Sportstextiles Issue 4 2025

30th YEAR

Engineered breathability

Mill

Low ­ impact dyes

Can regs drive brands to next ­ gen fibres?

The Perfetto RoS 3 jacket from Castelli is the first garment constructed from Polartec’s AirCore fabric. It offers stretch, rain protection and comfort, but breathability is its beating heart. IMAGE:

14 Biotech dyes at the starting blocks

After decades of lab work, fermentation­based colourants are ready to enter the mainstream, with biotech indigo leading the charge.

18 Newcomers: The loop closes

Editor Stephen Tierney

Deputy editor

Clare Grainger

Consultant technical editor

Sophie Bramel

Consultant editor

David Buirski

Publisher Simon Yarwood

Design

Tim Button

Subscriptions manager

John Collins

Administration

Lisa Fabian­Smith

Editorial enquiries stephen@worldtrades.co.uk

Natural performance and lower impact credentials are driving a new wave of hemp innovation, making the bast fibre more mill­friendly and ready to scale.

A new partnership between Hyosung and recycling specialist Loop Industries is paving the way for textile­to­textile polyester recycling, with a first large­scale facility planned in India for 2027.

20 Rise to the Challenge: Polartec and Castelli

High levels of breathability, through a continuous moisture vapour exchange, is why a new three­layer fabric, Polartec AirCore, is keeping wearers of a new Castelli cycling jacket dry from the inside out.

24 Footwear technology: Biomechanics first

The debut models from Danish start­up Movv promise ligament and bone benefits to runners; the shoes have an understanding of the human foot as their starting point.

28 Sustainability: Regulation welcome

Industry commentators at London’s Future Fabrics Expo argue that strict, new EU regulations can force brands’ hands on choosing recycled, biobased, lower­impact fibres, textiles, dyes and finishes, and help scale up adoption.

31 Dialogue: Martin Daniels, Haglofs

The chief executive of outdoor brand Haglöfs insists that products must be long­lasting and repairable, because circularity begins with durability and all good things deserve a second life.

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Global news

Italy The European Outdoor Group (EOG) has revealed that the trade show Outdoor is to return. It will take place from 17­18 May 2026 in Riva del Garda, Italy, and will form part of a new initiative called European Outdoor Week. This will also incorporate the Outdoor Impact Summit, an EOG Assembly, outdoor awards ceremony and a “festival” for trade and consumer visitors.

France French label Cévène, founded this year by Renaud Martel, has taken the bold move to offer functional outdoor styles made without any synthetics, without sacrificing performance, style or comfort. In addition to fully natural fibre fabrics, the brand has also chosen components that are not derived from petrochemical sources. “Many brands may favour natural fibre textiles but without forgoing nylon or polyester linings, or synthetic rubber,” the company pointed out.

Egypt Textiles and garment manufacturer Interloop is investing $35 million in a new manufacturing facility in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone. The 60,000 square­metre plant will be fully export­oriented and is expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs. Located on the Suez Canal, the new facility will help Interloop achieve shorter lead times and competitive costs, while Egypt’s trade agreements with the US, EU and regional blocs support diversified sourcing strategies for its partners, it said.

European Union The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation, or EuRIC, has rebranded itself Recycling Europe. The body represents the interests of European recyclers of textiles and other materials. “While our name has changed, our mission remains the same: to ensure that recyclers are recognised and empowered as indispensable partners in building Europe’s circular and resilient economy,” said secretary general of the association, Julia Ettinger.

Slovakia Biotech companies Evonik and AMSilk have announced a new stage in their ongoing partnership. Building on a first manufacturing agreement in 2023, they have now commissioned a manufacturing line to be installed at Evonik’s biotech production hub in Slovakia. The facility, which runs on renewable energy, will begin producing silk proteins for AMSilk.

Romania Outdoor performance clothing brand Odlo and chemical recycler DePoly have completed a proof­of­concept project to assess the feasibility of converting post­industrial waste from Odlo’s production into virgin­quality recycled polyester yarns using DePoly’s patented chemical depolymerisation process. The project began in Romania, where Odlo’s Active Warm baselayers are made.

Lesotho The US set a tariff of 15% on imports from Lesotho at the end of July. In the major tariff announcements that US president, Donald Trump, made in April, he said the rates for Lesotho would be 50%. It was one of many places that exported much more to the US than it imported from there, creating a trade deficit. Even though the rate has ended up being substantially lower, garment manufacturers in Lesotho have said the reprieve has come too late.

UAE Canada Goose has announced an expansion plan for the Middle East. It has agreed a multi­year partnership with Beside Group, a retail and distribution company with operations across the Middle East, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. Canada Goose said this new partnership was a demonstration of its commitment to “unlocking global growth opportunities”. It said it would offer its full seasonal assortment of products through retail, wholesale and e­commerce opportunities that Beside Group will set up in the region.

Japan San Diego­based biotech company Genomatica, or Geno, has announced that Japanese conglomerate Sojitz is the first official partner and investor in a future production facility for its plant­based nylon 6. Key customers for this plant­derived raw material, branded Qira, include The Lycra Company and BASF. The factory is set to produce 66,000 tonnes of Qira per year.

Canada Two suppliers of sportswear basics have announced their intention to merge to create a stronger global entity in a crowded market. The transaction, in which Gildan is to acquire HanesBrands, values the US company at approximately $2.2 billion. “With this transaction, our revenues will double and we achieve a scale that distinctly sets us apart,” commented Glenn Chamandy, Gildan president and CEO. He noted that it gives the Canadian group “an opportunity to expand the heritage ‘Hanes’ brand presence in activewear across channels”.

India National investment promotion agency Invest India travelled to Taipei for the 2025 edition of the TITAS textile exhibition. It said its aim was to discuss manufacturing, collaboration and investment opportunities in India with Taiwanese textile companies. The agency has said India’s textile and apparel industry had a value of $165 billion in 2024, and has projected this figure to reach $350 billion by 2030.

Australia Biotech company Samsara Eco has officially opened a new facility near Canberra. Here, it will break down plastics and textiles using engineered enzymes in a process it calls EosEco. Samsara has developed two recycling technologies, one for PET plastics and polyester textiles and one for nylon 6.6. The new site will enable the company to expand its enzyme production, with promises of discovering other catalysts that can break down other waste materials.

China Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs has declared a “strategic restart” of its business in China and has opened its first store, in Shanghai. Daniel Stiller Cohn, head of sales operations at Haglöfs, said this year marked “a bold new chapter in Haglöfs’ journey across Asia”. It said the Shanghai opening was the first step in a plan to open 25 stores in 18 Chinese cities within 12 months.

Indonesia The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) has welcomed a new economic partnership between the European Union and Indonesia. FESI described Indonesia as a key manufacturing hub for the sporting goods industry. European brands will benefit from greater market access and certainty, while Indonesian suppliers, including thousands of small­ and medium­sized enterprises, will see expanded opportunities to connect with European consumers, it explained.

Thailand Chemicals group Indorama recently completed a project on plastic waste management with the education authorities in the city of Bangkok. This is the third year in which the project has run. On this occasion, Indorama teams worked with 100 schools across Bangkok to raise awareness of good practice in waste management. There was also a dedicated training programme for 40 teachers from 20 schools to increase their knowledge of waste management.

Leadership appointments at Lycra

Fibre producer The Lycra Company has named Robert Johnston (left) as its new chief operating officer. He was previously the group’s executive vice-president for operations.

At the same time, Lycra said it was appointing Doug Kelliher (right) to the position of executive vice-president for product. He will lead the product management team in developing and executing the group’s strategy for fibres, fabrics and garments. Mr Kelliher has been at Lycra for a year. He previously worked for Timberland, Velcro and Polartec.

Robert Johnston has worked at Lycra and its predecessor organisations in various roles for 35 years. In his new position, he will manage research and development, lab resources and pilot production to drive innovation across the product portfolio.

Diaspora inspiration

Sports group adidas has announced what it has called a long-term brand collaboration with Belgian streetwear label Arte Antwerp. The companies have not worked together before.

Adidas said it wanted the partnership to help it “re-envision contemporary sportswear silhouettes through the lens of street culture”. It said it wanted influences from the African diaspora to be a particular focus.

It said this would draw on the experience of Arte Antwerp’s founder and creative director, Bertony Da Silva, whose Angolan roots and European upbringing can help “untold stories” from athletes of the diaspora shape sports culture. “The collaboration aims to honour these cultural legacies,” adidas said.

The first product to emerge from the new partnership is a new footwear model, the Lightblaze POD. A first Lightblaze release came from adidas earlier this year. Arte Antwerp said it had contributed “touches of elegance and minimalism” to the new version.

Antwerp-born former Belgium international footballer Mousa Dembélé, who has Malian as well as Belgian roots, fronted the launch of the Lightblaze POD.

Promotion at Covation

Covation Biomaterials has promoted its vice-president of product & technology, Steven Ackerman, to CEO. He succeeds Dean Trivits, who served as CEO following Michael Saltzberg’s retirement in 2023.

Mr Ackerman said: “The growing global need for sustainable material innovation is clear. We’ll continue to build on our strong foundation to deliver even greater value to our partners and the planet.”

In 2022, Huafon Group bought DuPont Biomaterials and launched Covation Biomaterials. Covation makes Sorona, a 37% plant-based polymer used in wovens, knits, insulation and footwear; and Susterra propanediol, a 100% plant-based diol ingredient used in footwear, outdoor apparel and performance gear.

Hoops hopes for Puma

Puma has appointed Archie McEachern as the vice­president of its basketball business unit. He will be based in Boston and report to chief product officer Maria Valdes. He has previously held leadership roles at Nike and VF and was CEO of basketball innovation start­up 360 Hoops. Ms Valdes said: “Basketball has always been a part of Puma’s DNA, and as the game continues to grow globally, we’re confident that Archie will help expand our impact on and off the court.”

Cotton farmers choose

Cotton Australia, the industry body that represents cotton farmers there, has elected Liz Stott as its new chair. Ms Stott succeeds Nigel Burnett in the role. She and her husband grow cotton on 1,000 hectares of land at their farm in New South Wales. She has been on the board of Cotton Australia since 2021 and has been deputy chair for the last two years.

Sympatex switch

Head of sales and marketing at Sympatex Technologies, Kim Scholze, has become the company’s new chief executive. Dr Rüdiger Fox stepped down at the end of September after being in the role since 2016. Ms Scholze has more than 25 years’ experience in sales, marketing and platform building. She has worked for Salomon, Nitro Snowboards, Bench, Brands for Good and ISPO, helping the exhibition develop sustainability programmes.

Advisory role

Co­founder of textile traceability technology provider Oritain, Professor Russell Frew, has received a prime­ministerial appointment. New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has asked Professor Frew to sit on the country’s science, innovation and technology advisory council. He will become part of a team of scientists that will advise the government on how to leverage science and technology to drive economic growth and improve lives.

