From the Sector

100% sustainability lives in the smallest detail, starting with the label, the element that can tell the story of responsibility. This is why Nastrificio di Cassano has created NDC Green, Made in Italy and fully traceable range that guarantees high quality standards while respecting the planet.
 
NDC Green comprises 4 categories:

• LABìO ECO-SOFT®: made using TENCEL™ lyocell  yarn which is compostable and biodegradable (as attested by TUV Austria), this product boasts performances and is resistant up to 10 domestic washings at 30°. The reference is produced with fifteen times less water consumption than cotton production and the resins used are GOTS certified.
• LABìO HANGreen is the smart solution for the creation of hard tags, hangtags, shopping bags and garment covers and, as LABIO ECO-SOFT® range, it’s made with  compostable and biodegradable TENCEL™ lyocell yarn and the resin is compostable, too. These peculiarities make this product unique.
• ACETATE NAIA™, the 'smart satin' that respects forests and oceans, is the NAIA™ single-ingredient solution produced by Eastman: the 100% traceable, compostable and biodegradable cellulose yarn in both soil and sea respects the natural growth rate of forests.
• RECYCLED POLYESTER: is made from post-consumer yarn recycled from GRS-certified PET bottles. Available in both satin and resinated taffeta versions, it guarantees excellent printability for an elegant and sophisticated look

Truetzschler Nonwovens will deliver equipment to enlarge an existing spunlacing line - put into operation in 2015 at the Turkish Eruslu Nonwovens Group - into a flexible, state-of-the-art production line for various light to heavy weight sustainable nonwovens.

Last year Eruslu decided to broaden its portfolio in the wipes segment by adding biodegradable products from renewable resources. The group took full advantage of the 2015 small capacity line and went for:

• a second NCR random and a NCA airlay card
• fiber preparation and card feeding equipment for the two new cards
• more hydraulic power to reliably and efficiently hydroentangle multi-layer webs
• an extension to the dryer for increased evaporation capacity

After starting up in the second half of 2022, Eruslu will be operating an ultra-modern, highly flexible NCR-NCA-NCR spunlace line, the first of its kind in Turkey. The line is tailor-made to process virgin cotton fibers, comber noils and short fibers at high speeds. End products are top-quality, lightweight natural wipes or heavy-weight, three-layer nonwovens for cosmetic pads.

100% sustainability lives in the smallest detail, starting with the label, the only element that can tell the story of responsibility. This is exactly why, to be a truly credible 'ambassador', the label or tag must itself be responsible. This is why Nastrificio di Cassano has created NDC Green, the premium, Made in Italy and fully traceable range that guarantees the highest quality standards while respecting the planet.

NDC Green comprises 4 categories, all with influential international certifications that attest to Nastrificio di Cassano's responsible imprinting. Many new sustainability values are woven into the collection. Particular attention is given to end-of-life, but also to the choice of natural and high-tech materials with a low environmental impact.

A wide choice that speaks of responsible innovation, beauty and functionality: characteristics that have led C.L.A.S.S. (www.classecohub.org) to integrate NDC Green into its Material Hub which "contains a selection of fibres, materials and fabrics that share a DNA linked to research that since 2007 has been raising the bar of standards in order to offer innovations in step with the demands of the contemporary consumer" says Giusy Bettoni CEO of C.L.A.S.S.
NDC Green includes:

• LABìO ECO-SOFT®: made using compostable and biodegradable ingredients (as attested by TUV Austria), this product boasts performances and is resistant up to 10 domestic washings at 30°. The reference is produced with fifteen times less water consumption than cotton production and the resins used are GOTS certified.
• LABìO HANGreen is the smart solution for the creation of hard tags, hangtags, shopping bags and garment covers and, as LABIO ECO-SOFT® range, it made with  compostable and biodegradable ingredients as certified by TUV Austria and the resin is compostable, too. These peculiarities make this product unique.
• ACETATE NAIA™, the 'smart satin' that respects forests and oceans, is the NAIA™ single-ingredient solution produced by Eastman: the 100% traceable, compostable and biodegradable cellulose yarn in both soil and sea respects the natural growth rate of forests.
• RECYCLED POLYESTER: is made from post-consumer yarn recycled from GRS-certified PET bottles. Available in both satin and resinated taffeta versions, it guarantees excellent printability for an elegant and sophisticated look.

• Organic cotton project with thriving prospects

Dibella is participating in a joint project to promote organic cotton cultivation in India. The project aims to protect organic cultivation through targeted training measures and by paying premiums to small farmers, to support the conversion from conventional to organic cotton, to increase crop yields and at the same time to achieve better fibre quality.

The demand for organically grown organic cotton is growing rapidly, but crop yields are lagging well behind global demand. The Alliance for Sustainable Textiles (Berlin), initiated by Development Minister Dr. Gerd Müller, therefore wants to increase organic cotton volumes for its member companies with practical solutions. In cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), it is now promoting a forward-looking project for which Dibella provided the impetus.

