Denim may be just one category within fashion, but in many ways, it’s leading the greater industry forward when it comes to sustainability.
And that may be because, as one of the most polluting categories, denim has been most closely watched for its adverse impacts.
To date, much of the innovation has been to curb traditional reliance on virgin cotton, harmful chemicals and dyes, and excessive water use — which experts cite as anywhere from 500 to 1,800 gallons — to make a single pair of jeans.
Along this road to cleaning up denim, the industry has stood out for its ability to innovate, cooperate and mobilize data while still leaning into its heritage.
If you ask Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, senior corporate social responsibility and sustainability executive at Turkish denim mill Isko, which supplies denim for Madewell and Los Angeles-based sustainable fashion label Reformation, innovation has ramped up in recent years.
“We have made great strides with creating denim products that are fully traceable and holistically responsible, definitely leading the rest of the industry in that sense — as denim has been scrutinized more in the past decade, it has incentivized us to innovate faster,” Guler said. “To truly define ‘sustainable denim,’ we must understand every step: from field to factory, shop floor, use phase and end of life. Each part has an important role to play in the end metrics and how we design. Sustainability, first and foremost, begins at the design phase. At Isko, this design phase begins with innovative yarn design and development process by a century experienced parent company, Sanko Tekstil.”
Although an early adopter of organic cotton, Isko has been developing a number of innovations under what it calls its “Responsible Innovation” approach, including its “fully responsible fabric initiative” called R-Two, named for its use of recycled and reused materials.
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“It is in the choice of the raw materials, the spinning, weaving, washing, finishing and the creating of the final garment. Every fabric we make, from traditional denim to our patented concepts, is the result of a careful assessment toward a key set of sustainability metrics. We call this mind-set our Responsible Innovation approach,” Guler said. “It goes beyond raw material selection, to impact our employees, and the processes and systems we have in place with the goal to deliver exceptional quality with sustainability in mind. It extends from the process and business model to the actual products.”
As with Isko’s R-Two development, responsible cotton alternatives like Tencel and Refibra, produced by 80-year-old textile manufacturer Lenzing, or Circulose, made by Swedish pulp fiber producer Re:newcell, are cropping up where, traditionally, cotton was king as companies today aim to minimize impact.
What matters now more than ever, in denim’s trajectory, according to Nicole Murray, denim industry veteran and founder of consulting group N-ovative, is finding cleaner ways to make jeans.
“During the last 20 years, key innovators and researchers in the industry dramatically changed sustainable denim,” she said. “By examining how fibers are created, it became clear that there was, and is, an opportunity to reduce the amount of water used in the process. Chemicals and finish innovation are also helping to reduce the environmental impact. Now the industry is embracing transparency; the where, how and who is manufacturing denim.”
Although an early adopter of organic cotton, Isko has been developing a number of innovations under what it calls its “Responsible Innovation” approach, including its “fully responsible fabric initiative” called R-Two, named for its use of recycled and reused materials.
“It is in the choice of the raw materials, the spinning, weaving, washing, finishing and the creating of the final garment. Every fabric we make, from traditional denim to our patented concepts, is the result of a careful assessment toward a key set of sustainability metrics. We call this mind-set our Responsible Innovation approach,” Guler said. “It goes beyond raw material selection, to impact our employees, and the processes and systems we have in place with the goal to deliver exceptional quality with sustainability in mind. It extends from the process and business model to the actual products.”
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As with Isko’s R-Two development, responsible cotton alternatives like Tencel and Refibra, produced by 80-year-old textile manufacturer Lenzing, or Circulose, made by Swedish pulp fiber producer Re:newcell, are cropping up where, traditionally, cotton was king as companies today aim to minimize impact.
What matters now more than ever, in denim’s trajectory, according to Nicole Murray, denim industry veteran and founder of consulting group N-ovative, is finding cleaner ways to make jeans.
“During the last 20 years, key innovators and researchers in the industry dramatically changed sustainable denim,” she said. “By examining how fibers are created, it became clear that there was, and is, an opportunity to reduce the amount of water used in the process. Chemicals and finish innovation are also helping to reduce the environmental impact. Now the industry is embracing transparency; the where, how and who is manufacturing denim.”
For more industry information, please pay attention to Knitting Fair.
Source: WWD
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Italy’s textile sector was severely hit last year by the COVID-19 pandemic due to decreasing demand from brands and consumers alike, but the country’s star companies continued to invest in extensive research and eco-friendly collections.
According to preliminary figures released by Confindustria Moda, the textile sector last year registered a 27.4 percent decline in sales in the January to October period to 5.48 billion euros, with exports falling 26.7 percent compared to 2019 levels.
“Companies are trying to keep up with the current situation especially as Asia is the only region showing positive signs of recovery and not all textile makers have the strength and means to export there, especially not in China,” said Milano Unica president Alessandro Barberis Canonico.
Exports to China decreased 32.4 percent in the first 10 months last year and Barberis Canonico noted that both the U.S. and countries in the European Union, except for Northern European ones, have seen dramatic downturns compared to pre-pandemic levels. This means a recovery is unlikely before 2023, or with the orders for the fall 2022 season.
