From the Sector

Archroma announces a successful first year on the U.S. home care market with its whiteness solutions for laundry and detergents.

Archroma acquired in December 2019 the BASF's stilbene-based optical brightening agents (OBA) business for liquid and powder laundry detergent applications. The acquisition included the OBA technology, portfolio and manufacturing unit at Ankleshwar, India.

Since then, Archroma has mobilized its global experts, technologies and know-how, to design a holistic solutions portfolio for household, industrial & institutional cleaning (HI&I) aimed to support detergent manufacturers.

The portfolio now includes solutions for whiteness, coloration, stain removal, fabric softening, as well as sequestering agents and surfactants, which can be used in applications such as multipurpose cleaning powders, detergent powders, dish wash tablets and liquids, laundry liquids and fabric softeners, and hard surface cleaners.

Archroma used its experience working with manufacturers and brands in the textile industry to enter the US detergent markets for the very first time, and has been able to gain a significant position with most key laundry detergent manufacturers with its solutions for whiteness.

In particular, the company reports special interest from U.S. detergent brands and manufacturers for its Leucophor® 5BMGX, as this optical brightener allows them to achieve high levels of whiteness with a blueish undertone. The product is also highly soluble in water and stable in oxidative environment.

• Huntsman Textile Effects presents range of high-performance solutions for performance apparel

Huntsman Textile Effects, global leader in innovative solutions and environmentally sustainable products, will highlight its extensive end-to-end suite of protection effects and high-performance solutions for performance apparel at the Performance Days Digital Fair Week this May. Huntsman will also deliver a presentation on sustainability, showcasing the top megatrends impacting the textile industry.

With increasing adoption of active lifestyles and outdoor activities, consumers are demanding high-performance, yet comfortable and sustainably-produced sportswear. Consumers are looking for brands that incorporate sustainable processes and principles in their operations.

“The upward trend in the performance apparel segment is spurred on by the demands and evolving needs of consumers; sustainability also remains the top of mind amongst these consumers. At Huntsman, we are delighted to be able showcase our suite of solutions that are high-performing and sustainable, so that mills and brands are better able to meet the fast-changing market needs,” said Dhirendra Gautam, Senior Director – Global Market Strategy and Innovation, Huntsman Textile Effects.

Huntsman’s featured solutions:

• Complete end-to-end systems for protection effects, from pre-treatment to coloration and finishing
• Revolutionary antimicrobial and odor-control solutions from Sciessent - The Agion®, Lava X2® and Active X2® products will be featured at the upcoming show
• HIGH IQ® intelligent effects is a set of brand assurance programs that support accelerated evaporation, water and stain repellence, lasting color and cool comfort, ensuring garments dry quickly for long-lasting comfort

Performance Days Digital Fair Week will take place digitally from May 17-21, 2021. Huntsman will also deliver a presentation on May 18, 2021, at 2 p.m. (CEST) at the Expert Talk session. Titled “Sustainability & Textiles: Being the Change That We Want to See”, the presentation will showcase the megatrends that will define the next five years, and the textile and apparel industries’ quest for more sustainable design, product development, production methods and garment care.

• Successful measures to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on the safety and health of employees, customers and partners and securing sustainable business development
• Implementation of strategic investment projects and climate targets progressing on schedule – launch of first TENCEL™ branded carbon-zero fibers
• New level of transparency in the textile industry: introduction of blockchain technology
• Target setting: Lenzing raises the bar even higher and sets new sustainability goals

The Lenzing Group presented its Sustainability Report 2020 on April 22, 2021, World Earth Day. Featuring the title “Stand up for future generations”, Lenzing once again emphasized its commitment to taking responsibility beyond the products it makes. The non-financial report, prepared in accordance with the reporting standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Austrian Sustainability and Diversity Improvement Act (NaDiVeG) and reviewed by KPMG Austria GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, illustrates how the company is responding to the global challenges of our time.

The 2020 financial year of the Lenzing Group was largely dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenzing took short-term measures to safeguard its business operations and mitigate the effects of fiber prices and fiber demand which came under increasing pressure. The priority was to protect employees and strengthen long-term partnerships with suppliers and customers. Following the current fight against the coronavirus and its consequences, the company continues to move ahead determinedly to achieve its sustainability targets, also against the backdrop of such a difficult market environment.

