Portrait

Switzerland’s textiles and clothing industry is a multifaceted and innovative competence centre that has global reach and in recent years has evolved into an internationally functioning hub.

The industry specialises in the development, production and marketing of high-quality, innovative, textile-based products that fulfil today’s demanding requirements and reflect the spirit of our times. Digitised sales strategies and automated, networked production processes accelerate product ranges and communication with the trade, while enhancing transparency for clients. A wealth of unique ideas and high-quality, distinctive products are the foundation of Switzerland’s internationally successful textiles business. Intelligent, interdisciplinary cooperation is powering the industry towards a bright financial future on a global scale

Carl Illi, Präsident Swiss Textiles

Swiss businesses in the textiles industry operate at the interface between creativity and technology – this is unique and offers a broad scope of potential.

Clothing

St.Gallen embroidery and first-class fabrics for both haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion collections have long been pillars of Switzerland’s textiles industry and still underscore the positive image it enjoys today throughout the world. These products meet the highest demands in terms of quality, design and exclusivity, and are featured on the fashion show runways of all the most innovative designer labels in Milan, Paris, London and New York. Swiss textiles are leaders in the fields of underwear, sportswear and workwear, perfectly combining intelligent functionality, maximum comfort and aesthetic design. Swiss clothing manufacturers are versatile drivers of innovation in their market segment and are committed to sustainable production.

Fashionable and high-quality hand-knitted yarns from LANGYARNS for its own creations.

Jennifer Lopez pictured wearing a creation from Versace at the MTV Video Music Awards. The material was produced by Jakob Schläpfer AG. Credits: Keystone: SDA/AP/Chris Pizzello.

The traceable TreeShirt from NIKIN makes the entire supply chain – from the cotton field to the wardrobe – fully transparent. It incorporates the DNA markers developed by Haelixa AG.

Fabric for shirts made from Merino wool by Weba Weberei Appenzell AG. These fabrics are highly comfortable to wear and they also neutralise odours.

Ski jacket with HYDRO_BOT technology eliminates perspiration at the touch of a button. Jointly developed by Schoeller Textile AG, Osmotex, Kjus and Empa.

Clothing that can be composted. F-ABRIC from Freitag lab ag.

Edelweiss design children’s pyjamas from ISA Sallmann AG.

Home Textiles

Renowned Swiss textiles companies have developed items such as bed and table linen, textiles for the kitchen and bathroom, upholstery materials for furniture and carpeting into products of international repute. Hundreds of years of experience combined with the very highest quality standards, ground-breaking technology and leading-edge aesthetics have enabled these companies to successfully set new benchmarks in the industry.

For the BENU TALENT FR velours from Christian Fischbacher, 70 percent of the utilised yarns are obtained from used PET bottles. This high-quality recycled product is weather-resistant and non-fading, and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

“lavie” bed linen from Balsiger Textil AG is made from 100% certified organic cotton.

Carpet made from the wool of black-faced sheep from the canton of Valais. Produced by Ruckstuhl AG.

Terry towelling from Ocean Safe GmbH, awarded the Cradle to Cradle Gold Certificate.

Decorated acoustic curtains give every room an individual touch. Annette Douglas Textiles AG.

Tassels and trimmings for decorating furniture and curtains. tts inova ag.

Technical Textiles

A pioneering spirit and outstanding know-how in the field of technical textiles are giving rise to the development of numerous products that are attracting attention throughout the world. These high-tech textile solutions are focused on the areas of healthcare, transport, vehicle and aircraft construction, building and architecture, and safety. The companies do their research, development and production on their premises in Switzerland. Many of them are among the best and most successful companies in the world in their particular area.

Textile electrocardiogram chest strap that enables reliable and uninterrupted monitoring of the heart rate. Jointly developed by Forster Rohner Textile Innovations, Empa, Serge Ferrari Tersuisse and Unico swiss tex.