When Performance Days opens its doors on 23 and 24 October 23, 2024, in Halls A1 and A2 at the Messe München exhibition grounds, visitors will once again find fabric innovations for Fall/Winter 2026 across the segments of performance wear, footwear, accessories, and, for the first time, bodywear.

A jury, composed of renowned industry experts, has reviewed the latest fabrics for the 2026 season in the Trend, Footwear, and Bodywear Forum, looking for outstanding innovations. A total of two Performance Awards and one Eco Performance Award were presented.

Performance Days continues to deliver plenty of highlights and innovations in technical fibres and materials in the Trend Forum at the winter exhibition. Since Fall 2023, the event has also focused on the footwear segment, summarizing the latest trends and news in the dedicated Footwear Forum. Starting in October 2024, the organisers will introduce a new Bodywear Collective, complete with a corresponding Trend Forum. In close collaboration with the London Contour Experts and designer and industry expert Nichole de Carle, Performance Day swill feature a Trend Forum dedicated to underwear, shapewear, bras and leggings, yoga in motion, and swimwear.

The expert jury, led by Marco Weichert, CEO of Performance Days, Jury Head Alexa Dehmel, and guest jurors Regina Goller, a textile expert with experience in sustainable functional fabrics at companies like Odlo, Puma, and Jack Wolfskin, as well as Stephan Prinz, Account Manager Germany at Klopman, praised the quality, sustainability approaches, and high level of innovation in the submissions.

The jury awarded two Performance Awards (Apparel & Bodywear) and one Eco Performance Award (Apparel). The winners are A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA, Tamurakoma & Co., Ltd. and Penn Textile Solutions GmbH/Penn Italia Srl.

For the Fall/Winter 2026 season, the jury selected three awards for outstanding fabrics. Alongside the Eco Performance Award, which went to A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA for its - 69222/Colorful chemistry featuring holistic farming. Two Performance Awards were also presented -one in the apparel and one in the bodywear segment. Tamurakoma & Co., Ltd. impressed with its KT0582, while Penn Textile Solutions GmbH/Penn Italia Srl made its debut in the Bodywear Forum with 13949.

Eco Performance Award: A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA / Article “69222 - Colorful Chemistry Featuring Holistic Farming.

In collaboration with Good Earth Cotton, this project focuses on sustainable farming practices to reduce the environmental impact of cotton while improving soil health, paving the way for a carbon-neutral future. The supplier is also exploring innovations with organic cotton grown using regenerative farming methods, expanding the scope for future eco-friendly concepts. Additionally, the fabric is dyed using biological dyes—an innovative technique where natural bacteria produce pigments that bond efficiently with the fabric at low temperatures without the use of petrochemicals. The fabric is available in pink and sand.

 “This fabric takes this year’s focus topic to the next level. A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA’s fabric innovation showcases the future of dyeing with microorganisms. Textile dyeing with living organisms is a sustainable and resource-efficient method that requires no harmful chemicals. Additionally, the fabric, made from 100% organic cotton, excels in performance due to an innovative body-mapping concept that provides optimal support during wear,” the jury stated.

Performance Award: Tamurakoma & Co., Ltd. / Article KT05822

The fabric, made from 30% recycled polyamide, 46% recycled polyester, and 24% recycled elastane, impressed the jury in the Pants & Tights category. This innovative fabric is created using a special technique with a digital printing machine, where polyester fibers are melted according to the design. This process allows different parts of the fabric to have varying levels of stretch, based on the amount of melted polyester. This enables targeted compression in specific areas without the need to combine different fabrics. The seamless design also reduces skin irritation.

“This fabric is a wonderful example of how compression can be incorporated into a single fabric—perfect for use in leggings, tights, underwear, and performance wear,” the jury commented.

Performance Award: Penn Textile Solutions GmbH / Penn Italia SRL / Article 13949

This fabric, composed of 68% recycled polyamide and 32% ROICA, with a weight of 290 grams, is said to be perfect for base layer construction. It can be customised with the brand’s own design, featuring open structures and a 3D effect for added texture. Despite its structure, the fabric has an incredibly soft touch, ensuring maximum comfort during wear.

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