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.
Thirdlove
Digitally native and female-founded intimates brand Thirdlove has launched TempSync Active: a temperature-regulating sports bra and leggings collection for both exercise and everyday activity.
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“We wanted to create the most modern, breathable sports bra possible and pair it with leggings that work just as hard—using sweat-absorbing, temperature-regulating fabric to keep women dry and comfortable as they move,” said Heidi Zak, co-founder and CEO of Thirdlove. “Most activewear brands focus on getting the leggings right first and the sports bra often comes as an afterthought; as bra experts, we saw this as an opportunity to rethink both.”
Thirdlove’s TempSync Active collection features antimicrobial fabric that’s infused with natural minerals to help manage sweat and regulate one’s body temperature. This collection expands the TempSync line, following the successful 2025 launch of the intimates collection, which drove over $1 million in sales during its first six weeks.
“Performance fabrics have widely been used in men’s activewear, but this and many other fabric technologies have not been widely used in women’s sports bras,” said Ra’el Cohen, co-founder and COO of Thirdlove. “We knew this was a chance to level up the consumer experience, making her day and workouts even more comfortable.”
Spinnova
Finnish sustainable textile company Spinnova has signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Brazilian techwear brand Insider to “secure access” to Spinnova fiber volumes.
“We’re pleased to partner with Insider: a brand that’s redefining fashion by combining style with responsibility,” said Pedro Brito, the senior commercial manager at Spinnova. “This collaboration opens new opportunities for us to bring Spinnova fibers into functional and technological clothing, supporting our shared vision for a more sustainable textile industry and delivering innovative solutions to consumers.”
The LOI outlines a key step in Spinnova’s 2025-26 priorities—creating an ecosystem (see: consortium) to “enable the availability” of its branded cellulosic fiber for the textile materials market, the Scandinavian innovator said.
And with this LOI, Insider becomes the first brand in Latin America to partner with Spinnova—what the partners said reinforces “the brands positioning as a regional leader in sustainability, while expanding its materials innovation roadmap.” To that end, Insider is also “gaining a strategic path” to integrate Spinnova fibers into future collections.
“Our garments are technological and designed to meet our customers’ needs—featuring quick-drying performance, sweat absorption, and temperature regulation—all with the lowest possible environmental impact,” said Yuri Gricheno, co-founder of Insider. “Being the first brand in Latin America to sign this agreement with Spinnova shows how committed we are to leading sustainable textile innovation. This partnership strengthens our mission to keep advancing materials and bring new sustainable solutions to everyday techwear.”
Oeko-Tex x TextileGenesis
Independent certification system Oeko-Tex has partnered with TextileGenesis—a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering owned by technology company Lectra—to “take a future-facing approach” to organic cotton certification.
Following a successful pilot, the companies will continue to develop the platform in continued effort to “ensure that organic cotton claims are easier to manage and verifiable at scale.”
“Oeko-Tex plays an important role in setting trusted standards for organic cotton across the textile industry; we’re pleased to collaborate with the Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton Standard on this initiative,” said Amit Gautam, CEO of TextileGenesis. “By using TextileGenesis’ Fibercoin technology, we are creating a digital chain of custody for Oeko-Tex certified organic cotton and eliminating pdf/paper-based Transaction certificates.”
TextileGenesis’s Fibercoin tool, in effect, creates a digital twin of a particular asset that can be tracked through the value chain. Fibercoins can be used to track fibers, fabrics and garments alike. And given that the digitization of Oeko-Tex’s organic cotton transaction certificates is intentionally designed as a starting point, the collaboration is a natural next step, according to the Swiss system’s CEO, Dr. Alfred J. Beerli.
“Working with TextileGenesis is a key part of how we are moving our certification system into the digital future. Secure, transparent and data-driven processes strengthen the integrity of Oeko-Tex while making certification more efficient and scalable—especially for organic cotton certified by us,” Beerli said. “We see this as a pilot with much wider potential; once established, this approach can be extended step by step to other Oeko-Tex certifications and product groups.”
Looking ahead, the partners predicted that digital platforms will play a vital role in safeguarding trust in textile certifications.
“Real-time transparency and interoperability will be essential going forward,” said Beerli. “Our ambition is not only to keep pace with industry developments, but to actively help shape future-ready certification standards.”
LifeLabs x The Harris Poll
LifeLabs, a materials science innovator in thermally efficient lifestyle apparel, has released consumer research—conducted on LifeLabs’ behalf by The Harris Poll—examining how heat, comfort and cooling technology can influence golf performance and golf apparel preferences.
“Golfers are clearly telling us that comfort and performance go hand-in-hand and that heat can be the difference between finishing strong and cutting a round short,” said Mya Franklin, director of North America business operations at LifeLabs. “Our proprietary performance technology, CoolLife, is a solution that is easily integrated into the design and manufacturing process resulting in a cooling effect designed for long-duration periods of time in sun and heat—exactly what golfers need.”
The poll saw 84 percent of golfers (defined as those who have played golf on an outdoor course or driving range within the past five years) say they’d be more likely to choose a golf apparel brand that uses cooling technology in its fabric. Sixty-eight percent said that if they felt too hot, they’d likely take a break or end a round early, while 73 percent reported that very warm weather negatively affects their performance—including 22 percent who said it has a major negative impact.
“CoolLife isn’t a marketing buzzword; it’s a fabric performance platform that manages heat, enabling golfers to be comfortable for nine, 18 or 36 holes,” said Jordi Beneyto-Ferre, director of textile innovation and sustainability at LifeLabs. “Our goal is to work with brand partners to translate thermoregulating science into golf-ready materials, balancing cooling comfort, breathability and durability to ensure that performance doesn’t drop when temperatures rise.”
