From the Sector

Idéal Fibres & Fabrics Comines received the Textile Industry Award during the award ceremony of the “Trophées de l’Industrie des Hauts-de-France” (Trophies of the Industries of Hauts-de-France) which is hosted each year by the Société Industrielle du Nord. These trophies reward companies who are selected by trade and pooling associations based on their exemplary performance, innovations and achievements in an area of specialty which is different each year.

Idéal Fibres & Fabrics Comines (IFFC), a subsidiary of the Belgian Beaulieu International Group of companies, announced today that it was awarded the Textile Industry Award, which is one of the Trophies of the Industries of Hauts-de-France. The award ceremony took place on the 29th of March of this year at the Cité des Échanges of Marcq en Baroeul, France. Michiel Leys, Manufacturing Manager for Europe and General Manager of the production site, and Loïc Derôme, Operations Manager at IFCC, attended the ceremony and received the prize in person.

As part of the Industry Week, the ceremony is each year a time of exchange, optimism and encouragement to flagship companies of the industrial trades.
Idéal Fibres & Fabrics Comines’ production site has been based in the North since 1993 and manufactures high quality polypropylene and polyamid based textured yarns for applications in the automotive, and commercial and residential building sectors. “We regularly invest in technology on the one hand, and in safety, security and working conditions on the other”, says Loïc Derôme, Operations Manager at IFCC. “For the past two years, we have invested around for million euros and, this year, we are in the on-going process of further developing our manufacturing resources to meet the technical needs of the market and to increase the safety of our site.”

“We have selected IFCC because of its significant surface, but also because it is a French company belonging to a Belgian group, who decided to build on France as a country”, adds Eric Mezin, Délégué Général UIT Nord. Such attributes as open-mindedness, strong focus on sustainable development and effective communication efforts in view of attracting new talents, including among older, more experienced people, are but a few of the multiple aspects that accounts for the election of IFFC as an award-winner.

The automotive market is undergoing a period of great change. Global demand for light vehicles is increasing, but at slower rates than seen in previous years, and this is resulting in ever greater competition between carmakers. At the same time, the technological capabilities that can be offered are advancing rapidly. Areas such as autonomous driving, connectivity, interior comfort and the customization of vehicles in line with personal taste are becoming key ways that manufacturers can differentiate themselves and win market share. Indeed, automotive supplier Lear, recently unveiled a new biometric ‘smart’ seat, that tracks a driver’s health indicators.

These trends are having a knock-on effect for suppliers. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), being able to satisfy diverse consumer preferences is now considered more of a success factor than getting a vehicle to production faster than the competition. Across the automotive supply chain — and especially for those involved in the production of car seats and interiors — a growing emphasis on interior styling and luxury components has created new challenges that are further compounded by increasing cost pressures.

Although news coverage about the automotive industry tends to focus on such innovations as ‘driverless’ cars and ‘intelligent’ vehicles, one of the most farreaching changes occurring is this trend towards personalization: how automotive manufacturers are managing to make mass-produced items unique. Not only are manufacturers increasing the number of models they are offering but also the options available to a consumer per model. The Vauxhall Adam is a case in point: consumers can have more than 1 million different combinations when they order the car.

To cope with these challenges, suppliers will need to re-evaluate and improve their production processes. Within this context, the integration of smart solutions and services, and the replacement of production tools that are incompatible with connected factory concepts, will be vital. The combination of Software as a Service (SaaS) with the cloud is already opening up new horizons for innovation. Factories remain at the heart of the value chain. But Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing mass production, allowing more and more large-scale, personalized — and profitable — manufacturing, with greater quality and no added costs or delays.

As customer expectations reach new levels, it is especially important that suppliers in the automotive cutting value chain ramp up their transformation, adopting the technologies and services shaping Industry 4.0. For years, OEMs and suppliers alike have used foam and frames to develop patterns for producing seat covers in material or leather. The automotive industry was among the first to use sophisticated 3D computer-aided design (CAD) programs for the design and development of vehicles. But it has taken time for this technology to be used extensively for seat covers. Although 80% of fabric seating and interiors are currently cut digitally, only 10% of leather seats are cut using this method. The majority of suppliers of automotive leather seating still rely heavily on manual cutting equipment, such as die and roller presses.

