From the Sector

• New fibre with a circular economy footprint obtained from cotton linters through a closed-loop process
• September 22-25, 2022, WSM-White Sustainable Milano, Visconti pavilion

For the second time in a row Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei takes part to White Sustainable Milano, the first fashion trade show entirely dedicated to the research and focus on new materials and technologies able to lead to a real ecological transition, developed in collaboration with Giusy Bettoni, CEO and founder C.L.A.S.S., and Marco Poli, Founder of The Style Lift.

After becoming a leader in formalwear lining, in the latest decade this fiber by Asahi Kasei has been able to evolve towards new consumer needs and desires, moving itself towards many different applications such as intimate, fashion, formalwear and activewear. Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei arrives at WSM with a new step into its journey and evolution in contemporary style with a new Staple-fibre that unlocks creative paths towards mew aesthetics, touch and sustainability.

A new yarn range that expands the company’s realm of applications for the fashion and luxury industry, including also knitwear, jersey and casualwear. Indeed, the fibre comes with a circular economy footprint obtained from cotton linters through a closed-loop process. Bemberg™ also ensures certified sustainability credentials through its transparent and traceable approach.

At WSM fair, the company proves it by unveiling a collection of t-shirts developed in collaboration with the MagnoLab smart network of Italian companies. Circular economy and environmental responsibility meet aesthetic research with a collaborative imprint.

The new t-shirt collection created in synergy with MagnoLab, a network of Biella-based companies bringing forward initiative and collabs related to sustainability and circular economy. Staple-fibre is the top ingredient of the collection. The cut t-shirts are presented both in sheer and blends with other certified fibers, including GOTS cottons and RWS wools, capable of enhancing both the hand of the final garment and the performance of the brand-new yarn.

Beaulieu International Group invites EuroGeo7 attendees to discover geotextile solutions promoting greater sustainability for future civil engineering projects. Specialists from Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) and Beaulieu Technical Textiles (BTT) will present high-performance geosynthetics through high tenacity fibres for lightweight, nonwoven geotextiles, and a range of high durability woven geotextile solutions with an environmentally beneficial impact.

“We are delighted to sponsor EuroGeo7 and to be finally on-site, following a two-year postponement of the event. EuroGeo7 is bringing the geotextile community together to further promote and develop geosynthetics in a fast changing global economy striving for growth while reducing its carbon footprint along the supply chain, " comment from Jefrem Jennard, Sales Director Fibres, and Roy Kerckhove, Sales Director Technical Textiles. “Geotextiles provide highly versatile, durable and natural resource-saving alternatives in large infrastructure works, and offer durable protection in erosion control and waste/water management projects. We are continuously developing our fibres and finished engineering textiles with proven sustainability-enhancing benefits to progress product development and customer sustainability goals on fossil carbon reduction, while taking concrete steps to reduce our own environmental footprint.”
 
Sustainability improvement is key to the long-term strategy of Beaulieu International Group, and it is committed to supporting the geotextile industry by targeting and accelerating change and communicating the sustainable performance of its products. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are integrated into its business and are the foundations of the new Route 2030 Sustainability Roadmap.

For manufacturers of nonwoven geotextiles, BFI’s high-tenacity HT8 staple fibres enable customers to achieve nonwovens with high mechanical performance at reduced fibre weight. The HT8 high tenacity fibres are designed in a way that customers can meet the industry durability standards for a longer service lifetime, supporting more sustainable design and resource reduction over time. BTT’s woven geotextiles are amongst the most sustainable in the industry and provide a wide range of functions, including separation, filtration, reinforcement and erosion control.

BFI and BTT have conducted lifecycle assessments to calculate their activities' carbon footprint and solutions and have received external recognition for their ongoing sustainability efforts. For example, in 2022, BFI was awarded a Silver EcoVadis sustainability rating, and BFI and BTT are proud recipients of the Voka Charter for Sustainable Entrepreneurship 2022.

Flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., Japan, together with its Korean subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI KOREA INC., will participate in the Preview in SEOUL exhibition in Seoul, Korea this month.

Taking advantage of new regulations at the show which allow for the display of textile equipment at the venue this year, SHIMA SEIKI will be showing its latest combination of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology that allows a garment to be produced in its entirety without the need for linking or sewing afterward, and SDS®-ONE APEX series design software yields revolutionary game-changing flexibility and efficiency, not to mention sustainability.

Shown for the first time in Korea, whose flat knitting market has a strong following for WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear, is the SWG-XR next-generation WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. The SWG- name pays homage to the original SWG-X model of 1997, sharing with it the same 4-needlebed configuration featuring the company's own SlideNeedle™. Add to this a renewed spring-type moveable sinker system, a compact and lightweight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All contribute up to 25% higher efficiency, higher quality and increased product variety for supporting knits for all seasons. SWG-XR sets new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable WHOLEGARMENT® knitting.

APEXFiz™ is subscription-based design software that maintains the proven functions that have made SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX series design systems so popular with fashion designers. Installed on personal computers, those strengths are now enhanced with the added versatility to adapt to different work styles and business environments including teleworking and telecommuting. APEXFiz™ software supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. APEXFiz™ thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

• INDA Announces Full Program and Opens Registration for Premier Event in New Orleans

With reusable and recyclable products and new inputs offering growth opportunities in absorbent hygiene and personal care products, Hygienix™ will provide an insightful view into the market’s future this November in New Orleans.

Industry participants from around the world and throughout the supply chain will convene and connect for the eighth edition of the premier event for the fast-growing segment on November 14-17, at The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel.

The in-person conference will highlight the segment’s continued growth and new opportunities with presentations by more than 20 industry experts on sustainable inputs, natural fibers, product transparency, reusable menstrual products, recyclable diapers and more as well as the latest market forecasts and insights into consumer buying trends.

Hygienix also will offer two specialized workshops, and a myriad of business connection opportunities including a welcome reception on Nov. 14 and a first-time attendee mentorship program.
Participants will discover innovative products in absorbent hygiene and personal care at tabletop exhibits with evening receptions on Nov. 15-16, providing opportunities for 60 companies to showcase their unique offerings.

Three finalists will each present their innovative and technically sophisticated disposable absorbent hygiene products as they vie for the prestigious Hygienix Innovation Award™. Nominations are open until August 29. Demonstrating the interest in sustainability, last year’s award recipient was Kudos Diaper Subscription featuring its 100% cotton disposable diaper.

Hygienix Highlights
Absorbent hygiene – the single largest nonwoven end‐use category (by square meters) – is expected to continue its strong growth over the next four years, creating market opportunities in this thriving area driven by growing consumer interest for environmentally-friendly options in material inputs and end-of-life options.

Participants will hear the latest data and forecasts from analysts during presentations by Robert Fry, Jr., Ph.D., Principal of Robert Fry Economics LLC on the Global Economy – What we Can Expect in 2023; Pricie Hanna, Managing Partner, and Colin Hanna, Director of Market Research, Price Hanna Consultants on Disposables versus Reusables; and Simon Preisler, Vice President of Logistics, Central National Gottesman delivering a Logistic Market Update.

A panel of entrepreneurs will discuss the challenges, biases and taboos to bringing innovations into the marketplace. Experts sharing their insights will be Mia Abbruzzese and Alexandra Fennell, co-founders of Grace; Amrita Saigal, founder and CEO, Kudos; and Cindy Santa Cruz, President of ParaPatch.

A session on Next-Generation Menstrual Products and their Users will feature Liying Qian, Research Analyst, Euromonitor International providing market data on disposable and reusable period products; Frantisek Riha-Scott, Founder, Confitex discussing reusable products; and Greta Meyer, Co-Founder and CEO, Sequel on Reengineering the Tampon.
Also focusing on period products will be a presentation by Danielle Keiser, Managing Director, Impact, Madami on Changing the Conversation with Consumersmoderated by Heidi Beatty, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Abbey, LLC.

