In June 2025, Milan played host to Challenge the Fabric (CTF) – a high-impact forum that brings together forward-thinking industry leaders, innovators, and change-makers committed to transforming the textile industry. Organised by EKAM Group and the Swedish Fashion Council, CTF 2025 spotlighted next-generation solutions to decarbonise the fashion and textile value chain.
Alchemie Technology was proud to be part of this critical event, showcasing our pioneering work in clean textile dyeing and finishing. As the industry grapples with the environmental cost of conventional processes, Challenge the Fabric posed a vital question: how can we redesign the industry for circularity, scalability, and sustainability?
Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Implementation
Challenge the Fabric is designed to spark dialogue and action across the value chain—from fibre to fashion. With MMCFs gaining momentum as a lower-impact alternative to conventional fibres, the spotlight is now shifting to how these materials are processed and dyed. Alchemie’s mission is to close that gap.
Our Endeavour™ digital dyeing technology enables waterless, precision application of dye onto cellulosic fabrics, reducing energy use by up to 85% and eliminating toxic wastewater altogether. Discovery, our lab-scale testing system, helps brands and manufacturers accelerate development with new fibres, colourants, and finishes.
Our presence at CTF 2025 allowed us to demonstrate how digital dyeing aligns with the push for MMCF adoption and circular design strategies. It also highlighted the urgent need to bring new ideas out of the concept phase and into commercial reality.
Creativity Meets Circularity
This year’s Challenge the Fabric Award provided a fitting example of how design, material science, and innovation intersect. Seven emerging designers were selected to create one look each using just 10 metres of next-gen MMCF fabrics, including Sappi Verve, Ecocell™, Naia™, and others.
The competition encouraged thoughtful, waste-conscious design, using recycled and regenerated fibres to show the commercial and creative potential of circular materials. Petra Fagerström, a Central Saint Martins graduate, took home the top prize with a sculptural coat and skirt ensemble that demonstrated both clarity of concept and wearability.
As a technology company focused on sustainability, we were inspired by how these designers approached the challenge with ingenuity and integrity. The competition underscored a shared belief: the transformation of the textile industry will not come from materials or design alone—it must be supported by innovations in manufacturing processes.
A Collaborative Path Forward
Alchemie’s attendance at Challenge the Fabric reinforced the importance of cross-sector partnerships. Events like CTF bring together designers, fibre innovators, mills, and technology providers to explore how each part of the supply chain can support the others in delivering environmental results at scale.
The conversations we had in Milan confirmed that the demand for clean, digital dyeing solutions is accelerating, especially as more brands adopt MMCFs and recycled inputs. Forward-thinking stakeholders understand that decarbonising and detoxifying the dyeing stage is critical to achieving true circularity.
From Challenge to Change
Challenge the Fabric is more than an event. It’s a call to rethink how materials are made, used, and reused.
We’re proud to be part of this movement—delivering the tools to turn ambitious sustainability goals into measurable outcomes. Through continued collaboration with fibre producers, designers, and manufacturers, we believe we can reshape the future of textile production.
The challenge is clear. The solutions are here. Now is the time to act.
