From the Sector

Checkpoint Systems, a provider of source to shopper solutions to the retail industry, has announced the launch of the OPAL Tag. The new pinless article surveillance solution facilitates the protection of footwear, sportswear, outdoor equipment and other hard-to-protect goods.

The one-piece OPAL Tag, developed by Checkpoint’s Alpha High Theft Solutions division, uses a unique locking mechanism that includes small rubber pads. This pinless solution is suitable for a range of goods – including footwear, sportswear, outdoor clothing as well as outdoor and athletics equipment – as it ensures that the device does not damage the items when it is attached or removed.

In addition, the OPAL Tag has two other advantages: It is easy for store associates to apply and remove with just one hand, optimising workflows - and it is unobtrusive, improving the customer experience. For example, if it is attached to a shoe, the customer can still try on the item without having to ask staff for help.

Proven security features
Besides the new, optimised handling, the OPAL Tag has a bandwidth of security features that have proven successful for retailers in preventing theft. These include flashing LED lighting to deter potential thieves, showing them that the security device is live. The OPAL solution is also equipped with Alpha 2 Alarm technology, meaning that an alarm will sound if the device passes by an EAS antenna. Attempts at tampering are also detected in this way.

• Commitment for a sustainable fashion industry

RadiciGroup participated in the third edition of PHYGITAL SUSTAINABILITY EXPO, which took place on 11 and 12 July in Rome. The event was focused on the ecological transition of fashion and design brands through technological innovation.

During the “narrated fashion show”, at the archaeological site of the Museo Dei Fori Imperiali, two sustainable garments by RadiciGroup were shown: the first completely recyclable ski suit made with recycled nylon and the Yamamay swimsuit made with polyester yarn obtained from recycling of plastic bottles.

Yamamay chose the sustainable polyester yarn Repetable® by RadiciGroup, for its new green beachwear proposal, with the aim of combining beauty and sustainability. Repetable is an innovative polyester yarn obtained through a process of recycling plastic bottles. Compared to virgin polyester, Repetable allows lower CO₂ emissions (-45%), lower water consumption (-90%) and lower energy consumption (-60%), while guaranteeing high performance. The new line “Edit” by Yamamay, which includes the swimsuit made with Repetable, has already been on the market since the end of last May.

The participation of RadiciGroup in the PHYGITAL SUSTAINABILITY EXPO represents further confirmation of the Group commitment to creating a fashion industry that is increasingly respectful of the environment, thanks to the involvement of all the players in the supply chain, which are most sensitive to sustainability.

This season, adidas Originals returns with the next installment of its “Always Original” initiative. First assembled in 2021 to pay homage to the multifaceted identities of women and non-binary folks, the “Always Original Collective” takes centre stage again, as the brand with the Three Stripes turns its focus to representing allyship in originality with a new collection and campaign made to fit every story.

The drop one offering has been designed for everyone – no matter their size, shape, gender, or style. Celebrating all forms of originality each piece is available in an extended size run and boasts lace constructions that are as versatile as the moves of those the collection was designed for. Created to allow everyone to express their individuality, the garments on offer reimagine adidas’ sporting history for a new generation of changemakers while the footwear selection features updated takes on the Forum Low and the Astir W silhouettes.

Launching alongside the main Fall/Winter 2022 drop one selection is an expressive capsule collection co-created directly with the “Always Original Collective”. Inspired by each member’s interpretation of two key words – Belonging and Community – the capsule offers a host of bold and dynamic graphic pieces.

The first seasonal drop is accompanied by the arrival of an undeniably optimistic campaign centering on four members of the collective – Jari Jones, Amani, Naomi Otsu, and Lena Waithe – and inspired by the slogan: “They’ve been here for us. Now it’s our turn.”

The campaign visuals spotlight the shops and small businesses that helped to shape the lives of each dynamic changemaker: Yu & Me Book Store, Le’Jemalik Beauty Salon, Hibiscus Brew Coffee Shop, and Savant Studios. Putting the focus on those who have been there all along, the campaign seeks to demonstrate the power of allyship in communities around the world.

Iluna Group is exhibiting at the upcoming Première Vision, from July 5-7, with the aim of promoting a new fashion that combines aesthetic research and environmental responsibility.
 
The key word of this new collection is “experimentation”: the search for new solutions that can offer consumers style, sustainability and well-being translates into innovative blends, natural dyes and smart prints.

This season, the Iluna team is introducing for the first time GOTS-certified organic cotton inside its gallons and allovers, to add a natural touch to its Green Label line. Among the smart ingredients chosen by Iluna Group are Renycle® and Q-Nova, both GRS-certified pre-consumer recycled polyamide yarns, in addition to premium recycled stretch ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei. The result is a comfortable and ultralight product that remains true to a high value of creativity and responsibility.

In terms of aesthetic innovation, explorations continue with a yarn blend of FSC-certified viscose and polyamide, resulting in striking new Textronic designs. The 3D effect embossed designs create a cloud effect that, combined with Lurex, shows unexpected glows.

