From the Sector

Singapore - Huntsman Textile Effects today confirmed that it has joined the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme as a Contributor. This adds a new dimension to Huntsman’s long-standing efforts to promote sustainable chemistry and best practice in the textile and footwear industries and help lead the sector’s shift to a cleaner and more transparent global supply chain.

Huntsman Textile Effects is proud to be joining over 25 leading brands working together to drive industry-wide change in responsible chemicals management and commits to working on this task in a collaborative and open manner.

As a ZDHC Contributor, Huntsman Textile Effects has uploaded detailed safety and sustainability information of its key products onto the ZDHC Gateway Chemical Module. This will support brands and mills in selecting products and practices to make their supply chains more sustainable. Huntsman Textile Effects will also continue to work to help brands improve their competitiveness while protecting consumers, workers and the environment.

The addition of industry-leader Huntsman Textile Effects to the ZDHC Contributor base represents a significant strengthening of ZDHC as a robust, broad-based solution with the potential to harmonize the industry’s approach to sustainable chemistry and the elimination of hazardous chemicals.

“Huntsman Textile Effects firmly believes that collective action is the best way forward for our industry and that working with ZDHC will help us further accelerate the shift to a cleaner and more transparent supply chain,” said Rohit Aggarwal, President, Huntsman Textile Effects. “As one of the world’s leading suppliers of sustainable textile dyes, inks and chemicals, we have seen time and time again that brands and mills that embrace sustainability can also boost their productivity and competitiveness and reduce costs. Our approach has always been to marry environmental and economic sustainability for a stronger, cleaner and more viable textile sector.”

Huntsman Textile Effects has been a leader in promoting sustainability through continuous innovation and industry collaboration for many years. It champions an inclusive and holistic approach that ensures compliance to industry regulation and standards and considers the impact of the textile value chain on the ecosystem, economy and society at large.

Shanghai - ROICA™ lands in Shanghai to showcase its complete range of premium stretch fibers for the modern wardrobe and disclose its visionary approach and strategy for a cutting-edge and sustainable fashion.

On show, leading material innovator Asahi Kasei introduces a premium stretch fiber starting from the ultimate ROICA Eco-Smart™ Family. The certified and multi-awarded range has astonished the textile world for its hyper-performative features. “The new premium stretch is synonymous of transformation: from standard to speciality, from basic to special, from ordinary to clever and from standard to Smart.” Explains Shinichiro Haga, Senior Executive Manager - ROICA™ Division.

Sustainability and a responsible approach are the true core of research and development to create high-tech engineered yarns.Such visionary imprint imbues all ROICA™ innovations:

• ROICA Eco-Smart™ family: A true world-first with the most contemporary sustainable range of responsibly produced premium ingredients. ROICA Eco-Smart™ family offers 2 sustainably designed stretch yarns

- ROICA™ EF is GRS by Textile Exchange certified, thanks to the fact that more than 50% of yarn content comes from the recycling of pre-consumer waste.
- ROICA™ V550 yarn got the Cradle-to-Cradle® Innovation Institute’s GOLD LEVEL Material Health certificate for impacts on human and environmental health. This yarn is also Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certificated, signifying at its end-of-life, ROICA ™ yarn smartly breaks down without releasing harmful materials.

• ROICA Feel Good™ family: A unique range of advanced stretch yarns that deliver personal performance and measurable wellness, freshness and comfort metrics for travel, sport, leisure and more.
   
• ROICA Colour Perfect™ family: A range of yarns that can give excellent, flawless and world unique colour dimensions in advanced fit solutions.
   
• ROICA Resistance™ family: A high performance range of stretch solutions with performance resistance designed for match particular applications.
   
• ROICA Contour™ family: A range of yarns that create new shaping, stretch and silhouette solutions for a calibrated fit, effortless control, softness, comfort and support.

ROICA™ already entered the most advanced collections of leading brands as: Wolford for exceptional European Skinwear including legwear, Sarah Borghi for hosiery, SITA Active for Smart pret-a-porter,  Daquini for athleisure, Livy for sensual lingerie, SCOTT Racing Team for cycling uniforms, Closed for denim, Un-Sanctioned for running suits, Vitamine A for beachwear and many others.

