From the Sector

Adient, a leader in automotive seating, has presented its latest innovations at the IAA 2023.
 
The current automotive business landscape is marked by shifting industry dynamics, showcasing a strong desire for mobility, with an emphasis on digitalization, cost, and sustainable products. In line with this, Adient’s overall approach is characterized by responding to the need for more sustainable material use, while taking advantage of the potential that sustainable practices hold for streamlining processes.

Responding to the need for overall cost and complexity reduction in manufacturing, the Pure Essential seat is especially lightweight. Environmentally-conscious practices such as material separation and recycling, and design for disassembly are embedded into the manufacturing process from the development stage. The visionary seat consists of two materials only – green steel and recyclable polyester (PET).
 
New customer needs in terms of premium comfort are met with the Autonomous Elegance seat, specifically developed to fit Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). State-of-the-art findings on ergonomics and human body kinematics have been incorporated following extensive occupant research. They are complemented by advanced comfort assets such as noise cancellation and advanced climate functions. “Our seat demonstrators provide solutions to our customers’ main concerns, and we are looking forward to continuing the strategic product dialogue with them, based on our new demonstrators” highlights David Herberg, Vice President Engineering Adient EMEA. Most features of the seat can already be offered for sourcing, such as the metal structure and seat kinematics (adjustment functions and mechanisms).

Considering optimized use of space as well as sustainability aspects, the automotive supplier has also given its Smart Efficiency seat an update: the seat features a slimmer appearance than its predecessor without compromising on comfort. This design does not only help save space, but also paves the way for new mobility concepts based on battery packaging in electric vehicles.
 
The showcased products will be available for demonstration in customer roadshows as of December 2023.

• The new high-performance away kit design blends bold geometric prints with shades of halo pink and soft, pastel glow blue, pushing the boundaries of on-pitch sport style.
• The limited-edition range includes a gender-neutral game-day match shirt as well as comfort-first off-pitch pieces for pre- and post-match travel.

adidas and Arsenal have launched the next chapter of their collaboration with Stella McCartney, by revealing the first away kit and travel range for Arsenal Women.

The limited-edition range is designed to support Arsenal Women both on and off the pitch and includes a range of structured silhouettes including a jersey, shorts and stylish travel wear pieces such as a full zip jacket with neon accents, track-style pants, and an oversized tee. As the hero piece of the collection, the striking away shirt takes centre stage thanks to the fusion of geometric patterns with color-blocking accents of halo pink and glow blue. The shirt also features AEROREADY technology, which uses sweat-wicking and absorbent materials to keep players feeling dry.

Key pieces are crafted with at least 47% recycled polyester and 100% organic cotton as part of adidas' ambition to help end plastic waste.

After four decades in the packaging industry, the Manjushree Group is entering the Indian nonwovens market. The entrepreneurs rely on a flexible RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil to meet very different customer requirements.

The Manjushree Group operated a blown film line for packaging materials for the tea industry in the eastern part of India as early as 1983. In the years that followed, Manjushree Technopack Ltd. developed into one of the largest suppliers of solutions for rigid plastic products in South Asia - and the family business grew into a group with several business segments. In 2018, the entrepreneurial family repositioned itself: it sold its previous core business to a financial investor and established Manjushree Ventures with footholds in start-up financing, real estate business, and manufacturing - the largest of which is Manjushree Spntek as a producer of high-quality spunmelted fabrics.

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-performance spunmelts on an RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil - benefiting both from many years of experience in the packaging industry and from experience with Reifenhäuser's blown film lines. "We know a lot about plastic extrusion, for example when it comes to line operating parameters such as temperature and pressure. Processing is similar in both industries," explains Rajat Kedia. "The main difference is the distribution of the products: In plastic packaging, we had an established customer base and sold a lot of material to the big consumer goods manufacturers. The nonwovens market in India, on the other hand, is still forming, with thousands of small companies currently getting involved." These serve customers in their regions, such as hospitals.

The RF Smart Composite line is a standardized spunmelt line for smaller and emerging markets. The line produces nonwovens of the highest Reicofil quality with appropriately adapted throughput. This makes it ideally suited for applications in hygiene and medical technology and, with typically 8,200 annual production hours, it is extremely reliable. In addition, operators can start production quickly because in many cases the line can be integrated into existing buildings.

