The world-leading innovation and ideas incubation program for the sports performance market has unveiled a breakthrough in adaptive performance textiles. In partnership with Alpinestars, this year’s Woolmark Performance Challenge winning idea, ‘Vaporate’, harnesses Merino wool to advance auxetic textile engineering in response to growing demand for adaptive, multi-climate performance textiles that deliver full-body support, breathability and the abrasion resistance required for competitive sport.
Developed by performance apparel designer and University of Oregon Sports Product Design Master’s student Chloe Burchard, Vaporate topped a global pool of entries submitted by tertiary students worldwide.
Burchard’s four-piece Vaporate performance-wear innovation features Merino wool blend designs including a base-layer top, jersey, pants and gloves designed for elite downhill mountain bike racing, where athletes demand apparel capable of adapting across climates and intensity. Built on the science of active auxetics and harnessing the Merino wool’s natural moisture management properties, Vaporate showcases the next frontier of wool in adaptive performance wear: breathable performance.
Unlike conventional auxetic textiles that respond to stretch, Vaporate responds to body heat and sweat to create a dynamic, reversible ventilation system suited to high-output sports and elite performance demands. The Merino wool fibre’s natural moisture absorption triggers the material’s honeycomb structure to open, creating ventilation where it’s needed.
The Woolmark Performance Challenge expands the possibilities of what wool can achieve in sport and performance, and this year’s winning concept demonstrates Merino wool’s ability to lead the next frontier of adaptive textile engineering. Vaporate shows how the fibre can meet the demands of modern high-intensity sport while opening new pathways for innovation, reworking moisture-responsive auxetics to support athletes across climates and intensity,” says Julie Davies, General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension at Woolmark. “This year’s group of finalists also delivered an exceptional breadth of ideas, each advancing wool’s potential in high-performance applications and highlighting the global talent driving the future of performance innovation.”
Vaporate was selected by the Woolmark Performance Challenge judging panel and motorsports industry partner Alpinestars, and includes:
- Base-layer top: featuring auxetic zones for targeted moisture management, ultralight compression and bodymapping for shape retention.
- Jersey: with auxetic areas designed to work in sync with the base-layer, delivering moisture outward in a lighweight and breathable construction.
- Pants: made of knitted panels combined with a woven fabric for stretch, durability and zonal moisture management, with additional laser-cut perforations for breathability in high-heat areas.
- Gloves: including auxetic moisture-responsive zones with a nonwoven palm, a French terry goggle-wipe panel and laser-cut palm perforations.
Vaporate draws inspiration from traditional Norwegian base-layers – or Helsetrøye ‘Health Shirts’ –historically used for insulation and moisture management across hot and cold conditions. By re-
interpreting this heritage concept, Vaporate taps into the performance properties of wool – natural breathable, moisture management and comfort – to deliver modern, adaptive performance-wear.
“The Woolmark Performance Challenge sets a strong benchmark for innovation in performance textiles, and this year’s finalists delivered concepts with significant technical depth and a strong understanding of the specific needs of our athletes and consumers” says Alpinestars spokesperson Chris Hillard. “Vaporate was selected for its precise application of moisture-responsive auxetics, offering a relevant solution for competitive riding where heat, intensity and terrain shift rapidly. The quality and diversity across the finalist group demonstrate how Merino wool can be engineered to meet advanced performance requirements”
An additional five finalists from this year’s pool of Woolmark Performance Challenge entrants were awarded Woolmark Research Bursaries, including:
- Jacob Kauff, University of Oregon, USA – Nattara: heat-reactive bio-printed wool performance garments.
- Fabian Korrubel, Amsterdam Fashion Institute, Netherlands – Mycro-Armor: Merino wool and fungal fibre blend with plant-based flame retardants.
- Emilio Martinez, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia – Aeroweave: Merino wool knit with temperature-responsive shape-memory polymers.
- Amogh Ganapathi, IED Milano, India – Aetherdyne: base-layers with precision-engineered knit structures.
- Waikei Tai, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, China – PassionShield: Merino wool hybrid material for fire resistance.
Each recipient of a Woolmark Research Bursary is invited to participate in an Innovator Accelerator Program with Woolmark’s technical experts and supply chain partners, to advance wool’s application in high-performance apparel.
The Woolmark Performance Challenge entries can be viewed on https://www.woolmarkchallenge.com/latest-news/2025-competition/
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Woolmark stands as the global authority on wool. Through extensive industry relationships, it promotes wool as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in premium textile products. The Woolmark logo is one of the most recognised and respected brands, representing quality and pioneering excellence from farm to finished product.