From the Sector

• Collaboration Between DuPont™ Sorona® and Sateri’s EcoCosy®

DuPont™ Sorona® and Sateri’s EcoCosy® have together developed a new fabric called StretchCosy™. The fabric uses a blend of Sorona®, a partially plant-based fibre, and Sateri’s ultra-comfortable and near weightless EcoCosy® fibres to achieve a soft material that is highly stretchable, shape-retaining and, most importantly, sustainably sourced.

StretchCosy™ combines the mechanical stretch of Sorona® stretch fibres, which gives it excellent stretch and long-lasting, consistent recovery, with the soft, cotton-like breathability and smooth silk-like texture of EcoCosy® for an unparalleled fabric that is high-performing and well-suited for fashion and sportswear.

Created in 2019, StretchCosy™ is a fabric breakthrough that made it possible for natural plant-based fibres to be more extensively used in various applications, e.g. t-shirts, shirting, bottoms, jackets, dresses, hoodies and underwear. Previously, cellulosic fibres were rarely found in sportswear, due to concerns such as pilling. The combination of Sorona® and EcoCosy® in StretchCosy™ has eliminated this concern, hinting at the future of activewear where performance combined with sustainability will be the norm.

Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, today announces that Dyneema® is driving the performance of Team Sunweb’s protective cycling jerseys in the 2020 Tour de France. Together with its partners, Team Sunweb and Craft Sportswear, DSM has helped to deliver a jersey that, when combined with a protective baselayer, offers cyclists effective abrasion protection at speeds up to 60km/h, while also reducing the severity of open wounds at even higher speeds. In this way, DSM underlines its commitment to protect people and the environment they live in.

Professional cycling places its participants in considerable danger; in recent years, the Tour de France has averaged 1.5 crashes per stage, while crashes in one-day classics are even more frequent. Cycling jerseys can support riders by enabling protection for a large portion of the body, while allowing for moisture transport to the surface and offering low thermal resistance. However, cycling jerseys made with conventional materials offer limited protective performance.

To address these needs and enable a safer riding experience, DSM has teamed up with Craft Sportswear and Team Sunweb to develop a cycling jersey that offers much-needed increases in abrasion resistance without compromising the comfort or low weight that cyclists demand. The new jersey is the latest protective cycling apparel solution, following the launch of the protective bib shorts (2015) and the protective baselayer (2019). The jersey will be worn for the first time by Team Sunweb in this year’s Tour de France. When combined with the protective baselayer, the new jersey offers complete protection against abrasions up to 60km/h, a speed below which professional cyclists spend 95% of race time in a typical stage.

Dyneema® has been used to protect workers in high-stake industries for more than 30 years – and the expansion into fabrics means both professional and recreational cyclists can enjoy the intrinsic performance capabilities of Dyneema® in their protective garments without sacrificing wearer comfort.

“Being 15 times stronger than steel on a weight for weight basis, Dyneema® fiber offers an excellent solution to increasing the abrasion resistance of a fabric, reducing the severity of road rash in case of a crash, without compromising the rider weight or comfort,” states Piet Rooijakkers, Head of R&D Team Sunweb “What’s more, the new jersey can form part of a modular protection solution, where riders can easily take off or put on layers according to race and weather conditions. In this way, the new jersey will support our riders significantly in the Tour de France and beyond.”

“The new cycling jersey with Dyneema® will make a real difference to cyclists facing the dangers of professional competition, and help ensure the health of both people and the environment,” states Wilfrid Gambade, President DSM Protective Materials. “The jersey is physical proof of the great achievements collaboration with expert partners can deliver. Moving forward, we will work with Craft and Team Sunweb to integrate bio-based Dyneema® fibers into protective cycling jerseys – contributing even further to a safe and healthy world!”

In line with its commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, DSM introduced the world’s first-ever bio-based HMPE fiber in May 2020. Bio-based Dyneema® fiber offers the same exact performance as conventional Dyneema® with a carbon footprint that is 90% lower than generic HMPE. The continued partnership between DSM, Craft and Team Sunweb will not only provide innovative, lightweight solutions for cyclists, but also environmentally sustainable alternatives that contribute to a circular economy.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has joined hands with Liberty Textile Mill Limited (Liberty), a leading producer in healthcare textiles to produce high quality personal protective equipment (PPE).

Liberty will be benefitting from Archroma’s specialty solutions for hygiene protection, and well-established technical expertise in the area of medical textiles. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the PPEs manufactured by Liberty are aimed at easing the current shortage of PPEs for medical professionals in Pakistan.

