Textiles Review |

Texpertise Focus AI: Messe Frankfurt Puts Artificial Intelligence Centre Stage At Its International Textile And Apparel Trade Fairs

2025-12-30T10:00:00+00:00

From 2026, Texpertise Focus AI will further enhance the visibility and accessibility of AI-related topics at Messe Frankfurt’s textile trade fairs. This includes curated content formats such as panel discussions, guided tours and live demonstrations featuring international industry experts. In addition, many exhibiting companies will present AI-related solutions.

The initiative will commence at Heimtextil from 13 to 16 January 2026 in Frankfurt am Main. AI will feature across numerous programme items, searchable online under “Texpertise Focus AI”. On Wednesday, 14 January at 3 p.m., internationally renowned thought leader in AI for design, Tim Fu, will join the Architonic Live Talk. Under the title “Woven intelligence: designing spaces in the era of AI”, Fu will discuss how artificial intelligence can support meaningful collaboration between architecture and interior design to create spaces that connect craft with computational technology. Messe Frankfurt will roll out the initiative across its textile trade fairs worldwide. Local characteristics and market-specific challenges will be integrated into the concept to ensure relevance.

Artificial Potential for the Value Chain, Sustainability and Workforce Development

AI is transforming the textile value chain from fibre production to the point of sale and offers potential for greater efficiency, higher quality and improved resilience. In raw-material sourcing, AI systems support cultivation, harvesting and recycling through intelligent analytics and sorting technologies. In design and development, AI tools accelerate creative processes and simulate material properties, a concept reflected, for example, in the immersive installation “among all” by Patricia Urquiola at Heimtextil 2026. Production and logistics processes can also be optimised, waste reduced and supply chains made more transparent.

Artificial intelligence is also driving the twin transformation – the convergence of digitalisation and sustainability. Around 116 million tonnes of textile fibres are produced annually worldwide, yet only one percent of post-consumer textile waste is recycled. With AI, companies can conserve resources and reduce waste. AI-based design and forecasting models help prevent overproduction, while life-cycle analyses enable environmentally conscious sourcing. Image-recognition systems sort used textiles, laying the foundation for a true circular economy. The entire spectrum of textile processing technologies will be showcased at Texprocess from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Frankfurt am Main.

In the workplace, AI is creating new job profiles and reshaping existing ones, in areas such as data analytics, digital design and process control. It also has the potential to ease labour shortages: according to the German Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University, up to 70 percent of standardised production tasks could be automated. AI can also support recruitment by enabling targeted identification and selection of qualified professionals.

For more on “Texpertise Focus AI” see: https://texpertisenetwork.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/about/focus-ai.html

San Francisco Fire Department Becomes Largest In U.S. To Adopt Non-PFAS Turnout Gear

2025-12-30T10:00:00+00:00

The transition follows an ordinance passed in May 2024 making San Francisco the first city in the country to ban the use of PFAS chemicals in its firefighters’ turnout gear. With a June 30, 2026 deadline to make the switch, department officials worked efficiently to procure and test potential solutions, selecting the final gear well ahead of the deadline.

The selected gear went through rigorous performance and safety testing, including a 90-day wear trial with 50 firefighters going through live fire training at the San Francisco Division of Training burn rooms. The gear is UL certified and meets the NFPA 1971-2018 and 1971-2025 standards.

While non-fluorinated fabrics have existed for turnout gear outer shells and thermal liners, moisture barrier alternatives remained a key technical challenge. The introduction of Milliken Assure™ — North America’s first non-PFAS, non-halogenated flame-resistant moisture barrier — in October 2024 made it possible for Fire-Dex to provide SFFD with a solution that met all requirements.

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) has become the largest department in the United States to transition its entire fleet to non-PFAS turnout gear.

“A non-PFAS moisture barrier was the missing piece for departments wanting to move away from fluorinated chemicals,” said Marcio Manique, SVP and Managing Director of Milliken’s apparel business. “With Assure™, we refused to trade one hazard for another. It meets the strictest performance standards without adding weight or compromising breathability – giving firefighters exactly what they asked for.”

SFFD worked with MES Life Safety to order the garments from Fire-Dex and size each firefighter individually for their new equipment. Milliken and Fire-Dex have maintained a decade of strategic collaboration that delivers fire service innovation and advancement through U.S. research and manufacturing.

“Fire-Dex is honored to supply the San Francisco Fire Department with AeroFlex turnout gear featuring a non-fluorinated moisture barrier,” said Jeff Koledo, Fire-Dex Vice President of Sales. “We’re grateful to work alongside Milliken and MES in delivering this solution. Our goal has always been to provide fire departments across the country with options that meet their needs — and ultimately ensure they have the essential protection required to keep their communities safe.”

San Francisco encompasses 49 square miles and is the fourth largest city in the state of California. The SFFD is the 10th largest fire department in the United States, serving an estimated 1.5 million people. With 45 stations, firefighters respond to an average of 180,000 annual emergency calls.

Paul Stuart, American Luxury Menswear Brand, Acquired By Middle West Partners

2025-12-30T10:00:00+00:00

With the acquisition complete, Middle West Partners and Peerless Clothing are jointly focused on strengthening core brand identity, unlocking international growth, and investing in product design that reminds us why Paul Stuart was, and is, an American icon.

Earlier this year, MWP announced its acquisition of high jewelry house, David Webb, another iconic American heritage brand.

Middle West Partners was advised on the transaction by David G. Hoffman,Legal Counsel was provided by Hinckley Allen, and valuation advisory was provided by Gordon Brothers.

