Sports & Outdoor

The Switzerland based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published its State of Trade Report for the 4th Quarter of 2011. The organisation reports that estimates for Global Yarn and Fabric Output in Q1/2012 are negative but that the outlook for Q2/2012 is positive.

The long awaited relaunch of the leading free content website for the knitting and hosiery industries is here at last. Innovation in Textiles’ relaunched sister site Knitting Industry (www.knittingindustry.com ) went on Wednesday afternoon offering readers even greater benefits than before.

After a sharp reduction in global shipments of new textile machinery in 2008 and 2009, as a result of the global financial and economic crisis in 2008/2009, deliveries of new textile machinery surged in 2010 and even stronger in 2011, in most cases to new record highs.

The global sporting goods market—including sports apparel, athletic footwear, and sports equipment—is on track to reach sales of $ 303 billion US by 2015 (according to a report by Global Industry Analysts), with a growth curve outperforming that of total retail in both the UK and the US; and is expanding even more rapidly in the newly-affluent, youth-driven markets of emerging economies. While brand, heritage and style trends contribute to the sales of athletic apparel and equipment, the sporting goods market also relies heavily upon technology as a marketing tool.

Rhode Island, USA based stretch fabrics producer Darlington Fabrics has launched an innovative family of fabrics called Fasten-Air which stretch for comfort and function in personal protection applications and utilise familiar hook and loop closures.

The international trade show OutDoor is strengthening its roots at Messe Friedrichshafen. A new contract with the European Outdoor Group, the European industry association, ensures that Friedrichshafen will continue to host the meeting of the world’s OutDoor industry through 2013 and for the years to follow.

The Italian textile machinery industry is getting ready for the ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition which will be held in Shanghai from 12-16 June where its focus will be on technologically sustainable solutions.

Naturally Advanced Technologies (NAT) which produces and markets CRAiLAR, a natural fibre made from flax and other bast fibres, has entered a joint development agreement with leading cellulosic manmade fibres producer Lenzing. The agreement calls for the companies to evaluate the blending of CRAiLAR Flax fibres with Tencel (Lyocell) and Lenzing Modal.

Dr. Sam Moore of Hohenstein Institute America will present interim findings from a long term study of the effects of nano silver particles on the environment. The presentation will be made at the joint conference of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and the Southern Textile Research Conference (STRC) to be held May 20-22, 2012 at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort in Pawley’s Island, SC.

In this third part of a three part feature on sustainability Sabine Anton-Katzenbach discusses how retailers, producers and importers have begun campaigning for working conditions that are socially sustainable, within the scope of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).