Industry 4.0 transforms all industries. But fashion, in particular, benefits perhaps the most, opening up an extensive range of new functional and aesthetic possibilities for garments.
Smart clothes have indeed evolved as a promising opportunity for the fashion industry. Since the rise of wearables, intelligent apparel has recently appeared on the market. Biometric body analysis in sports and health care, as well as digital services as part of the Internet of Things environment, are just some of the product concepts and use cases.
Cosmo-Textiles: The next big thing?
The pharmaceutical and beauty industry also counts on innovations in the field of smart clothes and is investing in apparel made from therapeutical textiles.
According to the European Cosmetic Directive, cosmetotextiles are any textile product containing a substance or preparation that is released over time on different superficial parts of the human body, and containing special functionalities such as cleansing, perfuming, changing appearance, protection, keeping in good condition, or the correction of body odors.
It’s a dream premise—getting the perfect body simply by wearing the right clothing, whose active ingredients work as we carry on with our daily lives.
A marketing gimmick or the future of beauty?
Amazingly though, this is not an empty promise. Clothes infused with skincare ingredients have existed in various cultures, including India, Greece and Turkey, for centuries and their benefits have often been endorsed by modern science.
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After all, what could be a better way to maintain a continuous delivery of skincare ingredients to our body than something that’s worn right next to the skin?
The challenge till now though was to find a way of infusing the cloth fibers with formulas that would not wash out at first rinse. Also, there needed to be technology that would keep up constant interaction between the skin and the cloth, without the cloth feeling uncomfortable or sticky. Fortunately, the answers to these problems are increasingly becoming clearer with innovations in nanotechnology and micro-capsules.
However, many challenges remain.
A new business model in the making
From a business perspective, these developments make it necessary to reconsider product development approaches, business models and collaborations. Getting these innovations out of labs and into the hands of consumers requires collaboration between scientists, manufacturers and designers with a specific understanding of what consumers need.
The speed at which fashion companies generate new products is another major hurdle. In biotechnology, the timeline to develop an idea and take it to market can be eight to 15 years. Fashion doesn’t really have a history of having R&D that goes 10 years out. Mindsets need to change.
Further, the clothing made from the beauty product infused fabrics are typically more functional in nature, relying more on comfort than couture. Nevertheless, that should not make the garments any less fashionable.
Denim’s next frontier?
Of course, denim—the most useful fabric in the history—could not be out of that evolution.
In their latest episode of reinvention, denim brands also are taking on cosmetic qualities designed to add skin care. After washes, sustainable and organics, cosmetics could be one of the denim’s next frontiers.
FIBRA THERAPY by NAVEENA: Combining wellness with fashion
The challenge of creating the ideal jeans is never-ending. At Naveena, we take up this challenge, constantly investing in R&D and collaborations.
Our cosmetic denim line, FIBRA THERAPY, maintains the authentic look and feel of traditional denim while offering health, beauty, wellness benefits—in style.
- Thanks to its composition with active bio-ceramic crystals, BIO-FUNCTION DENIM absorbs heat from the human body then returns it in the form of distant infrared rays. These waves of natural thermal energy stimulate cutaneous micro-circulation. With increased collagen synthesis, the skin is firmer, softer and more elastic, reducing orange peel-like qualities.
- BIO-CARE DENIM combines viscose fiber and ocean collagen peptides, providing the most skin friendly denim ever—excellent for sensitive skin. Thermo-regulating, moisture wicking and deodorizing, it is also anti-static and UV CUT.
- Made from Copper based yarn, REMEDY DENIM inhibits bacterial, fungal and acarid growth providing natural anti-odor and hygienic protection.
- Thanks to an antimicrobial technology that uses silver, REFRESH DENIM provides odor protection for the life of the product.
Jeans: your new favorite beauty products of the future
When you look at fashion magazines, what do you see? The latest fashions on one page, the best in beauty on another.
Fashion and beauty have always closely been related, often making many wonder if the two industries could join forces.
Well, no one has to wonder anymore.
“Wearable skincare” is here.
Established in Pakistan in 1989, Naveena Denim Mills is specialized in manufacturing premium yarn and denim fabrics, constantly seeking the ultimate union of form and function by creative engineering and high sustainability. Employing over 2,000 people, the mill’s fully integrated state-of-the-art design, development and manufacturing facilities produce 18 million meters per year, offering flexible and exclusive services to partners in more than 40 countries.