To gain the agility and flexibility to remain relevant and competitive in a market that is dictating more change, variants, and faster reaction times, close cooperation between OEMs and suppliers is necessary. For if even one aspect of the process fails to provide sufficient flexibility, speed to market and consistent quality, then the entire chain will be impacted.

In such a complicated and fast-moving market, only the most adaptable and innovative companies will succeed. The solutions that form part of the Industry 4.0 framework will help give suppliers the capacity to adapt and thrive in this new environment. For more Information please find the complete White Paper attached.

• Deep Insights into the Multifaceted World of Cotton
• Quality, Innovation and Digitalisation are Crucial

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, the international cotton industry came together in the historic Bremen Town Hall, under the motto "Cotton Insights". More than 500 participants from almost 40 countries came to exchange views on the latest trends in the natural raw material as part of the conference organised by the Bremen Cotton Exchange in cooperation with the Fibre Institute Bremen. The 34th International Cotton Conference provided a varied, in-depth programme which addressed the current and burning issues within the industry.

Summarising his visit to the conference, Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in Washington said “The Bremen Cotton Conference is unique because it brings the diverse world of cotton together in one place. It is always a great opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, talk to cotton merchants and get an overview of the industry".

Sustainability and Cotton
This year, the conference developed into a whole week of diverse events around the entire cotton supply chain. With the “SUSTAIN” event, which was organised in cooperation with the Weser-Kurier newspaper, it was possible to build a bridge between the issue of sustainability and the end consumer.
With the focus on Africa, the emerging continent, which also has a special significance for cotton, became the centre of attention.

In his opening speech, Henning Hammer, President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, made it clear that sustainability is also of great importance during the Cotton Conference: "The three pillars of sustainability – the environment, the economy and social issues – were already playing a role in the cotton industry when the word sustainability was far from being on everyone's lips.
Many changes that are being demanded in the sense of responsible agriculture and responsible trade take their time, many are already in the starting blocks and a lot already exists. We have a very alert, active agricultural research worldwide."

The Keynotes
The keynote session, moderated by the journalist Lisa Boekhoff from the newspaper Weser-Kurier, gave participants an overview, with an informative analysis of the current cotton situation. Kai Hughes, executive director of ICAC, emphasised in his keynote address the need to provide credible facts and figures which should be the basis for the entire supply chain. The marketing of cotton and changing consumer habits in a globalised and digitalised world were the subject of lectures by Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated and Robert Antoshak, Olah Inc. Eugen Weinberg and Michael Alt from Commerzbank took a look at the raw material from a stock market perspective.

Traceability and Digitalisation
Digitalisation is also a cross-cutting issue that runs through the entire supply chain of the cotton industry. In his opening speech, Prof. Axel S. Hermann, Head of the Fibre Institute Bremen, emphasised the importance of digitalisation for the industry. “It enables new approaches in cotton cultivation and textile processing, but also influences consumer behaviour and thus the necessary changes in the textile industry.” The focus is on the status quo of the implementation, as well as the opportunities and risks of digitally controlled, vertically integrated procurement and sales processes and the associated challenges at retail level.

Another current topic is traceability, which is also closely linked to sustainability. More and more buyers want to know whether their suppliers are meeting the promised sustainability criteria for their products, also textile products. Consequently, the conference presented various techniques for testing the authenticity of a cotton provided in the finished textile, such as DNA testing, fingerprint analysis technique, marker methods and block-chain processes.

Cotton Quality
In addition to current subjects such as digitalisation and traceability, questions of cotton quality have traditionally been an essential element of the Cotton Conference, which was further reinforced this year with the "Spinners Seminar". The spinning mill seminar, which was carried out by the Cotton Exchange and the Fibre Institute in cooperation with the ITMF and IVGT associations, far exceeded expectations.

More than 70 participants discussed the handling of impurities in supplied cotton in the manufacturing process.
In addition, in a high-level expert session, there was an exchange of the latest research results which determine the future of cotton production and the processing of cotton into innovative products.

