Innovate or Die: Texworld USA Spotlights Leaders in Advanced Fabric Technology

Consumers and businesses alike are demanding more functionality and sustainability in their fabrics, and that insatiable thirst for better technology is propelling the textile industry to a rapid pace of innovation.

Fabrics made from sustainable materials such as the fibers from pineapple leaves, coconuts and banana stems are gaining traction.

Ananas-Anam created Piñatex, a fabric with a low environmental impact and is made byproducts of pineapple harvests that were previously considered waste. Capturing and using those byproducts also pumps money back into local farming communities.

Another innovator, STSC, is making a silk-like fabric from the long and sturdy fibers of the stem of a banana plant and sources the material from India’s Tamil Nadu state, the country’s largest producer of bananas. The layers of fiber are increasingly fine toward the middle of the stem, making the material versatile for interior fabrics such as rugs as well as fashion garments that might otherwise be made of traditional silk, such as saris and kimonos.

Other companies are more focused on innovations that enhance the performance and comfort of existing fabrics made of nylon, polyester, denim and other blends.

Atlanta-based brrr° was founded by a former SPANX executive who had a vision for making fabric do more to keep people cool, dry and comfortable in their everyday lives.

The company uses a proprietary blend of natural cooling minerals, active wicking and rapid drying technologies that work together to create a Tripe Chill Effect that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the skin. Because brrr° in an inherent part of the yarn as well as the knitted or woven fabric, the cooling effects won’t ever fade or wash out over time. Retailers including Jos. A. Bank, Gap, Southern Tide, Greyson and Mizzen+Main use brrr° in their apparel.

brrr° is also working on next-generation technology such as advanced methods for dispersion, ways to increase the surface area of the minerals in the yarn to amplify the cooling effect.

“This show is a can’t-miss opportunity for brrr° because it connects us with some of the most influential decision-makers who are looking for innovative technologies that give them an edge in a very competitive marketplace,” said Mary-Cathryn Kolb, Founder & CEO of brrr°.