Best of Jury Likes

Technically outstanding: Explore the Jury's Top Picks

In every PERFORMANCE DAYS TREND FORUM selection, the Expert Jury identifies materials that push boundaries in innovation, sustainability, and function. In our latest Material Story “Best of Jury Likes”, we spotlight a few standout developments – selected for their technical excellence and relevance for future-oriented textile solutions.

These materials represent leading-edge developments in functional textiles – from novel fiber blends and low-impact production methods to enhanced performance features tailored to real-world applications.

What fabrics are awarded with a Jury Like?
A fabric receives a Jury Like when it stands out in terms of technical performance, aesthetics, and especially sustainability — even if it doesn’t quite reach the score required for an Award. In such cases, the jury can consult and deliberately assign a Jury Like to highlight the fabric’s exceptional quality and innovative character.

Here are some of the highlights and why they caught the jury’s attention:

• Natural meets next-gen: A blend of Good Earth Cotton and regenerative wool delivers exceptional thermo-regulation and a premium handfeel.
• Mono-material for high performance: A 3-layer laminate by Toray made from 100% recycled polyamide, including the membrane – recyclable and functional at once.
• Ahead of the curve: A jacquard tape from Earth Protex crafted entirely from textile-to-textile recycled PES – aligning perfectly with our upcoming Focus Topic.
• Smarter trims for tomorrow: A cord puller made from 100% recycled polypropylene – designed with repairability in mind.
• Sustainable strength: Backpack and bag fabrics made of partly textile-to-textile recycled PES, with PFC-free DWR and bluesign® approval – moving the category forward.
• Closed-loop concept: A 2-layer fabric using recycled PES from own textile waste, including a recycled membrane, and fully recyclable.

Explore the full selection and discover what convinced the experts.

High-profile guest jurors join upcoming jury meeting

Exciting news from the PERFORMANCE DAYS Trend Forum: The next jury meeting to select the most outstanding materials across all categories – Apparel, Accessories, Footwear, Bodywear, Wool, and Innovation – is scheduled for the beginning of September.

We’re thrilled to announce the participation of two prominent guest jurors for this upcoming round: material and product experts from DIESEL and ThruDark will join our panel to bring fresh insights from their respective performance and design-driven perspectives.

Diesel is known for its rebellious spirit, provocative design, and unwavering authenticity. Founded in 1978 by Renzo Rosso, the Italian brand has grown into a global lifestyle label with denim at its core. Under the creative direction of Glenn Martens since 2020, Diesel has entered a bold new era—focusing on innovation, sustainability, and strong subcultural influences, while continuing to challenge conventions and redefine modern fashion. Martens, who is also the new Creative Director of Maison Margiela, brings a visionary edge that bridges avant-garde design with street-driven relevance.

ThruDark is a British performancewear brand founded by former UK Special Forces operators, built on the principles of endurance, resilience, and uncompromising functionality. Drawing on real-world experience in the harshest environments, ThruDark creates high-performance technical apparel designed to meet the demands of extreme conditions. With a strong focus on innovation, durability, and purposeful design, the brand blends elite military expertise with modern outdoor performance.

The official briefing with all the necessary information and details will be sent out to all exhibitors in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned for more details – and get ready for bold, innovative, and sustainable textile solutions to take center stage!

New Focus Topic: "Textile to Textile – The Role of Recyclers"

Spotlight on circular solutions in the textile industry: As we gear up for the next PERFORMANCE DAYS show (May, 29-30, 2025), this autumn´s Focus Topic puts the spotlight on Textile-to-Textile (T2T) recycling – a key driver for true circularity in functional textiles.

With a focus on material flows, technologies, and system challenges, we aim to showcase what’s already working – and where innovation is still needed.

To qualify, submitted fabrics must:

• Contain at least 50% T2T recycled yarn from post-consumer or post-industrial textile waste (no PET bottles or packaging).
• Include a declaration of yarn supplier and feedstock source.
• Provide certification, where available, verifying recycled content and origin.

Let’s rethink performance textiles – fibre by fibre. Full details will be available soon on our website.