History Continued – In Six Sections
1992
Soft Denim Category Comes to Life
It was 1992, attention to pollution was picking up steam and TENCEL™ Lyocell, a new generation of cellulosic fiber was introduced to the market—landing first in denim. Courtaulds, a British chemical company and then owner of TENCEL™ Lyocell brand, was looking to foray into the textile market and the company formed the TENCEL™ Kai, a textile industry group based in Japan tasked with promoting TENCEL™ Lyocell. Shortly after, industrial trials proved highly promising and the “soft denim” category was born.
Now that cotton could be blended with TENCEL™ Lyocell to give jeans a softer hand, a lustrous look and a more comfortable fit than jeans had yet seen, consumers were keen and the soft denim rejuvenated what was then an over-saturated, staid denim market in Japan. Mills in Europe, Asia and the Americas started using TENCEL™ Lyocell, and the eco-responsible fiber found its way into jeans for major women’s casualwear brands.
2004
Lenzing Buys TENCEL™
Already a leader in man-made cellulose fibers, Lenzing acquired TENCEL™ in 2004, tripling its lyocell capacity and solidifying the company’s position as a sustainable fiber producer. Lyocell is the generic name for a new generation of cellulosic fibers that are made by a solvent spinning process, and TENCEL™ is the brand name.
This was the same year TENCEL™ Lyocell became the base of new premium denim labels, like Rich and Skinny, launching Lenzing’s new fiber into the West Coast premium denim scene and into celebrities’ wardrobes, fueling the fervor for soft denim with high-end fiber blends.
2009
TENCEL™ Highlights Sustainability Message
By 2009, TENCEL™ Lyocell was gaining recognition for its environmental leadership and denim fabrics were forgoing blends in favor of 100 percent TENCEL™ Denim. Hangtags started having specific messages touting the presence of TENCEL™ Lyocell and its properties—environmentally responsible, 100 percent natural in origin made from renewable resource of trees, soft touch with comfort.
Fast fashion brands were under scrutiny for what the world was calling “disposable garments” and for their resulting effect on the environment. Consumer consciousness had arrived.
2011
Consumer Consciousness Rises in Relevance
With the uptick in environmental consciousness and the rising relevance of TENCEL™ Lyocell, the fiber became near-synonymous with sustainability. And with cotton prices on the rise, TENCEL™ Lyocell further solidified its place as a diverse new fiber destined for new yarn blends to improve drape and hand in garments from fast fashion to luxury. Brands had bought into the added-value fiber option, using TENCEL™ Lyocell chambray in dress silhouettes for high summer.
2012
TENCEL™ Goes Global
Momentum continued into 2012 when TENCEL™ Lyocell made inroads into the men’s denim market and became almost ubiquitous in women’s skinny jeans. Yarn blends became more complex, mixing natural, man-made cellulosics and synthetic fibers. Stretch and recovery became requisite performance traits for skinny jean silhouettes.
The next natural step for Lenzing was to exhibit at Denim Premiere Vision in Paris, a trade fair for denim and sportswear fabrics. With a growing number of denim mill partners and flourishing relationships with retailers and brands, the company headed next to the famed denim supply chain Kingpins Show in Los Angeles as an exhibitor, with Kingpins New York and Amsterdam to follow.
2016
Lenzing Launches Carved in Blue Denim Blog
Today, sustainability is at the forefront of consumer consciousness, innovation is in high demand and denim’s popularity is back in full force.
It’s time to spread the TENCEL™ Denim message, talk about the mills that make some of the world’s most wanted denim, discuss the brands bringing novel denim made with TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal to the market, and uncover the aspects of an environmentally-responsible fiber-making process that has been changing the face of denim for almost a quarter century.