Wool is cool

Clothing label Luar worked with merino wool promotions body The Woolmark Company to develop clothing for

Climate commitments

The chief executive of outdoor brand Patagonia, Ryan Gellert, has said the company will continue investing in decarbonisation, insisting it is good for business as well as for the environment.

Mr Gellert published a guest article for Fortune in response to a recent announcement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is set reverse a 2009 ruling that gave the agency authority to regulate pollutants that “may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare”. In the article, Ryan Gellert said the EPA divesting itself of this authority was “truly Orwellian”, but not surprising.

He said the simplest response for businesses was to continue “doing the work”. He said companies that have made climate commitments must not back down from them now.

Capsule collection commemorates Eiger success

UK-based fashion designer Nigel Cabourn has created a capsule collection for Swiss outdoor brand Mammut which hails back to a famous expedition to the north face of the Eiger by a Japanese team in 1969. Michiko Imai, its only female member, became the first woman to participate in a successful ascent of the north face. The 27-year-old, at the time, who was the expedition’s medical doctor, helped establish a new ‘Direttissima’, or direct route to the summit.

Direttissima is also the name given to the 12-piece capsule collection by Nigel Cabourn, which launched on October 1. The designer known for his reworking of vintage clothing, drew inspiration from the equipment worn by the team in 1969.

Sourcing specialist joins Haelixa

Puma’s former chief sourcing officer, Anne-Laure Descours, has joined the board of Haelixa, a traceability solution provider. She is also a board-member of Gildan Activewear.

“Our biggest challenge is getting our solution to the right people,” said Haelixa CEO, Patrick Strumpf. He recruited the supply chain specialist specifically to address this gap in the company’s strategy.

Ms Descours is based in Hong Kong, from where she will reach out to manufacturers, instead of seeking to create traction by focusing on brands. In her career at Puma, she spearheaded the German brand’s Re:Fibre, polyester textile-to-textile recycling initiative.

Haelixa’s DNA-based physical tracer is easy to spray on at any point in the recycling process. This makes it possible to track the flow and percentage of mechanically recycled fibres in new materials and products, Mr Strumpf said.

Silk road

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has announced the appointment of Kenneth Le as managing director of Prodigy Silk, its spider silk production unit in Vietnam. Mr Le has held several positions within the company’s operations in south-east Asia. He oversaw the scaling of silkworm rearing and production systems there.

In this new position, he will continue to focus on increasing Prodigy Silk’s production capabilities, as well as strengthening ties with production partners. The company recently announced the addition of a second production facility and the successful running of an automated system that is able to process 250 kilos of cocoons at once.

“This demonstrates our ability to enhance fibre quality and adapt existing production capacity for spider silk manufacturing,” commented Jon Rice, chief operating officer of Kraig Labs.

Nike departure

Nike’s chief sustainability officer, Jaycee Pribulsky, has left the company. She had been in the role since February 2024, but had been at Nike for more than eight years. Before becoming the company’s chief sustainability officer, Ms Pribulsky had been, across her career there, Nike’s vice-president for global footwear sourcing and manufacturing, its vice-president for sustainable manufacturing and sourcing and its senior director in charge of its engagement on sustainable manufacturing and sourcing with campaign groups, universities and external stakeholders.

Venus Williams to wear in matches at the 2025 US Open. The collection included a black, knitted merino wool­rich mesh court dress and a jacket to complement the dress off court. Luar designer Raúl López said the tennis star had chosen to wear wool at the tournament because of the fibre’s natural performance qualities.

Communications role

Cellulosic fibre producer Lenzing has appointed Milena Ioveva as head of corporate communications, sustainability, investor relations and public affairs, a newly created position. Ms Ioveva most recently held a similar position at Vienna­based construction conglomerate Porr Ag. “As Lenzing continues to evolve, effective communication with all our stakeholders will be of paramount importance,” said the chief executive, Rohit Aggarwal

Insights in demand

Sports scientist and former Olympic champion in hammer­throwing Koji Murofushi took up an advisory role at sports brand ASICS at the start of October. ASICS said Mr Murofushi would work closely with the company to contribute insights from his “lifelong exploration of sport”. It said these insights would help guide research and innovation, and the development of products that support movement and enrich people’s lives.

A brand for all seasons

Outdoor brand Canada Goose is making adjustments to its product offering to become more of an all­seasons brand, chief executive Dani Reiss has said. Recent results show that the Toronto­based brand made 45% of total annual revenues in the quarter covering the winter period. Mr Reiss said that offering more products in non­winter categories would help growth. He said the brand was already finding success in its footwear category.

European push

Wellness technology provider Hyperice has signed Dutch international and Liverpool FC captain Virgil van Dijk as its latest athlete ambassador to mark the European launch of the Nike x Hyperice Hyperboot. The wearable device uses heat and dynamic air compression to accelerate warm­up and recovery.

Industry & Innovation

New fibre at ‘crucial time’

Specialist cellulosic fibre developer

Lenzing has said a new product, Tencel Lyocell HV100, offers savings of 50% in water consumption and in carbon emissions compared to generic lyocell.

Furthermore, it said the new fibre “mirrors nature’s irregularities” and will open up for mills a new range of fabrics with “an authentic, irregular texture”, and with the aesthetic of nature’s “undefined rawness”. It has achieved this by using cutting technology to create deliberate variations in fibre length, helping to produce the textured look typically associated with natural fibres.

Lenzing’s chief executive, Rohit Aggarwal, said on announcing the new fibre that it had arrived “at a crucial time” because of what he called the widening gap between demand and supply for fibres that offer natural aesthetics and sustainable solutions.

Panel discussion

Sports group adidas has presented the official match ball for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the US in June and July next year. Adidas has called the ball the Trionda, to reflect that the competition will, for the first time, have three host countries.

Construction consists of four panels with “intentionally deep seams and strategically placed debossed lines”, alongside embossed icons of the host nations. Adidas has said this creates a surface that produces “optimal in-flight stability” as a result of having “evenly distributed drag” as the ball travels through the air.

The embossed icons also provide, as added performance benefits, elevated grip on the ball when dribbling or striking it in wet or humid conditions.

Adapted leggings

Outdoor brand Berghaus has launched ZonalAdapt, a textile technology specifically for legwear. The company said the technology is “engineered to adapt to the way women’s bodies move and change”. Berghaus said ZonalAdapt is the result of an 18-month project that has been informed by extensive consumer insights.

Its research suggests that more than 50% of women avoid wearing their favourite clothes owing to feeling bloated at times, while 70% feel restricted in the leggings they can wear when their bodies fluctuate.

More than 100 women, anatomists and scientists “tested and shaped” the new products to work out the best way to adapt leggings “to the unique needs of a woman’s body”, the company said. In workshops and during hikes, Berghaus had honest conversations with women about comfort, which became the foundation for design decisions.

What emerged was that there is a zone from mid-torso to upper thigh where discomfort can hit women hardest. In garments, this affects waistbands that dig in, leggings that roll down and fabrics that chafe.

Ocean to ocean

Swimwear brand Speedo has launched a range made with its new Ocean Flex fabric. Ocean Flex is a swimwear fabric made from an 80/20 blend of Hyosung Regen Ocean 100% post­consumer nylon (made from discarded fishing nets), and its 100% recycled Regen Spandex. Speedo’s Ocean Flex swimwear is part of its Open Water collection. It features a women’s once piece swimsuit, a longsleeve, zip back, one­piece swimsuit, racer back crop top and boyleg bottom.

Circular push

Specialist zipper developer YKK presented some circular economy ideas at the 2025 Textile Exchange Conference in Lisbon in October. Ideas for enabling manufacturers and brands to make the transition to the circular economy that YKK presented included zipper and fastening products made from recycled inputs, including textile­to­textile and metal material recycling. This included the company’s Recycled Mono­material Detachable Button & Rivet, which was a winner at the 2025 Red Dot awards in the sustainable design category.

Lightweight

target

Specialty materials company Eastman presented a new cellulose acetate filament yarn from its Naia brand at the autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai in September. A result of its recently announced strategic partnership with Huafon Chemical, the new filament yarn offers higher tenacity than Naia Classic yarn, which will enable entry into lightweight fabric markets. They announced the partnership in mid­August, saying they would establish a joint production facility.

Cycling first

Developer of breathable waterproof, weatherproof and windproof laminate technologies eVent Fabrics has announced a new partnership with Italian clothing brand Alé Cycling. The brand is using eVent’s Stormburst LT laminate technology in garments such as its Fan and Traccia jackets. Stormburst was launched in early 2025. Other clothing brands have already begun to use it, eVent said, but the partnership with Alé means the first use of the laminate in cycling apparel.

Led by head of innovation, Rosie O’Sullivan, Berghaus set out to engineer leggings and trousers that support the natural shifts in women’s bodies, without compromising on performance. Products to have come out of this work so far include Farren leggings and trousers. Both products incorporate key features that adapt to the way women’s bodies move and change, Berghaus said.

This includes what the brand has called a “responsive waistband”, which maps the abdominal muscles with a front panel that redirects pressure from the stomach. This offers greater balance, support and relief without compromising fit.

The Berghaus Farren products are made with Lycra Adaptiv fibre, composed of 78% polyamide and 22% elastane. This fibre choice is conducive to garments that adapt to the body’s shape, Berghaus said, “delivering stretch, support, and comfort that responds to every movement”.

Local strategy

Developer of open-cell foam technology for footwear Ortholite has officially opened a new foaming plant in India.

It said the new facility, which is in the state of Tamil Nadu, marked “a significant step forward” in its strategy to “localise the entire product creation process”. It described this as a way of being able to provide better support for regional and global brand partners.

The company said local production reduces lead times and enhances supply chain resilience. Country general manager, Vikash Bajargyan, explained that a modular plant design, with an onsite laboratory, would enable rapid scaling up of production. Ortholite also said the plant was designed for energy-efficient production, as well as high levels of waste- and water-stewardship.

Targeted investment

Dyes supplier CHT Group has published its sustainability report for 2024, which it says shows “significant progress in the ecological transformation” of its business.

During the year, it introduced Cool Dye (textile dyeing for recyclable fibres) and Pigmentura (a binder-free pigment dyeing process). It increased its use of renewable energy, and is aiming for climate neutrality by 2045.

Dr Lorenza Sartorelli, chief operating officer of the CHT Group, said: “Sustainability is and remains our overarching corporate goal, which is why we invest our resources in a targeted manner where they have the greatest impact, for our customers, for society and for the environment.”

Time for creativity

Fabric fair Performance Days is to introduce a new ‘Creative Area’ at its next edition (October 29 and 30), aiming to showcase “design ideas and material contrasts”. Staged by the show’s trend expert, Nora Kühner, the section will feature innovative materials, artistic installations and impressions of the 2027 colour palette.

Another focus at the event in Munich will be the creative reuse of existing garments. Vintage sports and outdoor styles will be reassembled to showcase the potential of upcycling and circular thinking. Nora Kühne said: “The Creative Area is a space for new perspectives: historical models meet modern approaches, demonstrating how past and future can creatively connect.”

