Mill Memo: Pakistan Producers on Cotton-Free and Circular Denim Part 2
Increasingly, mills are thinking beyond virgin cotton for denim. This might mean cottonless denim with materials like TENCEL™ lyocell or hemp, or a mix of recycled textiles and wood-based fibers. Carved in Blue checked in with the TENCEL™ mill customers to chat about their cotton-free collections and circular fabrics.
Read on to hear from Azgard9, Kassim, Naveena Denim Ltd., Naveena Denim Mills, Rajby, SM Denim, Soorty and US Denim. See part one of the Pakistan Mill Memo here.
AZGARD9
Mian Farrukh Mehmood, general manager research and development
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Mian: Yes, we have designed a concept named Onyx, a cotton-free and black modal power stretch article.
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Mian: Normally we couple soft handle using TENCEL™ and Dual Fx performance, so a premium product as a whole, but for the volume priced recently we replaced a Noos 98/2 article with cotton, TENCEL™, recycled polyester and elastane and it went well. It’s cost effective with a super soft handle.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell? What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Mian: We developed a couple of mechanical stretch articles using no elastane but some other polymer. For a circularity concept using Lenzing product, we have one shirting article based on cotton + REFIBRA™.
KASSIM
Ubaid Gul, senior marketing executive
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Ubaid: In Kassim, we aim to produce the most luxurious and best fitting jeans, while protecting the earth and loving its people. Our zero cotton denim is an initiative to our contribution towards the environment. It is made using 100 percent renewable fibers composed of the bio-based materials TENCEL™ Viscose, TENCEL™ Lyocell and TENCEL™ Modal that come from trees, blended with post-consumer recycled polyester.
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Ubaid: Our most running qualities in bulk is Kevin, which is inspired by the ‘90s look, and is an open weave, high-stretch denim with TENCEL™ blend—durable and comfy.
Valhalla is another lightweight fabric with 100 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell content, which makes it a premium fabric.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell?
Ubaid: We do have our own shredding plant for recycling and also outsource branded recycled cotton. The concept is to use TENCEL™ with recycled cotton, to make it more sustainable, have less impact on the environment and have good strength. Kevin Black is one of our conscious developments with 20 percent recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell blend. Chibois is another amazing development with 20 percent recycled cotton blended with TENCEL™ Lyocell with a very nice authentic appearance.
Carved in Blue: Any others?
Ubaid: Modal is another soft fiber providing sheen and comfort to the fabric. Two of our running articles with 34 percent black-dyed modal are Fuji (SHF-50161) and Sousse (KSF-10306).
NAVEENA DENIM LTD. (NDL)
Zeeshan Ahmed, GM product development
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Zeeshan: Absolutely! We have fabrics with no cotton in their composition. Our exclusive capsule collection Bast Recast includes fabrics with hemp and TENCEL™ REFIBRA™ technology. In addition, our novelty concept Edge of Tomorrow comprises TENCEL™ Lyocell and REFIBRA™ with linen and recycled Repreve content, ensuring sustainability while maintaining the authentic look of denim and the soft hand feel of cotton. The objective of no cotton denim is to reduce our dependency on cotton and opt for other sustainable and regenerated fibers, keeping in view the fashion requirement of comfort and drapability without impacting the quality of our denim.
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Zeeshan: We are offerings fabrics with TENCEL™ Lyocell in the warp and weft with cotton blends for our core programs. TENCEL™ blends vary from 15 to 30 percent in fabrics.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell? What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Zeeshan: NDL has always been at the forefront when it comes to circularity as our core responsibility to manufacture denim that is better for the environment. With our own shredder at our premises, we are making PCW denims with 20 percent recycled cotton and blends of TENCEL™ and REFIBRA™. Our PCW Collection Considered Denim in collaboration with Sally Deighton focuses on circularity and biodegradability providing an end-to-end solution. The collection includes post-consumer recycled cotton and is processed by G2 Ozone technology at the fabric finishing stage, saving water, chemical and energy resources.
