ISPO Textrends Award: More than just an award

1. Over a decade of developments
2. So, what’s the appeal of ISPO Textrends?
3. The judging process - What’s different?
4. The forum at ISPO Munich
5. The Trendbook - Timeless sourcing at your fingertips
6. The marketing support
7. The newly-launched ISPO Textrends Apparel Award - Recognizing global apparel manufacturers
8. The application is now open for ISPO Textrends and the new Apparel Award - What are you waiting for?

Entering into its 11th year, come November, ISPO Textrends will once again present new materials and trims for the sports and outdoor sector for Fall/Winter 27/28. Since its launch, ISPO Textrends has grown from an initially curious platform of flat basics to a hive of creativity, textures, colors, and innovation, offering avant-garde to conventional must-haves.

The injection of creativity has been a privilege to see. The idea of ISPO Textrends is to connect the supply chain, enabling material suppliers to be trend-ready when their customers come calling. In the past, the customer would arrive with a swatch and ask for a textile supplier to produce it. Now, there is a meeting of minds: when buyers come, suppliers are ready to react with existing innovations and established bestsellers. This new efficiency in terms of developments lays the groundwork for stronger sustainable solutions.

Much of this new development and investment in innovation falls into the brand ingredients that are driving a new push-pull in B2B and B2C. These fiber companies are as invested in the success of the developments the textile mills can create, supporting them through a collaborative approach. Combined with the machinery and technology developed for the textile sector, the high-level engineering of yarns and fabrics, ISPO Textrends gives credit where credit is due through its unique jury-based outcome in this textile award process.

The process is as follows: the application is opened to companies wishing to participate 5 months prior to ISPO, with a window of three months for applications to be sent in. The additional two months are required for the jury meeting as well as creating the seasonal trendbook.

The trend information guides towards developments and moods emerging in the market, working two years ahead in order for the sports and outdoor brands to introduce new textile and trim developments to their established choices.

What is unique about ISPO Textrends is that the forum, encompassing ten sectors for the winter season, from insulation to base layer, outer layer, membranes and coatings to trims, has been selected by an international jury of textile experts. There is a reason, often one that has been discussed, as to why certain applications achieve certain places.

The jury, of which I am privileged to be part, is made up of a vast range of technical and creative know-how from leading experts. I can confirm that there is more to the jury than just judging. We have created a great friendship group that not only shares individual experience and knowledge but also the humor that we have is priceless. After every jury meeting, I leave with a headful of new knowledge, confirmation that the knowledge I have shared is on the right track, and an overall excitement for the next jury meeting! If we could have it monthly, I know we would all be there!

This meeting of minds, which I have calculated combines approximately 200 years of working in the international textile field, showcases a wide range of experience. From the fields of sustainability, textile engineering, brand developments, textile journalism, and publishing, the knowledge that we share is unparalleled. It’s that combined knowledge that defines the products that make it through for the season.

Following our traditional jury dinner the night before, which is always a ball, we arrive at the jury meeting to see all applications displayed on rows of tables. Sample after sample of fabric, assigned to the relevant application sector, awaits us. This is a blind jury meeting; each application has the details of the product, with further information available on the iPad we use to make our scores. There is no information on the company involved with the product. Judging is done purely on merit in creativity, performance, sustainability, and overall function and tactility.

The textile business is a tactile one, and while we are becoming more digitalized, we still need the physical connection. You can propose the cleanest, highest performance fabric ever, but if it doesn’t feel good, it won’t get selected.

After judging the sectors, the scores are digitally compiled from the iPads and the results come up on a main screen. Sometimes the results can be greeted amicably; other times there can be quite vociferous differences of opinion!

There are no shrinking violets on this jury team. We respect each other, but we also know what we individually like and believe to be best. So the final results of Best Product, TOP 10, and Selection for each sector may change through much debate and discussion, and this is where the physical side comes back into play.

Asking fellow jury member David Shah, Editor-in-Chief of View magazine, why the ISPO Textrends award is an important mark of recognition of the changes happening in the industry, his reply summed up the jury’s feeling.

“I have had the honor to work on many textile juries, but ISPO Textrends is my favorite. Why? Because of the cross-section of talents of the jurists on the panel - some are experts on base layers, others on outer layers, others on coatings and tech, and still others on sustainability, while I try to chip in my little bit with fashionability. It’s a helluva cocktail, but that’s exactly what we need today when sports, performance, technology, sustainability, and fashion are no longer separate domains within walls of their own but part of a hybrid world, all ingredients in a common product. ISPO Textrends is where we see this new hybridization first, not just from a local but a global perspective. What better competition is there to benefit our changing world of textiles and apparel?"

