#Yarn & Fiber
The Woolmark Company and Max Mara develop Wool Denim for Autumn/Winter 17

China’s leading sportswear brands are beginning to treat Merino wool not as a lifestyle material, but as a performance input as natural fibres move from the margins of sportswear into elite technical applications. That shift is increasingly evident in the material strategies of major domestic groups such as ANTA.

Woolmark, the global authority on wool, has teamed up with COLOURizd™, pioneers in dry textile colouring processes, to introduce a revolutionary new method to colour wool and wool blends.
Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.
Grasim Industries Limited, the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group and a global leader in cellulosic fibres, today announced an investment of ₹3,094 crore, for Phase II Lyocell capacity of 110K TPA at Harihar, Karnataka. This expansion will consist of 2 lines of 55K TPA (150 Tons per day) each. The first line is expected to be commissioned by 2028, and the second line is expected to be commissioned by 2030.

The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG has appointed Georg Kasperkovitz, Member of the Management Board and Chief Operations Officer, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lenzing AG with effect from June 1, 2026.

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.
Today marks the official commencement of the World Continence Week. To honour this global awareness initiative, EDANA has published a comprehensive report titled "The Central Role of Absorbent Hygiene Products in the Management of Adult Urinary Incontinence: Benefits, Costs and Environmental Impact." The World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual global initiative dedicated to raising public awareness about incontinence and bladder or bowel health issues. Traditionally held in June, this awareness week aims to shed light on a condition that affects millions of people worldwide but is frequently kept secret due to widespread social stigma, embarrassment, and taboo.

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious meeting points of the textile machinery sector, attracted attention in its first three days, particularly with its diverse international visitor numbers. Industry professionals from all over the world had the opportunity to closely examine the latest technology machines and solutions displayed in operation. Thousands of visitors from approximately 100 countries, primarily Egypt, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, met at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center for new investment and cooperation opportunities.

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.