In Shanghai, ROICA™ is set to stand out as leader in Smart Innovation. As tangible proof of this, the company brings to Intertextile Shanghai some of its ultimate collaborations across China and the Far East.

ROICA™, premium stretch fiber for the modern wardrobe by leading material innovator Asahi Kasei and world’s leading wool manufacturer Reda have teamed up to elevate premium merino wool to a highest level of sustainability. At Première Vision, the companies present Reda Flexo, the new Reda Group smart stretch fabrics line interwoven with the cutting-edge ROICA™ V550, the new generation of stretch fiber.

As part of the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, ROICA™ V550 is the world first range of responsible premium yarn: a non-toxic, veritable revolution in terms of sustainable elastic fibers, matching the need for elasticity and comfort with the request for sustainability and respect for the environment.

“Reda Flexo represents an innovative and technologically advanced alternative, allowing to widen business horizons, addressing Made to Measure, performing suits for both women and men as well as contemporary solutions which are ideal for a younger target.” Explain at Reda. “Reda Flexo is a Smart Stretch fabric able to cover different fashion market segments thanks to its technologically sustainable and high-performing nature.”

Schoeller, the global textile solutions manufacturer dedicated to sustainability and innovation for more than 150 years, introduces its new PROEARTH™ collection of biodegradable textiles. The new collection, comprised of bluesign® approved fabrics with biodegradable polyester, will debut as part of its Schoeller FTC (SFTC) line, a joint venture between Schoeller Textil AG and the Taiwanese Formosa Taffeta Co. Ltd., at Premiere Vision Paris, September 17-19, Hall 6, Stand 6J18.

As the founding developer of the bluesign® system, the first activewear and leisurewear manufacturer to receive Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, and one of the first companies to sign the UN’s Paris Agreement for climate change, Schoeller continues to be on the cutting edge of sustainable practices, bringing one of the first collections of biodegradable synthetic fabrics to the market. Its most recent development, PROEARTH was created to help offset the more than 16 million tons of textile waste produced in the US alone each year.

Jacket, pant and lining fabrics
The SFTC PROEARTH collection will launch with five, bluesign®-approved fabrics designed for lifestyle, fashion and outdoor categories. Made with virgin polyester that has been optimized for biodegradation and has tested to biodegrade at faster and better rates than competitive offerings, the initial PROEARTH articles available this fall include jacket, pant and lining material qualities with various colour options.

Filo d’Oro has been selected by Première Vision to exhibit within the SMART CREATION area, the key research and sourcing space for those looking for new generation of sustainable solutions. An informative, educational, visionary and multimedia space where exhibitors, designers, buyers and fashion brands can experience and truly visualize the progress the industry is making in terms of responsibility. At the show in Paris above all they will present a consolidated system of collaborations and a virtuous network that works side by side to make the difference with certified superior quality products for the international market.

Within Filo D’oro, on the occasion of the inclusion in the Smart Creation, they present innovations that reflect "a real commitment to cultural sustainability as well as industrial and production". The organic silks are made with natural fibers from organic farming, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification guarantees both the quality of the raw materials and the sustainability of all production processes. The FSC® certified viscose comes from forests with sustainable management that respects the environment and the population, other viscose developments are made with Ecovero™ yarn from certified and controlled sources. The polyesters are GRS certified, they are made with Newlife™, a yarn born from the transformation through mechanical process of post-consumer plastic bottles collected in northern Italy, whose production process is entirely 100% Made in Italy. Some proposals combine Newlife™ with ECOANTEX, a yarn resulting from the transformation of post-industrial waste and the selective collection of Pet packaging.

