Product Developments and Innovations (Performance Apparel Markets Issue 20)

The Product Developments and Innovations report in Issue 20 of Performance Apparel Markets, published in the 1st quarter of 2007, surveys what was new in the performance apparel supply chain under seven heads: fabrics and membranes for performance apparel; moisture management technology; nanotechnology; smart fabrics; wearable technology; sports apparel; and further wearable technology developments. It is the forward-looking companion to the issue's in-depth report on moisture management fabrics: where that report maps one technology field in depth, this one scans across all of them, so subscribers can see which developments were arriving in the same season. Performance Apparel Markets is published four times a year by Textiles Intelligence, formed in 1992 as a spin-off from the Economist Intelligence Unit. To read the full report, readers order Issue 20 or subscribe; the other Issue 20 reports — the Business Update, Fast Track: ISPO Winter 2007, Moisture Management Fabrics and the Profile of Ronhill Sports — are presented on their own pages in this section.

Innovative performance fabrics, membranes and a smart textile sample with woven circuitry on a laboratory desk beside a report, product photography with no people

Fabrics, Membranes and Moisture Management Technology

The report opens with fabrics and membranes for performance apparel — the material layer on which every other performance claim depends, from waterproof breathability to insulation — and with moisture management technology, the field examined at full length in the issue's companion report. Taken together, the two sections connect the season's new fabric launches to the technology race behind them: established portfolios such as Invista's CoolMax family on one side, and a widening field of fibre producers, mills and finish specialists on the other.

Nanotechnology, Smart Fabrics and Wearable Technology

Three of the report's heads concern technologies that were moving from research into product. Nanotechnology appears because extremely fine fibre surfaces had already been proven to have beneficial properties for moisture transport. Smart fabrics appear as materials able to respond to changes in the environment — for example by adjusting pore size or thickness to facilitate moisture transmission. Wearable technology appears twice in the report's contents, an editorial emphasis that reflects how quickly electronics were being integrated into garments in 2007. Sports apparel, the remaining head, grounds the survey in finished products: the garments in which the season's fabrics and technologies actually reached athletes and outdoor users.

The Publication Around the Report

Four times a year, Performance Apparel Markets provides subscribers with business and market analysis of worldwide trends in high performance activewear and corporate apparel. Each issue contains a report on major developments in the global performance apparel market, focusing on new products, new technologies, new fibres and key players; a detailed, independently-researched report on one topic from a standing list — moisture management, temperature regulation, stretch, high strength, reflective wear, support wear, UV protection, windproof, waterproof and water-resistant technologies, flame retardancy and smart textiles; a company profile outlining the business, product, market and manufacturing strategies of a key player; and a summary of business news and developments, majoring on innovations, mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and financial performances.

Common Questions

What does the Product Developments and Innovations report cover?

Fabrics and membranes for performance apparel, moisture management technology, nanotechnology, smart fabrics, wearable technology and sports apparel — the new developments entering the performance apparel supply chain in early 2007.

In which issue did the report appear?

Issue 20 of Performance Apparel Markets, published in the 1st quarter of 2007 by Textiles Intelligence.

How does it differ from the issue's moisture management report?

The moisture management report maps one technology field in depth — the Invista portfolio and its challengers, and the materials used — while Product Developments and Innovations scans across all the technology fields at once, including nanotechnology, smart fabrics and wearable technology.

Product Developments and Innovations: Performance Apparel Markets, Issue 20