With the implementation of its science-based targets, the Lenzing Group actively contributes to mastering the problems caused by climate change. In 2019, Lenzing made a strategic commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent per ton of product by 2030. The overriding target is to be climate-neutral by 2050.*

The launch of the first carbon-zero TENCEL™ fibers certified as CarbonNeutral® products in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol – the leading global framework for carbon neutrality – represents another important milestone from the reporting year. As of June 2021, Lenzing will also market the first VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers as certified CarbonNeutral® products.

Promoting the circular economy
Lenzing also sets standards for the entire fiber, textile and clothing industry with respect to the circular economy which is of such crucial importance in climate and resource protection. In order to enhance resource efficiency and offer a solution for the global problem of textile waste, the company developed the REFIBRA™ recycling technology. REFIBRA™ is the only technology in the world enabling the production of new lyocell fibers on a commercial scale from cotton scraps derived from manufacturing cotton clothing as well as from used garments. In this way, an important contribution is made to promoting circularity in the textile industry.*

New level of transparency in the textile industry
In addition to environmental protection, the issue of transparency along the supply chain poses a major challenge to the textile industry. Working in cooperation with TextileGenesis™, Lenzing offers an innovative solution to ensure greater transparency on the basis of blockchain technology. Following several successful pilot projects with renowned fashion brands, this digital platform was ultimately launched in 2020 to enable the traceability of textiles, from the fiber to all stages of production and distribution. Thanks to the innovative Fibercoin™ technology of the TextileGenesis™ platform, Lenzing and its partners are able to issue so-called “blockchain assets” in direct proportion to the physical fiber deliveries of the brands TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™. These digital assets function like a “fingerprint” and thus prevent adulteration.*

Target setting: Lenzing raises the bar even higher
The Lenzing Group operates in line with three strategic principles within the context of its “Naturally positive” sustainability strategy: partnering for change, advancing circularity and greening the value chain.*

*See attached document for more information..

Flocus™ offers a range of kapok textile materials such as fibers, yarns, textiles and nonwovens, which provide the textile industry with a naturally sustainable and regenerative alternative which has not been available before.

Kapok is a natural fiber, traditionally used by local population for fillings but with no large scale applications until Flocus™ founding. Beside kapok several interesting properties, there were some limits that had been inhibiting the possibility to use it at a larger scale and build a supply chain on textile products based on it: kapok fibers are short stapled ones (2-4 cm length), very light and empty inside: for this reason they incorporate air and made the spinning attempts unsuccessful.

Flocus™ pioneers sustainable and regenerative textile solutions based on kapok fiber, and it is creating a responsible supply chain for kapok.

With one of the most advanced technologies in the market, FLOCUS™ can spin the highest kapok percentage, offer yarns in the thinnest counts with the possibility of low minimum order quantity per blend.

Flocus™ Kapok offers products which can reduce the presence of animal and synthetic products in the market, utilizing a completely natural alternative without abandoning functionality.

The Flocus™ team works in partnership with companies who want to investigate the use of the eco-responsible fibers and is testing the wide range of applications of Flocus™ kapok stuffing, yarns, fabrics, nonwovens for thermo and sound insulation, waddings, foam replacement, medical, automotive and technical uses and others.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Jeanologia, a world leader in sustainable and efficient technology development, today announced the launch of ‘Pad-Ox G2 Cold’, a water-saving dyeing process at room temperature for casual looks.

Archroma initially introduced its eco-advanced Pad-Ox dyeing process for woven fabrics, and then used it as part of its ADVANCED DENIM concept. By combining the oxidation and fixation steps, it is possible to shorten the dyeing process and thus realize substantial resource savings in water, wastewater, cotton waste, and energy.

Over the years the company has worked with its textile manufacturers and partners to improve the Pad-Ox process, in particular woven applications such as chinos and casual wear. To achieve maximum positive impact, Archroma is using its Diresul® range of low sulfide sulfur dyes and, more recently, its innovative plant-based range of EarthColors®. A wide selection of dyes from these two ranges have received the Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute’s Platinum Level Material Health Certification.

Meanwhile, Jeanologia has been working on the technology side, with laser and eco-finishing solutions for more than 25 years, accompanying the textile industry on their way to producing with zero discharge. In 2008, the company introduced its G2 Dynamic the first ozone treatment for continuous fabric that dramatically reduces the amount of water and chemicals used, while at the same time saving costs at the mill and eventually at the garment finishing facilities. This technology makes fabric more stable and consistent and prepares the fabric better for the use of other technologies like laser. This machinery can be used along with Pad-Ox technology to help cleaning fabric thus improve fastness results. While it allows process to work at room temperature.

