Performance Reimagined, The Future of Bodywear webinar on today
Sportstextiles and Performance Days held the first of a new series of knowledge and innovation webinars today focusing on seamless knitting and the evolution of next-to-skin performance. The panel brought together experts in the field. Nichole de Carle, Bodywear Curator for Performance Days; Zoe Rosenberg, Lead Materials Developer for Accessories & Apparel at Whoop; Jillian Samis, SVP Global Marketing and Design at Tefron; and Lukas Vogl, Marketing Specialist, Südwolle.
The talk covered four topics, beginning with an update on wellness trends and how the bad buzz around polyester could potentially open more space for natural fibres in activewear. Lukas Vogl pointed out that a new material intelligence was in the making, much more than pitting naturals against synthetics. A point of view shared by Jillian Samis, who said “when you blend synthetics with natural fibres, you are getting the best of both worlds”. When making fibre decisions, you need to ask yourself what the product is going to be used for, it is performance or is it just fashion, noted Zoe Rosenberg.
Next-gen fibres was the second topic covered with insights from far infrared yarns paired with silk, at Tefron and an alginate fibre blended with merino wool at Südwolle.
The evolution of seamless knitting was the third topic delving into the many advantages of this zero-waste and high-tech manufacturing method. “With seamless, you can knit down to the pixel, you can change gauges as well, and it avoids cutting and sewing. In our developments we study what athletes need and what consumers want, we then find the best knit structures that address these aspirations,” said Jillian Samis.
Looking to debunk the idea that seamless apparel is necessarily tight-fighting, Lukas Vogl said the company had asked itself this same question and was developing a new experimental line that will be presented at Performance Days next month. A space to watch.
In the final chapter of the webinar, the speakers shared their views on the future of bodywear. As Nichole de Carle summed up the session, “I think its evolution will come from our combined efforts, this is not a one-trick pony. We are bringing together material intelligence from SüdWolle, machine intelligence from Tefron, and human intelligence from Whoop.”
For those who missed the session or want to pick through its insights, the webinar will be posted online shortly on sportstextiles.com.
Pictured, from left to right, starting at the top: Nichole de Carle, Sophie Bramel, Jillian Samis (Tefron), Lukas Vogl (SüdWolle) and Zoe Rosenberg (Whoop).