Liberty carries over two decades of experience in medical textiles and exporting them all over the world. Its partnering with Archroma is a major step forward towards creating enhanced protection in the current crisis. With its advanced scientific knowledge and technical expertise, Archroma provides a complete set of specialty chemicals required to produce PPEs, in particular in the area of antimicrobial and barrier coatings. The project will assist in enhancing medical standards in hospitals, isolation centers and intensive care units, in Pakistan and, very soon, worldwide.

“By continuously challenging the status quo, we at Archroma are able to support our customers operating in or entering the area of medical textiles, with a holistic and expert approach to hygiene protection. With our collaboration with Liberty, we are so proud to be able to bring state-of-the art protection to health professionals and the general public,” comments Mujtaba Rahim, CEO of Archroma Pakistan.

“Liberty has a presence of more than five decades with high achieving accolades. Our processing units are fully equipped with latest equipment complying with international standards. We take this new partnership with Archroma as a start of building a strong relationship in the area of medical textiles. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a wake-up call to work extensively towards enhancing healthcare facilities. We are looking forward to new innovations in producing top-class PPEs,” adds Taimoor Mukaty, Director of Liberty Textile Mills Limited.

Mexico and Switzerland - SANITIZED customers in the polymer industry in Mexico will profit from CHEMLOGIS’s expertise and established sales network. The Sanitized® antimicrobial additives for hygiene function and material protection for polymers will be marketed in Mexico by our new sales partner.

SANITIZED and CHEMLOGIS, two experts in their fields with similar understanding of values, have joined forces; both deal in high-performance products for the Polymer industry combined with the best possible service, which begins with the conception of value-added products and their optimum use. This collaboration with SANITIZED is a good fit for the portfolio as both companies focus on innovative, customer-specific solutions.

With the addition of the antimicrobial Sanitized® additives at CHEMLOGIS, the Polymer industry gets a new overall package, offering more than just products for hygiene function and material protection. As an addition to the core product services, SANITIZED supports development and production, regulatory queries and marketing through the use of the Sanitized® Ingredient Brand, which characterizes the end products within their differentiation and emphasis on quality.

The antimicrobial additives for Polymers from SANITIZED protect end products from bacterial infestation, growth of algae and mildew, material degradation, biofilms, pink stain, and odors caused by microbes. The Polymer industry uses the antimicrobial additive in flooring, industrial coatings, artificial leather, roof membranes, pool liners, tarpaulins, and all extruded products.

“Everyone at CHEMLOGIS is very excited to partner with SANITIZED for the sale of their antimicrobial products to the Polymer processors in Mexico. Together we bring a highly focused approach to customer´s needs in terms of technology service and products” says CHEMLOGIS’s CEO Ing. León Freiman K.” “The technical competence and the strong customer focus impress me about CHEMLOGIS”, says Michael Lüthi, Head of BU Polymer at SANITIZED AG.

• Members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – have adopted a range of new strategies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, aimed at assisting manufacturers of textiles and apparel to adjust to a new normal, as Europe and other regions emerge cautiously from lockdown.

“Many European companies have been forced into testing new working methods and looking at what it’s possible to do remotely, and how to exploit automation to the full, in order to become more flexible,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “Others have been taking risks where they see opportunies and there’s a new sense of solidarity among companies.

“It’s extremely encouraging, for example, that over five hundred European companies from across our supply chain are reported to have responded to the shortages of facemasks and PPE – protective personal equipment – by converting parts of their sites or investing in new equipment.”

New supply chains

Amongst them are TMAS members of the ACG Group, who quickly established a dedicated new nonwovens fabric converting and single-use garment making-up plant to supply to the Swedish health authorities. From a standing start in March, this is now producing 1.8 million square metres of converted fabric and turning it into 692,000 finished medical garments each month.

“In 2020 so far, we have seen new value chains being created and a certain amount of permanent reshoring is now inevitable,” says Premler-Andersson. “This is being backed by the new funding announced in the European Union’s Next Generation EU plan, with €750 billion marked for helping industry recover. As the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stressed, “green and digital” transitions hold the key to Europe’s future prosperity and resilience, and TMAS members have new solutions to assist in both areas.”

Remote working

Automated solutions have opened up many possibilities for remote working during the pandemic. Texo AB, for example, the specialist in wide-width weaving looms for the paper industry, was able to successfully complete the build and delivery of a major multi-container order between April and May.

