From the Sector

• ISKO and Bluesign announce their partnership for the creation of a cleaner, safer, and transparent world of denim. ISKO just released its landmark
• Sustainability Report, setting the target of achieving bluesign® APPROVED accreditation by the end of 2020.

Denim is a timeless staple in wardrobes around the world. ISKO, the leading denim ingredient brand, and Bluesign, the architects of a sustainable and responsible textile supply chain, are joining forces in a partnership. Alliances like this are the source of effective improvements.

ISKO has a long-standing commitment to ensure the integrity of its ingredients and the traceability of the fibers and materials used in its denim apparel. By releasing the Sustainability Report, ISKO again demonstrates its commitment to creating and designing denim apparel that has a positive connection with the planet. In this report, a primary target of ISKO is to achieve bluesign® APPROVED accreditation for its denim textiles, attaining the strictest industry standard for consumers and environment alike.

With the goal of completing this process by the end of 2020, the company has already performed bluesign® COMPANY ASSESSMENT at an above-average level. This shows how ISKO anticipates changes rather than simply reacting to legal or stakeholder requirements, pursuing an approach that has a huge potential and includes several actions for further improvements. Through this partnership, ISKO and Bluesign continue the movement of the textile and fashion industry into a future that pays more attention to people and the environment, because only when both are considered can the industry truly make a positive long-lasting impact.

“ISKO, as the soul of jeans, has a vision for denim that is creative in design and innovative in the use of technologies. These distinct qualities in combination with a determined commitment to a sustainable supply chain makes ISKO a true leader in the textile industry. We look forward to the next impactful steps we will take together.” Jill Dumain, CEO, bluesign technologies. “As the leader of this industry, we feel it is our responsibility to be and act as a force for good. We have always prioritized transparency and accountability, highly valuing every improvement that can be achieved by sharing values and goals through partnerships. This one makes us particularly proud, as it raises the bar of our efforts and challenges us to maintain our improvement efforts.” Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, Senior Sustainability & CSR Executive.

• Die neuesten Living-Trends für 2020+

COVID-19 hat viel verändert und wird es weiterhin tun – auch und vor allem zu Hause. Hier brauchen Menschen ein gutes Setting. Die neuesten Living-Trends hat das Forschungsinstitut Marketmedia24, Köln, in Kooperation mit der Trendagentur Gabriela Kaiser, Landsberg am Lech, für das neue „Home Look Book 2020+“ analysiert. Bereist wurden 11 internationale Fachmessen sowie die Mailänder Showrooms.

Das „Home Look Book 2020+“ zeigt in 175 Bildinspirationen eine „Home-Tour“ durch alle Räume: aktuelle und künftige Wohntrends aus den Bereichen „Möbel und Beleuchtung“, „Boden und Wände“, „Heimtextilien“ sowie „Homeaccessoires“. Weiter widmet sich das Buch dem Trendthema „umweltfreundlich + nachhaltig“ mit zahlreichen Bildmaterialien und Expertenstatements.

„Was das Sichten von Trends betraf, so hatten wir Glück im Unglück. Wir konnten im Januar und Februar 2020 die Heimtextil, die imm cologne und die Ambiente noch physisch erleben. Der Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2020 fand zwar schon nicht mehr statt. Aber wir haben den umfangreichen Live-Input der letzten stattgefundenen internationalen Living-Messen ebenso auf dem Tisch wie aktuelle Trend-Mailings aus Italien“, so Gabriela Kaiser.

„Der größte Lifestyle-Trend passiert sowieso gerade jetzt, in diesem Moment. Das Leben hat sich etwas verlangsamt und wird in einigen Facetten natürlicher. Wie sehr dieser Lebensstil bereits vor COVID-19 in der Luft lag, zeigt unser neues „Home Look Book 2020+“ auf verblüffende Weise“, erläutert Sonja Koschel, Geschäftsführerin von Marketmedia24. Überall Grün, Holz, Gewürztöne, Blatt-, Blumen- und Waldmuster, robuste Materialien, Handwerk, Flechtwerk, klassische, historische, optisch langlebige Formen und Möbel sowie viele schöne und hochwertige Objekte, die ganz bewusst zelebriert werden.

Das „Home Look Book 2020+“ ist in gebundener Version zum Preis von 1.750,00 Euro zzgl. MwSt. erhältlich.

• Launched by SCOTT Sports Racing Team with Sitip, Rosti and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei

The collection was designed starting from the needs of the athletes with the aim to offer them the best solution in terms of style and ergonomics, high performance, easy maintenance and perfect fit being also sustainable.

Ispo 2020 saw the celebration of the partnership started last year between Scott Racing Team, Rosti, Sitip and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei for the supply of the team riders’ uniforms. Rosti worked on style and packaging, Sitip on technical fabrics ‘BE-HOT - Heat Generating fabrics’, while ROICA™ provided its premium stretch ingredient. The collaboration carries an interesting news: uniforms are not just highly performing but also, and above all, sustainable.

