From the Sector

Archroma today announced that Vietnam-based Tuong Long Co. Ltd (“Tuong Long”) is the first denim manufacturer in Vietnam to switch 100% of its production to Archroma’s aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo.

Tuong Long Co. Ltd is a textile manufacturer based in Vietnam, whose plant is located near Ho Chi Minh City and employs 600 people producing up to 18,000,000 meters of fabric per year. Tuong Long manufactures and trades woven fabrics, particularly denim and khaki, stretch and non-stretch, for apparel brands in the USA, Japan, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Archroma’s Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was first launched in May 2018 as a non-toxic way to produce the traditional, iconic indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans.

During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons annually, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. As a result of its toxicity (more hazardous than alkylphenols) it is now starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers.

The new Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liq was therefore developed as an aniline-free* indigo solution for designers, manufacturers and brand owners who long for authentic indigo inspiration.

First showing of game-changing technology at a European tradeshow includes the recently launched Kornit Atlas, Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro and Kornit Presto
Kornit Digital (Nasdaq: KRNT), a worldwide market leader in digital textile printing technology, has announced details of its corporate presence at Fespa 2019 which will take place in Munich, Germany, May 14-17.

Kornit’s exhibit will focus on the game-changing technology that was unveiled in the beginning of the year and will now be on display for the first time in a tradeshow in Europe: the Kornit Atlas and the Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro. The presence will be complemented by a Kornit Storm HD6, a direct-to-fabric sample area featuring prints from Kornit’s upcoming Presto system and an installation of Colorgate’s Textile Production Server for Kornit.

The Kornit Atlas is a heavy-duty system created for super-industrial garment decoration businesses. It is designed to deliver a typical annual production capacity of up to 350,000 impressions, optimizing production efficiency and cost of ownership. The Kornit Atlas is aimed at highly productive garment decorators, mid to large size screen printers and innovative businesses looking to combine state-of-the art technology with lowest cost of ownership, making it easier than ever to address the requirements of leading and mid-sized brands, as well as new generation digital brands. The Kornit Atlas uses water-based Kornit NeoPigmentTM Eco-Rapid Inks which are eco-friendly, GOTS approved and OEKOTX certified, and serve as the main driver of the retail quality prints.

• Lenzing’s mission: Greening up the value chain
• Putting the Sustainable Development Goals into practice
• Partnering with US brands in Earth Day campaign to plant trees

For the Lenzing Group, sustainability is a core value, key business driver and stimulus for innovation. In its new Sustainability Report, which will be sent from Earth Day, April 22, readers will learn about the wide range of activities the company is engaged in pursuing its mission of greening up the value chain. The Report is entitled “Partner for Change”, a concept that also inspires the latest TENCEL™ campaign on occasion of Earth Month, launched on April 1, 2019 and continuing until April 30, 2019.

Sustainability is an increasingly important element of Lenzing’s brand promise. The current TENCEL™ Earth Month Campaign “From Trees, For Trees” is a brand collaboration supporting the replanting of trees in the California forests recently devastated by last year’s wildfires that burned over c of forest. From April 1 to April 30, 2019, TENCEL™ brand invites the public to get involved in helping them donate trees by liking and sharing Earth Month related posts on their branded Instagram channel as well as their retail partner’s Instagram channels (https://www.tencel.com/earth-day).

• Exclusive market insights, best practices and inspirational thoughts, alongside previews of Kornit’s new dedicated polyester printing technology

Kornit Digital, (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global market leader in digital textile printing technology, invites all textile printers, garment decorators, Kornit users, prospective customers and anyone who is curious about the latest trends and technology in digital textile printing, to its “Kornit Discover” events.