“Our new Remote Guidance software now makes it possible for us to carry out some of the commissioning and troubleshooting of such new lines remotely, which has been helpful” says Texo AB President Anders Svensson.

Svegea of Sweden, which has spent the past few months developing its new CR-210 fabric relaxation machine for knitted fabrics, has also successfully set up and installed a number of machines remotely, which the company has never attempted before.

“The pandemic has definitely led to some inventive solutions for us and with international travel currently not possible, we are finding better methods of digital communication and collaboration all the time,” says Svegea managing director Hakan Steene.

Eric Norling, Vice President of the Precision Application business of Baldwin Technology, believes the pandemic may have a more permanent impact on global travel.

“We have now proven that e-meetings and virtual collaboration tools are effective,” he says. “Baldwin implemented a home office work regime from April with only production personnel and R&D researchers at the workplace. These past few months have shown that we can be just as effective and do not need to travel for physical meetings to the same extent that was previously thought to be necessary.”

Pär Hedman, Sales and Marketing Manager for IRO AB, however, believes such advances can only go so far at the moment.

“Video conferences have taken a big leap forward, especially in development projects, and this method of communication is here to stay, but it will never completely replace personal meetings,” he says. “And textile fabrics need to be touched, examined and accepted by the senses, which is impossible to do via digital media today. The coming haptic internet, however, may well even change that too.”

Social distancing

The many garment factories now equipped with Eton Systems UPS work stations – designed to save considerable costs through automation – have meanwhile benefited from the unintentional social distancing they automatically provide compared to factories with conventional banks of sewing machines.

“These companies have been able to continue operating throughout the pandemic due to the spaced nature of our automated plant configurations,” says Eton Systems Business Development Manager Roger Ryrlén. “The UPS system has been established for some time, but planned spacing has proved an accidental plus for our customers – with improved productivity.”

“Innovations from TMAS member companies have been coming thick and fast recently due to their advanced know-how in automation concepts,” Premler-Andersson concludes.  “If anything, the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have only accelerated these initiatives by obliging our members to take new approaches.”

Reinach, Switzerland - Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced a new collaboration with Esprit, the global fashion clothing brand, who selected the EarthColors® range for its ‘I AM SUSTAINABLE’ capsule collection.

Esprit was founded in California by couple Susie and Doug Tompkins in 1968, and is now headquartered in Germany and Hong Kong, with a presence in 40 countries around the globe. Esprit creates laid-back, high-quality essentials that reflect its core values of sustainability, equality and freedom of choice. The brand developed its first eco-conscious collection made of 100% organic cotton, back in the early 90’s.

Archroma’s EarthColors® range came to public attention for being the Gold Winner of the OutDoor Industry Award 2017, Sustainable Innovations category. The range is regularly featured by brands such as Kathmandu, G-Star and Ternua, who are willing to explore truly innovative and authentic color options for more eco-conscious casual wear collections. Archroma’s EarthColors® is a line of patented plant-based dyes, sourced from up to 100 percent renewable resources. Archroma developed EarthColors® using non-edible waste products, from agriculture and herbal industries, to replace petroleum derived raw materials; which are the conventional raw materials used to synthesize dyes currently. This gives brands an alternative when looking for more natural ways of dyeing garments.

The colors available in the capsule collection created by Esprit: mauve, beige, blue, khaki, pink and blush hues, are made from the non-edible parts of nutshells, almond shells, rosemary, saw palmetto, bitter orange and beetroot, left over from agriculture industry or herbal extraction.

The brand is working on future fall/winter and spring/summer collections with more exciting articles to discover for nature-inspired consumers.

“Colors traditionally made with plants come with some limitations in terms of color reproducibility, fastness and they require huge amounts of plants to produce the quantities needed at industrial scale”, comments Kristina Seidler-Lynders, Manager Social & Environmental Sustainability at Esprit. “So when Archroma presented us their EarthColors®, we were excited to have found a technology that would allow us to explore authentic colors synthesized from plants rather than petroleum.”

“The whole team at Esprit really embraced the possibilities of EarthColors®”, says Dion Cragg, Brand Solutions Europe, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties at Archroma. “They truly pushed the boundaries in adopting the concept across every possible article, from t-shirts and scarves to canvas sandals and bags. The end result simply looks amazing, and we are so incredibly proud to be able to support such creativity with our nature-based innovation - because it’s our nature!”

