The October edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS will also be the largest in the fair’s history, bringing together more than 590 exhibitors across two and a half exhibition halls and approximately 27,500 sqm of exhibition space at Messe München.

Alongside its expanded sourcing portfolio, the fair will address topics ranging from bio-based and cellulosic materials to circularity, bodywear, garment construction and digital technologies.

The new Digital Design Journey will be located directly at the entrance to the exhibition. Its aim is to demonstrate the connection between physical textile sourcing, material data and digital product development.

Five physical materials supplied by PERFORMANCE DAYS exhibitors provide the basis for the project. The fabrics are also featured on LOOP, the fair’s digital material sourcing platform.

For an international design challenge, members of the CLO Creator Collective used the materials to develop digital garment concepts for sports, outdoor and lifestyle applications. The physical fabrics were digitized using VIZOO technology to create digital material representations for use within CLO’s 3D garment simulation environment.

This allows characteristics of the individual materials, including weight, stretch, drape and movement, to be incorporated into the virtual design process and assessed in relation to garment shape, fit and application.

Five fabrics translated into virtual garments

The five winning concepts cover different performance and lifestyle applications. Patricia Nahorniac developed an Alpine Summit concept using a fabric from Schotex, while Vesna Stawa combined a Dry-Tex material with a Mountain Trail application. Bertha Jiménez used a Borgini fabric for an Active Gym concept.

For the two urban applications, Olivia ten Hoevel developed Urban Runner using a Singtex material, while Jon Sánchez Pérez created an Urban Lifestyle concept based on a fabric from Ventile.

The installation will present the complete workflow from the original physical fabrics through material digitization and virtual product development to the finished digital looks.

For PERFORMANCE DAYS, the project reflects the increasing connection between conventional material sourcing and digital development processes. Visitors can first encounter physical fabrics at the exhibition, research materials through the LOOP platform and see how digital material data can subsequently be integrated into 3D garment development.

Several of the winning designers will also participate in PERFORMANCE DAYS and present their concepts and workflows during a dedicated session on the Breakout Stage.

PERFORMANCE DAYS will take place on October 13–14, 2026, at Messe München in halls A4–A6.