For more information, please contact Heather Zachary at heather@hz-consulting.com and visit www.paulstuart.com to view the full collection.

Paul Stuart

Founded in 1938 by Ralph Ostrove and named for his son, Paul Stuart Ostrove, Paul Stuart embodies timeless elegance and a steadfast commitment to craftsmanship. The brand has remained anchored at its iconic flagship boutique on the corner of Madison Avenue and 45th Street, where it has long dressed some of the world’s most influential male style icons. Serving generations of discerning customers, Paul Stuart continues to design refined collections that define modern American luxury. Paul Stuart operates four boutiques across the US in New York City, Southampton, Chicago and Washington, D.C. https://www.paulstuart.com.

Jeanologia Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary Transforming How Jeans Are Produced Worldwide

2025-12-30T10:00:00+00:00

Beyond technology, the company highlights that its greatest contribution has always been its people. Today, 200 professionals form a multicultural team united by the same mission and passion, to prove that a different way of producing is possible. Their expertise, creativity and purpose have been key to building a global ecosystem based on collaboration.

Looking ahead, Jeanologia continues advancing toward its MissionZero vision, aiming to eliminate the environmental impact of garment finishing. The company is now preparing the next major shift by integrating artificial intelligence, robotization and advanced automation to develop smarter, more precise, and efficient processes. These technologies will bring production even closer to the designer, connect creativity with the factory in real time and enable brands to respond more accurately to consumer demand without generating overproduction.

Jeanologia will also continue leading solutions that protect one of the planet’s most valuable resources, water. From full recycling systems to new finishing methods with minimal consumption, the mission remains unchanged, to eliminate the water impact of textile production and accelerate the transition toward truly circular models.

“We are not just celebrating 30 years; we are celebrating three decades of real impact. We have proven that technology can transform the industry and make it more human, sustainable, and efficient. And this is just the beginning. Our commitment is to continue driving a production model connected to designers, creativity, and real consumer demand, applying AI, automation and solutions that protect essential resources like water,” says Carmen Silla, Global Marketing Director at Jeanologia.

Thirty years later, Jeanologia remains driven by the same passion it started with, now reinforced by the strength, knowledge, and vision of a global leader. Its purpose remains unchanged, to create a clean, creative, and future-ready textile industry. The best of Jeanologia is still to come.

Wool’s Rebound: The New Era Of Wool & Protein Fibers

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

According to the press release, the market value for wool is predicted to almost double from $34.9 billion in 2022 to $63.2 billion by 2033.

Once a wardrobe staple along with cotton, wool lost market share with the advent of man-made fibers. Concerns about animal welfare also painted wool as a less than desirable fiber choice. But the natural advantages of wool — including warmth, durability, elasticity, odor resistance, temperature regulation, moisture management, resilience and breathability, among other properties — make it too valuable to exclude from the fiber choice landscape. As a 100-percent natural performance fiber, wool also is biodegradable, renewable and recyclable, making it a perfect fiber for a sustainable ecosystem.

Beyond luxury fashion, where Woolmark reports wool emerged as a key fiber in recent Spring/Summer collections, wool’s natural properties and seasonal adaptability are motivating sports brands to launch innovative wool apparel.

“As citizens demand more from what they wear — comfort, performance, traceability and responsibility — merino wool is meeting the moment,” said Woolmark Managing Director John Roberts. “With leading influencers and brands alike embracing its story, it’s no surprise demand is rising across luxury fashion, sportswear and lifestyle. It’s the fiber that truly delivers, naturally.”

Following is a snapshot of some companies and apparel/footwear brands that are championing the use of wool fiber.

According to Andy Wynne, CEO of New Zealand-based Nuyarn®, “The wool industry has undergone a remarkable transformation.” Wynne sees wool escaping its traditional categories of suits, formalwear and sweaters, among other categories, and becoming a “legitimate performance and comfort material across diverse categories including everyday hoodies, footwear uppers, women’s activewear, technical sportswear, loungewear, athleisure and beyond.”

Technology advancements, such as Nuyarn spinning technology, are helping drive the shift in tradition. Nuyarn’s twist-free spinning technology drafts superfine merino wool with a high-performance nylon filament carrier yarn to produce an ultrafine, two-ply yarn with more volume and aeration than merino yarns made using traditional worsted spun-yarn technologies (See “Nuyarn: Wool A New Way,” TW, January/February 2023). According to the company, the light weight and softness of the resulting yarns make them perfect candidates for next-to-skin applications in baselayer garments in particular.

Rather than avoiding the conversation, Wynne prefers to tackle historical concerns about wool head on. The company uses transparency, certification and education including full Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certification, which ensures rigorous animal welfare standards and traceability from farm to finished product. “We’re also bluesign®, GOTS, and OEKO-TEX certified, demonstrating our commitment across the entire production chain,” Wynne shared.

Ibex’s Men’s Mammoth Full Zip Hoodie features Nuyarn® technology.

Nuyarn’s primary customers are active outdoor and lifestyle brands seeking to integrate natural fiber performance garments into their product lines. “Our development process is highly collaborative and tailored to each brand’s specific needs and customer base,” Wynne said. “As a fully vertical business — controlling every-thing from yarn production to fabric manufacturing to finished garments, we can offer brands a streamlined partnership with a single entity rather than managing multiple suppliers.”

