From the Sector

The RUDOLF GROUP is an uncontested agent of positive change especially when it comes to pioneering technologies that help transforming the textile and fashion industries. A shining example of conscious leadership played by the RUDOLF GROUP over the past decades is the invention and introduction of fluorine-free Durable Water Repellency (DWR) for textile and apparel. Since 2003, the RUCO-DRY product line has gradually convinced the industry that water-resistance can be achieved through the study and replica of natural models. “Biomimicry and the study of lotus leaves and bird’s feathers were instrumental in developing the very first fluorine-free DWR’s” says Dr. Gunther Duschek, Managing Director at RUDOLF GROUP.

Fifteen years later, RUDOLF GROUP does it again and takes a significant leapfrog. It pushes the boundaries of R&D well beyond fluorine-free, embraces nature and introduces water repellent performance entirely based on natural components. “We are launching two brand new, distinctive product propositions entirely manufactured from natural sources that do not compete with human and/or animal nutrition” continues Dr. Duschek.

RUCO®-DRY BIO CGR is an absolute breakthrough and the first Durable Water Repellent (DWR) agent based on plant-derived processing wastes. In fact, RUCO®-DRY BIO CGR is made of natural waste that accumulates as by-product during the processing of cereal grains in the food industry. The leftover material that would otherwise be disposed of is refined to create a powerful water and stain repellent textile finish.

“By turning natural waste into DWR we have optimized the biologic character of RUCO®-DRY BIO CGR where the active component is made of more than 90% bio carbon” states Dr. Dirk Sielemann, R&D Director at RUDOLF GROUP. He continues: “Although most of the product is composed by recycled biomass, RUCO®-DRY BIO CGR meets the performance and durability of conventional water repellent textile finishes”.

RUCO®-DRY BIO NPE is an equally outstanding product innovation where DWR is entirely based on a carefully selected mix of natural plant extracts. The well-balanced mix of plant-based ingredients combines excellent water and stain repellent effects with breathability and a natural handfeel. 

Unlike other 100% renewable raw materials, those used in the making of RUCO®-DRY BIO NPE are chemically and genetically non-modified and are not used as food, feed or fuel. Furthermore, all of the plant extracts that compose RUCO®-DRY BIO NPE are subject to a strict conservation and sustainability framework. “That’s why the supply of RUCO®-DRY BIO NPE is likely to remain limited to the creation and marketing of performance outdoor and sports apparel programs embedding state-of-the-art sustainable technology” concludes Dr. Duschek.

Both RUCO®-DRY BIO CGR and RUCO®-DRY BIO NPE are marketed through the BIO-LOGIC trademark, registered by RUDOLF GROUP.

• ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is stretching innovation boundaries
• The cutting-edge stretch fibre shows the way for a responsible wardrobe starting with the choice of a  smart  ingredient

The acceleration towards an increasingly smart and sustainable world is happening and it is real. Consumers are increasingly looking for something that corresponds to their responsible values and they are driven by a conscious choice. ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is the premium stretch ingredient that identifies itself as the answer to the needs of the current consumers: innovative, responsible and at the same time contemporary.

The premium stretch fiber has always been characterized by a strong innovation DNA and it started delivering new and sustainable values and performances since July 2017.

ROICA Eco-Smart™ is a family of innovative stretch yarns that lately has been confirmed to be the most glamorous and responsible one. It includes:

•    The world first Global Recycled Standard –GRS- recycled stretch yarn ROICA™ EF that uses 58% pre-consumer recycled content.
•    A premium sustainable stretch yarn, ROICA™ V550,  that at the end of its life smartly breaks down without releasing harmful substances in the environment according to Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification and also boasting the Gold Level Material Health Certificate by Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute** as it has been evaluated for impact on human and environmental health.

• An introspective and emotional journey of transformation
• The global leading jersey manufacturer launches a brand-new collection deliberately “raw”, a back to matter, materials and origins as individuals that are able to change and evolve.
   

Another big step of TINTEX Naturally Advanced Evolution

TINTEX has over time established itself as a global leader in smart innovation with its high quality, natural based responsible jersey fabrics using the latest and best sustainable high-tech dyeing and finishing processes, implementing expertly controlled processing to drive material innovation and manufacture a full range of natural based smart materials, optimizing superior and responsible fashion solutions.

