From the Sector

With the aim to help the denim industry reduce the environmental impact of its wastewater and move towards circularity, Archroma, G-Star RAW and Advance Denim have renewed their joint commitment to the production of aniline-free denim apparel based on Archroma’s DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30.

Their joint aim is to produce high-quality denim in authentic blue shades without the aniline impurity carried through from the synthesis of standard synthetic indigo. In traditional denim production, this aniline remains bound with the indigo pigment on the fabric; the remaining aniline is discharged during the dyeing and washing process. This can be a problem because aniline is toxic to aquatic life and two-thirds of aniline waste currently ends up in wastewater discharge where it could potentially pollute waterways and the ocean.

Archroma developed DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 to answer this key challenge. A 30% pre-reduced indigo solution, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 makes it possible to produce indigo-dyed denim without aniline impurities throughout the process.

Easy to use with automated dosing, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 reduces the water needed for preparation, washing and wastewater treatment compared to indigo grains. It also reduces hazardous chemical consumption while allowing high reproducibility and creating the authentic and iconic deep indigo shades traditionally associated with denim.

G-Star RAW is working towards making 20% of its entire collection from Cradle to Cradle Certified® fabrics by 2025. Its partnership with Archroma and Advance Denim contributes to this goal, since the aniline-free DENISOL® holds a Gold Level Material Health Certificate from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 is also compliant with other eco-standards and the requirements of leading retailers and brands.

Advance Denim, G-Star RAW and Archroma have previously collaborated to launch collections based on Archroma’s EarthColors® technology, which upcycles plant waste from the herbal industry to create sustainable colorways.

Archroma and Browzwear, a company of 3D digital solutions for the fashion industry, have expanded their partnership to bring the complete Color Atlas by Archroma® library of colors to Browzwear’s VSticher, Lotta and Stylezone platforms.

Designers will now have access to a total of 5,760 color references, with 1,440 colors for polyester added to Browzwear’s existing color library of 4,320 Color Atlas colors for cotton poplin. This will support them to collaborate across the entire supply chain, ensuring color consistency from digital design to production for cotton, polyester and blends.

Crucially, the color references in the Color Atlas by Archroma® have been formulated to comply with leading international eco-standards, allowing designers to select dyes and finishes that meet their desired sustainability profile. Each color is available as a physical color standard that includes precise dyeing recipes and compliance data, as well as access to expert technical support from Archroma around the world.

RUDOLF announces a significant leap in textile performance with the introduction of bio-based innovations for its HYDROCOOL® technology, a moisture management product line.

HYDROCOOL® technologies have long been the standard for wicking moisture away from the skin to keep athletes and active people comfortable and dry. RUDOLF has taken this performance to a higher level with the integration of bio-based raw materials and their new products, RUCO®-PUR BIO SLB and FERAN® BIO ICR. These bio-based ingredients, derived from renewable sources offering:

• Reduced environmental impact: By using bio-based materials, RUDOLF reduces its reliance on traditional petroleum-based raw materials, minimizing the environmental footprint of its products.
• High performance: The new bio-based formulations are as efficient as the traditional HYDROCOOL® products and offer maximum wash resistance.
• RUCO®-PUR BIO SLB is a bio-based finishing agent that is ideal for synthetics, cellulosic and blends. It offers a bio-based content of 43% and is therefore an important step towards a more sustainable textile industry.
• FERAN® BIO ICR is a bio-based soil release agent specially developed for polyester and its blends. It has a 87% bio-based content, further underlining the commitment from RUDOLF for sustainable innovation.

There are only a few days left until the SEEK community comes together at the Station Berlin on 16 and 17 January 2024. The team around SEEK's Show Director Marie-Luise Patzelt is looking forward to welcome around 200 brands, speakers such as Jessica Arnold (Adidas), Sebastian Haufellner (Lodenfrey), Yannik Dietrich (Breuninger), Martyna Zastawna (Vogue), numerous game changers from the sustainability scene and new fashion and lifestyle inspirations.

