From the Sector

This July at Interfilière, discover responsible innovation and well-being at the ROICA™ booth.

ROICA™ partners create innovative fabrics for the Modern Wardrobe. See, feel, imagine and learn why brands are choosing ROICA™, view the collection of superior functional fabrics that revolutionize the premium stretch market, thanks to advanced yarn solutions dedicated to specific needs of the contemporary consumer.

Spearheading the stretch market, ROICA™ elevates new standards for intelligent contemporary consumers. ROICA™ representatives will excite you as they demonstrate functionality, their advanced color technology system, and show you a fantastic range of stretch innovations from smart shapewear to soft compression that can enhance designs. Come visit the ROICA™ booth to learn about the ongoing commitment to responsible innovation and creativity. As you enter, you will experience 3 Modern Wardrobe concept zones that showcase:

1. ROICA™ Lifestyle – a beautiful selection of commercial lingerie, swimwear and nightwear items from leading brands that include ROICA™, embracing the ROICA™ Eco Smart family of yarns.

2. ROICA™ Innovation – an exciting area that shares our textile partners’ innovations to inspire endless possibilities. This area will showcase lingerie concept garments for brands that will spark ideas for AW 19/20.

3. ROICA™ Lab – the zone that navigates you toward the latest hi-tech Modern Wardrobe solutions. This zone hosts unmatched premium stretch performance designed to exceed contemporary business and consumer desires belonging to ROICA™ Eco-Smart family and ROICA™ Feel Good family .

ROICA™ Eco-Smart family, the world's first range of responsibly made premium stretch fibers creating ROICA™ smart yarns that offer sustainable solutions with prestigious certifications:

• Global Recycling Standard (GRS) Version 3.0 certified by Textile Exchange - ROICA™ Version 3.0 yarn constructed with more than 50% pre-consumer recycled content.
• Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold for product and ingredients - ROICA™ yarn evaluated throughout the supply chain for lower impacts on human and environmental health. Striving toward eliminating all toxic and unidentified chemicals for a safe continuous cycle. Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certificate - ROICA™ proudly breaks down without releasing harmful substances.

ROICA™ partners featuring ROICA™ Eco-Smart family include:
Giemme, Iluna Group S.p.A, Maglificio Ripa S.p.A, M.I.T.I. Spa, Penn Textile Solutions, Sofileta, Tessitura Colombo Antonio Tintex Textiles

ROICA™ Feel Good family, a brilliant range of advanced stretch fibers that deliver personal performance and measurable wellness. Thus, providing freshness and comfort metrics perfect for travel, sport, leisure and more. The family now offers a premium innovation:

• ROICA™ CF, an innovative yarn that neutralizes odors thanks to an active ingredient interlocked within the yarn. This durable stretch yarn offers a fantastic property to every wearer.

ROICA™ partners featuring ROICA™ CF include: Maglificio Ripa S.p.A., TINTEX Textiles.

ROICA™ also presents the following families through our textile partners’ innovations within the ROICA™ Innovation area:

• ROICA™ Color Perfect family - advanced color technology system that delivers a perfect color match finish with an undetectable matte look for the stretch materials.
• ROICA™ Contour family - high performance stretch yarn control that delivers a calibrated form optimizing power, softness and comfort.
• ROICA™ Resistance family - innovations linked to durability and functions to match particular applications including heat and chemical resistance in make and wear.

Attendees of the May 19-22 National Restaurant Show in Chicago learned that linen, uniform and facility services providers serving restaurants and other foodservice operations can be distinguished by earning third-party verification of their sustainability and cleanliness, as TRSA exhibited its Clean Green and Hygienically Clean Food Service certifications at the show.
More than 150 individuals viewed the exhibit, which screened a new animated video explaining the Clean Green designation. It’s now showing on TRSA’s YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-24iVCNRT0).

Depicting operations within a laundry, the video shows how contracting with a Clean Green certified provider delivers services restaurants need and gives them peace of mind from doing business with a sustainable provider. Clean Green operations comply with water and energy standards and demonstrate best management practices in supplying, laundering and maintaining textiles.