Other intriguing not-to-be-missed presentations centered on sustainability trends include:

• Assessing Sustainable Fiber Options in the Context of Disposable Hygienic Products – Richard Knowlson, Principal, RPK Consulting LLC
• Five Generations of Hygiene + Sustainability – Matt Schiering, Professor of Marketing, Dominican University
• Recycling Approaches for Disposable Diaper Waste – Jeannine Cardin, Quality and R&D, RecycPHP Inc.

Hygienix will provide additional focused learning opportunities with two essential short courses (with separation registration fees) on Nov. 14 focused on Absorption Systems for Absorbent Hygiene Products, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and Global Diaper Trends from 3:45 to 6 p.m.

The FACHPACK in Nuremberg ranks among the most important packaging industry gatherings. From 27 to 29 September 2022, Sappi will be presenting its latest products and solutions for functional paper packaging, flexible packaging papers, label papers, containerboard and paperboard. The company is focusing its efforts on sustainable, recyclable and innovative solutions.

• Wide range of barrier papers in the market for sustainable and recyclable packaging solutions
• High-impact brand presence in corrugated board packaging thanks to Fusion Nature Plus in combination with Fusion Topliner
• Parade Label Pro wet-glue label paper for an efficient operation and an excellent visual impression

Wide range of barrier papers
Sappi’s ultimate goal as a specialist in barrier papers is to replace non-recyclable aluminium and plastic multi-layer laminates through the introduction of truly sustainable alternatives that meet all market requirements in terms of performance and recycling. Sappi is continuously expanding its portfolio of barrier papers. At the show, Sappi will be showcasing several examples of food and non-food applications using these barrier papers.

A smooth surface and a high degree of whiteness: Parade Label Pro
Sappi will also be presenting its new, non-wet-strength wet-glue label paper Parade Label Pro – featuring samples from all over the world. This glossy, double-coated quality paper offers a smooth surface plus a high degree of whiteness. It’s suitable for numerous label and flexible packaging applications, such as labels for disposable bottles, food and non-food containers as well as wrappers for a variety of products. It can be printed in offset, flexo and gravure, and finished with hot foil and blind embossing, for example.

Brand presentation that appeals to the senses
“For manufacturers of branded goods, it is becoming increasingly important to convey brand values and product characteristics in a way that is emotionally appealing and that really sets the stage,” explains Luis Mata, Sales Director Packaging of Sappi Europe. At the FACHPACK, Sappi will also be presenting its containerboard products for corrugated board applications, which, with their brilliant colour reproduction, enhance on-shelf product impact and ensure real brand differentiation.

Sappi’s popular Algro Design paperboard portfolio also allows the design scope and leeway to communicate brand values in an emotionally appealing way.

International technology group ANDRITZ will be presenting its nonwovens production solutions at CINTE 2022 in Shanghai, China – one of the main trade fairs for technical textile and nonwoven products in Asia. ANDRITZ will show its product portfolio covering state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies such as air-through bonding, airlay, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/WetlaceTM, converting, textile finishing, recycling, and natural fiber processing.

ANDRITZ supports nonwovens producers in the move to sustainability with the aim of reducing or eliminating plastic components while maintaining the high quality of the desired product properties. This applies to all types of sustainable wipes, such as flushable, biodegradable, bio-sourced, carded pulp or standard carded wipes. The latest development in this field is the ANDRITZ neXline wetlace CP line, which integrates the carded-pulp (CP) process. This is a fully engineered production line combining the benefits of drylaid and wetlaid technologies to produce a new generation of biodegradable wipes.

The neXline wetlaid aXcess targets smaller and medium production volumes and has been devised for new and existing lines. The line is easy and fast to ship due to the compact design, which also fits perfectly into containers. An operator-friendly configuration and versatile design ensure efficient production at affordable investment costs.

