From the Sector

The priority of sweater manufacturers has always been to select ingredients and fibers that are soft, hypoallergenic, and of the finest quality to meet consumer expectations that their sweaters are comfortable yet durable and easy to care for. According to the recent Eastman consumer study of sweater lovers, the sweaters consumers want to add to their wardrobes are soft, comfortable, stylish, and versatile. However, consumers are very disappointed when their sweaters look and feel differently after wearing and washing. Choosing fibers and materials that deliver comfort, quality and ease of care is essential to win with consumers. Today, these are compounded by the ever-present consumer demand for a sustainable paradigm. The promise of Naia™ from Eastman is exactly to make sustainable style accessible to brands and inclusive for everyone through a portfolio of fibers that doesn’t compromise on quality, comfort, or garment care.

The results of soft and cozy blends between the versatile Naia™ fibers and other materials can be appreciated in the collections of Naadam and The Gap, which this year presented its third collection of men's sweaters blended with Naia™ and cotton. By using Naia™ blended knits in their collections, brands are not just choosing a sustainable ingredient, but also a certified and circular supply chain: all Naia™ cellulosic fiber is produced in a safe, closed-loop process where solvents are recycled back into the system for reuse. Eastman Naia™ partners with Textiles Genesis to provide track and trace solutions for brands. All Naia™ fibers are OEKO-TEX™ STANDARD 100 certified, ensuring no use of hazardous chemicals, and certified by TÜV AUSTRIA as biodegradable and compostable, also in the ocean, as supported by a recently published ocean degradation study conducted by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Naia™ fibers are designed to create unlimited possibilities for uncompromising, sustainable style: among these, Naia™ Renew staple fiber permits to create eco-conscious blends that are supremely soft, quick-drying and consistently reduce pilling which are ideal for T-shirts, casual wear, sweaters, comfy pants and home textiles. Produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified* recycled waste materials, Naia™ Renew creates the same top-quality fabrics as traditional Naia™ fibers, but with a reduced carbon footprint of around 35% — and it’s available at scale. The innovative cellulosic acetate materials can be blended with cotton, modal, merino wool, recycled polyester, or multiple content fancy yarns. Naia™ blended yarns deliver super softness for supreme wearing comfort in knitwear, and sweaters made with Naia™ Renew can have good dimensional stability and shape retention even after multiple washes. Versatile Naia™ denier sizes can be used in different yarn spinning processes, giving the yarn spinners freedom of creativity for trendy yarn designs perfect for year-round basic sweaters with good quality and a durable look. The unique cross section of Naia™ staple fibers enables designs that accommodate four seasons of wearing comfort.

Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg) launches its biodegradable fusible cotton shirt interlinings range 46xx. With this innovation, the world’s leading specialist in woven, knitted, weft and nonwoven interlinings reduces its impact on the environment and supports customers in achieving their own sustainability objectives. In Asia, the series is marketed under the name 42xx series.

Approved biodegradability and non-toxicity by Hohenstein Laboratories
The new Freudenberg fusible interlinings for shirts and blouses have been developed in such a way that they are harmless to people and the environment at the end of their life cycle. Germany’s independent Hohenstein Laboratories performed biodegradation tests on the 46xx series, based on the Hohenstein method which draws on DIN EN ISO 11721-2:2003 and EN ISO 846, and approved it as biodegradable and ecotoxicologically harmless. The tests by Hohenstein showed no negative effects on either the germination of garden cress nor on earthworms in the acute toxicity test.

Energy-saving interlining
The new biodegradable shirt interlinings also show great potential for energy saving, as the fusing can be performed at a low temperature. Concretely, this means that the resulting temperature between the upper fabric and the shirt interlining during fusing is only 127°C which is significantly lower than the commonly used temperature of 143°C. Certified to OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Class II for successfully testing for no harmful substances, the shirt interlinings are washable at up to 40°C and resistant to dry cleaning. In addition, it has also passed all ecological-toxicological tests and is a perfect end-of-life cycle solution.

