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Old school meets new school

Old school meets new school

The vibrant and entrepreneurial community of climbers in California in the 1960s and 70s spawned many of the brands that have shaped today’s outdoor industry. Royal Robbins founded his eponymous apparel brand with his wife Liz in 1968, a few years before Yvon Chouinard would establish Patagonia. In 2018, Swedish group Fenix Outdoor...
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02 November 2022
A new crop of biomaterials A new crop of biomaterials
The agricultural and food industries generate waste products that can yield valuable raw materials to make fibres or dyestuffs... but only if the cellulose or colouring agents from these leftovers can be cost-competitively extracted and scaled.
26 October 2022
Plastic-free performance Plastic-free performance
Concerned by microplastics and seeking to avoid materials derived from fossil fuels, a few pioneering active and sportswear brands are taking the radical decision to phase out synthetics in the belief that nature knows best.
05 October 2022
Innovation in seaming Innovation in seaming
A combination of welding techniques may provide a new solution to a critical feature of performance outdoor clothing: making watertight and airtight seams.
28 September 2022
Double discs Double discs
Footwear brand Altra has partnered with lacing system specialist Boa to create its latest long-range trail-running shoe, the Mont Blanc. It uses not one but two Boa discs on each shoe.
20 September 2022
Lightweight protection Lightweight protection
An idea that began as a way of reducing foam waste has opened up wide­-reaching opportunities for apparel group MAS Holdings in the field of protective clothing for sports, health and wellbeing.
14 September 2022
Vital statistics Vital statistics
The stage is set for a summer 2022 launch of Zozofit, an accessible – and highly accurate – wearable 3D body-measuring system designed to track physical transformation from the comfort of home, the gym or wherever else one gets their wellness fix.
17 August 2022
The quest for common metrics The quest for common metrics
The need to back sustainable practices with bona fide third-party certification has led to the development of countless labels and standards serving the varied environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies of brands and retailers.
10 August 2022
Higg MSI claims under scrutiny Higg MSI claims under scrutiny
The Higg Materials Sustainability Index has often been the object of criticism and debate, but an investigation conducted by the Norwegian Consumer Authority into Higg-based marketing claims has added the question of liability to the conversation.
03 August 2022
rPET’s future is in danger rPET’s future is in danger
Authorities and organisations are taking an increasingly critical look at sustainability claims to expose instances of greenwashing.
22 June 2022
Seven concerns about sustainability Seven concerns about sustainability
A report from Eco-Age raises serious questions about the way brands and campaign groups in the textile and clothing industry present sustainability claims at the moment. The call for change is loud.
15 June 2022
Out of this world Out of this world
Adidas’ director of footwear innovation, Arnau Sanjuan, tells WSA how software program Gravity Sketch is changing his approach to shoe design.
08 June 2022
Out in the open Out in the open
Running and ski mountaineering star Kílian Jornet has launched a new footwear, clothing and accessories brand with Mallorca-based footwear group Camper.
25 May 2022
Alternative carbon blacks Alternative carbon blacks
The development of black inks and pigments that are derived from sources other than petroleum and are even proven to be carbon-negative could be a game-changer in the apparel industry and beyond.
18 May 2022
Carving up territory Carving up territory
Mapping new fibres and textile terrain would appear to come naturally to Finnish renewable fibre producer Spinnova.
11 May 2022
Next generation biopolyesters Next generation biopolyesters
The polyester family includes a wide array of biopolymers that have long-standing uses in plastics and are being tested for their potential in apparel.
04 May 2022
Nylon in many shades of green Nylon in many shades of green
Recycled, biobased, biotech, made from cleaner processes or difficult-to-treat waste, the new nylon yarns that are in development cover an array of carbon footprint-reducing measures.
03 May 2022
The pace picks up The pace picks up
Sustainability remains firmly on the agenda of almost every sports and outdoor company in 2022. More than that, a detailed new report insists that, as a result of covid-19 and the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the pace of change towards sustainable materials and practices is accelerating.
