[pageLogInLogOut]

#Research & Development

DuPont Biomaterials sponsors fashion program at Central Saint Martins

Fashion students to receive Sorona® fabrics for annual show

DuPont Biomaterials announces its sponsorship of the fashion undergraduate BA Fashion Design program at Central Saint Martins (CSM) in London. Renowned for its fashion curriculum, Central Saint Martins is among the best fashion schools worldwide and considered one of the most prestigious, spawning some of the greatest fashion designers in the past few decades. More than 100 students of different pathways related to the apparel industry will receive partially bio-based Sorona® fabrics to create their first fashion design for the school’s annual White Show.

At CSM, students are encouraged to pursue innovative, creative ideas and unconventional thoughts. The White Show gives the students an opportunity to focus on the shapes and silhouettes of their fashion designs, rather than patterns and color. Thus, only white fabrics provided by Sorona® will be used for the prototypes of the designs. The project includes each step of the design process, from the first sketch to the sewing of the final prototype and culminating with the organization and execution of the fashion show. 

To signify the launch of this experience, an introductory lesson taught by Hao Ding, Business Manager - EMEA for DuPont Biomaterials, will share the specifics and performance attributes of Sorona® fabrics with students. Of particular interest will be the superior stretchability, recovery and wrinkle-resistance that enable freedom in design and range of application. Sorona® is also a sustainable solution, being made from 37 percent renewable plant-based ingredients. 


“At CSM we are very keen for the students to learn about circularity in fashion and manufacturers who are developing sustainable fabrics and methods of producing them. Therefore the BA Fashion course is extremely grateful to Sorona® for collaborating with us and enabling the students to work with their fabrics produced from renewable plant-based ingredients using processing methods that have less impact on the environment and can be recycled later on. Having this opportunity as first years will have a lasting impact and encourage the students to inform themselves and make responsible choices moving forward in their creative practice,” said Sarah Gresty, BA Fashion Course Leader at the Central Saint Martins, a part of the University of the Arts London. 

“It’s such an honor to collaborate with Central Saint Martins to help educate students on developing sustainable fashion and embedding a sustainability mindset into their design process. For the ‘White Show’, we specifically developed non-dyed fabrics with the objective of minimizing the environmental impact. Education is crucial for the development of sustainability. As a leader in the textile industry, we are more than happy to share our knowledge and experience, and to encourage and inspire the students to create more sustainable, beautiful clothes,” said Hao Ding. 

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this year’s final White Show, devised and produced by BA Fashion Communication: Fashion Communication and Promotion students, will be held without the usual audience of professionals from the fashion industry. 


More News from TEXDATA International

#ITM 2026

ITM 2026: The new geography of textile production

New production hubs are emerging across North Africa and Central Asia, while Türkiye is accelerating its transformation toward higher-value, technology-driven and more sustainable textile manufacturing.

#Research & Development

“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.

#Knitting & Hosiery

“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

#Associations

“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.

More News on Research & Development

#Research & Development

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

#Research & Development

Reducing development times for technical textiles by accelerated thermo-oxidative aging in a high-pressure autoclave

Synthetic polymers used in technical textiles can be effectively protected against degradation caused by heat, oxygen, and water through the use of stabilizer systems. This enables service lives of several decades, extending to more than 50 years. As the use of durable technical textiles continues to grow, so does the demand for reliable methods to predict their service life within economically feasible testing periods. For the first time the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) developed methods for robust service life prediction for textiles in an IGF research project.

#Research & Development

ITA has developed a washable digital smart jacket with real-time feedback and an AI-powered app for rehabilitation

As part of the PhysioTaix research project, the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University is developing a digital smart jacket with integrated sensors. The jacket is washable and reusable; it tracks movements during rehabilitation exercises in real time and transmits the data to an app.

Latest News

#Associations

HeiQ & Archroma and Lenzing & Armedangels win ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

#Associations

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

#Sustainability

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.

#Functional Fabrics

PERFORMANCE DAYS introduces Digital Design Journey with CLO and VIZOO

PERFORMANCE DAYS will introduce a new Digital Design Journey at its upcoming edition in Munich, connecting physical fabric sourcing with 3D product development. Supported by CLO and VIZOO, the installation will demonstrate how real performance fabrics can be digitized and incorporated into virtual garment development workflows.

TOP