Visitors to the exhibit learned which providers serving these attendees’ home geographic areas are Clean Green certified and were encouraged to work with such a certified provider if not already doing so. Speaking with attendees also gave TRSA staff the opportunity to ask them about their experience with providers and, if currently under contract with one, its identity.

• 76 percent of those questioned indicate they currently use such a provider. Most could identify it by name
• 18 percent said they use an on-premises or home laundry for linen and uniform needs. Many of these respondents indicated they work for hotels, healthcare facilities, colleges or military bases with their own laundry equipment
• 6 percent said they use disposable products (napkins, wipers) instead of their reusable textile equivalents; most of these respondents are in quick-service restaurant operations

The TRSA display distributed copies of Sustainability: Finding the “New” Green in Your Restaurant Supply Chain, a 7-page guide to using a systematic approach to choose suppliers whose products/services are proven to be more sustainable than those of their competitors and whose own practices are more sustainable.

TRSA’s exhibit also kicked off a survey of restaurant management to determine their perceptions of table linen service as a plus for facility hygiene and service to diners. Results will help TRSA communicate to the restaurant industry the value of using Hygienically Clean Food Service certified providers in the hope that doing so becomes an industry standard.

Such certified laundries commit to cleanliness through third-party, quantified biological testing and inspection. This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify linens and uniforms cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and best management practices for servicing full- and limited-service restaurants, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions and other locations where food is handled and served.

ABOUT CLEAN GREEN
Clean Green certification recognizes linen, uniform and facility services companies that demonstrate responsible leadership in sustainability and conservation by acknowledging commitment to improving water and energy efficiency and adoption of best management practices for reusing, reclaiming and recycling resources. Certified operations meet quality standards for effectiveness in conserving resources and minimizing environmental impact. Customers that use Clean Green certified companies to supply, launder and maintain linens, uniforms, mats and other reusable textiles can be assured that their provider maximizes sustainable practices.

ABOUT HYGIENICALLY CLEAN
Hygienically Clean certification demonstrates linen, uniform and facility services companies’ commitment to cleanliness through independent, third-party laundry plant inspection and quantified microbial testing. Inspection and re-inspection verify that items are maintained, washed, dried, ironed, packed, transported and delivered using best management practices to meet key disinfection criteria. Between scheduled and supplemental inspections, ongoing microbial testing quantifies cleanliness and indicates laundry process adjustments.

Mostafiz Uddin, Managing director, Denim Expert Ltd., founder and CEO, Bangladesh Apparel Exchange spoke at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2018 during a panel on Tuesday the 15th of May 2018 about the Transparency in the supply chain.

This makes him the first Bangladeshi garment manufacturer to participate as a panel speaker at a CFS ever. His speech revolved around the apparel industry in his home country of Bangladesh and how his vision influences the way his company manufactures.
The panel was visited by over 1300 top profile participants, including her Highness the Crown Princes of Denmark. It was opened by CEO Leslie Johnson of the C&A Foundation.

Mostafiz Uddin said after the panel: “I am thankful to the CFS organisers for giving me such a great opportunity and honour, to my country to share the true story of Bangladesh and our apparel industry.”
About Mostafiz Uddin: Mostafiz Uddin is managing director of Denim Expert Ltd., an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible compliant garment manufacturing plant in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A visionary entrepreneur in the development of sustainable apparel systems, Uddin is personally driven by social and environmental ethics and is recognised as a game changer through his introduction of sustainable practices, innovation and fashion disruption, which he sees as key to the future of the Bangladesh apparel industry.
Uddin founded the Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) to promote sustainable practices within the Bangladesh apparel industry and to improve the country’s image via various initiatives under the banner of BAE, including the Sustainable Apparel Forum, the Bangladesh Fashionology Summit and Bangladesh Denim Expo. Through these endeavours he strives to promote the advancement of sustainable practices, including environmentally sound production methods, full transparency, innovation, circularity and technology.

