The industry of fabrics never stops its run. The SPIN OFF a selected a selection of interesting developments carried ahead by highly specialised apparel and fabric manufacturers like Schoeller, Panamà Trimmings, Italian Converter and Arena.
Can wool be transparent and traceable?
Scholler, the Swiss textile specialist, has started collaborating with Nativa, a brand offering various wool qualities coming from certified farms in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America, Uruguay and Argentina. The farms comply with strict levels of animal welfare, management and ethical work policies.
To ensure animal welfare each farmer has a management plan, assessing feeding, breeding, behavior, animal handling and health and infrastructure. This includes the prohibition of mulesing and stress-free shearing.
Nativa is the first global wool brand to provide Blockchain traceability from the farm to the consumer. This transparency in the supply chain, enabled by the Nativa certification and powered by Blockchain, means that brands can truly show the journey of their wool.
A unique QR code is generated for each product of each brand. This code establishes a connection between the Nativa Blockchain Platform and the Nativa Blockchain Website. Customers can scan the QR code to view the Nativa Blockchain Website, where they can trace in real time the journey of their wool, from farm to brand.
The wool fabric offer born from this collaboration includes double weave fabric constructions consisting of a Nativa merino wool-polyamide blend on the inner side of the fabric and a polyamide-elastane blend on the outer side. The articles are characterized by high abrasion resistance and elasticity. They are all mulesing free, washable and Bluesign certified. Schoeller Ecorepel Bio finish repels water droplets and aqueous dirt, so they run off the fabric surface.
Going bio–from labels to footwear
Panama Trimmings, an Italian label manufacturer, is launching Viridis, an innovative material made by using a vegetal origin polyurethane made with corn and wheat that are not destined to the food industry, and meant to become a valid substitute of leather.
Moreover, among other certifications, Panama Trimmings has achieved the FSC certified company as the viscose used on the back of Viridis products comes from controlled forests.
Viridis is available in different variants like, for instance, Active, a version that looks like rubber, Matt, in a matt version, Nubuck, with a silky touch and LAC, with a bright and glossy.
This new material can also be employed for producing shoes, belts and watch straps.
Swimming responsibly is for real
The swimwear Arena brand has just launched Powerskin ST Next a new generation racing bathing suit that is lightweight, more resistant to use and made with recycled materials.
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