For the third time, the Hightex Award was presented as an exclusive innovation prize at Munich Fabric Start, which took place earlier this month. Forming the perfect backdrop for this was the Keyhouse venue as a centre of innovation and expertise for new, smart fabric and additional developments.

A photocatalytic denim that binds air particles via sunlight thanks to its special finish made Kassim Denim the winner of the Hightex Award. At the award ceremony, Qasim Ahmed highlighted the wholistic innovative and sustainable approach focused on by Kassim Denim with its new developments.

Schoeller Textil from Switzerland took second place with a sustainable soft shell fabric combined with merino wool. “We are particularly delighted that this award for our Schoeller fabric paid such great tribute to topic of sustainability. This prize is very important as it makes the public at large aware of future-oriented, sustainable product developments,” commented Sandra Hilty, Schoeller Textil.

Third prize went to Vilartex aus Portugal, awarded for a new fibre combination containing 13% stinging nettle, thereby highlighting a new way of using a natural raw material that can be sustainably cultivated.

New developmental push

This differentiated selection of market-relevant international companies in terms of technological approaches and functionalities within future-oriented product development once again demonstrates the need for a new developmental push, investment potential and the search for innovations, organisers report.

From this approach, a complex performance spectrum has now emerged with international participation for the textiles and fashion market. Presenting the Hightex Award reaches both a marketing relevant public and achieves media impact as proven means to sustainably to push product launches.

“At Munich Fabric Start we see it as one of our core tasks to give this innovation management in the textile industry a high-impact public platform, to provide information on the state of the art on this growing market and highlight possibilities for networking and cooperation. The KEYHOUSE as a centre of innovation and expertise offers the perfect setting for this,” said Frank Junker, Creative Director, Munich Fabric Start.

Product developments

The spectrum of the over 1,500 product developments clustered according to the latest standards and submitted in the run-up to the trade fair once again presented a hugely varied range. These were primarily aimed at the principles of added value and/or increased functionality, equipped with functions for combatting harmful environmental influences, as well as meeting the requirements of a smart fabric generation.

Convening in the atmospheric setting of the Galerie 30Works in Cologne at the end of August, an expert jury, consisting of Christel Wickerath, Textilwirtschaft, Philipp Walendy, Alberto, Alex Vogt, Kern Kommunikation, Jo Baumgartner, Trends and Fabrics Munich Fabric Start, as well as Frank Junker and Wolfgang Klinder, met to choose the most innovative developments. 

Technical textiles

According to data from the textile and clothing association Deutscher Verband für Textil + Mode, technical textiles now account for a third of turnover in the textiles industry. The strongest sales drivers here are high-tech fibres. The greatest future potential lies in smart textiles and wearables.

“It is therefore only logical that this identified market potential is given a broad stage in Munich at leading international trade fairs for fabrics and additionals,” organisers explain. “Numerous interactions, round tables and key notes are now increasingly exploring the complex and global theme.”

The next Hightex Award will be presented at the next Munich Fabric Start running from 30 January to 1 February 2018.

www.munichfabricstart.com