MFS’s KEYHOUSE Combining Progressive Fashion Technology With Sustainable Innovations

If you want to see great examples of how fashion can be both responsible and beautiful, there is still time to pop into the KEYHOUSE.

This season’s Munich Fabric Start‘s (MFS) KEYHOUSE focal theme has been Sustainable Innovations and LOVE. Espousing the synergy of fashion and technology, the tradeshow stated: “The seasonal heading for upcoming spring.summer edition 2020 puts the topic of LOVE centerstage as a buzzword for optimism and openness thereby making the huge diversity of emotional products in the textile industry tangible and palpable. We think especially during these unpredictable times full of changes and disturbances is what we all need – LOVE”.

The Development of New Sustainable Technologies

This season the KEYHOUSE housed brands and companies cooperating on future issues. Among them were innovative start-ups, experimental research projects from leading colleges and universities as well as unconventional companies embracing progressive fashion technology.


SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION // Bio Plastics by textile designer Tanja Marie Nitsche

When it comes to supporting efforts in developing sustainable products and assuring transparent processes and supply chains, the international fabric fair is leading the way. Showing unrivalled support for various initiatives, this year MFS KEYHOUSE has been exploring what the future of the textile sector could look like. For their Spring/Summer 2020, the tech-infused space welcomed new material innovations, dyeing methods and circular processes.

Since its launch, the KEYHOUSE has come to represent forward-looking Sustainable Innovations. For the last four seasons, they have showcased pioneering concepts with a highly innovative feel in a gallery-like setting. This year they represent “Re: alive”, “Re: colour” and “Re: define”. It is a concept created to inspire and motivate material experts to think and act sustainably. Those attending the trade fair this week have seen the possibility of Ceramics becoming textiles, pine bark being transformed into an alternative to leather, dyeing processes with bacteria or organic materials and by-products from food production given a second life.

More than just a place for innovation, the KEYHOUSE presents innovative companies with the HighTex Awards for high-tech and sustainable product developments that play a role in transparent processes and supply chains as well as for investment in the development of new technologies and re-organisation. This year the winner of the HighTex Award was Becker Tuche from Aachen. Acknowledged for their highly functional material, Becker Tuche’s new product development combines wool and Cordura with spandex. The super lightweight material is a woven fabric that features high abrasion resistance despite its low weight as well as very high water vapour permeability.

Designed to be used for light outdoor styles as well as streetwear and corporate fashion Peter Recker, CEO Becker Tuche, Aachen said on their win: “I am very pleased with this Award. For more than a year now we at Becker Tuche have looked into mixing various clothing segments from fashion, sportswear/outdoor, Corporate Fashion and workwear”. He continues: “Against this background, the Wool Performance series combines classic wovens in wool and wool blends with such functions as wind breaking and waterproofing well-known from sportswear. The result is an individually coordinated quality portfolio fit for many applications. In response to the strong interest, we are currently developing other fabrics made of wool/Cordura with technical functions.

Alex Vogt, Sebastian Klinder, Peter Recker, Frank Junker, Simon Angel. Image Credit: Munich Fabric Start

The runner-up was Soorty Enterprises winning the 2nd place with extremely lightweight, recycled and water-repellent denim in a Tencel/nylon blend. ‘Rain Shield’ convinced the jury with its elegant look in addition to numerous properties such as fast-drying finish, water-repellence, thermal insulation and shape retention. Furthermore, the denim boasts a super soft hand and is finished with a discreet shine.

With ‘Hyperlight 3Layer’ and the associated continuous development of innovations and functional materials, Mectex by Manifatture Italiane Scudieri came in third. The Italians are known for their high-tech developments in the sports and outerwear segment and come up with new ways and solutions for fusing comfort and function time and again. As is the case with a reflective, heat insulating fabric that glows in the dark or an ultra lightweight material with a graphene membrane that is both water-repellents, antimicrobial and breathable.

With one day still to go before the 3-day event comes to an end, we recommend that if you are looking for great examples of how fashion can be both responsible and beautiful then take a moment to go visit the KEYHOUSE.

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Founding Editor in Chief at FashNerd.com | editor@fashnerd.com | Website

Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.