Three brands are back at it again to change the game in performance denims. In part of its ongoing partnership with INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand and Lenzing TENCEL™, Artistic Milliners has debuted its latest denim collection: ‘SuperCharged Noir,’ a bold, black performance denim portfolio inspired by “5S” performance attributes, powered by CORDURA® brand and TENCEL™ fiber technologies. Cindy McNaull, global CORDURA® brand and marketing director, Tricia Carey, director of global business development at Lenzing, and Ebru Ozaydin, SVP of sales and marketing at Artistic Milliners dive into the inspiration behind the collection below.
What are consumers looking for in today’s denim?
McNaull: Today’s consumers are on the move, with a constant need to transition from one place to the next. They are seeking versatile products they can wear throughout the day; products that are not only soft, but durable and strong also. And as the needs of consumers change, we have to adapt our fabrics as well. For us as consumers, it’s about the way a product looks and feels, but also a product that can provide them the option to continually wear and use while maintaining their durable quality. Following today’s consumer trends, we are able to take our CORDURA® Denim portfolio and innovate to meet the unmet needs and performance requirements we have been hearing from the marketplace.
Ozaydin: The denim market is multi-segmented, with each segment having different shopping habits and expectations. Therefore, there is not one single type of consumer we cater to. In general, they look for authentic products elevated with technological advancements that are produced responsibly.
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Tell us about the inspiration behind the new collaborative SuperCharged Noir collection.
Carey: After researching the wants and needs of today’s consumers, we set a goal to bring a powerful, dark denim to the marketplace. In combining TENCEL™ Modal Black and INVISTA nylon 6,6 BLACK SDN® fiber technology, we knew we would be able to achieve that product. The collection not only addresses the need for a long-lasting black color, but also touches on the other trends we see consumers are looking for today, including softness and sustainability.
What performance attributes do the SuperCharged Noir denims have, and what makes these fabrics different than others on the market?
Ozaydin: The SuperCharged Noir collection was inspired by five components, via its “5S technology:” stay-true color, enhanced strength, engineered soft comfort, sustainable innovation and performance stretch. The fabrics are designed to stand up to the challenges of an active lifestyle to combine durability and flexible comfort.
McNaull: By integrating our latest state-of-the art INVISTA nylon 6,6 BLACK SDN® fiber technology we’re able to bring a new dimension in stay true color and enhanced strength and abrasion resistance to the collection, while TENCEL™ fibers and Artistic Milliners complement those attributes with added color fastness, softness, sustainability and stretch. This collection introduces a different angle that the marketplace has been aiming for: a durable fabric with added color-fastness to help clothes look and stay newer longer. The collection is infused with color-fastness locked in at the fiber level for excellent shade consistency and long-lasting vibrancy.
Who is the target market for this denim—any particular segments?
Carey: For this collection, it’s really about having value and versatility—especially since these features are important for both men’s and women’s offerings. Over the past several seasons, we’ve seen more interest in black denim, whether it’s for trucker jackets, dresses or regular five-pocket jeans. And with that, we’ve seen the consumer looking for a product that stays black after multiple washes, providing that benefit of a lasting product. Here, what we’re trying to do is provide that value and really make sure that the supply chain can bring that innovation to the retailers, the brands, and ultimately to the consumer.
Ozaydin: The SuperCharged Noir collection aims to reach both “fashion” and “workwear” brands as well as kids’ wear designers who are looking for a durable, comfortable and responsible denim product for their customers.
How has the partnership with CORDURA® brand, Artistic Milliners and TENCEL™ continued to evolve, and what can we expect to see in the near future?
Ozaydin: At Artistic Milliners, we believe in the power of collaboration. Today, we all need each other to create new technologies and better products for a smarter consumer. The development cycle is continuous, which leads us to learn from each other and share our experience and collective wisdom. We created the ‘SuperCharged Noir’ Denim collection with CORDURA® brand and TENCEL™ fibers by implementing the latest in smart and sustainable fiber technology, which we feel will be the next evolution in performance denim.
Carey: Together, we share the same belief that innovation begins with collaboration. Initially, this partnership began with just a soft technology, TENCEL™, in combination with long-lasting CORDURA® fiber to translate the two technologies into a softened strength solution. Now over the years, it has evolved into studying the unmet needs of the consumer and solving new problems for a new generation.
McNaull: Over the years, our collaboration has proved that together we are dedicated to using innovation to bring new groundbreaking products to the marketplace. Through our continued partnership, we’re able to bring together our collective strengths and challenge ourselves to offer the innovative and eco-efficient solutions of tomorrow. The next evolution we’re going to be revving up is the motorcycle market. We’re going to be bringing forth not only an abrasion story, but complementing that with extremely high tear strength.
To learn more about the SuperCharged Noir collection, visit www.cordura.com.