While demand for formalwear fabrics, traditionally a prime sector, started to see signs of a downturn almost five years ago with the advent of the streetwear craze, in recent seasons luxury companies and fashion brands have resurrected it via new leisurewear-inspired silhouettes and fabrics that are breathable, lightweight and naturally comfortable, not to mention sustainable.
Tapping into the new hybrid trend blending formalwear with leisurewear-inspired silhouettes, Biella, Italy-based woolen mill Reda developed for its spring 2022 collection a ZQ-certified, mulesing-free and fully traceable pure merino wool suitable for jersey knit suits with a tactile feel.
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Part of its Reda Active line, the fabric leverages the natural qualities of merino wool, is breathable and boasts thermoregulatory features, which make it also appropriate for breezy and lightweight woolen shirts.
A focus on sustainable and comfortable suiting fabrics also took center stage in the spring 2022 collection of the Marzotto Wool Manufacturing Company, which is not compromising on its formalwear offering but at the same time recognizes today’s customers’ needs for easy-care textiles.
Banking on the ever-expanding trend for natural stretch fabrics, the mill has introduced the B-Dynamic+ range of woolen textiles, which are wrinkle-free and naturally elasticized thanks to mechanical processes that strengthen the stretch qualities of the fiber in warp and weft avoiding the use of chemical compounds. The family of fabrics is ideal for breathable and summery suits in classic solids such as midnight blue and gray.
Botto Giuseppe, a champion of sustainable research, continued to expand its Naturalis Fibra eco-friendly collection, breathing new life into to its Slowoolly and Slowool lineups by developing a range of super fine 160’s fabrics intended for duster coats and other sartorial outerwear options. The former is an RWS-certified, traceable, soft combed wool crafted into both super thin poplin and fishbone patterns and is suitable for women’s everyday dresses and overcoats, while the latter is a natural stretch option that retains its lightness, even in double face fabrics in contrasting patterns.
An organic, earthy mood ran through the spring 2022 collection developed by shirt-specialist Tessitura Monti, which banked on summery fabrics such as GOTS-approved linen and hemp, dyed using inorganic compounds derived from ferrous oxides treated with a polymer made from 40 percent renewable sources. The special dyeing technique provided a worn-out but refined look and feel for these fabrics, which are complemented by traditional options such as the striped Leicester Bio cotton poplin in pastel tones such as baby pink and ochre.
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Similarly, Canclini 1925, which is based in the outskirts of Como, the textile district in the Lombardy region, adopted a two-pronged approach for its spring collection nodding to the Hollywood days of yore. Drawing inspiration from James Bond’s penchant for striped shirts, the company offered several takes on the classic men’s wear item, some featuring oversize stripes in pastel hues, others with super thin iterations combining popsicle-inspired shades.
Like other competitors in the shirting arena, Canclini 1925 aims to expand its product assortment by offering indigo fabrics that can be used for casual chino pants and lightweight overshirts with camp collars featuring different motifs, including safari-inspired prints of wild animals referencing 1950s bowling shirts.
In maintaining its focus on its signature Sensitive Fabrics textile, Eurojersey played on the duality of traditional striped motifs and richer patterns including nocturnal and muted floral prints, as well as tie-inspired geometric and micro chevron motifs that would add a dash of character to sartorial shirts injected with extra comfort thanks to the breathable and comfortable fabric that Eurojersey has built its USP on.
At the forefront of sustainable innovation, high-end textile company Bonotto looked to Mother Nature to create its new bio-based and biodegradable fabrics. The textile firm sourced seaweed and crab shells to develop bio-based nylon and viscose cady fabrics, featuring smooth, fluid textures. At the same time, Bonotto sourced lyocell, a cellulose fiber made from dissolving pulp and then reconstituting it by dry jet-wet spinning, as well as Himalayan nettle and jute to realize biodegradable and compostable gabardines and canvasses.
In order to offer extra comfort, feminine tweeds showed textures evoking knitwear, while technical performance attributes were conveyed through rubber-coated tailoring wool, heat-sensitive cotton and fluorine-free, water-repellent outerwear fabrics.
Como-based Ratti also put the focus on performance, delivering silk and cotton fabrics with a ripstop finishing, as well as coated, jacquard and quilted ripstop textiles. Classic nylon twills were revamped to create viscose or nylon duvet cloths, while glossy or matte effects, as well as rubberized texture, were rendered on double face textiles, specifically conceived for outerwear.
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In keeping with its heritage in the world of prints, Ratti experimented with a range of patterns, spanning from kaleidoscopic tartans to nocturnal scenes combining dark tones and vibrant shades on silk and viscose twill, silk chiffon and Lurex. Tie-dye continued to steal the spotlight, along with prints of palm trees in a color palette of earthy tones mixed with acqua green, while wild animal patterns got a black-and-white graphic makeover.
For more industry information, please pay attention to Knitting Fair.
Source: WWD
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