Fashion
Picanol to exhibit at ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025
Picanol’s next-generation of OmniPlus-i Connect weaving machine will take the stage for the first time
At ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025, Picanol will showcase its next-gen OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machine, setting new benchmarks in energy efficiency and performance.
Visitors can explore four weaving machines, including rapier models, and experience PicConnect, Picanol’s digital platform integrating AI tools for optimized weaving and mill management.
At ITMA ASIA + CITME, Singapore 2025, Picanol is looking forward to unveiling the next-generation OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machine, which sets a new benchmark in airjet weaving technology. This latest evolution of this trusted platform demonstrates how Picanol continues to deliver innovative, performance-driven solutions that meet the evolving challenges of modern weaving mills.
“We’re incredibly excited to be showcasing our latest developments at ITMA ASIA + CITME,” explains Johan Verstraete, Vice President Weaving Machines. “A key highlight is the new OmniPlus-i Connect, which integrates groundbreaking innovations across all four of our design principles. One standout feature, EcoBoost, enables energy savings of up to 1.5 kW per weaving machine. This is a true game-changer for mills that are aiming to reduce operational costs and environmental impact. This is not just evolution – it’s setting a new benchmark.”
Whether you’re focused on airjet or rapier weaving, or you’re looking to accelerate your digital transformation, Picanol’s wide range of solutions are designed to help you stay ahead. Visitors will also get a first look at AI-powered applications within the PicConnect platform, which is Picanol’s centralized digital ecosystem that integrates all digital tools and services in one intuitive interface.
What you can expect to see at the Picanol booth:
- Four weaving machines on display:
· 2 OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machines (new version)
· 1 Supermax rapier weaving machine
· 1 Ultimax rapier weaving machine
- Live demonstrations of PicConnect’s unique functionalities
- Expert insights from the Picanol Sales and Service teams
One Ultimax rapier weaving machine with Jacquard will also be featured at the booth of Vandewiele: Hall 2 booth C301.
Visit ITMA ASIA + CITME, Singapore 2025, from October 28-31, 2025, at Singapore Expo, where Picanol will be located in Hall 2 at Booth C204.
Details of the Picanol weaving machines that will be on display at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025:
1. Ultimax-4-R 360 Coating
The ultimate weaving machine for coating weavers, offering highest possible production speeds, top fabric quality and ease of operation.
Warp: Pes 990 den
Density: 18 ends/inch Drawing in width: 137.8 inch
Weft: Pes 990 den
Density: 18 picks/inch
Highlighted features: • BlueTouch display • Gripper stroke measurement • on-loom Picascope • Free Flight with raceboard (VB)• Smart signal lights • Laserstop
Standard: • BlueBox electronic platform • BlueTouch display • SUMO drive concept • Gripper stroke measurement • Climate monitoring • Shed calculation • PicConnect enabled
Monitor package: • Access control • OptiStyle • Raw material use • AutoSens • Gripper tape monitoring
Optimization package: • Power monitoring • Harness frame stroke measurement & Shed simulation • on-loom Picascope
2. Supermax-12-J 380 Saree
The Supermax offers you the perfect solution for weaving top-quality jacquard fabrics, up to 380 cm.
Warp: Pes 50 den
Density: 190 ends/inch Drawing in width: 151.6 inch
Weft: Pes 150 den
Density: 48 picks/inch
Highlighted features: • Free Flight with raceboard (VB) • Mechanical weft cutter • BlueTouch display • Smart signal lights • Climate monitoring • SUMO drive concept
Standard: • BlueBox electronic platform • BlueTouch display • SUMO drive concept • Climate monitoring • PicConnect enabled
3. OmniPlus-i Connect-2-P 190 Poplin
A proof how a lighter fabric segment can benefit from the OmniPlus-i Connect platform. Digitization, maximum flexibility, very energy efficient and still running the highest speed.
Warp: Cv Ne 30/1
Density: 62 ends/inch Drawing in width: 67 inch
Weft: Cv Ne 30/1
Density: 56 picks/inch
Highlighted features: • EcoBoost • AirStream • EcoWeft• WeavePilot • o-Leno • Blue22 EasySet prewinders
Standard: • BlueBox electronic platform • BlueTouch display • SUMO drive concept • AirStream • Climate monitoring • Shed calculation • PicConnect enabled
Monitor package: • Access control • OptiStyle • Raw material use
Smart savings package: • Power monitoring • AirMaster with integrated air consumption meter • Adaptive Relay Valve Drive (ARVD II Plus)
Automation package: • Pick Repair Automation (PRA II Plus) • Prewinder Switch-Off (PSO) • AutoSpeed • Harness frame stroke measurement & Shed simulation
4. OmniPlus-i Connect-4-D-340 Sheeting
A clear example of a high-end sheeting style. Thanks to the unique Air Tucking-In maximum width flexibility is guaranteed. With the OmniPlus-i Connect, the industrial speeds are lifted to an even higher level.
