From the Sector

The steering committee for the Denim Deal has announced that Haelixa, the Swiss standard in physical traceability, is approved as a new signature. The Denim Deal is an international collaboration of more than 50 private and public sector companies united in the commitment to produce denim more circularly.

The Denim Deal aims to close the loop and achieve change in the value chain. Based in Amsterdam, the group is working towards a circular economy where textile waste no longer exists. The brand and manufacturing members pledge to work towards using 5% recycled post-consumer cotton in all future denim collections and produce 3 million denim jeans made with 20% recycled post-consumer cotton.

Coordination of the Denim Deal is led by Roosmarie Ruigrok, where the objective is to unite potential allies who have made the journey to circularity a priority. She has been working to improve sustainability in textiles for more than two decades and is an expert on enrolling the correct stakeholders to instigate change. Ruigrok states, "a circular supply chain in the textile industry is like a well-prepared machine - it ensures that every part of the production process runs smoothly, from sourcing post-consumer materials to delivering well-made finished products to customers. It not only drives efficiency and profitability but also builds trust among stakeholders and fosters sustainable practices - we welcome Haelixa who offers a trustful traceability solution."

Over the last few years, the demand for the technology in recycled denim has grown as brands are asked to validate their recycling claims. Haelixa’s unique DNA solution marks and traces fibers from the source to retail. Using DNA to mark the recycled post-consumer cotton, Haelixa substantiates claims by testing the final garment to validate that the marked waste is present.

The Denim Deal is pushing to lead the change in how denim is made. Changing the standards of operation is always challenging, and traceability is a key to authenticating recycled claims. “We are committed to promoting the use of recycled fibers through traceability and thrilled to align with this group,” said Holly Berger, Haelixa’s Marketing Director. “The goals of the Denim Deal support our vision for a circular economy.”

FIRE+ICE extends its collaboration from last Winter 2022 with US-based artist Gregory Siff, launching another collaboration for Spring/Summer 2023.

Inspired by the sun-drenched streets and iconic beaches of Los Angeles, artist Gregory Siff's unique artwork and storyboards celebrate the vibe of LA in summer.
The new prints, including surfboards, palm trees and waves are featured on a variety of styles for men and women, including shirts, hoodies, pants and accessories.

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 grand finale of the anniversary year: 90 years of athluxury sports fashion. 2022 was marked by spectacular celebrations around 90 years of BOGNER. This special year came to an end last weekend with an exclusive event in the top ski resort of Kitzbühel/Austria.

Together with the Kitzbühel tourism region, invited guests, consisting of influencers, loyal customers, and local heroes were able to experience Kitzbühel and the surrounding area up close on Thursday, December 8th and Friday, December 9th. Activities such as Skidoo and horse carriage rides, the Advent market, haute cuisine and a visit to probably the oldest ski hut in the world Sonnbühel brought the guests closer to the exclusive tourist region – all under the motto „Frozen Riviera“, BOGNER‘s unique anniversary capsule collection.

After the exciting day‘s activities, an exclusive event in the newly renovated BOGNER store in Kitzbühel marked the end on Friday afternoon. Matching the first snowfall of the season, the latest BOGNER styles were discovered in a cozy atmosphere with special drink creations.

The philosophy guiding Officina39's innovation and development ranges fluidly between exploration of color, denim heritage and artistic expression, but has sustainability and the search for environmentally friendly chemical solutions for the fashion industry as its cornerstones. This is the core vision that accompanied the Italian company, when presenting its latest technologies and collaborations at Denimsandjeans in Tokyo from November 1-2.

Denim & Art
Juan Manuel Gomez, Officina39 Creative Leader, represents the company’s multidisciplinary approach and combines artistic expression with a thorough technical experience. His explorations were drawn on the Denim Art Wall at the fair. Furthermore, in the interactive seminar “Art & Denim As A Process Of Repetition” he explained that there is a constant act of repetition as automatic drawing or pictorial act in the processes of the textile industry.

