The upcoming Performance Days functional fabric fair in Munich this month will have two awards this time. Apart from coveted Performance Award for the best innovation, the brand new Eco Performance Award for the best sustainable development will be awarded for the first time, the company said on its website. The two-day fair begins on April 29.
Performance Days was launched by Weichert Agencies in 2008 as the first event of its kind and is still the only one to date. Created as a special platform for functional sports and workwear fabrics to include yarns, finishes, and accessories, Performance Days has become established as a semi-annual event held currently in Munich, Germany.
Due to its specialisation and timing, Performance Days is the hot spot first place for innovations, trends and new fabrics in active wear. Fitting in the annual time schedules of fashion and sportswear industries the dates for Performance Days in spring and autumn are early enough in season so designers, product managers and buyers can start working and preparing their new collections. Participating as an exhibitor at Performance Days, textile producers have the opportunity to make new contacts and seal deals with nearly all European sportswear brands.
Performance Days said the number of submissions for the popular Performance Form continues to grow season after season because it is clearly the favorite trend barometer in the world of functional fabrics. Each season, a first-class jury of experts selects not only the best fabrics and accessories for presentation at the Forum, but also the top innovations for display on the Performance Wall and, in the process, also votes for the winner of the Performance Award.
The current Performance Award has gone to Italian manufacturer Penn Textile Solutions for introducing an extraordinary new system to produce an elastic, reinforced waistband with gripper, but without the irritating seams. The fabric, with high elastane content, is especially well-suited for bike wear, for example, pants or shirts. The advantages are clear: The gripper strips incorporated during the knitting process prevent the waistband from slipping: the waist of the shirt or pants stays securely in place on the skin. At the same time, the pleats and seams previously required the application of additional gripper bands have been eliminated. The result is lighter weight and greater comfort.
The initial launch of the Eco Performance Award recognises a bonded mid-layer material from the Swiss exhibitor ATAG - which combines wearing comfort and top-technology (Drydye dyeing process). What is absolutely new and revolutionary about Drydye is the ability to dye fabrics completely without the use of water and it requires only half the energy consumption. There is no harmful waste water and the carbon footprint can be significantly reduced. This is a double protection for the environment. Drydye uses so called supercritical CO² as the carrier material for the colour pigments. When subjected to high pressure and paired with a specific temperature, the physical state of the CO² changes and it becomes a supercritical fluid. This allows the colour pigments to penetrate into the fabric (polyester) without using any water.
