Fashion tech firm Unspun has rebranded its 3D weaving platform from Vega to OneWeave, a more direct name for a system that turns yarn directly into three-dimensional textile shapes in a single process. The company, based in San Francisco and Hong Kong, says OneWeave suspends thousands of yarns around a central core to weave seamless forms, potentially reducing sewing steps, waste, and supply chain handoffs. Unspun has added new fabric options, including a 2×1 canvas for five-pocket styles and chinos, ready-to-dye blank fabrics, and a raised microtexture weave. Material trials now include wool and Lenzing Ecovero viscose blends, plus a pure Ecovero option. The company claims a yarn-to-garment time of 20 minutes, but this figure is unverified, and Unspun has not disclosed blend ratios, performance specs, or commercial testing details.
At the University of Colorado Boulder, researcher Laura Devendorf received two National Science Foundation grants totaling nearly $2 million to make complex woven technologies more reproducible. The larger award, $1.46 million, will expand AdaCAD, her open-source software for parametric weave design, into a self-sustaining ecosystem with workshops and residencies. A separate $500,000 grant addresses the difficulty of replicating functional textiles across different looms. This problem became clear when an electromagnetic installation by Devendorf, artist Elizabeth Meiklejohn, and researcher Irene Posch was lost in the mail; despite documented instructions, they couldn't recreate the original weave quality. Devendorf noted that perfect replication may be impossible, but constraints could offer some guarantees.
Oeko-Tex is restructuring its governance ahead of the EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, which takes effect Sept. 27. The directive requires private sustainability labels to use third-party monitoring independent of both the scheme owner and the company making claims. Oeko-Tex will convert its German GmbH into a public limited company, establish a board of directors, and introduce a Statute of Independence, an Independence Council, and an anonymous whistleblowing system. The changes aim to keep its labels like Standard 100 compliant without altering testing procedures for customers.
German machinery maker Karl Mayer says its Multi-Matic 128 warp-sampling system helped upholstery producer Rohleder cut monthly warping time by 50-60 percent since 2023. The machine, with up to 128 individually controlled yarn guides, automates color changes and can run at 800 meters per minute. Rohleder's designers used it to create a 2,900-thread fabric with 12 colors, which the mill says was previously too expensive to produce.
Eastman is debuting its Naia cellulosic fibers at the Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala from Aug. 18-20. The company will highlight Naia On the Move, a fabric concept using Naia Renew staple fiber with 40 percent recycled content via mass-balance accounting. Eastman positions this for activewear in urban settings, though it named no new partners or orders.
Vibram's new XS Dura outsole compound debuts exclusively on Altra's Torin 9 running shoe, designed for mixed road and trail use. Vibram claims up to 8.5 percent more grip than the previous version, but no testing protocol was disclosed. The compound aims to balance grip, flexibility, and wear resistance. Additional footwear partners are expected in early 2027.
Originally reported by WWD