From the Sector

Iluna Group comes back to Milano Unica with a great and important goal: to relaunch the qualities and dimensions of sustainability by going beyond the ingredient.

Iluna’s new path, which was born in a moment when the market seems to speak about “fragility”, begins with the investment in the renewal of machines, which allow it to fly ever higher in terms of high-tech developments, quality, definition, effects of yarns and patterns. The journey into the new dimension of responsible quality continues with ad hoc developments in the field of GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified recycled yarns, aimed at unprecedented effects both in look, in performance and in the hands of fabrics. Including cord yarn, shiny threads and an expansion of the range of GRS yarns, previously available only opaque. The cord yarn is a precious yarn with a ROICA™ EF premium stretch yarn core, GRS certified and developed with 50% of pre-consumer waste materials content - double, covered with an equally recycled shiny thread; the bright and translucent is instead to add brilliant effects so far not possible with a GRS yarn.

The printing processes are also born from this constant search for innovation towards new materials and new techniques, becoming more and more sustainable: Global Recycle Standard (GRS)-certified sublimation printing and register printing carrying Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification. This one overlap exactly on the design and color the details, reaching where the dye cannot reach.

Diversification has become essential in today’s competitive market and the fragility of the moments experienced in 2020 was the stimulus to return to being here again, to return to action. Flexibility is the watchword today, along with research. And Iluna has managed to go further: starting from the ingredients at the base of the materials, last year launched a collection with natural dyes made with GOTS certified plant-based dyes, up to proposing magnificent prints with extraordinary effects for this edition of the Milanese fair.

The three dimensions of sustainability, design and innovation are thus finally linked thanks to valuable partnerships with expert and excellent reference companies that have allowed these new developments and these unique results thanks to advanced technologies designed specifically for Iluna, which is today the only company to offer ingredients, natural colors and prints, all three strictly certified.

Marabu is one of the first ink manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality. All Marabu Business Units will, where possible, make a specific contribution to achieve the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with PROJECT GREEN and therefore participate in the Green Deal.

"We are safeguarding the future of the next generations and are proud that we have managed to be a climate neutral company from July 2021 with the Tamm and Bietigheim sites. All our products, whether printing inks or creative colours, are climate neutral, too," explains York Boeder, CEO Executive Committee. "Our so-called PROJECT GREEN combines all measures that are taking us on our journey to climate neutrality. Climate protection is a particular concern for us, to which we have made a binding commitment within the scope of an extensive sustainability strategy. In accordance with our Marabu Green Deal, we avoid and reduce emissions wherever possible, e. g. by using green electricity, energy-saving schemes, mobility concepts or environmentally friendly materials. We offset all unavoidable CO2 emissions by supporting internationally certified climate protection projects. We are continually implementing measures to improve our carbon footprint and update them annually to make their success measurable. We have therefore set ourselves the active goal of reducing our CO2 emissions by another 25 % by 2030."

For decades, Marabu has invested in the research and development of safe production processes, environmentally friendly products, and clean technologies with the aim of preserving the natural environment. Marabu has worked with Climate Partner to analyse all the CO2 emissions from the sites in Tamm and Bietigheim and determine its carbon footprint. Including all product-related factors such as raw materials and logistics, Marabu currently generates approx. 18,500 tons of unavoidable CO2 emissions. This value is the positive result of a number of climate-friendly measures pursued by Marabu, such as the early switch to green electricity in 2007.

Marabu's main activities to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions:

• Energy - Switching to green electricity from hydropower
• Mobility - Migration of the company's vehicles to electric and hybrid cars as well as in e-charging stations
• Production - Use of renewable energies and resource-efficient production processes
• Raw materials - Replacing critical substances with environmentally friendly alternatives for new and existing products
• Transporting - Climate-neutral freight carriers and lower-emission transport methods like shipping or road transport replace air freight wherever possible
• Product technology - Modern, low-emission products

• Denim ingredient ISKO and Pakistan's largest vertically integrated denim company Soorty join forces

From competition to virtuous co-opetition: ISKO and Soorty announce the signing of a technology licensing agreement which sees the two companies working in partnership on the production of fabric and garment collections. The collaboration combines ISKO’s expertise in creating best-in-class, patented technologies with Soorty’s extensive vertical production network, which will be utilized to produce the collections. This collaboration opens the door to significant, new business opportunities for both companies and will enable them to meet customers’ needs on a greater scale.