The SS24 collection
The Multicolor Denim Dreaming collection is a combination of several Officina39’s sustainable key technologies:

• Nebudye D: a wide range of fresh colors to obtain a unique dyeing effect in nebulization/fog system machinery and can be discharged in a creative way with Oz-One Powder, an advanced product to give garments a bleached yet eco-friendly treatment, and Remover IND/J-N, Officina39’s solution to replace the use of Potassium Permanganate (PP) on denim and obtain a worn and distressed vintage look.
• Novantic series: a combination of selected dyestuffs with a special mordanting agent suitable to obtain surface dyeing to provide vintage or old look effects.
• Recycrom™: a patented dyestuffs range obtained through a cutting-edge upcycling process that involves textile fibers from used clothing and manufacturing waste for dyeing and printing applications. Its sustainable and revolutionary powders assure a whole universe of denim effects: from classic authentic vintage to acid wash look (Eco Marble), from printed effect (Indigo Replica) to worn and distressed vintage look (Recycrom™ Dirty).
• Just One Step Process: an innovation that saves time, energy, space and of course water, by combining several phases of the Aqualess Mission at the same time: a raw garment enters the machine and a garment with a basic vintage effect comes out ready to be dried, already treated, bleached and softened.
• Remover Activator: a technology that in combination with PP replacement products creates in one step general bleaching, localized corrosion and highlights effects on jeans.

RHEON LABS, a fast-growing materials technology company based in Battersea, London, has completed an extensive 6 month trial with FET, a world leader in laboratory and pilot meltspinning equipment. Backed by a £173,000 grant from Innovate UK for feasibility studies, RHEON LABS has further developed its RHEON™ technology, a reactive polymer that dynamically stiffens when subjected to force. The technology can control energy of any amplitude or frequency, from small vibrations to forces at ballistic-speeds and therefore has a wide range of applications.
 
This Innovate UK Smart Grant-backed project aims to develop a hyper viscoelastic fibre from RHEON™ which displays high strain-rate sensitive properties. Creating a fibre with unique strain-rate sensitive properties will be a world first. It will enable the creation of a 'breakthrough-generation' of stretch textiles that can actively absorb, dampen and control energy during movement, rather than simply acting as a spring.

For close-fitting activewear and sports bras, the ability to actively control muscle mass or soft tissue movement during exercise will be a game-changing advancement. It will allow brands to engineer garments that relax during everyday use but actively stiffen during exercise for improved support and performance.
The Innovate UK grant was awarded under the category of Hyper-Viscoelastic Fibre Extrusion for Textile Manufacture. Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) enabled the customer trials at its bespoke Fibre Development Centre in Leeds, England using its in-house FET-103 Monofilament meltspinning facilities, in harness with RHEON and FET technical operatives. The next phase will be to upscale the trials of preferred materials on RHEON’s own new FET-103 meltspinning line, with FET’s continued support and expertise on hand.
 
Creating a fibre with unique strain-rate sensitive characteristics could be as radical a change in the market as the initial introduction of stretch fibre with the launch of Lycra™. The textiles would have a multitude of beneficial properties and would provide significantly less compression in the garment than conventional materials, substantially improving user comfort, support and performance.

Monforts has installed and commissioned a new Montex finishing range at the Baltic Works of Halley Stevensons in Dundee, Scotland, to further boost the weatherproofing specialist’s highly flexible operations.

The range, with a working width of two metres, was built at the Montex assembly plant in Austria and consists of a Montex®Coat coating unit in knife execution for paste and foam coating and a Montex 8500 6F stenter.

Founded in 1864, Halley Stevensons has amassed unique technical know-how and manufacturing experience in the art of waxed cotton for weatherproofed fabrics and is able to provide international orders in custom colours and finishes to very low minimum quantities where required. The company exports worldwide and its premium brand customers include Belstaff, Barbours, Filson and J.Crew.

The range has replaced one of the company’s older stenter/coating lines and has already enabled Halley Stevensons to recreate various products with lower coating applications at higher speeds than was previously possible.

