On the performance days in Munich, the fabric innovations for spring/summer 2027 were in the spotlight. The sports and outdoor industry is looking for sustainable materials that also set new standards in the field of performance.
The sports and outdoor industry has always been considered a particularly technology-savvy, and it loves innovative materials. Therefore, it is always worthwhile to look out for the latest fabric innovations on the performance days, the fabric fair for functional textiles. But where does the journey go with the performance fabrics?
While in recent years the feasibility of more sustainable fabric alternatives has often been in the foreground and was celebrated as a milestone, today it is more and more about making these lighthouse projects industrially and at the same time further improving performance. Because shortly before the magical year 2030, in which many (listed) clothing manufacturers want to halve their CO2 footprint inside, all brands rely on more sustainable materials. You have the largest share in the CO2 footprint of a product.
One focus of the fair this time was on the material, which can preserve additional functions through new equipment and, according to the performance days, is also one of the big trends for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, as well as on the subject of certifications in general and, as is the case with this in view of the flood of seal.
Wool celebrates a comeback and is more versatile than ever
“A trend for SS27 is the comeback of the wool, which is becoming increasingly important in the area of sustainable fibers and in the area of performance fibers,” says Alexa Dehmel, designer and Head of Expert’s jury in the Trend Forum of Performance Days. The range of functions is fascinating, which is now achieved by certain coatings, equipment or constructions.
This bandwidth was presented for the second time in the Wool Area. For example, the textile manufacturer Takisada Nagoya won the performance award for the fabric WOOL COMBAT “. The special thing: Codura nylon was combined with wool, which means that the fabric is significantly more durable and abrasion-resistant than a conventional wool. In combination with the natural properties of the wool (such as breathing activity, moisture management and odor control), the tissue is suitable Excellent as an outlet for summer outdoor jackets and softshells.
However, natural protein fibers such as wool or silk no longer have to be of natural origin. Amsilk presented an artificial protein fiber made of silk protein, which can have very different properties, from highly elastic to very firm. These properties can be added to the material on a molecular level.
Hemp: now also as a lyocell fiber
There is also new for plant fibers, for example at the hemp, which has also celebrated a brilliant comeback in many sports and outdoor collections in recent years. “The companies are looking for a more sustainable replacement for cotton,” says Martina Finken from Felde Fibers. Felde Fibers builds Hanf in East Germany and sells it on spinning. In addition to the regionality that saves transport routes and time, Hemf offers other advantages because it does not have to be irrigated and is almost unbeatable when it comes to material efficiency, according to the specialist. A very high proportion of the plant for fiber extraction can be used and the residual material can also be used in other industries.
Hemp Fortex presented the new fiber “Macel” as hemp fan. This is manufactured according to the Lyocell process and consists of hemp cellulose, which is obtained from 70 percent from hemp waste.
But the fair also had a real highlight to offer on the side of the cotton: a 100 percent recycled cotton from Inovafil. The special thing is that a mechanical recycling technology was developed here, in which the length of the stacking fibers are not destroyed. “In this way you can also get the quality of cotton when recycling,” says Regina Goller, Head of Material Strategy and Future Trends at the Performance Days.
More and more manufacturers: inside change their recipes
The textile and clothing industry wants to reach its climate goals by 2030. Since the fabric collections for SS27 have already been presented at the fair, it can be guessed at how high the pressure on the textile manufacturers is to develop the right solutions. Many well -known manufacturers of so -called “Ingredient Brands”, such as The Lycra Company or the membrane manufacturer Event, have presented solutions that should make it easy for the brands to switch to more sustainable substances. The Lycra Company presented the biologically -based Lycra Ecomade fiber, which is won 70 percent from industrialemais.
“It is important to know that we have only changed an ingredient, but did not have to change the whole process to reduce the CO2 footprint by almost half,” said Alberto Ceria by The Lycra Company. “This is how we help our customers: inside, to achieve their sustainability goals.” The official B2B launch of the fiber is to take place this year.
Event Fabrics, a provider of waterproof and breathable laminates, switch completely to products from PTFE and PFAS from 2025. Instead of the PTFE membrane (for which Pfas are necessary), event now uses a membrane on polyolefin base, and water-repellent equipment without PFAs has also been developed. “Both were not easy. It is technically not trivial, ptfe and to replace with a polyolefin membrane. But with our experience we succeeded and we developed a pretty convincing product, ”says Chad Kelly, CEO from Event.
Primaloft, specializing in insulation, has also been producing its “flagship” Primaloft Gold exclusively with the more sustainable Primaloft Pure technology since January 2025, which drastically reduces energy consumption and emissions.
Certifications: which do you need?
With the progress of the textile industry towards a more sustainable and cleaner industry, the number of certifications has grown sharply, especially in recent years. Not only for the consumers: inside it becomes increasingly difficult to keep an overview, also for designers: inside and fabric buyers: inside. Another focus topic of the fair was therefore devoted to the certifications and seals, and how to select the right ones for your own processes and products.
Several lectures have devoted themselves to the topic and the fair itself has developed a comprehensive and optional sustainability standards for products in close cooperation with Anna Schuster, Head of Sustainabilty of Performance Days. It is based on intensive research and a detailed analysis of the practices of retailers: inside, department stores and wholesalers: inside and is intended to provide clear information about the requirements, the submission process and the presentation of qualified data.
Due to the variety of seals, but also of the many overlaps and duplication, textile Exchange, the organization behind known standards such as Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or Recycled Content Standard (RCS), 2024 has launched the Matter Standard material, which transforms eight individual seals into a single one. This development was also a topic at the fair.
The Performance Days took place on the Munich exhibition center on March 5 and 6, 2025. The next issue is scheduled for October 29 and 30, 2025.