Just some of the apparel brands using Nuyarn include:

Artilect — A long-time proponent of Nuyarn, Artilect offers baselayer products and accessories made using the yarn including the Flatiron 185 crew and leggings, which are made using a baselayer yarn blend — 91-percent superfine Nuyarn merino wool and 9-percent nylon — knit into a 185 gram per square meter (gsm) fabric that is bluesign certified. Artilect uses hangtags to share the benefits of Nuyarn with consumers under the “More than merino” tagline. The brand also incorporates a TAP wifi-enabled sticker on the hang-tags so users can scan using a smartphone to learn more online.
Ibex — Ibex features Nuyarn in its Woolies Pro Tech Q-Zip and Woolies Pro Tech Bottom baselayers. The fabric, comprised of 85-percent merino wool and 15-percent nylon, weighs 125 gsm making it Ibex’s lightest weight baselayer ever. While Ibex does not promote Nuyarn specifically on the hangtags, it touts the benefits of merino in a thoughtfully designed hangtag. The company does explain Nuyarn and all of its benefits on its website in the product descriptions.
Lé Bent — Committed to performance, apparel brand Lé Bent features Nuyarn in its Featherweight Hooded Merino Crew top and Featherweight bottoms. The 125 gsm fabric is made using a Signature Merino Blend that contains 60- percent merino, 25-percent bamboo and 15-percent nylon.

Nuyarn also has established partnerships with Allbirds and HOKA, and the footwear industry currently makes up one of the company’s largest categories.

Additionally, Wynne announced that the Herculan® technology has allowed the company to transition carpet wool — coarse fibers historically relegated to flooring and upholstery applications only — into high-performance wearable garments. “We’ll be launching a performance wool fleece using this material in fall 2026,” he shared.

“Wool isn’t a fiber of the past, it’s a fiber of the future and I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t believe that,” Wynne said. “We’re at an inflection point where consumers are actively seeking alternatives to synthetic materials due to growing awareness of microplastic pollution and climate concerns. Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts are driving demand for natural, sustainable performance options, and technology like Nuyarn makes those choices viable without performance compromise.”

Woolx’s Stella Leggings represent the brand’s warmest baselayer.

Woolx was founded in 2012 in Endicott, N.Y. as family-run brand focused on merino wool clothing that combines technical performance and everyday comfort. The product line incorporates essentials, pajamas, shapewear and layers, in ultra-heavyweight fabrics, featherlight pieces and everything in between for all seasons.

Traditional wool has an average thickness of 30 microns, while typical merino wool — known for its fineness — has an average thickness of 21 microns. To avoid any itchy, scratchy sensations against the skin, Woolx uses a super-fine merino wool with an average thickness of only 17 microns in many of its products.

“While wool might make some people think of their grandma’s scratchy sweater, this is not that,” said Nicole Calleo, co-founder and CEO, Woolx. “We’ve taken all the natural benefits of traditional wool —temperature regulation, durability and comfort — and reimagined them in a modern, insanely soft merino that’s as stylish as it is functional.” In addition, all of Woolx’s clothing is ethically sourced and responsibly made. “Every Woolx piece is certified non-mulesed ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare and sustainability, ” Calleo said.

Woolx offers the Stella Leggings and Piper Pocket Leggings. Stella represents one of Woolx’s warmest baselayers for fall and winter, while Piper is a merino wool baselayer with functional side pockets for all-day comfort and performance.

“The idea for Woolx’s merino wool baselayer leggings came from a simple need: clothing that could keep up with active, outdoor lifestyles without com-promising comfort,” Calleo said. “The founders wanted something that could move easily, breathe well, and regulate temperature during hikes, runs or even when used in everyday wear. Merino wool turned out to be the perfect solution — warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s warm, and soft enough to wear all day.”

The company recently extended the use of merino wool to mini Woolx, a new line of kids’ baselayers.

Ciele Athletics has launched its first Woolmark-certified merino wool collection of headwear and apparel.

Based in Montreal, Ciele Athletics— focused on headwear and apparel for runners — was founded in 2014 by Jeremy Bresnen and Mike Giles. “We are all very passionate about running, technical garments, responsibility, and doing the best we can as individuals and an organization,” said Dan Marrett, global marketing director, Ciele Athletics.

Ciele works with suppliers to develop technical fabrics and performance constructions tailored for running and movement. The brand recently partnered with Woolmark to launch its first-ever Woolmark-certified merino wool collection of apparel and headwear for winter. According to Ciele, each piece is independently tested and meets the Woolmark standards for durability, colorfastness and quality. Pieces in the line include beanies, balaclavas and baselayers made using 100-percent wool as well as merino/silk blended yarns.

“We’ve been exploring natural performance fibers for a while and that exploration led to our Sorino™ fabric line,” reported Ciele’s design team. “Partnering with an industry leader like Woolmark felt like the right move to help us highlight everything that makes merino exceptional. The Woolmark certification gives runners confidence that they’re getting the best quality merino possible. It’s a mark of fiber integrity, performance and traceability — all things that align with how we approach design and manufacturing at Ciele.”

Ciele is reimagining merino as a year-round performance fabric, not just a cold weather choice. “For us, reimagining merino means leaning into what it already does best and redesigning around its strengths to create true, all-season performance,” the company shared.

Paka innovates using alpaca fiber working with indigenous people in Peru to create its clothing and accessories.

While sheep’s wool currently is experiencing unprecedented demand, Peru-based PAKA is firmly focused on another fiber in the protein family — alpaca. Founded in 2017 by Kris Cody, the certified B-Corp. business works directly with non-governmental organizations alongside the indigenous people in Peru to create its natural, all-purpose clothing and accessories (See “PAKA: Tri-Blend Fiber Trio,” TW, November/December 2022). PAKA’s mission remains one of connecting people to where their clothing comes from and supporting the communities who make the garments.