The new alliance between SEEK and UNION Showroom presents its joint project "THE JUNCTION" for the first time. A selection of high-quality brands with a focus on craftsmanship, origin, and history will be presented in Station Berlin's exclusive loft spaces, includes brands such as A New Sweden, Bruné, Freenote Cloth, Fullcount, Godspeed, Good-Alls, Hidden Aces, Nudie Jeans, Oodoo Boots, Paltò, Viberg, White Sand, and Tenue. THE JUNCTION starts simultaneously with UNION on 14.01.24 and ends with SEEK on 17.01.24.

The SEEK brand portfolio currently encompasses almost 200 brands, including 46 % conscious brands and 45 % newcomers. Buyers and visitors can look forward to brands such as Aer Scents, Bask in the Sun, Chrome, Danner, Dedicated, Givn Berlin, Hestra, Kangaroos, Novesta, Palladium, Pyrenex, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Welter Shelter and Woodbird. Newcomers include Afoam Stories, A Good Company, Dale Of Norway, Good Wool Story, Heimat, Hen's Teeth, Open Era, Pompeii, The Jogg Concept, Wax London and many more.

The SEEK Conscious Club forms the heart of the January edition and is developing into the "place to be" of the sustainability scene. Purpose-driven business practices, systematic sustainability and practical standards will become even more crucial in 2024. With this in mind, the SEEK team introduces the innovative "360 Sustainability Validation" with its partners IVALO.COM and studio MM04. The "360 Sustainability Validation" - powered by IVALO.COM and consulted by studio MM04. Customers can see brand sustainability in 8 different sustainability categories. 360 is a commercial production value chain analysis tool that provides results that are comparable. The aim is to make the complex sub-areas of sustainability in fashion more transparent and comparable. The SEEK team has been working with the sustainability experts at studio MM04 for a long time and is delighted to be part of this important step towards standardising sustainability evaluations. Participating brands in this years Conscious Club are Basic Apparel, Bread & Boxers, Cabaia, Camper, Dawn Denim, Flamingos Life, Isaora, Jan'n June, Kings of Indigo, Rita Row, Secrid, Stapf and Thinking Mu, amongst others.

Together with renowned experts, SEEK is once again presenting a content programme with live interviews, talks, panels and community classes. Speakers such as Carl Tillessen (Deutsches Mode Institut), Steffen Liese (JD Sports), Stephan Huber (Style in Progress), Penny Whitelaw (Good on You), Mimi Sewalski (Avocadostore), Valerie Vogel (Engelhorn), Cheryll Mühlen (J'N'C), Rune Orloff (Pool), Sabine Rogg (Trendbüro), Anthony Lui (A New Sweden), Patrick Bergmann (Famefact), Florian Müller (Müller PR & Consulting) will share their insights exclusively with the SEEK community. The diverse programme includes themes such as pricing and profiling success strategies in times of disruption, a "no-bullshit" guide for brand spaces, the most important LinkedIn and consumer trends for 2024, new chances for recruiting and leadership as well as mental health in fashion.

International denim manufacturer Artistic Milliners and Archroma are collaborating to rewrite the future of denim. Leveraging Archroma’s DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK dyestuff, the partners are promoting more eco-advanced sulfur black dyeing for denim with a variety of washdown effects and reduced environmental impact.

DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK delivers outstanding resource savings, using less water and energy and producing less CO2 during dye synthesis. Furthermore, it offers unique shade and washdown behavior compared to standard black dyes to consistently create eye-catching aesthetics, especially on dark black shades with no bronzing effect. It is also laser-friendly.

Artistic Milliners launched a capsule collection based on the new DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK technology at Kingpins Amsterdam in October, named EVO BLACK, winning a positive response from global brands. It is now working closely with a research and innovation team from Archroma, its technology partner of many decades, to expand its use of the new black coloration system in combination with other colors and performance effects.

RUDOLF HUB1922 makes a move in response to the escalating demand for genuinely sustainable technologies, particularly from forward-thinking segments within the textile and apparel industry. In a showcase at Denim by Premiere Vision Milan, RUDOLF HUB1922 presents a pioneering range of textile chemistry that embodies true evolution.

This chemistry marks a milestone in addressing the pressing need for sustainable solutions. By harnessing raw materials derived from organic waste, plastic waste, and renewable feedstock, RUDOLF's latest textile innovations stand poised to transform the industry, promising a substantial reduction in its environmental footprint.