About the Copenhagen Fashion Summit: The sixth edition of the Summit also boasted 75 high-level speakers, including sustainability thought leader David Roberts of Singularity University; EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager; COO Eric Sprunk of NIKE; CEO Spencer Fung of Li & Fung; Vogue US fashion director Tonne Goodman; sustainability pioneer Dame Ellen MacArthur; models and entrepreneurs Lily Cole and Edie Campbell, the founders of Highsnobiety, Vestiaire Collective, Fashion Revolution, and many more. The hosts were Amber Valletta, actress, model and entrepreneur, and Tim Blanks, editor-at-large of The Business of Fashion.

Wrapping up two days of intense leadership roundtables, conversations and business meetings was a panel discussion featuring the Strategic Partners of Global Fashion Agenda: Kering, H&M, Target, Li & Fung and Sustainable Apparel Coalition, who took the stage to address why sustainability should be a leadership priority and to discuss some of the recommendations from the Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2018 report, released the week prior to the Summit.

Reinach, Switzerland - Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, announced the further integration of M. Dohmen, an international group specializing in the production of textile dyes and chemicals for the automotive, carpet and apparel sectors. This went into effect on May 1, 2018 and follows Archroma expanding its stake in M. Dohmen from 49% to 75% in September 2017.

The increased integration will be implemented in North America and Korea. In North America, 20 employees from M. Dohmen USA, Inc joined Archroma when the company merged into Archroma U.S. Inc. operations in the US and into Archroma Canada, Corporation in Canada.

In Korea, Archroma recently acquired 100% of the shares of M. Dohmen Korea Ltd. The company’s name has been changed to Archroma Korea Ltd on April 30, 2018, and its 75 employees will now work under the Archroma brand.

“The further integration of M. Dohmen into Archroma will enable us to strengthen our offerings to textile markets worldwide” explains Marcos Furrer, President Brand & Performance Textile Specialties and Innovation, Archroma. “Regardless of their location, our customers will continue to benefit from our broad and complementary product portfolios, our dedication to providing outstanding global customer service and our strong commitment to innovation and sustainability.”

Archroma recently acquired 100% of the shares of M. Dohmen Korea Ltd. The company’s name has been changed to Archroma Korea Ltd on April 30, 2018.
(Photo: Archroma)
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Archroma recently acquired 100% of the shares of M. Dohmen Korea Ltd. The company’s name has been changed to Archroma Korea Ltd on April 30, 2018. (Photo: Archroma)
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On May 1, 2018, M. Dohmen USA, Inc merged into Archroma U.S. Inc. operations in the US and into Archroma Canada, Corporation in Canada.
(Photo: Archroma)
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•    New, sustainable, ready-to-use solutions for plastic auto parts to support China’s electric vehicle boom
•    Stronger, softer nylon polyamide fibers plus fast processing for clothes, carpets & industrial applications
•    AddWorks blends lower total cost of ownership & reduce production complexity while enhancing performance

Muttenz, May 3, 2018 – Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, introduced new additive solutions for plastics materials at Chinaplas 2018.

“Our innovations focus on higher performance at better convenience for a sustainable future,” says Stephan Lynen, Head of Clariant BU Additives. “At Chinaplas 2018 we demonstrated our technical and market capabilities around the theme of e-mobility. The immense changes in mobility call for lighter, safer and smarter vehicles. We offer new additive solutions, such as AddWorks, and technical capabilities to respond to this demand. We are accompanying this with a series of investments such as new production facilities in China.”

Clariant’s new AddWorks solutions – AddWorksATR 146, AddWorks LXR 568 and AddWorks TFB 117 – are specifically aimed at improving performance and efficiency of plastics materials for compounders, polymer and fiber producers in China’s major plastics manufacturing segments. All three solutions are part of the globally available portfolio.

The full AddWorks portfolio consists of differentiated market-specific synergistic additive blends that streamline production processes and create value for customers while enhancing performance. Each solution is customized to specific market needs, underlined by broader considerations such as emission reduction, and less energy and resource usage.

