Sustainability Archives - Munique - Unique Textiles Insights https://www.munique.blog/en/category/sustainability-en/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:59:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.5 EMELIE SANDRE DESIGN – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/emelie-sandre-design-sustainable-innovations/ Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:00:08 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83745 EMELIE SANDRE DESIGN – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Modularity is hardly a new concept. It has transformed architecture, furniture and industrial design for decades. Applying it to soft textiles, however, opens an entirely different conversation.

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What If the Most Sustainable Product Is the One That Never Stops Being Reinvented?

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

13. July 2026

The fashion and textile industry has spent years trying to answer one question. How do we make products last longer? The answers have largely focused on stronger fibres, better construction and more responsible materials. But what if durability isn’t only about how long a product survives? What if it’s about how many different lives it can live?

Visitors to the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start will discover a project that challenges exactly that through The Modular Costumes by Emilie Sandré Design.

Designing for Imagination

For many of us, dressing up began long before we owned a costume. A scarf became a cape. A belt became a sword. A pair of oversized shoes transformed us into someone entirely different. Designer Emilie Sandré remembers that feeling well.

As a child, she found endless joy in combining scarves, jewellery and accessories from her grandmother’s wardrobe to invent characters of her own. Yet today’s children’s costumes often arrive with the story already written: pirate, princess or knight, leaving little room for imagination. The Modular Costumes were created to change that.

Rather than designing finished costumes, Emilie has developed a system of interchangeable modules and connectors that children assemble themselves. There are no prescribed characters, no fixed narratives and no rules beyond curiosity. Every new combination becomes another opportunity for storytelling.

“I don’t design finished products, I design systems of possibilities where the user becomes the creator.”

Modularity Beyond Function

Modularity is hardly a new concept. It has transformed architecture, furniture and industrial design for decades. Applying it to soft textiles, however, opens an entirely different conversation.

Each component of The Modular Costumes is laser cut in Paris using luxury deadstock fabrics and sample books that would otherwise be difficult to recycle. Yet the project’s greatest contribution isn’t simply material reuse.

It is the idea that products designed for continual reinvention naturally resist becoming obsolete. A costume is no longer a single object with a limited purpose. It becomes an evolving creative system that grows with its user through endless possibilities for assembly.

Innovation, after all, is not always about producing something new. Sometimes it is about allowing one product to become many.

Designing for Play

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of The Modular Costumes is that it places play at the centre of sustainable design.

In a world increasingly shaped by digital experiences, Emilie invites children to engage with materials through touch, experimentation and imagination. The act of getting dressed becomes an act of making, encouraging curiosity rather than consumption. Workshops held in schools, cafés and exhibition spaces extend this philosophy beyond the product itself, creating shared experiences that celebrate creativity and exploration.

Visitors exploring the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start between 14-16 July 2026, will encounter far more than an innovative children’s product. They will discover a different way of thinking about design itself. Because perhaps the greatest form of durability isn’t measured in years. It is measured in possibility.

It is good remember that the products we treasure most are often those that continue to surprise us, which in turn invites us to create, reinvent and imagine them anew long after they first entered our lives.

WEBSITEIG: emelie.sandre.designLINKEDIN

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]]> Smart Textile Design – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/smart-textile-design-sustainable-innovations/ Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:25 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83774 Smart Textile Design – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

We have always been driven by creativity and curiosity. Our practice evolves through prototypes, never finished, always asking more questions of materials, processes and possibilities.

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What If Fashion’s Next Material Revolution Has Already Been Made?

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

12. July 2026

Fashion has become remarkably good at talking about new materials.

Every season introduces another fibre, another coating, another breakthrough promising to solve fashion’s environmental crisis. We celebrate innovation as though the answer must always begin with something new.

Yet among the innovators exhibiting at Sustainable Innovations space during Munich Fabric Start, taking place from 14-16 July 2026, Sara + Sarah Smart Textile Design invite us to ask a different question.

What if the next material revolution isn’t about inventing something new at all?

What if it begins by looking differently at what already exists?

“We have always been driven by creativity and curiosity. Our practice evolves through prototypes, never finished, always asking more questions of materials, processes and possibilities.”

Blurring the Boundaries Between Weaving, Print, Illumination and Technology

At Sustain by MUNIQUE, visitors will encounter Archiving Patterned Light, a decade-long exploration into the relationship between weave, print, light and material innovation. Rather than treating textiles as passive surfaces, Sara + Sarah reveal them as dynamic systems capable of transforming space, perception and atmosphere.

Their work moves seamlessly between handcrafted experimentation and industrial manufacture, creating textiles that respond to light in ways that challenge our expectations of what fabric can become. Cloth evolves into architecture. Surface becomes experience. Material becomes storytelling.

That spirit of exploration lies at the heart of their practice.

As Sara + Sarah explain: “We have always been driven by creativity and curiosity. Our practice evolves through prototypes, never finished, always asking more questions of materials, processes and possibilities.” It is a philosophy that runs through every piece of work they create, where experimentation is not simply part of the process but the process itself.

It is visually striking. But beauty is only part of the story.

Alongside Archiving Patterned Light, the duo will also present FLOCC, a collaborative material innovation that transforms post-industrial textile waste into natural electrostatic flock fibres for print and surface design.

At first glance, the concept appears simple. Textile waste becomes a new material. Except it isn’t. Because FLOCC demonstrates something the fashion industry still struggles to embrace. Circularity is not recycling. Circularity is redesigning value.

Looking Beyond Waste

Too often, waste is treated as the inevitable consequence of production. Something to manage. Something to minimise. Something to process through increasingly sophisticated recycling technologies.

FLOCC turns that assumption on its head.

Cotton, silk and cellulose waste streams become the raw material for richly textured surfaces that allow colour and pattern to be both seen and felt. Materials once considered the end of a product’s life become the beginning of an entirely new design language.

That distinction matters.

Fashion’s future will not be shaped solely by breakthrough fibres. It will be shaped by our willingness to redesign supply chains, manufacturing systems and commercial models so that existing materials are recognised for the value they already hold.

Innovation, after all, is rarely about creating something from nothing. It is about changing how we see.

Where Heritage Meets the Future

Equally compelling is the way these projects bridge heritage craftsmanship with advanced manufacturing.

Through years of collaboration with MYB Textiles and an ecosystem of manufacturers, recyclers and material specialists, ideas born through experimentation have evolved into scalable production. The result is proof that heritage manufacturing and contemporary innovation are not competing narratives. They are complementary strengths.

Perhaps that is the biggest lesson Sara + Sarah bring to Munich this season. The textile industry often speaks about collaboration as though it were an added benefit of innovation. In reality, collaboration is the innovation.

FLOCC exists because designers, manufacturers, researchers and technical specialists chose to work across disciplines rather than within them. Knowledge travelled. Expertise overlapped. Curiosity became infrastructure.

We look forward to visitors exploring Sara + Sarah Smart Textile Design because they are not offering fascinating projects, they offer a shift in perspective.