“At PAKA, we’re continuously exploring how natural performance can evolve across categories,” said Megan Krajco, PAKA Design director. “Our foundation began with alpaca fiber in sweaters, but our vision is to build a complete ecosystem of products that support everyday explorers.”

Most recently, Paka has expanded into the outerwear category with its patented PAKAFILL® alpaca insulation material, which can replace down or synthetic fiber fill options, providing needed warmth without weight. PAKAFILL is featured in the brand’s Apu parkas and Mayu vests and jackets for men and women.

One interesting product that resulted after a 2022 PAKAFILL puffer launch, was a packing cube. In contrast to the company’s alpaca focused products, the upcycled packing cubes are made using deadstock polyester shell fabric left over from puffer production. The company was determined not to send the unusable material to landfills and came up with the idea for the packing cubes.

“From day one when Kris originally founded PAKA, our focus has been to help consumers connect to our natural world, make more conscious choices and support the Peruvian communities where our products come from,” said Laura Rysz, senior director of Brand and Marketing, PAKA. “That mission truly remains at the core of everything we do today, from the decisions we make on product development to starting team meetings with PAKA Foundation updates.” The foundation was formed in early 2025 to support “alpacas, alpaqueros, weavers and education for the Peruvian communities we work with,” Rysz shared.

PAKA just announced its first-ever Heritage Collection, co-created directly with master Quechuan artisans in Peru. The company gives back 5 percent from sales of the collection to the artisans’ non-governmental organization.

PAKA has also branched out into underwear and continues to innovate in knitwear building on “The Hoodie,” the original sweater PAKA developed. In addition, “the alpaca fiber in every PAKA item now is traceable back to the source,” noted Krajco.

“The wool/protein fiber market has made an incredible shift toward transparency, traceability and regenerative land management that was not part of the mainstream conversation 10 years ago,” Krajco offered. “At the same time, technology is allowing us to enhance what nature already perfected — through improved spinning, dyeing, and knitting techniques that preserve fiber integrity and reduce the environmental impact. What excites us the most is the fusion of tradition and innovation. We’re using modern tools to amplify the story nature already tells through fiber.”

As wool and other protein fibers step back into the spotlight, the apparel industry is seeing a convergence of innovation, transparency and consumer demand. Whether it’s Nuyarn pushing the boundaries of yarn engineering, Woolx refining next-to-skin comfort, Ciele reimagining merino for performance, Allbirds redefining footwear rules, or PAKA building a modern ecosystem around alpaca, these companies illustrate how nature and technology can thrive together. In a landscape once dominated by synthetics, wool and its protein-fiber counterparts are reshaping the future of performance, comfort and sustainability.

Allbirds: Footwear Disruptor Launches PFAS-Free, Fully Waterproof Shoes

A champion of wool since its founding in 2015, footwear brand Allbirds, San Francisco, recently introduced its first fully waterproof collection in three silhouettes — the Wool Runner NZ Waterproof, Wool Runner NZ Mid Waterproof and the Wool Cruiser Waterproof. Each shoe upper is made using merino wool and is treated with C-Zero per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free durable water repellent (DWR). An additional breathable, waterproof membrane placed between the upper and interior lining further prevents water from penetrating the upper and reaching the feet.

“We were really excited about C-Zero DWR because it gave us the all-weather performance we needed, without having to use PFAS,” said Adrian Nyman, chief design officer, Allbirds. “In the design and development process, we explored different PFAS-free DWRs an ultimately selected C-zero because it delivered the perfect balance of water-repellency, durability, and played well with our toolkit of natural materials.”

Allbirds previously offered a weather-resistant Mizzle style, but had not yet developed a fully waterproof, all-weather option for showers, heavy rain or slushy conditions. “We wanted to redefine what waterproof shoes could be, with an Allbirds twist,” Nyman, said. “While most waterproof shoes lean utilitarian and technical, we believe that by looking to natural materials like wool, we can bring something new and exciting to this space.”

When Allbirds got its start, wool was not material ordinarily used in footwear applications. “But our founders knew it had incredible properties that could be put to use,” Nyman said. In 2016, when Allbirds introduced its first shoe, the Wool Runner, the product “flew in the face of all the ‘usual rules’ of footwear, particularly because of the use of merino wool, an untapped natural material in an industry so often dominated by virgin synthetics,” Nyman noted. “Almost 10 years later, Allbirds has sold nearly a pair of Wool Runners every minute, and the style has become a mainstay in wardrobes around the world — safe to say the founders were onto something!”

2025 Quarterly Issue IV

Turkish Kofte Balls

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

I have been sewing a dress for my daughter for her school formal. It is an eon since I have sewn clothing, and then she is a bit fussy as well. I just about had to redo the whole pattern- but it’s finished except for th ehem and we are all happy little vegemites. So have done very little otherwise ( building up the oomph to sit and sew a dress took quite some effort :-)

Tonight I made these Turkish kofte balls- they are great in summer and as a snack . They are vegetarian. I got the recipe many moons ago when I worked as a part-time tutor at the Migrant Women’s Centre.One of the women there had made it- and we all loved it.

So here is the recipe:

1/2kg cracked wheat ( burghul)

1/2-1 cup of flour

2 tsps salt

3tbsps tomato paste

3 tbsps olive oil\parsley

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp chopped chilli

Lemon juice

You can also add some crumbled fetta cheese to the mixture

Soak the cracked wheat in hot water - drain if still veyr moist.

Put a pot of hot water on the boil.

