London exhibition ‘Performance Without Toxicity’ opens next month (26 January to end-June) at the Fabrica X innovation gallery in King’s Cross, and as the title suggests, the ‘powerful’ event aims to point the spotlight the technologies now redefining performance wear for a “cleaner, healthier future”.
Vivobarefoot
Organiser The Mills Fabrica points to a global sportswear market — set to be worth $350.45 billion by 2032 — “facing mounting pressure to move away from toxic petroleum-based materials as consumers become increasingly concerned about their health”.
So Performance Without Toxicity showcases the innovators “who demonstrate a roadmap to a future where high performance and environmental health can go hand in hand”.
Topping the bill as lead innovation partner is Japanese technical outdoor and lifestyle apparel brand Goldwin, whose design philosophy centres on the belief that clothing should elevate the harmony between people and the natural world.
The exhibition spotlights breakthroughs from its portfolio companies backed by a corporate venture arm, including a “boundary-pushing” collaboration with London-based brand J.L-A.L.
Other key exhibition collaborators include elastane producer Hyosung, compostable, bio-based shoe producer Balena; regenerative footwear company Lenzing and The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, co-demonstrating bio-renewable materials at a commercial scale; repairer/upcycler United Repair Centre, and footwear innovator Vivobarefoot.
“Collectively, these innovators chart a positive path away from ‘performance at any cost’ toward performance with purpose where advanced materials, circular systems, and human health drive the next era of sport and apparel design”, Mills Fabrica said.
