During 2021, after having duly completed all the procedures for the patent application, Soko started the promotion of LUMIA, announcing this brand-new process as a future chapter of the jeans washing industry.
“Many months have gone by, a lot of trials, collections and productions have been run, and now we can definitely say that the promise has been kept,” said Matteo Urbini, Soko’s managing director. Results are showing that thanks to LUMIA, two of the most wanted enemies of the sustainable future of jeans washing have been caught: hypochlorite and potassium permanganate. “In fact, LUMIA can be simply acclaimed as the ‘future of fading,’ either for local application for which permanganate is traditionally used, as well as for full garment bleach if evenly applied all over, where hypochlorite is traditionally used.”
A versatile and easy application of the product allows the operator to choose the look he or she wants to convey to the final garment, then, thanks to the ozone machine, which is commonly available in the washing industry, the LUMIA is activated in a safe and controlled environment.
Why is LUMIA so revolutionary?
LUMIA has blazed a trail as the first product in this field to use ozone in dry conditions for the activation of the process, instead of being an oxidizing agent itself. Until now, dry ozone was mainly used for cleaning purposes, then Soko, moving out of known realms, invented LUMIA. This completely changed the concept of fading—not merely replacing traditional methods, but setting a totally new path.
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In doing so, LUMIA gave a new sense to the ozone application, producing a fading bleach effect in dry conditions—a milestone we believe was never seen before. LUMIA works both inside the fiber and superficially, in order to decolorize the fabric and at the same time, increase contrasts, details, salt-and-pepper effects, and laser or manual abrasions. “It’s actually even better than conventional bleach methods made by hypochlorite, which usually construct a ‘flat’ look,” said Urbini.
Benefits & sustainability savings
LUMIA’s main strengths are summarized below:
- Sustainable: it is a single product replacing both hypochlorite and permanganate
- Water-Free: it can be preferably applied by nebulization
- Dry: the ozone is activated in dry conditions
- Consistent in Bulk: garments treated with LUMIA can be also activated hours later without issues on fabric or look
- Better Strength: the result of fabric tearing strength tests after LUMIA are better than the conventional hypochlorite process
- Premium Wash Look: contrasts, details, salt-and-pepper effects and abrasion looks are more evident than in conventional bleach, which usually yields “flatter” looks
- More Sustainable: LUMIA helps reduce water consumption, duration of the enzyme wash, use of hazardous chemicals, and the removal of stones
“All these points are the result of extended trials and experience, making LUMIA an exciting turning point in the washing industry,” said Urbini. “This can also be considered a ‘a point of no return,’ because after achieving such amazing advantages and results, it seems pretty evident that the industry will not go back to its conventional methods.”
Finally, Soko is proud to announce that after having filed the patent application at the beginning of this journey and after having successfully passed the exam of the Italian Patent Office Authority, the application has been extended to many countries that are major world players in both denim production and consumers. “Thanks to this extended protection, Soko aims to defend future buyers, consumers and producers from misuse and counterfeiting,” said Urbini. “Beware of imitations!”
To learn more about Soko’s revolutionary LUMIA process, click here. Or visit them at Kingpins Show in Amsterdam, April 20-21, Area 4, booth 85.