From the Sector

• Technology, creativity and sustainability
• Recycled materials, bright colours, eclectic shapes: excellence is in the details, and the new creations by the Italian-Swiss group have plenty to say.

Mendrisio – Looking at the new Fall-Winter 2021-2022 collection of the Riri Group, it almost seems as if the difficult months to which the pandemic has forced the whole world, have been another new – though unwanted – challenge for the Italian-Swiss company. A testbed that sparked the mind and lit the fire of creativity. Therefore, today, the brand ingredient which for over 80 years has embellished the
garments designed by major fashion system brands with top-quality zips and buttons, also introduces a wide range of heterogeneous creations, intended to cover different aesthetic and functional requirements on the market.

This collection has been divided into three macro-topics; it is a new chapter in the history of the Group.

LIFE SERVING
Keyword: sustainability. Or, more romantically, “Reuse with love”. From the use of materials produced using organic waste and recycled plastics to actual destocking – the re-introduction on the market of unsold items to give them new life through a restyled shape: the topic of “life serving”, for Riri, translates into the meticulous and constant search for materials with a low environmental impact and in the committed attempt to reduce the use of plastic to a minimum. This is why the Group has decided to use recycled polyester tapes, made with new organic cotton, pullers coated with cork, created using 100% recycled plastics or rubber taken from the sole of shoes. Stainless steel – an exceptionally resistant and sturdy material, as well being subject to no galvanic treatments and highly recyclable – characterizes chains and pullers, while the Nylon zip consists of fully recycled tape and chain, and Decor introduces a new 100% polyamide version. On the button side, “life serving” includes buttons with a cork coating, the Zero button with coating made of recycled Meryl polyamide and the F4 with a 100% recycled Nylon head and the heads made of APILON 52 (rubber made of 65% vegetable oils and energy from renewable sources) coated with microfiber from the company Alcantara.

ENGINEERING
This is definitely the most rigorous yet progressive section in the collection, drawing on technological innovation and on uncertainties related to the current situation, to play with shapes, colours and materials. Between zips and buttons there is a prevalence of squared and minimal shapes, also on the tapes of the zips through sublimation and digital printing techniques. The leading colour is grey in its variation of hues, where the insertion of coloured tones sometimes stands out. The leading material, on the other hand, is metal.

OVER SHOCK
A creative topic where “exaggeration” is the keyword, a trend whose style and character somehow remind us of Gen-Z, apart from being especially suitable for outdoors. “Over state” uses the hip hop mood and settings of the Nineties, taking them to the extreme, enlarging shapes and focusing on bright and fluorescent colours such as purple, yellow, blue, orange or green. An example of this is Storm Evo, a zip which is popular in the outdoor sector for its high levels of water resistance and strength, which features a new electric blue chain and tape with reflecting side strips. Also outstanding in terms of originality is the new purple puller, with its anti-theft shape, fixed onto a fluorescent yellow chain. The perfect expression of this category are zippers such as Decor, Nylon and Aquazip, especially recommended for the outdoor sector in general.

COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS: RESTYLING AND INNOVATION
All the macro-categories selected for the FW 21-22 seasons are included in some special product innovations, most notably the even more minimal and thin shapes of some buttons and the introduction of five different colours for the small synthetic ring, a real point of strength in Cobrax pressure buttons. Also the range of magnetic buttons is complemented by the addition of two extra snaps. As regards zips, the Riri Group team has been working on careful restyling of shapes, more specifically in the shapes of Decor zip bodies – ideal for the luggage industry – further improved from both an aesthetic and functional viewpoint.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. will be offering two virtual opportunities for customers to learn more about the company’s innovative non-contact spray finishing systems. These technologies will be showcased in October during an in-depth webinar event, as well as during the Innovate Textile and Apparel Virtual Trade Show.

The interactive and free webinar “How to Deliver Sustainability with Non-Contact Spray” will be held twice on October 13, with a recording provided for all who register for later viewing. During this event, industry veteran Rick Stanford, Baldwin’s Business Development Leader for textiles, will discuss the sustainable functionality of the Precision Spray and Ahlbrandt Rotor Spray technologies.