Moreover, the continuous path through the new dimension of responsibility continues in several directions: developments in GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified recycled yarns aimed at unprecedented effects in both look, performance and hands; experiments with 16 different natural dyestuffs; and continued investment in technologies that can ensure significant savings in water and energy consumption, including GREENDROP, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system.

The international eco hub C.L.A.S.S. brings its next generation Smart Shop’s offer to the 10th edition of the Future Fabrics Expo from the28th to the 29th of June 2022 in London.

Since 2018, C.L.A.S.S. has been offering the access of the top of its Material hub innovations to small and new generation of designers and brands through its Smart Shop, the online store of smart materials. C.L.A.S.S. intent at FFE is to share the unique values of its design driven, conscious, high-tech materials, in order to start synergies with an audience characterized by the interest in responsible innovations, the main expertise of CEO and founder Giusy Bettoni and her team.

C.L.A.S.S. offers smart solutions – from 1 meter to max 50 meters - for the contemporary wardrobe which include all the different expressions of textile ingredients: natural, transformed, innovative and back in the loop materials, giving everyone the possibility to create design, innovative and yet responsible products in line with their new generation of contemporary values.

Among the conscious, yet technological materials which will be presented at Fabrics for Future there are Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, Albini’s organic and scientifically traceable cotton, Re.VerSo™ recycled wools, NewLife™ recycled polyester and Maeba International’s Back in The Loop fabrics.

The Japanese textile manufacturer ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei Advance presents its SS 2023 collection, made of high-tech fabrics implementing new-generation values, with the aim of keeping nature, body and mind in harmony.

ECOSENSOR™ presents 40 new references that meet the needs of the contemporary consumer, such as durability, wellbeing and performance. Being capable of combining active climate control, exquisite touch, lightness and comfort with sustainable values, ECOSENSOR™ stands out as a unique eco-high-tech performance proposition in its market. The collection covers the different market applications with 7 items for INNERWEAR, 2 for OUTERWEAR, 17 for SPORT KNIT and 14 for SPORT WOVEN.

Furthermore, all of ECOSENSOR™ fabrics are made with sustainable materials which are certified by internatinal certification such as GRS, RCS or self-certification by each yarn supplier, through a traceable and transparent production process and supply chain.
100% of the stretch articles (representing 35% of the collection) are made with ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei, the recycled stretch yarn made from pre-consumer materials.

The main fibers are GRS certified recycled polyester and recycled polyamide, but the collection also features some blends, such as in Bemberg™, the high-tech yarn born from the transformation of cotton linters through a circular, transparent and traceable process with a precious hand, optimal moisture management characteristics,  whose end of life guarantees its biodegradability.
Even the dyeing and finishing phases have been certified by international labels such as bluesign® or OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.

Lectra, whose connected industrial equipment and software facilitate the digital transformation and Industry 4.0 transition of fashion, automotive and furniture companies, announces its selection for the new Euronext Tech Leaders stock market index. This brings Lectra into the community of European technology leaders identified by Euronext as innovative and high-growth companies.

The new Euronext Tech Leaders market index, launched on June 7, comprises 100 European technology companies listed on the Euronext markets, which meet various performance and growth criteria. With the launch of this initiative, Euronext aims to offer better visibility and new services to selected European technology leaders.

Lectra is one of the 41 French companies that are now members of Euronext Tech Leaders. The company, founded in 1973 on a close relationship with fashion industry players, has also for the last three decades worked globally with automotive equipment and furniture manufacturers. In its three strategic markets, Lectra sells connected equipment that optimizes the cutting processes of fabric, leather and other soft materials used by manufacturers, and markets software and services that streamline their production processes while enabling them to be more agile and make considerable material savings.

In fashion, through the use of market data – made accessible and exploitable by the Internet of Things, the cloud, artificial intelligence and big data – Lectra’s software solutions also enable a better understanding of consumers’ behavior. They therefore facilitate strategic decision-making for brands, manufacturers and distributors at the key steps in the value chain of design, production and distribution. In this industry, the impact of Lectra’s solutions on reducing material consumption is even greater because it takes effect as early as the garment design stage.

Technology and innovation are therefore at the heart of Lectra’s strategy, with the company aiming to become a key player in Industry 4.0 in its strategic markets by 2030.

• Finnish fashion and textile technology company Infinited Fiber Company plans to build its first commercial-scale Infinna™ fiber factory at Stora Enso’s Veitsiluoto industrial site in the city of Kemi in Finland’s northernmost region of Lapland. Infinited Fiber Company plans to convert a building currently housing a discontinued paper production line.
• The size of Infinited Fiber Company’s planned investment is around EUR 400 million.
• The planned factory is expected to create around 270 jobs at the Veitsiluoto industrial site.
• The factory is expected to operate at full capacity in 2025.

