Diesel is taking antiviral fashion to a new level with its latest partnership with Swedish chemical company Polygiene, which got its start in garment protection technology during the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s.
The companies worked together on a finishing treatment that prevents 99 percent of viruses—including those that cause COVID-19—from attaching to fabric. Used exclusively in Diesel denim, Polygiene’s ViralOff technology will be applied to a selection of the brand’s Spring/Summer 2021 styles. Diesel has plans to incorporate the technology into additional garments in the future.
“Polygiene ViralOff represents an especially critical response in protecting customers,” the brand noted in a statement. “Safety and public responsibility have never been more important, and Diesel prides itself on innovating and adapting to the world’s evolving situations quickly and responsibly.”
This isn’t Diesel’s first foray into anti-viral fashion. In June, the brand incorporated Nearchimica’s protector shield technology into its unisex Upfreshing capsule collection that featured Spring 2020 garments updated with an antimicrobial and antibacterial finishing process. The collection included jeans, logo hoodies, T-shirts and long-sleeved shirts.
Antiviral and antimicrobial technologies have been a top priority in the material innovation industry, as more consumers shift their focus toward safety and hygiene in the time of coronavirus. Turkish denim mill Calik Denim, as well as fabric developer PG Denim and chemical specialist Rudolf, have been working on finishing technologies that offer these kinds of protections.
