TENCEL™ Denim Mill Update: Brazil
To see the versatility and value proposition of TENCEL™ fibers, look no further than the denim world. Mills are leveraging the wood-based fibers to create jean materials that are soft yet strong, with a lower impact.
TENCEL™ Lyocell is made from trees using a closed-loop process that captures and reuses 99 percent of solvents and water used. In addition to the eco-friendly production behind TENCEL™ Lyocell, our REFIBRA™ technology enables circularity by replacing a portion of inputs with chemically recycled cotton waste.
Carved in Blue caught up with mills in Brazil to hear how they are using TENCEL™ and TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ in their collections. More from Canatiba Denim and Vicunha below.
CANATIBA DENIM
Brazil
Fábio Covolan, director of marketing
Carved in Blue: What is your group name/theme for TENCEL™ Denim?
Fábio: TENCEL™ Lyocell is present in our collection for a long period of time. We’ve been investing in TENCEL™ and introducing it in a large array of fabrics to provide special aesthetics and comfort. It is present in our super stretch fabrics with high stretch and recovery performance. It is present in blends with linen, with cotton, with recycled cotton, with recycled spun polyester fibers. It comes in color, in denim, in black, in special weaves. TENCEL™ is present in our line, and I dare to say, it became part of our DNA as a leading mill in quality and innovation.
Even though TENCEL™ Lyocell fiber is present in all sorts of products for a large array of applications, all fabrics with TENCEL™ are classified in our Éko Platform, in our Maxskin Duo products and in our Megaflex products.
The Éko platform gathers all our products that have sustainability as their main technological characteristic. In this platform, TENCEL™ Lyocell products are beside fabrics with recycled cotton, recycled polyester, linen and also special sustainable dyes.
The Maxskin Duo product line gathers fabrics that aim for high stretch performance combined with extreme soft touch—fabrics that are almost like a second skin.
The Megaflex platform gathers our comfort stretch fabrics. In this platform, TENCEL™ is present in some of our best knit denim, adding more comfort and soft touch to those fabrics.
Summed to all that, we also have a vast array of special weave constructions, luxury fabrics with all the best ingredients to allow our customers to dream with special garments and take their collection to the next level.
Carved in Blue: What does TENCEL™ Lyocell bring to your collections?
Fábio: It brings freshness, comfort, uniqueness by the exclusive characteristics of shine and structure. It gives us, as a mill, robust arguments to help us show our consumers how sustainability is essential in the textile chain and that we, as a part of the chain, are committed to our future by pushing sustainability all the way.
Carved in Blue: Do you have any new developments with REFIBRA™ Technology?
Fábio: Not yet.
VICUNHA
Brazil
German Alejandro, marketing and sales director
Carved in Blue: What is your group name/theme for TENCEL™ Denim?
German: We have TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal and TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibers in some denim and denim color articles in our portfolio. Products with 100 percent lyocell and also products that combine different fibers with TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal and TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ like cotton, polyester, linen and elastane in distinct constructions can be found in our macrolines. From our V.Light macroline, which translates the lightness and comfort of these fibers, through the V.Moove macroline, with articles containing elastane, down to the use of REFIBRA ™ in our family of sustainable fabrics.
Carved in Blue: What does TENCEL™ Lyocell bring to your collections?
German: The benefits of using TENCEL™ Lyocell include the sustainable origin of the wood pulp and the use of a closed loop solvent and water recycling process. Besides being produced in a more sustainable way, with a low environmental impact and respecting nature and the planet, the presence of these fibers in our fabrics’ structure ensures the products’ beauty and elegance, and gives them more softness and a luxurious look. They are malleable, have a great fit and flow very well with the body’s movements. In addition, they give high strength properties to the fabric. The articles convey a sensation of softness to touch, well-being and unrivaled comfort, ensuring greater added value to the products.
Carved in Blue: Do you have any new developments with REFIBRA™ Technology?
German: In partnership with Lenzing, I want to highlight two products developed with REFIBRA™. The articles Taiga and Eco Forest are part of our V.Eco line.
Taiga is a 3x1Z stretch denim. Its stretch guarantees a certain flexibility and greater comfort. It was developed using a combination of recycled materials and techniques that save water and chemicals in its production process: 47 percent pre-consumer recycled cotton, which reuses all waste from the Vicunha Têxtil production process; 31 percent cotton grown respecting requirements and good practices of social and environmental responsibility (BCI/ABR); 20 percent TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ Lyocell fiber produced from cellulose, composed by 70 percent of wood pulp, renewable raw material from sustainably managed forests and 30 percent of recycled cotton cellulose pulp from clothing waste; and 2 percent Lycra EcoMade yarn, produced with 20 percent pre-consumer recycled material.
Taiga meets the manufacturing requirements such as social, environmental and chemical restrictions of the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Based on a standard product, Taiga is produced with more sustainable processes, which results in significant savings in water and chemicals consumption. Dyed in pure indigo, the fabric is versatile in laundry, and is well suited for a more sustainable fashion proposal. It allows for variation in washing patterns and has flatter washout effects. Allows all types of effects using laser technology. Taiga shows that it is possible to be eco-friendly, respecting nature, without losing the traditional characteristics of denim.
Eco Forest is a 3X1Z stretch denim color with well-marked diagonal. Its stretch guarantees flexibility and greater comfort. Eco Forest was developed using a combination of recycled raw materials and techniques that save water and chemicals in its production process such as: Lycra EcoMade yarn, produced with 20 percent pre-consumption recycled material and TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fiber produced from cellulose, composed of 70 percent wood pulp, renewable raw material from sustainably managed forests and 30 percent recycled cotton cellulose pulp from clothing waste, and also recycled cotton that reuses all the residues from Vicunha’s production process and polyester derived from PET bottles. Based on a standard product, Eco Forest is produced with more sustainable processes, which results in significant savings in water and chemicals consumption. It’s composed of 50 percent cotton, 24 percent polyester, 22 percent REFIBRA™ and 4 percent PUE.