#Heimtextil 2026

2025-04-09

Heimtextil meets Milan Design Week

Textile interior design at its best is an integral part of Heimtextil, the most influential and global platform for home and contract textiles as well as textile design. Patricia Urquiola expressed this spectacularly in January in Frankfurt with her installation ‘among-us’. Now the leading trade fair is making its mark at Milan Design Week: exclusive products by star designer Patricia Urquiola, created specifically for Heimtextil, are celebrating their premiere at the Design Week in Milan. Set within a diverse interior setting, they highlight the vital role textiles play in holistic design.

Patricia Urquiola with Olaf Schmidt © 2025 Messe Frankfurt

Two pieces designed by Patricia Urquiola exclusively for Heimtextil are staged in Milan. With their organic shapes, the ‘Gruuvelot’ sofa and the padded sculpture ‘Mushmonster’ by Moroso morph to their surroundings and invite touching and interaction. ‘Gruuvelot’ represents an organism that expands and unfolds within space. Exceptional protrusions, extensions and volumes form a flowing seating ecosystem that adapts to the body and offers a variety of possibilities for interaction. ‘Mushmonster’ is inspired by the shape of a giant mushroom and shows an organism in constant metamorphosis. At the same time, it contains a filling that enables sustainable production and complex shapes. The covering designed by Patricia Urquiola envelops the padded object. Sustainable and innovative: the fabric is produced using a water-based and CO2-saving printing process.

The unique pieces made their debut at Heimtextil in Frankfurt in January. Embedded in the ‘among-us’ installation by Patricia Urquiola, they showed holistic interior design of tomorrow. Comfortable, functional, aesthetic, sociable and sustainable: these characteristics came together in ‘among-us’ to create an overall visual and tactile experience. The installation was a must-see at Heimtextil, inviting visitors to pause, connect and spark ideas for new projects.

‘I am very happy we brought two pieces – ‘Mushmonster’ and ‘Gruuvelot’ – from Heimtextil into ‘Alchemica’, the installation by Elle Decor Italia, where they become part of an alchemical narrative. The project explores the home through the metaphor of alchemy – a space of transformation and experimentation, and the two pieces reveal their hybrid potential across various scales,” says Patricia Urquiola, architect and designer.

Until Sunday, the upholstered pieces will merge with a new design environment at the heart of Milan Design Week. Patricia Urquiola designed the Palazzo Bovara for Elle Decor. Under the title ‘Alchemica’, the installation explores the home as a transforming organism that changes throughout the day, the seasons and the stages of life. The designer plays with the metaphor of alchemy, the senses, balance and opposites. She invites visitors to experience the metamorphosis in different rooms. Right in the centre: the padded sculptures of the Heimtextil installation ‘among-us’. ‘Gruuvelot’ is positioned in the purification and light phase in a reflective room with light tones. In the indoor garden, ‘Mushmonster’ is part of a union of opposites and biomorphs in moving, cyclical light.

Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, and Patricia Urquiola, architect and designer, with the upholstered objects of the Heimtextil installation ‘among-us’ by Patricia Urquiola at Milan Design Week, Photo: Messe Frankfurt/Matteo Kovaci

The collaboration with Patricia Urquiola in Frankfurt continues. The designer and architect creates an exclusive design showcase for the upcoming edition of Heimtextil from 13 to 16 January 2026 – a further development of her acclaimed ‘among-us’. The completely new staging opens another chapter. It combines tactile objects with digital elements, visual projections and acoustic impulses to create an immersive overall experience.

Milan Design Week © 2025 Messe Frankfurt/Matteo Kovaci

How Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris 2026 reflects shifts in global textile and apparel sourcing

From 2 to 4 February 2026, the 58th edition of the show will bring together more than 1,100 exhibitors from 33 countries at Paris–Le Bourget Exhibition Centre. As a true sourcing platform, the event stands out for its diversity, clear structure and operational efficiency, giving international buyers direct access to an offer tailored to their needs.

Confidence driving the textile industry: Heimtextil 2026 sharpened its global market relevance by attracting more top-level decision-makers

With 148 participating nations, rising global relevance and a marked increase in visitor quality, Heimtextil 2026 stood for stability and reliability in a volatile market environment. Once again, 3,000 exhibitors from across the globe placed their trust in the industry’s central platform in Frankfurt, presenting current collections, materials and textile solutions for holistic interior design to over 48,000 buyers. Under the motto “Lead the Change”, Heimtextil brought evolving market dynamics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new business opportunities to life.

Techtextil and Texprocess 2026: Innovation as a Key Driver of the Textile Future

Innovations are the textile industry’s response to economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and continued restraint in investment. Today, this became clear at the press conference of the leading international trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess. In a panel discussion, industry representatives explored how innovation is accelerating the transformation of the textile sector – from artificial intelligence to sustainable materials and new production models. This innovative strength is concentrated in the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards, which showcase pioneering solutions driving the textile transformation.

Stability in volatile markets: Heimtextil 2026 launches with 3,000 exhibitors and design expertise from Patricia Urquiola

Heimtextil opens the new season with 3,000 exhibitors from 66 countries – maintaining stability while becoming even more international. The new hall layout increases visibility and connects supply and demand even more efficiently. At the opening, architect and designer Patricia Urquiola and Rosa Bertoli, Global Design Director of Wallpaper magazine, talk about AI, innovative materials and future-oriented design for modern living environments.

Global textile expertise meets high-end contract design: Heimtextil and Hospitality Interiors Europe announce partnership starting 2027

Heimtextil further expands its role as the global leading trade fair for home and contract textiles and textile design – and starts a new partnership with the format Hospitality Interiors Europe (HINT). With the launch, a complementary event will take place alongside Heimtextil 2027, targeting decision-makers from the hotel and high-end hospitality design sector. Both platforms combine their strengths, create tangible synergies for exhibitors and visitors – and expand the holistic interior design offering for architecture, interior design, hospitality and the contract sector. Hospitality Interiors Europe already presents itself at Heimtextil 2026 with its own dedicated lounge area.

Solid Air Dynamics wins second place at RWTH Innovation Award

On 30 January, RWTH spin-off Solid Air Dynamics was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Awards for its research in the field of aerogel fibres. Manufactured from renewable raw materials, aerogel fibres offer outstanding thermal insulation, are extremely lightweight and completely biodegradable, and can consist of over 90 per cent air.

Advancing the future of stretch: Fashion for Good launches new project to validate bio-based and recycled elastane

Launched today, Stretching Circularity is a collaborative project initiated by Fashion for Good dedicated to accelerating the adoption of lower-impact elastane alternatives that are compatible with circular textile systems. By validating bio-based and recycled elastane solutions through pilot-scale testing and demonstrator garments, the initiative aims to remove one of the most significant technical barriers to a circular textile economy.

Huixing acquires insolvent Mayer & Cie.

Insolvency proceedings for the circular knitting and braiding machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. were opened on December 1, 2025. Immediately following the opening of proceedings, the complete cessation of business operations was initiated. Most employees were subsequently given notice effective the end of February 2026. The production of the remaining orders in the circular knitting segment is expected to be completed by the end of the month. As early as December 2025, Mayer & Cie.’s braiding machine division was sold to an Italian investor.