Warp: Co Ne 60/1
Density: 183 ends/inch
Drawing in width: 118.5 inch
Weft: Co Ne 40/1
Density: 104 picks/inch (double pick)
Highlighted features: • SmartShed Pro • AirStream • Electronic Selvedge System (ELSY Pro)
• Air Tucking-In (ATI) • Pick Repair Automation (PRA II Plus) • BlueTouch display
Standard: • BlueBox electronic platform • BlueTouch display • SUMO drive concept • AirStream • Climate monitoring • Shed calculation • PicConnect enabled
Monitor package: • Access control • OptiStyle • Raw material use
Smart savings package: • Power monitoring • AirMaster with integrated air consumption meter • Adaptive Relay Valve Drive (ARVD II Plus)
Automation package: • Pick Repair Automation (PRA II Plus) • Prewinder Switch-Off (PSO)
• AutoSpeed • Harness frame stroke measurement & Shed simulation
5. Ultimax-8-J 190 Fashion (Vandewiele – Hall 2 booth C301)
Designed to combine ultimate performance and high-quality output. Ready for the sustainability requirements of tomorrow and with a maximum level of digitization
Warp: Pes 68 f24 den
Density: 130 ends/inch Drawing in width: 74.1 inch
Weft: Pes 135 den
Density: 152 picks/inch
6. PicConnect corner
PicConnect is Picanol’s digital platform, offering a wide range of features, from industrial IoT to service-related applications to optimize your machines and manage your weave room.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Published
December 1, 2025
US Black Friday retail sales rose 4.1%, Mastercard SpendingPulse has revealed. But while online surged, in-store visitor traffic was down a separate report from RetailNext showed. That said, both reports showed a better result for apparel than for other sectors.
First, the Mastercard numbers. They exclude autos and are based on the payment cards giant measuring in-store and online retail sales across all payment types.
The company said this year’s event “tells a story of comfort, connection, and savvy shopping” as consumers prepared for meaningful moments with family and friends.
Spending growth on apparel was particularly strong both online and in-store, “suggesting shoppers refreshed wardrobes while leaning into value-driven choices and convenience”.
In fact, apparel climbed 5.7% (online 6.1%, in-store 5.4%), as “chilly temperatures and seasonal deals encouraged spending on new fashions”. Jewelry also rose 2.75% (online 4.2%), “as consumers opted for gifts that shine”.
Overall, e-commerce retail sales excluding autos jumped 10.4%, “as shoppers increasingly value speed and convenience”. In-store sales grew more modestly (1.7%) but “remain essential to consumers for tactile experiences”.
Mastercard also said the surge in online shopping “showcases how technology is transforming the way consumers pay. Shoppers are enjoying seamless checkout experiences across devices, from smartphones to connected home assistants, making holiday shopping faster, safer, and more intuitive than ever before”.
Which leads us on the that drop for in-store shopping traffic. RetailNext said initial data reveals an average of a 5.3% year-over-year decrease for foot traffic across Black Friday and Saturday.
Visitor numbers dropped 3.6% on Friday itself and a massive 8.6% on Saturday. By store type, apparel stores saw traffic down 2.3% across the two days with just a 0.7% drop on Friday and 5.3% on Saturday.
For footwear, the weekend, Friday and Saturday falls were 6%, 6% and 5.9%, respectively. For healthy & beauty they were drops of 4.7%, 2.1% and 9.6%, and for jewelry they were 3.6%, 2% and 6.6%.
“Black Friday 2025 didn’t kill the holiday; it changed how shoppers approached it,” said Joe Shasteen, Global Head of Advanced Analytics at RetailNext. “Foot traffic was down on Friday and on Saturday, but that wasn’t disinterest, it was intention. Shoppers showed they’re done with the impulse-driven, one-day frenzy. Prices, tariffs, and tighter budgets pushed people to shop with discipline, not adrenaline, and they responded by turning Black Friday into a value calculation”.