Project focus on water saving
Archroma and Jeanologia therefore understandably decided to team up and combine their expertise in sustainable dyeing and finishing technologies. The objective of the project was to improve the Pad-Ox dyeing process even further, in particular in one area that still offered room for positive impact: temperature and fastnesses.

The new ‘Pad-Ox G2 Cold’ dyeing process works thanks to the insertion of very small machinery into the existing finishing range process, using cold processing and thus operating with much less water, carbon footprint and energy than traditional benchmark fabric finishing processes, whilst retaining the water and other resource savings offered by the Pad-Ox technology.

Maximum savings can be achieved by mills and garment manufacturers who wish to switch from a conventional dyeing process straight to ‘Pad -Ox G2 Cold’ to obtain high quality fabrics for comfortable and casual wear.

Flexibility, product uniformity and automation are the keys to success for coating businesses in today’s rapidly-changing technical textiles industry, explained Jürgen Hanel, Monforts Head of Technical Textiles, at the recent 1st World Congress on Textile Coating.

Introducing the latest Montex®Coat magnetic roller coating option to virtual delegates from around the world at the conference organised by International Newsletters, Hanel explained why this technology makes perfect sense now

“The magnetic roller system allows a wide range of coatings and finishes to be carried out, while being easy to handle for operators and much easier to clean at the end of the process,” he said. “It provides textile finishers with an expanded range of options due to the fully-adjustable positioning of the magnet within the roller and with four different magnet positions possible, can be set to operate both as a direct coating system and as an indirect coater.”

With traditional dip coating systems, he added, as well as with many standard knife coating technologies, there is always a difference in the tension between the centre and the edges of the wide width fabrics being treated – and hence the amount of pressure with which the coating is applied. With the use of a magnetic roller, equal pressure is applied across the full width of the fabric, with consistent results even at wide widths of over 2.4 metres. In addition, adjusting the roller surface, rather than changing the coating formulation to match the required add-on and viscosity for each coating effect required, leads to much higher output from the line.

Cleaner and less wasteful
The contribution of such flexible and resource-saving new technologies to a cleaner and less wasteful textile industry was a key theme at the congress – held virtually across the four afternoons of February 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th – as was digitalization and the many advantages it is providing.

“A typical integrated Monforts coating line is automated from the inlet feed to the winder,” Hanel told delegates. “Adjustments can also be made simply and easily from the touchscreen and with the new hand-held remote controller which has recently been introduced for the Montex®Coat unit.”

Manual adjustment, he added, is time consuming and needs the attention of an experienced operator or the reproducibility will not be accurate between coating operations. The adjustment by motors allows each coating to be stored and downloaded again for 100% reproducibility.

The motors can be fully controlled from the touchscreen and all necessary adjustments carried out remotely, making switching from one process to another extremely quick and easy.
The accuracy that is now being demanded by today’s most exacting customers is met with an optional carbon fibre roller – especially in dealing with the winding tension required in the processing of materials such as prepregs for composites and other heavyweight fabrics. Typical applications for the Montex®Coat include the finishing of tents and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments can all be accommodated.

“The World Congress on Textile Coating was characterised by some very stimulating presentations and forums between the speakers and a global audience of textile specialists,” Jürgen Hanel concluded. “It truly reflected the high level of positive changes now taking place in not just textile coating, but the entire textile industry. I look forward to the next edition, which hopefully will be a face-to-face event for even deeper level discussions and debate.”

• ISKO Vital™+ Premium community face cover receives the NEN certification in the Netherlands.

The responsible face cover brand is the first to be awarded the Dutch standard, recently established by The Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute. The mark of conformity was issued on January 19, when ISKO Vital+ completed the certification process.

Supported by parent company ISKO’s 100-years of experience and know-how in the textile industry, ISKO Vital+’s range of Premium face covers has exceeded the requirements set out by NEN for community face covers. The recently established Dutch standard, NEN-spec 1- 2 requires manufacturers to pass rigorous testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, fit and ease of use and sustainability.
With a bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of ≥95% that exceeds the NEN’s minimum requirement of ≥70%, the ISKO Vital+ Premium face cover is a patented 4-fold design made from ISKO Vital™ fabric, a groundbreaking textile solution created by ISKO’s in-house research and development experts. It is fluid repellent and very easy to breathe through thanks to a single layer of organic cotton which is dermatologically tested, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and gentle on the skin, providing a superior level of comfort as assessed by an independent panel.