Before production could start, Manjushree built a new production building in Bidadi, a town an hour's drive from Bangalore International Airport. The building is designed to be sustainable: It uses natural light and fresh air, has comprehensive contamination control, and obtains almost all of its energy from renewable sources. Reifenhäuser Reicofil then installed, commissioned and tested the RF Smart Composite line.

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-quality spunmelted nonwovens, including ultra-soft fabrics and fabrics with special coatings for customers in the hygiene and medical industries. The material can be used, for example, for baby diapers and feminine hygiene products, but also for medical articles ranging from surgical gowns to surgical drapes.

Carbios inaugurated its textile preparation line at its demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand, in the presence of Mr. Lescure, French Minister for Industry. To streamline the textile preparation phase, which is currently carried out by hand or on several lines, Carbios has developed a fully integrated and automated line that transforms textile waste from used garments or cutting scraps into raw material suitable for depolymerization with its enzymatic biorecycling process. This patented line integrates all preparation stages (shredding and extraction of hard points such as buttons or fasteners), and provides Carbios with a high-performance, scalable development tool. The platform will help validate the biorecycling technology for textiles at demonstration plant scale (by 2024), and provides Carbios with expertise in working with collection and sorting operators to specify the quality of textiles and the preparation steps needed to make them suitable for enzymatic recycling. This expertise will also be invaluable to brands in the eco-design of their products.

Current collection, sorting and preparation infrastructures limit the amount of textile waste available for “fiber-to-fiber” recycling. Collection rates average around 15-25% worldwide^[1], and much of the waste collected is exported to Africa, Asia or Latin America for sorting.

Moreover, textiles are highly complex materials, with yarns of different composition (or nature) that are difficult, if not impossible, to physically separate. However, the highly selective enzyme developed by Carbios can specifically depolymerize the PET (polyester) present in textile material.

At present, textiles are sorted and prepared mainly by hand, with low yields, particularly for disruptors to recycling processes such as “hard points” (zips, buttons, etc.). To optimize this crucial phase, Carbios is contributing a textile preparation solution to accelerate the development of biorecycling in the textile industry. Enzymatic recycling, or biorecycling, therefore contributes to the construction of a textile recycling chain and the acceleration of textile circularity, also enabling brands to do away with used bottles.

^[1] Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017

ISKO provided their latest innovation in material science to British designers, Priya Ahluwalia, Masha Popova, Chet Lo and Aaron Esh, for the London Fashion Week SS24 season.

Alongside supplying their latest denim fabrics, ISKO opened its doors to its London-based product development centre, Creative Room London, for finishing and washing of their final designs as well providing expertise and knowledge in denim design and construction.

Priya Ahluwalia
For Ahluwalia’s Spring Summer 24 collection, entitled Acknowledgements, Creative Director and founder Priya Ahluwalia’s research led her on a journey of creative rediscovery.
ISKO’s Ctrl+Z fabric, which is made entirely from recycled and regenerated fibres, was used to create the flower motif denim showcase within 3 looks across jeans and jackets. This development contains no virgin cotton and uses a minimum of 60% recycled materials and the remainder is regenerated cellulose fibres while still giving a look and feel identical to traditional denim and speaks to Ahluwalia’s ongoing commitment to sustainable design and business practices.

Chet Lo
This season, Chet Lo took an active stand in reclaiming the power lost during his youth, healing the childhood wounds inflicted by a society that sidelined differences instead of celebrating them.
ISKO’s Ctrl+Z fabric and specialist lasering techniques from ISKO’s Creative Room was used across three looks featuring signature Chet Lo erotic laser prints across denim bottoms.

Aaron Esh
The SS24 season marked the brand’s debut at London Fashion Week, a homecoming of sorts for Esh, who was born and raised in the heart of the British capital, studied at Central Saint Martins and became a finalist at the LVMH Prize earlier this year. The early impulses of Aaron Esh remain steadfast: clothes that combine establishment rigour with the rebellious spirit of youth culture, devotedly crafted for a generation who feels somewhere in-between.
Aaron created bootleg denim ripped jeans made entirely from ISKO Denim using R-TWO50 fabric, which comprises a minimum of 50% pre and post-consumer recycled content. The designer noted the addition of denim accompanied by leathers add a new level of depth to their latest collection.

