From the Sector

Singapore – As global interest in sustainable textile production continues to soar, mills that have adopted Huntsman Textile Effects’ all-in-one ERIOPON® E3-SAVE textile auxiliary for polyester processing, which launched one year ago, have collectively saved more than 130 million liters of water.

Demand for polyester fabric is being driven by seemingly insatiable consumer appetite for sportswear and athleisure clothing. Sales in the sector have been on an upward trend for several years and are even proving resilient amid Covid-19 market disruption. However, dyeing of polyester and its blends has traditionally been resource intensive, time consuming and costly.

Huntsman Textile Effects’ next-generation ERIOPON® E3-SAVE textile auxiliary was engineered to address these challenges. It eliminates the need for separate pre-scouring, allowing pre-scouring, dyeing and reduction clearing to be combined in a single bath. Mills that use ERIOPON® E3-SAVE can thus dramatically shorten the polyester dyeing process and save water, energy and cost.

“Our innovations aim to help mills improve their productivity and competitiveness while also contributing to the textile industry’s shift to more sustainable practices and a reduced environmental footprint,” said Kerim Oner, Global Marketing Manager, Huntsman Textile Effects. “With ERIOPON® E3-SAVE, we have harnessed the unparalleled technical expertise and application know-how of our research and field teams to develop a product that is proven to reduce costs for mills and that meets current and anticipated industry sustainability standards.”

Dae Young Textile Vietnam Co., Ltd, a forerunner in sustainable textile production in Asia, was an early adopter of the ERIOPON® technology. Results from bulk production show that ERIOPON® E3-SAVE has reduced process time by over 20 percent and water consumption by over 50 percent, delivering annual cost savings of up to 30 percent.

“ERIOPON® E3-SAVE delivers a combination of best-in-class performance and value. It allows us to have the shortest possible processing cycle, which is key for us to deal with increasing industry pressure for faster turnarounds,” Jeong Won Oh, General Manager, Dae Young Textile Vietnam, said. “Alongside dramatic time savings, we are also saving water, energy and ultimately cost. Huntsman’s best-in-class products and high level of technical support help keep businesses like us productive.”

This unique polymer technology of ERIOPON® E3-SAVE promotes controlled exhaustion to ensure right-first-time level dyeing. It extracts oil and oil-based impurities from the fiber during processing and displays a high affinity to disperse dyes, enabling the rapid removal of unfixed surface dyes from the fiber during reduction clearing. The technology also enhances reproducibility and improves wet- and rub-fastness.

ERIOPON® E3-SAVE saves time, water, energy and cost in polyester dyeing by combining pre-scouring, dyeing and reduction clearing in a single bath. An advanced multi-action dyeing auxiliary in the dyEvolutionTM range, it delivers environmental and economic sustainability.

Sustainability is part of SEEK’s internal make-up and has always been part of the team and community experience. Over 80 sustainable brands make up the brand portfolio, including players like Veja, Dedicated and Kings of Indigo. Experts will be sharing their experiences on this market-defining topic as well, with a host of live podcasts, talks and panel discussions, and will be shaping SEEK’s programme of content.
 
BIG PLAYER: the new SEEK Culture
 
SEEK is Europe’s most successful trade show for pop, street and sneaker culture. This is where the key players meet, where the looks of tomorrow are showcased, modelled and retold, where classics are celebrated, authenticity rules the roost and where icons take their positions alongside shooting stars. SEEK is essential participation for anyone looking to curate a modern, youthful and relevant range.

The shift from a niche event to a large trade show is now complete with a new logo and campaign design. SEEK has emerged from its transformation to reveal that its content and visual look are as relevant as ever!  

Together with creative agencies Karl Anders and Haebmau, the SEEK team has been working for weeks on the brand’s new branding. The result: a visual concept with a strong message.

“The handshake is the right imagery and commitment to our stance and that of the SEEK community.”