The Innovate Textile and Apparel Virtual Trade Show will take place online October 15 to 30. In Baldwin’s virtual booth, the company will showcase its non-contact spray systems for finishing and remoistening. Its TexCoat G4, TexMoister G2 and Ahlbrandt Rotor Spray technologies are designed to save chemistry, time and production costs, while enabling sustainable textile production.

“We are excited to present our revolutionary non-contact spray systems during the webinar and the virtual Innovate Textile and Apparel show,” said Stanford. “Participants will learn how non-contact spray has become a game-changing technology in sustainable textile finishing. It dramatically cuts chemical waste and energy consumption, while increasing productivity and quality. We will show attendees how our systems work and in what applications they are ideal for, as well as take questions. These are great opportunities to experience innovations that drastically improve both the process and product quality, while saving time and chemistry, and contributing to a more sustainable future.”

True Temper Sports, leading designers and manufacturers of golf shafts, has chosen to partner with Hexcel on its latest product line, the HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX. The HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX is the first golf shaft to use Hexcel’s new HexTow® HM54 carbon fiber, which is ideal for recreational applications.

HZRDUS has emerged as one of the most dominant shafts at all levels of golf over the past 50 years, and the RDX is the next evolution in the HZRDUS line. By partnering with Hexcel to incorporate HexTow HM54, True Temper has taken its designs to the next level. HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX is the first golf shaft to use HexTow HM54 high modulus carbon fiber and combines it with high tensile strength HexTow® IM2C carbon fiber to provide the ideal blend of stiffness and stability desired by engineers to build into the HZRDUS shafts.

True Temper Sports is the No. 1 shaft in golf. It has been used to win more professional golf tournaments than any other shaft manufacturer. True Temper Sports offer shafts under the True Temper, Project X, ACCRA, Aerotech, and Grafalloy brands.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced that the 4,320 color references of its Color Atlas library have been selected by Shima Seiki and integrated into their ‘SDS-ONE APEX’ series of software for the design, planning and virtual sampling of textile and apparel.

Shima Seiki is a leading provider of digitally optimized solutions for the fashion industry, who combines its on-demand ‘WHOLEGARMENT’ knitting machine with realistic virtual sampling. Based on actual yarn data, fabric simulations generated on the SDS-ONE APEX-series are unparalleled in quality and realism. Design and simulation are available for knits and various other textile applications, and smooth transition to machine programming is possible for quick and accurate design-to-manufacture interface.

That is where the Color Atlas by Archroma® will considerably benefit to the users of Shima Seiki’s solutions.

The Color Atlas was launched in 2016 to provide fashion designers and stylists with off-the-shelf color inspiration that can be implemented in production with just a few clicks.

The Color Atlas continues to evolve in line with Archroma’s commitment to sustainability through innovation. The company describes it as “The Archroma Way to a sustainable world: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. All color references available in the Color Atlas have been formulated with products that comply with leading international eco-standards, and can be selected based on the desired sustainability profile.

Today, the Color Atlas contains 4,320 colors applicable on cotton poplin, almost the double compared to similar tools available to textile and fashion specialists. Technical support is available to designer, manufacturers, as well as brands and retailers, through Archroma’s global offices - for every single color from its selection to its implementation in production. Engineered color standards empowered by NFC technology are also available for all colors and reproducible in production.

With this new collaboration, the users of the SDS-ONE APEX design software of Shima Seiki will have at their disposal 4320 colors that they can visualize, evaluate and implement, in a considerably accelerated process from the first creative idea to the production to the final outlet, whether online or in brick-and-mortar shops.

“Accurate color evaluation and communication are very important issues for design work”, explains Hideya Ohtani, General Manager, Graphic System Development Division, at Shima Seiki. “We have high expectations for Archroma's Color Atlas to help our APEX series users develop their products in an even more smooth and accurate manner.“

“We are proud to bring our Color Atlas library to the users of Shima Seiki’s extremely advanced design software,” says Chris Hipps, Head of Co lor Management Services, at the Archroma Brand Studio. “Designers and users of the software will have at their disposal not only color options they never had before but also colors that they can trust will be implementable right away. That’s what we strive to do at Archroma: create a new way of working: safe, efficient and enhanced. It’s our nature!”

