Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you can’t have failed to notice the irrefutable rise of what people in the fashion industry are labelling “techwear”, a high-performance offshoot of streetwear and sportswear that has had fabric nerds of an adventurous persuasion in an absolute tizzy. While we were having our collective heads turned as streetwear went all Cinderella and had love affairs with luxury brands, the ugly sisters of performance sportswear and outdoorsy kit were using their time to get busy in the style lab. And, boy, did they get busy.

Techwear is now one of the fastest-growing categories of menswear, fusing high-performance fabric technology with contemporary urban style and lashings of functionality. It’s perhaps the most exciting space in menswear right now, because it’s where true innovation is happening, with new future- and environment-proof fabrics seemingly brought to market every season. Moreover, it’s doing a sterling job of satisfying a generation that is increasingly thirsty for unscripted adventures all over the world, and demand more from their kit.

One of the brands leading the charge has technology running through its Austrian veins. AlphaTauri, the clothing branch of the company that gives you wings, has quickly developed a name for itself among techwear aficionados. Since it launched in 2016, it has already developed a number of unique fabric offerings, such as its entirely seamless 3D knit technology, which uses a 3D Wholegarment® knitting machine developed in Japan to knit a garment in record time, using up to 30 per cent less yarn than traditional knitting methods, and resulting in zero waste. Then there’s Taurobran®, a three-layer ultra-thin nano-engineered waterproof membrane that is unbelievably soft and breathable. Unlike most waterproof fabrics that have a dry crunch to the touch, Taurobran® somehow manages to drape and flow like cotton, making it an outstanding fabric for performance outerwear.

OK, so we’ve waxed lyrical about the technology, but how does it measure on the style barometer? Well, if you like super-clean lines and modern minimalist silhouettes, all rendered in a pared-back colour palette, then you’re in luck. AlphaTauri’s aesthetic is very considered, borrowing from military outerwear in the form of bomber jackets and parkas, and elevating traditional sportswear shapes such as T-shirts, hoodies and jerseys.

The new spring/summer 2023 collection has been specifically designed with well-heeled travellers in mind, fusing the worlds of leisure and adventure: sleek straight-leg cotton chinos paired with 3D-knit merino T-shirts provide the elegantly casual foil to the technical savvy of a packable Taurobran® parka and lightly padded PrimaLoft® jacket. But, then, for the summer traveller who prefers their adventures to come with a star-rating and an infinity pool, there are touches of unapologetic luxury, such as the Seamless 3D Knit Cashmere-Coolmax® Jacket and ridiculously soft Taurobran® Sweat Jacket. Travelling in comfort is clearly high on AlphaTauri’s priority list when you consider the multitude of loungewear riches in this collection, too, from heavyweight hoodies, to signature logo joggers and wool-mix pants. All of the above have been imagined in a colour palette that leans on desert-island tones, including flamingo pink, big-sky blue, mango and flint grey, as well as the signature AlphaTauri navy. Now, your only tough decision is which desert island you’re going to grace in this collection.

The techwear trend is showing no signs of abating. If anything, it’s going to become a n integral part of our collective day-to-day wardrobes, as innovations continue to make sustainability and performance strides. On the merits of this collection alone, AlphaTauri looks to be setting quite the pace.

Chalk waterproof Taurobran® jacket (pictured), £560; AlphaTauri, 171-175 Brompton Road, SW3 1NF; alphatauri.com