Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering what’s changing in how fashion is made, scaled or engineered from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
Unless Collective x South by Southwest
South by Southwest is introducing a new piece of festival lore—this time through fashion.
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The Austin-based conference and festival will debut its first official Filmmakers Jacket this year, produced in partnership with plant-based apparel brand Unless Collective. The limited-run piece is intended to honor the filmmaker’s premiering work at the event while positioning festival merchandise as a platform for experimenting with new materials and design approaches.
Only 350 jackets were produced for the inaugural run, each embroidered “1 of 350” and distributed exclusively to filmmakers screening projects at this year’s festival.
Filmmakers’ jackets have long functioned as cultural markers in film circles, commemorating key moments in a director or producer’s career. SXSW said the new program is intended to build on that tradition while coordinating the collectible with the event’s broader focus on innovation and sustainability.
“SXSW has always been a launchpad for bold ideas and boundary-pushing storytellers. We wanted our first Filmmaker Jacket to embody that energy—and Unless Collective does just that,” said Claudette Godfrey, vice president of film and TV at SXSW. “They embrace the challenge of rethinking fashion with a regenerative lens, unique intention, and endless creativity in an approach that mirrors the spirit of the SXSW Film & TV community and our filmmakers.”
The jacket is entirely plastic-free; made from mid-weight cotton twill, dyed with water-safe color and finished with Corozo nut buttons. The limited run is capped at 350 jackets, each embroidered to read “1 of 350” for presentation exclusively to filmmakers premiering at this year’s festival. The joint design process between the festival and Unless also led to a 78,000-stitch embroidery across the back—an eyeball, the partners said, as “a recurring and iconic cinematic symbol with the SXSW logo set as the pupil at its center.”
Unless, which was acquired by Under Armour in 2024, has positioned itself around regenerative design principles that eliminate synthetic materials. The brand produces footwear and apparel entirely from plant-based inputs, framing the approach as a means toward garments that can safely return to the earth at end-of-life.
“Being selected by SXSW is an incredible honor and it shows just how fast new standards can move when culture leads,” said Eric Liedtke, founder of Unless and chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategy at Under Armour. “This jacket is built for the moment and built to return to the earth when the moment passes.”
SXSW and Unless plan to showcase the jacket during the festival at the official Film & TV Clubhouse, where badge holders can view the garment and learn more about the materials and production process behind it. Festival attendees will also be able to purchase select SXSW-branded merchandise created with Unless, including a limited-edition mechanic’s jacket and a Portuguese cotton flannel shirt, available at designated merch stands and online.
SXSW 2026 runs March 12 through March 18 in Austin, Texas.
Lululemon
Vancouver-based athleticwear brand Lululemon is expanding its performance apparel toolkit with a new sweat-concealing fabric technology engineered for high-intensity sport.
The Canadian sportswear company introduced the latest iteration of its ShowZero platform, a yarn-level innovation engineered to conceal visible sweat during activity while maintaining breathability, moisture management and lightweight comfort. The technology works by altering how light interacts with the textile so that the fabric doesn’t visibly darken when wet.
Lululemon said the yarn construction allows sweat to evaporate quickly while preventing the typical visual contrast that appears when garments absorb moisture.
“Our ambassadors play a critical role in how we innovate, which starts with understanding how we can best solve for their unique needs,” said Yuki Aihara, Lululemon’s senior director of product innovation. “We’ve combined advanced sweat-concealing technology with our feel-first design approach to develop a high-performance tennis kit to keep [Tiafoe] feeling confident and focused through even the most intense matches.”
The development was informed by testing with professional tennis player Frances Tiafoe, whose sweat rate, movement patterns and match conditions were studied through in-lab and on-court trials. The resulting kit will debut during the BNP Paribas Open, where Tiafoe will wear a custom burgundy-striped uniform incorporating the technology.
“When I feel and look my best, it helps me perform my best. For someone who sweats as much as I do, it’s amazing to have a kit that keeps me looking fresh from start to finish,” Tiafoe said in a statement. The launch builds on earlier versions of ShowZero introduced in 2024 for golf apparel and signals the brand’s broader push to integrate athlete testing into product development cycles.
Polygiene
Polygiene has introduced a new version of its odor-control chemistry that captures and retains odor molecules within textiles without relying on heavy metals.
The Swedish company’s OdorCrunch2.0 technology traps environmental odor compounds within the fabric’s structure, preventing their release during wear. The treatment can be applied using conventional textile finishing methods (such as padding and exhaust processes) and is compatible with polyester, blended fabrics and natural fibers.
“With Polygiene OdorCrunch2.0, we are strengthening our innovation platform and addressing a rapidly expanding segment of the textile market,” said Sandrine Garnier, CEO of Polygiene Group. “This launch supports our strategy to offer high-performance solutions aligned with evolving sustainability and regulatory requirements worldwide.”
Polygiene said the updated formulation improves odor-absorption capability across a wider range of fabrics while maintaining breathability, appearance, and comfort. The technology relies on a capture mechanism rather than on bacteria-killing chemistry and is formulated without heavy metals or PFAS.
The company positioned the treatment as particularly relevant for garments that are washed infrequently or need specialty cleaning, such as performance apparel or dry-clean-only garments, where reducing wash frequency can extend product life.
Toray Industries
Japanese chemical giant Toray Industries has introduced a new ultra-fine polyester filament designed to replicate the visual depth and texture of luxury natural fibers whilst maintaining the durability and care properties of synthetics.
Toray’s Aurlist fiber uses the company’s proprietary Nanodesign conjugate spinning technology to create ultra-micro filaments with fan-shaped cross-sections roughly one-tenth the diameter of silk. The structure combines polymers with different shrinkage and luster properties, producing a soft loft and diffuse reflection intended to mimic the sheen of rayon or silk.
According to the Uniqlo supplier, the material’s micro-scale triangular cross sections create a subtle raised surface texture and volume that conventional polyester filaments typically struggle to achieve. The company expects the fiber to be used primarily in women’s fashion applications—tops, dresses, bottoms—positioning the material as part of its Toray Premium Gousen select portfolio.
Toray is targeting 130 million Japanese yen ($825,354) in sales by fiscal 2026 and roughly $1.27 million by fiscal 2030, the Tokyo-based company said, as adoption grows across fashion applications.
Kyocera
Kyocera’s textile printing technology made its runway debut at Milan Fashion Week through a collaboration with Italian fashion label Florania.
The brand’s Fall/Winter 2026-27 collection incorporated garments produced with Kyocera’s “Forearth” sustainable inkjet textile printing system, which aims to reduce environmental impact in textile coloration while expanding design flexibility.
The digital printing system enables complex artwork and color gradients to be reproduced on lightweight materials, including satin, stretch tulle, and pleated viscose—simultaneously reducing waste and simplifying production processes.
Kyocera said the technology is designed to support more flexible manufacturing models by reducing reliance on traditional infrastructure and allowing localized production. The partnership marks the fourth collaboration between Kyocera and Florania, whose founder, Flora Rabitti, has positioned the brand around experimental design and sustainability-focused production practices.
