Affected by tough economic conditions worldwide, 85 year-old Eschler relocated its production of sports textiles to the subsidiary plant in Frommern, Germany, while establishing a centre of innovation and technology in its home of Bühler, Switzerland. The transfer to Germany will be completed by mid 2012.

Specialisation and innovation

Eschler aims to strengthen its market position as a ‘specialist pioneer' by increasing its focus on functional fabrics for elite as well as recreational sportswear, for Ski Alpine and Ski Nordic.

The company says the new focus on outstanding, highly innovative fabrics is of course, strongly reflected in its sportswear collection 2013. The company will no longer produce circular knitted fabrics, but concentrate on warp knits and special laminates within its well known three layer Eschler Comfort System (ecs).

The refocusing of the brand also includes a severe reduction of the company's product range.

e1 FLASH - innovative, unique, individual

Elastic warp knits are the key focus of Eschler's new winter collection. The brand extends its Flash double-layer product category, which merges a polyamide/elastane outer and a polyester material on the inside.

Eschler claims "the unique combination ensures outstanding moisture management, abrasion resistance and aerodynamics". For added comfort, Eschler says it adapts the fabric individually to the client's request and carbon fibres can also be integrated for further optimisation of temperature management.

Eschler also offers Flash with coldblack, the special fabric finishing technology by Switzerland's Schoeller Technologies which reduces heat build-up and provides reliable protection from UV rays. Coldblack is said to reflect infrared heat rays, causing the fabric to heat up less and thus significantly optimise heat management. Flash is also available with carbon fibres as well as coldblack.

Eschler is also introducing smooth, structured polyester/elastane fabrics in this category, which feature a very fine, tight surface structure. The company says the fabric is therefore opaque as well as snag resistant, important properties especially after printing or for unprinted (white) textiles.

Flash fabrics are said to be ideal for transfer printing since they have great colour absorbing properties and are thermo stable, meaning that the fabric will therefore not shrink during the printing process.  

e3 - laminates with ceramic coating

Always determined to develop new innovations and to enhance the performance of athletes, Eschler integrates its expertise from professional skiwear in its coherent range of high fashion laminates for luxurious skiwear. With many new fabrics, the polyurethane foam laminates are a highlight in its winter 2013/14 collection.

Foam laminates are a special Eschler construction and are said to have great stretch quality, are hydrophobic on the outside and offer very good air permeability.

"It certainly is a hard task to fulfil: the demand of comfortable sportswear fabrics, which simultaneously offer robustness and durability - even with extreme rubbing friction. Eschler has put much pioneering work in uniting the contradictive requests," Eschler says.

The Swiss knit brand now also offers foam laminates with a ceramic coating and says it can therefore present the perfect synergy of high wearer comfort and resistance to mechanical wear. The diamond-hard ceramic particles can be applied on all e3 laminates and customers can therefore order the same fabric with or without ceramic coating.

"New, exciting surface structures underline the broad scope for design within this outstanding Eschler competency," the company says.

The e3 laminate range includes weight classes from 320 g/m² to 450 g/m².

Junior ski racing

Eschler is known as a pioneer in Alpine and Nordic race wear fabrics and the brand not only delivers special fabrics for the world's best athletes, but also offers an adapted range for juniors.

According to Eschler, young skiers need warmer, more durable and also less expensive versions of the professional race wear fabrics and it has developed a range of new fabrics for the suit manufacturers. These can be ordered in any colour as well as in white for subsequent transfer printing.