From the Sector

For the third time, nova-Institute awards the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the frame of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023” (8-9 March 2023). The conference advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste, banana production waste and bacterial pulp, a novel technology for producing lyocell yarns and a hygiene product. The innovations will be put to the vote of the conference audience on the first day of the event, with the awards ceremony taking place in the evening. The innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023” is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

Here are the six nominees
Vybrana – The new generation banana fibre – GenCrest Bioproducts (India)
Vybrana is a Gencrest’s Sustainable Cellulosic Fibre upcycled from agrowaste. Raw fibres are extracted from the Banana Pseudo stem at the end of the plant lifecycle. The biomass waste is then treated by the Gencrest patented Fiberzyme technology. Here, cocktail enzyme formulations remove the high lignin content and other impurities and help fibre fibrillation. The company's proprietary cottonisation process provides fine, spinnable cellulose staple fibres suitable for blending with other staple fibres and can be spun on any conventional spinning systems giving yarns sustainable apparel. Vybrana is produced without the use of heavy chemicals and minimized water consumption and in a waste-free process where balance biomass is converted to bio stimulants Agrosatva and Bio Fertilizers & organic manure.

HeiQ AeoniQ™ – technology for more sustainability of textiles – HeiQ (Austria)
HeiQ AeoniQ™ is the disruptive technology and key initiative from HeiQ with the potential to change the sustainability of textiles. It is the first climate-positive continuous cellulose filament yarn, made in a proprietary manufacturing process and the first to reproduce the properties of polyester and nylon yarns in a cellulosic, biodegradable, and endlessly recyclable fibre.
HeiQ AeoniQ™ can be manufactured from different cellulosic raw materials such as pre- and post-consumer textile waste, biotech cellulose, and non-valorized agricultural waste, such as ground coffee waste or banana peels. It naturally degrades after only 12 weeks in the soil. Each ton of HeiQ AeoniQ™ saves 5 tons of CO2 emissions. The first garments made with this innovative cellulosic filament fiber were commercially launched in January 2023.

TENCEL™ LUXE – lyocell filament yarn – Lenzing (Austria)
TENCEL™ LUXE is LENZING’s new versatile lyocell yarn that offers an urgently needed sustainable filament solution for the textile and fashion industry. A possible botanical alternative for silk, long-staple cotton, and petrol-based synthetic filaments, is derived from wood grown in renewable, sustainably managed forests, and produced in an environmentally sound, closed-loop process that recycles water and reuses more than 99 % of organic solvent. Certified by The Vegan Society, it is suitable for a wide range of applications and fabric developments, from finer high fashion propositions to denim constructions, seamless and activewear innovations, and even agricultural and technical solutions.

Nullarbor™ – Nanollose & Birla Cellulose (Australia/India)
In 2020, Nanollose & Birla Cellulose started a journey to develop and commercialize tree-free lyocell from bacterial cellulose, called Nullarbor™. The name derives from the Latin “nulla arbor” which means “no trees”. Initial lab research at both ends led to a joint patent application with the patent “production of high-tenacity lyocell fibres made from bacterial cellulose”.
Nullarbor is significantly stronger than lyocell made from wood-based pulp; even adding small amounts of bacterial cellulose to wood pulp increases the fibre toughness. In 2022, the first pilot batch of 260kg was produced with 20 % bacterial pulp share. Several high-quality fabrics and garments were produced with this fibre. The collaboration between Nanollose & Birla Cellulose now focuses on increasing the production scale and amount of bacterial pulp in the fibre.

Circulose® – makes fashion circular – Renewcell (Sweden)
Circulose® made by Renewcell is a branded dissolving pulp made from 100 % textile waste, like worn-out clothes and production scraps. It provides a unique material for fashion that is 100 % recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and of virgin-equivalent quality. It is used by fibre producers to make staple fibre or filaments like viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate or other types of man-made cellulosic fibres. In 2022, Renewcell, opened the world’s first textile-to-textile chemical recycling plant in Sundsvall, Sweden – Renewcell 1. The plant will eventually reach 120,000 tons of annual capacity.

