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Welspun has been awarded a Made In Green label by Oeko-Tex. This is a traceable consumer sustainability label that indicates that textiles have been tested for harmful substances and manufactured in environmentally and socially responsible facilities. Welspun, a manufacturer of home textiles, is the first Indian manufacturer to be awarded the Oeko-Tex for bed and bath textile products.
To qualify for the label, Welspun products underwent independent testing which verified the textiles are free from dangerous levels of chemical substances. In addition, Welspun facilities were evaluated and certified to the STeP by Oeko-Tex standard that confirms that manufacturing processes comply with multiple guidelines for sustainable textile production.
Made In Green is a label that is traceable and transparent. Consumers can enter a product’s unique ID code on the Made In Green website or scan the label’s QR code with their smart phones. These links will quickly authenticate the label, an important benefit for busy shoppers, and provide visibility into every component of the production stream.
The label supports retailers in their efforts to offer more sustainable products to consumers. The label clearly and quickly communicates to shoppers that the products have been tested for harmful substances and made with respect for employees, communities, and the planet.
A conference on Research, Innovation and Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) was held in the US from September 12 to 14, 2017. The theme centered around nonwovens and engineered fabrics. Technology scouts and product developers who attended left fortified with valuable solutions, new ideas and connections.
The conference attracted over 140 technical professionals, industry experts, scientists and R&D specialists who discussed on leading-edge topics in future manufacturing, moisture management, 3-D nonwoven structures, wet laid nonwovens, advanced materials, biomaterials, machinery, corporate R&D hurdles and other topics.
RISE is a technical conference where product developers and nonwovens scientists came together in one place to share their innovation stories. The balanced number of researchers from academia and industry created a good mix of applied research and fundamental science-based knowledge. Visitors were updated on major research trends and directions.
Whether one was looking for high tech materials, such as programmable fabrics, or potential sustainable solutions to meet customer needs and organizational targets, RISE offered new thinking.
The RISE poster session offered industry professionals an excellent opportunity to meet over 20 talented graduate students and explore new processes, structures, coatings, polymers, and applications in their poster presentations.
Presentations that inspired new ideas included such concepts as trending patent indicators in higher loft nonwovens and transforming fibers into devices for fabric applications in audio and social media.
Texworld is being held in France, September 18 to 21. This year the event sees the debut of Texworld Denim. Around 60 global manufacturers specializing in denim are displaying their products. Out of these, 47 are from China, six from Pakistan, three from India, one from Bangladesh and one from Canada.
Texworld and Apparel Sourcing Paris have always had denim and jeans manufacturers in past editions. In past seasons, the show hosted some jeans and denim manufacturers but they were scattered. This time, the organizers decided to merge exhibitors from Texworld denim segment, mostly offering fabrics, with those from Apparel Sourcing pavilion, specializing in garment manufacturing. In order to help visitors find denim specialists faster, they named it Texworld Denim.
The new section will host a Social Village, an area presenting a trend forum and including an area for conferences where industry insiders will have the opportunity to discuss the hottest topics. A catwalk show will present the best products from exhibitors.
Texworld features international manufacturers specialising in fabrics, trimmings and accessories. Over 100 exhibitors will be coming to Texworld to attend the show for the very first time. South Korea, Thailand, Pakistan and India will again offer pavilions with more than 20 exhibitors.
Textile Asia held in Pakistan from September 16 to 18, 2017 saw numerous orders and MoUs signed for investment in Pakistan through joint ventures with local companies. Around 52,000 trade visitors registered their presence at the textile fair. The machinery and equipment displayed at the exhibition were of immense utility to manufacturers producing value added products for increasing the volume of exports. Local businessmen are expected to benefit from this technology by adding value to their products.
Textile Asia also featured businessmen to businessmen meetings, many industry-related presentations and seminars on the textile sector. The textile sector’s whole chain was invited to attend the largest textile show to be held in Pakistan. Exhibiting countries included Austria, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, USA etc.
The exhibition was aimed at focusing on the textile industry of Punjab, the potential of its textile and garment machinery, accessories, raw material supplies, chemicals and allied services. Around 80 per cent of Pakistan’s textile industry is located in this province. The exhibition also provided an effective platform for joint ventures and collaborations for small and medium units in the textile sector.
Textile Asia was organized by the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) and E-Commerce Gateway Pakistan.
Orissa has vast potential for mulberry and eri silks. Both can be promoted in coastal areas. As of now, Orissa is a predominately tussar producing state as its rich endowment of forest, east coast and tribal population enhance agro-climatic conditions for turras forestry. As many as 20,000 tribal families in the state are practicing sericulture, of which more than 16,000 are tussar farmers and 500 mulberry farmers. About 90 per cent of the total silk produced in Orissa is from tasar. Of 125 tons of silk produced in the state last year, 115 tones was of tussar silk. Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh are the three major turssar producing districts as those contribute 90 per cent of the tasar silk production in the state.
While Karnataka is producing 60 per cent of the mulberry, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra contribute 10 per cent each and the rest is contributed by Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and other states. Since Orissa is now getting the basic eri seed from Assam and Tamil Nadu, a seed farm will be opened at Koraput. Two clusters will focus more on increasing production of mulberry. Farmers are being encouraged to go for more mulberry farming as it is priced high compared to other silks available in the country.
Going ahead with its corporate sustainability plan to reduce its carbon footprint Nike has announced the launch of Flyleather, a new leather material made from leather scraps. Hannah Jones, Nike Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of the Innovation Accelerator one of the greatest opportunities is to create breakthrough products while protecting our planet.