The 26th edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles concluded on 26 August, following a successful three-day run at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). It was Messe Frankfurt’s first event to take place in Shanghai in 2020 following disruptions from the pandemic. Amid the challenges presented by the pandemic, this year’s fair provided a vital opportunity for the international home and contract textile industries to source and reconnect through virtual and in-person meetings. Offering a comprehensive range of home and commercial textile products, the fair welcomed over 600 exhibitors and attracted more than 25,000 trade buyers.

Speaking as the fair concluded, Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd commented: “Intertextile has always been dedicated to providing an ideal platform for the international home textile industry and we are delighted to continue to do so during these unprecedented, challenging times. In view of the current global travel restrictions, this year’s fair offered a series of digital tools in addition to the traditional exhibition, allowing the fair to reach as wide an audience as possible. We are glad that this new format was highly recognised by the participating exhibitors and buyers alike.”

“Whilst economic activity in China is progressively recovering and domestic consumption continues to grow, the country’s exports are taking longer to rebound,” Ms Wen added. “One of the main objectives of this year’s fair was to connect domestic and international suppliers and buyers who are eager to make personal contacts and get back to business. As evidenced by feedback from numerous exhibitors and visitors, the fair has been able to help and support the industry’s recovery, so we are delighted with the results.”

Online business matching platform connected worldwide companies
 
In view of the current international travel restrictions, this year’s fair launched a brand new online business matching platform, which connected around 200 buyers from over 50 countries and regions to 60 exhibitors. The platform introduced multiple new functions, such as live-stream product presentations and a real-time chat platform to better facilitate business exchanges between suppliers and buyers from around the world. One exhibitor participating in the platform was Suzhou Roufang Textile Technology Co Ltd. “Yesterday we had a live-stream product presentation, which attracted around 200 buyers. The online platform is useful for us as we could showcase our new products and design concepts to overseas buyers, and let them know that we are still here to serve them,” the company’s Business Manager Ms Yu Qian Ru explained.

Mr Azam Osman, Manager of the Factory Depot (Pty) Ltd from South Africa expressed his satisfaction about the online platform: “I am glad that the fair provided the online business matching service where I have seen a lot of quality furniture and decorative fabric exhibitors. I’m interested in connecting with them.” Another buyer, Ms Elena Freyuk from Ziptown Trading Inc. said: "I am pleased that the fair offered both live-stream and video recording product presentations as I was unable to watch the live presentation due to time difference. The services were very thoughtful!”

A source of inspiration for the industry
 
To ensure fairgoers can discover the latest design and industry trends and insights, this year’s fringe programme presented a series of high quality events, covering the industry’s hottest topics. Some of the highlights included the 2021 Intertextile Trend Forum, which was led by Shen Lei, the Chinese representative of the Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend Committee. The forum brought together five prominent Chinese designers including Ben Chen, Ben Wu, Meng Ye, Paul Pang and Xie Ke, who presented an in-depth interpretation of the theme of 2021 Intertextile Trends, “BOUND”. Other events included Ride the Storm – Home Textile Digital Printing Forum, Tmall Seminar on industry digitalisation, Furniture & Home Textile Direct Negotiation Event and more.

• The quality of Sappi’s Algro Design Advanced solid bleached board makes the difference for Wolford

The unique combination of physical and optical features combined within the Algro Design range of products, convinced the textile manufacturer, Wolford, to use the range to package its innovative face mask. When creating the packaging solution for its ‘Care Mask’ the company chose to combine the premium 350 gsm Algro Design Advanced solid bleached board with extremely challenging ink covering and a number of finishing options. The end result is a packaging solution that is as elegant as it is creative and as a result, perfectly complements the product inside.

• Premium packaging for premium products
• Perfect for complex graphic applications
• Unique service from the innovation leader Sappi

Wolford, founded in Bregenz, Austria, in 1950, is the global market leader in skinwear ‘made in Europe’. Since its establishment, the company has come up with numerous product innovations and is always at the cutting edge. Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe, product developers were considering the idea of launching their own face mask protection, having witnessed the effects of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Asia. Thanks to an outstanding, highly efficient development division, a new product, ‘Care Mask’, was quickly brought to market.

