Germany’s Suedwolle Group has collaborated with Chinese seamless garment specialist UTO and The Lycra Company on a performance activewear collection incorporating polyester fibre produced entirely from textile waste.
Presented at Performance Days in Munich on 13–14 October, the collection uses a yarn combining ultrafine Merino wool, Coolmax EcoMade recycled polyester fibre and a fine polyamide filament.
Merino Blend Combines Comfort and Performance
Developed through Suedwolle’s Suedwebs Innovation Hub, the yarn serves as a common material platform for several sportswear applications.
According to the companies, the Coolmax EcoMade polyester component is produced through textile-to-textile recycling using 100% textile waste as its feedstock. It provides moisture management and quick-drying properties, complementing Merino wool’s natural thermoregulating and moisture-buffering characteristics.
The polyamide filament contributes durability and stability during processing. Together, the components are intended to balance next-to-skin comfort with the functional requirements of activewear.
Seamless Knitting Adapts One Yarn to Multiple Sports
UTO has used seamless knitting technology to develop base layers and garments for yoga, tennis and golf. The process allows fit, freedom of movement and functional characteristics to be engineered into the knitted structures, reducing reliance on conventional cut-and-sew construction.
The applications place different demands on the yarn. Base layers emphasise moisture management and temperature regulation, while yoga garments require flexibility and close-fitting comfort. Tennis clothing must accommodate intensive movement and perspiration, and golf apparel needs to provide comfort over longer periods and in changing conditions.
The project illustrates how yarn engineering and knitted construction can adapt a shared material platform to different performance requirements.
The partners have not disclosed the proportions of Merino wool, recycled polyester and polyamide in the yarn, or the overall recycled content of the finished garments. The 100% textile-waste feedstock claim applies specifically to the Coolmax EcoMade polyester component.