Recently, we have launched our new workwear division N-Tech (Naveena Technicals). This division caters to the modern workwear requirement with a combination of style and strength using bio-based Dyneema. Denims with Dyneema blended with TENCEL™ create classic denim with a classic denim look and cotton hand feel combined with functionality, high abrasion resistance and durability.
Bast Recast is a Sustainable Denim Wardrobe collection by NDL x TENCEL™ x Endrime x Jeanologia, featuring fabric made from blends of TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal, hemp and cotton. The constructions and styling are inspired by 1900-era aesthetics, canvas and workwear silhouettes.
NAVEENA DENIM MILLS (NDM)
Aydan Tuzun, executive director of global sales and marketing
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Aydan: Yes, we do. Our Zevolution collection offers no-cotton fabrics with maximum feel, made of low-impact fibers instead of cotton. They look, feel and wear like any other denim, but without the fertilizers and the pesticides. They also save gallons of water during the production cycle. We use TENCEL™ Modal in the warp of our product families: Lack Luster (69 percent CMD, 30 percent PES, 1 percent EL); Grime (59 percent CMD, 39 percent PES, 2 percent EL); Elinor (73 percent CMD, 25 percent PES, 2 percent EL); and Erika (70 percent CMD, 28 percent PES, 2 percent EL).
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Aydan: We use TENCEL™ fibers at every opportunity in our collections, from rigid to high elasticity fabrics. We produce mostly products with 15-20 percent and 25-30 percent elasticity within our Retrosoft concept, which offers an authentic and marble look with a super soft touch. We have recently added a new set of TENCEL™ blended fabrics to the collection: two rigid, two 30 percent stretch, one 55 percent stretch and one 70 percent stretch—all certified.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell? What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Aydan: Circularity is one the main pillars in our strategy. We have recently teamed up with Circular Systems in a unique collaboration that transforms agricultural crop leftovers into scalable, high-value natural fiber denim fashion products with their Agraloop technology.
Biotech fabrics are made with natural fiber derived from CBD hemp crop residue and refined into textile-grade fiber called Agraloop BioFibre. It’s a new innovative fiber mindfully sourced for circularity. And the manufacturing process uses nearly zero water. We’re including TENCEL™ fibers for the new developments.
One of our latest concepts, Mecha-Stretch, also reflects our circularity endeavors. This collection offers elastic behavior without elastane thanks to a mechanical stretch technology. We began with 100 percent cotton rigid products and now include TENCEL™ fibers too.
RAJBY
Safdar Shah, GM R&D/sustainability
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Safdar: Due to climate change and water scarcity, cotton crops are not growing well and the textile industry is facing a cotton shortage. These factors have compelled the denim industry to find better cotton alternatives and reuse cotton that already exists in the system to avoid landfills after their usefulness. Recently, we have launched our new concept of Momento Denim, which is based on a zero cotton approach. In this collection, we combined bio fibers like TENCEL™ Modal, ECOVERO™ Viscose, REFIBRA™, and recycled/biodegradable polyester. Momento Denim is a collection for future generations. At Rajby, our R&D team is continuously working towards circularity, and in this collection, we reduced virgin cotton consumption by incorporating cellulose-based alternatives with better traceability and transparency.
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Safdar: At Rajby, we believe that the sustainable product can only be made with the right choice of raw material, and Lenzing is one window solution for sustainable fiber. We are continuously developing new articles with TENCEL™ Modal, REFIBRA™ and ECOVERO™ Viscose, and a lot of fabrics are running in our production as well. Our best seller article is Fitz Blue, which has a combination of cotton and REFIBRA™. It gives a premium feel and shine. Some other articles are Chloro, Danxia, Addo and Muir, all fabrics that have different blends of Lenzing products.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell? What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Safdar: Circularity is the future of the textile industry and is a part of United Nations’ SDGs as well. Therefore, Rajby has taken a lot of initiative to protect the people and planet. Rajby started its circular journey earlier and became the world’s first and only Cradle to Cradle Platinum certified denim manufacturer with the name of Beluga. Beluga fabrics are 100 percent carbon-neutral, biodegradable and made with a 100 percent closed-loop process.