Sustainability and performance for the world’s largest auto market
To support the significant investment in electric vehicles in China, Clariant launched two additive innovations that improve the lifetime of lightweight automotive parts and under-the-hood applications and reduce VOC emissions in an easy to use single solution.

AddWorks ATR 146 is a new low dosage, sulfur-free heat and light stabilizer for filled polypropylene (TPO) compounds used in interior applications. Its exceptional heat and light stability and long term color retention offers the automotive industry unmatched performance. It shows no surface cracking after 700 hours at 150°C, which enables dashboards, instrument panels, door panels and pillars to maintain their aesthetics longer than with traditional stabilizers. It also contributes to reducing blooming and VOC emissions, supporting the common effort to make automotive interiors healthier and odorless.

AddWorks LXR 568 is a high performance processing stabilizer that helps to prevent plastic resins, especially polyolefins, from degradation at high processing temperatures. For the automotive industry, this reduces the tendency of injection molded polypropylene interior car parts to turn brittle during heat exposure, enabling them to maintain a defect-free surface. It also has low migration and low fogging that support healthier in-cab environments.

AddWorks LXR 568 combines outstanding color and melt flow protection with good resistance to hydrolysis and high thermal stability. This makes it ideal for interior and under-the-hood powertrains and wider application areas such as packaging films. It is available in free-flowing pills and micro-pills which are easy and convenient to use.

Softer, stronger polyamide fibers for clothes, carpets and industrial applications
Within the next three years, China is expected to account for 40% of the world’s nylon production and more than 30% of the nylon resin consumed globally[1]. The new AddWorks TFB 117 offers a number of benefits to help stabilize and smoothen fiber production processes, protect color, and improve heat stability and mechanical properties of fibers. AddWorks TFB 117 ensures smooth spinnability with less filaments breakage, even at low processing temperatures and at high speed spinning up to 5,500 m/min.

Martin P. J. John, Head of BL Performance Additives at Clariant, comments: “AddWorks solutions are an ideal fit with China’s priority of achieving more sustainable production. They save time and reduce complexity along the production process, with easy to use formats that reduce health risk and chemical waste. Our new state-of-the-art production facility in Zhenjiang, China, which opens later this year, is dedicated to the manufacturing of AddWorks to deliver innovative solutions tailored to the needs of the market. Made for China in China.

In addition to AddWorks, Clariant presented Exolit® OP 1400, a highly stable non-halogenated flame retardant enhancing safety during the charging process. It also provides outstanding thermal stability for under the hood applications. Exolit OP 1400 has been awarded the Clariant EcoTain® label for outstanding sustainability and performance.  

Clariant also introduced two ranges of performance waxes that smoothen the production of automotive plastics for under the hood applications, Licowax® and Licocare® RBW. The recently launched Licocare RBW is a series of multi-purpose additives based on crude rice bran wax. They offer better shaping flexibility, better mechanical properties and enhanced surface finish, which results in a reduced rejection rate and a more effective dosage.

• Clean Green Certified Companies Commemorate Earth Day 2018

U.S. Clean Green certified laundries are marking Earth Day 2018 (April 22) by commending the 250,000+ businesses across the nation that use such certified operations for linen, uniform and facility services.

Selecting a Clean Green certified company reflects concern for maximizing sustainability in a business supply chain. Private- and public-sector organizations who choose such a provider are learning that how their reusable textiles are supplied, laundered and maintained is a factor in their environmental impact.
Clean Green operations use a third party (TRSA) to verify their conservation practices and quantify their compliance with water and energy use thresholds.

Laundered, reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats and other products provided by the linen, uniform and facility services industry to enhance businesses’ image and provide clean, safe environments for their employees and patrons. Most Americans benefit from the industry at least once per week, either at work or by patronizing restaurants, healthcare facilities, hotels and other retail and service establishments.

Nearly 50 of the industry’s companies are Clean Green certified, serving business customers from more than 150 locations combined nationwide. These launderers work with customers to connect the certification to their efforts to minimize their carbon footprint. Certified operators report to TRSA that customers and prospects ask them about green laundry initiatives. These include environmentally friendly wash chemistry, water reuse and recycling, recapturing heat from hot water headed down the drain and operating efficient delivery routes.

