#Sustainability

2021-04-08

Fashion for Good’s new exhibit ‘GROW’ shows the future of fashion's materials

Credits: Fashion for Good – photo by Alina Krasieva

Fruit skin fabric, mushroom ‘leather’, spider-silk, dye made by bacteria and algae; GROW, the new exhibition from the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam explores the biomaterials and cutting-edge innovations that are shaping the sustainable future of fashion. What exactly are biomaterials? How sustainable are they and what makes them different from traditional fibres like cotton and hemp?

And does bio always mean better and sustainable? Navigating the many different kinds of sustainable materials can be challenging. For their year-long exhibition, curated and developed in-house for the first time, the Fashion for Good Museum dives into all things biomaterials.

WHAT ARE BIOMATERIALS?

Biomaterial is a very generic word used to describe materials that are biological, and originate from living organisms. When you think of biomaterials, probably the first things that come to mind are cotton, hemp and linen. Because the word is not specific, it can easily be confusing. The world of biomaterials is way bigger and ever evolving. Think as big as silk, fruitskins (waste), mycelium (mushroom roots) or even algae, spider and caterpillar silk, cellulosics (coming from plants) and bioplastics, all of which are part of the biomaterials world.

In the GROW expo, visitors go on an inspiring journey through the exciting materials, innovations, designers and brands using biomaterials, discovering the fascinating and rich world of biomaterials, explaining the differences and benefits of each material, what’s available today, and how the industry can change by using better materials.

LOVE FASHION FROM THE GROUND UP

Fashion has always celebrated the ingenuity of nature, from its organic shapes and patterns, materials and fibres, to the wide array of colours and textures. With the rise of fast fashion, the natural world is plundered for its resources, putting the relationship between fashion and nature under strain.

The GROW expo shows how trailblazing innovations can instead take inspiration from nature and how scientists are using this cycle of creation and recreation to make the sustainable materials of the future.

Showcasing conventional biomaterials such as organic cotton and biodegradable materials such as flax or hemp, the expo also presents more innovative brands and products from pioneers such as Pangaia (available for the first time in a retail store in the Netherlands), FREITAG F-ABRIC, the Nude Label, Phool, Bananatex and Bioglitz – with a special glitter station, featuring in the museum’s GOOD SHOP.

A YEAR ON BIOMATERIALS

GROW launches a year of programming at Fashion for Good that focuses on biomaterials. Expo GROW explores the new materials, explaining the need for sustainable and nature based alternatives to the current plastic based fibres and materials found throughout the fashion industry, and presents the innovations of the future.

Some biomaterials are still in development and a few are already available as a product. To accelerate the adoption of these materials in the industry, Fashion for Good initiated the GROW talent project, a three month programme where young design and creative talent will work with innovative biomaterials – never before used in a product – and create garments and stories for the future. These garments made by the talent will ultimately be showcased in GROW 2.0, the exhibition (opening in October 2021) that will literally show what the future of fashion will look like.

INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

GROW opens its door to the public from April 6th.

Virtual tours of the exhibition can be booked at:

http://www.fashionforgood.com/tickets/

Physical visits to the museum can be reserved when possible.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Jeanologia and BCome connect factory data with Life Cycle Assessment and Digital Product Passports

A new white paper by EIM by Jeanologia and BCome demonstrates how primary environmental data from denim finishing processes can be integrated into a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and prepared for use in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). A comparative case study highlights significant improvements at the production stage while also showing how these translate into the environmental performance of the finished garment.

Stäubli to introduce new S3292 dobby for high-speed weaving at ITME India 2026

Stäubli will introduce its new S3292 dobby at ITME India 2026, taking place from December 4 to 9 at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Designed for high-speed air-jet weaving, the new machine will be among the highlights of the company's presentation, which also includes warp preparation systems, cam motions, Jacquard technologies and digital services.

DITF develops bio-based binding fibers for wood-fiber insulation materials

As part of the CelluWoodFlex project, the German Institutes of Textile- and Fiber-Research in Denkendorf (DITF) are developing bio-based cellulose ester fibers as alternative binding fibers for flexible wood fiber insulation materials. In addition to the spinning process and the production of suitable staple fibers, the institute is also investigating how wood and cellulose fibers can be separated and recycled at the end of their useful life.

Reju expands textile-to-textile recycling network with six international fabric manufacturers

Reju, a textile-to-textile regeneration company, is expanding its industrial network through collaborations with six fabric manufacturers in Europe and the Americas. The initiative aims to accelerate the integration of regenerated polyester into textile manufacturing and support the development of finished fabrics for commercial applications.

Magnera highlights HighPleat™ filtration media technology at FiltXPO 2026

At FiltXPO 2026, held on October 28–29 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Magnera highlighted advances in air filtration media architecture, with a particular focus on its HighPleat™ platform for MERV 8–10 applications. The technology combines a lofted fiber structure with optimized pore architecture to address the challenge of balancing filtration efficiency, airflow resistance and contaminant-holding capacity.