From the Sector

• Circularity at the centre

PG DENIM, the designer project by Paolo Gnutti, is ready for several important events scheduled for the autumn with ground-breaking interpretations and a new – increasingly green – business model. The occasion is its participation in the Blue Zone at Munich Fabric Start (Munich, 3-5 September 2019), a space which is increasingly often reserved for companies and projects with a high innovation rate in the world of denim.

PG DENIM at the German exhibition will be presenting important product innovations, but most notably new concepts developed for the S/S 2021 season. The focus here is on circularity, seen from a dual perspective: the product with the no longer traditional alternation of seasons, and a sustainabilityoriented approach.

Seasons meet

The new PG DENIM approach is geared towards overlapping seasonality, with less and less marked separations between projects dedicated to the spring-summer and fall-winter lines. The collections by PG DENIM can thus be increasingly defined as a “mix of products without seasonality”. Its focal points are innovation alongside the concept behind the initial idea, as opposed to just the season. This trend, explains Paolo Gnutti, CEO and R&D Head at PG DENIM, is also due to registering the fact that seasonality – in terms of environment and trends – is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. As a response to this situation, the choice has been made to design new collections starting from macro-trends and presenting fabrics for garments which are “easy to wear”, suitable for both warm and cold temperatures, in a true melting pot  of weights and sizes.

The lines for the previous season are thus reintroduced and restyled playing with weights and sizes, within a range where flock meets ultra-light fabric bases, or where vinyl is combined with typically summer weights which shift the fabric towards the world of “paper” with crispy touches, resulting in extraordinarily lightweight and strong items at the same time. Also the GARAGE DENIM has been upgraded with fluid and smoothed touched for garments which are easy to wear and have a strong personality.

Partnership with The Denim Window

The PG DENIM season is also enhanced by its partnership in The Denim Window project, which has resulted in a limited series of Creative Capsule Collections, derived from the idea of bringing together companies which had already worked or were working together, trying to highlight – through small capsule collections – the best of what had already been produced by traditional businesses. This has resulted  in three trailblazing capsules, two of which designed in partnership by PG DENIM and companies the likes of M&J Group, Cadica and Greenwear. Several copies of these collections have been made to travel the world, and – after the official presentation in July – they will have a special corner, The Denim Window, in the Bluezone at Munich Fabric Start.

The “Circular Programme” and the five “Rs” of sustainability

Also the PG DENIM approach to accountability in production processes has been enhanced by implementing the “Circular Programme”. As part of our corporate vision, Italian-style production is combined with compliance with what have become known as “the five Rs”, that is to say key concepts underlying the design and manufacturing model: Reduce (everything you are not using), Repair (everything you can), Reuse (anything available to you), Recycle (all that is left), Respect (everything around you).

This is the philosophy underlying each individual process at PG DENIM, and leading to new specific programmes which have been its business focus over the past few months:

1) Reducing the environmental impact during the fabric dyeing phase in reaction and sulphurbased processes, where the use of chemicals has been reduced by 40%, water consumption by 50% and CO2 emissions by 60%, which has also resulted in better penetration and a better result in the crocking process. This has led to producing 10 new articles which will be launched on the market.

2) Recycling all waste from processing and after use, creating a range of garments where cotton is actually obtained from regenerating these two kinds of waste. In this regard, PG DENIM for now is the only company on the market able to process with a percentage of recycled product exceeding 60% of the total, whereas the average for this kind of manufacturing is generally about 35%.

As regards regular production, on the other hand, PG DENIM follows stringent international standards, including Dtox, Reach and Gots in all its processing phases, also using BCI cottons and the Organic Cotton Standard for raw materials. Last but not least, it was recently awarded the GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification.

Der TUDALIT e.V. ist seit längerem Partner des C³ - Carbon Concrete Composite e.V., dem mittlerweile rund 170 Mitglieder aus Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft angehören. Damit entwickelt sich TUDALIT zum bundesweit größten Industrieverband im Bereich Textil- und Carbonbeton. Auf den von TUDALIT ins Leben gerufenen Carbon- und Textilbetontagen werden jedes Jahr die neuesten Entwicklungen und Erkenntnisse aus Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft vorgestellt. Die diesjährigen 11. Carbon- und Textilbetontage in Kooperation zwischen TUDALIT und C³ finden am 24. und 25. September 2019 in Dresden statt.