Both players judge themselves at the forefront of sustainability, inclusivity, technology and education in the industry and are driven by a shared approach that prioritizes synergy, cross-fertilization, and a quest for constant improvement.

The first collaborative effort between the companies sees the launch of the ISKO Future Face™ by Soorty collection. Created using ISKO’s innovative ISKO Future Face™ technology, it is produced by Soorty specifically for the US market. ISKO Future Face™ is a patented woven fabric that looks like a knit. This fabric innovation combines a soft, silky finish with comfort, enhanced shape retention and a flattering drape, while maintaining all the properties of true denim.

Leading Japanese computerized knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., is participating in the “MIT Media Lab Summer Camp in Japan” hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab of Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

SHIMA SEIKI has been part of the MIT Media Lab as a Consortium Lab Member since 2018, collaborating on research for exploring next-generation technologies that open up new opportunities for the garment sector. The MIT Media Lab is now holding a series of online seminar sessions for middle/junior high school and high school students in Japan and around the world in order to share activities and experiences that address social issues through cross-sector and crossindustry collaboration.

SHIMA SEIKI is holding its own session as part of this series, titled “ZERo-WASTE FASHIon—Protecting the Planet from Fashion Loss.” The session highlights current issues faced by the fashion industry including environmental problems that have recently become the focus of attention, and aims to explain in simple terms, various sustainable solutions made possible by combining seam-free complete garment knitting technology with virtual sampling performed on design systems.

Die Textil- und Modeindustrie wird gegenwärtige grundlegend revolutioniert – getrieben von nachhaltigen und technologischen Innovationen, erreichen neue Wertschöpfungsmodelle den Massenmarkt. Genau diese Themen nimmt die Fashionsustain, das internationale und multidisziplinäre Konferenzformat der Neonyt, vom 6. bis 8. Juli 2021 und erstmalig im Rahmen des digitalen FFW STUDIO der Frankfurt Fashion Week in den Fokus. Sie präsentiert in Form von Panels, Talks, Keynotes und interaktiven Formaten spannende und tiefgehende Einblicke in den laufenden Transformationsprozess der Branche. Unter anderem mit dabei sind der Grüne Knopf, Oeko-Tex und PwC.

Drei Tage, mehr als 20 Einzelformate, zahlreiche Insights: Unter den zentralen Topics State of the Industry, Innovating the Industry und State of Retail versammelt sich das gesamte, vielseitige und multidisziplinäre Programm der Fashionsustain. Der inhaltliche Fokus liegt dabei auf den Themen Fashion Design & Circularity, Values & Diversity, Digitisation, Textile Certifications und Cotton & Denim. In diversen Talks, Diskussionen und Präsentationen wird für die Community erlebbar, was die nachhaltige Modebranche bewegt, welche Potenziale und Visionen die handelnden Akteur*innen aktuell forcieren und wie diese für einen echten Wandel in der Industrie aufgegriffen und skaliert werden können.

State of the Industry – was bewegt die Modeindustrie?
Diese Frage stellt am 6. Juli 2021 ab 10 Uhr der erste Konferenztag. Zu den maßgeblichen Themen, die die Branche aktuell herausfordern – so die Effekte der Corona-Pandemie auf die internationale Modeindustrie; die Frage inwieweit sich Textilproduktion langfristig von global zu lokal shiftet; oder wie Nachhaltigkeit ganzheitlich in Prozesse integriert werden und Permanenz erlangen kann - diskutieren Speaker*innen diverser
Fashion Brands im Panel „Global supply. Local demand. Total change?“.
Auch das in Deutschland jüngst beschlossene Lieferkettengesetz spielt eine wichtige Rolle. Im Panel „Same Goals. Different Systems. How transparency triggers responsibility“, initiiert vom Grünen Knopf und von der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Der Zusammenhang von Finanzen, Nachhaltigkeit und Mode: Durch gezielte Entscheidung, Kreditnehmer*innen anhand ihrer Nachhaltigkeitsbemühungen zu berücksichtigen, kann der Finanzdienstleistungssektor zu einer nachhaltigeren Zukunft beitragen. Was das konkret bedeutet, welche Auswirkungen dies auf die Kreditvergabe haben kann und wie die Branche außerdem zur Transformation der Textil- und Modeindustrie beitragen kann, wird in einer Diskussion unter dem Titel „Finance. How it triggers sustainability in fashion“ debattiert.