Alberto De Conti, Head of RUDOLF HUB1922, emphasizes the radical nature of evolutionary textile chemistry, stating, "RUDOLF's approach tackles the challenge of waste generation head-on by transforming waste materials into valuable resources". The diversion of waste and renewable feedstock away from landfills and incinerators to fuel textile chemical production is a game-changer, that diminishes the industry's reliance on non-renewable resources and endorses a circular economy model.

The successful integration of chemicals derived from organic and plastic waste, as well as renewable feedstocks, necessitates effective communication and education. Herein lies the significance of fostering collaborative efforts within the industry. De Conti underscores this point, stating, "Collaboration among scientists, fashion designers, and manufacturers is paramount. It propels a collective shift towards sustainable practices, making eco-friendly fashion the standard and minimizing the industry's environmental impact".

Hosted in Boston, Massachusetts on 27 September, Global Fashion Summit convened hundreds of esteemed representatives from brands, retailers, NGOs, policy, manufacturers, and innovators to transform ambition into action. The Summit was presented by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), the non-profit organisation that is accelerating the transition to a net positive fashion industry, and marked the first edition of Global Fashion Summit in North America since the forum’s launch in 2009 as a side-event to COP15 in Copenhagen.
 
The Boston edition further explored Global Fashion Agenda’s 2023 editorial theme, ‘Ambition to Action’, while reflecting on and responding to what happened at Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition in June. By bringing Global Fashion Summit to Boston – a renowned hub for technology, innovation, and education - the Summit presented a deeper exploration of the global challenges, differences, and opportunities towards a more sustainable value chain. The Innovation Forum is a key pillar of GFA’s work, making Boston an apt location to showcase pioneering industry solution providers.
 
Attendees heard from over 40 speakers from a range of companies and organisations such as Levi Strauss & Co., Tapestry, Neiman Marcus Group, Thunder Voice Hat, H&M Group, Alice and Olivia, BBC StoryWorks, New Standard Institute, Conservation International, Worldly, Trove, Ceres, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, and many more. This Summit also featured esteemed Indigenous speakers on the programme. View all speakers.
 
The Summit’s second international edition facilitated inspiring thought leadership and exchanges around key themes including: Policy, Finance, and Retail, while also complementing the core priorities of the Fashion CEO Agenda: Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Resource Stewardship, Smart Material Choices, and Circular Systems. The programme featured bold panels, case studies, and leadership roundtables reflecting on topics including: ‘Indigenous Leadership Perspectives’, ‘Exploring Fashion’s ESG Concept’, ‘On The Ground: Adaptation or Mitigation?’, ‘The Global Approach to Circularity’, and ‘Innovation for Value Chain Challenges’.

Global Fashion Summit: Boston Edition also presented an Innovation Forum, enabling small and large companies to meet with 14 sustainable solution providers from across the value chain– equipping them with the concrete tools to expedite meaningful actions. GFS Connect facilitated over 90 connections between fashion companies and exhibitors during the Summit.

With its flagship formats PREMIUM and SEEK, the Premium Group kicks off into a new season. And the team around Jörg Arntz, Maren Wiebus, Franziska Diers and Marie-Luise Patzelt have big plans again: new insider round tables outside the main dates, structured brand portfolios, an expanded content programme, new meeting spaces, exclusive tours for buyers and much more. The next editions will take place on 16 and 17 January at Station Berlin.

With the redefined and successful July editions this summer, the makers of the Premium Group have shown how proactively change can be realised: only 2 days instead of 3, a new-old location, new brand portfolios and fresh concepts. And the next Berlin experience is going to be even more attractive and profitable.

Registration for brands and buyers is now open and the team cordially invites the entire fashion and creative scene to set new standards together, to meet and to strengthen a platform from which everyone can benefit. For the first time, PREMIUM and SEEK will not take place at the same time as Berlin Fashion Week. The scheduling of Berlin Fashion Week and the event formats of the Premium Group are a result of the respective business and calendar model. Nevertheless, the team will continue to be in close contact with the organisers of Berlin Fashion Week.