Auf der letzten TUDALIT Mitgliederversammlung am 27.06.2019 ist ein neuer Vorstand gewählt worden und nach vorangegangener Bewerbungsphase die Entscheidung für einen hauptamtlichen Geschäftsführer gefallen, der ab dem 01.09.2019 den ehrenamtlichen Geschäftsführer Roy Thyroff ablöst. Gleichzeitig wurde Roy Thyroff in den TUDALIT Vorstand gewählt. Zum neuen Vorstand gehören: Ulrich Assmann als Vorstandsvorsitzender mit dem Ressort Finanzen / Recht und die stellvertretenden Vorstandsvorsitzenden Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Curbach (Ressort Wissenschaft / Forschung & Entwicklung / Koordination AiF Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen), Dr.-Ing. Christian Kulas (Ressort Beratung / Information), Michael Rumel (Ressort Bauaufsicht / Gütezeichenerteilung), Roy Thyroff (Ressort Lobbyarbeit / Netzwerke / Verbandskooperationen / Marketing / Öffentlichkeitsarbeit), Dr.-Ing. Silvio Weiland (Ressort Weiterbildung / Qualifikation / Veranstaltungen / Internationales). Neuer TUDALIT Geschäftsführer ist Dr. rer. nat. Klaus Jansen.

Starting at the beginning of September, Filip Miermans will head the department of “Corporate Communications & Investor Relations” at Lenzing AG. In this capacity, he will report directly to Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing. Filip Miermans will succeed Waltraud Kaserer, who will continue to support Lenzing in the future in the field of public affairs.

Herr Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Yordan Kyosev wurde als Universitätsprofessor (W3) an der TU Dresden ernannt und übernimmt die Professur für Konfektionstechnik mit ihrer neuen Denomination „Montagetechnik für textile Produkte“ am Institut für Textilmaschinen und Textile Hochleistungswerkstofftechnik.

Herr Univ. Prof. Dr.- Ing. habil. Hartmut Rödel leitete seit 1996 die Professur Konfektionstechnik und wurde Ende März 2018 in seinen wohlverdienten Ruhestand verabschiedet. Bis zur Neubesetzung wurde die Professur kommissarisch durch Frau Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Sybille Krzywinski geleitet. Zum 1. August 2019 wurde Herr Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Yordan Kyosev als Universitätsprofessor (W3) an der TU Dresden ernannt und übernimmt die Professur mit ihrer neuen Denomination „Montagetechnik für textile Produkte“.

Mit dem 1. August 2019 tritt Prof. Stefan Hecht, Ph.D. als neuer Wissenschaftlicher Direktor an die Spitze des DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien in Aachen. Der Chemiker übernimmt das Amt von Prof. Dr. Martin Möller, der das Institut 16 Jahre führte. Neben seiner leitenden Tätigkeit im DWI hat Stefan Hecht seit heute ebenfalls den Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare Chemie an der RWTH Aachen inne. Der Wechsel des gebürtigen Berliners nach Aachen ist das Ergebnis eines gemeinsamen Berufungsverfahrens des Leibniz-Instituts und der RWTH Aachen.

Den Mittelpunkt der Forschung des Aachener Leibniz-Instituts bildet die Entwicklung aktiver und interaktiver Werkstoffe. Im Zuge der Biologisierung der Materialforschung arbeitet das DWI unter anderem daran, Stoffe herzustellen, die nach dem Vorbild der Natur gestaltet sind und sich in natürliche Kreisläufe integrieren. Dies sind Materialien, die auf Veränderungen in ihrer Umgebung reagieren können – zum Beispiel indem sie sich selbstständig zusammensetzen, sich auch wieder in ihre Einzelteile zerlegen oder ihre Form ändern und sich sogar aktiv bewegen. „Die langfristige Vision ist es, molekular-basierten Stoffverbünden und Systemen mehr Leben einzuhauchen“, so Stefan Hecht.

Young, all-Italian dream-team will lead Pinko to a next level

Pinko looks ahead. Evolution & revolution are the keywords for the new management’s strategies. For the first time, President Pietro Negra will be supported by an all-Italian young team to build the success of the brand from now on. Research and innovation have always been part of the Pinko DNA: once again, they lead the path to cutting edge management.

The Pinko family grows with figures fully trained in the realms of fashion, luxury and retail, the actual Pinko R-evolution kickstart. “We pondered on Pinko’s future,” says Pietro Negra, President of Cris Conf in Fidenza (Parma), which he founded with his wife Cristina Negra and which controls Pinko. “This is just the beginning of a bigger project to be disclosed step by step in the next few months. The company turnover is a crucial point for any family business willing to preserve its independence. We believe in the power of younger generations. Therefore we created an all-Italian team to boost an already successful business model.”