Therefore, perhaps the most valuable resource in fashion isn’t the next miracle material waiting to be invented. Perhaps it is the extraordinary potential already sitting within the materials we have yet to recognise.

WEBSITEIG: smarttextiledesignLINKEDIN

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]]> STUDIO ALICE GIELEN – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/studio-alice-gielen-sustainable-innovations/ Sat, 11 Jul 2026 08:00:16 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83804 STUDIO ALICE GIELEN – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

It is an idea that feels increasingly relevant as artificial intelligence and computational design become part of fashion's creative landscape. Perhaps the future is not about humans versus machines. Perhaps it is about learning how to create together.

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What If Designers Could Decide Colour Before the Yarn Even Exists?

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

11. July 2026

Both the fashion and textile industry often celebrates creativity. Yet many of the industry’s creative decisions are made long before a designer ever begins designing. Colour being one of them. The thing is, by the time a designer selects yarn, someone else has already determined the available colours, sequences and combinations. Choice exists, but only within boundaries.

Moving Creativity Upstream

Studio Alice Gielen, the Sliver Fiber Printer reimagines one of textile production’s earliest stages. Instead of colouring yarn after it has been spun, the system applies dye directly onto loose fibre, known as sliver, before spinning takes place. This allows designers to programme colour sequences, gradients, mathematical patterns or even Morse code into the material itself before the yarn has been created. Better still, those sequences can be adjusted live, turning colour development into an active dialogue between designer, machine and material. The technology is impressive.The shift in creative ownership is even more significant.

Rethinking the Relationship Between Humans and Machines

Many of us know that it is automation is often framed as something that replaces human creativity. Studio Alice Gielen proposes something altogether different.

Rather than viewing machines as tools that simply execute instructions, the Sliver Fiber Printer creates space for collaboration. Programmed logic, material behaviour and human intuition influence one another throughout the making process, allowing unexpected outcomes to become part of the design itself.

As Alice explains: “I aim to contribute to a growing discourse that views machines not merely as tools of production but as partners in the creative process, capable of influencing both the method and the art of making.”

It is an idea that feels increasingly relevant as artificial intelligence and computational design become part of fashion’s creative landscape. Perhaps the future is not about humans versus machines. Perhaps it is about learning how to create together.

“I aim to contribute to a growing discourse that views machines not merely as tools of production but as partners in the creative process, capable of influencing both the method and the art of making.”

 

A Different Way to Build Textile Systems

The Sliver Fiber Printer does more than expand creative possibilities.

By moving colour decisions to an earlier stage in the production process, it gives independent designers, craftspeople and small studios greater control over experimentation while supporting small-batch production through a closed-loop, zero-water-waste dyeing process. Rather than relying on industrial forecasting to determine available yarns, designers become authors of their own material language.

This philosophy is brought to life through KI MONO, a knitted garment inspired by Japanese kasuri and ikat traditions, where algorithmic colour sequences become wearable expressions of both cultural heritage and computational design. It demonstrates that innovation can honour tradition while simultaneously expanding its possibilities.

Visitors exploring the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start between 14-16 July 2026,  will discover a project that asks a deceptively simple question will encounter more than a new textile machine.

They will encounter a new way of thinking about authorship. Because perhaps the future of textile innovation isn’t simply about making better materials. Perhaps it is about giving designers back the freedom to shape them from the very beginning.

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]]> Leather from the Sea – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/leather-from-the-sea-sustainable-innovations/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:00:35 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83714 Leather from the Sea – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

"Through hands-on experimentation, I explore the potential of new surfaces and alternative forms of leather, aiming to reconnect human life with the natural world as an interconnected fabric."

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What If the Future of Leather Doesn’t Come from Land?

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

10. July 2026

For decades, the search for alternatives to leather has focused on one question. What can replace it?

There has been mycelium, pineapple leaves, cactus and even apple waste. Each new material promises to reduce fashion’s environmental footprint while replicating the qualities of traditional leather. Now entering the space is designer and researcher Indrė Mikuckė who invites us to consider an entirely different possibility.

Designing with Nature, Not Against It

Through her research project, Leather from the Sea, Indrė explores how algae, natural ingredients and algae-derived binders can be transformed into flexible biomaterials through a process of mixing, casting and controlled drying.The resulting surfaces are not designed to perfectly imitate leather.

Instead, they celebrate the subtle irregularities, textures and tonal variations that emerge naturally during the making process. Every sample reflects the unpredictable beauty of the materials themselves, creating surfaces that feel both familiar and entirely new.

Rather than forcing nature to conform to industrial expectations, the project asks what happens when design works alongside natural processes. It is a subtle shift. But an important one.

“Through hands-on experimentation, I explore the potential of new surfaces and alternative forms of leather, aiming to reconnect human life with the natural world as an interconnected fabric.”

Looking Beyond Material Substitution

The thing is, fashion often approaches material innovation as a process of substitution. Replace one fibre. Replace one coating. Replace one material with another. However, leather from the Sea challenges that way of thinking.

Instead of simply searching for a direct replacement, Indrė is exploring an entirely different relationship between designers, materials and the natural world. Marine resources become more than ingredients. They become collaborators in developing future biomaterials that minimise environmental impact while opening new creative possibilities for fashion, accessories and interiors.

As she explains:

“Through hands-on experimentation, I explore the potential of new surfaces and alternative forms of leather, aiming to reconnect human life with the natural world as an interconnected fabric.”

It is a philosophy that places material experimentation at the centre of ecological thinking, demonstrating that innovation is as much about changing our relationship with nature as it is about changing materials.

Materials Still in Conversation

One of the most compelling aspects of Leather from the Sea is that it doesn’t claim to have all the answers. The materials remain under development, with ongoing research exploring durability, future applications and performance across fashion, accessories, interiors and experimental design.

There is an honesty in that.

Innovation is often presented as a finished product, neatly packaged and ready for market. Research rarely works that way. It is iterative, experimental and constantly evolving. Perhaps that is precisely why projects like Leather from the Sea matter.

Visitors exploring the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start this July won’t simply discover another leather alternative. They will encounter a designer asking bigger questions about how materials are imagined, developed and valued. Because the future of fashion may not depend solely on finding new resources.

It may depend on learning how to work more thoughtfully with the ones nature has already placed around us. Be sure to visit the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start, taking place from 14-16 July 2026.

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]]> Maison du Flock – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/maison-du-flock-sustainable-innovations/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:00:39 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83686 Maison du Flock – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Working with everything from delicate tulle and lace to leather, sequins and other unconventional materials, the studio has transformed flock into a contemporary design language capable of meeting the demands of luxury fashion and Haute Couture.

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Why Fashion’s Next Innovation Might Be a Craft We’ve Forgotten

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

9. July 2026

There has been the argument that fashion is always fascinated by the new.New fibres. New finishes. New technologies promising to transform the industry. However, it seems that some of the most exciting innovations don’t begin with invention at all, they begin by rediscovering a craft that has quietly existed for decades and asking what it could become.

