Talk of the metaverse, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) has taken over the textile industry as of late. This month, WTiN speaks with Eric Benoist – a technology and data specialist at Natixis, a Corporate investment banking company headquartered in Paris, France.  We talk about synthetic biology, how AI can help in terms of sustainability and the ethics that go alongside merging science with textiles. To discuss any of the topics in the episode, get in touch by following @wtincomment and @rubyatwtin on Twitter, or email rpenson@wtin.com directly. To explore sponsorship opportun ..read more

When looking for more circularity within the textile & apparel industry, most look to existing fibres and ways to elevate them. Keel Labs were on the hunt for something new and looked to the ocean. On this episode of Textile Innovation, WTiN talks to Tessa Callaghan, the chief executive officer and one of the co-founders behind Keel Labs.  Based in the US, the company has an eye for innovation, starting with its seaweed-derived yarn called Kelsun that holds a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to legacy fibres. Created using an abundant polymer found in the kelp, Callaghan ..read more

The way most of us know fungi best is by mushrooms. Ecovative’s innovation, Mycelium, is expanding the possibilities of working with mushrooms. This month, WTiN talks to Gavin McIntyre, co-founder of New York-based company, Ecovative. There is huge demand for sustainable and planet-friendly leather alternatives that feel, look and perform like the real thing. Ecovative has a specialised soft goods division called Forager that approaches the problem by using its AirMycelium technology to grow durable, synthetic-free and totally vegan materials for the fashion industry. Grown in only nine days ..read more

On The WTiN Podcast this week, we speak to Michael Cattanach, global product director at Polartec.   Based in Massachusetts in the US, Polartec has a rich history that dates to 1906. Back then the company was known for making military uniforms, as well as its work with wool and much more, under the name of Malden Mill Industries. But it was in the 1980s, when it developed the world’s first polar fleece, that it decided to focus its energy on the sports and outdoor markets, which the company is renowned for today. In this episode, Cattanach talks about Polartec’s Eco Engineering initiative ..read more

In this episode of The WTiN Podcast, we talk to Lutz Walter, director of Innovation and Skills at EURATEX.  EURATEX is the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, representing the interests of the European textile & clothing industry at the level of the EU institutions. Walter himself has been working for the organisation since 1999 when he took on the role of R&D manager, and he has since been involved in many other European projects and has developed a fountain of knowledge concerning the textile & apparel industry.  In this podcast, Walter talks about so many thing ..read more

In this episode of The WTiN Podcast, we talk to Chris White who is the director of Industrial Policy and Insight Centre at The Manufacturing Technology Centre (The MTC).   The MTC was established in 2010 as an independent Research & Technology Organisation (RTO) with the objective of bridging the gap between academia and industry – often referred to as ‘the valley of death’. It represents one of the largest public sector investments in UK manufacturing and provides integrated manufacturing system solutions for customers large and small, across sectors as diverse as automotive, food an ..read more

The fourth industrial revolution is underway, and the world of textile & apparel is just one industry that is benefitting from new and innovative technologies. With this in mind, for this series I’ll be talking to companies across the textile & apparel landscape about their new technologies, the benefits of digitalisation, and the advice that they’d give to others who are trying to implement such solutions.   In this first episode, WTiN’s Industry Digitalisation editor Madelaine Thomas and I talk with Micol Gamba, marketing and product manager at EFI Reggiani.   Founded in 19 ..read more

In this episode of The WTiN Podcast, we talk to Dr Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro, head of Metaverse Fashion Week at Decentraland.  Decentraland is a software development company that is creating a virtual world (aka a metaverse) that will grow beyond any centralised control. To accomplish this, the company is building tools and applications designed to help people create three-dimensional (3D) content, games and applications. All of which are hosted and accessed on a fully decentralised virtual reality (VR) platform. In this podcast, Casimiro explains what the metaverse is and what associate ..read more

In this episode of The WTiN Podcast, we talk to Yoel Fink, Professor of Materials Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).   MIT is well-known for its research concerning textiles & apparel, and most recently Fink and his team have developed a ‘fabric that hears’. The fabric works like a microphone, converting sound into mechanical vibrations, then into electrical signals, similarly to how our ears hear. In this podcast, Fink talks about the inspiration for the research and how the aim is to start ‘capturing the soundtrack of our lives’. He talks about how the team ..read more

In this episode of The WTiN Podcast, Jessica Owen interviews Britt Howard, founder of the Portland Garment Factory.  Founded in 2008 and based in Oregon, US, the Portland Garment Factory is a full-service manufacturing company that can prototype, design, pattern grade, source fabrics and much more.  In this episode, Howard discusses why she founded the company and more about the services she and the team offer. Elsewhere, Howard talks about working with clients ranging from small designers to global brands such as Nike, as well as the company’s zero waste manufacturing approach and t ..read more