Federico Bonelli, with experiences in Ernst & Young, The Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company has been appointed General Manager. Emanuele Bianchi, previously in Diesel Coccinelle and Dolce & Gabbana, takes on as Marketing & Communication Director. Cecilia and Caterina Negra, the founders’ daughters and pivotal figures of Pinko’s success, confirm their roles leading respectively the Communication and the Creative department. Caterina Salvador becomes Director of Style and Product after working in Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Coin. More talents will be eventually hired.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas is testifying at a public hearing today in support of the administration’s efforts to crack down on China’s abuse of intellectual property rights through the use of the Section 301 mechanism, while also calling on the administration to include finished apparel and home furnishings in any retaliatory tariffs against China.

Glas is joining several other NCTO member companies today to testify at a U.S. Trade Representative hearing as part of the administration’s consideration of the Tranche 4 of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports from China.

• Ab sofort wird die Breuninger Premium-Abteilung für eine Woche zum Paradies für Sneaker-Fans

Adidas Yeezy, Nike x Off-White sowie weitere begehrte und seltene Nike-Kollaborationen bietet Philipp Kassel auf der Pop-Up Fläche seines Onlineshops 7 Perplex exklusiv an.

„Die Kooperation ermöglicht unseren Kunden, limitierte und heiß begehrte Sneaker-Modelle zu shoppen. Wir freuen uns sehr, dass wir gemeinsam mit Philipp Kassel und seinem innovativen Geschäftsmodell 7 Perplex eine Pop-Up-Fläche in unserer Premium-Abteilung bespielen können“, so Andreas Rebbelmund, Geschäftsführer Breuninger Düsseldorf.

KayOne, Fler, Mike Singer, Leon Löwentraut und zahlreiche weitere Promis und Influencer gehören bereits zu den treuen Kunden des Sneaker-Enthusiasten. Der 25-jährige Student Philipp Kassel hatte bereits vor Jahren die Idee zum eigenen Sneaker Onlineshop. „Nachdem ich bei einem Konzert von Kanye West sein eigenes Schuhmodell sah, versuchte ich den Sneaker überall im Netz zu finden. Das war deutlich schwieriger und teurer, als ich dachte. Deshalb habe ich ein Vertriebsmodell entwickelt, um Sneaker auch nach Verkaufsstart zu marktorientierten Preisen anbieten zu können“, erzählt Philipp Kassel. 2017 gründete er 7 Perplex und besorgt seitdem die Sneaker-Raritäten für seine Kunden und prüft diese dabei genaustens auf ihre Echtheit.

Die limitierten Sneakermodelle sind bis Freitag, den 15. Juni, in der Premium-Abteilung im 3. OG bei Breuninger erhältlich. 7 Perplex Gründer Philipp Kassel ist für den gesamten Zeitraum vor Ort und berät seine Kunden beim Sneakerkauf.

• Operations, Product Development, Sales and Technical Support Growth

Celine Huang 黄秀蔚 is named Chief Executive Officer for HeiQ Greater China and Ming Wen Liang 梁銘文is named Chief Executive Officer HeiQ Taiwan. Huang, with her background as a general manager of a large player in the same industry brings a total of over 20 years of solid testing lab, agent and country strategies management expertise with an excellent relationship skills with customers, distributors, dealers and end users. She has a chemical engineering degree in dyeing and finishing from China Textile University. Huang has worked in both Australia and China in senior management positions. Huang will lead the group’s Greater China business from the newly created Shanghai office (瑞士海屹科新材料有限公司上海办事处).

Liang will manage mill relations, technical support and distribution at HeiQ Taiwan. She brings close to 20 years of experience in textile and garment production supply chain focusing on sales, material innovation and development, sourcing and production. Liang holds a Bachelor of International Trade from the National Taipei University of Business, Taiwan, speaks Chinese, English and Spanish and has lived in both Taiwan and Argentina. And will be based in the new office in Taipei (瑞士海屹科有限公司).

HeiQ continues to increase its global footprint with the creation of HeiQ Shanghai and HeiQ Taiwan. In addition to HeiQ Hong Kong, these offices aim to provide dedicated technical support in the Greater China area, further broaden its geographical reach in strategic locations and support HeiQ’s brand partners’ manufacturing activities in the region.

Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC)— a division of Barry-Wehmiller and a leading supplier of high-performance converting machinery for the tissue, nonwovens and package-printing industries worldwide—is pleased to announce that Mike Shaw has accepted the position of Printing, Coating and Laminating Regional Sales Manager.

In this role, Shaw will be responsible for the sale of PCMC’s PCL products in the Midwest.
He brings nearly 25 years of sales experience in the offset printing industry to his new position, most recently serving as a district sales manager for web offset presses and finishing systems with manroland Goss web systems.

Shaw holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of New Hampshire.
“I’m excited that Mike has joined us,” said Rodney Pennings, PCMC’s Printing, Coating and Laminating Sales Director. “His product knowledge and sales experience will enhance our team, as we support our customers’ continual growth by providing the technology they need.” Shaw will operate from his home office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.