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One of fashion’s biggest contradictions is that it relies on fossil fuels. Polyester, nylon, and acrylic make up most of the world’s fibres, which means that most clothes today start out as crude oil. adidas and RWTH Aachen University are leading the German project BIOTEXFUTURE, which wants to end that dependence.
The program is a group of businesses and universities working together to find scalable, bio-based alternatives. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Part of the SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS forum at Munich Fabric start, three main projects will be featured:
These projects are not meant to be one-time tests; they are meant to be useful in the real world. Adding them to the forum ties speculative design ideas to a long history of applied science. It reminds us that we need both creativity and infrastructure to make the switch to sustainable textiles.
»BIOTEXFUTURE is holding the right vision to transform the textile value chain.«
adidas Future Team
The message is clear for fashion and textiles: greenwashing can’t hide the fact that we depend on oil. We need to change the way things are built, and bio-based fibres are a big part of that. The good news is that the technology is available, partnerships are forming, and interest is growing.
Petrochemistry has defined textiles for the last 100 years. But projects like BIOTEXFUTURE show that a new era is coming, one where performance, style, and scale are no longer tied to oil but to renewable innovation.
Modularity is not a new concept. For decades, it has shaped architecture, furniture and industrial design. Applying it to soft textiles, however, opens up an entirely new discussion.
Creativity and curiosity have always been our driving force. Our work evolves through prototypes—never finished, always raising new questions about materials, processes, and possibilities.
Both the fashion and textile industry often celebrates creativity. Yet many of the industry’s creative decisions are made long before a designer ever begins designing. Colour being one of them. The thing is, by the time a designer selects yarn, someone else has already determined the available colours, sequences and combinations. Choice exists, but only within boundaries.
“Through hands-on experimentation, I explore the potential of new surfaces and alternative forms of leather, aiming to reconnect human life with the natural world as an interconnected fabric.”