19 April 2022
Graphene keeps on giving Graphene keeps on giving
Engineering company Versarien sees vast potential for graphene to add beneficial properties to textiles and sportswear, with research unlocking new properties and applications.
11 April 2022
Second chance for circular suede Second chance for circular suede
Puma has launched an experimental shoe collection that will test strengths (durability) and weaknesses (biodegradability) and determine if industrial composting could create value as fertiliser at the end their useable life.
06 April 2022
A bright outlook A bright outlook
For international winter sports brands, the issues of how to harness the energy around Beijing 2022 and grow market share in China are of standout importance. Particularly in the current, ever-changing, climate.
29 March 2022
Biodegradable breakthrough Biodegradable breakthrough
New synthetic yarns that biodegrade in landfill hundreds of times faster than ordinary polyester have caught the eye of running apparel brand Pressio.
16 March 2022
Cellulose from cotton comes full circle Cellulose from cotton comes full circle
Processing cotton waste to reprieve its cellulose content is one of the more advanced chemical recycling processes in development. The companies in this field are optimising their technologies and securing feedstock to keep operations going as they begin to scale up.
08 March 2022
New momentum for smart textiles New momentum for smart textiles
Two accelerator and innovation programmes, SmartX and SmartEEs, believe collaboration is key to unlocking opportunities in smart textiles. Promising projects selected by these platforms have access to a network of research centres, consultants in textiles and electronics, along with potential business partners and investors.
01 March 2022
Unwanted legacy: chemicals in textile waste Unwanted legacy: chemicals in textile waste
Hazardous chemicals in textile waste has slipped under the radar for many promoters of a circular economy. A study into this issue finds risk to be low, but real. It brings to light the need for more research and increased traceability, but also brings into question the evolution of standards, and may introduce a new snag in the possibility of closing the loop.
15 December 2021
Smart, seamless, zero-waste production Smart, seamless, zero-waste production
Long before the pandemic put a damper on a well-oiled, but rampant, global apparel supply chain, enterprising companies were investing in and developing new solutions to address overproduction. Micro-factories, 3D knitting and digital platforms are some of the technologies that could fix a few of the more glaring kinks in the garment-making process.
30 November 2021
A new chapter for Carbios A new chapter for Carbios
The inauguration of a demonstration plant marks a new milestone for trailblazing, ten-year-old French biotech start-up Carbios. This will serve to further validate its enzymatic recycling process for all forms of PET, plastics and textiles, and pave the way for the next stage, a facility with the capacity to recycle 40,000 tonnes per year.
18 November 2021
A yarn for climate change A yarn for climate change
Swiss textile technology developer HeiQ has launched AeoniQ, a recyclable, biodegradable cellulose-based yarn that it says offers the ease-of-use, the performance levels, the versatility, the affordability and the scalability to allow the textile industry to consign polyester and nylon to the past.
25 October 2021
Fruit and fibre Fruit and fibre
In this article, Enrica Arena, co-founder and chief executive of Orange Fiber (which has patented a method for making textile fibre from the pulp of citrus fruit) and Gert Kroner, vice president of global research and development at cellulose fibre group Lenzing, peel back the layers to give us the squeeze on a recently unveiled partnership.
20 October 2021
No place like home No place like home
A project to grow flax, spin and weave linen and produce clothing has sprung to life in Blackburn, Lancashire. Organisers harbour hope that it could spark a wider revival of textiles and garment manufacturing there.
11 October 2021
Born again fibres Born again fibres
Demand for regenerated fibres is so strong that the contracts Finnish group Infinited Fiber signs this year will tie up all of the production capacity of its new, flagship factory for years to come. It is already working on other ways of “radically improving” the availability of the material. In recent weeks, outdoor brand Patagonia..