Digitalisierung und Innovation: Transformation, Transparenz, Zertifizierungen
Die beiden zentralen Themen des zweiten Konferenztages sind hochaktuell und nehmen insbesondere im Kontext der Frankfurt Fashion Week eine zentrale Bedeutung ein.

Transparenz entlang der textilen Lieferketten wird immer relevanter und sie ist eng mit digitalen Innovationen verknüpft. Deshalb wird im Panel „Transparency. The tech solutions for new supply and value chains“ verschiedene technische Lösungen vor, die mehr Transparenz beim Kleidungskauf ermöglichen, vorgestellt.
Beim interaktiven Certification Buzzword-Bingo mit Max Gilgenmann powered by Grüner Knopf werden Zuschauer*innen mittels Gamification eingebunden, bevor im Panel „Carbon and Water Footprinting. How to drive it in the Fashion Industry“ by Oeko-Tex das Thema rund um Zertifikate weiter vertieft wird.

State of Retail – von der Innovation zu den Konsument*innen
Am Donnerstag, den 8. Juli dreht sich das Programm der Fashionsustain rund um den State of Retail. Wie findet man als kleines, nachhaltiges Label am besten eine passende Retail-Plattform für eine gelungene Zusammenarbeit? Was unter dem Topic Retail auf keinenb Fall fehlen darf, sind Einblicke in neue Businessmodelle. Secondhand, leihen, leasen, resellen – die zirkulären Möglichkeiten der Wertschöpfung sind für den Einzelhandel breit gefächert. Mehr Einblicke dazu gibt es im Panel „New business models. From pre-loved to repaired and recycled“. Weil Nachhaltigkeit, umweltbewusster Lebensstil und verantwortungsvoller Umgang mit der Natur mittlerweile in der Mitte der Gesellschaft angekommen sind, ist es umso wichtiger, dass Marken und Labels den Konsument*innen Orientierung und Transparenz zu bieten. In dem Design-Talk „Sustainable Branding“ des German Design Council geht es deshalb um nachhaltige Markenführung, den Aufbau eine entsprechenden Markenstrategie und die zentrale Bedeutung von guter Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation.

The world’s leading denim ingredient brand is proud to announce it has contributed its considerable denim expertise to prestigious fashion school, Institut Français de la Mode’s (IFM) new online course, Fashion Sustainability: Shaping Fashion’s Future.

Developed as part of a partnership with IFM and Kering luxury group and led by Andrée-Anne Lemieux, Sustainability Professor and Head of the IFM-Kering Sustainability Chair, the 10-week course will examine the importance of sustainability in fashion and invites students and experienced fashion professionals to learn how they can play a role in shaping a sustainable future for fashion.

Launched on 17 May, the course covers the history and values of sustainable development and how this relates to the fashion industry, as well as teaches the practicalities of creating and executing a CSR and sustainability strategy. As part of the course, ISKO has created a video presentation which gives an insight into its Responsible Innovation™ strategy and how it approaches its role as a leader in sustainability for denim production. Led by ISKO’s Global Field Marketing Manager, Elena Faleschini, the presentation explores how innovation along with the cooperation and participation of everyone in the denim industry can help make the production of denim more responsible.

“The Fashion Sustainability course gives students and industry professionals the knowledge and tools to become the change makers we need in the industry. We are honored to contribute to the course and be able to share our vast experience working to build a more sustainability industry for the future,” says Faleschini.

