Toray Teijin Frontier and Toyobo Are Quietly Powering High Performance Fashion

Japan’s modern materials leaders Toray, Teijin Frontier and Toyobo have shifted from mass apparel suppliers to high performance, sustainability focused engines that sit behind many of today’s most technical fabrics. As of 2026, these three groups act as benchmarks for circularity and utility in global textiles, from heat tech base layers to recyclable suiting, and comfort science.

Toray: from textiles to tech giant

Toray has evolved into a diversified materials group with a nearly 20 year strategic partnership with Uniqlo, co developing flagship technologies like Heattech and Airism that defined everyday performance wear. That relationship underscores how deeply the company is embedded in functional apparel, from moisture wicking heat generation to ultra-breathable base layers.

The company also supplies Ultrasuede, a non woven, partially plant based material that labels such as A‑POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE use for structural designs impossible with natural leather. In January 2026, Toray raised prices on its carbon fibre intermediates by 10% to 20%, citing energy costs and a weak ¥, signalling both demand resilience and the premium status of its advanced materials.

Teijin Frontier: Solotex and circular thinking

Teijin Frontier positions itself at the intersection of urban lifestyle and environmental responsibility, with Solotex as its flagship fibre. Thanks to a helical molecular structure, Solotex offers soft stretch and shape retention, making it a staple in performance suiting and outdoor gear where comfort and form stability need to coexist.

For Autumn/Winter 2026, the company launched Solotex Delight, a lightweight, stretch fabric engineered without polyurethane to simplify recycling while maintaining performance. Its Bring Material brand runs a fiber to fiber recycling loop that uses PET made of recycled raw materials.

Toyobo: comfort science and 2030 goals

Toyobo distinguishes itself through a scientific approach to comfort, using its TOM‑III sweating mannequin and environmental test chambers to quantify how fabrics actually feel in use. That research underpins materials like Eks, which converts moisture to heat, and Breathair, a 3D anti bacterial structure used in applications that demand cushioning and airflow.

Under its Sustainable Vision 2030, Toyobo is pushing towards mono material products built from a single polyester base instead of complex blends, dramatically improving mechanical recycling efficiency. By fiscal 2026, the company also aims to be certified for Outstanding Health and Productivity Management, leveraging its functional materials in emerging areas like wearable medical devices for pets and elder care.

Why these three matter now

Together, Toray, Teijin Frontier, and Toyobo illustrate how Japan’s textile industry has pivoted from volume apparel to high utility, lower impact materials that power global brands behind the scenes. Their investments in recycling loops, mono material design, and quantified comfort are shaping the next wave of performance fashion, from base layers and suiting to future ready medical wearables.