Masks yes, but with comfort, safety and also style: Cifra, Iluna Group, Rosti and Sitip launch masks with a fashion touch with the premium stretch fiber ROICA™
 
Big companies are updating their productions with high-performance and high technical characteristics masks, result of their historical experience and thanks to an exceptional partner in common: the premium stretch fiber ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei. And the solidarity race continues to donate them to hospitals and to the Red Cross
 
Forced to keep most of the face covered and often for a long time during the day, solutions that are above all performing and comfortable become increasingly necessary.

And solutions that are also a manifestation of our personality, which remains hidden and entrusted to the mere expression of the eyes. Walking on the streets we sometimes even don’t even recognize each other, since we are so hidden; and the desire to minimize the situation often takes over, together with that desire to make us recognizable, to possess and express an identity anyway. For fans of escaping homologation (now more than ever mandatory and for this reason even more difficult) “rescue comes” - and this is the case to say it - from illuminated companies who have thought about creative solutions for those with masks has to do all day, at home, at work, during sports and in leisure time. To feel more comfortable, there are many proposals: more “street style” for sports addicted and young people - inside and outside -, more elegant and sophisticated for women.

Textiles companies have joined the fight against Covid-19 engaging a strong and decisive personal and productive battle, which has seen many of them transform and convert their production units for the production of masks and gowns intended for medical personnel and the community.

Some of the most established excellences of the textile sector as Cifra, Iluna Group, Rosti and Sitip have made use of the precious collaboration of ROICA™, the premium stretch fiber by Asahi Kasei. ROICA™ is the innovative and smart premium ingredient chosen by these companies to guarantee even more comfort, thanks to an exceptional top-level component that gives elasticity for perfect adherence to the skin. Each of the companies then declined its production according to its specificity. And this is their important contribution.

Cifra presents the eco-sustainable version of the mask, the ECO-MASK™, which combines the high performance of Cifra knitting technology with the sustainability of the materials used. The 100% regenerated yarns create a 100% sustainable mask with 83% ECONYL and 17% ROICA™ V550 elastomer, the stretch fiber certified Cradle to Cradle Gold Health Level which allows excellent and lasting printability, as well as advantages regarding the circular economy as it does not release harmful substances into the test environment according to the Hohenstein Environmental Compatibility certification.

Iluna Group, European leader in the production of lace, has recently donated 400 protective “smart”  made with ROICA™ EF, the world first GRS - Global Recycled Standard – certified elastomer and which uses 58% of pre-consumer recycled content, mixed with Q-NOVA® by Fulgar. Multi-use, washable, bacteriostatic, breathable and water-repellent prevention masks gave to San Gerardo Hospital in Monza to answer to the Call to action launched on March 19th by the green journalist Diana De Marsanich, with the responsible and innovative materials expert Giusy Bettoni of C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub, the fashion designer Marina Spadafora of Fashion Revolution Italia and the entrepreneur Simona Roveda of LifeGate. Iluna Group also announces the launch of the website dedicated to the direct sale of the different kind of masks all made with three layers, antibacterial and anti-drip treatment and washable up to 10 times. Iluna Group has also created the “smart” masks made with ROICA™ EF, the world first GRS - Global Recycled Standard – certified elastomer and which uses 58% of pre-consumer recycled content, mixed with Q-NOVA® by Fulgar.

In addition to the “smart” masks, available for women, men and children, Iluna Group has created two special versions of Lace Masks, covered with refined lace. One embroidered on a cotton base and one with soft microfiber.

Rosti, historic knitwear factory based in Brembate specialized in the design and production of cycling clothing with the best technical fabrics and the most advanced technologies, has put its experience at the service of the production of protective masks washable up to 20 times, made with Sitip fabric and with the anti-drop treatment Ecoacquazero®. Fascinating and protective like a second skin, the masks are sold in a pack of 10 pieces with captivating, colorful, geometric and original graphics, designed for every personality.

Rosti masks contain the premium stretch fiber ROICA™ Resistance, a family of premium stretch yarn with particular performances of resistance and durability.

• Launched by SCOTT Sports Racing Team with Sitip, Rosti and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei

The collection was designed starting from the needs of the athletes with the aim to offer them the best solution in terms of style and ergonomics, high performance, easy maintenance and perfect fit being also sustainable.

