Occupying a middle ground between natural and petrochemical, synthetic fibres made from renewable resources may hit the right chord with brands looking to lighten their environmental footprint. But these...
Features
2026Archive
13 October 2026
When synthetics bet on renewable over fossil
07 August 2026
Milano Unica: United in innovation
Could it be the show’s early dates? The winter season session, when fabrics command higher prices allowing mills to invest more? Or a collective determination to buck the adverse economic context? Milano Unica ...
17 June 2026
Colouring with only a hint of water
High-tech solutions that can ‘dye’ fabrics virtually without water promise to cut precious resources by 90% or more. But are traditional wet processes ready for disruption?
11 June 2026
Novel natural windbreaker shows power of collaboration
Armedangels has eschewed fossil-based fabrics for what it describes as the first natural jacket of its kind. Sportstextiles spoke with the German brand’s product director, as well as to Lenzing and Montebelo,...
12 May 2026
Stick with it
Science that won the Nobel Prize for chemistry as long ago as 1950 could have a role to play in the textile industry’s transition to the circular economy.
29 April 2026
Automation’s shortcomings
Clothing designers expect to see further advances in automation in the near future, but we are some way short of seeing an all-AI produced garment, even if consumers were willing to accept such a product.
23 April 2026
Skinny jeans are on the horizon, says Sharabati
Egypt-headquartered mill Sharabati has developed a super-stretch fabric with very low shrinkage and very low growth, partly in answer to the growing demand for stretch fabrics as brands weigh whether to launch ...
22 April 2026
Recycling ‘blocker’ fibre enters new age
As Lycra’s partially bio-based elastane hits commercial volumes, Fashion for Good launches a pilot to validate lower-impact stretch fibres and galvanise support around nascent recycling systems.
13 April 2026
One step ahead
A collective research programme to boost innovation in sustainable processes and develop industrial synergies in Portugal has brought together a consortium of textile and apparel manufacturers, research...
18 March 2026
Fresh thinking
Odour-capturing technologies are replacing traditional antimicrobial solutions to keep clothing smelling fresh. They are now being paired with complementary cooling and fibre-shedding mitigation to better...
11 March 2026
Milano Unica: ‘Luxury means raw materials’
The sentiment at the Italian fair was that manufacturing needs to be put back in the spotlight to differentiate high-end textiles.
04 March 2026
Changing of the guard in membranes
Makers of waterproof-breathable membranes have been pressured to phase out PFAS chemistry, arguably its foundational chemical compound, leading to the overhaul of the offerings of legacy suppliers.