Mass appeal

Head of sustainability at the Indorama’s fibre business, Claire Mattelet, spoke at this year’s Dornbirn Global Fibre Congress in Austria to present the group’s plans to develop “a low-carbon supply chain at scale”.

She said the Thailand-based company was working to secure reliable sources of renewable feedstock to produce bio-based purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and monoethylene glycol (MEG) in house. PTA and MEG are key raw materials for the production of synthetic fibres.

Ms Mattelet said Indorama was able to offer customers and brand owners “an integrated, fully certified supply chain at scale”, through a mass-balance approach. This approach means that renewable feedstocks, such as used cooking oil, are blended with fossil-based raw materials in existing production systems. The renewable content is then allocated to final products.

Sustainable biocide

Chemicals developer Rudolf has formed a strategic partnership with fellow German company Heraeus Precious Metals to bring a new antimicrobial technology, AGXX, to textiles. “It is very rare that a new biocide product comes to the textile market. AGXX is not only a promising technology, it is also sustainable,” said Rudolf CTO Dr Gunther Dusheck.

Midsoles with bottle

Performance materials­maker Far Eastern New Century Corporation has launched what it claims is the first midsole material made from post­consumer PET bottles. The thermoplastic polyester elastomer (rTPEE) offers elasticity, cushioning and rebound, and has been used by French outdoor sports brand Salomon for its Solamphibian amphibious shoes.

Water­savers

Start­ups focusing on water reduction in the textiles sector were among finalists for the 2025 Kering Generation Award accelerator platform. Finalists included Daosheng Synbiology, which produces synthetic indigo using a bacterial strain; Exponent Envirotech, which has developed waterless dyeing technology for cellulose fibres; Green Universe, which leverages silicone oil as a dyeing medium; and Jiayuan Biotech, which extracts chitosan fibre from discarded crab shells.

Foam progress

Vietnam­based footwear materials developer Cirql has introduced rTPU50, recyclable midsoles. The new material is made from 50% post­industrial recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), certified under the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). It is produced using a patented supercritical foaming process that does not require chemical blowing agents.

PFAS­free

Chinese sportswear company Anta is introducing Aerovent Zero, a waterproof­breathable membrane developed with Donghua University. It is described as China’s first independently developed and mass­produced, high­performance, PFAS­free waterproof­breathable membrane. Aerovent Zero is made from a moisture­permeable, bio­based polymer with a special finish to boost breathability. A PFAS­free durable water­repellent finish is applied.

Backtrack

07 October 2025

Prediction for cotton output­consumption gap narrows

Pre­registration numbers up for MarediModa

On closes a loop with Cloudrise Cyclon 1.1

06 October 2025

Wood­fibre joint­venture now under Spinnova’s ownership

Early renewal of Hyrox partnership for Puma

03 October 2025

AAFA retains hope for lapsed economic aid programmes

Branwyn introduces merino compression leggings

02 October 2025

Clothing brand claims a share of Ryder Cup success

Pangaia gives Sparxell the thumbs up

01 October 2025

Second­hand shoes to go on sale in Decathlon stores

SAO Textile picks up CleanTech award

UKFT publishes national textile recycling plan

30 September 2025

Nike dress shoe flies first class on Air Afrique

Amundsen tests DPP readiness in baselayer line

29 September 2025

Lenzing adjusts strategy to address ‘challenging environment’

High­end tie­up for Onitsuka Tiger

Collab between New Balance and Ganni celebrates individuality

26 September 2025

CEOs to speak about sports retail strategies at ISPO

The world can benefit from “the power of sport”, Mizuno says

Texnascis: Selenis launches new T2T fibre brand

Limitations on space make it impossible for us to run more than a carefully selected sample of industry news in Sportstextiles magazine. However, we publish hundreds more stories on www.sportstextiles.com, one of the most comprehensive archives of news anywhere on the web for textiles, apparel, footwear and equipment for sports and outdoor. Below are just some of the headlines that have appeared on the site in recent weeks.

25 September 2025

Jilin commits to scaling Circulose­based filament yarn

24 September 2025

Revenues up for JD Sport but profits suffer in “tough environment”

23 September 2025

New traceable cotton programme

Swiss performance, Tokyo style and US outdoor heritage combine

22 September 2025

France could come into play for RE&UP

19 September 2025

New research project into biobased soles

Sustainability showcase for Anta at Hong Kong event

18 September 2025

Growth for Li Ning

Production expansion for Cambrelle in Vietnam

17 September 2025

Expansion for Teijin plant in Thailand

H&M backs India’s first supercritical CO2 dyeing machine

16 September 2025

US shoe importers on course to pay an extra $2 billion in tariffs this year

PU developments from BASF to go on show at Simac

Unitex further closes the loop

Multi­partner project to put biobased soles through their paces

15 September 2025

Sustainable solutions on offer for corporate apparel

Golden Eye scoops Avantex

innovation award

Softener offers durability and good hand­feel, Archroma claims

Only chooses textile­to­textile polyester

12 September 2025

Innovation & technology on show at Première Vision Paris

Eurojersey releases fifth Footprint Report

11 September 2025

Buyers make their presence felt in Portland and Boston

Haglöfs reaches PFAS­free milestone

10 September 2025

Innovations from CHT to go on show at Performance Days

Final green light for textile waste rules in the EU

Fulgar’s Q­Cycle featured by Sweaty Betty

09 September 2025

AMSilk secures €52 million to boost scale­up

Seawool maker ushers in insulation

08 September 2025

Elasticity without elastomers

Growth for Golden Goose

Temperature control technology gets investor boost

Allied doubles down on transparency

It has natural performance attributes and is cast as a low­impact alternative to cotton: hemp is on track to grow its presence as new technologies make it easier to integrate into today’s efficiency­driven supply chains.

Hemp comes clean

Anew generation of hemp processors believes it can unlock the slow adoption of the original ‘slow’ fibre. Working closely with farmers and spinning mills, these entrepreneurs are also seeking to bridge the gaps in an industrial supply chain that has been decimated by globalisation and legislation.

A few years ago, Marmara Hemp began to spark renewed interest in hemp. Its initiator, Denis Druon, had rounded up a consortium of agricultural and industrial partners in France to develop a fibre offering. It achieved platinum­level Cradle­to­Cradle certification, the highest grade.

At the time, a few other hemp enthusiasts were also seeking to produce a fibre better suited to today’s optimised spinning and weaving equipment. UK­based SEFF has dedicated the past 15 years to this quest. “We’ve been called the best­kept secret in hemp,” Josh Nusenbaum, SEFF founder and CEO, tells Sportstextiles. “There has been a 70­year hiatus in hemp farming and processing in the US, a lot of knowledge has been lost,” he says. When interest in the fibre returned a few years ago, “many ran before they could walk”, which he says is why adoption by mills and brands did not take off.

SEFF is now ready to play a more visible role in the hemp revival. The company has recently hired a team of high­profile executives. Junaid Safdar, the new head of operations, previously worked at Bangladesh textile conglomerate Beximco, and denim expert Neil Bell has taken on the role of head of innovation. “The design community is passionate about hemp, but many hurdles have hindered its uptake,” says Mr Bell. “SEFF has a technical solution that can unlock demand, and increase the proportion of hemp in fabrics, providing the characteristics that designers are looking for.” Incorporating only 10% to 15% hemp in a fabric is not compelling enough for him. Plus, he adds that any inconsistency across the supply chain “immediately kills the story”.

Making hemp mill­friendly

Like other companies in this field, SEFF sees resolving the issue of fibre inconsistency as the key to boosting the use of hemp grown in Europe and the US. In other regions, notably China, harsh chemicals are commonly applied, and these are either forbidden in the West, or negate the fibre’s environment­friendly nature.

SEFF’s hemp fibres undergo a special cottonisation method that yields consistent and uniform fibres of roughly the same length and thickness. They are degummed, a process that dissolves the ‘glues’ binding the fibres together, using a patented technology developed by the company. A Nano­Pulse machine sends high­ voltage electric discharges in water to separate the fibres from the bundles. “It takes mere milliseconds and, more importantly, neither damages nor shortens the fibres,” says Mr Nusenbaum.

Tests conducted by DITF, a German textile research and engineering lab, found that SEFF’s

The

CREDIT: ASTRAL

hemp fibres presented low standard deviations in length, strength and fineness. “They are identical to cotton, and this removes any hurdles for all types of spinning machines, air­jet, open­end or ring,” he says. SEFF’s mill­friendly hemp makes it possible to incorporate higher proportions of the fibre into fabrics, up to 70%.

Following a soft launch in 2019, and a mentorship at Fashion for Good in 2024­2025, SEFF is now focusing on establishing a network of partner mills to bring the fibre to market. Spinning tests are under way with manufacturers in eight countries. Some are testing 60% to 70% hemp content, as the company’s goal is to increase the percentage of the bast fibre.

Industrial scale

In Texas, Panda Biotech has built a gigantic, fully automated and zero­waste hemp processing facility. The company founded in 2019 is also seeking to rebuild an entire supply chain, and its business model starts from the seeds. “We are creating a complete farm­to­fashion ecosystem,” Mark D’Sa, head of business development, tells Sportstextiles. “We buy the seeds and the harvest of farmers located within a 500­kilometre radius of our plant in Wichita Falls (about 200 kilometres north­west of Dallas).” The company’s innovative technology promises to provide the consistency and scale that the industry needs.

Panda Biotech hemp is enzymatically retted in the field. At the factory, it is then decorticated, cleaned, refined and cottonised to produce fibre, along with hurd, the coarse parts that adhere to the fibre after it is separated, and dust. These processes, including degumming, are entirely mechanical. This is what Mr D’Sa presents as a game­changer. “Using our advanced equipment and proprietary process, we produce a cottonised hemp fibre that is mill­ready,” he says.

The scale of the automated facility, which can process 10,000 tonnes per hour, allows Panda Biotech to offer its fibre at prices comparable to French­grown hemp, and lower than that of linen or ramie, he says. The company is working closely with mills and brands to integrate its US­grown and processed hemp into their fabrics and products. Yarn spinner Parkdale is developing hemp/cotton yarns from 16s to 22s which are widely used in knitted apparel in the performance and athleisure markets.

Clean degumming

Based in Winston­Salem, North Carolina, Renaissance Fiber is also looking to support US­grown and processed hemp. Its first industrial facility, in nearby Mocksville, will produce ready­to­spin fibre starting in 2026, with an expected annual capacity of 900 tonnes. “By building this advanced refining capacity here in North Carolina, we are creating new opportunities for US farmers and manufacturers to shift to eco­friendly textiles,” says Daniel Yohannes, CEO and co­founder of Renaissance Fiber.