It meets the high-quality standards of Wolford and consists of a premium, soft, breathable material that ensures high wearing comfort. Wolford is particularly proud that such a high-quality product could be developed in just a few weeks, despite reduced working hours and staff working from home. It generally takes some time to progress from development to product maturity. In this case however, everything was ready for market launch within two weeks.

Top quality meets top quality

Alongside the product, Wolford developed an appropriate packaging solution for their high-quality product, in collaboration with their in-house graphics department. To enable the ‘Care Mask’ to be quickly launched, a suitable material needed to be found, which could meet Wolford’s high standards in terms of quality, appearance and feel.
 
Wolford’s long-term partner, Sappi Europe had the perfect solution right away with its 350 g/m2 Algro Design Advanced solid bleached board. Thanks to its double-coated top and lightly coated back, the material from the innovation leader is a perfect choice for premium packaging.

The high brightness and silky, soft touch of the paperboard gives the packaging a premium, exclusive look and feel. The colour brilliance of Algro Design Advanced and the continuous, precise reproduction of complex print motifs were exactly what Wolford was looking for and met the high standards of the brand. Thanks to its additional outstanding finishing and processing properties, further processing with grooves, hot-foil embossing, paint finishes and adhesives was also easily achievable, which made it perfect for Wolford’s needs.

Service comes first at Sappi

Product capability alone was not enough for this venture however. To allow Wolford to achieve their goal of two weeks from inception to market ready, they also required a highly responsive service level from their trusted partner and Sappi responded at every level.  From selecting the right quality and size to the precise delivery of the paperboard to the printers, all in the space of five days, Sappi was flexible and immediately ready to respond. Thanks in no small part to the proactive support provided by all contributors to the creative process, the ‘Care Mask’ was launched at the end of March 2020 and was a resounding success. 5,000 masks were sold out within an hour and were sent on their way to the customers in their exclusive packaging.

Pinko has finally re-open its stores inthis occasion will launch a special project dedicated to its loyal customers. Pinkoi s glad to announce the official launcho f the Concierge project, which includes a series of exclusive services to make the shopping experience even more exciting and which at the same time guarantees an innovative, functional integration between physical andd digital retail.

To meet the customers needs ,the Concierge program includes three main services.
In particular, those who love to shop at home but cannot renounce the charm of brick- and mortastore, Pinko offers a personal shopper, who will live from the boutique follow the wishes of the customer, who will have the opportunity to see the clothes worn by a model.
Those who want indulge in an exclusive instore shopping session will be able to enjoy their time with a driver.
Last but not least Pinko also unveils the Surprise Box service, available only on invite to the Pinkoclub. The brands fashion stylists will make a specialised selection of ready to wear pieces and accesoires based on the customers preferences. When the Surprise Box arrives, the customers has three days to decide what to keep and what to send back.

In these actions Pinko tries new innovative and creative ideas, breaking the rules of traditional retail. Pinko wants to focus on a unique shopping experience based on the individual needs.
 

Energiapura – Production of reusable, customised protective masks that are also fashion accessories

• The Italian company, a specialist manufacturer of functional sportswear, conducted research and began producing masks in response to the COVID-19 crisis
• Using Mimaki sublimation printers, the masks can be customised, getting away from their connotation with hospitals and transforming them into a fashion accessory

From functional sportswear to combatting the spread of the Coronavirus: Energiapura, an Italian company has developed a mask that meets the Class I medical device requirements. The EP PA 2020 (Energiapura Pure Air) facial device, optimised for air filtering and breathability, provides protection while working, and can be reused. But Energiapura has gone even further, branding and customising the masks with sublimation printing.
The EP PA 2020 mask, compliant with 93/42 EEC Medical Devices – Class I washable, meets the essential requirements of UNI EN 14683:2019. Having redirected the manufacturing process, Energiapura is now stepping up production levels to meet the rising demand from hospitals, pharmacies, chemists, companies and consumers.