Between 14-16 July 2026, visitors to the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start will have the opportunity to discover exactly that through the work of Maison du Flock.

Founded in 2022, the Netherlands-based atelier specialises in experimental and limited-edition flock printing for luxury brands and Haute Couture. At a time when fashion is searching for new ways to combine craftsmanship with innovation, Maison du Flock is demonstrating that an established textile technique can still surprise us.

“Working with everything from delicate tulle and lace to leather, sequins and other unconventional materials, the studio has transformed flock into a contemporary design language capable of meeting the demands of luxury fashion and Haute Couture. Every project challenges assumptions about where the technique can be applied and how texture can elevate both craftsmanship and storytelling.”

Reimagining Flock for Luxury

For many, flock is familiar but rarely celebrated. The electrostatic process creates a distinctive velvet-like surface by applying fine fibres onto fabric, adding richness, depth and tactility. Historically, it has often been associated with decorative applications.

Maison du Flock sees something entirely different.

Working with everything from delicate tulle and lace to leather, sequins and other unconventional materials, the studio has transformed flock into a contemporary design language capable of meeting the demands of luxury fashion and Haute Couture. Every project challenges assumptions about where the technique can be applied and how texture can elevate both craftsmanship and storytelling.

As founders Eugène and Annika explain:

“It brings out the best in both of us.”

That simple statement captures the spirit of a practice driven by technical curiosity and a shared ambition to continually push the boundaries of what flock can achieve.

Innovation Through Craft

There is a tendency within fashion to treat innovation and craftsmanship as though they belong in separate conversations. Maison du Flock quietly proves otherwise.

The studio works with luxury fashion houses across the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain, while also collaborating with fibre innovators, textile start-ups and industry partners to explore entirely new applications for flock. Here, craftsmanship is not static. It is constantly evolving through research, experimentation and collaboration.

Innovation, after all, is rarely about creating something from nothing. It is about changing how we see.

Looking Towards a More Circular Future

That mindset extends beyond aesthetics.

Through the FLOCC project, Maison du Flock is exploring how natural flock fibres can be created from post-industrial textile waste. By transforming existing waste streams into premium surface materials, the project demonstrates that luxury and sustainability can strengthen one another rather than compete.

It also reflects a broader shift taking place across the textile industry. The future will not simply be defined by breakthrough materials. It will be shaped by the creative partnerships that challenge established processes, rethink existing resources and expand the possibilities of traditional craftsmanship.

Visitors exploring the Sustainable Innovation space at Munich Fabric Start this July will discover more than an exceptional printing atelier. They will discover a company redefining how heritage techniques can contribute to the future of fashion. Because sometimes the most exciting innovation isn’t the newest technology. Sometimes it is seeing an overlooked craft with entirely new eyes.

WEBSITEIG: maison_du_flockLINKEDIN

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]]> KnitForm+ by Jeanne Mora – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/knitform-by-jeanne-mora-sustainable-innovations/ Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:00:42 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83430 KnitForm+ by Jeanne Mora – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

What matters is how the textile responds: how it regulates volume, distributes pressure, and transitions from flat to three-dimensional states. Process transparency is embedded in the methodology itself.

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KnitForm+ by Jeanne Mora

When Knitting Becomes Structure, Not Surface

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

20. January 2026

KnitForm+ is not a new yarn system or surface innovation. What makes it different is its use of knitting as a structural design method, where form, volume, and stability are generated directly through textile construction rather than imposed through frames, padding, or rigid supports.

Developed by designer Jeanne Mora, KnitForm+ positions knitting as a construction language. Stitch architecture, tension, and machine constraints become the primary drivers of form. Instead of treating these limitations as technical problems, Mora treats them as design parameters that actively shape behaviour. The result is a series of knitted structures that fold, compress, inflate, and expand through their own material logic.

Material origin is intentionally secondary to structure. KnitForm+ is not presented as a fibre innovation, but as a system for working with knitted behaviour across different material bases. What matters is how the textile responds: how it regulates volume, distributes pressure, and transitions from flat to three-dimensional states. Process transparency is embedded in the methodology itself. Each form emerges through iterative sampling, structural testing, and machine-based experimentation rather than decorative finishing.

“What matters is how the textile responds: how it regulates volume, distributes pressure, and transitions from flat to three-dimensional states. Process transparency is embedded in the methodology itself.”

Scalability is addressed through adaptability. KnitForm+ is currently a research and design framework, not a product line. Its logic can be applied across furniture, interiors, and spatial design contexts, but requires collaboration with industrial knitting environments. The work is therefore scalable in principle, but intentionally not simplified into ready-made typologies.

Performance is defined through behaviour rather than comfort claims. The knitted structures demonstrate controlled flexibility, compression, and deformation. In pieces such as the inflatable knitted seat developed with TextielLab in Tilburg, the textile regulates volume and pressure through stitch construction alone. The trade-off is clear: these systems demand precise machine control and deep material understanding, but in return they reduce the need for secondary construction layers.

Within the wider industry context, KnitForm+ challenges the separation between textile design and product engineering. It positions knitting as a tool for structural problem-solving, not surface styling. For furniture designers, textile developers, and manufacturers, it suggests a shift from textiles as coverings to textiles as frameworks.

KnitForm+ does not claim to optimise production or solve sustainability through material substitution. Its contribution is more fundamental. It proposes that textiles can be active construction systems, capable of shaping form, behaviour, and function directly.

For Jeanne Mora, success is not measured in product replication, but in establishing knitting as a structural design discipline with industrial relevance. KnitForm+ is less about what knitting looks like, and more about what knitting can do.

WEBSITEIG: jeannemora_LINKEDIN

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]]> RETRAKT – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/retrakt-sustainable-innovations/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:47 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83454 RETRAKT – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Performance, in this context, is measured by organisational resilience. RETRAKT applies resilience engineering to help employees anticipate, monitor, respond to, and learn from complex and changing requirements.

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RETRAKT: From Circular Ambition to Operational Reality

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

19. January 2026

RETRAKT is not a new material, fibre, or fabric system. What makes it different is more fundamental: it is a research-based transformation framework designed to help textile and apparel companies actually implement circular economy requirements inside day-to-day operations. At a time when circularity is becoming mandatory under EU legislation, RETRAKT focuses on the gap most companies struggle with: translating regulation into workable processes across design, sourcing, production, and data management.

Developed as part of the research project “Resilient Transformation Management for the Circular Economy in the Textile Industry”, RETRAKT addresses circularity as a socio-technical challenge, not a purely technical one. Its core innovation lies in combining product compliance management, resilience engineering, and employee-centred process design to help companies shift from linear to circular value creation in a structured, realistic way.

“Performance, in this context, is measured by organisational resilience. RETRAKT applies resilience engineering to help employees anticipate, monitor, respond to, and learn from complex and changing requirements.”

Rather than making sustainability claims, RETRAKT starts with regulatory facts. New EU textile legislation, including requirements linked to the EU Textile Strategy 2030, will make circular design, transparency, and traceability legally binding. RETRAKT systematically analyses these laws and translates them into concrete tasks for companies, from material selection and design decisions to supplier communication and data documentation.

