There is plenty of green news from PTE 2022 on the apparel front as well. “Our garments,” underlines Valerio Zammarchi, director of Camac, “are the result of organic and sustainable developments. Where there's polyester, it's recycled polyester, and where there's cotton, it's organic cotton. In short, zero-impact fashion.” One of the most exciting new products is the Rnr Rock & Roll line designed by the legendary tattooed Yuri Scarpellini: a new lifestyle range of shorts, also available in batik. Then there are the swimsuits (“the latest addition to the promotional industry”), made from recycled polyester.”

Falk & Ross has embraced the sustainable trend, understood as an awareness of raw materials and production and distribution chains, with an extensive catalogue of clothing in organic cotton that is PFC-free, now enhanced - as explained by Valentina Basile, key account manager - with two new lines: Sg Essentials, young and basic styles, and tag free for easy rebranding (round-neck sweatshirts and hoodies, and polo shirts suitable for high temperature washing) and Sg Signature, also tag free though a more sophisticated, contemporary style (extra fit men's and women's stretch polo shirts, 3-layer softshell and 144 fibre microfleece).

From customisable to bespoke. Is this the future of promotional textiles? This is definitely a trend to think about, heading toward offering customers an increasingly greater service, also provided using configuration software which allows for real-time procedures on the product to carry out an initial rendering to show the customer.

“Our products are extremely wide and varied both in our catalogue,” explains Massimo Acerbi, sales manager of Innova, “as well as in our on-demand range. Through our website, customers can access 3 levels of configuration, which help them formulate a product in real time. The first is graphic, i.e., all neutral catalogue products (ghosts) can be customised with the customer's logo or graphics in order to create a preview. Our website also acts as an archive: customers can log in and access their entire work history. The second step is the 2D configurator, which allows the customer to create a customised product, modifying, for example, the zip, the t-shirt shape, etc. The third step is the 3D configurator, which works with some items and enables customers to design objects such as balls, paddles, etc.”

Pubbli Point has even equipped itself with a tailoring workshop, supporting the main warehouse where catalogue merchandise is stored and available for reorder. For the more demanding customers who love the 'custom' garment, the Battipaglia-based company, in Salerno, official distributor of Th Clothes brand in Italy as of this year, also customises with screen printing, embroidery and heat sealing, as well as providing an all-round graphic support service, with file correction, logo reconstruction and graphic mock-ups of the product. “We want to make it clear to customers that they are not alone” emphasises Entonj Carrano, general manager. “That they’re in good hands with us. That’s why our in-house tailoring department is available to modify the garment. And soon our customisation portal, comevuoi.shop, will be available, where the only limit is your imagination.”