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.

The DyStar® Group recently launched a new concept of their resource saving module – Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous.

Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous is a modified pad-dry-thermosol-pad-steam dyeing process for open width PES/CO fabrics. In contrast to the standard PDTPS process, Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous does not require a separate reduction clearing process and thus saves more than 40% chemicals, water and energy. This effect is obtained by using a special dye choice of Dianix® XF/XF2 and SF disperse dyes in combination with selected Levafix® and Remazol® reactive dyes and a modified steaming and wash-off process with Sera® auxiliaries.

The Cadira concepts considerably reduce process costs, water, waste and energy consumption and machine utilization. Cadira supports Brands & Retailers and their production partners in their effort to save valuable resources and to reduce the carbon footprint of their textile goods.

The first Cadira module was developed in 2016. Since then DyStar has launched Cadira concepts for various substrates and applications. So far, the following Cadira concepts are available.

Cadira Polyester
Cadira Recycled Polyester
Cadira Vat
Cadira Reactive
Cadira Procion PX
Cadira Wool
Cadira Denim

DyStar will continue their effort to support the textile industry to reduce the environmental footprint.

About DyStar
DyStar® Group is a solution provider, offering customers across the globe a complete range of colorants, auxiliaries and services. The DyStar Group has offices, competence centers, agencies and production plants in over 50 countries to ensure the availability of expertise in all important markets. With a heritage of more than a century of product development and innovation for the textile and leather industry, DyStar has developed into new markets and now in addition serves the paper, plastic and many other specialty chemical industries.

DyStar’s service division assist brands & retailers and their industry partners from their first inspiration throughout the entire supply chain to ensure that they meet stringent quality and ecological specifications, reduce costs and shorten lead times. The service division offers state of the art color communication through CSI, textile and ecology testing through Texanlab, ecology and environmental advice, supply chain auditing and consulting for RSL compliant sustainable processes through Sustainable Textile Solutions programs.

The DyStar econfidence® program provides assurance that provided products comply with legal, voluntary and brand & retailer RSL (Restricted Substance List) requirements. It is an assurance that our products are in compliance with chemical and environmental legislation in each market in which they are sold.
Visit www.DyStar.com for more information.

• JEC World 2018, closes its doors on March 8 with a record increase in attendance resuming 3 days of vibrant networking and knowledge sharing.

The event confirms its leading position of JEC Group as number one organization for the promotion and development of the composites industry. Indeed the show welcomed more than 1,300 exhibitors from every continents and counted 42,445 professional visits from 115 countries. “The ability of JEC Group to gather the whole composites Industry under one roof over 3 days lies in the fact that we always initiate new precursory programs to the service of composites professionals.” says Ms. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President & CEO. “This year we initiated new programs, for instance the Composite Challenge allowing 10 PhD students to pitch their thesis in front of the industry, thus facilitating connections between students and industrialists. In the same spirit, we increased in power our Start Up Booster and Innovation Award Programs to accelerate relations between young or innovative companies with investors or established enterprises. We also introduced one new planet called “Make it Real” along with the Aero, Auto and Construction planets. In this planet, we could discover astonishing futuristic products for example the Aeromobil, a flying car that would revolutionize urban transportation in the near future,“ she adds. “We launched our new Book on Natural Fibers: Flax and Hemp. We had strong communications on Composites Environmental Input and Recycling.”

The event was the first event to promote and host the new “French Fab”, a French government initiative to internationally promote the French Industry and Manufacture. Also, JEC World welcomed the French Secretary of State to the Minister of Economy and Finance Ms. Delphine Gény-Stephann, visit that demonstrates the growing role of composites in the industry.

Inspiring Keynotes to foster composites disruption

Dirk Ahlborn,CEO of Hyperloop opened the Startup Booster ceremony by supporting the spirit of ingenuity in the Industry. Dayton Horvath, industry expert and consultant in additive manufacturing presented his vision of how to apply artificial intelligence to composite Materials and Manufacturing. Finally, Yves Rossy, the “jetman” using the latest carbon-fiber wings for flight introduced the JEC Innovation awards ceremony, motivating the audience to pursue their dreams and explaining how composites could made his dreams come true.