The company has devised a ‘clean’ biomimetic

degumming process that controls fibre length, fineness and surface quality. “It can unlock hemp’s potential as a true plug­and­play fibre in textiles,” says Mr Yohannes. The method emulates natural blackwater estuary conditions, returning water to the watershed as it is naturally found in river ecosystems. This makes it an “ecologically invisible” degumming technology, as the company calls it.

Research is ongoing at Renaissance Fiber to achieve its targeted fineness and uniformity of length. “We’ve reduced variation by 50% on fineness and length, yielding greater consistency in fibre quality,” he says. Once cottonised, the fibres are suitable for most staple yarn spinning equipment, including open­end (rotor), ring and vortex. The company has supplied fibre to Patagonia and, with partner spinners and mills, made functional fabrics for the US department of defence.

While US companies are busy building up a new supply chain from farm to factory, in France, industrial hemp cultivation never came to a full stop. However, there are many missing links in the European textile manufacturing infrastructure. For decades, French growers focused on other end markets, but apparel end­uses are making a comeback, thanks in part to the Alliance of Linen & Hemp, which is working to reintroduce hemp as a textile fibre.

La Chanvrière, a major hemp growing cooperative founded in 1973 and based in Saint­Lyé, southeast of Paris, first began its R&D on hemp for textile applications in 2015. In 2017, it launched its first cottonised hemp fibres, now branded Canalia. It is also working on producing finer and more homogenous fibres. The company is trialling a new washing technique that reduces irregularities, enabling the production of yarns with 50% hemp, says Laurie Coutelot, marketing and sales manager. She says that when degummed, it is possible to include up to 80% hemp. She does however have reservations on the

French co-op La Chanvrière has seen steady demand for hemp fibres since it launched its textile brand Canalia. It applies the lowest-impact processes to stay true to the fibre’s environmentally friendly profile.

CREDIT: LA CHANVRIÈRE

“ We can unlock hemp’s potential as a true plug­and­play fibre in textiles. ”

DANIEL YOHANNES, RENAISSANCE FIBER

possibility of degumming the bast fibre without using chemicals.

Although renewed interest in hemp a few years ago did not reach the expected heights, Ms Coutelot says La Chanvrière’s sales volumes have remained constant. “Textile applications remain niche, but those customers that believe in it, and use it, continue to use it and believe in it,” she insists.

A true believer, US outdoor brand Astral has recently revamped its HempTech range and boosted the percentage of the bast fibre. “While many brands incorporate hemp as a minor ingredient, we’ve seen the value in going all in,” says Daniel Windham, Astral’s product manager. “The success of our initial launch proved that a majority­hemp product can deliver on performance, durability, and sustainability. Expanding the line allows us to continue exploring hemp’s natural benefits while staying true to our commitment to regenerative materials that outlast the synthetic, rayon, and viscose materials that have sadly become the industry norm.”

When larger volumes of mill­friendly hemp become available, it is expected that manufacturers will be more willing to add the alternative natural fibre to their yarn, fabric and garment offerings. “SEFF’s plug­and­play solution brings confidence to the manufacturing community,” says Neil Bell. Marc D’Sa of Panda Biotech points out that demand is there, but adds: “What is missing is a strong supply chain.”

Fashion for Good is working to fill in some of those gaps with a new research programme, Beyond50 Denim, designed to unlock barriers to a wider adoption of hemp with a focus on jeans. Four brands are participating, Bestseller, PDS limited, Reformation and Target. Two textile technology solutions are being trialled, SEFF’s Nano­Pulse cottonised hemp and a softening process developed by Fibre52, a company based in the US.

A natural performance fibre

Hemp enthusiasts never fail to mention the fibre’s innate technical properties. “Hemp is stronger than linen, it shares its antimicrobial, anti­UV and absorbency characteristics, and this adds performance to cotton,” says Josh Nusenbaum, at SEFF. For Neil Bell, mills are interested in hemp for its properties and its durability, while young designers are attracted to the environmentally friendly attributes of the natural fibre. “People aren’t buying hemp for its authenticity or ruggedness; they’re interested in the fibre’s performance,” he says.

The hemp plant is touted as a carbon sink and provides many other environmental benefits.

Research by the European Commission into hemp farming found that one hectare of hemp can sequester up to 15 tonnes of CO2. This, it states, is similar to the amount sequestered by a young forest, whereas hemp takes only five months to grow. The good story gets better when it comes to biodiversity. The plant’s flowering cycle is said to coincide with a lack of pollen production from other crops, and hemp produces large quantities of pollen. Hemp fields provide shelter for birds, and its seeds are a food for animals, as the report notes. Finally, the crop requires few or no pesticides.

The farmers who supply Panda Biotech apply regenerative techniques. “This is not because they have to, but because hemp’s fast growth, deep roots and natural canopy make these practices even more effective,” points out Mr D’Sa. It is the beauty of hemp, chimes in Laurie Coutelot of La Chanvrière. “Our Canalia brand offers the most natural form of the fibre, true to its low­impact profile.”

Sources of industrial hemp may also expand in the future. Ukraine is looking to grow its production. The war, and the rerouting of grain from its usual customers to Eastern European countries has disrupted the market, leading Ukrainian farmers to switch to hemp. On the other side of the planet, Australia’s parliament has just launched a research programme into industrial hemp farming, citing it as being beneficial to soil health and the circular economy.

As hemp prepares to make a comeback, from the farms to the factories, in new mill­friendly formats, it should have no trouble weaving its way back into our wardrobes. As Josh Nusenbaum concludes: “Hemp has a soft spot in many people’s hearts.”

Renaissance Fiber makes small, limited proof-of-concept product runs to showcase the potential of its hemp fibre. Here, a series of T-shirts released this summer.

CREDIT: RENAISSANCE FIBER

Decades of research have gone into the development of dyes made from fermentation. As biotech indigo, the signature colour of blue jeans, takes its first steps on the market, it could be paving the way for other, greener, biobased dyes.

Biotech dyes in the starting blocks

Disrupting an industry that produces some 70,000 tonnes of petrochemical indigo annually is no small feat. A handful of synthetic biology specialists claim to have already ticked key boxes: achieving purity levels comparable to conventional indigo and scaling production capacity — at least to a degree. The next step is to convince the denim industry to switch to these low impact alternatives. Progress made by companies such as Pili, Chloris, Colorifix and Octarine Bio show that it is possible to offer dyeing solutions that require fewer chemicals, are processed at lower temperatures and release cleaner effluent. They are tackling one of the apparel industry’s most critical manufacturing stages.

The new brewed indigos that have reached commercial scale at Chloris and Pili have been in the works for a decade or more. Chloris founder, Dr Lei Sun, has been working on a microbe­made blue dye for the past 13 years, since his PhD programme. “It took us ten years to increase yield from milligrams to kilogrammes, and beyond,” he tells Sportstextiles

The Utah­based company operates a factory in China, where 300­tonne bioreactors can produce 10,000 tonnes yearly. Dr Sun says that hundreds of tonnes have already been shipped to mills. “We are ready, and the mills are too, as soon as the brands say go.”

At Pili, based in France, research into biobased dyes began in 2015. Production of its first fermented dye, Eco­Indigo, began in 2024 and was shipped to its first customer, US premium denim brand Citizens of Humanity. Pili CEO and co­founder, Jérémie Blache, says that 100,000 units have been dyed. It marks a small, but significant, step towards industrial scale. The company intends to increase production in 2026, enough to dye a few hundred thousand items, and eyes one million Eco­Indigo­dyed jeans in the not­too­distant future.

The denim industry is a key focus for many companies developing biotech dyes. Its dependence on a single pigment, used to tint an estimated 1.5 billion jeans every year, is understandably an attractive prospect. It is driving research at Indian fermentation specialist Fermbox Bio, which has released a Synbio­Indigo in its portfolio, and at Danish company Nordic Blue, which is working on an “eco­friendly alternative for dyeing denim”.

Beyond blue

Another Danish company, Octarine Bio, has been releasing new shades in its PurePalette range, having started with pink, purple, dark green and blue. The company says its double expertise, in cell­factory engineering and in precision fermentation, has sped up time to market with the first commercial runs launched this year. Octarine Bio’s PurePalette dyes are made by microorganisms engineered to produce colourants that “bind directly on a fabric, or a fibre, without requiring heat, pressure, chemicals or mordants,” says Nethaji Gallage, co­founder and CEO. The company is now scaling up production and is working with several dye houses and manufacturers in Portugal. Its low impact dyes are being trialled by fashion brands and were featured in London­based Patrick McDowell’s spring­summer 2025 collection.

The novel biotech dyes developed by Colorifix, a UK company, also bind directly to a fabric in a process that takes place in fermenting­dyeing vats. In its process, specific strands of organisms are engineered to produce different shades. Portuguese textile and garment manufacturer Valérius has been operating one of Colorifix’s bioreactors for several years now. The biotech company is progressively expanding its network of licensees in Latin America and more recently in India and in Sri Lanka. This positive evolution is enabling it to move from small­scale industrial deployments to large­volume commercial capacity. “Over the last few years, we have gone from grammes to tonnes of fabric per week,” says company founder and CEO, Orr Yarkoni. This past June, the company successfully closed a new funding round of $18 million from Inter IKEA Group, H&M Group Ventures, the Goldwin Play Earth Fund and Youngone CVC.

Chloris’ first microbial dye, Claessen Blue, is made by an unmodified organism. Dr Sun’s interest was sparked by microbes that naturally generate a blue hue, first documented by German scientist H. Claessen in Berlin in the late 19th century. “He did fantastic work identifying a natural microorganism that produces the dye, and this allows our process to be highly efficient,” says the synthetic biologist who has been studying natural dyestuffs for 18 years. Pigments found in nature often pose challenges, he notes, as many are toxic and can damage the very cells producing them in fermentation tanks. By choosing a pigment produced by a natural, non­modified organism, he says that Chloris can achieve higher yields and offer a blue that is similar to indigo in shade and price. The company is looking to expand its palette; a brown shade has been launched, and a purple is in advanced trials. “We have 100 scientists looking for micro­organisms that can produce a pigment,” he says.

Scaling capacity

Meeting the price point of conventional petrochemical dyes is a major challenge for these biotech companies. Indigo, for instance, is said to

cost around $5 per kilogramme. Scaling production is thus the main pathway to lowering costs. Yet maintaining living cultures in tanks or reactors becomes increasingly complex at larger volumes, requiring sophisticated engineering to ensure stable temperature, even nutrient distribution, and consistent culture media. “There are ways to reduce costs through continuous culture, reusing media, or using alternative sugars instead of glucose. But these will not happen overnight,” says Efthimia Lioliou, founder of Synovance, a French company that was developing a biotech indigo, for jeans, and a red, for cosmetics. Despite positive trials and a small factory with a 1000­litre fermenter up and running, she had to shutter her business this autumn, when support from investors and industry failed to materialise.

“Scaling up is the most difficult stage,” agrees Dr Sun. “The fermentation process involves a series of complex parameters to control, including dissolved oxygen, temperature, and so on. Improper control can lead to abnormal microbial metabolism and even cell death.” He points out that all fermented materials face the same issues. Chloris feeds its microbes glucose derived from corn (~80%), which he says allows it to keep costs down.