Also, our facility is Cradle to Cradle Gold certified under the name of Green Mystery with zero discharge dyeing and finishing technology, where we save up to 95 percent of water, 50 percent energy and 25 percent chemicals.
Last but not least, recently we have achieved the Cradle to Cradle Bronze level certification with Lenzing products like TENCEL™ Modal, ECOVERO™ Viscose, along with recycled cotton and polyester. After this achievement, Rajby became the first denim manufacturer in the textile industry who can produce the maximum of its capacity with Cradle to Cradle Bronze level.
SM DENIM
Rameez Rizvi, senior marketing manager
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Rameez: With the evolution of the denim industry based on sustainability drivers and SM Denim’s core focus of circularity, we offer 100 percent cotton-free fabrics, produced with a lower environmental impact in our Impact series. The main idea for our zero-cotton denim was to develop alternatives to overproduced and resource-intensive raw material cotton while increasing the functionality of the jeans to create a paradigm shift from the traditional linear economy to a circular one. The collection includes articles with different sustainable blends derived from renewable wood sources. Here are a few worth mentioning articles from our archive: Onyx, our stay-black fabric that retains its true black color up to 40 washes (81 percent Modal, 17 percent ECOVERO™ and 2 percent Lycra); Castle, our stay-blue fabric with super soft hand feel (81 percent Modal, 17 percent ECOVERO™ and 2 percent Lycra); Tonk (100 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell); and Becca, the lightest TENCEL™ fabric weighing only 2.75 oz. (100 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell).
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Rameez: By using TENCEL™ Lyocell made from sustainable wood sources in our collection, we offer products that are premium, comfortable, supple, breathable and ensure customers the satisfaction of an eco-responsible product. Our common and most running articles are Mushy (74 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell, 22 percent polyester, 3 percent viscose, 1 percent elastane); Riddick, modernized vintage with a marbellous retro look (55 percent BCI cotton, 45 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell); Dynamite (66 BCI percent cotton, 32 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell, 2 percent recycled Lycra).
With the shared vision of circularity, we have been collaborating with Lenzing and looming fabrics made with TENCEL™ Lyocell as our continued efforts to reduce our dependency on virgin cotton and produce better, more sustainable ranges, not just for new developments but for volume order as well. Our volume-price based articles include: Marvel (100 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell); Owen (53 percent BCI cotton, 36 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell, 8 percent Repreve, 1 percent ECOVERO™, 2 percent Lycra); and Miranda (62 percent organic cotton, 36 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell, 2 percent Lycra).
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell? What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Rameez: For SM Denim, sustainability has been at the very forefront of every thought and an integral part of every process. Our Impact series proffers fabrics that use raw materials made from chemical and mechanical recycling technologies to achieve a circular fashion system.
Using the effective textile-to-textile recycled cotton from used garments along with TENCEL™ Lyocell offers irresistible properties and a guilt-free denim experience. A few of the articles with mechanically recycled cotton and Lyocell are: Arya (37 percent PCW, 37 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell, 24 percent Repreve, 2 percent recycled Lycra) and Flowy (20 percent PCW, 33 percent cotton, 47 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell).
Not only the mechanical recycling, but we have been using the innovative recycled technology of REFIBRA™ to sustainably move towards the emerging trends. Examples are Alpine (20 percent PCW, 40 percent cotton, 40 percent REFIBRA™) and Barrow (32 percent organic cotton, 32 percent REFIBRA™, 32 percent Coolmax, 4 percent recycled Lycra).
SOORTY
Noman Nadir, vice president research and product development denim
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Noman: We have a good range of cotton-free developments with Lenzing fibers.
Limitless ZW Mars Blue is 12.75 oz., with a composition of 50 percent REFIBRA™ and 50 percent ECOVERO™. This is a cotton-free product perfect for fashion wear. It is ideal for women’s with extreme soft hand feel. REFIBRA™ and Lenzing ECOVERO™ in the composition make it environmentally friendly. It reacts very well to light and is laser ready, where indigo chips off quite nicely leaving an authentic, truly worn-in look with little effort through laser, meaning automation and faster timing as well as saving from a lot of energy, water and chemical use.