The priority of sweater manufacturers has always been to select ingredients and fibers that are soft, hypoallergenic, and of the finest quality to meet consumer expectations that their sweaters are comfortable yet durable and easy to care for. According to the recent Eastman consumer study of sweater lovers, the sweaters consumers want to add to their wardrobes are soft, comfortable, stylish, and versatile. However, consumers are very disappointed when their sweaters look and feel differently after wearing and washing. Choosing fibers and materials that deliver comfort, quality and ease of care is essential to win with consumers. Today, these are compounded by the ever-present consumer demand for a sustainable paradigm. The promise of Naia™ from Eastman is exactly to make sustainable style accessible to brands and inclusive for everyone through a portfolio of fibers that doesn’t compromise on quality, comfort, or garment care.

The results of soft and cozy blends between the versatile Naia™ fibers and other materials can be appreciated in the collections of Naadam and The Gap, which this year presented its third collection of men's sweaters blended with Naia™ and cotton. By using Naia™ blended knits in their collections, brands are not just choosing a sustainable ingredient, but also a certified and circular supply chain: all Naia™ cellulosic fiber is produced in a safe, closed-loop process where solvents are recycled back into the system for reuse. Eastman Naia™ partners with Textiles Genesis to provide track and trace solutions for brands. All Naia™ fibers are OEKO-TEX™ STANDARD 100 certified, ensuring no use of hazardous chemicals, and certified by TÜV AUSTRIA as biodegradable and compostable, also in the ocean, as supported by a recently published ocean degradation study conducted by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Naia™ fibers are designed to create unlimited possibilities for uncompromising, sustainable style: among these, Naia™ Renew staple fiber permits to create eco-conscious blends that are supremely soft, quick-drying and consistently reduce pilling which are ideal for T-shirts, casual wear, sweaters, comfy pants and home textiles. Produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified* recycled waste materials, Naia™ Renew creates the same top-quality fabrics as traditional Naia™ fibers, but with a reduced carbon footprint of around 35% — and it’s available at scale. The innovative cellulosic acetate materials can be blended with cotton, modal, merino wool, recycled polyester, or multiple content fancy yarns. Naia™ blended yarns deliver super softness for supreme wearing comfort in knitwear, and sweaters made with Naia™ Renew can have good dimensional stability and shape retention even after multiple washes. Versatile Naia™ denier sizes can be used in different yarn spinning processes, giving the yarn spinners freedom of creativity for trendy yarn designs perfect for year-round basic sweaters with good quality and a durable look. The unique cross section of Naia™ staple fibers enables designs that accommodate four seasons of wearing comfort.

Three strong women, each different from the other, but who have managed to leave their mark on the history and evolution of the female role, and despite living in different eras, have left an indelible mark on society: Madame De Pompadour, nicknamed Reinette, the favourite of King Louis XV, Luisa Amman, called Corè by the great poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, and the iconic Vivienne Westwood, Miss Viv.
The three women are the FOREVER ICONS chosen and celebrated Iluna, where each woman becomes the protagonist of a “traveling exhibition” that will accompany Iluna between events and fairs.

Reinette
The nickname "Reinette" belonged to Madame De Pompadour, the favourite of King Louis XV. She had a significant influence in politics, arts, and fashion, shaping the style of the first half of the 18th century. Beauty and grace are represented in a floral theme, featuring small romantic details that become opulent with the use of lurex and golden cords. The color palette is soft, muted, and powderyry.

Corè
Luisa Amman, born in the late 19th century into a wealthy bourgeois family, married at a young age and became Marchesa Casati. "Corè" is the endearing nickname given to her by her lover Gabriele D'Annunzio, inspired by Kore, the Queen of the Underworld. She was a patron of the arts, an eccentric and transgressive collector. This theme celebrates opulence, from peacock feathers to Liberty-style designs in deep colours and warm metallic glimmers. An innovative proposal for the theme is the pleating technique, achieved directly in the weaving process of the Ultralight jacquardtronic laces.

Miss Viv
Vivienne Westwood, an extraordinary protagonist with an intense and irreverent life. Her insights have forever marked fashion and transformed the general standards of dressing. Rock and rebellious, she drew inspiration from street trends, anticipating avant-garde movements. In the 1990s, she brought back Tartan, mixing it with sensual roses in a maximalism that went against the prevailing trends, featuring vibrant colours. At the beginning of the third millennium, she grasped the importance of preserving the planet and left us with a motto that is more urgent and relevant than ever: "Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last." Within this theme, there is a new GRS-certified print that saves water, applied to ultra-fine Lurex nets, which are also certified.