Up until now, Pili has outsourced the production of its pigment, but expects, one day, to have its own factory, and thus reduce costs. For now, it is working with a network of partners in Europe, and sourcing sugar exclusively from European biomass, says Mr Blache. The company has joined several research projects working on ‘second generation’ sugars derived from wood, paper, agro­industry waste and even textiles. “We would like to be the first company to use textile waste as feedstock, creating a truly circular solution,” he says.

Making the switch

Dyeing is widely recognised as one of the most polluting stages in textile and apparel manufacturing. The advent of biobased colourants

Pili has been working with denim mills to fine-tune its Eco-Indigo, notably with Turkey-based Orta.

CREDIT: VINCENT BLANCHARD

with a radically lower environmental footprint compared to petrochemical dyestuffs should incite change. While cost remains a critical factor in a price­sensitive apparel market, it raises the question: What proportion of a product’s total price does dye actually represent?

In discussions with brands and mills, Jérémie Blache, at Pili, says many different reasons are cited as potentially triggering change. Responsibility, which encompasses sustainability, and a desire to implement best practices, are among these. “We are creating a new standard that is reliable,” he says. Traceability is an issue that luxury brands tend to focus on. Innovation is another draw that he cites. Keeping ahead of future laws and regulations “can be strategic for a brand”. He believes that extended producer responsibility and environmental scores will, at some point, “level the playing field by making it more expensive for less sustainable companies to do business”.

Differentiation is another key motivator for adoption. “Brands have few ways to differentiate in a bold and convincing manner, beyond style and price, and biotech indigo is one such strong differentiation point. It is also a fairly easy notion to understand for consumers,” he adds.

The tipping point for dye houses and brands is sustainability and safety, says Dr Sun. “The wastewater discharged from our factory contains no organic solvents, no heavy metals, no aniline, just small amounts of sugars, amino acids and inorganic nitrogen sources. It can even be used as fertiliser.”

Dr Sun has spent years learning about dyeing, and says that Claessen Blue presents several advantages: a lower working pH, requiring less supplementary salts, and a lower oxidation­reduction potential (ORP), a measure used to monitor water quality. In the energy­ and chemical­intensive laundry stages of jeans­making, it is processed at lower temperatures, which helps preserve the elastane content.

Chloris Biochem thus promises dye houses convenience and savings. “Mills are motivated to switch because of the savings on resources, chemicals and even wastewater treatment costs,” says Dr Sun. They do, however, need to be persuaded to switch from a pigment they know well to a dye they have no experience with. It is a new molecule, which means new recipes need to be devised. “We are the ingredient, not the chef,” he says. “We need the dye technicians to achieve the best results.”

While convincing brands is not an easy task, Dr Sun insists on the positive story they can tell by using a biobased dye that biodegrades into amino acids, while offering savings in dyeing and laundry processes. “This is our most important contribution. We are not expensive and could even be cheaper than synthetic indigo,” he says.

Dye houses have been reaching out to Pili, says Pierre­Yves Bollé, Pili’s chief business officer,

looking for innovation and differentiation. If Citizens of Humanity was keen to adopt the novel biotech dye, it is due in part to the company’s in­house manufacturing. “It would be good to see brands that are truly dedicated to better practices benefit from the added effort they put into making their products.”

As with many next­gen materials and dyes, the industry is slow to switch to solutions that address one of the most glaring issues in textile and apparel manufacturing. There are, however, signs of change as early movers adopt low­impact dyes for commercial ranges, as seen at Citizens of Humanity, and at Levi’s, which has adopted Nature Coatings’ BioBlack, a pigment derived from wood waste. While these alternatives may carry a small additional cost, their environmental benefits, along with the positive impact on the industry’s image, could be far­reaching.

CREDIT: VINCENT BLANCHARD

Swiss fibre innovator

OceanSafe, Colorifix, and Portuguese manufacturer Impetus collaborated to present their sustainable technologies at the 202030 Berlin Fashion Summit last year.

CREDIT: COLORIFIX

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The upper of On’s Cloudeasy Cyclon shoe, released last year, is made from fibre-to-fibre recycled polyester from Loop’s Terrebonne facility.

CREDIT: ON RUNNING

Circular connections

Korean textile conglomerate Hyosung and Canada ­ based recycling tech company Loop Industries have joined forces to bring textile ­ to ­ textile recycled polyester to market. The construction of a first industrial facility for the blend ­ toler ant and low ­ impact technology developed by Loop represents a big step in shifting from fossil ­ or bottle ­ derived polyester to a circular solution

“We have made great progress with Loop Industries,” says Simon Whitmarsh­Knight, Hyosung’s sustainability lead, of a partnership that began several years ago. He was speaking at a conference at Première Vision alongside Adel Essaddam, Loop Industries chief operating officer and co­inventor of the company’s recycling technology. Hyosung is already incorporating virgin­grade 100% textile­to­textile recycled pellets made by Loop into its regen­branded polyester yarns. The two partners expect to expand their collaboration when a first large­scale facility begins production in India in 2028.

Loop’s patented recycling technology is said to be able to recycle low­ and no­value PET and polyester waste. This includes textile waste as well as PET trays, carpets, and even ocean plastics that have been degraded by exposure to sun and salt. This is a step up from mechanical, thermomechanical or chemical recycling technologies that require mostly ‘pure’ polyester waste. At its Terrebonne facility in Québec, Mr Essaddam says the company has trialled more than 2,500 different types of feedstock from varied sources, including blended textiles and opaque plastics.

RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

A partnership between Hyosung and Loop Industries could help the industry move beyond bottles to a circular polyester solution.

Another advantage of the technology is that it operates at low temperatures (below 90°C) and without added pressure. This makes it a low­cost solution for a commodity material such as PET, says Mr Essaddam. He points out that “the depolymerisation of PET was invented at the same time as the polymerisation process itself”. But “the challenge at the time was that depolymerisation required high temperatures and high pressure to break the chemical bonds”. The low­temperature and low­pressure recycling conditions of Loop’s technology is a “unique feature that gives it a higher yield and a lower footprint,” he says. A lifecycle analysis (LCA) study found that the process emits 80% less CO2­equivalent than fossil fuel pellets. “The LCA only covers the production process; it doesn’t even take into account the fact that we use waste as a resource,” he notes.

A unique technology

“Textiles pose a singular issue,” says Mr Essaddam, “because polyester is dyed and often blended with other fibres.” Loop’s recycling process removes unwanted substances, dyes and fibres, including cotton, spandex and nylon. “Since our technology depolymerises PET and

polyester at low temperatures with no added pressure, all non­PET content is left untouched. This means that we can take waste that other recyclers cannot accept,” he says.

For the process to be economically viable and to avoid having significant amounts of waste to manage, Loop has set the bar for its feedstock specifications at 85% minimum polyester content. “Textiles are often blended, and for good reason,” says Mr Essaddam. “An item made from a 100% polyester fabric won’t offer consumers the performance they expect. Garments need to offer functionality, and this is why we need a recycling technology that can process blended textiles.”

Loop’s technology takes polyester back to dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and monoethylene glycol (MEG) monomers, rather than purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and MEG, which are the more common building blocks. “This is a deliberate choice,” says Mr Essaddam “as it avoids the complications of purifying PTA.” DMT is distilled back to virgin­quality, with all unwanted substances filtered out. “Even black fabrics can be made into white curtaining,” he says.

Scaling production

Over the past few years, Loop formed various partnerships to set up large­scale PET recycling facilities. Two such projects were announced in 2023, with Suez Group in France, and SK Geo Centric in both France and Korea, but have since been abandoned. “Capital expenditure was too high,” notes Mr Essaddam. A newer project, in India, with local polyester producer Ester Industries, requires a lower initial investment. “We decided to pivot to a joint­venture with Ester, in India, where building expenses are cheaper,” he says

The projected facility will have a capacity of 70,000 tonnes annually and is estimated to cost approximately $176 million. The chosen site, in Gujarat, is in an officially designated Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR), a status that helps expedite permits. The location has other advantages as it will provide the joint­venture with access to post­industrial and post­consumer polyester textile waste from nearby Surat, said to be India’s synthetic textile capital. The region also has a skilled labour force and is close to a deep­water seaport at Kandla.

This facility will then serve as the blueprint for future Loop factories, with one planned for Europe. Late last year, the company sold its first technology licence to investment group Reed Societé Générale. A new entity was established, Loop Europe, 90% owned by the bank’s investment arm and 10% by Loop. The licensing agreement has generated an initial payment of €10 million, to be followed by additional milestone­based payments from Reed Societé Générale.

Market testing Twist

With these industrial projects firmly on the horizon, Loop has been supplying its textile­derived recycled polyester to a number of

innovative companies. In 2022, Swiss activewear brand On chose the yarn for the uppers of its Cyclon running and lifestyle shoes. It will also take back these products when no longer used. Loop introduced the brand name Twist for its 100% textile­to­textile polyester this summer. In an SEC filing from September, the Nasdaq­listed company also announced that it had signed “a multi­year off­take agreement” with “affiliates of a leading sports apparel company”, once the Infinite Loop India facility becomes operational.

With Hyosung, a range of limited­edition bags by Korean brand Pleatsmama was released earlier this year. Loop supplied the Twist pellets to the Korean fibre producer, which has invested in the Pleatsmama brand. “Building on the success of this collaboration, we are proud to deepen our strategic alliance with Loop Industries and address growing demand for T2T (textile­to­textile) polyester,” says Mr Whitmarsh­Knight. “Circularity is an industry­wide challenge that requires close collaboration.”

Both partners agree that large­scale uptake of fibre­to­fibre recycled polyester could be boosted by regulations. “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) measures have been activated in the European Union, and this is essential for the creation of a working ecosystem for textiles recycling,” says Mr Essaddam. Mandatory minimum recycled content in apparel would increase demand for recycled polyester, as it has in PET plastics. The example set by France’s EPR system is very generous, he adds, as it compensates brands for every percentage point of recycled content they incorporate into their products. Mr Whitmarsh­Knight is of the same mind: “Mandatory recycled content is the magic wand needed to unlock demand. Ideally, we need a global EPR system. We’ve seen it work in packaging; now we want to see it applied to textiles.”

As the partnership with Loop Industries readies for commercial scale, Hyosung, the world’s largest elastane producer, is also working with several industrial partners to recycle its Creora stretch yarn. This would add yet another circular solution to its wide portfolio.

A limited-edition bag made by sustainable Korean brand Pleatsmama is the first product born from the partnership between Hyosung and Loop Industries.

CREDIT: LOOP INDUSTRIES

Breathability is back

Fabric developer Polartec has launched a new, air­permeable, three­layer laminate fabric, calling the product AirCore. It has described it as a lightweight material with a high level of stretch, and a recycled face and back, with newly developed membrane technology in between. It is 100% free from per­ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The company says a combination of air permeability and its new proprietary, hydrophobic nano­fibre membrane can keep wearers dry while maintaining windproof and water­repellency functionality without PFAS­containing materials. Air comes through the fabric from the outside, returning moisture and air to the outside from the wearer’s body.

