Iluna Group is an Italian group specialised in producing laces entirely made in Italy. The company, founded in 1970, acquired expertise in the vertically integrated production of elastic lace and since 2014, it has started to design and follow the smart values attested by the certification STeP - Sustainable Textile Production by Oeko-Tex.
It has also achieved the GRS - Global Recycled Standard certification for processed products, which are all OEKO-TEX Standard 100 verified. Furthermore, Iluna offers laces dyed with a range of al colors obtained from flowers and plants, all of whose are GOTS certified and meet the requirements of OEKO TEX® Standard 100.
Starting from s/s 2024 Iluna not only operates by using responsible ingredients and processes but also started offering a series of laces obtained from upcycling archival stocks.
It also started using GOTS certified organic cotton and some new ingredients like Renycle and Q-NOVA, both GRS-certified pre-consumer recycled polyamide yarns, in addition to the recycled stretch Roica_EF by Asahi Kasei.
It also continues investment in technologies that can ensure significant savings in water and energy consumption, including Greendrop, a new GOTS certified digital pigment printing system.
Federica Annovazzi, owner and president, Iluna, explained how her company is committed to operating responsibly and how the industry should change direction.
Because it is true, and it's in our DNA. We have always been environmentally conscious and respectful, and for more than ten years we have been researching and developing innovative raw materials so that we can offer sustainable products.
How much of your offering can be considered sustainable?
About 60% of the collection is green. What is not can be easily reproduced in the required sustainable quality thanks to the know-how acquired over the years.
How can the fashion industry evolve to lower its impact?
Perhaps by slowing down the mad rush of fast fashion. By preferring quality and ethics over price and trying to stem the damage we have done in recent years.
It can be a good start. It outlines more precise goals through which we will have to adapt, but I believe and hope it will lead us to a broader reflection for a concrete common and shared project.
Can labels, certifications, Digital Product Passport and other identifying elements be the right way to make a concrete and effective evolution happen?
Definitely. The only real way is to measure what we do and the impact we create. Traceability and supply chain control are indispensable. We have succeeded in the food sector...we will succeed in fashion as well.
Can the underwear industry become more sustainable? If so, how?
Sure it can, like all other sectors. This can happen by rethinking production relocation, thus saving on transportation first. But we can also achieve that by choosing certified quality materials and clearly explaining the end consumers what they are buying.
Are there any brands in the fashion and underwear industry that have taken a right or better direction than others? Which ones are and why?
I don't want to mention any name. There are realities in Europe that are really incredible: they started years ago as small start-ups, and now they have consolidated a nice slice of the market. The big global groups may have taken longer but are now also moving in this direction.
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