Put the cracked wheat , flour and salt ( and crumbled fetta if using) into a bowl and mix by hand.

Roll into small balls ( about 2,5 cm or 1 inch)

Drop the balls into the boiling water ( in 3-4 batches) for 5-10 minutes.

Thke the balls out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and cook the next batch.

Chop the garlic, and parslet finely.

Put the oil and tomato paste into a saucpan and heat,stirring

Add chilli, garlic and parsley.

Stir in the kofte balls and squeeze fresh lemon juice over them

Oh and wonderful news- I am going back to Syria next year with another exhibition. I have been invited to bring work to the al Ba’Ath Gallery in Damascus as part of Damascus’ celebrations as cultural capital of the arab world. I am still to find out dates but I may also be doing an artist residency as well in a artist community they were renovating outside Seidanaya not far from Damascus- we will see.

Thermore® Launches Freedom: The New 100% Recycled Thermal Insulation That Bends, Stretches, And Breathes Like Your Favorite Yoga Pants

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

Combining high flexibility with exceptional shape recovery, Thermore Freedom provides consistent comfort even after repeated use. A patented fiber control technology prevents migration, ensuring long-lasting stability and performance. It’s easy to care for (machine- or dry-cleanable) and stands out for its soft hand feel, lightweight warmth, and excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, making it ideal for both technical and lifestyle apparel.

In line with Thermore’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, Freedom is Global Recycled Standard certified.

Available in a range of weights (g/m²), Thermore Freedom meets the needs of brands that value both technical performance and environmental responsibility. With this launch, Thermore takes another step toward a more responsible future — delivering innovative insulation solutions that never compromise on performance, quality, or respect for the planet.

Redefining How Clothes Are Made: CreateMe Unveils Technology Platform

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

CreateMe recently announced the launch of its robotic apparel manufacturing platform as well as the first commercial grade products made using the technology — women’s intimates. The Modular-engineering Robotic Assembly (MeRA™) paired with a proprietary microadhesive technology named Pixel™ provides “a scalable, high-precision platform that replaces traditional sewing for longevity, shortens production timelines, and enables sustainable, on-demand manufacturing in the U.S.,” according to the company.

CreateMe notes that the apparel industry generates 92 million tons of textile waste and loses more than $180 billion to inefficiencies tied to speculative production.

“CreateMe enables a new business model for the industry — responsive, localized, on-demand manufacturing that replaces forecast-driven production with data-driven precision,” said Cam Myers, CreateMe’s founder and CEO. “Our value lies in transforming how apparel is made and how manufacturing works, making it faster, cleaner, and closer to demand.”

Textile World recently had the chance to speak with CreateMe’s Myers to learn more about this apparel manufacturing platform — with more than 200 prototypes, more than 1,000 process tests and almost 100 issued patents — and its potential to bring manufacturing closer to the consumer.

CreateMe’s Modular-engineering Robotic Assembly (MeRA™) unites robotics, computer vision technologies and the company’s Physical AI software.

TW: What led to the development of MeRA and the Pixel microadhesive technology?

Myers: The development of MeRA and Pixel grew directly from CreateMe’s mission to redefine how apparel is made. Traditional sewing and offshore production had reached their limits — too slow, too labor-intensive, and too resource-heavy to support the future of on-demand, sustainable manufacturing. Rather than improving legacy processes, our team chose to rebuild them entirely.

By uniting robotics, computer vision, and adhesive science, our engineers and materials scientists developed MeRA, a modular robotic assembly platform, and Pixel, a precision microadhesive technology that bonds fabrics without thread. Designed in tandem, they form a single integrated system that enables faster, cleaner, and more flexible production, laying the foundation for truly scalable, on-demand apparel manufacturing.

TW: Automation in soft goods is notoriously difficult, especially when handling soft, drapey fabrics. How does the CreateMe technology handle those issues?

Myers: Soft-goods automation has long been constrained by the nature of fabric; it stretches, drapes, and shifts unpredictably, making precision control extremely difficult. CreateMe tackles this from the ground up through advanced material-handling and assembly algorithms. Our systems use specialized end-of-arm tools and vacuum fixtures to maintain fabric tension and alignment, effectively transforming a deformable textile into a stable, robot-readable surface.

The MeRA platform is designed to assemble as much of each garment as possible in 2D, where accuracy and throughput are highest, before transitioning into controlled 3D operations for forming or joining. Traditional sewing is especially hard to automate because it demands two-sided access, continuous feeding and dynamic thread control. Our Pixel microadhesive bonding process removes those constraints, enabling static, single-sided assembly with precise edge alignment and integration into 3D molds or shaping tools.

Building on this foundation, CreateMe’s Physical AI software extends our machine-learning and computer-vision algorithms into a unified control layer that adapts in real time to different fabrics and garment types. It’s what allows our systems to achieve fine-dexterity manipulation and industrial-grade repeatability across one of manufacturing’s most variable and complex materials.

TW: Can you talk about how the adhesives work and if there are any limitations compared to sewing?

Myers: Unlike traditional sewing, which mechanically stitches fabric together with thread, CreateMe’s process uses precision robotics and Pixel microadhesive technology to bond materials at the fiber level. This approach eliminates puncture holes, reduces bulk, and creates seamless, flexible joins that enhance comfort, durability and design freedom. The adhesives are engineered to be lightweight, washable, and compatible with a broad range of fabrics, and in some cases thermoreversible, allowing garments to be reheated and separated for recycling.