• Empowering fashion with responsible R&D, cutting edge finishing and a Made in Italy design imprint

Paris - “The soul of sustainable fashion is an alchemy, a combined commitment and an act of responsibility”. This is the motto ‘embossed’ in the collections and the values of Italian Converter. At Première Vision, the leading manufacturer celebrates its 25th anniversary and presents E.C.O. KOSMOS, a cross-collection, a brand-new ‘green line’ range’ and a winning formula shining a light on the company’s responsible path and unique ‘blend’ for the fashion of tomorrow.

The acronym E.C.O. stands for Ecologic, Conversion, Optimisation; three unique concepts and values that truly embody Italian Converter DNA: sustainability, transformative process and quality improvement.
For over 25 years, Italian Converter creates high-quality materials for some of the leading fashion and accessories brands. “Made in Italy and sustainability are part of our DNA.” Says Costantino Karazissis, founder of Italian Converter. “We believe that responsible sourcing and processes as well as a deep research into new technology pathways and a market-savvy taste for material design must be the starting point.”

At the core of the company’s responsible alchemy is also the constant research for the perfect balance of 100% Made in Italy materials. “We proudly collaborate with 120 skilled employees producing new hybrid material innovations daily, attracting partnerships from the best high-end brands both in Italy and abroad”.

Toupe and brick red E.C.O. Graffiti (100% linen) on E.C.O. Aurora (cotton and AMNI SOUL ECO®)

E.C.O. KOSMOS is entirely traceable, transparent, 100%made in Italy. The collection walks through a very complete and balanced range sustainable materials - from natural to eco high tech ones- that are transformed, enriched and valued in 9 high-tech cutting-edge innovations thanks to the Italian Converter expertise.
•    The natural line starts from bases of cotton bonded with AMNI SOUL ECO®, an enhanced polyamide 6.6 that degrades within 5 years instead of decades, as other conventional ones do.
•    The stretch innovations start from bases in GRS-certified Newlife™, a cutting-edge premium recycled polyester created using a High-Tech Conversion Model. Thanks to a mechanical process, used plastic bottles are turned into a top-quality polymer and yarn which is 100% traceable and 100% Made in Italy. The whole process takes place within a 100 square km area in Piedmont in Northern Italy.
 
All the references make use only of water-based resins and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified dying. The result, is resistant and transpiring solutions which come with bold and high-performing features, with a soft touch or even with a silky, yet strong, and enveloping feel. The designs range from rustic to contemporary and nod to jacquard, ‘authentic look’ and ‘drill’ hints. An ideal solution for footwear, apparel and leather goods.

Long story short? No compromises. E.C.O. Kosmos reflects design, innovation and responsible values, as well as 100% Italian Converter know-how.
 
“But this is just the beginning,” adds Karazissis. “The next step we are going to implement in the E.C.O. Kosmos cross-collection is a progressive integration of our triple-expertise, processes and R&D.” A sustainable step forward, a leap woven into a deep expertise a story to-be-continued. For a better future, this is for sure.

„CONTENT, EXCHANGE AND INSPIRATION“

“We are on exactly the right track with our focal topics and concepts on the subject of Digitalisation, Sustainability and Retail Experiences. The feedback was overwhelmingly very positive. The concepts we have developed in recent months are spot on the contemporary pulse and there is considerable need for dialogue between all the parties. At PREMIUM we succeeded in breathing life into a new dynamic with the new brand mix in the halls and the focus on key looks. The stands looked truly amazing and a lot of time had clearly been spent working on the collections, too. The buyers loved the overall impact of this. They felt better appealed to, oriented – and entertained.
 
The PREMIUM GROUP stands for content, communication and inspiration. The feedback on the quality of the visitors to PREMIUM, SHOW&ORDER X PREMIUM and SEEK resonated overwhelmingly positively. Visitors are taking new trends and contacts home with them. There were buyers visiting from Stylebop, Macy’s or Caliroots. 