Taking place April 3-4 in the New York Metropolitan area, April 11-12 in Duesseldorf, Germany and April 15-17 in Hong Kong, each event will feature educational workshops with real-world insights delivered by high-level guest speakers. Highlighting the North American event will be a keynote by Breakaway Sports owner Scott Goldstone, multiple case study presentations, and a panel discussion with editors of key publications serving the imprinted apparel industry. The European event will feature a keynote called “The Future of Retail” by futurist Kai Gondlach, a digital transformation review of the textile industry by Tansy Fall, editor-in-chief of Digital Textile 4.0 and an insightful chat with Kornit user Shirtracer, Nuremburg. The Asian instance will feature Ron Gilboa as main speaker and Kornit’s customer Paintory.

Omer Kulka, Kornit Digital’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy, said: “There are still a lot of perceptions and opinions in the market about direct-to-garment printing and what its opportunities and limitations are. Printing on dark polyester is a prime example: there is an opinion in the market that digital printing and dark poly don’t go well together, and we just lifted this barrier. With Kornit Discover, we are creating an industry event that will challenge these established thinking patterns. In fact, we will transform the way visitors think and print!”

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a company that develops, designs and markets innovative digital printing solutions for the global printed textile industry, today announced it has received an order from DTG2Go, a Delta Apparel, Inc (NYSE American: DLA) company and leader in the direct-to-garment printing and fulfillment marketplace.  
 
The order follows several months of beta-testing of the recently released Kornit Atlas system by DTG2Go, during which Kornit was able to showcase the enhanced features of the most advanced industrial direct-to-garment solution available on the market.  Key features of the Atlas include high volume throughput, attractive cost of ownership and featuring the new NeoPigment™ Eco-Rapid inkset specifically designed for sustainability and retail-quality digital textile printing. Per the agreement, DTG2Go will take delivery of 10 Atlas systems in 2019, along with a significant number of HD upgrades for DTG2Go’s existing Kornit Avalanche systems.  
 
Kornit’s Chief Executive Officer, Ronen Samuel commented, “We are honored to expand our partnership with Delta Apparel as a key technology supplier as they expand their reach with digital printing. Delta’s unique platform strikes at the core of the changing needs in the retail supply chain, by offering a vertically-integrated digital print fulfillment model with quick delivery at an affordable price. The inclusion of the Atlas will greatly enhance the options and capabilities that Delta will be able to offer its customers. The all-new industrial Atlas has leading-edge technology with annual production capacity of over 350,000 impressions and optimizes production efficiency at the best cost of ownership available. We look forward to working collaboratively with Delta to deliver on this order and expand on this important relationship.

The international home textiles industry has enjoyed a promising start at Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main, which finished Friday, 11 January. The challenging economic situation and uncertainty in the retail sector were countered by a positive and confident mood at the world’s leading trade fair.

3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’. [*For comparison, 2018: 2,975 exhibitors from 64 countries; 68,584 visitors from 135 countries, FKM-tested)]

3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’.

One topic that occupied both exhibitors and visitors was the current and future economic situation. A further challenge is the increasingly evident changes that are happening in trade. Increasing revenues and revenue shares in online retailing stand in the way of the efforts made by the stationary retail trade to maintain their inner-city businesses. ‘The small business specialist trade, but also department stores and multibrand stores, and thus the heart of our visitor target groups, are under pressure from the constantly increasing levels of e-commerce. With Heimtextil and our consumer goods fairs in general, we offer these retailers in particular clear perspectives and diverse inspiration in an ambiguous world’, continues Braun.

Heimtextil made it easier for its visitors to access valuable inspiration and business momentum thanks to an optimised trade fair concept and the associated new hall structure. ‘The new concept brought more visitors to the stand’, was the feedback from Andreas Klenk, Managing Director of Saum & Viebahn from Kulmbach in Franconia about hall 8.0 which offered textiles editeurs and manufacturers of curtain and sun protection systems a common platform for the first time. ‘It was the right decision to merge the different segments. We had high quality discussions with respect to both export and domestic business, and are satisfied with the trade fair’.

As part of the new concept, Heimtextil expanded its unique product range across the entire exhibition site and also included the new hall 12, which has been an additional architectural highlight on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds since September.