The aXcess range was specially developed at ANDRITZ (China) Ltd. Wuxi Branch to handle medium capacities. The facility in Wuxi has an experienced platform for production and service specially geared to serve the Asian nonwovens industry. With the aXcess range, ANDRITZ has developed a hybrid line combining European and Chinese machines, which is the ideal combination to obtain the best added value from each component in the line and be very flexible to accommodate different business cases.

• Commitment for a sustainable fashion industry

RadiciGroup participated in the third edition of PHYGITAL SUSTAINABILITY EXPO, which took place on 11 and 12 July in Rome. The event was focused on the ecological transition of fashion and design brands through technological innovation.

During the “narrated fashion show”, at the archaeological site of the Museo Dei Fori Imperiali, two sustainable garments by RadiciGroup were shown: the first completely recyclable ski suit made with recycled nylon and the Yamamay swimsuit made with polyester yarn obtained from recycling of plastic bottles.

Yamamay chose the sustainable polyester yarn Repetable® by RadiciGroup, for its new green beachwear proposal, with the aim of combining beauty and sustainability. Repetable is an innovative polyester yarn obtained through a process of recycling plastic bottles. Compared to virgin polyester, Repetable allows lower CO₂ emissions (-45%), lower water consumption (-90%) and lower energy consumption (-60%), while guaranteeing high performance. The new line “Edit” by Yamamay, which includes the swimsuit made with Repetable, has already been on the market since the end of last May.

The participation of RadiciGroup in the PHYGITAL SUSTAINABILITY EXPO represents further confirmation of the Group commitment to creating a fashion industry that is increasingly respectful of the environment, thanks to the involvement of all the players in the supply chain, which are most sensitive to sustainability.

New ideas were exchanged, brainstormed, and discussed freely at members’ booths at the Swiss Textile Machinery Pavilion during the recent Techtextil in Frankfurt. “Customers and researchers met Swiss textile machinery companies to explore the possibility of the not-yet-invented. “We regard our Pavilion as the place where future innovations catch a spark,” says Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association. Further developments in the field of hybrid yarns were a hot topic. One example of this involves producing a yarn which has all the typical characteristics and advantages of carbon – but which also prioritizes careful use of resources, combining carbon fibres with thermoplastics.

Technical textiles cover a vast range of applications, and it’s still growing thanks to intensive research by specialist institutes and universities. Many members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association maintain long-standing partnership with such bodies. Innovations are often joint efforts.

Feel-good technical fabrics
Some technical textiles feel like a second skin. A well-known example is activewear from the ‘sport tech’ field. Activewear includes breathable clothing, usually consisting of a three-layer-laminate: an inner lining, a breathable membrane in the center, and an outer fabric. The challenge is to bond the individual layers without losing breathability or softness, while meeting technical requirements such as resistance to a number of wash cycles.

Bonding solutions meeting top quality requirements, as well as ambitious standards for environmental protection and sustainability, were reinvented by the Cavitec brand from the Santex Rimar Group. This company’s hotmelt technology uses one-component polymers applied to textiles in a hot, molten state. Bonding based on hotmelts is both water- and solvent-free. Drying and exhaust air cleaning are not necessary, which is an ecological advantage. Energy consumption is also significantly lower. Cavitec hotmelt technology is also developed for laminated medical protection fabrics which are safe, high-quality and sustainable. These fabrics can be washed, sterilized, and used again.   

A second skin with added value is the result of Jakob Müller Group’s cooperation with an institute for an established outdoor fashion brand. They have devised a heating mat applied as an inner jacket. Outdoor gear with a heated inlay offers the wearer a comfortable feeling even in a cold climate. The heating mat is particularly light, breathable, flexible and adjustable to three temperature levels.

Fabrics with these advantages are now possible thanks to multi direct weaving (MDW) technology from the Jakob Müller Group. A lacquer-insulated heating strand is inserted into the base textile as a ‘meander’ using MDW technology. The technology is offered with both label weaving machines and the latest generation of ribbon weaving machines. The textile pocket calculator is another MDW based future-oriented application developed in cooperation with a textile research institute.

