Naveena Denim Ltd. and TENCEL™ Team on Moisture Managing Jeans
There are a lot of reasons to use TENCEL™ fibers in denim, but our recent project with Naveena Denim Limited (NDL) focused on a previously overlooked performance property: wicking.
TENCEL™ is twice as absorbent as cotton. For the Swift n’ Sway collection, NDL used matte TENCEL™ to create natural fiber-based fabrics with added moisture management.
“What we have been receiving from our brands globally is that everyone wanted to move away from the petrol-based fibers,” said Rashid Iqbal, executive director of NDL. He added, “TENCEL™ has been there forever, for the longest time, and we have been using it for soft hand, for sustainability, for circularity purposes, but now we are talking about [something] a little bit different. Now we have added a performance-based element to our TENCEL™ fabrics.”
While all TENCEL™-containing materials have the potential to be moisture wicking, the performance of this collection comes from having the right fiber blend, weave and construction. It took about a year from when the idea initially came up at an earlier Kingpins until the collection launch at the show’s latest edition in April.
As Tuncay Kilickan, head of global business development, denim at Lenzing Fibers, explained, the performance needs for denim are different than activewear. Usually people are doing less strenuous activities in their jeans, such as running for the subway or bicycling around town. Therefore, it’s all about moisture management, and TENCEL™ comes out ahead of cotton and synthetics in this area.
“The superior performance of TENCEL™ is seen and it’s giving us a lot more advantage,” said Tuncay. “When the body wants to cool down, the evaporation comes out from the pores of the skin and before this water vapor is getting liquidized, it’s being absorbed by TENCEL™. Therefore, your body is cooling down, but you’re not feeling wet.”
The line features about 11 fabrics in a range of weights and washes. Along with the traditional indigo blue, there are grey shades. Naveena expects it will expand the collection in the future based on market demand.
As Rashid noted, the fabrics have an application and appeal even if brands aren’t looking for moisture management. He likened it to a car coming with cruise control—you can choose to use it or ignore it.
One of the aesthetic benefits of Swift n’ Sway comes from the natural fibers, which lend themselves to laser finishing. This provides flexibility for sustainable washes and effects, such as whiskering. Since NDL used matte TENCEL™, the fabrics are not shiny and look like classic denim.
“If you have some plastic-based material in your fabric, the fabric aesthetic and hand feel is compromised,” said Zeeshan Ahmed, general manager of product development at NDL. “With this more natural origin-based material, you can have a more authentic look.”
Watch a video about the collection here and see the look book video below.