Waxed cotton was originally developed by sailors in the early 15th century when Scottish North Sea herring fleets began treating flax sailcloth with fish oils and grease in an attempt to waterproof their sails. Remnants of these sails were used by the sailors as capes to withstand the high winds and sea spray.

By the mid 1850s, sailcloth was being treated with linseed oil, but while initially highly effective, it would yellow and stiffen through weathering over time and eventually lose its waterproofing qualities.

In the years that followed, various treatments were applied to cottons in an attempt to find the most effective weatherproofing solution, and the combination of densely-woven cotton impregnated with a paraffin waxed coating proved most successful. For over 150 years, Halley Stevensons created many different variations of both woven constructions and finishing treatments and now supplies thousands of metres of waxed cotton every year, with each roll produced to custom specifications.

“The beauty of waxed cotton is its durability and longevity,” says Managing Director James Campbell. “The fabrics are breathable, with the wax adjusting to ambient temperatures to be softer and more breathable in warm weather and stiffer and more wind proof in cold conditions.”
While traditional waxes are petroleum or paraffin based, Halley Stevensons has always been comfortable about using a waste product from industry and reusing it to make products that last a lifetime.  

“We are always exploring different finishing techniques and one of our most popular finishes is our hybrid aero – an emulsified blend of waxes,” Campbell says. “This fabric is water repellent but has little wax in the mixture so the handle is much drier to touch than the traditional wet waxes.”

The company has also recently launched a new 100% plant-based wax – Ever Wax Olive – consisting of a blend of olive oil, rape seed and castor bean with comparable water repellence to petroleum and a far better rating than other natural waxes which have come before it.

“The high tradition of skills and fabric innovation imposed by our original guildsmen is still our benchmark standard of honest workmanship today,” Managing Director James Campbell concludes “We use responsibly sourced cotton fabrics and processes that are gentle to the product and low impact to the environment. Our dyeing methods use very low levels of water and our waxes are simply heated up for application and cooled down to store when not in use, meaning no waste discharges. Now, with this new Monforts line, we are also achieving running speeds two-to-three times faster than with the older stenter, combined with less gas usage. It’s proved a great partnership.”

Munich Fabric Start presents a new project-area that will take place during the next edition.
BLUEZONE with CATALYZER and KEYHOUSE will be the place to be for the blue community on 30 and 31 August. As a global key event for the denim industry, 90 international denim mills, weavers, manufacturers and suppliers will show their latest innovations and trends in the Zenithhalle, the Kohlebunker and the Kesselhaus.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will offer all visitors a deep dive into the Made in Italy supply chain with companies that have turbocharged growth by focusing on quality, innovation and research. Well-known and international companies that can make an important contribution to European and global brands.

From the production of trimmings and accessories, to the creation of unique fabrics, to the inspiration of new collections and their realization to the finishing of the garments, Made in Italy still represents the reality par excellence focused on ethical and sustainable production.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will allow all visitors an incredible journey into the Italian supply chain that has the ability to meet any demand of brands, from small to large production needs.

On the top floor of the Catalyzer Hall, it will be possible to view the individual collections of the companies in attendance and receive a beautiful gift specially created by the CADICA GROUP company from Carpi.

 
Participants
ACM - TRIMS AND ACCESSORIES PRODUCER
ACM was founded in 1982.
Since 1982, ACM has been providing the fashion world with unique, sought-after and customized details, guaranteeing prestigious and innovative workmanship. Each and every product is the result of the care we take at every stage of our production process: from the prototype, designed by putting the consumer's health first, to production with state-of-the-art machinery, which allows for fine workmanship and cutting-edge customization, while minimizing the impact on the environment (we are GRS certified) and complying with the strictest eco-toxicological regulations.