Integrated within CreateMe’s MeRA robotic platform, the process is faster, more consistent, and easily automated, enabling scalable, on-demand production that minimizes waste and inventory risk. While certain niche applications or highly textured materials may still favor traditional stitching, CreateMe’s bonded construction meets or exceeds sewn performance across strength, comfort and sustainability metrics.

TW: How durable and sustainable are the bonded garments? What’s the potential for recycling?

Myers: CreateMe’s bonded garments are engineered for both durability and sustainability. The Pixel microadhesive forms strong, flexible bonds that often exceed sewn seams in tensile strength and wash performance, maintaining integrity through repeated wear and laundering.

On the sustainability side, the process eliminates thread, minimizes material damage from needle punctures, and supports on-demand, localized production — reducing excess inventory, transport and waste. A major advantage of CreateMe’s adhesive platform is its recyclability potential: certain formulations, known as Thermo(re)set™, are thermoreversible, allowing bonds to be safely released under controlled heat so fabrics can be separated and recycled by material type.

This capability creates a pathway toward circular manufacturing — where garments can be disassembled, reclaimed, and reintroduced into production rather than discarded.

CreateMe’s Pixel™ microadhesive technology bonds materials at the fiber level.

TW: Is the technology proprietary and only to be used in CreateMe facilities, or is it something you foresee licensing to other producers?

Myers: Our technology is proprietary by design, forming the foundation for both our own manufacturing operations and select licensing partnerships. Within apparel, we’re already engaging with partners on a license-to-operate model while continuing to scale production within CreateMe-operated facilities. Longer term, the versatility of our underlying platform also opens opportunities in adjacent industries that rely on the assembly of technical textiles, such as automotive, aerospace, home goods and medical, where we expect to extend licensing as well.

TW: What’s the potential for reshoring and nearshoring in the United States?

Myers: The potential for reshoring and nearshoring in the United States is both significant and accelerating. Over the past decade, fragile global sourcing models have buckled under freight disruptions, tariffs, and geopolitical shocks, costing retailers tens of billions and exposing the limits of offshore dependency. What once promised cost efficiency now drives overproduction, poor demand matching and mounting risk.

Over the next five years, we expect a more balanced, matrixed supply chain to emerge. Today, more than 95 percent of apparel manufacturing remains offshore; that mix should evolve toward roughly 70 percent offshore, 15 to 20 percent nearshore, and 10 to 15 percent onshore. The goal isn’t full reshoring; it’s diversification and resilience. By producing closer to demand, brands can reduce lead times, cut waste, and respond dynamically to market shifts.

Technology is the unlock. Digital tools are reshaping design, planning, and product intake to align production with real-time demand, while robotics and Physical AI will enable automated, cost-competitive manufacturing closer to the point of sale. This convergence will give rise to a new generation of responsive supply networks that are faster, leaner

and more transparent.

TW: What are some of the biggest challenges facing wide-scale re/nearshoring especially in cut-and-sew operations?

Myers: In the United States, the challenge extends far beyond labor costs. Decades of offshoring have eroded the physical and technical infrastructure that once supported domestic manufacturing. Mills, dye houses, trim suppliers, and equipment manufacturers have largely disappeared, creating critical gaps in the upstream supply chain. Even with mounting pressure from tariffs, sustainability mandates, and consumer demand for transparency, most brands face a hard truth: there simply isn’t enough local capacity or expertise to bring production back at scale.

True reshoring requires more than intent; it requires rebuilding capability from the ground up. That means new tools, new infrastructure, and new forms of collaboration to reconnect the entire value chain. Without dependable access to raw materials, finishing, and components, even the best-equipped cut-and-sew operations struggle to scale. This is where automation and robotics become essential. By digitizing and linking every stage of production, from design to assembly, technologies like CreateMe’s MeRA and Pixel platforms make onshore manufacturing not just viable, but economically competitive.

The most forward-looking brands are proving the model first, then scaling it. Pilots and automated microfactory programs demonstrate that onshore production can compete on cost, quality, and speed; each success signals confidence that draws in capital and accelerates capacity investment. As those deployments grow, they directly expand domestic cut-and-sew, or bonded-assembly, capacity, rebuilding the foundation of a modern, technology-enabled manufacturing base. These compounding wins form the blueprint for a resilient, regionally balanced supply network that replaces fragile, far-flung chains with intelligent, localized production systems.

TW: Do you think there are things the government could do to further incentivize companies to reshore operations?

Myers: Absolutely. Reshoring depends on creating the right economic and innovation conditions for apparel manufacturing to thrive locally. That means aligning tax incentives, procurement policy, and workforce development to make domestic production both viable and competitive, and the current administration deserves real credit for bringing greater focus to this effort.

In recent years, we’ve seen a policy shift toward rebuilding American manufacturing through legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act (2022) and, most recently, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025), which provides immediate expensing for qualified manufacturing investments, including machinery, automation and other production equipment. For companies like CreateMe, these measures accelerate ROI on new manufacturing lines, bonded-assembly systems and AI-enabled production technologies, directly improving the economics of onshore production.

The proposed FABRIC Act could be even more transformative for apparel and textiles. It represents the first comprehensive, bipartisan effort to reestablish a competitive U.S. apparel base, pairing strong worker protections with meaningful incentives for domestic production, supply-chain rebuilding and facility investment. If enacted, it would directly support the kind of infrastructure renewal, workforce development and technological advancement required to make U.S. apparel production globally competitive and environmentally sustainable.

Government procurement is another powerful lever. The U.S. remains one of the world’s largest purchasers of apparel — uniforms, workwear and protective gear among them — but smaller, technology-driven manufacturers often face barriers to participation. Stream-lining qualification and contracting processes, or piloting procurement programs that prioritize innovative and automated facilities, would open this channel to next-generation domestic producers.