"In India, it is mainly micro-farms and village cooperatives that are active in organic cotton cultivation. Conversion of additional land and sustainable management could increase yields and fibre quality of organic cotton. The Chetna Organic initiative, with which we have been working successfully for many years, advises the farmers in these processes. It supports the farmers and village communities with targeted education, training and practical assistance in organic farming, thus preparing the ground for better income and living conditions for the families," says Ralf Hellmann, Managing Director of Dibella.

Several alliance partners - Dibella, Fairtrade Germany, GIZ, Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Tchibo - have taken the exemplary initiative as an opportunity to promote the cultivation and expansion of organic cotton in India. In cooperation with Chetna Organic, they focus on supporting Indian women's cooperatives, women farmers and families in the production of organic cotton as part of the "Organic Cotton Pilot Project". Tchibo and Fairtrade subsidise micro-farms during the conversion phase of the fields (the fibres are only recognised as organic cotton four years after conversion) and contribute to the provision of GMO-free seeds, which have become a scarce commodity in India. Together with Dibella, they finance training courses that teach the optimal use of natural rainfall as well as efficient, ecological cultivation methods, which subsequently lead to improved fibre quality. In addition, they commit to purchasing Fairtrade organic cotton for many years.

Ralf Hellmann: "The pilot project enables us to expand our Dibella Good Textiles collection because it guarantees us long-term access to fair-trade organic cotton. At the same time, it improves the living conditions of the small-scale farmers and their families. We therefore hope that "Organic Cotton" will also set a precedent in other cotton growing regions and bring organic farming forward in India."

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ANEX/SINCE 2021 in Shanghai, China, from July 22 to 24, 2021. The product portfolio covers state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies such as air-through bonding, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/Wetlace, converting, textile finishing, airlay, recycling, and bast fiber processing.

Among the largest end-use markets for nonwoven products are materials for durable uses. Interior linings for cars, materials for construction, geotextiles, synthetic leathers for clothing and furniture, carpeting, filtration and many other industries rely on the use of nonwovens produced using the needlepunch method.

ANDRITZ Nonwoven’s processes play a pioneering role in the production of biodegradable materials. For many years, ANDRITZ has offered different processes, like spunlace, Wetlace and Wetlace CP, all with one goal in mind: Elimination of plastic components while maintaining the high quality of the desired product properties. Such processes achieve high performance entirely with plastic-free raw materials. The added benefit of using a blend of fibers, like wood pulp, short-cut cellulosic fibers, viscose, cotton, hemp, bamboo or linen, without chemical additives results in a 100% sustainable fabric, thus meeting customers’ needs exactly as well as supporting the strong tendency to move away from plastics and synthetics.

The latest development in this field is the ANDRITZ neXline wetlace CP line. This process combines the benefits of two forming technologies (inline drylaid and wetlaid web forming process) with bonding by hydroentanglement. Natural fibers, like pulp or viscose, can be processed smoothly and generate a high-performance and cost-efficient wipe that is fully biodegradable and plastic-free.

Combining expertise for more sustainable fashion
Ever wonder how much water was used to make your favorite cotton T-shirt? About 2,700 liters, or roughly three years of drinking water. What first comes to mind is probably the water that was essential to growing the cotton crop. Surprisingly, cotton is a drought-tolerant plant, and often less recognized is the strain that can be put on water resources to dye cotton textiles.

Progress is being made across the industry to lessen the strain on our precious water resources. Over the past several years, Dow collaborated with Cotton Incorporated to research and validate their product, ECOFAST™ Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment, that can help drastically reduce water and chemical use during the dyeing process. Major fashion brands are integrating it into their supply chain to dye more sustainably, without sacrificing color or quality.

Problem
Cotton dyeing is very resource-intensive and puts strain on local waterways. A large amount of water is used in the dyeing process – up to 5 trillion liters a year, or nearly enough to supply all of humanity with drinking water. Significant amounts of chemicals and dye are needed to get the desired colors consumers expect too. This is part of the reason textile mills account for 20% of industrial water pollution globally. Wastewater from the dyeing process can be polluting and require costly treatment and these challenges are found in regions that already face water scarcity.

Solution
Reforming processes in an industry as established as textiles is no easy feat. Collaboration across the sector is needed to bring about sustainable change. With that in mind, Cotton Incorporated approached Dow. They wanted help scaling a cotton technology to support more sustainable textile dyeing.Leveraging Cotton Incorporated’s industry expertise and Dow’s material science knowledge, they worked together to understand and validate the benefits of our patented ECOFAST™ Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment.