FASHION ART - LUXURY FASHION DESIGN
Fashionart is the brainchild of Andrea Rambaldi, who, after learning his trade from his parents, his mother a seamstress and his father the owner of a dye shop, decided to pursue a freelance career.
He began by collaborating with companies in the textile sector, where he deepened his knowledge in the field of chemistry and industrial processes, touching on the problems of processing cycles.
The real turning point came as a result of an important job for the Maison Chanel, which recognized the originality and effectiveness of his technical proposals. From that moment, this is 2008, FashionArt was born, a company focused on luxury fashion and design, expert in the design and production of garments.
From the idea to the final product, the company is able to support the client throughout the entire production process.
Since then, the company has grown and developed exponentially thanks to a team of managers, artists and experts whose experience makes them a benchmark in the high fashion industry. Fashionart operates exclusively in high fashion, a very difficult field in which to combine experience and technique with art and creativity, where our potential can be expressed to the fullest.

ELLETI - GARMENTS AND WASHING MAKER
Advocate of an approach that combines tradition, creativity, and innovation, for over 30 years Elleti Group has defined standards of absolute excellence for the denim industry. Born in the 80s in San Bonifacio, near Verona, the company developed in a one-of-a-kind context, a hotbed of ideas that led to the defining and establishing of new professions and skills in the field of denim treatment and garment personalization. Led by Luigi Lovato, right from the start the company established itself on the denim scene thanks to an ambitious and pioneering investment in new solutions. The following ten years mark an important growth which leads to the internationalization both of brand and production. After the implementing of a new department for garment dyeing, Elleti Group was ready to welcome the ever-increasing international demand, equipping itself with the first laundry in Tunisia, a country logistically central in the Mediterranean area, and as a result, ideal for the development of a complete textile supply chain. This successful story continues to unfold in the 2000s, a decade that marks the opening to the market of garment making thanks to two new structures in Romania, and peaks with the acquisition of Martelli Lavorazioni Tessili. Today Elleti Group stands firm in the market as a result of a complete offer that preserves the company’s artisanal vocation enriched through a constant process of responsible innovation.

In addition, companies BERTO INDUSTRIA TESSILE and OLIMPIAS GROUP will participate in the project by presenting their collections within their booths in the Catalyzer hall.

ISKO teams up with Paolo Gnutti, to break new ground in the world of premium, luxury denim. Combining ISKO’s advanced denim technologies with PG’s creative vision, the result is a special ISKO™ Luxury collection by PG, characterized by a unique high-end appeal.

The collection embodies ISKO’s most revolutionary technological innovations combined with the long-standing expertise of Paolo Gnutti, who explored aesthetics highly profiled to the unique needs of the luxury segment through 7 main moods:

1. Denim addicted, celebrating total denim looks, offering classic silhouettes mixed up with revised volumes and details;
2. Y2k, bringing back the 2000s typical style featuring exposed skin, low waist pants, micro tops, mini skirts, shrunken garments, butterfly decorations and embellishments;
3. Fanaticism, featuring bright, bold colors, intricate prints and logos combined with details that meet ample volume styles;
4. Bounder glam, all about glammed-up leather effects inspired by bikers' unapologetic style and applied to oversize fits, cutouts and lace-ups styles;
5. Moto’roll, where the iconic 60s and 70s biker style is back with a modern twist and a vast range of treatments and fabrics, offering men and women true crowdpleasers;
6. Gingham mania, an in-depth exploration of the gingham trend which finds expression through various dimensions and techniques that cater to any silhouette;
7. Rugged re-made, which celebrates workwear and historical garments creating a style that combines history with technologies, solutions and treatments to recreate that vintage look dear to the heart of lovers of denim heritage

FIRE+ICE introduces as a special highlight in the Fall/Winter season 2022 an exlusive collaboration with acclaimed American artist Gregory Siff. Gregory Siff is best known for his highly emotive style, which merges abstraction, pop and action painting. By using inks, acrylic and spray paint, he creates iconic elements, capturing time and nostalgia.

Gregory Siff applies his hand-signature in a special print story and creates iconic elements out of FIRE+ICE’s unique DNA and story, which begins with Willy Bogner’s 1986 film. He creates artworks in black and white or combined with bright colors, which are applied to the FIRE+ICE styles using various print and jacquard techniques.