Finally, workforce development must advance in parallel. Programs modeled on those in semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing sectors, focused on digital design, robotics and systems integration, would ensure reshoring creates future-ready jobs.

TW: How do you position the company as both disruptive and compatible with the current apparel supply chain?

Myers: Our platform, anchored by a deep IP portfolio, operates on a made-for-demand model that transforms the speed and economics of apparel manufacturing. Instead of the 30- to 120-day offshore cycle, brands can design, sell, produce, and ship in 5 to 30 days. That 10-fold acceleration lets companies respond to real-time demand, reduce inventory exposure, and minimize waste. Automation stabilizes costs, reduces labor dependency, and breaks reliance on fragile offshore supply chains; brands gain faster speed to market, and consumers get better products.

The core disruption lies in efficiency and circularity. Traditional offshore models depend on long lead times and overproduction, creating both financial and environmental inefficiency. By eliminating those inefficiencies, CreateMe improves unit economics while setting new sustainability standards. Our fully automated bonded assembly, powered by proprietary thermoreversible adhesives, allows garments to be both assembled and disassembled at scale, making true circular fashion viable. Unlike stitching or permanent adhesives that block recycling, our process allows trims, zippers, and fabric layers to be separated easily for reuse.

At the same time, CreateMe is built for compatibility. The platform integrates directly with existing digital design and production workflows, connecting to standard CAD files and automated cutting systems, to extend today’s CAD/CAM automation into the assembly phase. Where traditional manufacturing hands off to manual sewing, CreateMe continues the digital thread, using bonding and robotics to maintain precision, consistency, and efficiency through final construction. This plug-in compatibility gives brands and manufacturers a practical on-ramp to automation while accelerating the shift toward scalable, onshore production.

And because any technology in apparel must scale to matter, we’ve engineered CreateMe for high-volume categories first, starting with T-shirts and underwear, where throughput, waste, and impact are greatest.

TW: What is your long-term vision for the CreateMe platform?

Myers: CreateMe’s mission is to redefine how all apparel is made. We’re building toward a future where digital bonding, robotics, and Physical AI form the foundation of how clothing is designed, produced, and experienced. Over the next decade, we see a systemic shift in apparel manufacturing that mirrors the transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles, driven by consumer demand for performance, sustainability, and speed. Digital bonding will replace sewing as the dominant method of garment construction, delivering products that are more comfortable, longer lasting, and cleaner to produce.

This transformation begins by uniting digital design and manufacturing, allowing brands to move from static, labor-dependent models to intelligent, data-driven systems that produce exactly what’s needed, when and where it’s needed. By connecting design software, material science, and automated production, CreateMe enables true mass customization at scale, closing the loop between creativity, commerce and circularity.

While apparel is our starting point, the same tools and software that power digital bonding and robotic assembly can extend to footwear, accessories, furniture, automotive interiors, and other consumer products. The convergence of digital design, advanced materials, and intelligent automation will redefine how products are made across industries — faster, cleaner, and closer to demand.

TW: What are the company’s greatest strengths and how do you differentiate from competitors?

Myers: While others are optimizing legacy systems, CreateMe is building the next industrial platform — one that enables cost-competitive, onshore manufacturing at scale and positions brands to thrive in a market defined by speed, sustainability and resilience.

We’ve reimagined how apparel is made from the ground up. CreateMe achieved a world-first with the commercial launch of two integrated technologies that replace sewing and manual handling with robotics, AI, and precision bonding: MeRA and Pixel microadhesive technology. Together, they form a unified platform that delivers a step change in precision, efficiency, and circularity. MeRA is an intelligent robotics and AI platform that automates garment assembly end-to-end, enabling fully digital production lines that remove the need for sewing entirely. At its core, Pixel forms precision-bonded seams less than one millimeter wide, stronger, lighter, and more consistent than traditional stitching. Its Thermo(re)set formulation allows garments to be disassembled cleanly at end of life, unlocking true circularity and large-scale textile recycling. Pixel™ also brings new functionality to apparel, from thermal regulation and moisture management to enhanced comfort and design flexibility.

With nearly 100 patents granted, CreateMe’s technology establishes the foundation for a new model of manufacturing, faster, cleaner, and more adaptable than anything before it. Our first commercial deployment in women’s intimates validated both technical and economic viability, and we’re now expanding into high-volume categories such as T-shirts and everyday apparel. Each MeRA line is designed to produce over one million units per year, delivering garments up to twenty times faster and with double the precision of manual methods.

TW: Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?

Myers: We’re motivated by the ingenuity and grit of the people determined to transform this industry— the engineers, scientists, designers and entrepreneurs who refuse to accept “business as usual.” Every day, we’re inspired by forward-thinking partners who are building new models and proving that apparel can be made better, smarter, and closer to home.

At the same time, we’re driven by the industry’s inertia. Despite years of conversation around sustainability and innovation, real change has been slow. The technology to make apparel more responsibly already exists; it takes conviction to move beyond entrenched, volume-driven systems.

At CreateMe, we’re turning that conviction into action. Our work is about proving that a different future for apparel isn’t theoretical — it’s within reach, and we’re building it.