The "Public Choice” Awards Winners

A first at the show this year was the introduction of the public votes to elect their favorite projects among two JEC programs promoting innovation. “The goal to create the “public choice awards” was to involve and embark our community to make their innovation loud. Our vision at JEC is to demonstrate and to make understand towards a broader scope the vast range of possibilities that composite materials offer.”
comments Ms. Anne-Manuèle Hébert, Director for JEC World and European Events for JEC Group.

Public Choice Award for Startup  Booster: Inca-Fiber (Germany) with 62.36% of the 2,221 votes
Public Choice Award for JEC Innovation Awards: Infusion technology for an aircraft wing by AeroComposit JSC (Russia) gaining 20.96% of the 4,126 votes.

• Innovative Textile Processes

Innovations are welcome. Based on innovations, many changes in textile processing are leading to more efficiency in process workflows. At the International Cotton Conference in Bremen on Wednesday, March 21st, Session IV Textile Processing, which takes place from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, is dedicated to this subject area and attractive examples.

Sustainable
Michael Tuschak, Mayer & Cie., Germany, informs about the 3-in-1 concept of Spinitsystems. Spinning, cleaning and knitting are all combined in one machine. This enables the production process of high-quality single jersey knitwear to be shortened significantly, which saves energy costs and reduces CO2 emissions.

Indigo.
An old dye returns to glory. Dr. Dean Etheridge of Texas Tech University, USA, talks about a new, innovative indigo dyeing process for cotton yarns using foam. This saves large amounts of water and is now increasingly being used by major brands in jeans production.

Efficient.
Amin Leder, Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, presents a technique in which the stretching process for rotor yarn production does not take place in a separate machine, but is integrated into the carding. This makes it possible to efficiently process even cotton with a higher waste content.

Overview.
Harald Schwippel, from Rieter, Switzerland, summarises all four major spinning technologies for cotton – ring spinning, compact spinning, rotor spinning and air-jet spinning. His talk provides an overview of the possibilities that each of these processes currently offers for the manufacture of different yarns and the most efficient options for different applications.

More to know
In the run-up to the International Cotton Conference, the Fibre Institute Bremen and the Cotton Exchange are organising a specific seminar for spinning mills on Tuesday, dealing with the efficient handling of contaminants in cotton, from elimination in production to removal in winding. On Friday morning, Expert Session IX deals with the exchange of the latest research results, e.g. in the field of ginning in relation to cotton quality, or the important issue of checking the traceability of GMO-free cotton.

CHOMARAT, the composite reinforcement specialist group, is launching its multiaxial glass NCF for thermoplastic composites. The unique patented stitching yarn used can withstand processing temperatures to 400°C, making it an innovative industrial solution for thermoplastic composites and an alternative to the woven reinforcements used especially in the automotive sector. For the first time, CHOMARAT is also exhibiting a unidirectional carbon NCF reinforcement that is adapted to the productivity and performance requirements in the wind energy sector.

AN INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIAL SOLUTION TO REINFORCE AUTOMOTIVE THERMOPLASTICS
Thanks to a unique patented stitching yarn, the glass NCF reinforcement (G-PLY™) developed by CHOMARAT offers new possibilities in thermoplastic RTM and organosheet processes. “This is an especially innovative solution, utilizing stitching yarns that are compatible with processing temperatures to 400°C. These multiaxials improve the performance and provide a lot of construction freedom in terms of fibre orientation. These new design possibilities contribute to structural optimization. The quest for more lightweight vehicles, shorter cycle times and lower cost is a major issue for all builders,” explains CHOMARAT Automotive Market Manager Francisco De Oliveira.
This new heat-stable G-PLY™ reinforcement can withstand very high processing temperatures without deformation and provides optimal mechanical performance.