Sitip created the Native fabric entirely made with recycled yarns and featuring the premium high performing  ROICA™ EF elastomer. The yarn is certified GRS - Global Recycled Standard certification (and also provides special dyeability) with Rosti’s design and high care garment manufacturing.

The main rider of Scott Racing Team Italy, the young and award-winning champion Juri Ragnoli, the “end user” of the uniforms, explaines the requirements that garments should possess in order to meet the sporting challenges that await athletes: breathability, comfort on the skin, performance, durability of the shape and maintenance of the characteristics throughout the course of use of the garment. When asked about the arrival of a new sustainable uniform, the champion said that “it’s right and important to take this direction, which perfectly meets the team’s values, as love for nature and respect for the environment. It will be nice to wear something that follows exactly what you believe in”.

Anglo Recycling Technology is on course to deliver no less than a million of its special nonwoven mats for hydroponically growing herbs to a major customer in the Middle East this year. The Growfelt-branded products arose from the discovery back in the late 1990s by Anglo Recycling’s owner Simon Macaulay, that the Sussex-based retail supplier of salads, Van Heineken Brothers (now Vitacress), used nonwoven felts on which to grow its cress.

“I drove down to see the company’s production manager, Chris Moncrieff and discovered they were indeed growing cress on felts, but they were made from virgin materials and he liked the idea of maybe using a blend of virgin fiber offcuts of cotton, wool, and polypropylene,” he explains. “That’s how Growfelt was born. For the first six years, we supplied exclusively to Vitacress and in return, they helped us to bring our factory up to food-grade standard and to set in place a testing regime for Salmonella E-Coli coliforms and listeria.”

In recent years, however, Anglo Recycling, which is based in Whitworth, near Rochdale in the UK, has significantly broadened its customer base. It now offers a core of three growing media products to meet the differing needs of customers across Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, whether for retail presentation and appearance or for water holding.

ISKO presented its 100% responsible platform, R-TWO™.

The denim ingredient brand hosted a special panel to discuss some of the advancements in technology that are making the fashion industry more responsible: from R-TWO™ to automated laser technology.

With the fashion industry being considered one of the world’s most polluting businesses-sectors, collaborating and knowledge sharing are key in finding solutions for a better future. Fully aware of this scenario, ISKO was the headline sponsor at The Drapers Sustainable Fashion Forum brings together responsible players to discuss what can be done to tackle the industry’s environmental and social issues through innovation and creativity.

Sharing knowledge, collaborating for change.
As evidence of its Responsible Innovation™ approach, ISKO presented the R-TWO™ program, its latest
responsible achievement. Stemming from the mill’s holistic vision, R-TWO™ represents a great example of how reducing, reusing, and recycling strategies can be implemented in a textile business to improve its  environmental performance.
The R-TWO™ reduces the amount of raw material sourced by using a blend of reused cotton and recycled polyester – both certified –, improving sourcing efficiency throughout the entire field-to-fabric production.
Reused cotton is certified with the Content Claim Standard – or CCS – from the Textile Exchange. As for recycled polyester, it can be either Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified, depending on the content percentages. Together with this cutting-edge and fully responsible program, ISKO also uses automated laser
technology developed in partnership with Jeanologia.

“How technology can help make the fashion industry more sustainable”:
On March 11th, ISKO hosted a discussion about ways, to make the fashion industry more responsible
The panel was moderated by David Shah, consultant on design and marketing development, Publisher and CEO at Metropolitan Publishing BV and Associate Professor at ARTez (Arnhem, the Netherlands) and Associate Professor at Renmin University, (Beijing, China). The talk involved Keith O’Brien, ISKO Marketing & Business Development Manager, Victoria Soto, Jeanologia Custom Technology Consultant and Filippo Ricci, Fashion Open Studio Program & Partnership Manager.

Fashion giant H&M Group and Danish retailer Coop are joining chemical expert NGO ChemSec’s call to action to end the use of harmful PFAS chemicals in products and supply chains.
This commitment comes on the same day as award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo and director Todd Haynes address the EU Parliament to speak about the true story that inspired the duo’s latest film Dark Waters, in which an environmental attorney takes on chemical giant DuPont and exposes decades of PFAS pollution.
ChemSec’s corporate PFAS initiative includes:

• A call on policy makers to regulate PFAS efficiently, without the possibility for manufacturers to simply swap one PFAS chemical for an unregulated “cousin”.
• A call on the chemical industry to put money into innovation and develop safer alternatives to PFAS for all kinds of products.
• A recognition that PFAS are a major health and environmental problem.
• A serious commitment to end all non-essential PFAS uses in products and supply chains.
• A call on all other brands to join this commitment and work towards a phase-out of PFAS in all kinds of consumer products.