Compliance is treated as the backbone of circularity, not an afterthought. Therefore, traceability within RETRAKT is approached through process transparency rather than labels. The project develops methods to document workflows, responsibilities, and decision paths inside companies, supported by a planned Digital Cooperation Platform. This platform is intended to support collaboration across international value chains and to prepare companies for future requirements such as the Digital Product Passport.

In terms of scalability, RETRAKT is not a lab experiment but a practice-oriented research project running from 2025 to 2028, implemented directly within partner companies from the textile and apparel industry. Its scalability lies in its transferability: the procedures, tools, and methods developed are designed to be adapted by other companies and, in the longer term, potentially by other industries facing similar regulatory pressure.

Performance, in this context, is measured by organisational resilience. RETRAKT applies resilience engineering to help employees anticipate, monitor, respond to, and learn from complex and changing requirements. This human-centred approach recognises that circularity will only work if people inside companies are enabled to manage uncertainty and complexity, rather than being overwhelmed by it.

RETRAKT positions itself clearly within the wider industry shift away from voluntary sustainability towards mandatory circular compliance. It is most relevant to brands, manufacturers, and suppliers who recognise that future competitiveness will depend not just on better materials, but on better systems.

Success for RETRAKT is not a single product outcome. It is the creation of a repeatable, resilient model for circular transformation that companies can realistically use.

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]]> MATERIA FUTURA – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/materia-futura-sustainable-innovations/ Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:00:13 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83469 MATERIA FUTURA – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Materia Futura is not proposing a new bio-material category, nor a finished commercial textile. What distinguishes the project is its design-led investigation into the emotional and aesthetic dimensions of bio-based materials, an area often sidelined in sustainability discourse.

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MATERIA FUTURA: Reclaiming Sensory Desire in Bio-Based Materials

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

18. January 2026

Materia Futura is not proposing a new bio-material category, nor a finished commercial textile. What distinguishes the project is its design-led investigation into the emotional and aesthetic dimensions of bio-based materials, an area often sidelined in sustainability discourse. Founded by Alessia Pasquini and Beatriz Sandini, Materia Futura asks a direct question: why are sustainable materials still expected to look raw, muted, or purely functional?

Developed as a design research project in early 2025, Materia Futura explores how biomaterials can engage the senses through shimmer, iridescence, surface depth, and visual movement. Rather than treating these qualities as superficial, the project positions them as critical to human connection and long-term material adoption. Its first outcomes were presented at Dutch Design Week 2025 as part of the exhibition Basic Instinct: Making–With. The first phase of the research was developed in collaboration Paulina Martina, a digital designer, who worked on the virtual reality component. Part of that initial phase focused on creating a connection between the physical materials and the virtual world. You will find more info about this aspect on the Materia Futura website.

“Sustainability should not only be responsible, but also desirable – able to shimmer, glow, and connect with our senses.”

The work combines bio-based material experimentation with traditional craft techniques, using hands-on processes to push beyond the visual language typically associated with sustainable design. Effects such as chromatic shifts, moiré patterns, and layered textures are explored not as decoration, but as inherent material expressions inspired by natural phenomena. While earlier phases of the project investigated links between physical materials and digital or immersive environments, the designers are currently reassessing how and whether these components will continue in future iterations.

Materia Futura is firmly in a research and exploratory phase. The materials developed are not yet positioned for immediate industrial scale or collection integration. Instead, the project functions as a provocation and a testing ground, relevant to designers, material developers, and brands interested in expanding how sustainability is perceived, communicated, and desired.

In the wider material landscape, Materia Futura challenges the assumption that responsible materials must be visually restrained to be credible. Its contribution lies in reframing sustainability as something that can be sensory, expressive, and culturally resonant, without denying its biological or ethical foundations.

For Pasquini and Sandini, success is not defined by a single material outcome, but by opening space for a richer, more emotionally literate future for bio-based design.

WEBSITEIG: materia_futuraa

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]]> THREADED PROTOCOLS – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS https://www.munique.blog/en/threaded-protocols-sustainable-innovations/ Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:00:07 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83392 THREADED PROTOCOLS – SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Threaded Protocols is not a textile innovation in the commercial sense, nor a digital tool disguised as craft. What makes the work distinct is its material investigation into how computational logic originates in textile practice and what is lost when those logics are abstracted into opaque technological systems.

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THREADED PROTOCOLS:

When Weaving Becomes Computation Again

Explore these innovative projects at the Sustainable Innovations Forum in the Keyhouse in Hall 2

17. January 2026

Threaded Protocols is not a textile innovation in the commercial sense, nor a digital tool disguised as craft. What makes the work distinct is its material investigation into how computational logic originates in textile practice and what is lost when those logics are abstracted into opaque technological systems.

Developed by artist and researcher Floor Berkhout, Threaded Protocols explores the structural relationship between weaving and computing. Both rely on binary decisions, pattern execution, and logical sequencing. Historically, the loom was the first computer. Threaded Protocols returns to this origin, using textile-making to expose the physical, gestural nature of computation that contemporary digital infrastructures have largely hidden.

Berkhout’s practice operates as a critical technical practice, working through craft methodologies to understand how protocols function materially. In Threaded Protocols, each crossing of threads becomes a binary operation: in front or behind, zero or one. Meaning emerges slowly, through repetition and attention, rather than speed or optimisation. This slowness is deliberate. It draws from perma-computing principles, which question the inevitability of fast, extractive technological progress and its influence on both digital systems and the textile industry.

The project also foregrounds the gendered history of both textile labour and computation, from 19th-century weaving rooms to the women who worked as “computers” in the mid-20th century. By re-embedding computation in the hands, Threaded Protocols seeks to reclaim agency that has been stripped away through industrialisation and black-box technologies.

WEBSITEIG: floor.berkhout

Threaded Protocols is presented as process-driven research and interactive installation, not as a scalable product or material solution. Its relevance lies in how it reframes technology as something made, touched, and shaped by human choice, rather than an abstract, neutral system.

For designers, technologists, and researchers, Threaded Protocols offers a reminder that systems which appear precise and objective are always political, always designed, and always traceable back to material decisions. In a landscape dominated by efficiency, Berkhout’s work insists on another value: the right to build meaning slowly.

The detailed explorer finds a bonus: her work is also touching theme’s of emancipation, gender-equality, historic manipulation…

Any input you think is helpful to create a dedicated article about your project:
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]]> Living Matter: Bio-Luxury for Future Materials https://www.munique.blog/en/living-matter-bio-luxury-for-future-materials/ Sun, 31 Aug 2025 10:00:44 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83190 Living Matter: Bio-Luxury for Future Materials

Indigo, a colour with a lot of history, is the main focus of this project. Denim has always meant strength and durability, and its roughness is linked to work and usefulness.

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Living Matter: Bio-Luxury for Future Materials

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

31. August 2025

Luxury has always been a contradiction. It’s admired for its craft and allure, yet criticised for its excess. Living Matter takes this tension and turns it into a question: what if luxury wasn’t about being rare or exclusive, but about being responsible and creative?