A CARBON UD TO REINFORCE EXTRA-THICK WIND TURBINE STRUCTURES
For the first time, CHOMARAT is exhibiting an infusion-moulded laminate made with 150 plies of its new unidirectional carbon C-PLY™. This 600g/m², high-permeability NCF can be used to create extra-thick structures, in particular the wind-turbine blade stiffeners, or spar caps. “Cost reduction is the challenge in the wind energy industry. Increasing the blade length by incorporating carbon stiffeners increases power, and so it also lowers the cost of the energy,” says CHOMARAT Wind Energy Market Manager Raphaël PLEYNET. The carbon UD developed by CHOMARAT provides a solution to achieve the goal to optimize the weight/power ratio. The UD’s high permeability reduces cycle times and lowers the blade production costs.

Professor Sung Ha from the University of Hanyang will give a conference on composite challenges in the wind energy sector at 11:30 am on Wednesday, 7 March 2018 at JEC World.
Established in 1898, CHOMARAT is an international industrial textile group, involved in three businesses: Composites Reinforcements, Construction Reinforcements, Coatings & Films–Textiles. The privately held company operates in France, Tunisia, the United States and China to service its global customers.
CHOMARAT leads a strong innovation strategy, rising to challenges, developing materials for the future. Hence, the Group invests in new technologies and enters into collaborative research programs with universities and technical centers worldwide.
CHOMARAT offers strong technical know-how and mastery of complex technologies in fields ranging from automotive, aerospace, sports, energy, marine, construction, and also in markets requiring creativity and expertise, like luxury goods.

• Confirming a Circular Economy focus
• 2 additional million investment in highly specialized process technology
• Launch of first ECOTEC® Smart Knitwear innovations
• New Market Partnerships

The ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi transformation into excellence yarns is back at Première Vision sharing amazing new steps in its journey towards smart innovation within a circular economy approach. 

First of all the company is proud to announce a 2 million euros investment in highly specialized process technology always aiming at improving ECOTEC® process and its yarn product range. This is another confirmation about the real ongoing commitment from Marchi & Fildi to position ECOTEC® as a key player in the world of responsible innovation.

On top of this, ECOTEC® is also widening its portfolio range thanks to the introduction of special yarns with counts and styles designed for Knitwear production: 

• ECOTEC® Moulinè and micromoulinè yarns: offering amazing colour effects and precious touch always fresh and cool. Considering that ECOTEC® yarns are not dyed, it is quite a smart look and achievement!
• ECOTEC® cable: soft twists for full body hand, authentic touch and amazing colour cards available. 

More technology, new applications… these facts are opening up the doors also to new ECOTEC® partners in the market. It is essential to offer brands and designers a wider and interesting choice in terms of ECOTEC® fabrics.

Based on this Marchi & Fildi is presenting:  

The ECOTEC® COLLECTION an exclusive seasonal range of ECOTEC® fabrics created by ECOTEC® partners including Ledatex (booth 5N29), Nalya (booth 5L52), 3C Company S.r.l., Sidònios Knitwear (booth 5P32-5R13), O’Jersey (booth 5N22) alongside longstanding accredited partners such as Lanificio COMATEX (booth 5H54, 5J53), Manifattura CBM, Euromaglia Srl (booth 5P17), Tessuti & Tessuti srl (booth 5M30), RDD and Tintex Textiles (booth 5N56, 5P55).

That is not all, this season ECOTEC® is proud to present an exclusive range of smart textile design solutions from the Marchi & Fildi research and development center in cooperation with the UK expert textile trend forecaster Sandy Mac Lennan.  It is called ECOTEC ® INNOVATION , and it is an  inspiring line  developed with the clear goal of highlighting ECOTEC® uniqueness with solutions that are real avant-garde in fashion trends. Pegasus (80% ECOTEC® cotton, 20% cotton), Chagall (50% ECOTEC® cotton, 40% cotton, 10% cashmere) and Phoenix (52% ECOTEC® cotton, 48% recycled polyester) are the fundamentals that gave birth to 10 exclusive innovative qualities. Nets, knits, patterned woven, degradè, plissè, new tonal summer plaids and bold stripings on fine grounds. An inspiring contemporary range, dedicated to ECOTEC® partners, which brings ECOTEC® at the forefront of textile design.  Something to explore at 360° degrees!

