Fiber and fabric companies are expanding their efforts to produce new materials that have a sustainable and comfort-first formula.
Lenzing and Hyosung, have teamed up to develop a Home Everywhere collection of performance fabrics that feature their renowned fibers and yarns to offer consumers comfortable, sustainable and attractive loungewear and activewear.
“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Hyosung this year to develop more eco-friendly fiber collections that offer the combination of everlasting softness, comfort and performance,” said Andreas Guertler, senior manager of global business development for active sportswear at Lenzing. “With Covid-19, consumers are becoming more mindful of the world around them, triggering a greater demand for sustainable products that can help safeguard the planet. At Lenzing, we are committed to collaborating with more like-minded industry partners like Hyosung, as we continue to promote greater sustainability through textile innovations.”
The Home Everywhere collection is comprised of three fabric concept groups that include a variety of blends featuring Lenzing’s cellulose fibers and Hyosung’s range of multi-function spandex, polyester and nylon fibers. One group is “Deep, Rich Color” featuring Hyosung’s Creora Color+ and Tencel modal fibers with Eco Color technology to provide all-over, saturated color. The “Soft Touch” collection highlights Hyosung’s recycled Regen Aerolight polyester with Tencel Modal fibers with micro technology for sustainable, ultra-soft and lightweight comfort, while a “Functional” collection includes Hyosung’s Mipan Aqua-X nylon with Tencel Lyocell fibers offering cool-touch, UV protection and moisture management.
“Our friends at Lenzing have been an ideal partner in the development of this innovative and sustainable fabric collection, which will enhance long-lasting comfort, performance and versatility consumers are craving in their apparel today,” Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, EMEA marketing director at Hyosung, said. “Collaboration is the way forward as the textile industry seeks creative and performance solutions throughout the value chain and to meet changing market dynamics.”
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Eastman, the producer of sustainably sourced Naia cellulosic fiber, has introduced its Naia Renew portfolio, sourced from 60 percent wood pulp and 40 percent recycled waste plastics.
Naia Renew cellulosic fiber is traceable with certified biodegradability that captures the value of hard-to-recycle materials that could otherwise be destined for landfills. It can be produced at scale to deliver sustainability without compromise.
“Naia Renew enables a circular economy for the fashion industry and helps brands meet their eco-conscious goals,” Ruth Farrell, global marketing director of textiles for Eastman, said. “We’re transforming what a fabric can be and do to meet the sustainability demands of our customers and to create a world where brands and consumers can be in fashion without compromising on quality and performance.”
Naia Renew is available as a filament or staple fiber. Eastman says Naia Renew filament features a silky hand, rich luster and fluid drape and is used to create fashionable women’s wear garments, while Naia Renew staple fiber is inherently soft and quick drying, with reduced pilling properties, making it ideal for casual wear.
Fully circular, Naia Renew is produced with a low carbon footprint in a closed-loop process where solvents are safely recycled back into the system for reuse. The fiber is made from wood pulp sourced from certified forests and the recycled plastics feedstock is generated through Eastman’s patented carbon renewal technology (CRT). CRT is an integrated, molecular recycling technology that breaks down waste plastics, such as post-consumer carpet fiber and plastic packaging materials, into basic molecular building blocks for the manufacture of new products, including fibers.
“Our vision is to make sustainable fashion accessible for everyone,” Farrell said. “We all need to play our parts to help fix the future and work together to protect our planet’s precious resources for the next generations. With Naia Renew, you can take an active role in conserving resources and fostering innovation, while demonstrating a passion for sustainability that resonates with consumers worldwide.”
The Movement addresses a market need for sustainable knitting fiber by developing Polylana fibers based on two sustainability pillars: the use of lower impact materials and full supply-chain transparency by identifying Polylana fibers in the final product.
Polylana fibers are said to use 76 percent less energy, 85 percent less water and release 92 percent less CO2 emission during production compared to acrylic fiber production. Polylana fibers also reduce energy emission during the dyeing process compared to recycled polyester, since they can be dyed at low temperatures, while recycled polyester must be dyed at a high temperature, the company said.
Using the Aware integrity solution, Polylana fibers can be identified in the final product, long after the textile processing and conversion steps.
“With this special identification technology for Polylana fibers, we are supporting the trend in the fashion industry toward greater transparency,” Tatiana Ponce, brand development manager for Amsterdam-based The Movement, said. “It is becoming increasingly important to know where final products have been made of to be able to validate claims.”