Top international companies from the Bed & Bath Fashion segment presented their wares here. For the company Curt Bauer from Aue in Saxony, the première of the new hall was a successful one. ‘We're very enthusiastic about the new hall 12. The product range there was very well received. We are very satisfied with the quality of visitors to our stand. In addition to a good frequency of German visitors, we are particularly pleased about growth from China and Russia’, says Managing Director Michael Bauer.

Natural materials, PET and ocean plastics 
Heimtextil set a standard in terms of sustainability: after the first global climate protection agreement for the textile industry was signed by 40 leading fashion companies, organisations and associations at the World Climate Conference in Katowice last December, the focus in Frankfurt was also on environmental progress in the textile industry. Numerous exhibitors presented progressive solutions, for example in the recycling of PET bottles and ocean plastic as well as in the use of certified natural materials. ‘Sustainability was the theme for us at this year’s Heimtextil. Major media players visited us and the 'Green Tour’ guided tour stopped by. We presented many things, including our first vegan duvet and fair silk products, all 100 per cent produced in Austria’, says Denise Hartmann, Marketing Manager at Hefel Textil. The topics of water consumption in the textile industry and microplastics also increasingly came to the fore. The exhibitor directory ‘Green Directory’ alone contained around 150 progressive companies listing sustainably produced textiles. The offer was supplemented by its own lecture series as well as theme-specific tours, which provided valuable impetus and
underpinned the pioneering green position of the trade fair.

Sleep becomes new lifestyle theme
Heimtextil also focused on sleep as one of the upcoming lifestyle trends. While a balanced diet and sufficient exercise are now a natural part of a healthy lifestyle, restorative sleep is still neglected* although it is one of the most important building blocks for long-term physical and mental well-being. At Heimtextil, a number of new products and aspects came to the fore that help people become sensitised to and analyse their sleep behaviour and promote healthy sleep. Around the redesigned hall 11.0 and in the adjoining lecture area ‘Sleep! The Future Forum’, representatives from the national and international bed industry enjoyed attractive product presentations and superb speeches on the topics of sustainability, hospitality, sport and digital.

In addition to the renowned trend show, the trade fair also focused on contract business, particularly in the hotel and hospitality sector, as well as decorative and upholstery fabrics, digital printing solutions and wallpapers.

The next Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main – its 50th edition – will take place from 7 to 10 January 2020.

*According to a forsa investigation commissioned by the Techniker Krankenkasse

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced that Thailand-based Absolute Denim will be the first denim manufacturer to switch 100% of its production to aniline-free* indigo dyeing.

Absolute Denim is a Thailand-based denim manufacturer producing high quality denim with a focus on eco-friendlier materials and processes. The company can produce up to 2 million meters of denim per month (that's approximately 1.5 million pairs of jeans!), for customers that include some of the biggest brands and retailers in the world.

Archroma’s Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was first launched in May 2018 as a non-toxic way to produce the traditional, iconic indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans.

During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons annually, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. As a result of its toxicity (more hazardous than alkylphenols) it is now starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers.

The new Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liq was therefore developed as an aniline-free* indigo solution for designers, manufacturers and brand owners who long for authentic indigo inspiration.

Archroma tested Denisol® Pure Indigo at Absolute Denim mill in Thailand. Archroma wanted to be sure that the new indigo dye would perform exactly the same as conventional indigo.

James Carnahan, Head of Sustainability at Archroma, comments: “At Archroma we continuously challenge the status quo in the deep belief that we can make our industry sustainable - but we cannot do it alone. Without forward-thinking manufacturers such as Absolute Denim to consciously adopt these eco-advanced innovations in their daily production, like our aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo, we will not be able to move this industry forward on our resource-constrained world we live in. As consumers are increasingly aware of, and concerned about, climate change and ecological threats, this is not only the right thing to do - it is also good for business.”

