Inaugural Functional Fabric Fair-Portland Draws Rave Reviews

By Kathlyn Swantko

The initial Functional Fabric Fair Portland powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® hosted more than 1,100 apparel industry professionals from 12 countries. The visitors came to the Oregon Convention Center, Oct. 22-23, 2019, to source the latest outdoor and active textile trends for winter 2021/22, from more than 140 carefully curated supplier exhibitors.

Seminar audience at Functional Fabric Fair Portland.

Attendance to the Fair was open and free of charge to verified designers, product developers, purchasing or material managers sourcing fabrics and accessories for outdoor, sports, performance, and lifestyle apparel. Based on the reactions heard from exhibitors, the show was a tremendous success that included many productive meetings with key people and decision makers.

Previously, two Functional Fabric Fairs were held in New York City in 2018 and 2019, and both also exceeded the organizers’ expectations. Marco Weichert, General Manager of Design & Development GmbH Textile Consult, stated, “There has been a need for a show of this caliber at the right place and right time.  With the addition of the Portland Fair, Functional Fabric Fairs powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® have become the main sourcing events for functional fabrics in the U.S.”

Steve McCullough, US Functional, US Functional Fabric Fairs Event Manager, added, “Through our partnership with PERFORMANCE DAYS® and collaboration with industry influencers, such as Concept III, Hohenstein Institute, and many others, we are dedicated to consistently raising the event standard to build impotant business relationships that move the apparel textile industry forward.”

Each day, attendees could take advantage of a comprehensive “Expert Talks” series of complimentary educational programming.  Industry experts and faculty presenters from Utah State University, Portland Fashion Institute and the University of Oregon covered a wide range of industry subjects including color trends, performance technology, fabric sourcing and sustainability initiatives.

During the show, textile manufacturers, suppliers and service providers presented their latest developments in outdoor and active functional fabrics, membranes plus treatments, laminates, paddings, finishes, and accessories.

The FabricLink Network looks at several of the new developments presented by exhibiting companies.

Concept III Logo

Concept III is one of the textile industry’s best known and most experienced textile companies. Working with its partner mills, Concept III assists in the decision making, providing textile research/development support, and factory/mill expertise, all the while collaborating and encouraging each partner mill through every challenging textile project.

Focusing on the topic of sustainability at the show in Portland, David Parkes, president of Concept III, presented several conceptual garments made from a 60% Tencel®/40% CiCLO® blend for such base-layer and mid-layer applications as shirts and sweaters. These developmental garments promoted the use of Tencel® and CiCLO® as a new fiber blend, and showcased ways of bringing this new intelligent and sustainable fiber blend into the outdoor market. The garments utilized a variety of fabric constructions, including plated jerseys, brushed flannels, sweater constructions, and base-layer fabrics.

Developed by the Intrinsic Textile group, LLC, CiCLO® is a patent-pending fiber technology that reduces synthetic microfiber pollution, caused by washing, and minimizes plastic accumulation in landfills due to end-of-life garment disposal. CiCLO® enables the reclamation through biocycling.
By partnering with brands, CiCLO® offers a biomimetic approach and sustainable solutions, which can be easily integrated into the textile supply chain. 

37.5® Technology / Cocona, an ingredient brand used by 170 certified mills worldwide, showcased its broad range of thermoregulation technology, which interacts with the body, triggered by humidity. The 37.5 Technology has been proven to help the body manage core temperature and increase stamina. The technology keeps the body comfortable by helping to maintain an optimum relative humidity of 37.5% in the body’s personal microclimate. It helps the body to warm up when it is cold, and cool down when it’s hot.

37.5 Technology is dynamic. It works with the body and determines if it needs warming or cooling, based on the amount of humidity next to the skin. This is the body’s way of expressing whether it’s hot or cold. 37.5 particles capture the infrared (IR) energy the body emits. If moisture is present, it speeds the evaporation to cool the body down. If no moisture is present, the IR energy is returned back to the body for warmth. 37.5 Technology contains no chemicals, and is permanent for the life of the garment. The natural particles are embedded in the yarns/fibers that make up the garment, and will never wash out.

Darlington Fabrics’ new flocked tricot stretch fabrics are
available in a variety of patterns.

Darlington, a global leader in providing raschel, tricot, and satin warp-knit elastic fabrics, provides services for a variety of end-use markets. The company’s innovative, high-quality stretch fabrics play an integral role in the creation of the world’s leading fashions and clothing designs. Darlington’s warp-knit elastic fabrics are a favorite of major international swimwear, activewear, intimate apparel, ready-to-wear, and theatrical costume brands. The company is also a major supplier of prepared-for-print fabrics for all segments of the print industry.

Darlington showcased stretch knit fabric innovations, created on the company’s new 40 gauge, 4-Bar equipment for novelty stitches. Other featured warp knits included meshes with versatile patterns; non-cling, wrinkle-free tricots for travel wear; and flocked tricot stretch-fabrics in a variety of patterns. Darlington also promoted two types of new cooling fabrics: 1) a printing process that removes moisture from the skin and reduces the skin temperature by 2o; and 2) its new cooling fabrics, utilizing HeiQ®’s Smart Temp thermo-regulating technology.

Image shows Bees Wax finished color vatiations in
100% organic cotton. The different colors in the
fabrics are caused by variants in pollen colors.

Hally Stevensons has over 150 years of experience in manufacturing thousands of meters of waxed cotton every year, each roll produced to custom specifications. The beauty of waxed cotton is the fabric’s sustainability, durability, and longevity. Since the wax adjusts to ambient temperature, the fabric is softer/more breathable in warm weather and stiffer/more wind proof in cold conditions. The densely woven cotton is strong and reliable, while the finish ensures that the fabric looks better with age. The wax naturally picks up marks and creases through use, which adds to the character of the fabric.