Safety and health
Life-saving reliability is a must for vehicle airbags. They have to fulfil high security aspects, and must remain inflated for several seconds when an accident occurs. Airbags made of flat-woven fabric – cut and seamed – can show weakness at seams during the inflation phase. Latest Jacquard technology by Stäubli enables one-piece-woven (OPW) airbags to be produced, creating shape and structure in a single process. The final product is an airbag consisting of a sealed cushion with woven seams. OPW airbag weaving reduces the number of production steps, and increases the security aspects.
Another big advantage of Stäubli’s new weaving technology is the flexibility in formats required in today’s mid- and upper-range cars, where lateral protection (in the seat or in the roof over the door) has become standard and is designed in line with the car shape. Safe airbags are woven on modern high-speed weaving machines. The warp material, the variety of fabric patterns, and the importance of precisely shaped airbags require the use of a robust and reliable Jacquard machine.

A revolution for orthopaedic patients is a knitting machine from Steiger Participations, which uses compressive yarns developed to meet the needs of the specific health market. This machine model was exclusively designed for production with inlaid elastic yarns and offers optimum performance with guaranteed final product quality.

In the orthopaedic field, many Steiger flat knitting machines have already been operating as automatic, custom-made production systems. For example, the dimensions of an injured limb are taken by the doctor and fed into a web-based application. The doctor selects the compression class in the various sections of the item and a data file created by the software automatically applies a preconfigured program. With no human intervention required, the program is generated and produced on the machine, precisely matching the patient’s dimensions. Each product is different, and generally available within 48 hours.

On July 7, the fashion industry met again at all events of the Premium Group - the two fashion fairs PREMIUM and SEEK, the new GenZ festival The Ground, the conference format FASHIONTECH and the conference newcomers CONSCIOUS CLUB Conference and The Ground Talks - in a common location at Messe Berlin.

From trade visitors to fashion enthusiasts, everyone wanted to see what happens when B2B and D2C come together and when a large as well as inspirational hub is created for topics related to fashion, trends, retail, culture, sexuality, marketing, social media, sustainability, NFTs, metaverse and more. What happens when trade fair stands become experience spaces, brands meet consumers and a stage programme full of edutainment is presented.

On Wednesday, 6 July, Anita Tillmann, Jörg Arntz and the Premium Group Team were welcomed back in by the Senate of the State of Berlin in the presence of Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, in the historic Bärensaal of the Berlin City Hall.

DThe Premium Group events will continue until Saturday evening, 9 July. The entire stage programme will also be streamed live on the Premium Group website

Iluna Group is exhibiting at the upcoming Première Vision, from July 5-7, with the aim of promoting a new fashion that combines aesthetic research and environmental responsibility.
 
The key word of this new collection is “experimentation”: the search for new solutions that can offer consumers style, sustainability and well-being translates into innovative blends, natural dyes and smart prints.

This season, the Iluna team is introducing for the first time GOTS-certified organic cotton inside its gallons and allovers, to add a natural touch to its Green Label line. Among the smart ingredients chosen by Iluna Group are Renycle® and Q-Nova, both GRS-certified pre-consumer recycled polyamide yarns, in addition to premium recycled stretch ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei. The result is a comfortable and ultralight product that remains true to a high value of creativity and responsibility.

In terms of aesthetic innovation, explorations continue with a yarn blend of FSC-certified viscose and polyamide, resulting in striking new Textronic designs. The 3D effect embossed designs create a cloud effect that, combined with Lurex, shows unexpected glows.

Moreover, the continuous path through the new dimension of responsibility continues in several directions: developments in GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified recycled yarns aimed at unprecedented effects in both look, performance and hands; experiments with 16 different natural dyestuffs; and continued investment in technologies that can ensure significant savings in water and energy consumption, including GREENDROP, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system.