Updates

Researchers at Cornell have developed OriStitch, a software and fabrication workflow that could significantly automate machine embroidery by turning flat fabrics into self-folding 3D forms. By simplifying labour-intensive processes such as hand-pleating and complex seams, the system signals new possibilities for fashion, smart textiles and design-led manufacturing.

Italy’s luxury supply chain is facing intensified scrutiny as prosecutors expand their investigation to workshops tied to 13 major global brands. The move highlights ongoing concerns around subcontracting, governance and worker safeguards, reinforcing the sector’s rising compliance and due-diligence pressures.

Cornell researchers have created an ultrablack colour for textiles by engineering fibre surfaces to trap nearly all incoming light. Drawing inspiration from the magnificent riflebird’s naturally light-absorbing feathers, the team used polydopamine and plasma etching to form dense nanofibrils that reduce reflectance to 0.13%. The result is a structurally produced, remarkably stable black suitable for advanced fabric applications.

Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) are pioneering methods to convert textile waste into energy and high-performance cement alternatives — a dual breakthrough that could ease pressure on two of the world’s most resource-hungry sectors: textiles and construction.

As extreme heat becomes a defining global hazard, cooling clothing can no longer depend on incremental tweaks. A new biodegradable fabric promises a step-change: lighter, cooler, and engineered for real-world performance. If commercialised at scale, it could reshape how outdoor workers, athletes and emergency crews stay safe and functional in rising temperatures.

Researchers at the University of Maine have found a way to grow a natural waterproof coating from edible fungi, offering a potential replacement for plastic films used on paper cups, food packaging and other everyday items. The process is simple, scalable and biodegradable, showing how nature-inspired solutions could help cut single-use plastics and microplastic pollution.

Fashion for Good has unveiled its Price Parity Toolkit, a new financing model designed to remove cost premiums on next-gen materials by decoupling added expenses early in the supply chain. The framework enables brands to fund premiums directly at Tier 4, helping innovators scale manufacturing, reduce compounded markups and strengthen industry adoption of lower-impact alternatives supported by partners and funders.

The 2025 Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index, the first since Cascale acquired Better Buying, reveals both caution and progress. Despite tariff shocks and geopolitical volatility, long-term subscribers outperformed industry benchmarks. The report underlines that responsible purchasing practices build supplier resilience and that planning and forecasting remain critical weak spots needing renewed buyer attention.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2026 will be held from 11 to 13 March at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC), Shanghai, spotlighting sustainability, performance and AI-driven innovation. The event features a 60 per cent larger Econogy Hub and an enhanced Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone, with forums and labs focused on smart materials, digitalisation and circular economy applications in textiles.

Locally produced circular sportswear could have a smaller environmental footprint than a conventional polyester garment reference, a new lifecycle and microfibre assessment has modelled. Renewable-energy use, shorter transport routes, and circular design choices together could reduce climate impacts and microplastic emissions, the researchers have contended.