Jury member Jill Dumain, managing director of bluesign, is impressed by the large number of entries. "I think it is promising for the industry that a clear trend towards performance and sustainability can be seen in the innovations.
"I was very pleased to see that innovation and creativity go hand in hand with responsibility. I am proud to see that this awareness is incorporated into the development of high-quality products," says Giusy Bettoni, Managing Director of C.L.A.S.S.
The jury identified three further general trends for the 2020/21 season:
Improved haptics can be observed in all areas, especially in the recycled plastics, which feel like conventional synthetic materials.
Performance is becoming more and more important, as it goes hand in hand with a protective function in the sports and outdoor market. Water-repellent properties, insulation, reflective coatings and prints as well as high tear and abrasion resistance characterize the products.
Surface and depth structure come into focus. The skilful use of yarns and prints creates a relief-like 3D effect - from realistic digitally applied motifs to effects with dyed yarns, subtly defined and enhanced by embossing and flocking.
The international ISPO Textrends jury named the following products "Best Products":
Tintex Textiles - Portugal
The innovative base layer with numerous features from Tintex Textiles offers a comfortably soft feel thanks to the seacell fibre from Smartfiber AG. It also features an environmentally friendly Naturally Clan Finish in combination with an odour-neutralising Roica Clean Fit elastane.
Cordura Fabric - Great Britain
A lightweight, highly stretchable and durable softshell fleece with a durable outer and soft inner. The Cordura 4Ever knitting technology convinced the jury with its soft feel and low weight. Breathable, abrasion-resistant, tensile and with a bi-stretch function for robust clothing, the fleece follows the sophisticated demands of the consumer.
Flying Textiles - China
Natural fibers continue to play a role in the performance sector. Wool is visibly making a comeback in this sector, which is mainly dominated by synthetics. Naturally suitable for outdoor use, the material is now moving to a whole new level of functionality. The wool outer layer of Flying Textile offers a warm and comfortable feeling and is at the same time breathable, waterproof and windproof.
Redaelli Velluti - Italy
The new Redaelli Velvet Series combines the shine and style of velvet with the performance of traditional outdoor products to give functional clothing a whole new look. Different bondings with two or three layers allow the incorporation of waterproof seams, the processing with or without lining and an optional additional filling with down or synthetic fibres.
Wisher Industrial - Taiwan
Road sports is a growth sector. Athletes are looking for functional clothing that can be used in a variety of ways. The smart urban outdoor textiles from Wisher are suitable for a wide range of situations: They allow easy changing of clothing according to the intended use and offer great comfort in high temperatures as well as in changing weather conditions.
Jinjiang Chuangying Import and Export Trading China
For this fabric made of recycled materials, the masterbatch method is used before spinning during dyeing. After waxing, the fabric is lightfast, washable, wear-resistant and highly resistant to temperature. It is an environmentally friendly textile, whose production releases only littleCO2 and uses little water. The dyeing of the entire textile is homogeneous, so that there is little waste.
Thermore (Far East) - Hong Kong
As an invisible element, insulation is essential for innovations in the sports and outdoor market. The unique multi-shape structure of the Ecodown fibres was developed with the aim of improving bulk, combined with high thermal performance and storage. The material is free of animal components and consists of 100% recycled fibres.
Honmyue Enterprise - China
Honmyue Enterprise thinks beyond traditional boundaries and has long been inspired by unconventional materials. This season, the company is launching paper haptics and surfaces. The result overcomes the limits of digital printing technology for polyamide and is both visually and sensually appealing, opening up a wide range of design possibilities for the abrasion-resistant and water-repellent material.
Bemis Associates - USA
Bemis' new colour functional film offers a unique aesthetic option that picks up on the transparency trend in clothing and footwear. Applied to logos, edge finishes, designs and functional inserts, this colour functional film makes colours richer or, as a "watermark", emphasises the pattern or structure of the textile. The colour has a low adhesion activation, which makes it possible to apply applications to heat-sensitive textiles. The barrier layer is soft, UV-stable, hydrolysis-resistant and absorbs screen printing inks well, resulting in greater design flexibility and reflectivity.
SAB - China
In contrast to conventional zippers, the Dynamic Zipper is not fixed. Thanks to SAB's innovative design, the zipper chain moves flexibly with the wearer. When the button is turned, the zipper slips accordingly, which prevents the hood from obstructing the view. This ensures a clear field of vision when wearing hooded clothing - perfect for winter sports wear.
All products that have been awarded by the jury in the categories "Best Product", "Top Ten" and "Selection" will be presented at the ISPO Textrends Forum at the ISPO Beijing (January 16-19, 2019 - Hall E2, Stand 2.4.6) and at the ISPO Munich (February 03-06, 2019 - center hall C5). All details about the materials are also available throughout the year with the ISPO Textrends Trendbook, the valuable shopping tool for the sports and outdoor market.
Images of the Best Products for editorial coverage are available here for download.