Pancy Morris Blue is 11 oz. and is made of 50 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell and 50 percent Lenzing ECOVERO™.
Dateless Black OD Black is 11 oz. and made of 50 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell and 50 percent Lenzing ECOVERO™. This is cotton-free, super soft and black with an authentic marble look. Tencel ™ Lyocell and Lenzing ECOVERO™ in the composition make it environmentally friendly.
Jackson Indigo Modal is 10.75 oz, with a composition of 91 percent Modal, 8 percent T-400 and 1 percent elastane. This is a high-energy indigo modal article. TENCEL™ Modal with Indigo Color technology typically has a smaller carbon footprint and offers savings of water, chemicals and energy while producing less waste.
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Noman: For the volume article, we are usually offering 30 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell content. Products like Goldrush Black OD Black and Daisy Mars Blue are some popular products of Soorty with 30 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell content blended with cotton. They are liked because of nice authentic character and sustainable fiber blend.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell?
Noman: We have made several products with post-consumer waste and post-industrial waste cotton. Floyd Pulse Blue with REFIBRA™, hemp and PCW is Soorty’s new innovation in the zero virgin cotton concept. The product is engineered with a vintage look, inky dark indigo shade and zero wastewater finishing.
Carved in Blue: What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Noman: Our new development with chemically recycled material is Harmless ZW Mars Blue with REFIBRA™ and Circulose, which again lies under the zero virgin cotton concept, designed and constructed with 100 percent recycled materials, providing an ultimate level of sustainability. It feels very soft, light and drapey.
Carved in Blue: Any others?
Noman: Agate Mars Blue is 7.5 oz. The composition is 31 percent TENCEL™, 31 percent ECOVERO™, 10 percent linen, 28 percent Better Cotton. This is a beautiful lightweight fabric with the ultimate composition that speaks for comfort, sustainability, consciousness and style. TENCEL™ Lyocell and Lenzing ECOVERO™ come from Lenzing’s certified production and are both highly environmentally responsible and biodegradable. Linen is also a very strong and absorbent natural fiber which dries fast, making it comfortable to wear in hot weather. The slub coming from its nature add a beautiful texture and hand feel to the fabric, making this article particularly different in terms of look and characteristics.
We also have products with Black Modal and Indigo modal mentioned in cotton-free concept.
US DENIM
Aleem Ahmad, senior manager research and business development
Carved in Blue: Do you have a ‘No Cotton Denim’ fabric?
Aleem: Yes, we have cotton-free fabric in our collection; its composition will be TENCEL™ Modal with Indigo Color technology/polyester/viscose/elastane.
The idea behind the cotton-free fabrics is to save resources like water. Also, considering the cotton shortage in the market, it is time to think and work on cotton alternatives.
Carved in Blue: For denim fabrics, what are you offering in TENCEL™ Lyocell for volume priced orders? What is your common TENCEL™ Denim base fabric?
Aleem: For now, we are not having any TENCEL™ denim in bulk.
We have a diversified range of TENCEL™ denim from super authentic marble character to hyper stretch premium denim for every age group.
Carved in Blue: Circularity is the next frontier. What have you developed with mechanical recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell? What about chemical recycling with REFIBRA™ technology?
Aleem: At US Group, we always keep circularity as a prime focus. Here are some of our key developments in this direction.
We have developed a Reborn range, which includes fabrics with 100 percent sustainable and/or recycled materials like recycled cotton, REFIBRA™, hemp, Repreve, etc.
We have successfully carried out a sustainable project with H&M named Smile project that includes two fabrics with these compositions: 100 percent recycled cotton and recycled cotton/hemp/organic cotton. Both fabrics are with our special dyeing process that saves 95 percent of water.
Apart from those, we are continuously producing fabrics for multiple brands with different ratios of recycled cotton.