Collaboration and Innovation Are Intrinsically Linked
Collaboration, sustainability and innovation were key themes at Munich Fabric Start, where a global contingent of fabric, fiber, trims and technology companies met with attendees mainly from Germany and Northern Europe.
Held at the Munich Order Center (MOC) from Aug. 30-Sept. 1, exhibitors primarily presented Autumn/Winter 2017-18 collections with an emphasis on performance, softness and stretch. Dobby and jacquard weaves from Pakistan mill Kassim, and 496 from Taiwan compensated for the lack of coatings that are normally found in fall collections. However, Italian specialist finisher, Intex, wowed with interesting 3-D printed coatings.
An upbeat vibe was evident at Keyhouse, the show’s innovation hub where companies presented their advances in fiber, chemicals and manufacturing. The area was also home to a number of collaborations, including Rational Denim, Lenzing’s collaboration with Archroma, Garmon and Royo. The prototype collection is essentially a roadmap for sustainable denim offered a roadmap for sustainable denim, produced with the most efficient possible use of resources—particularly water—from fiber to finish.
The show also marked the debut of DEN/IM, Lenzing’s indigo knit collection using TENCEL® made in collaboration with Tonello, Unitin and Santoni. The athleisure line is made with stretch indigo denim on seamless circular knitting machines, and serves as an alternative for traditional activewear product.
Collaboration was a hot topic during a panel discussion, titled “How to build my sustainable brand—from scratch to store.”
Representatives from fiber to brand spoke on the individual steps each company is taking to make the supply chain eco-friendly, however, with no single sustainable solution in sight, panelist Stefano Aldighieri of Arvind, said the denim industry can be “uplifted” by collaboration. “We believe through collaboration, we can make change,” he said.
“We are all working together toward a solution,” added Tricia Carey, Director Business Development for Denim at Lenzing. During the discussion, Carey noted Lenzing’s recent partnership with retail giant Inditex, which announced in July that it plans to include Lenzing’s new TENCEL® fiber with recycled cotton as a means to “close the loop.”
The next step in sustainability, Carey said, is to change the mindset of consumers.
Instead of offering momentary incentives like discounts to recycle their jeans, Carey said consumers need to be conditioned to recycle denim the same way they’ve been to recycle plastic and aluminum. “They have to want to recycle denim,” she said.