RetailNext said one of the clearest signals is the 3.6% drop on Black Friday, which was meaningfully better than the 6.2% decline seen from Sunday through Wednesday (23 November to 26 November). It shows that even in a cautious year, “shoppers are still willing to attend major promotional events; they’re simply being more selective about when those events are worth the trip”.
“Despite the declines, Black Friday again delivered the highest in-store traffic of any day this year, reaffirming its role as the anchor of the holiday shopping season, but the weekend’s performance was shaped more by real-world factors than waning interest,” added Shasteen. “Consumers are still willing to shop, they’re just demanding proof it’s worth leaving the house. Retailers who treated November as a month-long build, rather than a single-day spectacle, saw the strongest in-store performance.”
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
A review of the trade and sustainable development provisions of the ITA is under way.
EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Kaja Kallas recently met Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Alberto van Klaveren. Both co-chaired the first EU-Chile Joint Council under the Advanced Framework Agreement in Brussels.
The EU and Chile are committed to deepening their trade and investment relations under the Interim Trade Agreement, which came into force on February 1 and will remain in force until the new Advanced Framework Agreement has been fully ratified.
Both sides will continue to cooperate on ensuring reliable and sustainable supply chains, including through diversification and support to strategic investments.
The first EU-Chile Trade Council meeting was held under the new ITA, according to an EU release.
The EU is Chile’s third-largest trade partner and the top source of foreign direct investment (FDI).
Both sides will continue to cooperate on ensuring reliable and sustainable supply chains, including through diversification and support to strategic investments, a joint statement issued said.
Chile welcomed the interest of the EU in establishing a dialogue with the member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Both parties affirm their ambition to translate this dialogue into a shared agenda.
Both sides remain committed to ensuring the effective implementation of the Advanced Framework Agreement, and to achieving its full ratification.
The provisional application of the EU-Chile Advanced Framework Agreement began on June 1, 2025.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Published
November 30, 2025
Chanel has appointed A$AP Rocky as a new brand ambassador and debuted his tenure with a teaser video shot in New York co-starring Margaret Qualley.
The video appeared Sunday just 48 hours before Chanel’s couturier Michel Blazy will stage his debut collection of Métiers d’Art also in New York. It’s a unique line first created by Karl Lagerfeld that highlights the unique stable of artisans Chanel has assembled in such skills as embroidery, pleating, glove-making and costume jewelry.
Directed by Michel Gondry, the 2.49-minute short opens with the stars waking up in the bed of a walkup apartment in Williamsburg. Where, after a quick peck on her lover’s forehead, Qualley disappears into a tiny bathroom, before magically changing out of her blue nightie and reappearing in a red, white and blue houndstooth Chanel jacket, paired with pale blue pants, her hair in a chignon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=live
No sooner than she has disappeared, than A$AP leaps out of bed and descends the tenement building’s outside steel stairs and sets off on a mad dash after Qualley. This leads to him swimming under the Brooklyn Bridge, and running north through the Lower East Side, before finally catching up with Qualley at Astor Place station. All the action backed up my moody ambient music courtesy of Le Motel.
In between, the rapper and husband of Rihanna, manages to find time to stop in two discount stores to acquire pants and a blazer. Arriving just in time, to genuflect onto one knee, and hold out a small white Chanel box, containing one assumes a diamond engagement ring, at the station entrance. The sight of which leads the actress to leap into the air in paroxysm of joy, before the happy couple march arm and arm back into the subway.
And off one assumes to attend the Métiers d’Art show, which will be revealed on Tuesday, 8 p.m. NYC time.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Duchess Sophie risks security as she breaks protocol for tragic accident
British MP Tulip Siddiq handed two-year prison sentence in Bangladesh graft case
Results are in: US Black Friday store visits down, e-visits up, apparel shines
-
Sports1 week agoWATCH: Ronaldo scores spectacular bicycle kick
-
Entertainment1 week agoWelcome to Derry’ episode 5 delivers shocking twist
-
Politics1 week agoWashington and Kyiv Stress Any Peace Deal Must Fully Respect Ukraine’s Sovereignty
-
Business1 week agoKey economic data and trends that will shape Rachel Reeves’ Budget
-
Tech6 days agoWake Up—the Best Black Friday Mattress Sales Are Here
-
Politics1 week ago53,000 Sikhs vote in Ottawa Khalistan Referendum amid Carney-Modi trade talks scrutiny
-
Fashion1 week agoCanada’s Lululemon unveils team Canada kit for Milano Cortina 2026
-
Tech6 days agoThe Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop Punches Above Its Weight