2025 Quarterly Issue IV

Pioneering Recipe For Conductive Plastics

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

“Once higher production volumes are achieved, it is possible to work with the material in a completely different way. Larger quantities are needed to enable the development of a range of applications, for example in biotechnology, energy storage, and wearable electronics,” said Christian Müller, professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers and co-author of a study recently published in Science Advances.1

In the lab in the Chemistry building at Chalmers, doctoral student Joost Kimpel shows how this glittering, gold-colored material can be easily molded with his gloved fingers. Currently, the market price for just 100 grams of this type of conductive plastic would be around $100,000 — about 10 times as much as actual gold. But for the human body, it is in fact the absence of metals that makes this material so valuable.

“While some metals can corrode in humid environments, conductive plastic is an organic material that our bodies are comfortable with. The material is compatible with the body’s own tissue, while also being a semiconductor. There’s also an environmental advantage in that you don’t need to use the rare earth elements required for today’s electronics,” Kimpel said. He is first author of the new study.

There is great interest in conductive plastics, or conjugated polymers — the scientific term for them — and the applications are many, not least in biotechnology. According to the researchers, these applications could include sensors that monitor medical conditions, provide information about fitness and health, or adjust the delivery of drugs for diseases that are difficult to treat. With this kind of technology, the body can be connected to other wearable electronics, and even to mobile phones.

Conductive plastics also can be used for various kinds of implants or be 3D-printed to create electronic adhesive bandages that can detect an infection, for example.

Research into conductive plastics is being carried out in many parts of the world. Müller’s research group has been exploring this type of material for more than a decade and has made several important advances in the field.

The key to the new manufacturing method was discovered quite serendipitously during a routine experiment in the lab. When a chemical reaction was happening too fast and the resulting plastic was reaching its final state too quickly, the idea was devised to reduce the heat in the process. This was what led to the discovery that you can produce this material at room temperature — involving significantly fewer steps, with lower energy consumption, and without toxic chemicals.

“The ingredients in our ‘recipe’ are benign and can be used safely in an industrial setting, unlike the highly toxic substances that must be used to produce many conjugated polymers today,” Kimpel said. “Avoiding toxic chemicals in the production process means a safer work environment for staff, gives the consumer peace of mind, and facilitates recycling. In addition, the costs can be radically reduced, as toxic substances require advanced handling, especially in terms of protective procedures, storage and the disposal of residues.”

Even though the study was published very recently, researchers have already noted a great deal of interest, not least from the many researchers at other universities who have contacted them. Now they hope that this new production method will facilitate making conductive plastics more widely available.

“An important discovery made in this study is that the production method makes the conductive plastic much better at conducting an electric charge, which also means that the electronics that use this kind of material can be made more powerful,” Müller noted.

The next step in this research will be to continue working on a method that makes it possible to produce even larger volumes — continuously and with exactly the same results every time.

“The possibilities are great, but it’s ultimately up to society and the market to decide what will be developed. It’s a big step from the lab to industrial-scale production, but we hope that this new production method will be of benefit,” Müller concluded.

Reference:

1 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv8168

When the basic ingredients are mixed with the benign solvent in the presence of a palladium catalyst, the solution changes color almost immediately.

Conductive Plastics

One important ingredient for plastics that can conduct electricity are conjugated polymers. Conjugated polymers are a type of semiconductor and have properties that make it possible to produce a new type of technology — organic electronics — that can be used in many different applications such as energy conversion and storage, wearable electronics, electronic textiles, and biotechnology attached to or worn close to the body.

Unlike inorganic materials such as metals, conjugated polymers can be made flexible and soft. They can be applied to surfaces and used to manufacture solar cells, and are compatible with liquids such as sweat and blood, which is important for bioelectronic applications. Research to make conjugated polymers stable and improve their conductive properties has been conducted for decades.

It was discovered in the 1970s that certain types of polymers can conduct electricity — a discovery that led to Alan J. Heeger, Alan G. MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000.

The basic ingredients originate from the aromatic compounds thienothiophene and bithiophene, which are the basic building blocks of many organic semiconduc-tors. These substances are mixed in the benign solvent N-butyl-2-pyrrolidone in the presence of a palladium catalyst.

Almost immediately, the transparent solution begins to change color as the building blocks start to assemble into polymer chains. These larger and longer molecules form the basis of the conductive plastic.

Once the color has changed from yellow to deep red and then to deep purple, the reaction is complete. The mixture is then washed using several different solvents to remove impurities. Finally, the solvents are removed using rotary evaporation — a method similar to distillation.

After the separation process, a glittering gold-colored substance remains, the color being an indication that the material is electrically conductive. The production of the conductive plastic is now complete.

Editor’s Note: The research article “Open-flask, ambient temperature direct arylation synthesis of mixed ionic-electronic conductors” was published in Science Advances. The authors are Joost Kimpel, Youngseok Kim, Hannes Schomaker, Diego R. Hinojosa, Jesika Asatryan, Jaime Martín, Renee Kroon, Michael Sommer and Christian Müller. These researchers are active at Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University and AutoSyn AB in Sweden, Technische Universität Chemnitz in Germany, and Universidade da Coruña in Spain. The research is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, the European Research Council (ERC), and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

2025 Quarterly Issue IV

TAGS

Off to the School Formal

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

This is my eldest daughter Celeste just about to head out the door for her first formal with her boyfriend. And yes she is wearing converses, because we have had so much rain that her new shoes would have gotten muddy on the way to the car.She looks so happy- hard to believe she was once my baby girl who at the age of two and a half asked her daddy “What are you furbishing daddy?”- we have no idea how she found that word but it was so appropriate because at the time he was hammering away at something, and her first poem also at age two and a half;

poems poems, reading away, reading away

poems ,poems, reading away,reading away

reading, ready, reading