Mill Memo: Turkish Manufacturers on their TENCEL™ Denim

Mills

Apr 5, 2023

Over the years, it has become easier to find denim fabrics containing TENCEL™ Lyocell or Modal as mills scale up their use of these fibers to meet sustainability, design or performance characteristics.

Adding TENCEL™ to denim creates textiles that are soft and comfortable, with a smaller ecological impact. The fibers can also create a variety of looks—from a subtle sheen to matte and slubby.

Carved in Blue connected with mills in Türkiye to discuss how they are using TENCEL™ and what to expect from their upcoming lines. Read on to hear from Bossa, Calik, DNM, Kipas, Maritas and Orta.

BOSSA

Özge Özsoy, marketing chief

Carved in Blue: Could you briefly describe your latest collections that feature TENCEL™ fibers?

Özge: We have included TENCEL™ products in our latest collections to obtain heritage looks and/or clean, soft items. Another important parameter is the sustainability of these products, which directs both us manufacturers and suppliers to these products.

Carved in Blue: When did you first use TENCEL™ in commercial collections? And how has your use of TENCEL™ changed since then?

Özge: We have been using TENCEL™ fibers for many years, but its use has been increasing in recent years. The glare issue that was complained about in the past has left its place to soft products with a heritage look. Trends also play a big role here. The fact that TENCEL™ lyocell is a sustainable fiber is one of the most prominent features of increasing the use of these qualities.

Carved in Blue: What top trends do you see for denim in the upcoming Fall/Winter 24-25 season? How can brands and garment manufacturers use your TENCEL™ collections to create designs fitting these trends?

Özge: The late 1990s and early 2000s, characterized by a mix of futuristic and retro elements—blending nostalgia and optimism. The trend was heavily influenced by the upcoming millennium and the Y2K computer bug, which led to a fascination with technology and the future. It was all about low-rise jeans, cargo pants, tracksuits, velvet chokers and oversized sunglasses.

Soft touch, clean and heritage looks will be very popular. We are using TENCEL™ lyocell in our rigid, comfort and power stretch constructions in different fits, highlighting its sustainable features.

CALIK

Selen Baltaci, senior marketing communications executive

Carved in Blue: Could you briefly describe your latest collections that feature TENCEL™ fibers?

Selen: As Calik Denim, we have been working in cooperation with Lenzing for many years and increase the added value of our denim fabrics with its products. Within this scope, we have included TENCEL™ lyocell containing articles in 25 percent of our AW 24-25 collection, to have softness, shine and drape features in our denim fabrics. All these fabrics are designed with different constructions and features, including our forefront innovations such as B210, Denovated, RE/J, Fix-Fit and so on.

Carved in Blue: When did you first use TENCEL™ in commercial collections? And how has your use of TENCEL™ changed since then?

Selen: As an eco-innovative denim fabric manufacturer that has been using TENCEL™ fibers for almost 10 years, it has an increasing usage rate within our company with its features that support the trend and innovations.

Selen: With the AW 24-25 collection, fabrics that provide soft touches and a draped look are at the forefront this season. With this added value provided by TENCEL™ fibers, a wide range of products with different constructions and appearances can be achieved.

DNM

Zuhal Karaçayır, marketing assistant manager

Carved in Blue: Could you briefly describe your latest collections that feature TENCEL™ fibers?

Zuhal: TENCEL™ lyocell is one of the materials we use in our products, which we created for our “Zero Virgin” concept.

Our products that are part of this idea are all fully recyclable and recycled. Additionally, by using TENCEL™ lyocell, we also offer clients a product that is durable, soft to the touch and comfortable to wear.

Carved in Blue: When did you first use TENCEL™ in commercial collections? And how has your use of TENCEL™ changed since then?

Zuhal: TENCEL™ lyocell has consistently been one of the main fibers in the DNM product line. TENCEL™ lyocell utilization has significantly increased in light of the evolving interest in sustainability and the advantages it offers for clothing and fabric.

Zuhal: DNM collections are prepared by creating concepts in accordance with trends and customer expectations, which are mainly analyzed during collection preparation. There is undoubtedly a TENCEL™ product in our categories that is appropriate for every need. TENCEL™ lyocell has recently been used primarily in rigid product categories, such as bootcut and straight fits in women’s apparel.

In addition, the long wear life of products is one of the most important trends, and we are developing our fabrics with this idea.

KIPAS

Tevfik Murat Leblebici, denim product development manager

Carved in Blue: Could you briefly describe your latest collections that feature TENCEL™ fibers?

Tevfik: TENCEL™ fibers are one of the most preferred fibers in our collections, apart from cotton, due to their ability to create fabrics with different properties by mixing them with environmentally friendly, sustainable and different fibers.

We preferred to use TENCEL™ Lyocell, Modal and REFIBRA™ fibers in our Autumn/Winter collection that we will be presenting. The products we have made with these fibers correspond to approximately 23 percent of our collection.