Ispo 2020 saw the celebration of the partnership started last year between Scott Racing Team, Rosti, Sitip and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei for the supply of the team riders’ uniforms. Rosti worked on style and packaging, Sitip on technical fabrics ‘BE-HOT - Heat Generating fabrics’, while ROICA™ provided its premium stretch ingredient. The collaboration carries an interesting news: uniforms are not just highly performing but also, and above all, sustainable.

Sitip created the Native fabric entirely made with recycled yarns and featuring the premium high performing  ROICA™ EF elastomer. The yarn is certified GRS - Global Recycled Standard certification (and also provides special dyeability) with Rosti’s design and high care garment manufacturing.

The main rider of Scott Racing Team Italy, the young and award-winning champion Juri Ragnoli, the “end user” of the uniforms, explaines the requirements that garments should possess in order to meet the sporting challenges that await athletes: breathability, comfort on the skin, performance, durability of the shape and maintenance of the characteristics throughout the course of use of the garment. When asked about the arrival of a new sustainable uniform, the champion said that “it’s right and important to take this direction, which perfectly meets the team’s values, as love for nature and respect for the environment. It will be nice to wear something that follows exactly what you believe in”.

• The PREMIUM GROUP in Berlin is cancelling its PREMIUM and SEEK trade shows for this summer season, as well as the FASHIONTECH conference – in collaboration with the leading global digital B2B marketplace, JOOR, there is still a guaranteed trading option.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, in April the dates of the PREMIUM GROUP’s events were provisionally moved from the original schedule of 31 June-2 July 2020 to 28 -30 July. Now, the Federal and State governments have decided to cancel large-scale events with over 1,000 visitors until 31 August 2020.
     
A statement from Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the PREMIUM GROUP: 

“We greatly regret the decision of course, especially after the success of our January events. The ban on large-scale events has been around for some time and has been publicly discussed. It hurts us to do it, but we are also conscious of our responsibility. If cancelling our trade shows, conferences and parties contributes to the safety of our customers and visitors, then we have to take this step.
 
We are in close contact with all our brands and partners and have spent the last four weeks discussing possible approaches, concepts and new focal topics for the summer. The bottom line is that digitalisation is clearly the focus. It’s all about using the time over the next few months sensibly. The timing for brands and retailers is now right – all market participants are aware of the necessity of this.

We have been working closely with JOOR, the leading B2B marketplace globally, for around a year, after successfully integrating our own digital platform, Veee.com. JOOR has digitalised the entire procurement process and ensures a seamless, functioning wholesale process on an international scale – both for brands and retailers.
 
We shall shortly be offering webinars on this and can offer our customers an optimal, digital ordering solution so as to use this time of the pandemic efficiently. We are very happy with this option and our year-long investment in the topic of digitalisation. This has come good for us now.
 
Our trade show formats have been about more than just ordering for a long time now. They are about encounters, emotion, inspiration, communication and, finally, the fashion community getting together. Although lots can take place digitally nowadays, it doesn't replace physically meeting up in person. We have seen this more than ever in the present situation.
 
We are going to work on new concepts for 2021, and we will liaise with the key stakeholders in Berlin and with all others too to ensure we hit the ground running again. We’re taking on the challenge and will come back to the industry when we have news.”

Rest of the Mills to Complete Assessments and Comply by 2023

Sateri’s mill in Fujian, China, has been verified to comply with the European Union Best Available Techniques (EU-BAT) standard. Verified by independent consultant Sustainable Textile Solutions (STS), a division of BluWin Limited (UK), the parameters of the standard assessed included resource utility efficiency, wastewater discharge and air emission.

In the assessment report, STS noted that all of Sateri Fujian’s mill parameters assessed were within the range of EU-BAT limits. Notably, its energy intensity, sulphur to air, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were well under EU-BAT norms. With the use of cutting-edge technologies for air emissions control, the total sulphur recovery rate is over 98%. Sateri Fujian accounts for over 20% of Sateri’s annual total production capacity.
The compliance with EU-BAT standard comes on the back of several key manufacturing and product related industry certifications and standards which Sateri has attained. These include OEKO-TEX®’s MADE IN GREEN, STeP, and STANDARD 100. Sateri is one of the world’s first viscose producers to complete the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) 3.0 assessment. Sateri is also part of the multi-stakeholder Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) manmade cellulose fibre working group, which is developing guidelines to reduce environmental emissions. As a founding member of the Collaboration for Sustainable Development of Viscose (CV), Sateri is supporting the development of CV’s 2025 Roadmap which considers industry best management practices and global certification standards.