Indigo, a colour with a lot of history, is the main focus of this project. Denim has always meant strength and durability, and its roughness is linked to work and usefulness. In this case, indigo is used to provoke. Biomaterials like Indigo Fur, Indigo BioLeather, and Indigo Veil change the roughness of denim into something soft, light, and impossibly elegant. These materials are made to feel high-end, but they are also made to change, age, and eventually return to the earth.

The process uses marine biopolymers, plant fibres, and even charcoal waste, which are mixed with cotton and natural indigo dyes. The results are more than just surfaces; they are shaped by techniques like folding, pleating, and fur-crafting. They feel alive, with both a scientific and a craft-like touch. Every piece tells a story about what happens when old and new come together.

“By rethinking luxury as a nature-driven, craftsmanship-based concept, the project pioneers sustainable luxury.”
Shushanik Droshakiryan

What stands out is how beautiful these materials are without any shame. Sustainable design is too often shown in muted colours, as if restraint is the only way to show responsibility. Living Matter has a different point of view. Indigo here is strong and bright, with textures that are rich, sensory, and very appealing. It doesn’t agree that taking care of the planet means giving up style.

Luxury sets the tone for the wider industry, shaping what people desire and why they engage with fashion at all. Living Matter challenges this influence, urging a shift away from extraction toward stewardship redefining bio-based materials not as compromise, but as the ultimate expression of desirability.

Presented at the September 2025 edition of Munich Fabric Start’s Sustainable Innovations forum, the project will make its case in the right place thanks to the kind collaboration with OFFICINA +39 as supplier of RECYCROMTM RTD OCEAN dye as well as EU COTTON who provided the raw cotton used in this project. Pushing boundaries and spotlighting visions of fashion’s future, it has the potential to reframe bio-based materials not as substitutes or compromises, but as the new height of aspiration.

H2 | SI

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]]> BIOTEXFUTURE: How to Make Textiles from Fossils https://www.munique.blog/en/biotexfuture-how-to-make-textiles-from-fossils/ Sat, 30 Aug 2025 10:00:56 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83152 BIOTEXFUTURE: How to Make Textiles from Fossils

The program is a group of businesses and universities working together to find scalable, bio-based alternatives.

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BIOTEXFUTURE: How to Make Textiles from Fossils

30. August 2025

One of fashion’s biggest contradictions is that it relies on fossil fuels. Polyester, nylon, and acrylic make up most of the world’s fibres, which means that most clothes today start out as crude oil. adidas and RWTH Aachen University are leading the German project BIOTEXFUTURE, which wants to end that dependence.

The program is a group of businesses and universities working together to find scalable, bio-based alternatives. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Part of the SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS forum at Munich Fabric start, three main projects will be featured:

  • CircWool: a process that uses a solvent to restore wool fibres without lowering their quality.
  • BioPETex: a bio-based polyester that works just as well as regular PET.
  • BioCushion: a type of spacer fabric that can be recycled and used in shoes and clothes. It is both strong and circular.

These projects are not meant to be one-time tests; they are meant to be useful in the real world. Adding them to the forum ties speculative design ideas to a long history of applied science. It reminds us that we need both creativity and infrastructure to make the switch to sustainable textiles.

BioCushion

BioPEtex

BioPEtex

BioPEtex

CircWool

BIOTEXFUTURE is holding the right vision to transform the textile value chain.”
adidas Future Team

The message is clear for fashion and textiles: greenwashing can’t hide the fact that we depend on oil. We need to change the way things are built, and bio-based fibres are a big part of that. The good news is that the technology is available, partnerships are forming, and interest is growing.

Petrochemistry has defined textiles for the last 100 years. But projects like BIOTEXFUTURE show that a new era is coming, one where performance, style, and scale are no longer tied to oil but to renewable innovation.

CircWool

CircWool

CircWool

Visit BIOTEXFUTURE H2 | SI

BIOTEXFUTURE
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]]> Wetlands Matters – by Marc Wijkmans https://www.munique.blog/en/wetlands-matter-the-studio-of-marc-wijkmans/ Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:00:18 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83109 Wetlands Matters – by Marc Wijkmans

Wijkman’s idea came from a simple but important observation: animals carry seeds across ecosystems in their fur.

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Wetlands Matters – by Marc Wijkmans

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

29. August 2025

In the Netherlands, where land and water are always at odds with each other, design often has to work with ecology. Marc Wijkmans Studio “Wetlands” takes this conversation into textiles, treating fabrics not as neutral surfaces but as active participants that can help landscapes grow.

Wijkman’s idea came from a simple but important observation: animals carry seeds across ecosystems in their fur. He made a fabric that purposely catches and spreads seeds by imitating this natural process. The material is made of wool, sodium alginate, and linseed oil, and it doesn’t have the smooth, perfect look of regular fabrics. Instead, its value comes from its flaws, how it can get stuck, carry things, and help the process of re-wilding continue. This approach goes against what people think about outdoor clothing.

“Seeds stick to fur. Building on this, I came up with the idea to give the material a fur-like surface.” 
Marc Wijkmans

Making the material

As most of us know, performance fabrics today are largely synthetic-engineered to be strong and water-resistant, yet infamous for shedding microplastics. Wetlands Matters challenges this conventional notion of “functionality.” Here, performance is redefined: not about keeping people dry, but about serving the ecological needs of a site.

Tested in the Hemelrijkse Waard nature reserve, the textile demonstrates that protection can be mutual – between wearer and landscape. From this emerges a clear lesson for the fashion and textile industries: materials must be rethought entirely. What if fabrics were designed to collaborate with their surroundings rather than resist them? What if impermanence and biodegradability were not flaws, but essential virtues for a sustainable future?

All in all, Wetlands Matters doesn’t say that it has a solution that is ready to sell. It works as a provocation instead: a reminder that the future of textiles may be less about how long they last and how well they work in the narrow sense and more about how they can help landscapes grow quietly and steadily.

H2 | SI

Repairing the material

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]]> Heliotex – Studio Pauline van Dongen https://www.munique.blog/en/heliotex-studio-pauline-van-dongen/ Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:00:39 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83056 Heliotex – Studio Pauline van Dongen

Heliotex is basically a way to combine organic photovoltaics with lightweight, flexible fabrics. The result is sunshades and canopies that generate energy and look good at the same time.

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Heliotex – Studio Pauline van Dongen

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

28. August 2025

Textiles have always covered our bodies, but what if they could also power the things around us? Heliotex (formerly known as Suntex), from designer Pauline van Dongen, is a challenge to what people think fabric can do.

Heliotex is basically a way to combine organic photovoltaics with lightweight, flexible fabrics. The result is sunshades and canopies that generate energy and look good at the same time. These fabrics move, fold, and breathe with their surroundings, unlike rigid solar panels. They think of renewable energy not as something that needs to be hidden away, but as something that is beautiful, soft, and fits in perfectly with the rest of the world.