A new generation of ecological PU coatings with water vapour permeability

Today, nearly all “breathable“ PU direct coatings are applied from solvent systems. These products partly contain very harmful and environmentally hazardous solvents.
To solve the “solvent“ problem, RUDOLF GROUP developed ECO-VENT®:

A water-based coating solution that opens up new perspectives for numerous coated fabrics, which are permeable to water vapour and, thus, breathable.
The optimum PFC-free, waterproof and breathable protective clothing can be finished with RUDOLF’s cluster of supreme technologies:

• Outer fabric finished with BIONIC-FINISH®ECO
• Direct coating made from ECO-VENT®
• Lining with moisture control due to hydrophilic HYDROCOOL®

• Inspired by the health megatrend, the keynote theme for DOMOTEX puts wellbeing, naturalness and sustainability at the top of the agenda  
• Stronger focus on contract business
• Manufacturers invited to creatively frame their products as expressions of the keynote theme

Preparations are already ramping up for the 2020 edition of the world’s leading trade show for carpets and floor coverings DOMOTEX. The upcoming show, to be held from 10 to 13 January 2020, has ATMYSPHERE as its keynote theme, symbolizing its central focus on all those qualities of floors and floor coverings that contribute to wellbeing, naturalness and sustainability.
 
Examples of products from the floor coverings industry that possess these qualities include floors with acoustic properties or sound-insulation components; carpets that bind fine dust particles or have thermal insulation properties; resilient floor coverings that are hypo-allergenic; and natural-wood floorboards that improve the interior climate by capturing excess humidity and releasing it again when the air in the room is dry. Other qualities that enhance positive indoor atmospherics include softness and pleasantness to the touch, sustainability, and aesthetic details that help transform rooms into oases of personal wellbeing.
 
“This year, as indeed in previous years, the lead theme is inspired by a current megatrend,” explains Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Deutsche Messe’s Global Director DOMOTEX. “And that trend is society’s heightened focus on health. Health is synonymous with quality of life and living well – and therefore translates into high expectations of the spaces around us. Alongside this, considerations of sustainability and recycling – and hence natural materials – continue to play a major role in our society. In terms of floor coverings, these are considerations and themes that are currently very much to the fore with our exhibitors and their work, especially given the great importance of floors as elements of creative interior design. With the right materials and design, carpets and floor coverings can be important factors in personal wellbeing and in the design of homes and workplaces that promote it. That is why ATMYSPHERE is of such definitive importance for all our exhibitors and visitor target groups.”

The “Framing Trends” showcase at DOMOTEX 2020 is a unique opportunity for manufacturers, artists and students to stage interior designs inspired by the ATMYSPHERE keynote theme and hence position themselves as trend leaders in innovative products and solutions for today’s modern floors and their positive, lifeaffirming qualities. Applications for participation at the “Framing Trends” showcase  are now open. Interested exhibitors and flooring-industry companies are invited to submit their ideas for displays of indoor oases of wellbeing that are built from the floor up.

• Lenzing enters the age of digital traceability
• Transparency ensured from wood to the finished garment
• Partnership with Hong Kong based TextileGenesis™

The Lenzing Group, world market leader in specialty fibers made from the renewable material wood, is strengthening its leading position in sustainability in the textile industry. Lenzing will use blockchain technology to support its TENCEL™ branded fiber business, ensuring complete transparency and traceability for brands and consumers of its fibers in the finished garment. After evaluating various initiatives Lenzing decided to join the platform of the Hong Kong based technology company TextileGenesis™ to accomplish this ambition.

Consumers increasingly want to understand the ingredients and suppliers of the products they buy, requesting a new level of transparency and traceability. The supply chain transparency from wood to garment and home textiles will enable all customers and partners to identify TENCEL™ fibers and the respective wood source in each production and distribution step. Thanks to a QR code on the final garment, consumers will be able to detect the origin of the clothes they intend to buy.

“With LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers Lenzing was the frontrunner in physical traceability and is now entering the age of digital traceability. This milestone in transparency is a further strong commitment to sustainability”, says Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group. “Together with TextileGenesis™, we aim to create an unmatched level of transparency for brands and consumers. With this step Lenzing will further help to green up the textile industry.”

Lenzing will carry out several pilot tests over the next few months involving partners along the entire value chain. Lenzing expects the platform to be fully operational as of 2020.