Business manager for Polartec and senior vice­president at parent group Milliken & Company, Ramesh Kesh, says traditional waterproof­breathable membranes rely on moisture vapour diffusion. This can only happen, he explains, if there is “a vapour pressure differential” between the outside environment and the microclimate that the wearer creates between a garment and the skin. In contrast, AirCore uses “highly engineered nanofibre membrane technology to control airflow”.

This component, Dr Kesh says, is “the main

NEWCOMERS

A new fabric, AirCore, represents a step forward in breathable weather protection, Polartec says.

driver” of the solution it believes it has found, working with launch partner, cycling apparel brand Castelli. “As long as air can get in, it will pull out condensate that is accumulating,” he says, “and the wearer will have a better chance of staying dry than with anything else we have seen in the past.”

Brain behind the membrane

To produce the membrane, Polartec has put a hydrophobic polyurethane solution through electro­spinning at high voltage. It extrudes the solution through multiple spinnerets, resulting in stretch polymer nanofibres. It is these nano­fibres that form the membrane, with a pore structure that, the manufacturer insists, delivers better levels of air permeability than clothing brands have been able to achieve before, while maintaining, without PFAS­containing materials, waterrepellency and windproofing properties.

“We have engineered a nanofibre­based

Castelli claims AirCore fabric can help keep cyclists drier than ever.

CREDIT: CASTELLI/POLARTEC

membrane that can be precisely tuned for end­use performance,” Dr Kesh tells Sportstextiles. “By controlling more than a dozen process variables, we create a microporous scaffold that allows us to adjust fibre diameter, pore size, and other critical parameters to shape the balance of breathability, protection and durability.”

Polartec’s director of product management, Karen Beattie, explains the mechanism this way.

The AirCore fabric makes possible “a continuous moisture vapour exchange”, harnessing airflow from the outside and allowing that air to come in through the fabric and return, carrying moisture, to the outside. The result is faster drying times, reduced clamminess and increased levels of comfort, even during peak exertion.

Polartec has calculated the fabric’s moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) at more than 25,000 grammes per square­metre per 24 hours. It has air permeability ranging from 0.4 to 1 cubic­feet per minute (CFM). It has an average water­column of 5,000 millimetres. “This represents a bold step forward in breathable, weather protection,” Karen Beattie adds, “and is a concrete example of our commitment to creating performance fabrics that enable excellence while staying true to our values of environmental stewardship. We are empowering people to embrace their most ambitious adventures.”

Cycling will never be the same again

Cycling presents an ideal example of this, not least because Italian brand Castelli is the inspiration and a launch partner for the fabric, having used it in a new jacket, the Perfetto RoS 3. RoS stands for ‘rain or shine’.

Head of cycling at Castelli’s parent company, MVC Group, Steve Smith, says he is excited about the new jacket precisely because it has this “huge innovation in technology”, AirCore, behind it. His view is that garments such as the new version of the Perfetto jacket will keep wearers “drier than ever when they are riding”. He goes further, claiming that performance cycling “will never be the same again”.

Mr Smith says the original idea came from Castelli, which led to Dr Kesh and him working on it together. “We sat round a table and dreamed up something that had never been done before,” he says. He explains that the impetus for this came from “a hard look” at what cyclists in the 2020s really need, following an industry­wide pledge to stop using PFAS.

Textile chemicals certification body Bluesign said no new chemicals containing PFAS could be included on its approved list from July 2022. By July 2023, it confirmed that it had removed all chemicals containing PFAS from the list. There were some exemptions, but these will lift in January 2026.

A different world

Steve Smith and his colleagues see a major change in the way cyclists are riding in cold and wet conditions these days, partly driven by technology, but also partly driven by climate change. It is, he suggests, a different world, even compared to a few years ago.

This is what he means: “How often are we riding in the rain? I could talk to 300 cyclists and count on the fingers of one hand the people who go out on their bikes, intentionally, when it is raining.” Reasons include the rise and rise of indoor training tools. These, Steve Smith says, have completely changed the game. He claims there are keen cyclists who stick to a static bike hooked up to a screen in a gym or in their homes even on days with good weather. This is because the quality of the technology that controls the detail of each session and captures detailed performance data is so good now.

Secondly, when we do venture out, smartphones make up­to­the minute weather information available to us at the touch of button. If you know when it is going to start raining, you can, and probably do, adjust the time and the length of your bike­ride to be all­but sure of staying rain­free.

In a similar vein, global­warming data (from NASA and other sources) suggests that, even in years with a similar total amount of rainfall, there are fewer rainy days. When it does rain, it rains more intensely, but there are more days without rain. This gives cyclists more dry days to choose from in deciding when to hit the road.

“Most cyclists are riding in the rain less often,” Mr Smith continues. “And when it does rain, cyclists usually reach for a rain shell­jacket. Those jackets can handle hard rain. Most of our rides, even in autumn, winter and spring conditions, are going to be in the dry.”

Breathability unleashed

This is significant. It led him to conclude that if an apparel brand and its fabric partners no longer have to “worry about water”, they must be free to see how far they can push breathability. And if they can push breathability further, they can, he suggests, keep cyclists drier on the inside, across a wider range of temperature and intensity levels. “Breathability has been constrained until now because we have been saying that we need to start with water protection,” he says, “and then add in a bit of breathability.”

Castelli’s idea, with the Perfetto RoS 3, was to turn these priorities around, to make an ideal jacket for dry conditions, pushing the breathability “off the charts”, and then see how much water protection it was possible to add.

Steve Smith admits that the Veneto­based brand lacks the capability to develop in house a fabric that would fulfil these requirements, but initial conversations about the idea with suppliers met only with “blank stares”, until its discussion with Polartec.

Plastic films and PFAS

The view of Ramesh Kesh is that the entire sports and outdoor sector had become used to using shell materials that were waterproof because of plastic films and PFAS. “You can make anything waterproof that way,” he says. Making fabric breathable as well is what he calls “the biggest challenge”, especially since the industry’s move away from PFAS.

AirCore’s non­PFAS­containing recycled face, back and nano­fibre membrane means the partners have ended up with a better product, Dr Kesh insists. He describes it as a technology that “takes advantage of the air”. Sticking with cycling as an example, he mentions the contrast between building up high levels of heat when a rider climbs a steep hill and the need for protection from the wind on the descent. The new fabric can achieve this without letting condensation accumulate between the body and the garment. Warm air next to the body holds more moisture than most people realise, he suggests. In high­aerobic activity, he says that for every one degree Celsius your body temperature rises, you accumulate 7% more moisture and that such a build­up of condensation can be “more uncomfortable than being in the rain”.

Picking up this point, Steve Smith says the key is that AirCore lets enough air come in to keep the wearer dry, but imperceptibly, so that the cyclist descending the hill will feel no wind chill. He describes this as “a small amount of air coming in, grabbing the moisture and taking it out”, and doing

so before it forms a noticeable level of condensation. This mechanism can work like the demister in a car, removing moisture before it fogs up the windscreen.

Column conundrum

Mr Smith sees an average water­column of 5,000 millimetres as more than adequate. He knows that there was a push from some prominent players in the outdoor industry to present 10,000 millimetres as the minimum for being able to call a fabric or a garment waterproof. He thinks this was unnecessary. In fact, he thinks this insistence has done a disservice to the industry. “Normal rain falls at a pressure equivalent to a water column of 800 millimetres,” he says. “If the rain is heavy, it will fall at a pressure equivalent to 2,000 millimetres. This means 10,000 millimetres is way more than you need, and it comes at the expense of breathability.”

He is adamant that the Perfetto RoS 3 jacket has “an excellent level of water protection”. The shoulder seams are taped because Castelli’s experience of riding in the rain suggests to it that this is where a cyclist will feel the effect of driving rain. Seams at the side of the jacket and the back of the sleeve have no seal. The jacket is not made to stop every drop of rain from coming in, but to keep the rider as comfortable possible, he insists. Plus, a simpler construction has helped keep the level of stretch high.

Castelli will have exclusive access to AirCore for the cycling market and is already preparing a version of its Alpha 150 winter jacket that uses the fabric. Away from cycling, Polartec says there will certainly be applications in the wider outdoor apparel market. This comes as no surprise to Steve Smith. “With the stretch and breathability AirCore offers, you don’t feel like you are closed into a plastic shell,” he observes. “It is easy to imagine the fabric working well in running, ski­mountaineering, downhill skiing and even in hiking, unless you are hiking in an absolute downpour for hours on end. I can see this becoming our generation’s reference product for outdoor.”

High magnification of the nanofibres that make up the membrane technology that has gone into AirCore. Each of the nanofibres is 200 times finer than a human hair.

CREDITS: POLARTEC

From the ground up

Astart­up footwear brand from Denmark has said the running shoes it has developed can help prevent foot injuries, now and in the future. The brand, Movv, launched its first shoe, the Nostara, earlier this year. Founder, Nikolai Christensen, began work on it in 2024 following 25 years in the shoe industry. The launch of a second model, the Solara, followed this September.

Mr Christensen describes the Nostara as a neutral running shoe, while the Solara is aimed specifically at runners who have a tendency to over­pronate. He says these shoes are the fruits of his analysis of the scans of a million feet.

He has worked closely with Kaiser Sport & Ortopædi (KSO), a Danish company that runs stores and clinics around the country. As well as offering footwear and clothing for runners, it carries out assessments of people’s running styles and

FOOTWEAR TECHNOLOGY

Twenty­five years of learning about the footwear industry from the inside have allowed Nikolai Christensen the freedom to do things differently with start­up brand Movv.

recommends treatment for injuries. A 3D foot­scan is always part of a KSO assessment. In a similar way, Runners’ Lab has been working to provide these services to runners in Belgium since 1980.

Studying anonymised data from these partners helped Nikolai Christensen build on the understanding of the biomechanics of the foot, and knowledge of lasts and shoes that he built up in a quarter of a century working for major footwear

Movv insists its shoes can help prevent injury to the ligaments, tendons and bones. The Solara style incorporates support into the sole and the upper.

ALL CREDITS: MOVV

brands, including Ecco and Keen. Information from the scans has allowed Movv to build up a picture of what he calls “real­world running patterns”. The start­up accepts that, in keeping with the Pareto principle, there will always be around 20% of people whose feet do not fit ‘the norm’, but this exercise has helped Mr Christensen design and make running shoes that will fit a majority of European consumers well, while supporting natural movement and helping keep bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles healthy.

“We were able to start Movv with a strong foundation,” he explains. “Before colours, price­points and even product quality, everything for us started with biomechanics. Understanding of the foot turns into a last. The last turns into the inner core of the shoe, and we have built everything around that.”

