Innovation news and archive

Is the footwear market ready for renewables?

UPM Biochemicals is a part of a Finnish company that makes eco-friendly materials from wood. Last year they committed to spend 750 million euros to build the world’s first industry scale bio-refinery in Germany. The factory will make chemicals from wood instead of oil, replacing fossil fuel with renewable sources and sustainable materials. They...

Fashion

Pangaia and NFW introduces new plant-based and plastic-free material

Materials science company Pangaia and Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) has unveiled the world’s first commercially available apparel made from Mirum, a new, plant-based and plastic-free material designed to be a solution for footwear, fashion, automotive, accessories, and upholstery. The latest innovation released through Pangaia Lab is an air gilet,...

Fashion

Sheertex’ subsidiary launches fast drying swimsuit using patented technology

Hosiery brand Sheertex launched its first swimsuit under its subsidiary ‘Watertex’, which can be wiped dry with a towel. Sheertex, which is known for its patented rip-resistant tights, promises “the smoothest transition from water to land in swimwear” with a suit that dries in half the time compared to conventional swimwear and retains 60...

Fashion |In Pictures

Rains debuts 3D printed boot with Zellerfeld at PFW

Outerwear lifestyle brand Rains has unveiled a 3D printed boot with Zellerfeld during its autumn/winter 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week. The ‘Puffer Boot’ is the first-of-its-kind silhouette, designed by Rains and produced by Zellerfeld, which develops 3D-printing technology. The intentional sculptural appearance reminiscent of a stone carving...

Business

HKRITA Innovation & Technology Symposium 2023 targets net-zero future

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) held its annual HKRITA Innovation & Technology Symposium 2023 on 17th January. The theme was “Innovating Zero” in regards to technologies and innovative applications that can pave the way for a sustainable net-zero future. The symposium brought together industry experts, business...

Fashion

Researchers Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences develop 3D knitted, personalised fisherman's jumper

From village arms to symbolic motifs, the embroidered patterns of traditional Dutch knitted fishermen's jumpers tell stories about the work of fishermen and their origins. Because of these clear references to villages and towns, the jumpers as a clothing phenomenon are strongly anchored in the Dutch clay soil. For this reason, the jumpers,...

RetailFeatured

Digital dissatisfaction: online retail experiences should be improved with new tools

A growing dissatisfaction amongst consumer digital retail experiences shows a lack of innovation in the sector. New research from PYMNTS, a retail, fintech and financial services news platform, showed 150 brands were dissatisfied with existing tech innovations. In a study titled “Big Retail’s Innovation Mandate: Convenience and Personalization,”...

Business

Sustainability round-up August and September 2022

August and September were eventful months in terms of more sustainable fashion. In the area of shoes, there were ground-breaking innovations such as a sneaker made out of rubber and plant oils and one out of carbon emissions. Yes, you read that right, carbon emissions can be turned into footwear now. This was also the time to go all out to save...

Fashion Featured

On presents first ever shoe made from carbon emissions

Swiss performance sportswear brand On has found a way to make a shoe from carbon emissions. Together with tech company Technip Energies, chemical company LanzaTech and plastic solutions provider Borealis, On presents Cloudprime, a shoe made from CleanCloud EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam. Cloudprime is part of On's efforts to move away from...

Fashion Featured

Return Reduction is the hot topic at 2022 The Lead Summit

Returns are the bane of most retailers’ existence. On average, retailers expect to get back about 16.6 percent of the total merchandise customers purchase, according to CNBC. While a certain number of returns are built into most retailers' business models, the lower return rates are, the better a company’s bottom line is. This year at the 2022...

RetailFeatured

Four exciting technologies for fashion retail

Retail is becoming increasingly tech-savvy as the fast-evolving industry looks to keep up with consumers’ growing demand for more convenient, engaging and frictionless ways to shop. Brick-and-mortar stores are increasingly using innovative technology to improve areas such as payment and check-out solutions, data analytics, and customer-centric...

Business

In Pictures: Nike reveals its LeBron James Innovation Center

Sportswear giant Nike has unveiled its LeBron James Innovation Center, allowing fans of both the athlete and the brand to see inside the new 84,000 feet building for the first time. Located at Nike HQ, the building houses the all-new Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL), remade with a total of 400 motion-capture cameras, 97 force plates, body-mapping...