How can colors be more responsible?  
ECOFAST™ Pure is a pretreatment applied before the dyeing process to produce cationic cotton. This means the charge of cotton is permanently changed from negative to positive, so it acts like a magnet to attract negatively charged dye to the material. How does that benefit the textile mill? It significantly decreases the amount of water, chemicals, dye and energy needed to color cotton. A third party reviewed and validated life cycle assessment, available by request, helped further prove the benefits.

Devan Chemicals recently added two more products to its range of bio-based textile finishes. One being a softener, the other one a quick-dry finish. Both are derived from vegetable oils and are in line with the company’s latest innovations on bio-based chemistry.

Due to the Covid-pandemic, serving as an accelerator for a worldwide green economy, the textile industry is increasingly seeking more sustainable and products fit-for-circular programs. According to McKinsey & Company, the textile industry will experience innovation surrounding sustainably sourced raw materials and bio-based chemical additives to accommodate increasing consumer demand.

Devan launched its first bio-based technology in 2019 and is fully committed to making bio-based versions of their existing textile finishes. ‘We have put ourselves on a mission to be able to extend our Bio-Based range further”, says Sven Ghyselinck, CEO of Devan. “We wanted to make an even bigger impact on circularity than before, therefore we looked into what fabric producers use a lot: softeners and moisture management systems. Only by focusing more on the large volume products, can we support the industry to have a bigger impact on sustainability. After the growing success of our natural antimicrobial BI-OME NTL, we are proud to now introduce our new natural Passerelle line”.

Passerelle Soft NTL is a durable softness technology based on vegetable ingredients. The technology is wash durable and can be used with natural fibres like hemp, cotton, but is also fit for synthetic fibres like rPES, PA. The bio content of the technology is above 85% (ASTM D6866-20).

Passerelle Quick-Dry NTL is a moisture management technology also based on vegetable ingredients. This bio-based finish enables high wicking and evaporation capability which helps to evaporate water/sweat easier and faster. The technology is also > 60% (28 days) biodegradable according to OECD 301B.

• EMMA SCALCON is the winner of the first edition of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION AWARD, an international competition for communication in sustainable fashion.

The award was established in October 2020 by Connecting Cultures and C.L.A.S.S. with the aim of creating new visual imagery and innovative communication models in sustainable fashion. Stylists, photographers, designers, illustrators, artists and other creatives, invited to rethink how to communicate the new generation of values of an ethical and sustainable fashion system, joined the open and international call.

The name of the winner of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition was announced during a webinar on March 30th at 4pm led by Giusy Bettoni, CEO of C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub; Anna Detheridge, President of Connecting  Cultures; Lucy Orta, Chair, Art & the Environment, University of the Arts London; and Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner of The Bear Scouts.

Born in Padua, Italy, 22 years old, and a student in her second year in Textile & Fashion Design at IAAD - Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design, Emma Scalcon won the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition with her project TAKE A WALK ON THE GREEN SIDE, designing communications crafted with strong and impactful images and simple but detailed wording intended for younger consumers to inform them about sustainable fashion issues.

Scalcon ranked first among the finalists selected by a high profile jury composed of:
·   Anna Detheridge, Founder and President, Connecting Cultures
·   Giusy Bettoni, CEO and Founder, C.L.A.S.S.
·   Rita Airaghi, Director, Gianfranco Ferré Foundation
·   Paola Arosio, Head of New Brands & Sustainability Projects, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
·   Jeanine Ballone, Managing Director, Fashion 4 Development
·   Evie Evangelou, Founder and President, Fashion 4 Development
·   Chiara Luisi, Sustainability Projects Coordinator, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
·   Sara Kozlowski, Director of Education and Sustainable Strategies, Council of Fashion Designers of America  
·   Dio Kurazawa, Socio fondatore, The Bear Scouts
·   Renata Molho, Founding Partner, The Bear Scouts
·   Lucy Orta, Chair, Art & the Environment, University of the Arts London
·   Stefania Ricci, Director, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

Emma Scalcon was awarded the €3,000 prize, made possible by the Main Sponsor ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei and by the other sponsors of the project: ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei - a latest generation fabric collection that promotes responsible innovation with advanced high-tech performance, C.L.A.S.S., and the Greek smart cotton SUPREME GREEN COTTON® by Varvaressos.
 
“It is time to be pioneers in communication and for this we have supported the Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award,” commented Takaaki Kondo, global marketing department manager for ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, the Main Sponsor of the award. ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is a high quality stretch fibre with an innovative range of intelligent functions to satisfy every modern wardrobe need for sports, underwear, and fashion. “We believe that together with responsible innovation, communication is the key to bring sustainability to the next level: to inspire, educate, inform and allow both professionals and consumers to make the right choices.”