Sparkle sustainable sanitary pads – Sparkle Innovations (United States)
Globally, around 300 billion period products are discarded every year, resulting in millions of tons of non-biodegradable waste. Since most conventional sanitary pads contain up to 90 % plastics, they do not biodegrade for around 600 years. Sparkle has designed sustainable, plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable Sparkle sanitary pads. From product to packaging, they are made up of around 90 % cellulose-based materials with top sheet, absorbent core, release paper, wrapping paper and packaging made of cellulose-based fibres. Whether Sparkle pads end up in a compost pit, are incinerated or end up in a landfill, they are a more sustainable alternative compared to conventional pads that contain large amounts of plastics, complex petro-chemical based ingredients and artificial fragrances. When tested according to ISO 14855-1 by a leading independent lab in Europe, Sparkle pads reached over 90 % absolute biodegradation within 90 days in commercial composting conditions.

Kornit Digital LTD. (NASDAQ: KRNT) ("Kornit" or the "Company"), a market leader in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies, announced its partnership with VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub, Zalando, and Unity – creating an "alliance of the willing" to transform the industry via "phygital" fashion with a circular approach.

Nine designers were challenged to create fashion capsules in eight weeks utilizing the latest technology innovations from the three alliance partners – combining digital product creation, web3-based design, digital printing, immersive circular design, 3D rendering and avatar development. All collections are on display exclusively at Berlin Fashion Week from Wednesday, January 18 to Friday, January 20 at Bikini Berlin.
 
The challenge follows standing room only Kornit Fashion Week events across the globe, displaying how on-demand, digital production creates a fashion world of nearly endless creativity. Hosted at the Impact Hub Berlin, the VORN Academy Program offered creators access to a holistic technology toolset - including the advanced Kornit Presto MAX single-step solution for direct-to-fabric sustainable printing. Some of the prominent designers taking part include costume and fashion designer Alexis Mersmann, Judith Bondy, AR and NFT artist Ann-Britt Dittmar, Berlin-based director Tanja Bombach, Nina Jurcic, Olga Boncheva, digital artist, and fashion designer Schirin Negahbani, Johann Erhardt, and Israeli designer Idan Yoav.
 
"This collaboration across four industry leaders is so unique because the result is a sum so much greater than each of its individual parts. It's a true 'alliance of the willing' that opens doors to 'phygital' collections built at the intersection of digital fashion, 3D design, and on-demand production," said Omer Kulka, Chief Innovation Officer at Kornit Digital. "We're honored to team with VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub, Zalando, and Unity during Berlin Fashion Week to demonstrate what's possible as the physical and virtual fashion worlds come together."
 
"When we launched the Berlin Fashion Hub, our intent was to create a B2B environment to spark unmatched fashion and sustainability innovations. As Berlin is one of the world's most important fashion and textile centers, there is no better place to demonstrate economically succesful circularity in the fashion industry," said Professor Marte Hentschel, Co-Founder at VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub. "Together, we're changing fashion to drive sustainability and harness the creative power of both the physical and virtual. We're proud of what's been accomplished in conjunction with an incredible group of designers, creators, and partners."

The international fashion sourcing platform Source Fashion, taking place from 12th – 14th February at Olympia London, has announced a compelling line-up of country pavilions and over 150 audited, quality manufacturers from around the world including Peru, India, China, Pakistan, Italy, Spain, Greece, North Macedonia,  the UAE, Madagascar, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, the UK and many more who will join the inaugural show, which runs parallel to Pure London.

Bringing a textile pavilion to the UK for the first time, the Peru Pavilion will showcase six manufacturers specialising in high-quality alpaca wool from the raw material right through to garment production, as well as cotton and other natural mixtures.

The main Indian Pavilion at this year’s Source Fashion, in collaboration with the Wool and Woollens Export Promotion Council, will showcase 20 established garment and textile exporters specialising in wool, woollen and acrylic fibres. The exhibitors will be showing full garments including men’s, women’s and kidswear as well as a selection of fabrics and raw materials. These exhibitors are regular export partners to the UK retail industry and already work with some big retailers in white label production.