Masha Popova
Masha Popova’s sophomore catwalk outing, MONSTER was a “seasonless” offering that combines Autumn Winter 2023 and Spring Summer 2024.
Masha continued her obsession with denim manipulation, using various finishings including over-dyeing, flocking, patchwork, scratching and fraying in a variety of colours from vibrant green to silver across jeans, tops and jackets, all developed with the help of ISKO’s Creative Room, London.

•    First production supercar created with Hypetex coloured carbon fibre
•    Paint-replacement technology reduces weight to enhance performance

British car manufacturer Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has created a unique Hypetex coloured carbon fibre version of its Mono R, reducing the weight by removing the need for paint.  

The original BAC Mono R was created to be lighter and more powerful than the standard model, with 343bhp and 555kg total weight, equating to a power-to-weight ratio of 618bhp-per-tonne. By removing the need for paint coatings in this version, the net weight of the exterior is reduced compared to a painted shell, resulting in a further improved overall performance.

The car’s body was created using Hypetex’s titanium carbon fibre twill, and finished with a crystalized lacquer, offering a unique aesthetic finish. The ultra-lightweight supercar can accelerate from zero to 60mph in less than 2.5 seconds.  

Hypetex’s paint-replacement technology retains the visible weave, allowing for a bold design and a choice of colours without technical compromises, perfectly aligning with BAC’s initiatives to maximise performance whilst creating bespoke supercars. Paint generally adds 138 grams per metre squared, whereas Hypetex adds just 17 grams for the same area, offering an 8x weight saving.
This bespoke version of BAC’s single-seater Mono R was subject to BAC’s renowned BAC Bespoke programme, which ensures that no two Monos are the same. The client, a US-based collector, worked with BAC’s design team to design the car to their personal taste.   

Born out of Formula 1 technology, Hypetex offers manufacturers sustainable aesthetic materials with technical and efficiency benefits. This collaboration is an all-British success story, with the Hypetex carbon fibre body built by Formaplex, a leading UK-based manufacturing company who manufacture lightweight engineered solutions for top tier customers in Automotive, Aerospace and Defence markets. BAC’s supply chain is 95% UK-based.  

Hypetex continues to expand its growing portfolio of the use of coloured carbon fibre to add personalisation to the automotive field, with its material recently featured on the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.  

Following the successful inaugural launch last Spring, adidas TERREX and National Geographic join forces once again with a collection designed to capture the awe-inspiring beauty of the Aurora Borealis.

The core images of the Northern Lights, as captured by National Geographic photographers, are interpreted in different ways on different products, taken through different hues and applied in different places per garment. These include:

• The TERREX Swift R3 GORE-TEX National Geographic hiking boot – Blending the lightweight design and cushioning of a trail running shoe with the stability and durability of a hiking boot
• The all-gender TERREX National Geographic RAIN.RDY 3-IN-1 Jacket – Combining 2.5L waterproof RAIN.RDY shell and polar fleece inner jackets for elevated protection and versatility with a strong visual design inspired by the northern lights.
• The TERREX National Geographic Softshell Jacket – A functional and stylish option for any adventure outdoor-seekers may have on their agenda. Reinforced shoulders, chest and forearms provide abrasion resistance.
• The TERREX National Geographic High Pile Fleece Jacket – The add-on for chilly days in the great outdoors. The Fleece Jacket features reflective elements that ensure visibility and safety in the low lights.

Kelheim Fibres, a manufacturer of specialty viscose fibres, showcases its latest developments at this year's Global Fiber Congress in Dornbirn. The focus is on innovative solutions that not only promote environmental sustainability but also strengthen the European supply chain.

In his presentation "Towards high performing plant-based AHP products - a joined approach of Pelz and Kelheim Fibres," Dr. Ingo Bernt, Project Leader of Fiber & Application Development at Kelheim Fibres, together with Dr. Henning Röttger, Head of Business Development at PelzGROUP, introduces the development of a plastic-free yet high-performance panty liner. The water-repellent Kelheim specialty fibre Olea plays a crucial role in both the top and backsheet of the panty liner. This product emerged from the ambition to offer eco-friendly alternatives to conventional disposable hygiene solutions without compromising on product performance.

