#Raw Materials

2024-08-01

An inspiring vision for the future of cotton & design

Cotton Incorporated announces winners of Cotton Forward: 3D Fashion Design Challenge in collaboration with Arts Thread. This exciting competition invited future industry professionals to create innovative fashion designs using cotton fabrics and 3D technology.

The competition received entries from 27 design schools across the United States. Themes of travel, versatility and contemporary forms resonated across the collections.

“The judges were astonished by the talent, creativity and technical capabilities of the participants, their collections and extensive resources available through the CottonWorks™ platform,” says Megan Peterson, director of marketing and industry programs for Cotton Incorporated. “These talented professionals truly demonstrated how cotton and digital design is an integral part of fashion’s future and the ability for cotton to be a key element in travel and outdoor apparel.”

“An inspiring vision for the future — The Arts Thread x Cotton Incorporated competition created a path for young designers to showcase their talents through innovation and creativity. Drawing on the value of digital fashion design and use of cotton fabrics, the Cotton Forward competition opened up the potential for the digitalization of the fashion industry,” comments Clare Tattersall, founder of Digital Fashion Week. “The level of skill, imagination and technical knowledge was remarkable, we now have a new slate of designers to watch out for.”

The winners:

1st Place White Attribution cotton forward featured 1024x661 - An Inspiring Vision For The Future Of Cotton & Design

First Place | $5000 prize

Jacob Frothingham, Buffalo State University | graduating 2025 | LinkedIn | @jacobfrothingham

Collection Name: True Delusion

Designer Statement: Introducing the True Delusion Collection, a captivating exploration of modern identity and self-expression through looks tailored for both men and women. Each ensemble is meticulously crafted with CottonWorks™ digital fabrics, selected for their superior quality, versatility, and sustainability to embody the ethos of contemporary fashion.

2nd Place cotton foward - An Inspiring Vision For The Future Of Cotton & Design

Second Place | $3500 prize

Britney Spangenberg, Missouri State University | 2024 graduate | LinkedIn| @nightcire.arts

Collection Name: Making Outerwear a Statement

Designer Statement: This 3D Mini Collection focuses on making Outerwear a Statement through fabric volume, featuring ruched design elements, a subtle original chain print, and a contemporary color palette. This collection was produced in Browzwear Vstitcher and crafted exclusively from digital fabrics downloaded from the CottonWorks™ Digital Fabric Library. My ensembles feature fabrics treated with STORM COTTON™ durable water-repellant finish and are designed with longevity in mind.

3rd Place cotton forward - An Inspiring Vision For The Future Of Cotton & Design

Third Place | $1500 prize

Kailey Itri, Texas Tech University | 2024 graduate |LinkedIn| @kailey.itri

Collection Name: The Urban Cotton Essentials Collection

Designer Statement: The Urban Cotton Essentials Collection is a contemporary fusion of streetwear and commuter wear, designed for today’s modern explorer. Featuring modular designs and innovative fabrics from CottonWorks™, each piece blends style, functionality, and versatility to meet the demands of today’s active lifestyles. Inspired by the natural world and urban environments, this collection empowers individuals to navigate their daily journeys with ease and confidence.

Open to students in the U.S. and recent graduates, the competition challenged participants to submit their cotton digital fashion creations from the CottonWorks™ Digital Fabric Library, a unique collection of over 400 free-to-download digital cotton fabric files compatible with CLO3D and Browzwear. The competition’s judging panel comprised experts in apparel design and 3D technology:

Clare Tattersall, founder of Digital Fashion Week

Soojin Kang, assistant professor of fashion technology at Parsons School of Design

Katherine Absher, manager of fashion and digital design at Cotton Incorporated

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

New U.S. cotton study uses real-world grower data to reveal where fiber impacts occur

Cotton Incorporated has released a critically reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) of U.S. cotton fiber production that examines how cotton’s environmental impacts are measured and where meaningful improvements can be made across the value chain. The new data, grounded in real‑world grower inputs, measures what drives U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint from field to gin.

Cotton Incorporated unveils reimagined CottonWorks platform

Cotton Incorporated today announced the launch of a reimagined CottonWorks™ website, an ambitious digital transformation designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s global textile professionals across every stage of the value chain. The new platform is more than a redesign – it is an intuitive, fashion-forward platform built to support compliance, product development, sourcing, and education across the textile industry.

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.