While developing more sustainable products with TENCEL™ and REFIBRA™ fibers on the one hand, we used it to develop products and we tried to create a feeling of softness while providing an authentic look to our heritage fabrics.

We used TENCEL™ Modal fiber in the development of our products, and we emphasize its unique softness.

Carved in Blue: When did you first use TENCEL™ in commercial collections? And how has your use of TENCEL™ changed since then?

Tevfik: We used TENCEL™ Lyocell fiber for the first time in our summer collection in 2010. At first, we used it in women’s shirting style qualities with shiny, soft touches.

Currently, we mix TENCEL™ Lyocell with other fibers and use it in a very wide range of uses, regardless of the lower group and upper group of women’s and men’s in all weights.

With other developed fibers, such as REFIBRA™, we are able to make more environmentally friendly versions of the products we produce, as well as innovative products with fibers such as TENCEL™ Modal with Indigo Color technology.

Tevfik: Environmentally friendly fibers and sustainable products are on the agenda as a trend, but this feature has now become a must for us. In this regard, TENCEL™ fibers became vital for us to make sustainable products with different properties.

On the other hand, softer products are preferred in terms of wearing comfort. Again, products containing TENCEL™ lyocell and modal can be preferred among such products.

MARITAS

Fazlı Çamçakal, sales and marketing manager

Carved in Blue: Could you briefly describe your latest collections that feature TENCEL™ fibers?

Fazlı: In our new collection, “Mesopotamia,” we have a separate concept called Fusion, which consists of qualities that include TENCEL™ Lyocell fiber and TENCEL™ Modal fiber.

Different fiber options—either in the warp, weft or both—give different specialties.

TENCEL™ Modal fibers enhancing softer cotton options is the key by which the AW season was produced; longer fibers combined cotton and well-balanced slubs.

These fibers offer us softness, smoothness and a shiny look. In this concept, we are combining softness and authenticity.

We also have broad color choices and rigid and comfort stretch alternatives.

Freelax comfort groups’ new Fusion fabrics are extraordinary qualities in the denim market.

Carved in Blue: When did you first use TENCEL™ in commercial collections? And how has your use of TENCEL™ changed since then?

Fazlı: As Maritas Denim, we have been using TENCEL™ fibers in our collection, which has offered customers comfort since the day we were founded. Soft hand feel and comfort are the most important demands for end users. Expectations of them are really valuable for Maritas Denim.

In addition to the softness of TENCEL™ lyocell, the ecological side is also giving us the opportunity to expand our scope. For this reason, our use of TENCEL™ lyocell has been increasing since the day we started using it.

Especially in the post-pandemic period, we increased our use of TENCEL™ lyocell in order to maintain the comfort perception that our customers have made a habit of and to provide this comfort with denim products.

Fazlı: As Maritas denim, we are following trends from catwalks, reports, high-level brands and more.

Of course, sustainability and circularity are still leading.

Besides these, vintage dirty looks, low-waisted slimmer fits and relaxed wide-leg trousers with mid tones of blue are going to be popular.

Rigid and stretch qualities in our Fusion concept, both in color and weight, will easily match silhouettes and washing trends for this season.

ORTA

Sebla Onder, sustainability chief

Carved in Blue: Could you briefly describe your latest collections that feature TENCEL™ fibers?

Sebla: Our latest collection, Orta Now, is the celebration of our 70th year anniversary in business. The Orta Now collection reflects our passion about the past and the excitement we feel about the future. This season’s collection speaks of our rich history and our continued evolution, because our most creative time in history is now. In line with this movement, the Orta Now collection presents our milestone qualities and reflects our long partnership with TENCEL™ fibers as well.

Carved in Blue: When did you first use TENCEL™ in commercial collections? And how has your use of TENCEL™ changed since then?

Sebla: We started our trials with Lenzing-branded products in the mid 2000s, around 2004-2005. And in the mid 2010s, we started bulk production and have been using TENCEL™ fibers in our product range since then. Lenzing has been a great partner for us in our journey with its proven qualities and characteristics such as good quality, good performance, traceability and proven science-based environmental performance, as well as it being natural-based, having credible sources and serving circularity. We choose to work with TENCEL™ products to offer credibility and assurance to our customers: garment manufacturers, brands and retailers, and eventually consumers.

Sebla: The whole textiles world is working towards managing increasing textile waste problem while embedding efficient resource management and circularity practices. As a solution, the denim world turned its interest into recycled fibers, especially biodegradable and compostable fibers. That increased the demand on recycled regenerated fibers as well. Here, we see a great potential for TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology especially.

We have been doing life cycle assessments (LCA) for our products for more than four years now to assess our products’ environmental impact. And in these studies, we saw that having recycled content in our products makes a huge difference in carbon emissions and water use compared to having a virgin resource. In that sense TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ is a great solution for low-impact denim fabrics. It has a great potential to solve the growing textile waste problem with a closed-loop production and it is still a plant-based, biodegradable fiber.