Fashion and textile technology company Infinited Fiber Company plans to build a commercial-scale factory to produce regenerated textile fiber for the world’s leading apparel companies at the site of renewable materials company Stora Enso’s closed Veitsiluoto paper mill in Kemi, a Finnish city on the northern shore of the Baltic Sea. The size of the investment is estimated at EUR 400 million, and it is expected to create around 270 jobs in the area. The annual fiber production capacity of the planned factory is expected to be 30,000 metric tons, which is equivalent to the fiber needed for about 100 million T-shirts.  

Infinited Fiber Company’s technology enables cotton-rich textile waste to be transformed into a versatile, high-quality regenerated textile fiber called Infinna™, which looks and feels like cotton. Major international fashion and apparel companies – including Zara’s parent company Inditex, PVH Europe, which is known for the Tommy Hilfiger brand, Patagonia, PANGAIA, H&M Group and BESTSELLER – have already committed to Infinna™ purchases through multi-year agreements as they look for materials that enable the industry to shift towards circularity. Infinited Fiber Company expects to export most of the output of its planned factory. This makes Kemi an ideal location as the city’s port serves as an efficient link to the rest of the world.

Infinited Fiber Company will convert a building housing a discontinued paper production line into an Infinna™ fiber factory. Both the factory engineering and project implementation as well as the related financing negotiations were commenced at the beginning of the year and are progressing well. Infinited Fiber Company has also agreed on the provision of energy and water related services with utility infrastructure company Nevel.

Once up and running, the factory is expected to provide direct employment for around 220 people, and for a further 50 through on-site support functions such as services, maintenance, and logistics. The additional indirect employment impact is estimated to be around 800 jobs. The construction and installation phase is expected to create jobs equaling around 120 person-years. The factory is anticipated to operate at full capacity in 2025.

TEXAID as a professional collector and sorter with roots in Switzerland contributes to this ecosystem to enable the textile-to-textile recycling.  The creation of Swiss Textile Recycling Ecosystem marks a key milestone in the upscaling of Worn Again Technologies’ recycling process technology with technology scale-up partner Sulzer Chemtech in Winterthur. It also supports its ambition to create a circular economy where non-reusable, hard-to-recycle textiles can be reintroduced into supply chains to become new fibers.

To cause a paradigm shift in the fashion industry and realize true circularity requires all members of the value chain to be on the same page and working towards the same goals. The Swiss Textile Recycling Ecosystem is a network comprising fabric and textile manufacturers, waste collectors and sorters, as well as retailers, brand owners and technology providers – all coordinated by Swiss Textiles. All these parties will cooperate to make their shared vision of a more sustainable fashion industry a reality, where used textiles can be recycled into new textiles.

TEXAID as a stakeholder in the Swiss Textile Recycling Ecosystem and as leading textile recycling company with over 40 years of experience will support the initiative through collecting, sorting, pre-processing and providing pre- and post-consumer feedstock to the Demonstration Plant. At its headquarters in Schattdorf (CH), TEXAID will investigate possibilities to automate the sorting and pre-processing of textile feedstock for recycling. Currently, TEXAID processes more than 80,000 tons of end-of-use textiles and footwear every year all over Europe and the US.

adidas drops an all-new sportswear capsule. The collection is inspired by the way the next generation continues to turn tradition on its head with how they move through the world, opting for a fresh comfort-first mindset and rejecting old-world pressures.

To get closer to this mindset, adidas reached out to uncover more about the rise of the cosy fit. Nine in ten believe the clothes they wear impact how mentally comfortable they feel, and over three quarters say they are more likely to thrive in multiple aspects of life when rooted in a true feeling of comfort. With this in mind, adidas’ sportswear capsule is built for next-level comfort both at home and on the streets with a full collection of casual, stylish fits for both men and women.

Fronted by a raft of next generation trailblazers, including global award-winning actress Hoyeon, US gymnast sensation Nia Dennis, American football superstar Tua Tagavailoa, and Chinese national sprinting champion Xie Zhenye, the campaign reveals how choosing comfort in mind and body has given them confidence, more internal headspace, and the ability to embrace any challenges within their journey of progress.

Key looks include:

• Women’s Rib Dress: A straight minimalist silhouette in block-colour black, which can be worn individually or layered for a more expressive look. Features a twister racerback detail, crew neck cut, and side split hem for an added edge
• Men’s Classic Tee paired with Woven Pants and Coach Jacket: Paying homage to sport heritage, the woven pants and coach jacket offer an oversized and relaxed fit, in a neutral but bold colour pairing. The ribbed crewneck tee complements the look with a stylish mixture of textures
• Women’s Oversized Hoodie with Rib Crop Top and Biker Shorts: A muted pastel toned top designed with a cropped hem and matching shorts in soft rib knit material, creating an effortless fresh but cosy look which can be easily layered with a slouchy oversized hoodie
• Men’s Fleece Hoodie layered over Oversized Tee and Fleece Shorts: Relaxed fit basic tee with a vibrant red block logo paired with a boxy hooded jumper which boasts an oversized aesthetic. Complemented by baggy fleece-lined shorts ensures comfort through every move and moment