“They are far more likely to inquire about the sum of environmentally friendly practices as opposed to the parts,” observes TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci of the industry’s customers. Many document their justification of purchase decisions, though, such as government agencies that profile the winners of contract bids. “Clean Green companies bidding for their work mention the certification in their sales promotion and these profiles reflect it.”

Linen and uniform services conserve water and energy best by using high-capacity, high-efficiency equipment, he pointed out, controlling expenses and thereby aiding efforts to keep service pricing under control. “It is the perfect sustainable business model. Business interests and environmental concerns align. Improving efficiencies reduces costs and reduces the impact on the environment,” Ricci says.

Based on the U.S. Census of the industry’s sales and a TRSA survey of member financial data, the association estimates that nearly 3 million businesses use the industry’s services. Clean Green companies are challenged to capture more of these industry customers. Their collective Earth Day 2018 campaign gives them an opportunity to highlight the extent to which their individual efficiencies have contributed to a nationwide movement. Publicizing their own gains around Earth Day can better qualify and quantify their environmental virtues to encourage detailed comparison with competitors’ efficiencies, Ricci noted.

On Thursday, March 22nd, C.L.A.S.S., with support from the Council of Fashion  Designers  of  America  (CFDA),  hosted  an  intimate  gathering  of  fashion’s  industry  leaders, educators, designers and members of the press to celebrate An Evening of Smart Innovation.

The event was beautifully orchestrated by Ginger Design, an exceptional team of Italian creatives, filmmakers, food and  textile  designers  as  a  way  to  create  a  unique  immersive  experience  telling  the  story  of  C.L.A.S.S.’ visionary journey. Thus, providing guests with an awareness and chance to embrace knowledge related to four key areas that set new standards for fashion vital to C.L.A.S.S.’ business philosophy:  Heritage, Smart Innovation, Circular Economy and Design Responsibility.

Imagination and responsibility at the forefront of the event, guests entered to view a film by Cristina Picchi that  represented harmony  between the various  phases  of  the  textile  process  and  the  cycles  of  natural elements.

The piece de resistance was a three-dimensional installation designed by Cécile Feilchenfeldt that  contained  exquisite  knits  allowing  guests  to  walk  through  the area to  inspire creativity and explore the  limitless possibilities using innovative  smart  materials.  So,  with  responsible  design  in  mind  the guests  were  able  to  touch  and  feel  the  luxurious  smart  textiles supported  by  sustainable  credentials  from  Bacx  by  Centro  Seta, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, Organic Cotton  Colours,  Re.VerSo™,  ROICA™  by  Asahi  Kasei,  TINTEX Textiles, and Zignone. The new generation of beautiful cottons, rich silks, lush wools and opulent cashmeres showcased throughout the C.L.A.S.S. event currently available to the market.

Giusy Bettoni and the C.L.A.S.S. team from Milan and New  York, as well as several of their partner representatives from around the globe  were  on  hand  to  engage  designers  and  educators  and answer   questions   related   to   smart   materials   and   processes. Designers  and  educators  were  pleased  to  learn  about  the  new C.L.A.S.S. e-commerce site dedicated to emerging designers and fashion  startups,  as  well as  new  details  regarding  C.L.A.S.S. Education  as  a  university   learning  resource,  co-founded   with James  Mendolia,  FIT  Professor,  MFA  Fashion  Design  and  FIT Sustainability Council Member.

Attendees included: Julien Labat, president of Edun and Marilyn Balkaransingh Director of  Fabric  R&D of  Edun, J.R.  Campbell  and  Young  Kim  Thanos of Kent State’s School of Design and Merchandising, Lisa Smilor and Stephanie  Soto of  CFDA,  Nomi  Dale  Kleinman of  FIT,  Susan Easton, founder   of   From   the   Road,   Nicole   Fischelis,   Heron Preston, Luciana Scrutchen of Parsons School of Design and Kay Unger, chair of the Board of Governors for Parsons, among others.
 