Over the last decade, the ISPO Textrends forum has become the springboard of sourcing. Weaving around the organic-shaped display tables, touching and feeling the products inspires. Introducing new products, performance aspects, and finishes, the table surfing also leads visitors to companies they might not have been aware of. The forum works as an introduction to specific products and highlights a mill’s capability. With all the product information and booth location visible, visitors sourcing textiles at ISPO Munich can use it as the core of connecting with existing suppliers and new ones. The booth number is always displayed, making it an easy traverse. But it should be noted that you do not have to be an exhibitor to participate in the award; it is also open to non-exhibitors.

The trends that form part of the application embrace a range of influences from megatrends to color palettes, textile trends to consumer attitudes, all presented at ISPO Munich, and have become a well-attended part of the show. In addition, the Best Products are announced and awarded, with representatives coming on to the stage to collect the much-coveted trophy.

Not to sound biased, but I have to say that the trendbook is one of the best sourcing tools that is timeless. As a textile trend consultant, I reach for the present and previous trendbooks, flicking through them to trigger inspiration and direct sourcing.

More of a coffee table book for textile aficionados, the macro photos of all the fabrics selected by the jury are the closest in terms of structure and definition that you will get to the real thing. The book is available to buy in print and digital form by clicking here.

Gaining recognition for a development by receiving an ISPO Textrends award somewhat endorses a product on the international scene. It isn’t just for exhibition at ISPO Munich; the clout it carries gives kudos to a company.

Every awarded company receives the photographs included in the trendbook to use for their in-house marketing. Also included are stickers illustrating the product's position and sector. These tools are used for in-house social media coverage and press releases. The Südwolle Group, winner of Best Product for Base Layer, has recently utilized support from ISPO Textrends to create great posts on LinkedIn.

For those companies winning Best Product, a trophy is the prize. Traveling globally to textile mills, I am always shown a trophy room. No matter how far from home, it is always reassuring to see an ISPO Textrends trophy or two. My recent visits to Bosideng and Unitex highlighted how they value the feedback and accreditation from the jury in their trophy rooms as well as through their social media news channels.

Individual applications and group applications are received. Two fiber giants, Sorona and Cordura, present new developments on behalf of their customers, supported through applying. Once the results are released, the awarded products feature in further marketing through in-house and additional exhibitions. Sorona highlighted this by dedicating a trend area to ISPO Textrends awarded products from different seasons in their exhibition stand.

The reason for launching ISPO Textrends was to provide a platform for the great ingredients we have in the market. Without fabrics, trims, materials, insulation, and accessories, we wouldn’t have products in the halls of ISPO. Everything has to start somewhere, and for our industry, ISPO Textrends is a great start.

This initiative has since been extended to apparel and product manufacturers. Launched last year on the 10th Anniversary of ISPO Textrends, the ISPO Apparel Award offers manufacturers that produce for many established brands a platform to showcase their skills, especially with the automation of the industry becoming so prevalent.

A separate jury has been established for this award, once again involving a wide range of professionals from the manufacturing industry. Speaking with jury member Kate Kallaway, Design Director at KK Sports Design, she outlined the value this award has for the industry.

“I think this is a fantastic initiative because it promotes and celebrates sustainability within the industry. Many entries emphasize eco-friendly practices and materials, featuring sustainable fabrics, recycling processes, and energy-efficient production techniques. The awards recognize efforts to reduce environmental impact, advocating for biodegradable materials, waste reduction, and ethical labor practices. This focus on sustainability ensures that the showcased products are not only high-performing but also environmentally responsible, which is crucial in today's eco-conscious market.”

During the inaugural launch, it was interesting to note the number of textile mills investing in apparel manufacturing, especially in fully automated ‘smart factories,’ and also giving their textile buyers a more efficient supply chain by becoming vertical. This approach has more appeal than working with multiple companies and losing control along the way.

Kate Kallaway also added that the ISPO Apparel Awards have the potential to serve as an excellent platform for launching new innovations into the market. “By highlighting cutting-edge designs and sustainable practices, the awards can help emerging brands gain visibility and credibility. This can drive industry-wide advancements and set new standards for sportswear, making it an invaluable event for fostering innovation and sustainability in the market.”

With the applications now open, time is ticking. As much as new and innovative developments have found ISPO Textrends the perfect platform to launch onto the international scene via ISPO, there are also a great range of basics that evolve each season. They add value to our industry.

We can’t reinvent the wheel each season, but we can, through the support of ISPO Textrends, give credit where credit is due to new ideas and revived classics. There is pride not just in being awarded, but in being part of a great industry—an industry that often gets overlooked despite the products it contributes to.

Online registration and application are open for ISPO Munich 2024. What are you waiting for?