In the design loop

To be able to keep adding to his stock of information, he embeds a near­field communication (NFC) chip into each shoe to make it easy and quick for runners who choose Movv to give feedback on how the shoes feel after each run. If these customers believe improvement is necessary in the heel counter or in the cushioning or even in the quality of the laces, he wants to know. And if he believes this interaction can help him improve the product, he can convey changes to his manufacturing partners right away. NFC chips do not track a runner’s movement, but a tap on the chip with the user’s phone can deliver detailed content from the brand and give opportunities for feedback to enhance its products. Mr Christensen calls this ‘co­creation’, which stems from being “the runners’ friend”, being able to look them in the eye and talk to them on their own terms. This is something that he says matters a lot to him. He calls it “a living design­loop between us and the runner”.

“I wanted to build this in from the beginning,” he says. “I have respect for lots of footwear brands and it’s not for me to tell them what to do. It’s enough for me to stick to my business. But one advantage you have as a small start­up is that you can have this level of agility and, so far, enough people are willing to interact to make this work. Some people are too busy, of course, and I respect that. The ones who are interested in this are very committed and really want to see change.”

Other priorities

It is possible that the bigger a company grows, the harder it will be for it to interact with consumers in this way. Perhaps scale simply will not allow it. Legacy systems often prioritise other things: production volumes, seasonal turnover, marketing cycles and so on.

Sometimes, runners who interact with Movv have been surprised to receive suggestions from the founder that they should try other brands as well, but he has done this from the outset. Because the Nostara is a neutral shoe, he told runners who needed a shoe with more support to

try something else. This, of course, was before bringing his own support shoe, the Solara. In any case, it was an opportunity to show that Movv is, in his words, “an authentic brand, one that cares about the fit, comfort and health of customers”. His belief is that combining different shoes in a rotation can be of benefit to runners’ health. “They will flex their feet in different ways and their bodies will grow stronger,” he says. “You don’t need to wear the same shoes to train in as you will wear when you race.”

Good for muscles, bad for bones

He argues that the soft shoes that have come to dominate the running footwear market are good for building up muscles. Because the materials are soft, the muscles have to work hard to establish and keep stability. But he is sure these shoes are less good at building ligament and bone strength, benefits he has incorporated into the lower­stacked Nostara and the Solara. He explains: “If the shoe is too soft, the receptors at the nerve endings will not send the same signals to the bones, and the bones will not work as hard. Muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones all work in the same way: if they are not put under any pressure they will not grow stronger. Ten years from now, a lot of runners who have only ever run in soft shoes could have some bone atrophy problems.”

Some higher­stacked running shoes now have so much super­critical foam in them they make the Movv founder think of “a pair of stilts”, making the response that the shoes demand of the wearer’s

body incomplete. This is because the anatomical connection with the ground changes fundamentally. The higher the stack and the softer the shoe, the more problematic this will be, he insists, suggesting that while the appeal of lightness, softness and comfort is understandable, “the pendulum always swings too far”.

Evolution curve

Movv shoes are not minimalist. Mr Christensen understands the popularity of minimalist shoes, but he believes running shoes need to reflect some of the ways in which the human foot has evolved. His shoes have an asymmetrical heel landing because, he explains, people land underneath their bodies and this makes their feet asymmetrical on impact. The shoes also have a proprietary forefoot design. The last that Movv uses is flat under the forefoot rather than curved. Its design is one that allows the toes to spread into “a natural position” to gain power for pushing off. Running shoes often squeeze the forefoot in a downward curve, he observes, but the foot is flat there, so his shoes are, too. Other features include a “dynamic arch comfort system” that adapts to the wearer’s foot to improve stability in the gait, while gently stimulating the arch to build strength and flexibility.

Twenty­five years of learning about the footwear industry, from the inside, have allowed him the freedom to build Movv from scratch, but “without re­inventing all the wheels”. His intention is to invest everything he can in the product rather than in offices or large teams of employees. The community he is building is with runners who are interacting with the brand and co­creating with it. He is committed to using those connections to keep learning and improving, and for data from real runners to continue to drive design.

“The freedom to build from scratch is powerful,” Mr Christensen continues, “but it also means you are building every system, every relationship and every process from zero. In a time of global supply chain disruption, that’s a real challenge. Lead times are unpredictable, material costs fluctuate and logistics can be volatile. But because we are small and agile, we can adapt quickly. We have chosen partners who share our values and are willing to grow with us. And because we do not chase seasonal drops, we are not under pressure to overproduce or discount. That gives us more control and stability, even in uncertain times.”

Lasting support

The Solara’s development exemplifies this. Movv has taken its time to develop this second shoe and bring it to market, even though it realised early on that enough runners are prone to over­pronation to make it worthwhile to offer to help them. Working out how best to provide this help required thought, time and work. “The material in the shoe has to be harder,” the founder explains, “to ease the stress on ligaments, tendons and bones. Firmer, harder material will hold the foot when it moves.” He adds that bigger brands’

“ Ten years from now, a lot of runners who have only ever run in soft shoes could have bone problems. ”

NIKOLAI CHRISTENSEN, MOVV

use of neutral shoes with added guide­rails in the upper does not offer lasting support. He has created hold in the upper, but also in the sole by using contrasting densities; both components share the workload. The Nostara weighs around 350 grammes, but will “take a beating for 1,000 kilometres” according to its inventor, who is not a fan of “the fast­fashion mindset that dominates much of the footwear industry” and has made simplicity and durability Movv’s core values. He thinks it will be worth carrying an extra 50 grammes per shoe in the Solara for runners who over­pronate to put energy into moving forward rather than moving inwards and, in addition, save themselves from developing tendon problems in the knee or in the ankle.

He is convinced that either the neutral Nostara or the supportive Solara would work for most people in the market, that one or other of these models would suit 95% of the runners in the world. But he makes it clear there is more to come, saying: “We have a great foundation, and we have runners that want to go faster, for example. This is what we will concentrate on next time.” He adds that the Solara is a natural step forward from the Nostara and that there are many more steps to come. It is already working on new models that address different movement needs, products that will help keep people moving, pain­free.

Spanbond Spanbond

Stitchless Stitchless

SINGLE & MULTILAYER THERMOPLASTIC ADHESIVES

Ecobond Ecobond

The Korvaa shoe, made with a bacterial nanocellulose-based textile, replaces 30+ components with five bio-based materials.

CREDIT: KORVAA CONSORTIUM

Fibre optics

Billing itself as a responsible sourcing platform rather than a traditional trade show, London’s Future Fabrics Expo aims to be at the forefront of the ‘next­generation materials’ conversation, creating a home for fibres, dyes and finishes with a lower footprint than conventional cotton or virgin synthetics. A combination of big established suppliers, smaller companies seeking investment or increased orders, start­ups and lab­stage novelties presented their recycled, biobased, lower impact and waste­using offerings to the 2,000 visitors to the event.

Higher take­up of lower­impact materials will be needed, otherwise growth in virgin polyester might “outstrip” the progress being made, say some exhibitors. Polyester makes up 59% of total global fibre output, according to Textile Exchange’s latest report [although the report does cover home textiles, footwear and technical applications as well as clothing]. Total global fibre production increased from 125 million tonnes in 2023 to 132 million tonnes in 2024 and has more than doubled since 2000. It now equates to around four tonnes of fibre produced every second. In context, this means virgin polyester grew from 71 million tonnes in 2023 to 78 million tonnes in 2024.

Underpinning some of the interest in ‘next­gen’ materials are incoming regulations, with show organisers crediting these for its growth and the attendance of high­level executives from brands and retailers. At the start of September, the

SUSTAINABILITY

An increased uptake of lower­impact and ‘next­gen’ fibres will be necessary to counter the increase in virgin polyester, say exhibitors at the Future Fabrics Expo. They hope incoming regulation will create the ‘stick’ needed to support the investments they have already made.

European Council signed into law the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which means producers will be financially responsible for their textiles at end of life. Each of the EU states will have its own EPR scheme within 30 months of the directive’s entry into force and they must also address “ultra­fast and fast fashion practices” when deciding on financial contributions to their schemes.

Multitasking cellulose

Austrian cellulosic specialist Lenzing launched ‘plastic­free elastics’ in collaboration with German brand Charle at the show: the Tencel Lyocell, Tencel Luxe filament yarn and natural rubber combination making them biodegradable. The attendance of decision­makers, as well as

like­minded exhibitors, makes the show a good fit for the company, says Ashley Hammond, its senior business development manager for the UK and Ireland. “A lot of our discussions with retailers and brands are with their sustainability teams, but it seems they also often have the same challenges within their companies to encourage the use of more sustainable materials that also offer better end­of­life possibilities. Ultimately, decisions still come from the top, and all companies will have to react to the EPR, meaning that more sustainable choices will be needed to avoid penalty.”

The company was also a supplier in several footwear debuts – a sector it is making inroads into, even if their fibres are normally associated with softness or next­to­skin comfort in textiles. French brand Circle Sportswear worked with Lenzing for its first shoe, the Supernatural Runner, made with 50% Tencel Luxe filament and 50% wool in the upper. It also includes a midsole that is 45% castor bean­based, and a biobased polymer outsole.

Launching the Solk Fade 101, company founder David Solk explained he spent six years on the research and development process to create a shoe in which every material is “compost compatible”. The upper is a chrome­ and metal­free leather, the outsole is natural rubber, the lining is a blend of compostable yarns and plant fibres, while the laces and webbings have been made from Tencel wood pulp. At the end of life, the shoes will be sent to a company­owned composting facility in Germany, where they will be mixed with food waste and other materials to create a fertiliser.

Modern Synthesis introduced the concept Korvaa shoe, made from five “biologically derived” fibre inputs. The upper is made from nanocellulose, a natural compound produced by microbes, combined with a 100% cotton substrate. The midsole is 3D printed by Ourobio using PHA, a bio­based biodegradable polymer produced by bacteria. The sole is made by Ecocative from mycelium, the root­like system of fungi, and Lenzing's lyocell is used to provide structure. Nicole Schram, business development manager at Lenzing, pointed out that as well as being used for uppers, linings, reinforcements and laces, its cellulosic products can also be used in powder form and added to outsoles.

T2T talk

ISKO Denim’s sister company RE&UP, which separates polyester and cotton in end­of­life garments, hosted a breakfast session titled 'Yesterday’s garments, today’s raw materials –what’s holding us back?' Moderated by senior PR and marketing manager Keith O’Brien, the panel featured Nienke Steen from Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Priyanka Khanna from Fashion for Good. Bestseller­owned brand Only has recently introduced a line of 100,000 t­shirts produced using RE&UP’s ‘next­gen polyester’.

“Biobased spandex and textile­to­textile recycling are top of mind for visitors,” Hyosung’s

Claire O’Neill tells us. The “Using end­of­life garments that were destined for landfill is a great advancement.” The company is scaling its partially biobased elastane, using sugar cane as an ingredient, and is collaborating with fellow exhibitor Ambercycle, spinning its chips into recycled polyester. It has also partnered Canadian company Loop Industries to scale its textile­to­textile polyester. “Collaboration is the holy grail and it’s only by working together that we can progress at pace,” she adds.