On Thursday, March 22nd, C.L.A.S.S., with support from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), will invite fashion’s industry leaders, designers and members of the press to celebrate An Evening of Smart Innovation.  An exceptional team of artists, filmmakers, food and textile designers have created an immersive experience that will engage the guests’ senses highlighting that smart innovation is the new standard for fashion. The experience will examine the four key areas that are vital to C.L.A.S.S.’s business philosophy: Heritage - Smart Innovation - Circular Economy - Design Responsibility. The commitment to those principles and to forward thinking led to C.L.A.S.S. having been nominated as one of the European Business Awards 2017/2018 Ones to Watch for exceptional growth, significant innovation along with an ethical approach to business.

The March 22nd date is a deliberate choice as it marks International Water Day and serves as a way to advocate for sustainable water management, a key issue in textile manufacturing. Many of C.L.A.S.S.’s partners, such as ECOTEC® by Marchi&Fildi, Bemberg™ and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei and TINTEX Textiles use technological breakthroughs to offer fashion materials that provide significant reductions in water during the manufacturing process, an important step toward responsible future fashion systems.

“In touting significant reductions in water, energy usage and CO2 emissions, C.L.A.S.S.’s  message has always been one of consistency but now with today’s customers becoming increasingly environmentally mindful, the timing has never been better to bring awareness to the ways that responsible sustainability can be incorporated, in an authentic way, into a fashion or lifestyle brand increasing the bottom line without compromising design integrity,” said C.L.A.S.S. founder Giusy Bettoni.

The future is already here; guests can see and feel materials during the event that showcase technological breakthroughs currently available. While C.L.A.S.S. works with leading brands that practice responsible design, the next step is to expand their reach and set a new level of standards that benefit the entire industry. To that end, they have identified C.L.A.S.S. Education, their new division, as an essential learning resource to support fashion schools. The new division was co-founded with James Mendolia, professor in the MFA Fashion Design program at Fashion Institute of Technology. C.L.A.S.S. will also launch C.L.A.S.S. e-commerce platform, which will sell partner materials to support emerging designers and fashion start-ups.

Thank you to all of our partners for making this event and the last ten years possible: Bacx by Centro Seta, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, Organic Cotton Colours, Re.VerSo™, ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, TINTEX Textiles, Zignone.

• New collaboration of sustainable viscose suppliers formed in China

Digital Printing Zone debuts at Spring Edition
Despite the economic ups and downs in China over the last few years, demand for premium European textiles remains high.
Whether it be premium wool for the flourishing suiting market, ladieswear fabrics, lace & embroidery for high-end domestic brands each with hundreds of stores across the country, innovative yarns & fabrics for the booming sports and activewear sectors, or original pattern designs for the thousands of new online fashion brands, European suppliers remain the go-to option for Chinese buyers looking for quality and style.

As one of the undisputed leaders in the European textile scene, Italy is always a good bellwether of the trends between Europe and China. After a less than stellar 2016, Italy’s fabric exports to the Mainland China and Hong Kong markets grew by 12.4% in the first 10 months of 2017[1]. The expected demand for European brands at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be most evident in the SalonEurope zone, which features exhibitors from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK, as well as country pavilions & zones from France, Germany, Italy and Turkey.

There is also continuing demand for overseas expertise when it comes to more technical areas such as sustainability and digital printing, solutions to which can be found in the fair’s All About Sustainability area and Digital Printing Zone.