Available in different sizes and colors, the Premium face covers surpass the minimum NEN requirement for breathing resistance of <70 Pa/cm2 too, with a respiratory resistance lower than 40 Pa/cm2 – making the face covers very comfortable to wear. In addition, they are much more sustainable than disposable masks as they can be reused and hand or machine-washed up to 15 times without loss of quality. “Current circumstances are expected to last in the foreseeable future, so it is extremely important to wear proper community face covers”, explained Edgar van der Linden, ISKO Vital™ Medical Business Lead. “Thanks to the mark of conformity, it is now clear that face cover must have the highest possible filtration efficiency and must also be comfortable, expressed in the lowest possible breathing resistance. Environmental aspects are also addressed. As a supplier of washable face covers made from one innovative layer of organic cotton we consider that very important. A good community face cover offers a combination of high filtration efficiency, comfort, ease of use and minimizes the burden on the environment”.

• In course of the succession planning, Christian Straubhaar will take on the position as Senior Vice President Sales at Rieter Machines & Systems in Winterthur on January 1, 2021.
• Straubhaar will succeed Reto Thom who will retire.

Christian Straubhaar holds an Engineering Master’s Degree in Industrial Management from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and is a sales executive with 20 years of extensive experience in the textile industry. Recently, Straubhaar was responsible as Group Sales & Marketing Director at Itema for the world-wide sales of machines and spare parts. Prior, he held various positions in Operations and as Business Unit Head in Itema and other global textile companies.

His professional career shows a solid track record in identifying new market potentials and growing the business for the company. Straubhaar has a longstanding experience in selling to both large and small customers and developing key accounts within our industry.

Reto Thom has very successfully lead the Sales department at Rieter Machines & Systems for many years and made an enormous contribution to the success of the company.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas, representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, issued a statement welcoming the reported selection of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Chief Trade Counsel, Katherine Tai, as the next U.S. Trade Representative.

“We applaud President-elect Joe Biden’s expected nomination of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Chief Trade Counsel, Katherine Tai, as the next U.S. Trade Representative. This selection is welcome news to the U.S. textile industry, which has worked closely with Katherine on several critical trade issues over the years.  She is an exceptional candidate to serve as the next USTR, having dedicated her career to enforcing our trade laws, and, most recently, serving as a key lead negotiator in the House securing key improvements in the USMCA agreement.
 
She will be a powerful and thoughtful advocate on behalf of American workers and our environment.  The U.S. textile industry looks forward to working with her on our top trade priorities.”

• Looking to the future – Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself with a consistently sustainable agenda and propelling the transformation of a modern, resource-efficient fashion industry.

The Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC), working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), will be the presenting partner and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a prerequisite for all exhibitors by 2023. And the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit by CFC is set to become the leading international conference for sustainability in the fashion world. The future of fashion has begun – and its key players will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021.
 
Frankfurt am Main, 2 December 2020. Joining forces to improve the fashion industry: Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as the host of the future of fashion and actively driving forward the transformation towards a future-oriented, more sustainable fashion and textile industry. All decision-makers looking to instigate this change will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021. The initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week – Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group – have achieved a real coup: Conscious Fashion Campaign, working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be the presenting partner. Messe Frankfurt will build on its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and establish Frankfurt Fashion week as the platform on which to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the fashion industry into the 'Decade of Action'.
 
“Frankfurt will play host to the whole world. We are seeing a very positive response indeed,” confirmed Peter Feldmann, Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s digital press conference, before going on to say: “The fact that the initiators are able to rethink the concept of a Fashion Week in such a way is extremely impressive and proves that the fashion industry is correctly interpreting the signs of the present and future. The time has come for value creation and values to be reconciled. Consistent alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals is an important step in this direction.”
 
“Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to play a crucial role in finding solutions for macrosocial challenges and supporting the goals of international politics such as the European Green Deal. The fashion and textile industries are also expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. If we want to achieve this, we all need to pull together. Frankfurt Fashion Week is inviting all initiators and supporters of sustainable concepts and congresses or shows dedicated to sustainability to meet in Frankfurt, partake in discussions and make tangible decisions for the greater good. We will connect the most relevant players and pave the way for a future-proof fashion and textile industry,” says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
 
“Given its global reach, the fashion industry is uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular on climate action and responsible production and consumption,” said Annemarie Hou, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. “Frankfurt Fashion Week and the Summit will serve as an important platform for education and engagement of the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action,” emphasised Ms Hou.
 
