainable cotton fiber for the textile and apparel industry as well as cottonseed for food and animal feed. Cotton farming and processing also generate byproducts, such as burs, stems and leaves, that are used to create insulation, packaging, erosion control products, and more. Cotton Incorporated recognized the potential to use these natural byproducts to produce dyes.

Drawing on a century-long heritage of sulfur dye innovation, the Archroma research team was able to apply its patented EarthColors® technology to create DIRESUL® Earth-Cotton using cotton by products from the U.S. supply chain. An alternative to the usual oil-based dyes, Earth-Cotton allows brands to offer textile products in warm natural shades, using cotton to create both fabric and dye.

The Italian chemical company presents its solution for indigo garment dyeing EASYNDIGO in Amsterdam. The promise is to make indigo easy to obtain in just a few simple steps. The technology, based on the Pull&Push Mechanism, uses specific agents to enhance the two-phase dyeing process of raw garments with indigo.

1^st step: The pull mechanism
The Pull mechanism works on raw garments to pull indigo onto the fibers, using a special wetting and leveling agent called DETERWET EASYNDIGO, which acts as a solubilizer, ensures reproducibility and low-foaming, reducing dye migration during drying. It also involves the dispersing agent DISPERSOLO EASYNDIGO, effective for its diffusion-accelerating properties, which allows for a reduction in time and temperature of the dyeing process without compromising lightfastness.

2^nd step: The push mechanism
The Push mechanism works on dye bath to push the indigo into the fibers using an innovative compound named BASE EASYNDIGO and pre-reduced indigo DenimBlu30 by BluConnection. This method achieves a bright and deep indigo color, improves wash and rubbing fastness, enhances levelness, and is formaldehyde-free.

3^rd step
This extra phase is completely dedicated to creativity: with EASYNDIGO is easy to unleash it and get an authentic indigo garment, while reducing the consumption of water, energy and resources. Around these core concepts Officina39 continues to develop innovative solutions that make denim production increasingly responsible.

This innovative chemical package reaches its deepest effectiveness and gets power in combination with Tonello’s DyeMate technology: two Italian companies have combined their efforts to develop an innovative chemical and technological dyeing process.

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.

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, the 80th Annual General Meeting of Lenzing AG discharged the members of the Managing Board and the Supervisory Board for the 2023 financial year and set the remuneration of the members of the Supervisory Board for the 2024 financial year in advance.

Dr. Markus Fürst retired from the Supervisory Board at his own request with effect from the end of the General Meeting. Dr. Markus Fürst has been a member of the Supervisory Board and various committees of Lenzing AG since 2021.

The General Meeting elected Dr. Cornelius Baur as a new member of the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG until the end of the General Meeting that decides on the discharge for the 2028 financial year. In addition, Melody Harris-Jensbach’s mandate was extended until the Annual General Meeting that decides on the 2028 financial year.

The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG continues to consist of ten members elected by the Annual General Meeting: Dr. Cornelius Baur, Mag. Helmut Bernkopf, Dr. Christian Bruch, Dr. Stefan Fida, Dr. Franz Gasselsberger, Melody Harris-Jensbach, Cord Prinzhorn, MBA, Mag. Gerhard Schwartz, Dr. Astrid Skala-Kuhmann and Nicole van der Elst Desai. DI Stefan Ertl, Stephan Gruber, Bonita Haag, Helmut Kirchmair and Johann Schernberger were delegated to the Supervisory Board by the works council.

In the constitutive meeting of the Supervisory Board following the Annual General Meeting, Cord Prinzhorn, MBA, was elected Chairman and Dr. Stefan Fida was re-elected as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

KPMG Austria GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungs- u. Steuerberatungsgesellschaft was appointed as the auditor for the annual financial statements and the consolidated financial statements for the 2024 financial year.

Using bio-based and bio-degradable, recyclable insulation textiles to sustainably insulate heat and reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint - the Aachen-based start-up SA-Dynamics has developed a solution for this dream of many building owners together with industrial partners. SA-Dynamics won the second Innovation Award in the "New Technologies on Sustainability & Recycling" category at the leading textile trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess for this development.

The bio-based recyclable insulation textiles consist of 100 percent bio-based aerogel-fibres. They contain up to 90 percent air, trapped in the nano-pore system of the aerogel-fibres. The bio-based raw material is sustainably sourced and certified. The insulation textiles made from bio-based aerogel fibres are said to insulate the same or even better than synthetic insulating materials of fossil origin like PET, PE or PP and mineral or stone wool.

"By using bio-based aerogels, we are doing away with fossil-based materials and doing something for the environment and climate," explains Maximilian Mohr, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at SA-Dynamics. "We are thus meeting the regulatory measures of the EU and the governments of many countries for more climate and environmental protection. By using bio-based, recyclable aerogels, we can revolutionise the world of construction.“

The Aachen-based start-up SA-Dynamics is made up of researchers from the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) and the Institute of Industrial Furnace Construction and Heat Engineering (IOB) at RWTH Aachen University.

The bio-based aerogel fibres originate from the LIGHT LINING research project of the BIOTEXFUTURE innovation area. The LIGHT LINING research project focussed on sports and outdoor textiles. The research results are transferable to the construction sector.

The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards ceremony will take place on 23 April 2024 at 12.30 pm in Hall 9.0 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

Graniteville Specialty Fabrics has set new standards by challenging the traditional pad finishing process. With Baldwin Technology’s spray finishing technology, Graniteville Specialty Fabrics has been able to increase production efficiency, and minimize chemical and water waste.
 
Based in Graniteville, South Carolina, Graniteville Specialty Fabrics produces coatings and coated fabrics that are resistant to water, fire, UV and weather for the military, marine and tent markets. The installation of Baldwin’s TexCoat™ G4 is part of a facility upgrade to maximize production efficiency and capacity in the durable water-repellent finishing and coating line to meet growing customer demand for advanced engineered products.

With sustainability benefits, tracking and process control, and Industry 4.0 integration, the TexCoat™ G4 provides high-quality fabric finishing, with no chemistry waste, as well as minimal water and energy consumption. This system utilizes non-contact precision-spray technology, ensuring precise finishing coverage with the exact amount of chemistry. Changeovers (pad bath emptying, cleaning and refilling) are reduced, resulting in substantial chemical conservation and increased productivity.

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.