SalonEurope showcases the continent’s full textile expertise
The best of the best from Europe will be on display in this edition’s SalonEurope, with a range of products across the whole textile spectrum on offer. Some of the highlights this edition include:

• Alumo (Switzerland): celebrating its 100-year anniversary this July, Alumo has undertaken a complete refresh of their brand, highlighting the character of their mill in Appenzell, Switzerland that has deep roots in the local textile industry. This edition, they will showcase a renewed collection of luxury shirting fabrics with intricate designs and added functions such as natural stretch and wrinkle-free, and a newly enlarged, never-out-of-stock ‘Sartorial’ collection.
• Hatfil Tekstil Isletmeleri (Turkey): a Turkish-Italian joint venture, they offer a huge range of yarns including eco-friendly options such as organic, BCI and fair trade yarns, as well as cotton, Tencel, Amicor, bamboo, cashmere, modal and other varieties.
• Hohenstein Textile Testing (Germany): offering testing services, OEKO-TEX® services and certifications, the Hohenstein Quality Label and more.
• Ricamificio Paolo Italy SpA (Italy): an embroidery manufacturer, they have developed a new technique using very thin embroideries to produce a lace-like effect, which can also be customised to the customer’s requirements in no more than four weeks. They have also produced a quilt-like fabric suitable for spring / summer garments which is made from materials such as silk organdie, cotton yarn or lurex to produce a shiny effect.
• Teseo Tessitura Serica Di Olmeda SpA (Italy): for their summer 2019 collection, Teseo is inspired by the natural elements with increased attention to sustainability with GOTS-certified bio silk and eco-friendly yarns. New articles are lighter and enriched with yarn-dyes, include jacquard stripes and checks, gauze and devoré bands to add transparency, and more.

New collaboration of sustainable viscose suppliers formed in China
While the textile industry in China still has a long way to go in terms of sustainability, genuine progress is being made at both a government and company level. January of this year saw the implementation of a new environment protection tax, with companies charged for noise, air & water pollution and generating solid waste[2]. Replacing a pollutant discharge fee that had been in place for 40 years, the new tax is set by local governments – with some of the regions suffering from worse pollution setting higher rates – and also incentivises companies with lower emissions.

In another encouraging move, 10 leading global viscose producers in China have come together to form the Collaboration for Sustainable Development of Viscose (CV) to promote the sustainable sourcing and responsible production of viscose. These 10 producers collectively account for over 50% of the world’s viscose staple fibre production, and have partnered with two trade associations to adopt a sustainability roadmap for the viscose industry. Built around credible international sustainability standards and programmes, the CV Roadmap aims to provide guidance to viscose producers on sustainable sourcing and production practices.

The CV collaboration will make its debut appearance in the fair’s All About Sustainability zone, where visitors can learn more about this initiative, as well as sustainable developments in the Chinese textile industry. Apart from an educational programme and garment display area, the zone will also feature a number of exhibitors other than CV.

Digital Printing Zone debuts at Spring Edition
While digital printing is rapidly gaining traction in the global textile industry, this is especially so in China due to its potential to reduce pollution during the production process. Amongst the exhibitors looking to take advantage of this in the fair’s new Digital Printing Zone is MS Italy, a market leader in the design, development and distribution of innovative digital ink-jet printing systems and associated consumables, which serves the high-end, roll-to-roll textile printing and specialty material markets. Also exhibiting is DIGITEX which will introduce the latest digital- and inkjet-printed natural and manmade fabrics.

Apart from digital printing exhibitors, a day-long forum will inform fairgoers on the exciting possibilities of digital printing. Held on day 2 of the fair, the Fast Fashion and Digital Printing Application Forum features sessions on fast fashion technology & trends and digital printing applications. These are followed by a series of discussions on topics such as flexible supply chains, business opportunities created by digital printing and IP protection. The forum also includes a presentation on the findings of a six-month study conducted by Fashion Print, a Chinese publication, for which they visited hundreds of textile companies, printing and dyeing enterprises, as well as their suppliers to produce a research paper on the digital textile printing market and technology.

In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair CHIC and knitting fair PH Value.

• Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2018 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.

[1] http://hk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Italian-textile-industry-back-on-growth-track-in-2017,944760.html
[2] http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/china-imposes-environment-protection-tax-beginning-jan-1-239965-newsdetails.html

As the global textile industry’s most comprehensive sourcing summit for the spring / summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is naturally the ideal place to find the latest developments in product innovation and sustainability. This is especially true in the fair’s Beyond Denim zone, which this edition will feature over 110 exhibitors from China, Japan, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere. Adding to a total of some 3,300 exhibitors from around 22 countries and regions, they provide sourcing options for the entire industry, from fabrics for ladieswear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie and swimwear to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional & performance fabrics, sustainability products & services, digital printing technologies, garment & fashion accessories and more.