The new collection confirms the Naturally Advanced Evolution vision as the right approach:  to work together in a deeper way - textile producers and fashion brands - to develop solutions, innovations with a strong environment-driven approach and cutting-edge technology able to offer contemporary consumer a brand new smart and performing choice.  As result, Raw is a true Naturally Advanced Evolution of the modern human being, explaining a story with no more genders and races, just focused on contemporary values.

The concept behind the AW 21/22 Raw Collection is turning back to nature and to our origins, a journey through emotional, spiritual and physical changes. Thinking about what’s happening around us as planet and individuals in an era of unpredictable challenges, we need to be creative reinventing us every day in different ways, aware of a new society and way of consuming where environment and human needs count.  A unique collection with three different approaches to mix together through a colour palette that goes from raw, dirty beige to a warm pinkish red and a false black-bluish gray.

fluidity, human, natural reconnection. An introspective journey where it’s all about ourselves and who we are. Through light and translucent fabrics, touches of peach and waxes in warm reds and burgundy, we find delicate, natural and extra light fabrics that flow on the skin to symbolically represent the inner fight from who we are and who we want to be. Organic cotton and Tencel™ Modal Micro processed in a special way, are at the center of this stage.
 
raw beauty, reuse, less is more. With this line, the company gives new life to existing articles, showing all the beauty of the raw material and the transformation they went through. This re-transformation of materials reflects the inner transformation; reborn of human beings, of time, of challenges through a new perspective where we reinvent ourselves, home, habits and planet. Our capability, skills to give new life to things it is not something we forgot through time. Organic cotton, Tencel™ Modal Micro, European hemp, Q-Nova® recycled polyamide and ROICA™ EF premium sustainable recycled stretch fiber are the materials boosting th experience.
 
timeless, versatile utility, urban. In a history of deep blues, with clean and dense touches, we come to acceptance, to a future where we relearn to live with what we already had. Organic cotton, Tencel™ Modal Micro and Texloop™ guarantee timeless performed articles, where the high-performance pairs to sustainable process especially at yarn level.

Freedom for ourselves, comfort, flexibility, movement are the concepts the company explores looking not only to sportswear market, but to all the markets where the most comfortable yet performing and responsible materials - from recycled synthetics to organic cotton - are the “right value choice”.

• Lakmé Fashion Week 2020
• Bemberg™ fibers empower “Tattva”
• Hemang Agrawal's new craft-tech collection

Smart tech fibers, contemporary style and heritage. Past, present and future are intertwined in the new ‘Tattva’ collection by famous Indian designer Hemang Agrawal who has teamed up with Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, the Japanese yarn manufacturer leading in both high-performative innovation and sustainability. The collection comprises textiles entirely conceived and created by the designer. A new chapter for Bemberg™ glamorous uniqueness for high-end fashion, first Japanese reality that participated at Lakmé Fashion Week 2020, the biggest fashion event in India.

Made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linters pre-consumer materials and converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process, Bemberg™ fibers add responsible values to the collection, matching perfectly the vision and the ethic of Hemang Agrawal, a designer with more than one eye on sustainability, innovation and deep knowledge and respect for traditional Indian crafts and culture.

Tattva debuted at the Lakmé Fashion Week 2020 and comprises 40 exquisite pieces for men and women, all inspired by the 12 Tattva – the natural elements bringing harmony in the universe, according to the Indian scriptures and tradition. Motifs representing these elements, including quirky versions of moon-phases, tigers, human mind & DaVinci’s Vitruvian man were woven into the glittering fabrics. The collection was crafted harnessing the skills of Indian handlooms artisans in the designer’s hometown Benares (Varanasi).

Tattva featured Bemberg™ brocades as the predominant textile, along with plain Bemberg™ fabrics and a few blends. The result is a magnificent touch, fabrics are distinctively smooth like silk, second skin-like, shining, and bright. On top of that, Bemberg™ yarns add a new dimension in terms of sustainability and comfort by boosting antistatic and breathable performances, amazing precious touch while being also biodegradable and compostable.