“Deep down inside most of us want the world to be a better place for our loved ones and for future generations,” insists Vichai Phromvanich, Board Member, Absolute Denim, “starting with how we live, what we eat, what we wear, still trying to be cool, fashionable, still trying to be environmentally conscious. Archroma’s aniline free indigo project is therefore something we as a new generation manufacturer have supported from the beginning, by opening our doors for tests in the project phase, and now by sending out our articles to many of our customers. For us, after all, a nice pair of jeans looks even nicer without aniline!”

* Below limits of detection

• The Packnatur® reusable cellulose bag wins State Prize in the B2C category
• Bags are made from wood-based fibers of Lenzing AG, which are biodegradeable
• Bags were developed together with VPZ Verpackungszentrum GmbH and are utilized by Coop and REWE for fruits and vegetables

Lenzing/ Vienna – Lenzing AG was granted the Austrian State Prize 2018 for Smart Packaging this year together with its partners. The Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism bestowed the Austrian State Prize this week in the B2C category on the Packnatur® reusable wood-based bag. This reusable bag is made with fibers produced by Lenzing AG and was developed by Lenzing and its partner VPZ Verpackungszentrum GmbH. The bags are utilized in the supermarkets of the Swiss food retailer Coop and the Austrian firm REWE International AG.

The Packnatur® reusable cellulose bag is particularly suited for the packaging of fruit and vegetables and serves as an ideal replacement for plastic bags. The jury provided the following reasons to justify the selection of the winner: The Packnatur® reusable cellulose bag comprises a long-lasting, reusable packaging solution made of a renewable raw material but not at the expense of food. It has very pleasant haptics and supports longer shelf life of food.

LENZING™ fibers are made from the natural and renewable raw material wood. For this reason, they are biodegradable. Moreover, they pollute neither rivers nor seas with microparticles washed out in the process of washing.

The Austrian State Prize for Smart Packaging was granted on the occasion of the 3rd Austrian Packaging Day. This year for the 58th time, the objective of this award is to highlight modern packaging solutions and excellent projects as best practice examples and thus put the national packaging industry in the international limelight.

• HUB 1922, the fashion division of the RUDOLF GROUP, takes the stage at the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam and presents new technologies that make it possible to move away from environmentally questionable industrial practices.
• HUB 1922 also announces the opening of the new company building in an ancient textile factory near Milan.

Amsterdam/Geretsried/Milan. It was only six months ago that the RUDOLF GROUP, with its fashion Division named HUB 1922, began its journey through the fascinating world of garment finishing. Since then, the team has made significant progress and has moved from being a newcomer to the business to a solid and reliable reality. “HUB 1922 introduces the Rudolf Group to design thinking,” says Alberto De Conti, Head of Fashion Division at Rudolf Group. “And when you break perceived restrictions and paradigms within a strongly science-driven organization, only sky is the limit.”

For an entire semester, the organisation remained focused on one, single goal without getting distracted from it: to become the partner of choice for environmentally conscious advancements in garment processing that are rooted in real experience and science.

Emphasis was put on listening attentively to the market and on engineering solutions proactively, without being prompted.
When it comes to Denim, two separate yet correlated calls for action were heard:
1. the need for a serious departure from established industrial practices that are environmentally questionable
2. the opportunity to change the current rules and stir toward enhanced product quality.

Departure from the environmentally questionable

• HypNO: The next generation of bleach

Many attempts to technical alternatives to local and total denim bleaching have been launched in the market, over the past five years, by a number of competing players. Originality and innovation are at the base of HypNO technical uniqueness that can be injected into traditional denim processing, but that can also be used to create whole new processes and aesthetics.
Birth child of relentless dedication to science, HypNO is the latest alternative to the traditional denim bleaching agents currently under the spotlight because of their alleged safety issues. HypNO is the next generation of bleach.

