California Apparel News

Offerings range from “man-made greens” to smarter fibers and new developments in denim.

The latest word in textile technology is “sustainability” as the makers of man-made fibers join the eco movement with green offerings of their own.

Dupont has been in the vanguard of the “man-made greens” with its Sorona fiber, which is made using a renewable resource—corn. At the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim and Miami SwimShow, Sorona will be on the runway in the L*Space collection, which is testing the fiber in its popular “Slinky” capsule line during the fashion and trade event. Sustainability and swimwear meet in the new collection by Buena Park, Calif.–based Eco-Panda, which recently introduced a collection of swimwear made with a recycled nylon product called Mipan Regen, made by Korea-based fiber maker Hyosung.

Made from post-consumer waste, Mipan Regen offers the performance benefits of nylon in a sustainable product. According to the fiber maker, recycled nylon is made with a 27 percent reduction in petroleum resources in a process that emits 28 percent fewer greenhouse gases.

The sustainable fiber fits with Eco-Panda’s green initiative, which includes using recycled packaging material and eco-friendly shipping methods. In addition to the core Eco-Panda juniors line, the recycled material is also prominent in two new collections, Eco-Panda Kids and ECO-uture, a couture line that is in the works. The sustainable swim collection was on the runway in June in San Diego at Ocean magazine’s “Summer 2009 Swimwear Fashion Debut” at the Hard Rock Hotel.

French chemical company Arkema is also looking at plant-based resources to create sustainable synthetics. The company recently launched Rilsan PA11, a nylon fiber made from vegetable resources. Touting the fiber as lightweight with a soft hand and resistant to bacteria, wear and abrasion, Arkema said Rilsan PA11 is well-suited for use in clothing, footwear and luggage.

Invista, maker of Lycra, also has an eco initiative, called “Planet Agenda,” which launched last year. Under the initiative’s guidelines, Invista looks to “minimize the environmental footprint of synthetic fibers and reduce the environmental impact of consumer garment use.” The company’s efforts span the gamut—from using recycled resources to introducing easy-care characteristics that prolong the life of the final product. Smarter fibers

In recent years, sustainability has been central to the marketing message of Lenzing, makers of Tencel and Modal, two fibers made from wood pulp. Tencel gets its cellulosic base from wood pulp, primarily eucalyptus trees. Modal fiber is made from wood pulp from beechwood trees. According to Lenzing, the trees used to make Tencel are grown on marginal land without the use of pesticides or herbicides and are not genetically modified.

At the TexWorld USA trade show in New York, Lenzing will be promoting the addition of Tencel to denim. According to the fiber maker, an addition of 25 percent Tencel to a conventional cotton denim fabric will result in a savings in terms of the land used for cotton cultivation and the water used to irrigate thirsty cotton crops. According to Lenzing, the cultivation of conventional cotton uses 20 times more water than all the Tencel production processes. A cotton/Tencel denim blend also reduces the water used in the wash process, according to Lenzing.

And while green business practices remain central to Lenzing’s mission, the fiber maker’s latest development stresses fiber’s smart characteristics. Tencel’s latest incarnation features UV sun protection.

Tencel Sun, which will bow at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, features permanent UV protection thanks to a pigment that is incorporated into the fiber and wicking characteristics to help with moisture management.

Unlike microencapsulation, Tencel Sun’s UV pigment is added to the lyocell dope before spinning the Tencel fiber. The level of UV protection depends on the fabric construction, but a T-shirt developed for Austrian avalanche and trench workers was found to have an ultra-violet-protection level of 110, according to Lenzing’s Andreas Guuml;rtler. Austrian label Chillaz will feature several garments using the fabric at the upcoming OutDoor trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and additional garments will be on display at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City.

For Dow Fiber, the future isn’t so much sustainable as it is skinny—as in skinny jeans that are comfortable and retain fit thanks to four-way stretch. The company, a division of Dow Chemical Co., recently launched Re:Flex4, a multi-dimensional stretch patent-pending technology for its Dow XLA fiber, an olefin-based stretch fiber that was created to enhance the authentic look and characteristics of denim. Debuting at Denim by Premiegrave;re Vision, the denim show at Premiegrave;re Vision in Paris, Re:Flex4 was launched to address denim designers’ requests for a fiber that would enhance fit and comfort without sacrificing the traditional look of the fabric. Dow XLA was created to maintain the cotton feel of denim and retain stretch characteristics throughout the wash process. In addition, denim yarns made with Dow XLA can be rope-dyed, which helps maintain color consistency throughout larger production lots.

The rollout of Re:Flex4 comes with hangtags identifying the garment as having “contoured four-way flexibility for a custom-like fit.” In addition, Dow has produced an instructional manual for contractors and manufacturers to assist in the processing of denim with Re:Flex4.

A number of manufacturers—including Paige Premium Denim, 7 For All Mankind and J. Crew—are already producing apparel using the stretch fiber. Re:Flex4 will bow in the United States at the Kingpins denim show in New York.