“We focus on outdoor applications like textile facades, festival tents, and shade structures… Of course, we also foresee indoor applications like curtains and sun shading.”
Pauline van Dongen

The fact that Simon Angel included the project in this season’s SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS forum puts it in a bigger story: textiles are no longer passive. They are tools for making big changes in the system. Heliotex shows how fabrics can go beyond traditional categories by working at the intersection of design, architecture, and energy. It is similar to Wetlands Matters and Plantfur.

The effects of van Dongen’s work on the fashion and textile industries will be huge. The textile industry can grow if textiles can collect energy. Sustainability stops being about doing less harm and starts being about giving more value, like comfort, beauty, and clean energy all at once.

The lesson is practical but lofty: sustainability should feel like a part of everyday life, not something that is added on. Heliotex shows that renewable energy can be touchable, welcoming, and even luxurious. This is a call for people who work in fashion and textiles to think of fabrics not just as things we wear, but also as the buildings we live in.

H2 | SI

PAULINE VAN DOGNEN

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]]> Atelier Dasha Tsapenko’s MYC_Couture https://www.munique.blog/en/atelier-dasha-tsapenkos-myc_couture/ Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:55 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83001 Atelier Dasha Tsapenko’s MYC_Couture

People have long praised couture for its ability to shock. But what if fashion didn't just shock people with its looks but also made them think about what it was made of?

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Atelier Dasha Tsapenko’s MYC_Couture

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

27. August 2025

People have long praised couture for its ability to shock. But what if fashion didn’t just shock people with its looks but also made them think about what it was made of? Atelier Dasha Tsapenko’s ongoing project, MYC_Couture, is based on that idea. Instead of making clothes, she grows them.

Tsapenko has made clothes out of fungi, hemp, and flax; living collaborations between the designer and the organism. The coats and gowns that came out of this unusual partnership are dramatic and sculptural. They look like couture fantasy, but their biology is what makes them new. The garments grow back, break down, and eventually go back to the earth. Tsapenko has introduced the new idea of “bioluxury”, which is a model that accepts change and that things don’t last, instead of fighting against change.

“Textures and materials are not produced; they grow.”
 Dasha Tsapenko

This vision is not a gimmick or a small test. MYC_Couture, understands that a shift in worldview from garments as static objects to garments as part of ecological cycles isn’t about keeping things the same, it’s about celebrating change, growth, and coming back.

No stranger to events like Dutch Design Week, Copenhagen Fashion Week, and now at Munich Fabric Start, you will find MYC_Couture housed in the SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS space. There she hopes to start a conversation about changing the way fashion and ecology are connected. Her lesson is both simple and radical: sustainability cannot be achieved by efficiency tweaks alone.

H2 | SI

ATELIER DASHA TSAPENKO

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]]> Plantfur – by Studio iFOCUS https://www.munique.blog/en/plantfur-by-studio-ifocus/ Tue, 26 Aug 2025 11:00:50 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=83027 Plantfur – by Studio iFOCUS

Veentjer’s practice has turned her attention to cattails, a plant that grows well in waterlogged soils and has the potential to change both landscapes and textiles.

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Plantfur – by Studio iFocus 

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

26. August 2025

Peatlands, which are often called the “lungs of the earth,”, are delicate ecosystems that are under a lot of stress. These carbon-rich soils in the Netherlands are at risk of collapsing because of centuries of draining and intensive farming. When they do, they release emissions into the air. This environmental crisis is not only a call to fix things, for designer Iris Veentjer; it is also a chance to rethink the future of materials.

Veentjer’s practice has turned her attention to cattails, a plant that grows well in waterlogged soils and has the potential to change both landscapes and textiles. Plantfur, a surface material made from the cigar-shaped seed heads of the cattail, is the main focus of this research. These spikes are usually thrown away as agricultural waste, but they are collected before they spread too much and turned into panels that look like fur. Each cigar has its own size, so when they are put together, they make striated surfaces that are naturally beautiful. Not only is the material a more environmentally friendly alternative to animal fur and petroleum-based synthetics, but it also gives farmers a crop that helps reduce emissions.

“Harvesting cattail cigars earlier prevents their invasive spread and transforms waste into value.”

Iris Veentjer

The fact that SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS forum is featuring the project this season shows how important it is. Plantfur shows that sustainability can mean more than just doing less harm. Plantfur makes important points for the fashion and textile industries. What if wetlands were used to grow fur instead of factory farms? What if farming worked with climate resilience instead of against it?

Plantfur doesn’t just replace old materials; it makes a new way to use them based on ecological reciprocity. This is a very important lesson to learn. People won’t just judge the textiles of the future by how they feel on the skin; they’ll also judge them by how they work in ecosystems. Veentjer’s work shows that luxury and sustainability don’t have to be at odds with each other. They can be redefined together with materials that are both beautiful and good for the environment.

H2 | SI

STUDIO iFOCUS

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]]> ReSOURCE NEWS: KOMBINAT KONOPNY https://www.munique.blog/en/resource-news-kombinat-konopny/ Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:00:52 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=82005 ReSOURCE NEWS: KOMBINAT KONOPNY

In a nutshell: hemp textiles are durable, hygienic, and breathable.

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RESOURCE NEWS FOR AUTUMN.WINTER 26/27

Meet KOMBINAT KONOPNY – Creations for the love of hemp

6. August 2025

The ReSOURCE area at MUNICH FABRIC START is the sourcing platform for environmentally friendly and responsibly produced textiles, clothing and accessories. Search, discover and procure – all in one place. Order sustainable materials online at any time at www.resource-textiles.com.

With around 500 samples, the area for innovative Fabrics and Additionals that are bio-certified, bio-based, recycled, recyclable or from regenerative sources has once again grown significantly compared to previous seasons.

What is KOMBINAT?

KOMBINAT is an idea. This idea is centered around a group of enthusiasts who have set themselves the crazy goal of bringing hemp materials back into the textile mainstream. Why? Because we believe in practical solutions, solid craftsmanship, and that in today’s world, it’s still possible to do things your own way, going against the current.

Hemp fiber has been out of circulation for a long time – in our opinion, far too long. We also believe that the world simply needs a healthy counterbalance to the omnipresent plastic, the flood of junk, and the fast-fashion movement, which, to put it mildly, is not our cup of tea.

Our philosophy is balance – we are aware that we will never be perfect, one hundred percent ecological, and satisfying absolutely everyone’s needs – we’re not tomato soup to fit everyone’s taste (if you don’t like tomato soup – substitute any other soup here) – we know that our activities won’t save the entire world, and that’s not our goal either.

A sustainable approach, balance without going to extremes is something that defines us well.

“If these values resonate with you – welcome aboard. We believe hemp is a great raw material and we want it to become a natural choice again. Just like it used to be.” – Maciej Kowalski

Why hemp?

Because it works. It’s strong and breathable. Clothes made from it have excellent thermoregulatory properties… or in human terms – they “breathe”.