- HypNO is based on the application of a whole new family of RUCORIT compounds, which are halogene-free and heavy metal-free
- HypNO can replace both potassium permanganate and sodium hypochlorite with one more eco-friendly solution
- HypNO is free from unpleasant smells; it is production friendly and suitable for both spray and bath applications
- HypNO does not require neutralisation with agents such as sodium metabisulphite or peroxides, hence reducing the need for chemicals significantly
- HypNO is GOTS approved. Bluesign and ZDHC Chemical Gateway certifications are intended
- HypNO further helps in the elimination of pumice stones
- HypNO is highly efficient and has been engineered to be cost competitive compared to other existing bleaching solutions

Toward enhanced product quality

• SoSoft, RawLong, DuraBlue

Durability over time still builds a brands’ reputation for quality. The notion of “durability” has changed over the years and has moved from sturdy workwear to the product's ability to retain its characteristics and structural properties.

“It goes against the whole denim philosophy, but, jeans are increasingly bought for what they look like at the time of purchase and are expected to evolve as little as possible. It is what it is; you can’t argue with consumers” says De Conti.

SoSoft, RawLong, DuraBlue, the three new technical concepts launched at Kingpins Amsterdam by the RUDOLF GROUP all sit under the umbrella wings of enhanced quality and specifically address long-lasting softness, preservation of original look and depth of blue.

• SoSoft

All appreciate the softness and suppleness of used/worn denim and the comfort benefit it delivers. It is a generic denim truth, and it is even stronger when it can extend over time. SoSsoft is about softeners carefully engineered for an enduring emotion, one that lives along favourite clothes.

Tried and tested to over 15 home washes, these marvels of chemical engineering allow consumers to toss domestic fabric softeners to the benefit of environmental sustainability.

• RawLong

Denim lovers want raw jeans to fade with time, soften and transform into what feels like an extension of their body. More often, people just want to prolong the look they chose. In both cases, home washing is a headache.

Years of testing have identified RawLong innovative, highly durable and natural solution that keep wearers fresh and at ease in their jeans allowing for long-wearing without washing. Moreover, less home washing means much less impact on the environment.

• DuraBlue

The role of designers is to come up with the bluest of blue jeans in a spectrum of fantastic new blue finishes and supporting textures. The role of DuraBlue is to ensure a continuously updated collection of technical solutions that keep that rich, deep, dark blueness of jeans for much longer while limiting the quality issues that come with denim rubbing. In other words, light underwear, snowy shoes, and white sofas no longer live in fear.

The launch of HUB 1922

• Busto Arsizio, Italy.

On a discreet street of Busto Arsizio, a village at the North of Milan is a red-brick building which in the 1800’s was the house of a textile mill. This 150-year-old structure is where the RUDOLF GROUP, the 100-year-old leader of textile, functional, responsible chemistry, is about to open its Fashion Division. Or, better, it’s HUB 1922.

HUB 1922 is committed to research and develop innovation within garment processing for the privately held mother company. HUB 1922, whose doors are expected to open during fourth quarter of 2018, will foster collaborative efforts with international fashion brands and retailers, will provide product innovation ideas at the crossroad of fashion and utilitarian functionality and will introduce elements of unorthodox diversity rooted in deep scientific knowledge, true environmental responsibility, technical innovation and creativity. “At a time when science plays such a powerful role in the life of society, it is incumbent on fashion to be dealing with scientific research. HUB 1922 facilitates that reunion” concludes De Conti.

Ted Baker, the global lifestyle brand, announces that on October 4th 2018 it entered into a Global product licensing agreement with Timex Group (“Timex”). The new agreement will allow Ted Baker to underpin its own global plans with a unique product offering in watches that fully compliments its apparel and accessory collections.

Commenting, Ray Kelvin CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Ted Baker, said:
“This is an exciting opportunity for Ted Baker to drive accelerated growth in our watch business by leveraging the Timex Group global footprint and infrastructure, in line with our strategy to further develop Ted Baker as a global lifestyle brand.”

Commenting, Tobias Reiss Schmidt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Timex Group, said:
“We are delighted to bring Timex Groups expertise and long history as an authentic watchmaker to Ted Baker and look forward to producing exciting and innovative timepieces for their consumers”. Timex Group will launch the collections Internationally through premium retail partners and its global distributor network in summer 2019.