3 trends that will change fashion and textile industry for good

In the future we will wear clothes that are made of renewable materials with digital product passes designed by innovative, multi-professional teams. These three trends will change fashion and textile industry as we know it.

Trend 1: Renewable and better synthetics take over

The demand for synthetic fibres is growing fast. In just 20 years, the production of textile fibres has doubled, production of polyester fuelling the growth. So far, the production of polyester has heavily relied on fossil fuels. To mitigate climate change, a shift towards more sustainable raw materials is needed. The textile industry as a whole is responsible for a significant portion of global CO2 emissions, approximately 8 to 10 percent. As a result, brands and producers now race to find alternative sources for materials that are not fossil-based. Similarly, there’s a quest for materials with less harmful chemicals and smaller microplastic emissions.

Wood-based synthetic fibres are a great example of solutions that can replace non-fossil-based fibres. As an added bonus they’re made using the by-products and waste from pulp production. UPM provides feedstock for both viscose (cellulose) and synthetic polymers like polyester or polyolefins (wood-based glycols or renewable, wood-based naphtha).

While taking climate action brands – especially sports and outdoor ones – are not willing to compromise on technical qualities of their clothes. The so-called drop-in solutions provide a great answer to this dilemma in textile fibre production. They have identical qualities to fossil-based ones on a molecular level, which means there’s no need to change existing manufacturing processes and the quality of the fabric remains the same as in fossil-based materials. For example UPM BioPura is a residue of pulp-making process and identical to fossil-based MEG. UPM BioPura was used for producing polyester fibre in this pioneering fleece jacket by Vaude.

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Trend 2: The rise of traceable production chains

The time is running out for greenwashing. In fact, this is not just a trend but a regulation issue. The new EU regulation that is on the way requires all textiles entering the market to have a digital product pass. The pass will contain data on the origin of the material as well as repairs and recycling information. This is great news for the consumer, as the system will be much more transparent than the current confusing system with multiple unofficial sustainability labels.

Tracing the source of raw materials is rather new in fashion industry. For example, cotton is traditionally collected from several locations, mixed together and sold in stocks, without keeping track of the origins.

Compared to this, wood-based raw materials can be systematically traced from the certified forest to the products. UPM uses and promotes recognised forest certification schemes such as FSC™ (FSC N003385) and PEFC (PEFC/02-44-41). For these certificates, companies are assessed by third party actors, and they ensure that the wood is coming from sustainably managed forests.

Trend 3: Material experts join design teams

Brands are taking a new kind of ownership and responsibility for the materials they use. This is partly due to their sustainability efforts and partly because they want to be involved in the development of emerging future materials. There’s a quest for new fibers that could replace fossils but also cotton, which takes a lot of land and water to grow.

Brands like Ganni, Adidas, and luxury brand houses LVMH and Kering have set up their own innovation labs and hired their own material experts. A new skillset is required from designers too, and chemistry is now part of their training. It’s no longer enough to know how a fiber feels, performs and drapes. Things like recyclability, water, carbon and chemical footprints are now essential knowledge for any fashion brand and fashion professional.

The new era also requires multi-professional teamwork, and a designer’s role is changing towards that of a facilitator between scientists, engineers and customers.