In its tenth year of existence, Performance Days, the Munich trade fair for functional fabrics, was presented for the first time on the grounds of Messe München. The gathering, which ran November 28 and 29, focused on sustainability and lifestyle. 

The move to the fairground was a success and the new location met with great approval on all sides. "We are really happy with the November Performance Days. The venue is much better and the natural light more suitable for viewing fabrics. Our stand has been busy throughout the days and we have generated a number of new leads," said Rosey Cortazzi, global marketing director at Isko. For many, the change was long overdue. "I think it's absolutely right to move to the new location. The hall is much more spacious, everything can be found on one level and the fair is easier to reach," confirmed Jochen Lagemann, senior vice president and managing director of Europe & Asia at Primaloft. "From our point of view, the fair has become much more international, so it has also made a significant leap forward compared to last year.”

Not only the spatial dimension of the trade fair has grown in size. With 296 exhibitors there were 100 more than before, including RadiciGroup Comfort Fibres.

Visitor interest is also growing steadily. Not only sports brands are now searching for the latest innovations, more and more fashion companies such as Hugo Boss and Marc O'Polo are looking for innovative materials for their outerwear at Performance Days.

As in the previous seasons, sustainability was a focal theme. The exhibitors presented numerous innovations in the field of sustainability. "Highly appreciated by the brands are our solution-dyed yarns that allow a considerable saving of water, and our r-PET polyester yarns deriving from the post-consumer recycling of common plastic bottles. We are more than ready to give our contribution to a truly sustainable European textile industry," said Marco De Silvestri, marketing director of RadiciGroup Comfort Fibres. Primaloft also introduced its new PrimaLoft Bio Insulation, the first synthetic insulation made entirely of recycled and biodegradable fibers. Under the conditions of a landfill, the fiber decomposes almost entirely after just over a year. Conventional polyester fibers take many decades to break down.

The US textile manufacturer Polartec, one of the largest fleece producers in the world, launched Polartec Power Air, a fabric that releases less microplastic due to five times less fiber loss. Polartec Power Air is not, as usual, a high-pile, roughened knit construction with exposed fibers, but a completely new, double-sided knit construction that encloses loose, warming fibers in pockets. Adidas will be the first brand to use the material.

Denim specialist Isko, which presented the B2B platform Arquas, also focused on sustainability in addition to the latest denim technology for performance and outdoor products. For Isko, sustainability means responsible production in every area of fabric production. As a result, Isko has received a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for all of its more than 25,000 denim products.

This edition of Performance Days was particularly dedicated to the subject of water. The question was how the textile industry can save water and reduce pollution. Especially when it comes to dyeing and the emission of microplastics there is a great need for action. Numerous lectures on this topic were offered on both days.