“We are so happy that we participated in LFW and collaborated with Hemang Agrawal.” Says Mr. Hideto Tanimoto, General Manager, Bemberg™ Sales and Marketing Department. “The collection has come out really wonderful and has brought out the properties of Bemberg yarn such as noble sheen, smooth and soft touch, bright colour, supple drape amazingly. I strongly believe that the collection made significant impact on the sustainable fashion scene in India. We are expecting that the collection will be successful commercially and will help the local craftsman from Varanasi.”

The collection blends crafts and technology, Indian tradition and Japanese innovation, sustainability and high-end style. Designer Hemang Agrawal says, “The dexterity which the weavers in Benares have acquired, finds few parallels in the world. Although predominantly a silk-weaving centre, many master-weavers in the city are highly skilful in handling different yarn types. Japan, on the other hand, is well-known for its advanced technologies as well as its approach towards environment and sustainability as a country. Both these facts are well-reflected in the Bemberg™ Yarn”

“During our R&D, we found that the yarn, which is available in various counts and deniers is highly adaptable. The lustre, hand-feel, strength and colour depth are very well-suited for premium textiles, which come out of our looms. For the collection ‘Tattva,’ our endeavour has been to merge the skill-set of Benares weavers with qualities of the Bemberg™ yarn, to create textiles and apparel, which transcend the boundaries of what is termed as traditional Benarasi."

With the Tattva collection Hemang Agrawal and Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei show a new way of making fashion: merging craft & tech, cutting-edge materials and deeply rooted traditions. A stunning collection marking the rise of craft-tech, a trend going beyond the dichotomy of ancient and new, injecting the human-based into the high-tech and a futuristic imprint into heritage. Like the 12 Tattva, a new harmony takes shape, intertwined into exquisitely stylish garments.

Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italia - international company producing and developing innovative fabrics through warp and weft knitting technologies, Tessitura Colombo Antonio, famous for the processing of lace and ribbons dedicated to the world of corsetry, Elastici Besana specialized in the production of narrow elastic for corsetry and underwear, have been working together to expand the frontiers of sustainable manufacture practices and to offer an innovative collection, a new set of eco high tech innovations delivering a responsibility concept including also the end of life: ECONNECTION.

The responsible ECONNECTION collection, in which the words ECO and CONNECTION mixed to underline the importance of connect and come together for a sustainable project, features:

• 7 advanced knitted stretch fabrics by Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italia,
• 3 precious laces by Tessitura Colombo Antonio
• 3 functional bands by Elastici Besana

The project opened up the door to new generation of ingredients such as:

• ROICA™ V550 made by leading fiber manufacturer Asahi Kasei, a premium sustainable stretch yarn that at the end of his life smartly breaks down without releasing harmful substances in the environment according to Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification and also boasting the Gold Level Material Health Certificate by Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute** as it has been evaluated for impact on human and environmental health.
• Amni Soul Eco®, the world’s first biodegradable in anaerobic conditions polyamide 6.6 yarn that degrades in around 5 years* after disposing in landfill, developed by SOLVAY and produced and distributed in Italy by FULGAR.

• 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.

• Trust the vibes, energy doesn’t lie!

Advanced design and sustainability, innovation, aesthetics and quality, made of “ethical” laces and tights of very high quality standards and a careful look at fashion. Iluna Group, strengthened by this heritage, with a smart approach, carefully selected materials, know-how on processes and particular attention to the ecosystem, is a leader in its sector

With the FW 21-22 collection, Iluna Group focuses on design excellence aimed at perfection driven by this particular historical moment, in which preferring quality over quantity has become necessary: offering ever higher standards of quality is combined with the choice of reducing minimum waste in a way of working that becomes more thoughtful, studied, focused and less hectic.

The range of sustainable products expands by adding to the GRS certified Green Label, the BIOLINE, made with raw materials such as the precious ROICA™ V550 premium stretch fiber which belongs to ROICA Eco-Smart ™ family produced by Asahi Kasei able to combine elasticity and comfort and other benefits in terms of circular economy related to the health of materials, as demonstrated by the Gold Level Material Health Certificate by the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute, and by the world's first biodegradable polyamide 6.6 yarn AMNI SOUL ECO®, fibers that degrade completely in the environment under anaerobic conditions.