“SEEK stands for strength and business just as much as for communality and good vibes! ‘Get Along’ articulates a feeling of agreement, of moving forward and getting to grips with things. We all want to shape a positive future for our industry – as partners and by joining forces.”, explains Fashion Director Maren Wiebus.

CREATIVE CONNECTION: Karl Anders and Haebmau
 
The Hamburg-based agency Karl Anders, which was established by Claudia Fischer-Appelt and Lars Kreyenhagen, was commissioned to come up with the creative concept and design language for the logo and campaign.

“With the new look we are entering a new era for SEEK as a brand. Lots of brands have chosen a design using Helvetica in recent years,” says Claudia Fischer-Appelt, Creative Director at Karl Anders. “We are now signalling a clear shift in another direction. Confident, bold and independent. With the logo we are inviting the viewer to play with the linear layout in their head; we are breaking viewing habits, making a statement and revving things up a gear. SEEK, there it is.”
 
The artwork is the result of a process of in-depth debate with the SEEK brand that took place over several weeks both within the team and also with the support of lifestyle agency Haebmau. Workshops, research and analyses ultimately led to a new, strong brand identity. SEEK is focussed on both established and new players and stands for the WE.

“I have known SEEK since it was in its infancy, so to me it was always like a little brother of the large, successful PREMIUM. Quirky and different, always interesting but somehow not quite so imposing,” says Markus Bublitz, Executive Creative Director at Haebmau. “SEEK today is more grown-up, confident and sharper. Thanks to its position in the market, which it has conquered over the years, it no longer needs to please everyone but can afford to be controversial. This can offer space for new, creative ideas.”

SEEK is edgy, clean-cut and unpolished.

We are all about statement design, new classics, denim and sportswear. SEEK is the trade show event for the fashion community. SEEK knows who calls the shots; it boosts sales and is the place for the next generation of decision-makers to get together. Unlike all the others, SEEK is unconventional and the antidote to boring.

• Italian expertise, research and green innovation.
• METALBOTTONI ups the stakes with one-of-a-kind interpretations, to enhance its market presence.

At Première Vision Accessories (Paris, 19-21 September) the company presents the new collection VÀNITA, a mix of leatherwear and sportswear, based on Made in Italy craft, with an increasingly wide and coordinated range.

Based on product experience, combining new trends in accessories. The METALBOTTONI strategy is enriched with product novelties which aim at exploring new existing market segments. A strategy which increasingly leads great artisan production skills to meet constant research and expansion of the range, with the world of sportswear becoming more and more pivotal; without forgetting the important sustainable innovations of the NO IMPACT protocol.

No Impact becomes “Committed Accessories”

The guideline for restyling the METALBOTTONI range over the past two years has been the recent implementation of the NO IMPACT corporate sustainability protocol, which has just acquired a new “dress”, associated with the following pay-off: “Committed Accessories”. It is a way of underscoring the constant green development of the company over the past few years, in terms of process and product: use of recycled raw materials, development of finishing without chemicals, implementation of processes which today have allowed to reduce electricity and water consumption to almost zero.

Moreover the range of NO IMPACT proposals for this season has expanded to include not only new metal finishing but also leather label completely made from processing scrap, thus establishing Metalbottoni as “partner for branding elements” also in terms of sustainability. Pure Made in Italy and constant expansion of collections towards sportswear The great skill in metal processing, which for sixty years now has characterised the top-of-the-range quality of METALBOTTONI products, is now combined with constant research work conducted by our in-house Style Office, resulting in new collections which are more and more in line with the trends emerging from major trade fairs. Maintaining a presence on strong markets (central Europe, Northern Europe and United States), increasing the depth of segments and intercepting new ones. This is the main goal also chosen for the Première Vision Accessories Exhibition where, alongside the autumn-winter 2019/2020 collections, there will be a preview of VÀNITA, the new collection dedicated to leatherwear and more.

METALBOTTONI is proving to be one of the most dynamic companies in the accessory industry.

