Industry is eager to achieve the hitherto-unimaginable. This has led to a better technological environment. Enterprises are constantly driven to add something new to the existing trade repertoire. There is no place for stagnancy. Textile and apparel industries have also experienced these developments. The business aspirations and customer expectations have changed over the centuries as fashion theories, fabrics, and technology have evolved. Change has become a reality and as a result of this, the world is seeing the advent of new and promising fabrics. These fabrics are a testament to the power of innovation. Fabrics that were once restricted to a particular profession or were limited to a specific range of customers are now easily available. The market is aiming at attracting more customers with the impending arrival of stylish new fabrics made from fruits, fish scales, and spiders.

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Looking at the alternatives to fabrics that result in brutality has become more of a market obligation for the textile sector. The textile world has set its eyes on by-products of the food industry like fish (salmon, eel, etc.) skin and pineapple leaves. These by-products are used as exclusive alternatives to common raw material for apparel and accessories.

Fish skin, which is as tough and as sturdy as leather, is a more compassionate option to snake leather. And, as the textile industry works with the food industry's leftover fish skin, it ensures that fashion turns gentle in years to come. Among other properties, fish skin responds well to dyes. Fish skin is easily available in small pieces and a range of colors, which gives it an edge over leather. Fish skin fashion accessories have garnered huge popularity in the European high fashion circuit, which has led to an increase in demand in other parts of the world as well. Currently, Heidi & Adele, a company producing luxury handbags and accessories, is working on producing handbags, boots, belts, wallets, and similar accessories using fish skin.

Apart from fish skin, pineapple leaf fabric is also getting some rave responses. Pineapple leaf fiber is high textile grade and is commercially used in textiles all over the world. Pineapple leaf fiber is popular in textiles as it easily blends with cotton, jute, ramie, and other synthetic fibers. Among the diverse uses of pineapple leaf fabric are table linen, bags, mats, and hats. Clothing items that need a lightweight but firm and fine fabric also use this fiber. The Philippines is among the oldest manufacturers of pineapple leaf fabric or Pina. The country exports Pina to various parts of the world, most particularly North America and Europe.

Another fresh entrant in the textile world is fabric made from spider silk gene. Though spider silk is protein, it is five times stronger than steel and is three times tougher than Kevlar, - a para-aramid synthetic fiber. The spider silk fiber is proving to be a boon for the technical textile industry. Among the probable applications for this fabric include cables and bulletproof vests. The fibers are also endowed with antimicrobial properties, which make it an apt option for wound patches. Thermal conductivity of spider silk is akin to copper. The mass density of spider silk is one-seventh of copper, making it a perfect heat-management material. Further research on spider silk fiber suggests that the human body accepts the fiber easily and thus, it can be used in medical textiles to produce synthetic tendons or to coat implants.

Not just a passing trend

As prominent designers and brands continue to endorse these fabrics, the global market is expected to see a rush of novel products made from these textiles. Smart fabrics like compression fabric, temperature control fabric etc give a clear clue to the future of these novel fabrics. Just as high-visibility finish or reflective clothing was used exclusively for mine workers' uniforms, and e-clothing that monitors heart rate, stamina etc was part of the sports arena; these fabrics will also find a way into the common man's wardrobe. It is estimated that fish skin, fruit fibre and spider silk can also see a major transition.


According to Malou Koldenhof, co-owner of the Wales-based firm, The Fish Leather Company, "More and more people are becoming interested in fish leather, and we're seeing an increase in sales and inquiries, but at the same time there are still many people who don't know about it. A lot of art and fashion students have shown interest in the material, so perhaps the next generation will use it more."


Like fish skin fabric, spider silk has also been in the news for all the right reasons. Though various companies around the world have not registered success in replicating hundred per cent properties of natural spider silk, the overall scene is positive for spider silk. Textile expert Simon Peers, who co-led the project to produce unique golden cloth after extracting silk filament from golden orb spiders said, "There's scientific research going on all over the world trying to replicate the tensile properties of spider silk and apply it to all sorts of areas in medicine and industry."


In 2013, Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc developed a stronger version of recombinant spider silk. These encouraging developments are predicted to contribute in the exponential growth of spider silk. The market for pineapple leaves fabric has also been responsive. Like other natural cellulose fibres, this fibre too has successfully proven its qualities. This fibre is also popular, considering the ecological advantage that it offers.


Blast from the past

Harking back to the textile industry, there are many fabrics derived from fruits and leaves that have left an indelible mark in the global market. Some of these fabrics have technical usage in textile like hemp, flax, ramie, jute, coir and sisal. The inclination towards plant origin fibres is more than ever. As a result of this, several unconventional plants are being examined to segregate fibres from leaves.


Fish skin leather has been under development for over 20 years and consumers have finally begun to show interest in fish leather accessories. The prejudice against fish leather for its foul smell is also going down as designers work on promoting fish leather as the next big fashion trend. Atlantic Leather, an Iceland fish leather company that started making fish leather two decades ago, is supplying fish leather to several luxury brands. Fish leather is a technique of the past that is being revived as a part of cruelty-free fashion.


The textile market for spider silk is yet to pick up but Axel H Leimer, managing director of a German firm AMSilk, which has started selling spider silk protein to the cosmetic industry believes that large-scale output for products such as fibres and high-performance textiles will come after 2015.

Luxury brands come to fore

Luxury brands like Prada, Dior, Nike, Ferragamo and Puma are producing products made from fish leather. While some of these brands mix fish leather with regular leather, there are makers like Heidi & Adele that are selling products made completely out of fish leather. Puma and Camper are also testing an alternative to leather made from pineapple leaves.


As part of an ongoing research initiated by a Japanese university, Spiber, a fabric using genes from spider silk has been created. The developers aim to create clothes from this fibre, but currently, Spiber is used to manufacture body armour and protective material.


A new era for novel fibres

Textile companies, designers and industry experts believe that 2015 will mark a new beginning for compassion clothing. "There is an expanding and much-needed shift in focus in our industry from looking at a company's own operations to taking responsibility for the entire supply chain. 2015 will bring about more collaboration between industry peers to share the challenges we are facing in developing more sustainable supply chains and combining our collective influence and resources to change the traditional systems in place," says chief sustainability officer and Head of International Institutional Affairs, Marie-Claire Daveu.


Innovative fabrics that are friendly to the environment provide a competitive edge to brands. As awareness about ethical practices in the textile industry gains momentum, finding sustainable options will become an inevitable requirement, particularly with the rise in cost of contemporary fabrics. Brands that create fabrics with the by-products of other industries and offer green fabrics to consumers will emerge as a winner.


References:


1. Theguardian.com

2. Cen.acs.org

3. Ecouterre.com

4. Textileworld.com

5. Wired.com

6. Complex.com


Image courtesy:

1. Whyfiles.org