#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2022-07-14

Milano Unica & C.L.A.S.S. join forces to activate the future of fashion through smart ingredients

C.L.A.S.S. is ready for another important synergy, with the aim of sharing its message of responsible innovation. The international eco-hub will join forces with Milano Unica to push the change towards a new generation of fashion through its C.L.A.S.S. SMART SHOP: the online space offering eco-high-tech materials representing a vast range of categories able to create a new generation of fashion.

Milano Unica, C.L.A.S.S. Area - Hall 8, 12-13-14 July, Fiera Milano

Born in 2018, it is dedicated to students, designers and new generation brands who want to explore and test premium materials mixing style, innovation and responsibility. All without minimums, all with high quality, transparency and responsible costs.

The C.L.A.S.S. Area – Hall 8 at Milano Unica will be an immersive journey of smart materials with advanced responsible solutions for the contemporary wardrobe, which include all the different expressions of textile ingredients: natural, transformed, innovative and back in the loop materials, giving everyone the possibility to create design, innovative and yet responsible products in line with their new generation of contemporary values.

“We are extremely pleased to be here at Milano Unica, the Italian fair for the ingredients of fashion, promoting a new generation of synergy to support and activate the change into fashion system enabling the new generation of designers, product managers, buyers, researchers and students with its number 1 education tool, the C.L.A.S.S. Smart Shop” Says Giusy Bettoni, Founder and CEO C.L.A.S.S. “We believe this is a valuable opportunity to share possibilities and chances with new the generations to start a conscious and yet innovative fashion product with a “learning by using” approach to the latest developments in smart materials”.

The C.L.A.S.S. SMART SHOP partners exhibiting at Milano Unica are: ALBINI GROUP - A03, BRUNELLO - C17 C19 C21 C23 C25, ILUNA GROUP - E08, IMBOTEX - INNOV.05 and ZIGNONE - C02.

C.L.A.S.S. launches Smart Closet

Smart Closet is the beautiful, innovative and responsible next-generation wardrobe that carries a new generation set of values portrayed through C.L.A.S.S. InsideOut System Decalogue. It is a new approach to fashion where the concept of well-being extends to that of well-dressed, embracing those who create products and who use them. A harmony between aesthetics and responsibility that shows the fully transparent and traceable journey of a product from the raw material to the end-consumer throughout the whole supply chain.

YKK launches “YZiP® Light” aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has launched YZiP® Light, a lightweight aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants, with sales beginning in late March. The introduction of YZiP® Light expands YKK’s zipper portfolio—led by the flagship YZiP® copper alloy zipper—providing customers with greater flexibility to meet diverse garment needs.

Coats to showcase innovative reinforcement and filler materials for leather goods and accessories at APLF 2026

Coats, a world-class Tier 2 manufacturer and trusted partner for the apparel and footwear industries, will be promoting four advanced materials from its ‘Lifestyle Solutions’ portfolio at APLF 2026 in Hong Kong in March. Each innovation has been specifically engineered to help luxury and premium brands elevate the craft, durability, sustainability and creative expression required in the manufacturing of handbags, purses, and other high-end designer accessories.

Design, innovation and sustainability propel VIATT 2026’s expanding role in ASEAN textile sourcing

At its third edition, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT) further reinforced its role as a key sourcing and business platform for ASEAN’s textile industry. The three-day fair welcomed over 17,000 visits from 54 countries and regions, and featured over 460 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions across 18,000 sqm. The 2026 edition was marked by the introduction of new international pavilions and zones, broadening the fair’s sourcing scope across new geographies and product categories. The fringe programme, headlined by the debut Trend Forum, further distinguished VIATT as the region’s most integrated textile trade platform – uniquely spanning the entire value chain.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

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.