Flyleather reduces waste in leather manufacturing. In traditional leather processes, up to 30 percent of the cow's hide is thrown away. Similar to Nike's campaign in the 90s to recycle rubber from old sneaker soles, Nike has now gone to tanneries and gathered up their scraps to make a new fabric. Flyleather uses 50 per cent genuine leather and its hand feel can mimic the touch and fit of athletic leather, reminiscent of old basketball shoes. Nike fuses the scraps with synthetic fibers to create a new material that can be dyed and put on a roll to be cut like pleather.
Tony Bignell, Nike VP of Footwear Innovation says unlike with traditional leathers, Flyleather can be produced with a consistent grade across a broader range of product. Since the material is produced on a roll it can be used like a cut-and-sew fabric that maximizes yield and minimizes waste. From a sustainability standpoint, the Flyleather uses 80 to 90 percent less water than traditional leather and has half the carbon footprint.
The new fabric is 40 percent lighter than traditional leather and five times more durable than real leather in abrasion tests. Nike foresees using Flyleather in apparel and accessories as well as across multiple sport categories. The first Flyleather product called the Nike Flyleather Tennis Classic is now available at Nike's 21 Mercer, the Nike SoHo store and Dover street market in New York City.
The used look on denim garments is produced using potassium permanganate. However, potassium permanganate as a substance is particularly dangerous to the environment. It contains manganese, a heavy metal and not biodegradable. The CHT Group now presents OrganIQ Bleach an ecological alternative to potassium permanganate. This is an organic bleaching agent, free from heavy metals and chlorine and completely biodegradable. OrganIQ Bleach doesn’t contain persistent substances. Compared to potassium permanganate and chlorine bleach, neutralisation is not needed, just rinsing at the end of the process. The waste water is not polluted with toxic substances.
OrganIQ Bleach has excellent ecological bleaching properties and a good reproducibility. Technicians and designers from famous brands consider it to be even better, cleaner and with more contrasts than potassium permanganate. The slower reaction speed of OrganIQ Bleach compared with potassium permanganate and chlorine proves to be particularly decisive for getting a really sensational bleaching result. After all, it is especially this property that allows for achieving excellent, reproducible bleaching results while making enormous savings in water, time and energy.
Treatment does not take longer than a common stonewash but less subsequent steps are required. Average pick-up of garments is 25 per cent and there is practically no risk of damage to stretch denim.
Eco Vero is an environmentally friendly viscose fiber from Lenzing. Eco Vero fibers are made from wood, a natural and renewable raw material. The wood comes from sustainable forestry plantations. Lenzing’s wood sourcing policy ensures that the most sustainable wood sources are used for viscose production.
Lenzing’s viscose production sites where Eco Vero fibers are produced comply with the stringent guidelines of the EU Eco Label, a world-leading environmental manufacturing standard.
The EU Eco Label is a sign of environmental excellence and is awarded to products and services meeting high environmental standards throughout their lifecycles: from raw material extraction to production, distribution and disposal. In addition, the flagship viscose production in Austria uses a significant amount of renewable bio-energy in the manufacturing process.
A special manufacturing system enables Lenzing to identify Eco Vero fibers in the final product, long after the textile processing and conversion steps. Thus retailers and brands are fully assured that they are indeed incorporating the eco-friendly viscose, and not a generic market viscose.
The environmental awareness of consumers has been growing steadily over the last decade, more recently in the fashion and textile industry. Textile consumption is expected to double by 2025, and the industry is anxiously looking for more sustainable solutions with minimal eco-footprint. Achieving low environmental impact requires developing eco-friendly raw materials and a sustainable manufacturing process.
British Fashion Council (BFC) has entered a partnership with JD Fashion, China’s largest retailer. With China being the world’s second largest consumer and luxury market, and an increased interest from Chinese consumers for British designers, the partnership will allow BFC to help talent engage with Chinese market. It will be effective from January 2018.
JD Fashion will help designers that are part of BFC to enter an often difficult to navigate Chinese market and build their brands and form a deep, long-term relationship with the British fashion community. Britain’s design talent can thus increase its footprint in China.
Known for its focus on providing a premium luxury shopping experience for its upwardly mobile customers, JD Fashion has made a significant push in the sector over the last year, bringing in dozens of world-class brands and rapidly growing its share of the Chinese luxury market.
JD is known for protecting its brands against counterfeits, something very important as BFC needs to make sure that the creativity and excellence of its designers is protected. Earlier this year, JD created the world’s first luxury white glove service through which online luxury fashion purchases are hand-delivered in electric vehicles by couriers clad in distinctive suits.
Vastra will be held in Jaipur from September 21 to 24. This is a textile and apparel fair, that presents a fusion of finest and latest in textile products from fiber to fashion, services and technology. Over 250 exhibitors from 13 states will showcase their products. Around 300 overseas buyers from more than 50 countries and 200 representatives from around 100 Indian buying houses/agents are slated to attend the event.
Karnataka is participating as partner state, and Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal are participating as supporting states. Vastra will draw exhibitors looking to showcase a diverse range of textile and garment products of elite quality. The main items of exhibit at the show include fibers, yarns, fabrics, garments and apparels, made-ups and accessories, technical textiles, fashion trends, traditional textiles, technology and machinery and infrastructure for the textile industry in India.
Leading manufacturers and suppliers of plant and machinery, accessories, dyes, chemicals and technology suppliers, fashion designers, countries and states through specific pavilions, sectoral industry associations, international industry associations, research and development, education and training institutions form a major part of the show.
This is a platform to enter joint ventures, strategic alliances and partnerships worldwide, launch new products as well as harness new locations for setting up businesses in India. There will be live demos of traditional textile crafts, business fashion shows, conferences, networking events and more.