Denim enriched with volcanic ash: the latest innovation from Orta Anadolu
Volcanic ash is not uncommon in beauty products – it is known as Mother Nature’s skin purifier after all, and used as an exfoliator for example – but it is far less common in the textile industry. Orta Anadolu are set to change that with their BIOWARE denim which is enriched with mineralised volcanic ash to create an odour absorbing effect. This technology captures and absorbs odour compounds that would normally pass through the fabric, neutralising bad bacteria while retaining the helpful bacteria that common deodorisers, which contain harsh substances, normally eliminate. This leads to a more environmentally friendly product that is better for the user’s skin.

Orta will also be presenting BIOCHARGE at Intertextile, which, according to the company, is the world’s first denim fabric for muscle wellness. Infused with minerals, Orta state that BIOCHARGE is medically proven to refresh muscles, relieve muscle tension and optimise body balance. They will also present their BOUNCE stretch range, with high elasticity and a ‘street’ style, while CHRONICLE, another in their S/S 19 range, is a blend of heritage and future styles.

US Denim Mills blend tomorrow’s technology with yesterday’s style
Another innovative denim firm exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai, and another blending old and new, is US Denim Mills. According to the company, their collection at the fair will “harness tomorrow’s textile advances to revitalise the great style visions of the past by adding fashion, comfort, performance and sustainability advantages to authentic denim looks.” This collection includes:

• Selvedge: using the company’s legacy selvedge looms to produce bi-stretch ‘SelvedgeX’ while experimenting with blends of natural yarns and high-tech fibre blends in its ‘HeritEdge+’ range
• Stretch: including ‘Flex 360’ bi-stretch denim with a slight cross-bias freedom, and ‘Modern Stretches’ with a higher stretch range for intense comfort
• SoftWear: advanced finishing treatments for superior soft touch from natural fibre blended yarns and softness-selected weaves
• Sustainable: new additions to the range of recycled and natural ‘GreenEgo’ denims

Kipas Denim step up their sustainability efforts
Well aware of the effect denim production has on the environment, Kipas Denim’s multi-faceted programme to address this is one of the most comprehensive in the denim sector. Their recycled yarn initiative includes recycling waste yarn from the production process, while it also takes waste cotton yarn and blends it with REPREVE® fibres to create an eco-friendly denim fabric. Kipas also uses BCI cotton and organic cotton, and targets each to be 15% and 5% of total consumption, respectively. Furthermore, their Conservablue technology aims to reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing process by eliminating the use of rinsing overflow boxes before and after the indigo dye boxes, as well as ensuring 100% of applied dyestuff remains on the yarn in the rinsing bath.

As well as the overseas offerings, a wide range of domestic denim exhibitors covering all price and quality points will also feature in Beyond Denim. Some of the more notable brands participating include Advance Denim, Black Peony, Guangzhou Foison and Prosperity Textile.

Denim’s ‘next move’ to be debated in INVISTA panel discussion
The market is changing and so must apparel and textile manufacturers. Low prices and discounts are no longer driving sales the way they used to. Today’s consumer wants better quality, appreciates new technology and is evolving their casualwear style. This is the premise behind the INVISTA-sponsored panel discussion which will take place on day 1 of the fair. Titled ‘Denim’s Next Move – New Opportunities to Keep Growing Sales of Jeans and Casualwear at Retail’, participants will learn what consumers really want in jeans and casualwear, the return of chinos and new fabric technologies that are energising casualwear.

The panel will be moderated by Jane Singer, Director and Head of Market Development at Inside Fashion. Panellists will include representatives from Advance Denim, Guangzhou Conshing Clothing Group, Prosperity Textile and Texhong who will share their latest innovations that will help brands and retailers drive sales and profits.

In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair CHIC and knitting fair PH Value.