Pure Air, Energiapura’s mask
The EP PA 2020 is based on a functional concept: protection, breathability and reusability are the main principles. EP PA 2020 is made up of three layers of fabric: the first, the outer layer, is DWR-treated polyester, the second is TNT polyester, providing a filtering function, and the third, which comes into contact with the face, is polyester containing special fibres, such as coolmax and carbon.  Therefore it can be reused via normal washing and steam ironing, which also sterilises it.
The CEO of Enegiapura, Alberto Olivietto explains the idea of the customisation of the mask: “We wanted to disassociate our masks from the hospital image. By decorating them with company branding and designs provided by customers.” This is where the Mimaki JV300 wide-format printer comes in.

Labels and small accessories stand together for the company’s great passion for leather, featuring a mix of eclectic inspirations, complemented by a variety of solutions and with a new exclusive Green Book, with a very sustainable approach.

A creative selection of proposals enriched with a new line of completely green products defines the SS2021 collection by Vivolo. Sustainability is the running theme, thanks to the development of concepts that focus on the combination of zero-impact processing techniques and state-of-the-art materials, bringing to life RE Vivolo.
This special Green Book gathers a selection of products that provide a sustainable interpretation of the beauty of Vivolos work. The selection of specific raw materials defines five micro-areas in terms of options: leather (recycled, solvent-free and vegetable-tanned), eco-leather (solventfree and jacron), technical solutions (silicon and recycled post-industrial polyurethane), fabrics (organic cotton, recycled cotton, felt obtained from the recycling of post-consumer plastic materials) and the brand new plant-based options (Apple Skin, Piñatex® and Bananatex®). In parallel with this eco-line, the collection presents the evolution of more classical option.
The heritage style results in the selection of new designs, made thanks to an combination heat embossing and hand painting enhancing the quality of leather through the creation of miniature works of art. An additional highlight is the embroidery section.
Technical inspirations remain the most direct expression of the research by the inhouse R&D team. From the use of high-performance materials to the implementation of ideal processing techniques, the mood emphasizes the high-tech character of these options, through mirrored, reflective and  iridescent finishings along with a fluorescent color palette. Silicon and polyurethane make again in this season their appearance.

The collection comes to a close with the accessories – patches as well as  drawstrings, puller, buttons and cord stoppers, along with many others – conceived to become the added detail to embellish and enhance outerwear and knitwear. Once again, Vivolo proves its ability in  interpreting a style that transcends time, representative of the Made in Italy tradition along with an unparalleled approach to production.

Technology transfer that is creating waves

For more than a decade now, the Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group has been hosting a comprehensive technology symposium at the beginning of each year in the Indian region around Silvassa/Daman. Numerous Indian manmade fiber producers have settled in this area, around a four-hour drive north of Mumbai. Fed from Oerlikon polycondensation and extrusion systems, these companies manufacture polyester, nylon and polypropylene on large-scale installations with Oerlikon Barmag WINGS POY, WINGS FDY, IDY and DTY product lines and using Oerlikon Neumag’s staple fiber and BCF technologies. Reason enough for the Manmade Fibers segment’s experts to regularly provide their clientèle with detailed specialist presentations in India on the latest developments of the product and service portfolio.

And this was once again the case at the event held at the beginning of 2020, where around 450 managers and employees from local businesses took the opportunity to exchange ideas and information. For the third time in succession, Oerlikon also entered into dialog with the next generation of managers at major Indian polyester and nylon manufacturers in a separate event hosted in Mumbai beforehand. The technology symposium was again held – for the very first time – just a few days later and in a slightly modified form at a second venue: in Kolkata in West Bengal, a potential second future key location for manufacturing manmade fibers in India according to plans revealed by the Indian government. Here, the discussions held by the Oerlikon experts focused above all on the transfer of technologies for manufacturing polyester, nylon and polypropylene. Oerlikon is able to offer the entire process chain – from the melt to the textured yarn or the fibers and including the necessary semi- and fullyautomated logistics process – from a single source. This is of interest above all for potential new customers and investors in West Bengal and neighboring Bangladesh, as some do not have decades of expertise in manufacturing manmade fibers, as is the case for most companies in the region around Silvassa/Daman.