Performance Days, the trade show devoted to functional fabrics, was scheduled to take place in Munich on April 22-30, and was cancelled with no alternative event date due to the Covid-19 crisis. However, a digital fair was put in place that allows the industry to keep informed about the trends for summer 2022, including the show’s Performance Awards. This year’s awards are presented online only, and the Performance Award went to BenQ for its OD677 while the winner of the Eco Performance Award is Stotz for the Ventile Eco 205.
The BenQ OD677 is a 3-layer laminate, designed to combine performance and sustainability. The outer and inner fabric are made from 100 percent recycled polyester and laminated with the PFC-free Xpore membrane, which is made completely solvent-free and without the use of water. The Xpore membrane can be easily recycled together with the unmixed outer and inner fabric.
Stotz’ Ventile Eco 205 coat fabric, described as ideally suitable for use in a sports context, is a blend of 32 percent hemp and 68 percent organic long-staple cotton. Thanks to its densely woven construction, this fabric is windproof. The material, equipped with a PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR), can also withstand a rain shower.
Both winning fabrics are exhibited digitally in the forum highlights of the show’s website. The jury of experts for this atypical edition of the awards met virtually and chose the winners after evaluating more than 1,000 fabrics.