Asahi Kasei's ongoing commitment to strengthen the Bemberg™ fibre value chain from raw materials to final products textile industry and support local people, institutes, and the environment, has been recognized by the United Nations BCtA programme, who has renewed its membership for India. Starting from the company and including the material, Bemberg™ integrates new generations of values such as innovation and responsibility together with design. This important breakthrough showcases how the smart fibre is globally recognized for its innovation, responsibility and ability to deliver high-quality and sustainable ingredients at the same time committed to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Objectives of this initiative include:  

• By 2023, enhance skills of 1,671 employees in the Bemberg fiber industry and advance production efficiency of 55 small to medium scale de-linting, weaving and dyeing manufacturers, through employee training, capital investment and technical support.
• By 2023, develop capacity of 575 young people, especially women, who will lead the Indian textile industry, by providing vocational training opportunities and institutional support for the three schools.
• By 2023 cumulative amount of 40,000m3/day textile dyeing effluent will be treated and recycled back to their own textile dyeing process, which is equivalent to saving daily water access to natural water resources for approx. 25,000 households.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has expanded its portfolio of biodegradable and renewable fiber-based solutions for food packaging papers, receiving compostability certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute®.

Continuing to be at the forefront of sustainable product offerings, Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s FluoroFree® and ParaFree® food packaging papers produced in North America are now BPI® certified, in addition to offering multiple sustainability attributes in a single product.  

These certifications facilitate the possibility for Ahlstrom-Munksjö customers, whether converters or brand owners, to achieve their own sustainability goals. By using a scientific process, BPI officially certifies compostable products that meet ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868 standards for compostability. BPI Certification proves that a material will compost in a commercial composting facility, leaving behind no toxic residue or microplastics.

In addition, Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s ParaFree® Wax Alternative papers have achieved BPI Certifcation; papers manufactured without the addition of paraffin or other petroleum-based materials. ParaFree® products create a more sustainable alternative to this type of widely used quick service restaurant packaging. These products maintain a high-level of performance and are stronger on a pound-for-pound basis, allowing for improved yield and lower transportation costs and reducing its overall impact.

Progressive material innovations presented digitally: following the cancellation of this year’s fair due to the corona pandemic, Heimtextil is extending its range of digital services and launching a new online materials library entitled ‘Future Materials Library’. 24 future-oriented materials for interior applications can now be found at www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com/future.

The curators of the new materials library are London-based futures-research agency, FranklinTill. “We are transitioning to a materials revolution that will help restore the balance in our relationship to our planet. As part of the Heimtextil Trends 21/22, we present a new selection of materials for interior applications with exciting innovations from all over the world”, says Caroline Till of FranklinTill.

A mix of commercially viable products and developments in an early stage

Imaginative designers and environmentally-aware manufacturers: the Future Materials Library 2021 offers materials pioneers a platform and presents a first-class mix of economically proven and revolutionary developments. FranklinTill has organised the materials in four themes: REGENERATIVE CROPS, REMADE FIBRES, HARVESTING WASTE STREAMS and SUSTAINABLE COLOUR.

Resources are running low

Thus, the new Heimtextil materials library tackles one of the main problems of the modern age: the shortage of resources on earth. In particular, textile production creates huge and continuously growing quantities of waste. And, over past decades, the design business has developed a ‘take, make and discard’ model of consumption that is incredibly harmful for our planet. In the climate-emergency era, however, future-oriented designers are learning from nature and working together with it. They endeavour to make use of the power of highly efficient natural circular systems to create textiles and materials that are better for both humans and the planet.

Heimtextil Trends: a guide for the international sector

The ‘Future Materials Library’ is part of the Heimtextil Trends that, for almost three decades, have been offering orientation for the sector by revealing design tendencies for the coming season. Even in the crisis, the Heimtextil Trends remain a vital part of the overall concept of the fair and provide important content for all target groups involved within the worldwide sector. Accordingly, Heimtextil aims to spotlight style-defining design developments taking place within the larger context of lifestyle trends. At the same time, the Heimtextil trend experts scan the exhibitors’ product world and identify unequivocal trends in the sector. In this connection, particular attention is paid to sustainable aspects along the entire value chain – in both the new digital library and live during the fair next January. 

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.