Over the past two years, in fact, it has introduced numerous product and process innovations, aiming at increasing its range especially as regards sportswear accessories. This trend was driven by a substantial increase in demand by read-to-wear and luxury brands in the past two seasons, and today it means new proposals which account for 35% of the range for METALBOTTONI. New collections have been presented in the past two seasons expressly dedicated to the sportswear world, namely GRAVITA, the first line designed by the company for pressure buttons, and MÀRYA, the new beachwear collection. Also the line called LABORA, the classic collection of accessories for fashion and ready-to-wear has been constantly enhanced with proposals combining style and technical performance. This mix of fashion and sport elements is increasingly evident in the company’s product range, for example in the combination of different materials, using metal with nylon or other resins to create new and unique accessories.

Vànita: beyond leatherwear, a world of accessories

The meeting between fashion, luxury and sportswear has produced VÀNITA, the brand new collection which presents a new approach to accessories dedicated to leatherwear, from an allround perspective from luxury to sportswear. Developed starting from solid product research by the company’s in-house Style Office, VÀNITA is a true meeting of styles and elements, a combination of high product standards with unique elegance. This line introduces one-of-a-kind visions for accessories, exploring highly original pathways dedicated to the world of leather. The VÀNITA proposal ranges from accessories for leatherwear and small leatherwear, to those for shoes, bags and the sportswear worlds. There are two main lines within this collection: one is expressly designed for the world of luxury, the other has a more technical and sporty approach. A true mix between artisan metal processing, based on the great METALBOTTONI expertise in this sector, and “ingredients” such as nylon, rubber finishes or innovative 3D processing, which are often combined together.

“Our goal is to offer an increasingly comprehensive range which allows us to explore new segments on the markets where we are present” - says Gregorio Valli, CEO and President of METALBOTTONI S.P.A – “a ‘recipe’ which should be able to integrate our unmatched product expertise with a constant expansion of our range and continuous implementation of our pathway towards corporate responsibility and sustainability”.

• Spanish outdoor and sportswear market leader expands international presence thanks to Lectra’s latest product lifecycle management solution

Ismaning/Paris – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, is pleased to announce that the Ternua Group, a world-renowned Spanish outdoor clothing and sportswear group, has chosen Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 to increase their geographical presence by improving global teamwork.

Founded in 1994, the Ternua Group has achieved worldwide success by promoting adventure through respect for nature, producing sustainable technical clothing for outdoor sports enthusiasts worldwide. The group’s strong commitment to the environment is shown through their R&D that focuses on developing their own fabric by using eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton and recycled down.

Today, the group’s portfolio includes three brands Ternua, Astore and Lorpen, currently exporting to more than 50 countries, with operations in Europe, America and Asia. Compounding this global success, the ambitious group plans to penetrate more markets across the globe.

The group is implementing Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 into their entire production process. Specifically developed to help fashion companies navigate the digital era, this modular and user-friendly solution will help the Ternua Group centralize and store information coming from their brands by digitalizing their supply chain. This will connect all teams involved in the design-to-production process, regardless of geographic location. Team members will also be able to comm unicate better with external suppliers, access accurate information and keep track of every collection’s development progress. The group can hence speed up the entire production process and help their brands deliver their collections to markets all over the world on time.

“We manage our design and product development processes in-house but outsource our production in Europe, north of Africa and Asia. For our business to expand globally, we need to go fully digital. By having a system that consolidates and standardizes data coming from all supply chain actors across the world, we can respond faster to consumer demand,” explains Aitor Barinaga, Chief Operations Officer, Ternua Group. “We have assessed all other vendors—and Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 is clearly the winner. It has the ability to fully integrate all processes and improve communication and teamwork across all departments through sound data management. We are more than happy to have a trusted partner as Lectra for such an ambitious project.”

“Ternua Group is constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation. This is shown through their desire to help customers achieve their personal best by providing them with high-performance technical wear that is also environmentally friendly. We are thrilled to embark on this new journey with the Ternua Group, and we are confident that our solution and expertise will help them get their collections out to new markets on time,” says Rodrigo Siza, Managing Director, Spain and Portugal, Lectra.