Product details and availability
The products in range 46xx are available in Europe in the color white and the following weight classes: 4605 (90g/m2), 4616 (150g/m2) and 4618 (55g/m2). The adhesive of the interlinings consists of a 100% degradable bio-polymer. The shirt interlinings are ideal for reinforcing shirt and blouse collars, cuffs and plackets used in fashion, leisure and business clothing. The biodegradable, non-toxic interlinings are particularly important for labels with an ecologically sustainable claim.

In occasion of the next edition of Pitti Uomo, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei – the unique fiber with a circular economy footprint obtained from cotton linters through a closed-loop process ensuring certified sustainability credentials through its transparent and traceable approach- reveals a very special Bemberg™ fabrics smart range dedicated to premium denimwear.

This has been made possible thanks to the partnership with PureDenim, a leading Italian company whose strategy since 10 years is based on an entire re-design of the production system, inspired by circular economy principles that combines technology and innovative materials in order to offer the highest levels of design, innovation and real responsible values derived from an holistic approach to sustainability.
The “Blue di Cupro” collection is made with seven fabrics made with Bemberg™, either 100% Bemberg™ or in blend with cotton, wool, and it applies the most advanced Pure Denim Technologies. The Blue di cupro fabrics made with Bemberg™ will also be dyed with “Smart Indigo” an indigo dye technology internally produced by PureDenim, through a chemical-free production. The only elements involved are: water, indigo pigments, and electricity. In terms of finishing, fabrics’ looks and performances are enhanced by the “Eco Sonic” ultrasounds finishing technology which brings significant reduction of water used, increased aesthetic features and controlled discoloration. And last but not least every yarn used at PureDenim is protected by NaturalReco® a 100% natural product that completely SUBSTITUTE the use of plastic films that are one of the key causes of microplastic emission for denim application.

“Blue” seems to be the new colour of Bemberg™, in fact, the company in early November 2022 announced, at the Blue Friday initiative by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the achievement of the OK biodegradable MARINE certification, which guarantees the biodegradability of its products even in the marine environment, as certified by TÜV AUSTRIA, meaning a lot in the context of microplastics in water issue solutions. This Bemberg™ certification’s achievement comes on top of other key ones such as the INNOVHUB report that confirms Bemberg™ biodegradability in soil without releasing hazardous substances, the RCS by Textile Exchange, and the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and ISO 14001 corporate certifications.

The Japanese textile manufacturer ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei Advance presents its SS 2023 collection, made of high-tech fabrics implementing new-generation values, with the aim of keeping nature, body and mind in harmony.

ECOSENSOR™ presents 40 new references that meet the needs of the contemporary consumer, such as durability, wellbeing and performance. Being capable of combining active climate control, exquisite touch, lightness and comfort with sustainable values, ECOSENSOR™ stands out as a unique eco-high-tech performance proposition in its market. The collection covers the different market applications with 7 items for INNERWEAR, 2 for OUTERWEAR, 17 for SPORT KNIT and 14 for SPORT WOVEN.

Furthermore, all of ECOSENSOR™ fabrics are made with sustainable materials which are certified by internatinal certification such as GRS, RCS or self-certification by each yarn supplier, through a traceable and transparent production process and supply chain.
100% of the stretch articles (representing 35% of the collection) are made with ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei, the recycled stretch yarn made from pre-consumer materials.

The main fibers are GRS certified recycled polyester and recycled polyamide, but the collection also features some blends, such as in Bemberg™, the high-tech yarn born from the transformation of cotton linters through a circular, transparent and traceable process with a precious hand, optimal moisture management characteristics,  whose end of life guarantees its biodegradability.
Even the dyeing and finishing phases have been certified by international labels such as bluesign® or OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.

• ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei for its responsible RF (Residual Free) line

Innova Fabrics, the Italian manufacturer of knitted fabrics for apparel, underwear and sports, confirms its choice of ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, the Japanese leader of premium stretch fiber, for its new responsible line RF (Residual Free).

Despite the deep-rooted history of the company's team in the world of textiles, Innova Fabrics is a reality that is not afraid to innovate with a focus on environmental sustainability. As a result of its push for local production and attention to third-party sustainability certifications (including OEKO-TEX Standard 100, one of the world's best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances), Innova Fabrics continues its promise of responsibility with an enrichment of its conscious proposals. In the last season, Innova has increased its smart proposition by launching the RF (Residual Free) line, with the aim of reducing the impact of microplastics residues produced by the fashion industry. This is possible thanks to the combination of two responsible ingredients: SENSIL® Biocare by Nilit and ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei.