“The competition is an opportunity to rethink how to communicate the new and different values of an ethical and sustainable fashion system,” explained Anna Detheridge. “I am quite impressed with the results of the competition — the diversity of forms that we received show both an interesting change in sensibility and a practical approach to communicating these values. There is less visual rhetoric and reliance on compelling images and more investment in basic information and a greater variety of narratives.

It is a great pleasure to see the energies from a wealth of young creatives, small businesses, and designers from all over the world with cross-disciplinary interests and a diversity of talents who are ushering in a new culture of design. My heartiest congratulations go to Emma Scalcon".

“I completely agree with Anna's comments on the quality of the work submitted by participants in the competition and together we have renewed our intention to continue IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION into 2021 with a new edition of the award,” stated Giusy Bettoni. “After this initial experience, we find ourselves even more motivated to explore some of the themes that emerged during the selection process, in particular those regarding the ethics of intellectual and cultural property, a topical issue in an industry like fashion. For this reason, we are already working together on organizing a webinar on this topic with outside specialists, including legal experts.”

 21 Grams, the group comprised of Veronica De Nigris, Serena Paone e Immacolata Esposito, won a special contest open to the public among the finalists selected by the jury, receiving the most votes from Instagram followers on C.L.A.S.S.’s corporate Instagram profile. The media partner for the initiative is Renoon, the leading search tool and data hub for sustainable fashion, a rising start-up of the year, aggregating +190 brands offering sustainable options to consumers. 

Fashion 4 Development & C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub will launch The Reclothe Resource Guide during the virtual exhibit: Discover the SDGs - To Make Peace With Nature, a virtual hub convened by the United Nations Office for Partnerships April 1 - 30, 2021.

The publication's mission is to inform and educate fashion industry professionals, schools, universities, students, and new generation brands to focus on the next generation of the circular economy and make an impact on the value chain. The ReClothe guide lists all solutions, technologies, fabric suppliers, dyers, and finishers currently available and scalable globally that can really answer the new generation needs of the contemporary consumer. ReClothe will be published quarterly and focus on innovators working the best practices and opportunities in development & manufacturing for a responsible fashion industry.

The guide includes Bacx™ by Centro Seta, Bext360, DYNTEX® Biosynthetics, Eastman Naia™, ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, Iluna Group, Lanificio Zignone, Maeba International, Mending for Good, Modern Meadow, Re.VerSo™, ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, Santoni, Smartex, Spiber Inc., SUPREME GREEN COTTON® by Varvaressos, TINTEX Textiles, VEGEA and YKK.

For registration click here.

• Carnet by Ratti Group teams up with Bemberg™ for its ultimate collection of premium, exclusive, responsible lining fabrics

Bemberg™ smart-tech fibers interweave circular economy into the new ‘bunch’ of lining textiles by the renowned fabric manufacturer which partners with tailors, designers and brands to bring style e and responsibility in the made-to-measure menswear and womenswear contemporary wardrobe.
 
The new ‘bunch’ of Bemberg™ fabrics for high-quality linings comprises 59 references that come in vibrant and contemporary colors. The collection reflects Carnet’s constant quest for exclusivity as well as a new vision for the future, thanks to Bemberg™ precious ingredient. “Because there is no style without sustainability” comments Ettore Pellegrini of Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia which supplies Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei the world-leading materials manufacturer.

Bemberg™ smart-tech fibers interweave circular economy into the new ‘bunch’ of lining textiles by the renowned fabric manufacturer which partners with tailors, designers and brands to bring style e and responsibility in the made-to-measure menswear and womenswear contemporary wardrobe.
 
The new ‘bunch’ of Bemberg™ fabrics for high-quality linings comprises 59 references that come in vibrant and contemporary colors. The collection reflects Carnet’s constant quest for exclusivity as well as a new vision for the future, thanks to Bemberg™ precious ingredient. “Because there is no style without sustainability” comments Ettore Pellegrini of Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia which supplies Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei the world-leading materials manufacturer.

Bemberg™ is the high-tech ingredient born from the transformation of cotton linters through a full circular, transparent and entirely traceable process. The result is a high-performing unique and precious fiber with anti-static and humidity-control properties. “By choosing to work with Bemberg™, we injected sustainability in the collection in order to offer ‘the best quality chance’ to tailors, designers, brands, and garment makers who believe in and commit to responsible yet premium and exclusive fashion.” Adds Alessandro Ivaldi, Business director at Carnet by Ratti Group.
 
Carnet is a division of the Ratti Group that manufactures and distributes the best fabrics all over the world for the realization of made-to-measure garments for both men and women. In each collection, Carnet’s fabrics are able to show the experience of those who know the code of style. A wide range of exclusives bases, Carnet offers high-end meter fabrics for both men and women.
 
The new Carnet’s  Bemberg™ fabrics for lining range is also available online with over 300.000 metres of fabric that can be purchased with a minimum order of just 50 cm, with delivery granted within 72 hours in over 50 countries.