Winds of change continue to blow through the international textile sector. From 9 to 12 January 2024, when the exhibition halls in Frankfurt am Main will once again be full and bustling for Heimtextil, visitors will experience an omnipresent reorientation in the field of home and contract textiles: a move away from the classic trend concept as an economic driver, towards transformation in the direction of sustainable value creation.
Unified under the central theme of "New Sensitivity," Heimtextil will present a variety of transformative textile innovations in the Trend Space, remaining consistent with the previous focus on circularity. "At the upcoming event, Heimtextil Trends will again show ways in which the transformation of the home textiles industry is continuing. They thus form the inspirational heart of our trade fair and translate global megatrends into textile visions," says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies.
Sensitivity in the World of Textiles
Heimtextil Trends 24/25 highlights three very concrete approaches towards a more sensitive textile sector: plant-based production of textiles, support of textile cycles by technology, and biotechnological use of natural ingredients. This refers not only to textiles whose fibers are obtained from plant sources, but also to dyeing methods based on natural pigments and/or implemented by means of innovative biotechnology (keyword: color bacteria) and expressed in a subtle "trend" color palette as well as gentle color gradients. In terms of technological processes, the focus is on up-cycling and recycling processes, but also on various methods of textile construction and design. And bio-engineering, in turn, stands for nature-inspired strategies that, for example, make it possible to improve the biodegradability of textiles.
The Trend Space at Heimtextil 2024 will therefore be an exciting visit for fairgoers. It is recommended that visitors join a guided tour and the accompanying lectures and other interactive formats. Last, but not least, the "Future Materials" section rounds off the theme. Curated by design consultancy FranklinTill, this section will showcase various regenerative materials and designs and, in doing so, will pay tribute to various creative minds in this field.