The aim of Frankfurt Fashion Week is for all exhibitors, participants and partners to align with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023. The SDGs will also be incorporated into all formats of Frankfurt Fashion Week. This will help to make the UN’s sustainability goals visible and tangible for the Fashion Week audience, therefore bringing its claim, goals and specific proposals for implementation to an international opinion-forming fashion and lifestyle community. During a one-day Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit presented by Conscious Fashion Campaign, topics like gender equality, clean water, climate protection, social justice and their significance for a forward-looking fashion industry will be examined in greater depth. Another point on the sustainability agenda: Frankfurt Fashion Week is launching a Sustainability Award for outstanding, innovative, sustainable design, alongside other categories with a global appeal for the fashion and textile industry.
 
"We are committed to setting the wheels of transformation in motion. Not only does the overall mindset have to fundamentally change; the entire industry also needs to have the courage to be transparent and honest. It’s important to see values and value creation as opportunities rather than contentious. We are doing what we do best: connecting the relevant players at all levels. With its ecosystem, Frankfurt Fashion Week will become the enabler. We are creating a platform that will orchestrate industry-wide change. With this as our inspiration, we are also developing our tradeshow formats from a ‘marketplace of products’ to a ‘marketplace of purpose and ideas’,” explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.
 
A new start in Frankfurt: In summer 2021 the entire fashion industry will be coming to the metropolis on the Main river to inform themselves, be inspired, discuss, negotiate and celebrate. “There’s a huge need to finally meet in person again, to exchange ideas and be inspired. At the same time, digital tools and formats have become an integral part of the fashion industry,” says Markus Frank, Head of the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Economic Affairs and therefore also responsible for its creative industry. “To implement such a future-oriented, all-encompassing overall concept, Frankfurt’s business and creative scenes offer an almost unique concentration of different expertise with its internationally networked agencies, universities and museums. The city’s multifaceted, high-end club, bar and restaurant scene, diverse hotel industry and internationally renowned retail landscape will become the stage for this. This network will be a key factor in the successful implementation of Frankfurt Fashion Week and the way in which it will expand into the public space as a cultural and social happening.”
 
A number of major publishing houses are also showing their commitment to the new Fashion Week in Frankfurt with conferences, events and awards: Textilwirtschaft, the leading professional fashion journal by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing house, is moving its traditional meeting of the industry’s top decision-makers – the TW Forum, the presentation of the renowned Forum Award, as well as its subsequent conference – from Heidelberg to Frankfurt’s Palmengarten botanical gardens, and will therefore be kicking off Frankfurt Fashion Week on Sunday evening and Monday morning. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will be hosting its traditional fashion party for the first time in Frankfurt and publishing a special edition of its FAZ Magazin on Frankfurt Fashion Week. And the ZEIT publishing group is holding its ‘UNLOCK Style by ZEITmagazin’ conference, which was established in 2014, and the ZEITmagazin Fashion Week party in Frankfurt for the first time and will dedicate the whole new issue of ZEITmagazin Frankfurt to Frankfurt Fashion Week. Condé Nast will also be involved in next summer’s Frankfurt Fashion Week with an exclusive event by GQ. And the Burda publishing house will also be represented with various event formats from its lifestyle and fashion brands.There will also be talks with SHINE  Conventions, the organiser of GLOW, about what a mutual collaboration could look like.
 
Frankfurt Fashion Week is also delighted to have the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) on board.  The FCG is theinstitution when it comes to German fashion design. It promotes designers, is committed to gaining more political relevance and strengthens the international visibility and awareness of German fashion. At Frankfurt Fashion Week, the FCG will contribute selected formats, such as its already established Fireside Chat, and a future-oriented accelerator format to support German designers.
 
“What really impresses me about Fashion Week is the whole networking aspect: the creative industries will meet the financial world and sustainability is the common denominator. The Green Finance Cluster is another project that we could link with Frankfurt Fashion Week in the future. This will provide new inspiration in the fashion industry, which will certainly extend way beyond its own horizon of Frankfurt and Hesse. After a very difficult year for the trade fair industry, the concept is an encouraging breath of fresh air,” sums up Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development and Deputy Minister-President of the state of Hessen.