Hemp is a fascinating plant – it’s not without reason that it’s colloquially called a “weed”; it doesn’t need pesticides, excellent soil, and conditions to grow several meters tall. From its fibers, you can create a material that doesn’t need to prove its value – that has been repeatedly tested in battle throughout our history, both literally and figuratively. Our products not only look good but also don’t wear out after one season. Our clothes are an investment, not a seasonal disposable.

Hemp fiber is a raw material that doesn’t require intensive chemical processing. It grows quickly, doesn’t deplete the soil, and provides us with a material that is naturally resistant to fungi and moisture. This natural fiber is also bacteriostatic – it doesn’t promote bacterial
growth.

In a nutshell: hemp textiles are durable, hygienic, and breathable.

VISIT KOMBINAT KONOPNY AT

H4 | R 02

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]]> The Power of Data: Understanding How Data Tackles Challenges in the Textile Industry https://www.munique.blog/en/texroad-the-power-of-data/ Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:00:46 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=81952 The Power of Data: Understanding How Data Tackles Challenges in the Textile Industry

Data might feel intimidating for the fashion and textile industry, but it holds the power to unlock transparency, boost efficiency, and spark innovation...

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The Power of Data:

Understanding How Data Tackles Challenges in the Textile Industry

by Muchaneta ten Napel

31. January 2025

Data might feel intimidating for the fashion and textile industry, but it holds the power to unlock transparency, boost efficiency, and spark innovation. Traci Kinden, Director at TEXroad Foundation, shares her insights in an interview with Muchaneta ten Napel from Shape Innovate on how small, strategic steps and collaboration can transform data into a force for positive change.

Muchaneta: Let’s start with the big question: why does data seem so intimidating to people in the textile industry?
Traci: Data is such a small word with immense meaning, and everyone interprets it differently. If you don’t see yourself as a “numbers person,” it can feel overwhelming and even scary. A lot of the fear stems from misconceptions about what data is and how it can be used. But I’m determined to change that perspective and show that data can be accessible – and even exciting!

Muchaneta: That’s a great goal. Can you explain what TEXroad does with data to bridge these gaps?
Traci: At TEXroad, we work primarily in post-consumer textile flows. We partner with municipalities and their collection and sorting teams to gather data at every stage – collection, sorting, and processing. This data allows us to evaluate how systems are performing and measure the impact of changes over time. Additionally, we’re involved in EU-funded projects, like PESCO Up, where we develop minimum data requirements for textile recycling chains. Our goal is to make data a shared, standardized language that benefits the entire value chain.

Muchaneta: Speaking of EU-funded projects, what ensures the longevity of such initiatives after their official end?
Traci: EU-funded projects have defined start and end dates, but we strive to make their outcomes scalable and sustainable. For example, in PESCO Up, we’ve developed minimum data requirements for the recycling chain. These are shared across multiple projects to ensure consistency and long-term use. At TEXroad, we also focus on publishing non-sensitive datasets for open access, so the insights remain available to the industry even after the projects conclude.

Muchaneta: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in promoting data sharing and collaboration?
Traci: One major challenge is the lack of standardization in the industry. For instance, terms like “post-industrial waste” and “pre-consumer waste” are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion. Another hurdle is companies’ hesitancy to share data due to fears of exposing sensitive information. Building trust takes time – our sales cycles can span 12 to 24 months before concrete agreements are made.

Muchaneta: Do you think legislation could help push businesses to share and use data more effectively?
Traci: Legislation has potential, but it needs to be well-designed and adaptable to market realities. It’s crucial for businesses to align their data strategies with their priorities, whether it’s compliance with legislation or operational improvements. Taking small, strategic steps – like understanding what data you have and identifying gaps – can make navigating new policies manageable.

Muchaneta: Can you share a success story where data made a tangible impact?
Traci: Absolutely. I worked with a Dutch textile preprocessor that significantly reduced its material rejection rate – from 25–30% to under 5% – by using data to communicate clear expectations to suppliers. This kind of progress demonstrates how even small-scale data applications can lead to systemic improvements.

“At TEXroad, we aim to answer the “stupid” questions – like how much post-consumer textile waste exists – so businesses can focus on the smarter ones. By improving data quality and accessibility, we’re helping the industry take meaningful steps toward circularity and sustainability.” – Traci Kinden, TEXroad Director

Muchaneta: Transparency is a recurring theme. Why is it so important?
Traci: Transparency builds trust. For instance, many people hesitate to use textile collection bins because they don’t know where their clothing ends up. Data can illuminate these processes, giving people confidence in systems like extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. Transparency also enables companies to evaluate their impact and make informed decisions.

Muchaneta: What excites you most about the future of textile data?
Traci: The potential to transform the industry excites me. Better data can level the playing field for SMEs, drive innovation, and address global issues like waste mismanagement. The possibilities are endless if we can improve data quality, accessibility, and speed.

Muchaneta: Finally, what role does TEXroad play in this transformation?
Traci: At TEXroad, we aim to answer the “stupid” questions – like how much post-consumer textile waste exists – so businesses can focus on the smarter ones. By improving data quality and accessibility, we’re helping the industry take meaningful steps toward circularity and sustainability.

Follow along on TEXroad’s journey on data as a key for material use and lifecycle. Learn more on TEXroad’s mission here.

TEXroad
LINKEDIN
LECTURE PROGRAM

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]]> KEYHOUSE NEWS – FASERKREISLAUF https://www.munique.blog/en/keyhouse-news-faserkreislauf/ Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:00:28 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=81188 KEYHOUSE NEWS – FASERKREISLAUF

At faserkreislauf, they have a clear vision – combining innovation and sustainability.

Continue reading KEYHOUSE NEWS – FASERKREISLAUF at Munique - Unique Textiles Insights.

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KEYHOUSE – The Innovation Hub For Tomorrow’s Fashion

FASERKREISLAUF

7. January 2025

In the atmospheric industrial charm of KEYHOUSE, Hall 7, progressive suppliers and global players from cross-industry sectors will be showcasing their latest new developments and innovations. On over 1,000 square metres, you will find trend-setting future fabrics and new process technologies – be it in terms of sustainability, circular economy, digitalisation & AI, traceability, textile dyeing or finishing. Staged as an interactive think tank, future-oriented show cases will be in the spotlight alongside sustainable innovations.

KEYHOUSE is also home to the main lecture forum of MUNICH FABRIC START with exclusive keynotes, panel discussions, trend presentations, Q&A sessions & expert talks by international industry insiders. Be inspired by the wide range of events at KEYHOUSE.

CHECK THE LECTURE PROGRAM

The Textile Revolution Begins Here – The faserkreislauf (fiber cycle) as the New Standard

The fashion industry is facing a major challenge: resource scarcity, increasing environmental impacts, growing amounts of waste, and new regulations. At faserkreislauf, they have a clear vision – combining innovation and sustainability. With their yarns and fabrics made from recycled old clothes, they are setting new benchmarks.