Recent ECOTEC® brand adoptions include Jan’n June, the German brand, founded in 2014, whose aim is to offer garments that are fashionable, affordable and environmentally responsible. Produced by a family owned company in Poland, Jan’n June operate s a strong transparency policy with printed QR-Codes on the hangtags to give its customer’s all the key information about fabrics, production values and certification for every garment.

Furthermore there is Mundotextil, a Portuguese home textiles manufacturer. Mundotêxtil, together with ECOTEC® has just launched, with great success at Heimtextil, a market-first, world unique and responsibly made cotton towel innovation that really saves on water use, energy and CO2 emissions.

At Milano Unica, as key inspiring article, ILUNA presented an exclusive and elegant lace long dress, created in collaboration with Valery, starting from an all over textronic ultralight lace with a complex organic design completely made of recycled materials, using ROICA™ Eco-Smart family, a world-first range of responsible made premium stretch yarns, demonstrating, once more, how the two leading innovators continue their close partnership to present the most “advanced” and responsible solutions to the market today.

Nevertheless, for ILUNA smart innovation is not just a project even, at its space at Milano Unica visitors will had the opportunity to discover the new collection and also to experience and touch the latest boundaries of lace smart innovations. This season novelties include:

1. Green Label collection, the Iluna dedicated range featuring a new responsible approach in respect of the planet and people, able to deliver innovation, beauty and quality, at 360°. This season, in addition to the all over, jacquard, double jacquard and mesh offer, the line is also featuring  new stretch Galloon laces fully made with GRS certified recycled  materials, including the stretch thanks to the introduction of the unique ROICA™ sustainable yarn part of the ROICA™ Eco-Smart family. 
2. ILUNA is also proud to introduce a worldwide première: Eco- Smart family made of sustainable yarns allover laces made with NAIA cellulosic fiber by Eastmann combined with ROICA™ premium stretch sustainable yarn   realized on warp knitting jacquard looms. A unique innovation, with an interesting look & feel combined with a special softness!  
3. ILUNA has strategically included in all their stretch laces only ROICA™ Eco-Smart family of sustainable yarns since some time. The company is pleased to introduce the latest version of this yarns that are able to deliver 3 functions in one:  premium stretch, sustainability combined with the ROICA™ Colour Perfect family function offering excellent flawless and world unique colour dimensions, homogeneity.
4. For the salon, another première:  in cooperation with ROICA™ and Cupro by Asahi Kasei, Iluna is pleased to introduce ‘Smart Bucket Bag’ as a  special  limited edition gift. In origin, this was a roomy bag shaped like a bucket taller than it is wide with a rounded bottom. It first came to fashion in the 1900's, from a pouch with a string and a hardened bottom. Federica Annovazzi idea started from the traditional shape, but it went way beyond and imade it contemporary by smart materials and manufacturing. A beautifully crafted ‘double face recipe’ made  combining a luxurious Cupro fabric by Infinity with an Iluna stretch Double face Smart Bucket bag lace designed and produced with ROICA™ Eco-Smart family of sustainable yarns. The bag is manufactured exclusively by Made in Carcere a cooperative of women in rehabilitation, so creating a useful social exchange as well as a responsible and smart one. The Made in Carcere brand was founded in 2007, thanks to Luciana Delle Donne, founder of Officina Creativa, a non-profit social cooperative.
5. ILUNA can also boast its new STeP (Sustainable Textile Production) certification by Oeko-Tex, a certification that clarifies and communicates the company’s sustainable production commitment. In addition to this, all products are Oeko-Tex 100 certified.

ILUNA’s newest digital programs:

• ILUNA has created the new e-shop offering its exclusive materials to smaller companies looking for added values as: creativity, innovation, made in Italy and responsibility. 
• The whole collection is also visible online at its web site, previous registration, and orders can be done directly online always aiming to customers care.

Today ILUNA represents the largest European lace producer, and thanks to its journey toward the most contemporary way to innovate that includes responsibility, has also become a reference point in the international market for a lace offer that is beautiful, innovative and responsible at the same time. An alchemy of design and sustainable innovation, the only eco-fashion line that includes lace and stockings, capable of combining ethics and high quality standards with a fashion image of bright and deep colors.