The China Pavilion will present a selection of high-quality Chinese manufacturers ranging from full garment manufacturing through to raw materials, fabrics, cashmere and components.

Other producers and manufacturers attending Source Fashion from across Europe and the UK include:

• Mivania - an Italian knitwear manufacturer producing garments in 100% cashmere and cashmere blends.
• SATCoL (Salvation Army Trading Company) - a charity-owned textiles collector in the UK, actively working with retailers to reduce their carbon footprints.
• Kusilas - a Spanish company monitoring all the stages of the production process.
• Prime Casual - based in Leicester, UK, they specialise in the design and manufacture of ladies clothing from fast fashion, wholesale to bespoke tailoring.
• Athos Pallas - a fashion and textile agency located in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The 11^th edition of India ITME 2022, a textile engineering and technology B2B Exhibition, was hosted in IEML, Greater Noida, U.P. under participation from 68 countries. It showcased more than 1600  Live machinery and unveiled 69 new products.

After a gap of six years, the event recorded a high flow of quality visitors - approx. 87,400 unique visitors - which included industry members, technocrats, academicians, students and government officials apart from the delegations from 13 countries lead by senior officials of respective country who are looking to engage with India as sourcing and trade partner for developing their textile industry.

The high-profile technology & engineering exhibition for textiles witnessed participation from leading Indian institutes for textile engineering such as VJTI Mumbai, DKTE Ichalkaranji where MOU’s were signed for knowledge exchange with Swiss Textile Machinery Association and Italian Textile Machinery Association, paving way for collaboration not only in business but also in technical education.

The six-day event carried forward its theme “Empowering Textile Through Technology” encouraging indigenously developed innovations and research by Indian companies.

The six-day event set the foundation for upgradation and modernization of the textile industry of India which is the 2nd largest employment generation sector after agriculture.

California born and bred, Tillys is one of fashion’s leading specialty casualwear retailers. And now, thanks to its collaboration with Recover™ , their premium denim brand RSQ, it is set to become a leader of sustainable fashion.

The three brands – Tillys, Recover™ and RSQ – have come together to create a sustainable capsule collection. The new collection includes classic-inspired denim, a tee, and an on-trend chore jacket, all of which contain a minimum of 20% of Recover’s low-impact recycled cotton fiber. To shop the exclusive Recover™ pieces in the RSQ collection, go to tillys.com or visit one of Tillys stores across 33 states.

To bring this collaboration to life, textile waste has been salvaged that would otherwise end up in a landfill to create high-quality recycled fiber that Tillys used to produce its premium-quality RSQ collection. Using recycled fiber significantly reduces the carbon and water footprint compared to apparel made with virgin fiber. This collaboration models how post-industrial textile waste can be integrated back into the system creating a more sustainable production model.

“We are delighted to celebrate this new partnership with Tillys, helping to reduce the environmental impacts created by the fashion industry and pave the way towards a more sustainable future.”
– Alfredo Ferre, CEO Recover™

FIRE+ICE and POW (Protect our Winters) celebrate an exclusive collaboration to protect the climate. POW advocates for sustainable winter sports with the goal to bring outdoor enthusiasts and climate protection together.

The unisex “GREGORY VARSITY SKI JACKET” features an exclusive print by renowned American artist Gregory Siff and is limited to 350 pieces. True to FIRE+ICE's DNA, the jacket is a mix of style and performance: a casual varsity jacket with special technical features that guarantee best performance. The jacket is sustainably made from ethically sourced wool and recycled nylon, which is also windproof and waterproof.

After the success of last year, FIRE+ICE is cooperating with the US label LoveShackFancy for Fall/Winter 2022 for the second time. “Le Grand Chalet” collection provides an effortless look that crosses from mountain to city.

Technical performance wear meets floral fashion styling in this new FIRE+ICE x LoveShackFancy collaboration that nods to the opulence of 80s French ski fashion. This new capsule pairs bold bright prints and French-inspired ditsy florals with impeccably crafted outerwear. With a fresh perspective on styling plus palettes of vibrant tones and pastel hues, this collection includes every layer of winter wear, including jackets, coats, leggings, ski bibs, accessories, shoes, and more, all with exclusive new FIRE+ICE x LoveShackFancy prints.

