#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2025-02-20

PERFORMANCE DAYS recognizes innovations in apparel, footwear and bodywear

When PERFORMANCE DAYS opens its doors on March 5-6, 2025, at halls C4 and C5 at Messe München, visitors will once again discover fabric innovations for Spring/Summer 2027 across the Performancewear, Bodywear, and Accessories segments. For the first time, a dedicated Wool Forum will be introduced alongside the existing Trend, Footwear, and Bodywear Forums. A jury of renowned industry experts carefully reviewed the submissions for the upcoming season and awarded a total of four prizes.

PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to provide plenty of highlights and innovations in the field of technical fibers and materials during its spring trade fair. At the heart of the event, the Trend Forum will showcase the award-winning fabrics for the first time, including the winners of the PERFORMANCE AWARD and the ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD. As the dedicated Footwear Area will now only appear at the fall fair, this year’s Footwear Forum will also be integrated into the Trend Forum in Hall C4. Additionally, visitors can explore the first-ever Wool Forum, located in the Wool Area, which mirrors the setup of the Bodywear Forum in the Bodywear Collective.

The jury, led by Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS, along with Clarissa Stadelmann (Product Manager), Jury Head Alexa Dehmel, Regina Goller (Head of Innovation & Future Trends), and guest juror Laura Howe, Fabric Technologist at Mountain Equipment, expressed their enthusiasm for the outstanding submissions.

Sustainability and innovation in focus: Wool makes a grand comeback The materials were divided into 13 categories, including 3-layer membranes, baselayers, workwear, bags, waterproof 2-layer fabrics, wool, and others. A particular emphasis was placed on this season’s Focus Topic: “Certifications – Which Ones Matter?”. The top 28 fabrics from each category, along with insights from the Focus Topic compiled by CSR specialist Anna Schuster, will be presented in the Trend Forum.

Previous focus topics have significantly elevated the quality of submissions. The Fall 2024 topic, “Colorization: Chemistry is Everywhere,” spurred a rise in the use of bio-synthetic dyes. Meanwhile, the Spring 2024 theme, “The Future of Polyester: Beyond the Bottle,” showcased advancements in textile-to-textile recycling materials.

This year, developments in the categories of Membranes, Safety & Durability (including aramid fibers), and Wool particularly stood out. Wool demonstrated exceptional versatility, being used in applications ranging from windbreakers to shirts. There was also notable growth in materials such as hemp-lyocell blends, recycled polyamide, and multi-component yarns.Two standout fabrics included a “Hulk fabric” featuring color-shifting effects under tension and a luxuriously soft modal-cashmere knit.

The award-winning innovations and highlighted materials will be on display during PERFORMANCE DAYS on March 5-6, 2025, in halls C4 and C5 at Messe München.

Four AWARDS recognizing material innovations in apparel, footwear and bodywear For Spring/Summer 2027, the jury selected four fabrics for top honors:

ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD: Hemp Fortex / “KJ8186”

Hemp Fortex is launching an innovation on the market with Macel. The fabric is made from waste from hemp fiber production to ultimately produce lyocell. This is a completely new process, as it does not use bamboo or trees. The result is a natural, sustainable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly solution. Macel is a resource-saving fiber in which 70% of the raw material comes from hemp.

PERFORMANCE AWARD: Takisada-Nagoya Co., Ltd. / “Combat Wool” (2-V831700-3)

By blending CORDURA nylon with wool, this fabric is more durable than traditional wool. It features natural moisture management and a 3-layer treatment for breathability and windproofing.

ECO AWARD FOOTWEAR: Step Zero AG / Step-0-Sole

Made entirely of certified biodegradable materials, the Step-0-Sole is plastic-free, preventing the release of 175 grams of synthetic microplastics per person annually. Durable, flexible, and waterproof, it meets the performance standards of PU, TPU, and rubber.

BODYWEAR AWARD: Liongtex Innovation Enterprises Co., Ltd. / “A6B84”

Outlast® Matrix Infusion Coating (MIC) is a special process in which the textile surface is printed with a wafer-thin layer of micro-encapsulated natural wax. The print is intended to help increase the “comfort zone” in which the fabric cools or warms when necessary. Using this process in the bodywear segment is new, which is why it won over the jury. The original properties of the fabric are completely retained. This process is ideal for extensive “next-to-skin” product lines where our brand partners want to use their own fabrics.

The AWARDS ceremony will take place on March 5, 2025, during the Expert Talks in the morning.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.

“Action helps us change what we do!”

DAY 0 takes place deliberately before PERFORMANCE DAYS begins. It is conceived as a space for reflection, dialogue and active engagement — a moment to pause before the fair, rethink established systems and address sustainability not as a trend, but as a fundamental transformation challenge. Under the guiding metaphor “Turn the Tap Off”, DAY 0 focuses on root causes rather than symptoms, systemic change rather than isolated solutions, and collective responsibility rather than individual silos.

PERFORMANCE DAYS: Focus topic shifts to the beginning of the value chain

Following the last Focus Topic in October 2025, which placed Textile-to-Textile Recycling at its core, PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to drive the conversation around circularity – this time with an expanded and more upstream perspective. The upcoming Focus Topic, “Textile to Textile: The Role of Collectors and Sorters,” presented during the spring edition on March 18–19, will spotlight one of the most essential yet often overlooked components of a functioning circular textile system: the efficient collection and sorting of post-consumer textiles.

PERFORMANCE DAYS sets benchmarks with record attendance & strong industry presence

With around 4,500 professional visitors and 515 exhibitors, PERFORMANCE DAYS closed its doors on October 30, 2025, after two highly successful days in Munich. Expanded show areas, an international audience, a top-class Expert Talks program, and an inspiring DAY 0 Conference with an innovative concept underlined one thing clearly: PERFORMANCE DAYS has become the leading business platform for the functional textile industry.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

Messe Frankfurt commits further to East Africa: three textiles trade fairs during Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week from 2027

Messe Frankfurt and its Texpertise Network continue their steady, successful trajectory in the region. As Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) opened today, Member of the Executive Board Detlef Braun announced that Messe Frankfurt is licencing its three leading international trade fair brands Texworld, Apparel Sourcing and Texprocess to Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in 2027. From now on, they will take place annually as part of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Nairobi.

The future of textiles, the power of trade, and the summit of technology come together at ITM 2026

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious organizations in the textile technologies sector, opens its doors to visitors between June 9-13. Expected to break records in terms of both exhibitor and visitor numbers, as well as the technological vision it presents, ITM 2026 will transform into a global trade hub with machine sales, and new business collaborations.

ATCO Hygienics, Uzbekistan, orders baby diaper production line from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from ATCO Hygienics to supply a new baby diaper production line for its plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The order is included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the first quarter of 2026. Commissioning of the production line is scheduled for the end of 2026.

Nico Pedretti appointed as Managing Director Graf Group

As of June 1, 2026, Nico Pedretti has assumed the role of Managing Director Graf Group. With more than 20 years of international industrial experience and extensive expertise in Operations, Supply Chain Management, Finance and Controlling, he brings a broad range of leadership and business experience to support Graf’s continued success.