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The rise of alternative natural fibres

The rise of alternative natural fibres

In the wide world of agricultural waste lie many long and strong fibres that can be spun into textile yarns for apparel and accessories. Driven by demand for fabrics that have a cotton-like hand feel and by the plastic-free movement, pineapple, banana and even straw-derived materials are weaving their way into today’s textiles.  ...
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14 February 2024
Biotech breakthrough Biotech breakthrough
Spiber’s Brewed Protein is the first purely biotech fibre to be developed on a commercial scale. Fellow Japanese company and long-time partner Goldwin has played a crucial role in bringing the innovative fibre to market.
07 February 2024
Chemical recycling scales up Chemical recycling scales up
New factories for depolymerising polyester textiles are in the works. Using a variety of ‘advanced’ or molecular recycling processes, they promise to treat textile waste that cannot be mechanically recycled.
31 January 2024
Ocean-bound versus Ocean-found Ocean-bound versus Ocean-found
A new category of recycled synthetics uses material at risk of ending up in the open sea or recycled from debris fished out of the ocean. These two sources constitute, regrettably, a near unlimited supply.
18 December 2023
A return to apparel for Advansa A return to apparel for Advansa
Ten years on from major changes at the company, polyester yarn developer Advansa is making a return to the apparel market.
13 December 2023
Not a small feat Not a small feat
Outdoor performance soling supplier Vibram has secured new status as the first-ever shoe brand and the first outsole manufacturer to become a Bluesign system partner.
06 December 2023
Powered by a super-polymer Powered by a super-polymer
Already in use in adidas exercise apparel, a composite thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) called Rheon has now gone into the brand’s clothing for runners, providing, in an unusual way, dynamic support to key muscle groups.
29 November 2023
Biobased options Biobased options
Binita Bhuta, vice-president for marketing and sustainability at CovationBio.
22 November 2023
Moving along nicely Moving along nicely
China is pushing ahead with its five-year national fitness plan, announced two years ago, after a less-than-certain start in the midst of national and international covid-19 lockdowns.
15 November 2023
Herculean effort Herculean effort
The team at New Zealand-based TMC spent five years looking for a way to add durability to wool garments without relying on synthetics. The answer was closer than they thought.
08 November 2023
Trash into treasure Trash into treasure
Could proteins provide the building blocks for a new fibre to rival polyester and silk? Bloom Labs believes it has found a solution.
01 November 2023
Eye in the sky Eye in the sky
The European Space Agency is working with GOTS to map and monitor organic cotton cultivation using satellites, as a new program is developed that is sophisticated enough to classify field usage to a startling degree.
25 October 2023
On-demand gets directional On-demand gets directional
A multi-stakeholder team of designers, developers and engineers got together to reconsider 3D-printed sports shoe models, just in time for ITMA.
18 October 2023
As good as new As good as new
No longer the sole domain of artisanal practices, or of limited runs, upcycling and remanufacturing are progressively being applied on an industrial scale.
11 October 2023
Carbon from thin air Carbon from thin air
Using greenhouse gases as feedstock for fuels or materials is already a reality, and could become a source of clean, carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative synthetic fibres.
27 September 2023
Biodegradation-boosting synthetics Biodegradation-boosting synthetics
End-of-life scenarios are important when assessing a product’s impacts, but they are not an easy sell. This is one of many challenges the makers of synthetics yarns enhanced with biodegradation-accelerating additives face. As concerns regarding the permanence of plastic grow, so does demand for these materials that are engineered to leave no trace.
30 August 2023
A fine line A fine line
Advancements in recycled cotton ring yarns for knits unveiled at ITMA are likely to inspire a sizeable ripple effect.
23 August 2023
Future-proofing the industry Future-proofing the industry
Anticipation was high before ITMA opened its doors at Fiera Milano Rho on June 8.
16 August 2023
New fibres in the loop New fibres in the loop
The need to increase fibre-to-fibre recycling and lack of progress in achieving this is being called out by every sustainable fashion industry coalition and report.
02 August 2023
Relaxed explorers need multitasking shoe Relaxed explorers need multitasking shoe
Garmont taps into ‘unexplored market segment’ as the use of e-bikes and ‘slow tourism’ change consumer needs.
27 July 2023
Another angle Another angle
The pace to meet the under­served activewear needs of more women is picking up as industry leaders begin to zoom out and piece together the bigger picture.
20 July 2023
Plant­-based nylon garments Plant­-based nylon garments
An investment in equity in Genomatica in 2021 was Lululemon’s first in a sustainable materials company. The gymwear brand has now followed up by launching T­-shirts made from nylon, developed from Genomatica’s plant-­based building blocks.
12 July 2023
A look at what’s up in down A look at what’s up in down
It has unique performance properties and offers unrivalled warmth to weight. The natural material is also robust allowing it to be recycled, if properly cared for. But down is not without shortcomings and specific challenges.
28 June 2023
Can cellulosics compete with synthetics? Can cellulosics compete with synthetics?
Producers of manmade cellulosic fibres would like us to believe their wood-based yarns possess performance properties that make them suitable alternatives to polyester and polyamide.
03 May 2023
Prize fighters Prize fighters
A revamped format for the ISPO Award programme has given footwear its own category. In 2022, 12 different shoe, boot and footwear technology ideas were among the winners.
19 April 2023
Low-impact reused garments Low-impact reused garments
If Europe is to fulfil its vision of a sustainable and circular textiles industry, the system for collecting and sorting used garments and putting them to good use needs an overhaul.
12 April 2023
Reinvent to innovate Reinvent to innovate
There is no question that Nike Forward, which debuted last autumn with an inaugural hoodie and crew style, is an interesting textile development. But can the current iteration — with its raw details and grey-only colourway — be the ‘game changer’ the brand claims it to be?
05 April 2023
New legacy thinking New legacy thinking
The first technical outdoor gear to be produced with a non-fluorinated Gore-Tex membrane landed in stores towards the end of 2022.
29 March 2023
Healthier competition Healthier competition
Outdoor sports group Goldwin has been running its own race for over 70 years.
15 March 2023
3D printing takes a new turn 3D printing takes a new turn
A new generation of 3D printers can apply decoration or performance features directly onto fabric. Components made using additive manufacturing are also finding novel functional uses in shoes and backpacks. Together they may signal a new dawn for a technology that has yet to find a viable industrial use case, otherwise known as ‘killer app’, in consumer goods.
07 March 2023
Waves of change Waves of change
Technologies including ultrasound waves and digital printing promise to usher in a new generation of cleantech solutions for traditional wet processes.
14 December 2022
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.
07 December 2022
Lawmakers take on fashion Lawmakers take on fashion
Can two proposed bills — one state and one federal — harness US law to mitigate fashion’s social and environmental impacts globally?
30 November 2022
A new day is dawning A new day is dawning
Brands are giving themselves plenty of time to bring circular footwear programmes to market, but, for innovative companies in the shoe supply chain, work to develop the materials those programmes will need is already under way.
23 November 2022
New leadership at Foot Locker New leadership at Foot Locker
With Richard Johnson retiring, new Foot Locker CEO, Mary Dillon, might be exactly what the sportswear and apparel retailer needs.
16 November 2022
From forests to footwear midsoles From forests to footwear midsoles
It only became a player in the $30 billion global market for MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) recently, but UPM Biochemicals..
09 November 2022
PFAS have an Achilles’ heel PFAS have an Achilles’ heel
Problematic chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been present in moisture protection technologies for years, but time appears to be running out for them.
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.

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