Penn and A. Sampaio & Sons - Textiles awarded at Performance Days.

29 October 2024

During the latest edition of the fair (October 23-24, 2024), Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italy received the Performance Award for Bodywear, while A. Sampaio & Sons - Textiles won the Eco-Performance Award for the Focus Topic 'Colorization - Chemistry is

At each edition, the Performance Days Awards recognize innovation in the field of high-tech and high-performance functional fabrics, highlighting the most interesting and pioneering textile developments presented by exhibiting companies in line with the focus of the fair.

The Eco Performance Award goes to the 'trailblazer' fabric in line with the fair's Focus Topic, which in this edition highlighted 'Colorization - Chemistry is Everywhere.' As part of the search for alternatives to conventional dyes and solutions for achieving superior colors in terms of technical and aesthetic quality as well as health and environmental impact, the 100% organic cotton fabric '69222/Colourful Chemistry Featuring Holistic Farming' by A. Sampaio & Sons - Textiles SA explores the frontier of textile dyeing based on living organisms as an eco-responsible and eco-efficient method. Available in pink and sand, the fabric was dyed with organic dyes using an innovative technology in which pigments are produced by natural bacteria and bind effectively to the fabric at low temperatures, without harmful petrochemicals.

An additional benefit, the fabric—created and developed in collaboration with Good Earth Cotton, a program that promotes sustainable farming practices to reduce cotton's environmental impact and improve soil health through innovations in organic cotton grown with regenerative methods—also excels in terms of performance thanks to an innovative body mapping and support concept.

A new feature of this edition, a second Performance Award was given in the Bodywear category—represented for the first time at the fair with an area entirely dedicated to 'next to skin' materials and solutions—to the fabric 13949 by Penn Textile Solutions GmbH /Penn Italy. Ideal as a baselayer, this fabric features open structures and a 3D effect for added texture; very soft and comfortable to wear, it fits like a second skin and is printable and customizable with exclusive designs from the manufacturer. Made from a blend of recycled polyamide (68%) and Roica elastomer (32%), the fabric composition provides various benefits for garments in contact with the skin, including odor resistance, quick drying, stretch, and recovery to fit the body's shape.

All these qualities, according to the Performance Days jury, make the fabric particularly suitable for the Bodywear category, focusing on shaping products such as leggings, underwear, and light-support shapewear.