Textile & Design

The textile sector plays a key role in the economy as it is one of the largest globalized markets in the world, estimated at $220 billion. The industry is expected to grow to nearly $370 billion by 2032.

India is the leader in the textile industry, but the sector has also experienced unexpected growth in China thanks to an increase in consumption by the middle class. Attention paid to quality by Italy and Europe has cushioned the impact of Asian competition.

Rapid changes have been pushing the textile industry to evolve in the field of automation with a growth of $346.92 million between the years of 2020-2024. The most automated countries are South Korea, Singapore, and Japan. The slowest area in the field of automation is Europe.

Technology, in addition to promoting productivity, improves the distribution and use of products by reducing their environmental and social impacts in the logic of turning green.

Some companies have reconverted their production processes by investing in innovative and sustainable materials, such as bio-based fabrics, whose added value is given by biodegradability and the use of renewable raw materials to preserve the environment. Examples include fabrics from food and vegetable waste.

In addition to the production of eco-sustainable materials, innovations are needed to avoid overproduction and waste. For example, lasers reduce the use of chemicals and water consumption by 60% and help to avoid waste.

Future scenarios see an increase in 3D printing and the demand for technical and intelligent fabrics in the fields of sports and medicine, with a growth forecast at a CAGR of 30.4% by 2025.

Many companies that are aware of the role of e-commerce are setting up innovative platforms. Live-stream-commerce, which combines live streaming, e-commerce, and entertainment, will reach 20% of total retail sales in 2023, reducing time, costs, and waste.

Within this, design contributes to change in the textile sector thanks to new and increasingly innovative strategies and technologies for the creation of products based on the logic of sustainability. From digitally knitted shoes to fabric-covered consumer electronic products, design is already making revolutions.

Its contribution is also essential in the design of new machinery based on safety, ease of use, reliability, perception of value, and aesthetic quality.