04 October 2021
From carbon neutral to carbon negative From carbon neutral to carbon negative
Carbon dioxide is a leading contributor to global warming, and central to emissions reduction targets, which are set more often than met. It is also, potentially, a feedstock for chemicals and materials.
21 September 2021
Smarter thermal insulation Smarter thermal insulation
The addition of gold, graphene and aerogels is boosting the performance properties of synthetic fillers and natural down. New circular solutions are also being introduced as demand for recycled down drives research into automating the extraction of the precious clusters from used clothes.
08 September 2021
PFAS on borrowed time PFAS on borrowed time
Both the European Union and the United States plan to institute stricter legislation, which may include outright bans, for PFAS. Whether these cover the entire class of chemicals has yet to be seen, but pressure is mounting and there is now strong momentum behind calls to phase these chemicals out for good.
21 July 2021
Digging into South Korea’s Green New Deal Digging into South Korea’s Green New Deal
Famed for its technological innovation, South Korea is now also investing heavily in low-emission, climate-neutral development strategies at a typically fast pace. Moving towards circularity by nurturing a robust recycling strategy appears to be front of mind for the nation’s leading textile enterprises.
13 July 2021
The art of the sneaker on show The art of the sneaker on show
Some trendy styles may ‘run’ out of stock, some may never leave the box once purchased, but sneakers do have miles of cultural traction. A major exhibition at London’s Design Museum, Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street, focuses on this ubiquitous shoe, highlighting the sneaker as a universal design object.
07 July 2021
Passion empowered Passion empowered
Polartec is marking the thirtieth anniversary of the formal launch of the brand by celebrating fabrics and garments that, since 1991, have changed what we wear when we go into the outdoors.
30 June 2021
From tracing to closing the loop From tracing to closing the loop
New tools are making it easier to keep track of products throughout the supply chain. Used not only to certify the presence of sustainable content, such as organic cotton or ocean plastics, these tools can now trace a product’s entire lifecycle.
23 June 2021
No short-cuts No short-cuts
Compression and running garments that combine performance with sustainability and transparency are the first products to come to market from Pressio, a young company with an experienced head on its shoulders.
16 June 2021
Natural alternatives Natural alternatives
A recent report called Fossil Fashion takes synthetic fibres to task for having a substantially higher carbon footprint than alternatives from natural sources. It seems to have made a profound impression at fibre manufacturer Lenzing. Reading the report has led the group’s vice-president for the global textiles business, Florian Heubrandner, to draw three main conclusions.
02 June 2021
In the forest of fibres: Old versus new growth In the forest of fibres: Old versus new growth
Producers of wood-based fibres, a group of materials spanning viscose, lyocell and acetate, are quick to promote their plant- or bio-based raw materials. But these manmade cellulosic fibres face two key challenges. They need to prove they play no role in deforestation and they need to provide guarantees with regards to the chemicals used in the process of turning a hard yet fibrous material, namely wood, into a smooth and silky, drapeable fibre.
19 May 2021
Smart textiles step up Smart textiles step up
After some 20 years of gestation, the technical challenge of integrating electronic components into clothing has been largely overcome by a growing base of manufacturers, who have developed the necessary expertise. Electro-textiles have yet to move beyond niche applications, but there is renewed focus on actual user needs.
31 March 2021
Plans on Ice Plans on Ice
Swiss outdoor brand Mammut is concentrating all of its work on sustainability under a new umbrella term, Together For Glaciers. It says that melting glaciers serve as a reminder that, if we are to stop climate change from causing irrevocable damage to our way of life, time is running out.
25 March 2021
Keeping pace with circular connectivity Keeping pace with circular connectivity
A partnership involving an outdoor brand, its zipper supplier and a technology platform aims to establish closer, cloud-enabled connections between consumers and the companies that provide their clothing.
23 March 2021
Best tech forward Best tech forward
Hassle-free returns come at a cost but have never been more in vogue than in the current covid-19 era, for both retailers and shoppers.

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