A similar approach is pursued in the second presented project. Under the title "Performance Fibres meet Sustainable Design - example of a reusable Baby Diaper," Natalie Wunder, Project Leader from Kelheim Fibres' New Business Development team, together with Caspar Böhme, Co-Founder of Sumo, introduce the washable and reusable SUMO diaper. Made from biobased materials and featuring a unique construction with Kelheim specialty fibres, this combination offers double environmental benefits compared to conventional disposable baby diapers.

Both the panty liner and the SUMO diaper are manufactured entirely in Europe, resulting in shorter transportation routes and a reduced CO2 footprint. Moreover, these innovations contribute to strengthening the European textile and nonwovens industries by fostering innovation within Europe.

Ananas Anam, the provider of innovative low-impact textile solutions made from pineapple leaf waste, announced the appointment of Manel Echevarria as the new CEO. The Spanish executive who had previously worked as CEO for Grupo Excens Sports and Lacoste Iberia, as well as in senior executive roles for Swarovski and MontBlanc, will lead the global business from its European research and production site near Barcelona in Spain.

At the beginning of the year, the company reported the successful closing of a funding round led by HALTRA Group, a family-backed sustainable investment firm in Luxembourg and a group of strategic investors, including the French Compagnie Fruitière, one of the leading producers in Europe and major fruit producer in the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific region, as well the global automotive technology supplier Forvia, and Asahi Kasei Corp, a leading Japanese multinational group working in innovative materials and technologies.

“The appointment of Manel Echevarria as a seasoned CEO with an impressive track-record in the fashion and luxury industry marks another important milestone in setting Ananas Anam up for the next phase of growth” says Dr. Christian Kurtzke, Chairman of Ananas Anam. “Following our investment in the development of an impressive portfolio of next-generation innovative biodegradable, traceable and sustainable materials, and into the setup of its network of strategic partners on the supply and shareholder side, Manel will provide the leadership for driving growth and industrial scale of this pioneering sustainability brand amidst a continued challenging global market environment in fashion, interiors and automotive.”

With Ananas Anam’s core portfolio of innovative materials, the company has successfully collaborated with well-known brands including Nike, Hugo Boss, H&M, Paul Smith and Cat Footwear and sustainable-fashion pioneers like Ecoalf to drive innovation in footwear, as well as with fashion brands like Carolina Herrera in the area of bags and accessories, substituting animal leather in the product design with its vegan, cruelty-free, low-impact and sustainable pineapple leaf fibre based textiles. In July 2023, at the Premiere Vision exhibition in Paris, the company presented the next generation of Piñatex as well as its breakthrough innovation Piñayarn as a biodegradable, traceable and sustainable yarn, and introducing Anam PALF, as a commercially available premium textile grade pineapple leaf fibre, opening up a world of new applications and markets.

“Driving the sustainability transformation in fashion, as well as in interiors and automotive has become a key priority on the agenda of brands and OEMs around the world,” says Manel Echevarria, CEO Ananas Anam. “I am proud to have the opportunity to lead the company in this decisive time, and I am looking forward to collaborating with our exceptional Spanish founder, Dr Carmen Hijosa, and Josep Taylor in Spain, with Bruno de Penanster and his team in the UK, as well as with Chuck Lazaro and his team in the Philippines to turn this amazing sustainability ambition and purpose into a reality.”

adidas revealed the Official Match Balls for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Set on a metallic silver background, the men’s iteration of the Official Match Ball integrates a single letter from the instantly recognisable chorus lyric – ‘THE CHAMPIONS’ - onto each of the 12 stars, in an opulent calligraphy style. Visual representations of the musical tones of the song interject the stars, in striking royal purple, red and blue - colours specifically chosen to represent the footballing royalty competing for the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy.

The introduction of a bespoke anthem for the UEFA Women’s Champions League in the 2021/22 season, marked the start of a new dawn for the tournament. In honour of that moment, the new design incorporates the lyrics of the song in two of the ball’s eye-catching star panels – creating a unique circular text pattern in bright orange. The remaining ten stars feature a wavy purple and pink print, curated using the same words from the anthem, but significantly enlarged to create an abstract and attention-grabbing look.

The balls are optimised to cope with the demands of the modern game, incorporating a range of adidas performance technology – including a PRISMA surface texture which offers Europe’s finest players precision on the ball. The outer texture coating, found on all UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League Official Match Balls, offers secure grip and control on the ball while the thermally bonded seamless construction ensures the balls retain optimum shape to deliver ultimate performance on the pitch.