SENSIL® BioCare is the premium, sustainable nylon 6.6 fiber enriched with a special technology that helps reduce the persistence of textile waste in the ocean and landfills by acting during and after the product's life cycle. Therefore, if the microplastics in SENSIL® BioCare garments are released during washing, they will decompose much faster than conventional Nylon 6.6 fibers, reducing textile waste. ROICA™ V550, part of the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, is the premium, sustainable stretch yarn that degrades without releasing harmful substances into the environment, according to the Hohenstein's environmental certification. ROICA™ V550 also carries the Gold Level Material Health certificate from the Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute, which evaluated the yarn's impact on human and environmental health. The strong relationship established between Innova Fabrics and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is a long-standing one: from the very beginning, the textile company chose ROICA™ as its main reference for premium stretch, using ROICA Colour Perfect™ in most of its articles. Having experienced the innovation of the ROICA™ line dedicated to high-quality color, Innova decided to opt for the ROICA Eco-Smart™ line as part of the extension of its environmentally conscious line.

Thanks to the constant synergy with its premium partner in innovative and responsible stretch, Innova continues its path towards a textile and fashion industry that respects the planet, without forgetting profit. And this is just the beginning. Innova Fabrics pieces containing SENSIL® BioCare and ROICA™ V550

CALZEDONIA chooses products belonging to the GREEN LABEL line by ILUNA GROUP for its new Eco Collection of tights. They are GRS (Global Recycled Standard) and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified and made with recycled yarns.

The ingredients used in the collection are:

• Q-NOVA® by Fulgar, an eco-sustainable nylon 6.6 fiber obtained from regenerated raw materials through a mechanical process that does not involve the use of chemical materials. It has been certified with the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and for some time now has been part of the HIGG INDEX, the index developed by SAC (Sustainable Apparel Coalition) evaluating the environmental impact of the entire life cycle of a garment;
• ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei, one of the first recycled stretch yarns certified with Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

This collaboration confirms Iluna's commitment to creating products with a environmental responsibility thanks to a technological and corporate system that covers the entire perimeter of production, from materials to processing, dyeing and finishing. An industrial reality that increasingly integrates the value of responsibility, as demonstrated by the fact that the percentage of sustainable production has risen from 3% in 2018 to 52% in 2021.

• DUARTE  brings on the runway its SEASON 2 “Eco-Street Dance” collection

By mixing C.L.A.S.S. responsible materials, colorful prints, urban feels and artistic inspiration, the Portuguese streetwear brand creates a new style and a clear yet cool message for conscious fashion consumers.  The rewarded 2021 C.L.A.S.S. Icon Award Portuguese brand Duarte is ready to presents its Fall/Winter 2022/23 collection developed in collaboration with C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub at ModaLisboa after a first presentation at Milan Fashion Week. From February 24th until 27th, Duarte’s creations have been featured as a special project at WSM (WHITE Sustainable Milano) platform space inside “Unveiling the fashion Backstage”, a docu-event focusing on an immersive journey into the amazing world of premium and smart supply chains that make innovative and responsible fashion wardrobes a reality.

For its second collection Duarte still counts on C.L.A.S.S. support in sourcing materials and communication activities as part of the Icon Award yearly program. The streetwear designer Ana Duarte, with the help of the Milanese hub, is back with a renewed collection that counts 40 pieces continuing the concept and the story behind the previous World Keeper: the irresistible superhero Tadao - Ana Duarte’s dog – fighting against the environmental issues created by mankind and personified as Smog Man (air pollution), Fire Man (climate change), Deforestation Man (forests destruction) and Wave Man (water overconsumption). 

This time the inspiration is also Street Dance drawn directly from the city streets, with majorly unisex pieces (apart from some small specific details linked to sizes or ergonomics) and materials that both respect the planet and keep you warm. The prints drawn from ripped posters giving birth to a sort of new style that we can name “Eco-Street Dance”. The color palette explores the dark shades of grey, cream, blue and black, with artistic pops of color of a hopeful urban culture that tears apart posters from the past and turns them into a new brighter story. 