Whether on the slopes or on the streets, this elevated winter collection merges FIRE+ICE’s technical performance gear with LoveShackFancy’s iconic feminine floral style resulting in an innovative yet elegant collaboration.

Aim: Reducing returns and thus increasing sustainability in fashion e-commerce

Hohenstein, a global market leader in apparel sizing and fit development, has invested in AI technology startup, Sizekick. The collaboration will enable accurate decisions on apparel size, improving online shopping experiences, reducing returns and preventing the associated CO2 emissions.

Hohenstein’s 1.3 million Euro investment in the 2022 startup will drive growth in the Sizekick team and enable the 2023 launch of its smartphone app for online shoppers.  The technology will enable online shoppers to find the right clothing size in a few seconds via smartphone.

Sizekick puts an end to unnecessary size-related returns in fashion online retail. The Munich-based company uses artificial intelligence and computer vision technology to recommend the right clothing size to customers in partner web stores. With the help of the integrated Sizekick software and a smartphone, anyone can find the right size in a few seconds. Fashion and sports brands, but also multi-brand stores or marketplaces can integrate the "Sizekick Button" in their online store. Sizekick offers its solution as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

"The strategic partnership with Hohenstein enables us, as a new AI solution, to meet the high demands of the market right at the start and to take on the role of technology leader. Our artificial intelligence is already learning thanks to the comprehensive Hohenstein database of 3D body scans. This is an extremely big advantage for our AI," highlights Jake Lydon, CTO at Sizekick.

• Future plans for the nonwovens market

The two companies will develop sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ PHA and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ PLA technologies NTR and CJ Biomaterials

CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and NatureWorks, an advanced materials company that is the world’s leading producer of polylactic acid (PLA), have signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) that calls for the two organizations to collaborate on the development of sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ Biodegradable Polymers and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymers. The companies will develop high-performance biopolymer solutions that will replace fossil-fuel based plastics in applications ranging from compostable food packaging and food serviceware to personal care, films, and other end products.

The initial focus of this joint agreement will be to develop biobased solutions that create new performance attributes for compostable rigid and flexible food packaging and food serviceware. The new solutions developed will also aim to speed up biodegradation to introduce more “after-use” options consistent with a circular economy model. The focus on compostable food packaging and serviceware will create more solutions for keeping methane-generating food scraps out of landfills, which are the third largest source of methane emissions globally, according to World Bank. Using compostable food packaging and serviceware, we can divert more food scraps to composting where they become part of a nutrient-rich, soil amendment that improves soil health through increased biodiversity and sequestered carbon content.

CJ Biomaterials and NatureWorks plan to expand their relationship beyond cooperative product development for packaging to create new applications in the films and nonwoven markets.  For these additional applications, the two companies will enter into strategic supply agreements to support development efforts.

Renaissance Textile in Laval, France has successfully started up a complete textile recycling line, delivered, installed, and commissioned by ANDRITZ Laroche, part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.

The ANDRITZ textile recycling equipment enabled Renaissance Textile to become the first French recycling platform dedicated to industrial end-of-life textiles. The project aims to produce new fibers from the collected post-consumer apparel, which will be used to weave new recycled fabrics in the end.

The new 12,000 m² plant is equipped with a complete tearing line whose design is the result of close collaboration between R&D specialists from ANDRITZ Laroche and Renaissance Textile, as well as customized trials carried out jointly by the two parties at the ANDRITZ technical center in Cours, France.

The new clothing produced based on this type of circular economy model thus reflects the social and sustainability commitments of Renaissance Textile in terms of decarbonizing the textile industry, the fight against global warming, autonomy in raw material sourcing, and promotion of local staffing, particularly for people who have been unemployed for a long time or are seeking to enter the labor market for the first time. By 2025, for example, Renaissance Textile plans to create no less than 110 direct jobs.