Four more weeks and Material Xperience 2018 will take place in Rotterdam Ahoy, the Netherlands! This year, we show you materials and special items from the world of architecture, interior, fashion & workwear, products, mobility, and graphic & packaging. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll give you a preview of what you can expect in each sector and how to get a free ticket. This week: meet the future of Fashion & Workwear!

Ambassador of the sector Fashion & Workwear
This year, our ambassador for the sector Fashion & Workwear is Marina Toeters, designer and researcher in Fashion Technology at by-wire.net. Toeters operates on the cutting edge of fashion technology and fashion design. Through her website, by-wire.net, she stimulates collaboration between the fashion industry and technicians for a relevant fashion system and supportive garments for everyday use.

Exhibition pieces
Several large exhibition pieces – often never shown to the public before – will be exhibited during the trade fair, showing the visitor a glimpse of the future. What can you expect for the sector Fashion & Workwear?

Print in Motion
These prints, developed by Anouk van de Sande, have an extra dimension. While they look futuristic and digital, they are in fact analogue, consisting of various layers of stretching and transparent fabrics. The prints create an optical illusion by following the movements of the body. The effects are almost theatrical and can make you dizzy.

Smart textiles
Designer and researcher Kristi Kuusk designs sustainable smart textiles. These textiles have integrated functions that respond to, for instance, touch. By integrating sensors, the articles of clothing can give the wearer a massage or light up.

MycoTEX
MycoTEX is fabric made from mycelium, being the roots of mushrooms. This material is incredibly versatile, but was only used for solid materials, up until now. Textile designer Aniela Hoitink created a flexible version that made steps such as weaving and sewing obsolete.

Speaker programme
Wednesday afternoon 14 March, the speaker programme “The Future of Fashion & Workwear” takes place in the Material Xperience theatre. Speakers are Marina Toeters (by-wire.net), Ellen Mensink (Loopalive), and Jef Montes, amongst others. For the full programme, click here.

Materials from our collection
As always, Materia will show the newest materials from its collection. Below you’ll find a preview of the materials in the fashion & workwear exhibition.

Piñatex (ONA691)
Piñatex is a natural textile made from pineapple leaf fibre. The leaves are a by-product of the pineapple harvest, so no extra land, water, fertiliser or pesticides are required to produce the raw material. The pineapple leaves are gathered, decorticated to remove the fibre and processed into a nonwoven textile that is an alternative to leather.

Recurf (ONA658)
The Recurf project by Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences focuses on processing new material combinations made from biobased plastics and textile waste into attractive products for interior and exterior use.

Wood textile (WOO371)
This wood textile consists of a combination of wood veneer and textile. Thanks to the geometric surface finishing of the wood, it becomes flexible, more or less so depending on the size of the shapes.

Want to see more? Click here for the newest materials in our collection!

Visit us
Ready to submerge in material innovation? Material Xperience 2018 takes place from Tuesday 13 March until Thursday 15 March, in Rotterdam Ahoy, the Netherlands. For more information, updates, and a free ticket, click here!