Talking about materials, the collection presents a selection of urban pieces for everyday superheroes, fighting against environmental issues - with a holistic approach to sustainability values thanks to the synergy with C.L.A.S.S. and its Back in the Loop area: a section dedicated to alternative and sustainable sourcing against the massive amount of materials and textiles produced that are not used and discarded by the fashion system. This is mostly powered by MAEBA International - and its ReLiveTex® fabrics - leader in selecting and repurposing premium Italian fabrics with exceptional 60 years of expertise in collecting high quality materials from leading brands and textile manufacturers, and the first company at an international level to be accredited for the UNI EN ISO 14021 certification which grants the traceability of the collected materials.

The linings complete the full sustainable picture, thanks to Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei fabrics by Gianni Crespi Foderami. Bemberg™ is a new generation material made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linter pre-consumer material, converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process. Entirely made in Japan, it comes with Compostability and Ecotoxicity Certifications verified by Innovhub SSI, RCS, OEKOTEX® Standard 100 and the Eco Mark certifications. The factory is ISO 14001 certified, too. 

Huntsman Textile Effects has released the latest addition to the third generation of its revolutionary AVITERA® SE polyreactive dye range with the introduction of AVITERA® ROSE SE for brilliant bluish-red shades. The innovative new dye significantly outperforms the available dyeing technologies for cellulosic fibers and blends, delivering substantial water and energy savings, exceptional overall fastness, and reduced costs.

AVITERA® ROSE SE slashes the water and energy required for production by up to 50% thanks to its unique low-temperature and high-speed wash-off technology. It further delivers excellent right-first-time performance, with outstanding compatibility, levelling properties, and on-tone build-up. The cost-effective formulation reduces recipe costs for medium-dark shades while both minimizing processing costs and eliminating reprocessing. It also increases mill output by up to 25% or more.

Using AVITERA® ROSE SE, brands can stand out with brilliant bluish-red textile products in a broader shade gamut. The dyes offer very good light fastness levels for classic bluish trichromatic element, with exceptional overall fastness performance. Products dyed with AVITERA® ROSE SE have the highest chlorine resistance, tailormade for stringent Japanese and US laundering requirements, and are suitable for use with Huntsman’s HIGH IQ® Lasting Color Eco color-retention program. With minimal chance of cross-staining, they are ideal for red-white striped cotton knit fabric.

AVITERA® ROSE SE is fully compliant with the most stringent industry and brand-specific restricted substance lists. It is bluesign® approved and is suitable for STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified textile products.

Launched by Huntsman Textile Effects in 2010, the first-generation AVITERA® SE dyes set the benchmark for sustainability in the textile industry. The second generation expanded the range’s color palette from the palest to the deepest and darkest shades. The third generation further enhances the economic sustainability of the AVITERA® range while delivering unrivalled environmental benefits, outstanding operational performance, and attractive textiles with exceptional overall fastness.

For its FW 22/23 collection, ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei Advance presents a high-tech fabric collection, which implements a new generation of values, with the aim of keeping nature, body and mind in harmony.

The whole collection is focused on advanced technology and environmental responsibility. Thanks to ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei Advance’s unique value-chain based on recycling technology, most part of its yarns are certified by the renowned GRS (Global Recycled Standard). Even the dyeing and finishing phases - key moments for  performance wear - have been certified by international labels such as bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.

The collection is composed of 7 outerwear fabric, 22 sportswear fabrics and 7 innerwear fabrics.

Among the compositions of the fabrics, dominant are the recycled polyamide (58%) and polyester (39%) yarns. The stretch component present in 22 articles of the collection is based on ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei - the sustainable recycled stretch yarn made from pre-consumer waste. In addition, 8 fabrics of the FW22/23 collection are made of Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei - the high-tech yarn born from the transformation of cotton linters through a fully circular, transparent and traceable process with an amazing precious hand, optimal moisture management characteristics,  whose end of life guarantees its biodegradability and it also carries GRS certification.

• ECOSENSOR™ 100% recycled polyamide fabric
• New fabric collection imbued with the brand’s sustainable story-making, at the Digital Edition of Performance Days

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 Recycled 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 environmental-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.