Fashion technology firm Unspun has rebranded its 3D weaving platform from Vega to OneWeave, showcasing its ability to turn yarn into 3D textile forms in one go. With bases in San Francisco and Hong Kong, Unspun aims to streamline production, cut material waste, and simplify supply chains with its automated system.
OneWeave uses a method where thousands of yarns are suspended around a core, creating seamless forms that combine fabric making with garment assembly. They've broadened their materials, now offering a 2×1 canvas for items like five-pocket styles and chinos, expanding beyond denim.
Unspun has launched ready-to-dye “blank-canvas” fabrics and a weave with a raised microtexture. They're testing wool and Lenzing Ecovero viscose blends, and a pure Ecovero viscose option. Ecovero is a branded viscose made from certified wood, with traceability ensured by a molecular marker.
These innovations are crucial for Unspun as it competes with traditional woven apparel production. The challenge isn't just forming garment shapes but matching the hand, drape, durability, dyeability, and surface interest of established fabric supply chains. Unspun has shown its tech in collaborations, like making 3D-woven pants with Eckhaus Latta.
The company claims OneWeave can turn yarn into a garment in 20 minutes, though there's no comparative testing data. They haven't shared blend ratios, performance specs, or production volumes for new fabrics, nor if any brands are testing them.
Meanwhile, recent events highlight the challenges of commercializing experimental weaving tech. A lost textile showed the difficulty of reproducing quality designs. Laura Devendorf, from the University of Colorado Boulder, received nearly $2 million in grants to improve the accessibility and reproducibility of complex weaving technologies.
A $1.46 million grant supports the next phase of AdaCAD, a project for open weave drafting principles. Devendorf stresses open access, noting many textile pros are trained on costly proprietary software. AdaCAD is free online, encouraging collaboration among weavers, engineers, and creative coders.
A separate $500,000 grant will tackle reproducing functional textiles across different weaving machines. The challenge is the equipment variations that complicate prototype duplication.
Devendorf's work with an electromagnetic installation, with artist Elizabeth Meiklejohn and researcher Irene Posch, underscored these challenges. After the installation was lost in transit, Devendorf and Posch struggled to match the original weave's quality, despite detailed documentation.
New research will focus on tools to translate a textile's functional needs across various looms. Understanding design changes between prototype and industrial equipment could lead to more meaningful weaving products.
In related news, Oeko-Tex is restructuring to comply with the EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive by September 27. This directive requires sustainability labels to show independent compliance verification.
Oeko-Tex aims to keep its textile and leather labels compliant as the EU tightens regulations on green claims. Under EmpCo, private sustainability schemes must publish requirements, consult experts, and use independent third-party monitoring. Oeko-Tex runs a global certification system through 17 independent institutes in Europe and Japan, covering various certifications.
The reorganization will separate standard-setting from conformity assessment processes. Oeko-Tex plans to convert its German limited liability company into a public limited company, adding a board of directors. Other steps include an Independence Council and an anonymous whistleblowing system for transparency.
Alfred J. Beerli, CEO of Oeko-Tex, stressed trust in consumer protection, saying independent verification is crucial for credibility. The organization assured that testing and certification procedures will stay the same, while external expert consultations will remain part of the standard-setting process.