The single biggest problem with PFAS is that, with very few exceptions, they are perfectly legal to use. This means that the brands and retailers who want to stop it from being used as ingredients in their products have very limited ways of communicating this in the global supply chain. As long as there is not a restriction in place, suppliers will continue to use these very effective chemicals in manufacturing.  

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a chemical family consisting of almost 5,000 industrially produced chemicals. In manufacturing, PFAS are favoured for their durability and well-functioning properties; they provide properties such as non-stick, water repellence and anti-grease to many types of products, including cosmetics, food packaging, frying pans, outdoor gear and firefighting foam.
The industrial use of PFAS has been so prevalent in the last decades that today 99% of every human, including foetuses, have measurable levels of PFAS in their bloodstreams.   
What is worrying is that human epidemiological studies have found associations between PFAS exposure and a number of health disorders, including various cancers, lowered birth weights and negative effects on the immune system.

Of the twelve participating denim mills who took part in Habitat 21 – a special Smart Creation showcase at the recent Denim Première Vision exhibition in London – no less than eleven were valued Monforts ‘Denimized’ finishing technology users.

The aim of Habitat 21 was to highlight those companies taking an eco-responsible approach to denim manufacturing via the use of recycled, organic and bio-based fibres, in combination with resource-saving dyeing and finishing technologies. Monforts customers involved in the project were Advance Denim, Berto, Bossa, Calik, Evlox/Tavex, Kilim, Naveena, Orta Anadalou, Rajby Industries, Raymond Uco and Soorty. Their innovations were detailed in a major presentation on trends for the Spring/Summer 2021 season by Manon Mangin of the Première Vision Fashion Team, based on three key themes – Sensation, Hybridisation and Expansion.

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.

• Interfilière Paris, 6th-8th July 2019, booth D60

Able to offer an alchemy of design and sustainable innovation, Iluna Group with ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei join the latest edition of the Parisian tradeshow for lingerie with a range of innovations capable of combining innovation, aesthetics and quality. "Ethical" lace and stockings, where quality standards go hand in hand with fashion content, respecting both the environment and humans, an offer already selected among the protagonists of the Sustainable Thinking Exhibition of the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, for its value in the field of responsible innovation.

Experts in the production of stretch lace since 1985, ILUNA today represents the largest European laces’producer. Thanks to the effectiveness of their responsible innovation strategy, Iluna Group has been the very first lace producer to have gained the GRS (Global Recycled Standard) for their transformed products, together with the company certification STeP (Sustainable Textile Production by Oeko –Tex®).
A relevant achievement for the firm that, thanks to the Green Label collection, now even richer, make responsible innovation an asset for production that focuses on smart ingredients as ROICA Eco-Smart™ family and Q-Nova® by Fulgar.

A range that culminates today in the launch of an athleisure and sporty-chic capsule collection that perfectly fit the contemporary modern wardrobe, result of a qualified and totally traceable supply chain, from yarn up to garment, based on design, sustainability and performance.

Of major interest is the fact that the Iluna fashion R&D based its strategic choice for the AI2020/2021 on the extension of the offer with new Black label’s developments between lace and embroidery, the premium R&D line.

The range of new Ultralight multicolor laces offers jacquardtronic and textronic 4 or 5 colours galloons with a 3D effect. The change of the color of thread in the background as well as in the design gives life to unique coordinated solutions for creatives. The match between expectations of brands and retailers are met always keeping as a priority the contemporary design, that is integrated to unique strategy committed to responsibility both at corporate and product level.

To ILUNA smart innovation is not just a project, its space at Interfilière where visitors will have the chance to discover the new collection and above all to experience and touch latest boundaries of lace smart innovations pursued staying true to the values the brand. Iluna team is pleased to welcome you with a special cadeaux created in collaboration with ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei.

Schoeller, the global textile solutions manufacturer dedicated to sustainability and innovation for more than 150 years, introduces its new PROEARTH™ collection of biodegradable textiles. The new collection, comprised of bluesign® approved fabrics with biodegradable polyester, will debut as part of its Schoeller FTC (SFTC) line, a joint venture between Schoeller Textil AG and the Taiwanese Formosa Taffeta Co. Ltd., at Premiere Vision Paris, September 17-19, Hall 6, Stand 6J18.

As the founding developer of the bluesign® system, the first activewear and leisurewear manufacturer to receive Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, and one of the first companies to sign the UN’s Paris Agreement for climate change, Schoeller continues to be on the cutting edge of sustainable practices, bringing one of the first collections of biodegradable synthetic fabrics to the market. Its most recent development, PROEARTH was created to help offset the more than 16 million tons of textile waste produced in the US alone each year.

Jacket, pant and lining fabrics
The SFTC PROEARTH collection will launch with five, bluesign®-approved fabrics designed for lifestyle, fashion and outdoor categories. Made with virgin polyester that has been optimized for biodegradation and has tested to biodegrade at faster and better rates than competitive offerings, the initial PROEARTH articles available this fall include jacket, pant and lining material qualities with various colour options.