Recycled fibers – The new standard:
Their yarns and fabrics presented at the trade fair consist of 30% recycled fibers, sourced from discarded textiles such as old clothes and worn-out materials, all collected directly from Germany. Thanks to advanced recycling technologies, they transform these materials into high-quality fibers.

“At faserkreislauf, we have a clear vision – combining innovation and sustainability.”

What makes the fibres from faserkreislauf unique:

  • no water usage: Unlike virgin fiber production, no resources are wasted.
  • no land use: They rely on existing materials instead of cultivating new raw resources.
  • reduced CO₂ footprint: By producing regionally within the EU, they keep emissions as low as possible.
  • traceability: Their recycling process is transparent, and the fibre origin is 100% traceable.

Honest products for premium customers:
The yarns and fabrics they present are 100% made in the EU and meet the highest standards of quality and transparency.

Ready for the EU Green Deal:
Starting in 2025, textile manufacturers will be required to sustainably dispose of their products under extended producer responsibility. With their recycled products, they already offer a future-proof solution that meets the requirements of the EU Green Deal.

The right choice for every collection:
Their fabrics – from single jersey to sweat, french terry, and woven qualities – are highlights not only in texture but also in color. Whether classic shades or trendy tones like Pacific Petrol, Vanilla Yellow, or Port Red – they have the perfect selection for both basics and standout pieces.

Shaping the textile revolution together:
With their innovative approach, they are revolutionizing the textile cycle: turning old clothes into something new. Let’s work together to show how innovative solutions can work today.

Germany – H7 KH | K 21

FASERKREISLAUF

Visit the KEYHOUSE AT H7 and find the highlights for the upcoming season.

LECTURE PROGRAM
ALL EXHIBITORS AT A GLANCE

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]]> TEXroad: Putting the data in circular textiles https://www.munique.blog/en/texroad-putting-the-data-in-circular-textiles/ Sat, 04 Jan 2025 09:00:15 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=80988 TEXroad: Putting the data in circular textiles

The Data Hub tackles challenges in the post-consumer value chain such as a lack of transparency in textile flows, inconsistent data shared between partners, and inefficient reporting to the public sector.

Continue reading TEXroad: Putting the data in circular textiles at Munique - Unique Textiles Insights.

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TEXroad: Putting the data in circular textiles

4. January 2025

What if data could be used as a common language to connect the public and private sectors and optimize the economics and carbon footprint of textile circulation? The Netherlands-based TEXroad Foundation is working on making this possible.

Their focus is on using data to improve textile management infrastructure, improve available data, statistics, and metrics for business and policy making and co-develop a network for B2G and B2B data exchanges.

TEXroad acts as a neutral party to network digital platforms and develop a flow of standardized data to match the flow of textiles through the reverse supply chain. This is used to produce statistics, metrics, best practices and reports that meet policy monitoring requirements, support impact assessments, highlight system inefficiencies and enable transparency.

TEXroad was founded by Traci Kinden, an innovator with over 10 years of experience in circular textiles.

“Good data helps companies in textiles and fashion be more efficient, identify new opportunities, and comply with regulations more easily. It should also be the basis for effective policy from the public sector. We’re not there yet, and everyone has a role to play in achieving good data.” – Traci Kinden, TEXroad Director

Credits: Humana Estonia 

Traci Kinden

TEXroad is currently developing a digital platform that aligns crucial textile data from different sources and makes it useful for public authorities, projects and circular value chains, due to go live in spring 2025.
Follow their Linkedin page for more information and updates on the launch.

“The Data Hub tackles challenges in the post-consumer value chain such as a lack of transparency in textile flows, inconsistent data shared between partners, and inefficient reporting to the public sector. It is currently being tested with municipalities and their textile partners and in projects addressing circular textiles, digitization, and data exchange,” Traci explains.

TEXroadLINKEDIN

On 22 January, Traci will debunk misconceptions about textile data and
share how industry actors can benefit from putting numbers into action.

Join the session moderated by Muchaneta ten Napel on the KEYHOUSE stage at 11:30 am.

LECTURE PROGRAM

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]]> Knit in Motion by Suzanne Oude Hengel https://www.munique.blog/en/sustainable-innovations-suzanne-oude-hengel/ Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:00:42 +0000 https://www.munique.blog/?p=79677 Knit in Motion by Suzanne Oude Hengel

Suzanne's goal: to push boundaries, experiment, and challenge the way things are done.

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Knit in Motion by Suzanne Oude Hengel

Loop Coloured Feet, Timberland Future 73, Spacers & Welded Loop

Explore these innovative projects at the Sustainable Innovations Forum in the Keyhouse in Hall 7

31. August 2024

Born from frustration about past experiences within the textile industry and its unwillingness to stray from the status quo, Suzanne Oude Hengel founded Knit in Motion (KiM). Her goal: to push boundaries, experiment, and challenge the way things are done. KiM breaks down traditional notions of knitting by questioning, examining, and rethinking the craft and its applications, going off the beaten track to explore new territory within textile design.

Suzanne’s graduation project (ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem), “Loop Coloured Feet” (2015), explores the potential of using knitting as an alternative material in footwear. It represents a starting point for many ideas that she continues to investigate including rethinking production methods, reviving older techniques, and focusing on craftsmanship.

KNIT IN MOTIONINSTAGRAM

A tube and the shape of a sock were the starting point for “Santoni” (created at Santoni in Shanghai in 2016). Working with circular knitting machines allowed Suzanne to develop a different approach to thinking about shape.

“Working with circular knitting machines allowed Suzanne to develop a different approach to thinking about shape.”

For their 50th anniversary, Suzanne was among Timberland’s chosen collaborators for “Timberland Future 73”. Launched at Milan Design Week 2023, the collection opens with the brand’s classic styles and blends them with her world of unexpected colour and material choices, resulting in a reimagined vision for the brand as well as the application of knitted textiles.

“I believe that true innovation comes from a curious and iterative design process.”  – Suzanne Oude Hengel

SUZANNE OUDE HEGELINSTAGRAM

Suzanne’s ongoing research “Spacers” (since 2018) looks at the potential of using weft knitting technology to create spacers. Research includes experimenting with different materials, densities, and final applications. Projects like Timberland Future 73 draw from this body of research, illustrating completely different end-uses for this innovative knitted material.

With “Welded Loop”, Knit in Motion and Studio Joris de Groot collaboratively explore the innovative use of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) in shoe design by integrating knitting, welding, and 3D printing techniques. Inspired by the discovery of TPU at the Techtextil fair in Frankfurt, the project harnesses the material’s versatility and recyclability. By integrating knitting, welding, and 3D printing, “Welded Loop” not only seeks to innovate shoe design but also aims to inspire new applications and combinations of techniques in textile and material processing, paving the way for future advancements.

“Inspired by the discovery of TPU at the Techtextil fair in Frankfurt, the project harnesses the material’s versatility and recyclability.”

Explore KNIT IN MOTION BY SUZANNE OUDE HEGEL in the Sustainable Innovations Forum at KEYHOUSE in Hall 7!

ALL EXHIBITORS AT A GLANCE

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