The exceptional natural dyes proposed are made with vegetable dyes extracted from various plants, with a color chart that now has 14 shades, all with solidity within the OEKO TEX® Standard 100 and all GOTS certified. No chemical product is used for the dyes, including the softening finish, for which an equally natural product is used.

All the products of the Iluna Group collections can be made in a recycled or organic variant.

Iluna Group participates to Milano Unica and digitally at all sector fairs, a new way of communicating that together with the use of social media - accompanied by the launch last year of the official website and e-commerce with all the collections and the ilunamasks.com site dedicated to the sale of the exclusive Iluna masks - it can be transformed from a necessity to a great resource and an opportunity to enhance a 360° sustainable attitude. Iluna, even before the pandemic, has always considered the sustainable aspect a priority in its work and now, in the light of this new landscape, the many years of experience gained benefits the company by pushing it to place itself more and more as a precursor of sustainable innovation.

The constant commitment to responsible solutions makes Iluna Group the only lace manufacturer to use - since 2017 - transformed stretch in the entire range of its elastic laces. Iluna Group excellence is based 100% on responsible innovation, guaranteed by the most important certifications. The creation of smart lace, strictly Made in Italy, is also Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified. Today Iluna is a reference point for international markets and boasts products with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification.

• 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.

• ECOSENSOR™’s new references combine high-performance and innovation to empower people with the possibility to live life naturally both for mind and body.
• The new range is woven from certified ingredients, a completely traceable production process and highly certified suppliers               

"A New Eco high-tech force of Nature", a bold claim, a daring attitude and true facts. ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei has concentrated all its key values into a Nature-driven and high-tech fabric collection that respects the environment and human being.

Sustainability, active climate control, exquisite touch and extreme performance co-habit the textiles: the collection is made of wovens and knits where the main technology is represented by GRS - Global Recycle Standard certified polyamide and polyesters, sometime combined with ROICA™ recycled stretch yarns and dyed and finished with Oekotex Standard 100 certified processes and/or by BlueSign® partners’ companies.

But there is much more than it meets the eye.

Behind the new collection is a great story of sustainability.

"Our international team strives to innovate with a human-based approach to research and develop solutions that meet high-performance standards as well as the transparency and traceability of both the ingredients and the supply chain", says Mr. Hashimoto, Senior Managing Director of Asahi Kasei Advance, the global materials innovator and manufacturer.

Indeed, the company has set the high bar all its suppliers and partners must match. Such criteria include: thoroughly transparency and traceability of both materials and production, corporate responsibility at all levels and a strategic commitment granted by influential certifications such as GRS - Global Recycle Standard for recycled ingredients and processes, as well as Bluesign® and OekoTex Standard 100 certifications, which focus on environmentally-friendly impact of the dyeing and finishing processes.

The human, environmentally-friendly and cutting-edge imprint of ECOSENSOR™ ultimate collection reflects a vision for a more responsible way of fabric manufacturing.

A new force of nature, because story telling truly must match the story making.

HANRO chooses Iluna lace containing the sustainable premium stretch fiber ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei for its Zula lingerie set

HANRO, the Swiss brand that produces high quality daywear, nightwear and loungewear for both men and women and world’s leading premium brand in its segment, chooses Iluna Group for its advanced design and sustainability, innovation, aesthetics and quality made of “ethical” laces and an attentive look at fashion.

Iluna uses responsible premium ingredients such as GRS certified Q-NOVA®, more than half of which are made from pre-consumer waste and GRS certified ROICA™ EF premium stretch yarn produced by more than 58% from transformed pre-consumer content. The yarn belongs to the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family produced by Asahi Kasei and it’s the world’s first responsibly made premium fiber range, which includes smart ROICA™ yarns and their exceptional certifications.

Seductive and luxurious lingerie defines the SS 20 Zula collection in which we find Iluna lace. This lingerie set is smooth and soft satin viscose made, with an elegant Jacquardtronic lace detail along the cup, straps and band of the bra. It is paired to the matching briefs in the collection with generous elegant Jacquardtronic lace on the front and the backside. The particular lace used is a delicate and modern reinterpretation of the Duchesse lace, a particular type of Brussels lace from the mid-19th century. The set is available in light viola, purple night and marzipan range of colours.