Milan Fashion Week focuses innovation
Milan Fashion Week highlighted technology and style as the city prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics [https://mondaq.com/italy/intellectual-property/1757334/fashion-technology-and-the-milan-2026-olympics-a-runway-for-innovation]. Technical and smart textiles are taking center stage [https://mondaq.com/italy/intellectual-property/1757334/fashion-technology-and-the-milan-2026-olympics-a-runway-for-innovation]. Italian biomaterials company Vegea celebrated a decade of GrapeSkin, underscoring the focus on sustainable materials [https://sourcingjournal.com/sustainability/sustainability-materials/material-world-italian-innovation-incoming-vegea-1234816794/].
Milan is showcasing technical and smart textiles that enhance performance and offer new functionalities as it gears up for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Italy leads Europe in technical textiles, with production reaching €6.71 billion in 2021 and growing significantly by 2025. This includes smart yarns, advanced paddings and digital tools for circularity. Vegea, founded in Milan in 2014, has developed Vegeatextile, a bio-based technical fabric using grape marc from winemaking. This material utilizes grape skins, stalks, and seeds, transforming 2.5 kg of wet grape marc into 1m2 of material. At full capacity, Vegeatextile aims to convert 11,250 tons of waste per year into valuable products. Global brands are integrating technical textiles into performance wear. Stone Island uses reflective textiles derived from safety wear, while Moncler Grenoble engineers denim and suede with advanced features for mountain protection. These innovations are showcased through exhibits during Milan Design Week and the Olympics season.
