From the Show Floor: High-Performance Functional Fabrics, Finishes, Trims Took Centrestage

Held at the Javits Center in New York City, the summer edition of the Functional Fabric Fair is an exclusive sourcing destination tailored to those at the forefront of outdoor, lifestyle, and activewear textiles. Over 140 suppliers, mills, and manufacturers filled the event space and hosted textile industry professionals from around the world on 16–17 July.

Each aisle was packed with brands showcasing the latest in textile developments and how to apply them to the next generation of lifestyle, performance, and fashion-forward apparel. High-performance functional fabrics, finishes, trims and accessories took centrestage.

Having attended the last several FFF events in NYC and Portland, it is easy to get the impression that these shows are growing in size and relevance for the textile industry as a whole, a feeling that is well supported by the numbers.

“As a functional, innovation-driven show, we offer an exciting, productive experience with a curated lineup of the top vendors, an easy-to-navigate floor plan, vetted sourcing opportunities through Trend Forum displays, engaging activations, expert-led discussions, and networking opportunities designed to inspire and inform,” said Steve McCullough, Event Director of Functional Fabric Fair. “We were thrilled to welcome so many returning high-calibre sourcing buyers and professionals as well as first-time attendees in the performance industry. The packed booths and bustling aisles and positive reports from our vendors made the event a remarkable success."

Exhibitors also reported a busy show.

“Active Apparel Group had a successful second showcase at FFF. Foot traffic to our booth was robust, driven by the ease of a one stop shop environment for sourcing, design, and manufacturing,” said Oscher. “Our ever-growing offering of innovative and sustainable options, custom designed for the performance lifestyle space , also helped to drive traffic. Both new and existing customers benefited from our manufacturing expertise in what is typically a fabric driven show.”

Focus Topic

Whether hosted in NYC during the Summer or in Portland, Oregon in the Spring and Fall, The Functional Fabric Fair offers a Focus Topic, highlighting a subject of particular interest and timeliness. This show’s topic was Beyond Bottles—The Future of Polyester.

Polyester use is on the rise, and it is currently the most used fibre in the world, making up over half of all textiles produced. And considering new regulations recently adopted by the EU that will require minimum quotas for the amount of recycled material that must be used in new products, it’s easy to see why this topic was chosen.

On the surface, it seems straightforward. Simply recycle more bottles and use this material to make new products. However, these quotas would likely require between 15% and 30% rPET to be used. This sizable quota will no doubt create a bottleneck (forgive the pun) in production as manufacturers will need to adapt and seek out sources for high-quality recycled plastic. As of now, supply is short, and demand is due to spike as these EU quotas go into effect in 2027. Cost is expected to rise as the demand for a limited amount of recycled materials increases.

Yes, this legislation will undoubtedly create headaches for mills, manufacturers and brands. But ultimately, steps such as this will become more common as the need to create more circularity and less waste grows to meet global environmental goals.

Solutions are out there, and many are looking for alternatives to PET in some applications. As a result, renewable and biodegradable materials such as down, wool, cotton, modal, and hemp are part of an ongoing conversation.

Sustainability once again reigned supreme during FFF, seemingly a topic of conversation for almost every brand on the show floor. Driven in part by customer demand (and more urgently by pending regulations around PFAS, circularity, and recyclability), brands and manufacturers are continuing to look for and showcase their sustainable offerings.

Natural materials were also heralded for sustainability and brand responsibility, with an expert talk dedicated to the topic, and brands like Lenzing and Hemp Fortex exhibiting.

“The Lenzing booth was busy from start to finish,” said Sharon Pérez, Senior Business Development Manager with Lenzing Fibers. “We saw a lot of interest in our Tencel Modal and Ecovero Viscose spun-dyed offerings as well as our lyocell filament Tencel Luxe, which reflects an overall trend towards the incorporation of more natural materials into future apparel lines. Ongoing advances in natural materials makes them a great choice for brands wanting to blend performance with sustainability."

“Unofficial” Topics

There were several other overarching trends that emerged.

First, and probably most interesting, is that attendees are finally starting to feel that the pandemic-induced inventory issues, which have been creating sales and supply chain issues over the last number of years, are finally starting to work their way through the system. Many show exhibitors are hoping to return to business as usual in the coming months. If this proves to be accurate, it will be a welcome relief for suppliers, brands, and retailers.

A second topic of conversation that seemed to permeate the show was that of Digital Product Passports.

In December 2019, the EU Parliament signed the EU Green Deal into law. This sweeping environmental regulation is intended to help the EU reach climate neutrality by 2050. Part of the EU Green Deal is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The ESPR is part of a package of measures designed to create product sustainability and circularity. Contained within the ESPR is the DPP.

In short, the DPP will follow a product to retail and beyond, and provide a digital record of a product's information throughout its lifecycle. It is intended to promote product transparency and help buyers and sellers understand a product's sustainability and circularity. The DPP will be attached to the product as an NFC chip, QR code, or RFID tag, and will be required for all apparel that will be sold within the EU by 2030. There is also talk of these requirements coming to the US.

As with any complex legislation that affects a global supply chain, there is a lot to learn and understand in order to become compliant. While many show attendees recognised the need to adopt the DPP, several noted other areas of focus that need to be considered, too.

“We’re seeing a lot more activity for Digital Product Passports in Europe, making it a bit challenging to navigate,” said David Parkes, Founder of Concept III Textiles International. "I feel that commercially we must check all of these supply chain transparency boxes with every product initiative, but we still have to pay a lot of attention to innovation and aesthetic appeal to fascinate the consumer, define performance apparel, and drive the business.”

In addition to the show floor sourcing and industry insider discussions, Functional Fabric Fair’s summer edition featured the following notable activations: 

Design Lab (LIVE): New to the show, the Design Lab (LIVE) was a real-life design and construction demonstration featuring Kelly Dempsey, a sustainable fashion designer celebrated for her innovative approach to upcycling secondhand materials and a past contestant on ‘Project Runway’.

During day one of the show, the Design Lab (LIVE) was an area where Kelly constructed a stylish performance kimono style jacket in real time using materials from exhibitors with attendees watching and engaging with her as the creative process unfolded. The functional fabrics and accessory products were donated by Cocona 37.5, FLYTEC, Lenzing Fibers and Prym Fashion. The final garment was on display for a silent auction, proceeds from which were donated to the charity Fabscrap.

Trend Forum: An attendee favorite attraction, the Trend Forum featured displays highlighting 12 key categories including: Baselayer, Midlayer, 2 Layer, 2.5 & 3 Layer, Lightweight & Downproof, Softshell & Outer Midlayer, Shirts, Pants & Tights, Focus Topic, Accessories & Trims, and Function Meets Fashion and New York Exclusive—which specifically focused on a New York fashion-focused audience.

Attendees could source an exclusive selection of 100% sustainable fabrics from carefully curated samples by a panel of experts from esteemed universities, leading apparel brands, procurement teams, and fabric technologists representing diverse facets of the industry. Once attendees scanned the QR codes on the swatches they could arrange to have a free sample sent to their business.