Insulation provider Thermore presented its 100% recycled PET insulation offering EcoDown Fibers Sync, which has a “cloud­like hand­feel” and resists clumping. The show is a good fit for the company because it attracts both outdoor and fashion buyers, sales supervisor Andrea Ingrosso tells us. “We need to work together to fit all the pieces of the puzzle,” he adds. “We need to accelerate these [sustainable] changes, and we are seeing many promising developments.”

Funding structures

Circulose announced retailers Mango and H&M Group as the first ‘scaling partners’ in a new funding structure. The Swedish company, formerly known as Renewcell, has set up a licensing programme for the MMCF made from textile waste, designed to reduce “pricing friction” and encourage wider­scale adoption, as opposed to limited capsule collections. The licence, created with support from Fashion for Good and Canopy, is based on an “innovative pricing model” and covers various additional services to assist brands in transition planning, supply chain orchestration and traceability. These kinds of funding structures will be

Thermore teamed up with architect and designer Jacopo Ascari to design a limited edition jacket filled with its 100% recycled PET insulation to commemorate EarthDay. “I reflected on the link between ‘Mother’ and ‘Earth’, drawing inspiration from powerful figures in art history; icons from the Renaissance, a cultural rebirth, which we so urgently need today,” he said.

CREDIT: THERMORE

necessary to boost start­ups through scale­up until they can reach the volumes to be cost competitive, it is thought. As well as being addressed in several seminars, investors discussed how they could support the innovators during a private meeting. There appears to be a slight gap in funding to push start­ups from proof­of­concept to commercial­scale facility, Riley Marchant, a venture capital investment associate at PDS Ventures, tells us. PDS Ventures is the $50 million corporate venture arm of the PDS Group, investing in early­stage start­ups across the fashion and retail value chain, including regenerative cotton and tech company Materra and biobased black pigment producer Nature Coatings. Its subsidiary, Positive Materials, offers R&D services and technical support to accelerate growth. “A big part of the investor conversations was how EU regulations are going to impact sourcing decisions,” says Mr Marchant. “There has been recent talk that the 2027/28 timeline is probably unrealistic, there’s a possibility it may be pushed back, but I think it is vital to push brands to ask questions of their purchasing decisions. Some will do it themselves, because they see the value in it and they know that this regulation will come eventually, but for there to be a wider systemic change, the regulation is going to be really important.”

Waste not, want not

Using waste as a feedstock was again a big topic, with Shay Sethi from Ambercycle and Kenji Higashi of Spiber discussing business models. Spiber uses proteins, mainly from sugar cane close to its production facility in Thailand, to “brew” its material, but could one day pivot to using textiles waste as a feedstock.

Many of the solutions were also rooted by nature. A South China­dwelling spider that makes four metre webs and is capable of eating snakes was the inspiration for a fibre that can provide skin­friendly properties. Chinese synthetic biotechnology company Link Spider studies the DNA of insects and animals, and can replicate them into proteins that can be embedded into yarns. The company spent more than two years working at lab level but has now scaled up to include protein production and fibre extrusion, and it works with local yarn and fabric mills. “We have to learn from nature,” co­founder Suzan Liang tells Sportstexiles. “We synthesise the DNA into microbeads to replicate desirable properties and they are then easy to scale up. We have a big bank of proteins that we can embed into cellulose, meaning the price comes down and they are affordable.” InkCell, based on squid, provides UVP 50+ protection, while MiteZero, based on predatory mites, repels against bedbugs and insects.

The Biomimicry Institute’s Amanda Sturgeon updated the audience on a programme with the OR Foundation and Laudes Foundation to validate how bacteria could be added to waste textiles that have no value, to help break them down as an

alternative to incineration. UK Fashion and Textile Association’s Lauren Junestrand gave an update on a multiyear programme looking at the gaps in the UK’s textiles recycling infrastructure, with pilots including one with jeans refinishing and education hub LaundRe. Through the Circular Fashion Innovation Network, the idea is that this will result in a blueprint that could be applied to several ‘apparel park’­style set­ups that could be established around the country.

Overall, the mood at the show seemed inquisitive and remained hopeful, despite the usual discussions of uptake. The year has already been marked by challenges, not least as supply chains grapple with changing and often damaging tariff regimes. Hard, perhaps, to see how more money can be released for innovation when trying to navigate holes in the short term. “Even though we’re moving ahead quickly, there are still many brands and retailers that are just starting their journey towards more sustainable materials,” adds Claire O’Neill. “There have been so many changes in the last few months, not just tariffs but also the rising cost of living, so that also affects how confident buyers feel about committing to innovations that may put pressure on margins.”

The numbers do show some progress: recycled polyester production increased from 8.9 million tonnes in 2023 to 9.3 million tonnes in 2024, and the Textile Exchange said of the 423 brands and retailers in its report, the majority are actively replacing conventional materials with those from certified sources and reducing their use of virgin fossil­based polyester. “Besides the doom and gloom, there is a lot of exciting stuff around and we’re happy to be a part of it,” adds Ms O’Neill.

Positive Materials also supports Sparxell, a bio-based colour platform founded by University of Cambridge scientists Dr Benjamin Droguet and Professor Silvia Vignolini, which launched its first textile ink in blue, with matte and shimmer finishes. Pangaia has been validating its process for textiles.

CREDIT: SPARXELL

DIALOGUE

Martin Daniels, Haglöfs CEO

Haglöfs’ next chapter

Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs, founded in 1914, designs, develops and markets shells, mid­layers, insulation, base layers, footwear, backpacks, sleeping bags and accessories. Some of its key technologies include L.I.M (Less Is More), a lightweight series focused on reducing weight while preserving performance, and Proof or Proof Eco, its waterproof/breathable outer fabrics. In the insulation category, customers can choose between natural down (H Down) or recycled polyester (Mimic). Mimic Gold features PrimaLoft Pure insulation while Mimic Platinum adds graphene for extra insulation. Haglöfs has been owned by private equity firm LionRock Capital since December 2023.

How do you ensure Haglöfs remains distinctive and true to its Scandinavian heritage, and how does your partnership with the Swedish Olympic Committee solidify that?

We’ve recently updated our brand platform to express our Swedish heritage with greater confidence. For us, being Scandinavian isn’t just about where we come from — it’s about how we think: purposeful design, responsibility and a deep respect for nature. Our partnership with the Swedish Olympic Committee brings this to life beautifully. The new mitten we’ve created for the 2026 Games symbolises that link between Swedish design, outdoor performance and national pride — a modern expression of our heritage on the world stage.

What tactics do you use to keep customers informed of your brand ethos, or communicate sustainability, in a way they can engage with?

Our new purpose, “To inspire adventure in Nature, the Greatest Playground Ever Made,” captures both the joy and responsibility we feel toward the outdoors. It’s our way of saying that we design not just for performance — but for the planet itself. When it comes to sustainability, we believe in being transparent about both progress and challenges. We don’t oversell small wins or

make lofty promises. Instead, we focus on real impact, like keeping our products in circulation longer. Haglöfs Restored is one of my favorite examples — repaired, renewed products that let consumers buy a piece of Haglöfs at a lower price while helping to reduce waste. It’s an honest, tangible expression of our sustainability ethos.

How does this fit into circular thinking?

Circularity for us begins with durability — products that last, can be repaired and deserve a second life. That’s why we’re building repair programs with our retail partners and piloting repair­as­a­service in Chamonix. Haglöfs Restored takes this further — bringing repaired gear back into circulation and giving consumers a more sustainable way to access our products.

Martin Daniels: “With F/W25, all our products are finally PFAS-free — a major milestone for us and for the industry.”

ALL CREDITS: HAGLÖFS

Over time, we want new and restored items to live side by side, fully integrated in our online experience. Looking ahead, we’re exploring mono­material products and take­back models to make true circularity a reality. It’s early, but the direction is clear: fewer products wasted, more stories extended.

You have recently opened your first stores in Japan, South Korea and China. Can you tell us about the opportunity you see in the Asian markets?

We’ve built brand awareness in Asia for nearly 15 years, and now we’re entering a new growth phase with strong partners in Korea and Japan who share our long­term vision.

In China, our new joint venture between our owners LionRock and Viva Group gives us the scale and speed we need to grow. The opportunity is enormous — both because consumers are passionate about performance and because outdoor demand is growing extremely fast in China. Before the end of 2025, Haglöfs will have 25 mono­brand stores in China alone and will be a much stronger voice in the region!

What do you look for in your suppliers/ manufacturers, and how do your relationships help in terms of realising your vision?

Our supply chain vision is simple: we want long­term partnerships built on trust, quality and shared responsibility. We choose to work closely with a smaller number of suppliers who combine technical excellence with high ethical and environmental standards. These partnerships are not transactional — they’re essential to achieving both our product ambitions and our sustainability goals.

Where do you get inspiration from, in terms of sourcing new fabrics, finishes or insulation? Are there any innovations you are particularly impressed with?

Innovation often starts with curiosity. We draw inspiration from both outdoor technology and unexpected places — from Swedish design studios to material science labs. Right now, we’re particularly excited about recycled synthetics with lower impact, bio­based insulation and mono­material developments that simplify recycling.

How hard is it to balance net-zero or other targets, with production growth? Which reduction areas make the most impact?

Balancing growth with emission reduction is challenging — but it’s the only way forward. We’re confident we can achieve our targets by focusing on the areas that make the biggest difference: renewable energy in our supply chain, solution­dyed materials and reduced air freight.

The European Outdoor Group’s carbonreduction project, which we’re proud to be part of, is helping the entire industry move faster. The future of outdoor performance must also be the future of climate responsibility.

F/W 25 is the first collection made exclusively without PFAS. The outdoor sector has had a long journey towards this goal, famously being flagged up in a Greenpeace report in 2012. Can you explain why it has been difficult to source durable water repellents with the same performance, without these chemicals? How important is this milestone for Haglöfs?

PFAS have long been one of the toughest challenges in outdoor apparel. They deliver excellent performance — but at a high environmental cost. Finding alternatives that meet our standards for durability and function has taken years of collaboration with partners like Gore.

With F/W25, all our products are finally PFAS­free — a major milestone for us and for the industry. It’s proof that high performance and responsibility can go hand in hand.

What are you most looking forward to over the next seasons?

What excites me most is seeing our new brand identity fully come to life — in products, stores and how consumers experience Haglöfs globally. We have an incredible pipeline of new products and materials, major expansion ahead in Asia, and a team that’s more aligned than ever around our purpose. It’s an exciting time to lead Haglöfs into its next chapter.

As an official supplier to the Swedish Olympic Team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Haglöfs has introduced the Team SWE Mitten – a technical, versatile mitten designed for both outdoor adventures and everyday urban use, featuring a recycled polyester insulation.

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