Develop Eco-friendly Yarn and Fabric for Sporty Fashion

As the public values sports and fitness, sporty fashion embodies a new lifestyle characterised by a more casual approach and the integration of sports elements into daily wear. Consequently, there is a growing demand for athleisure that combines functionality and stylish design. Currently, athleisure is primarily made from petroleum-based materials, which offer excellent moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties, as well as ideal shape retention and easy care. However, the non-biodegradability of the materials and the potential generation or disposal of microplastics during production have raised concerns. Given the rising trend of consumers’ preference over environmentally friendly products, HKRITA explores the development of eco-friendly fabrics for athleisure.

Using Eco-friendly Materials to Develop Functional Fabrics

Materials of high-performance athleisure needs to have excellent skin-friendly properties and one-way moisture management to effectively carry away sweat and provide better comfort. Skin friendly natural fibres or bio-based fibres such as cellulose fibres or protein fibres like wool and silk are ideal eco-friendly materials for developing fabrics for high-performance athleisure.

The fabrics developed in this project combines the aforesaid cellulose fibres, protein-based materials, and natural synthetic polymers such as PLA or PHBV as bio-based materials. Based on the selected materials’ fibre characteristics, such as physical properties, hydrophobicity and moisture wicking, this project has developed yarns with specific fibre combinations. By incorporating these yarns into fabric structures through knitting or weaving, the desired one-way moisture management is achieved.

The developed fabrics have passed the AATCC 195 standard and have demonstrated better one-way moisture management performance compared to similar products in the market. The fabrics also provide various functionalities and advantages, including UV protection, antimicrobial properties, durability, washability and ease of care.

By using bio-based materials and employing innovative weaving structures, these fabrics facilitate moisture management without any use of chemical, meeting consumers’ demand for eco-friendly apparel. The fabric manufacturing process is easily adaptable to current industrial operations.

This project received a Silver Medal at the 48^th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. We are currently discussing with interested industry partners regarding licensing terms, aiming to provide an alternative method for producing athleisure in the market in near future.

This project explores different combinations, proportions, and spinning structures of bio-based materials to develop fabrics with excellent performance

This project won a Silver Medal at the 48^th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

Dr Gloria Yao, Director (Project Development) of HKRITA, introduces the project during the Fashion InStyle 2023

The eco-friendly fabric and athleisure are showcased at the Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabric 2023