NEW YORK CITY — October 9, 2018 — TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology takes center stage at Kingpins Amsterdam October 24-25 with a sustainable denim capsule collection, “Midnight Blues.” The collection is the result of Lenzing’s collaboration with emerging denim designer, Pawan Kumar; SAITEX, a clean denim manufacturer; and more than a dozen global mills respected for their sustainable practices. The “Midnight Blues” collection was very well received when it was previewed at New York Couture Fashion Week last month.
“The ‘Midnight Blues’ collection proves just how beautiful, versatile, and sustainable denim can be,” said Tricia Carey, director of global business development for denim at Lenzing. “Tencel Lyocell with Refibra technology brings circularity to textiles by using post-industrial cotton waste to make new lyocell fibers. Initially launched in February 2017, we now have a wider range of mills and brands integrating Refibra technology into their collections.”
Refibra technology reflects Lenzing’s commitment to circular economy. The pioneering technology utilizes cotton scraps recovered from industrial operations that would otherwise be discarded. The upcycled cotton is combined with responsibly harvested wood and transformed into Tencel branded lyocell fibers using Lenzing’s environmental award-winning closed loop Lyocell process. Manufactured to maintain Lenzing’s strict quality standards, the resulting botanic fiber has all the attributes of a virgin lyocell, and is especially suited to denim applications. Tencel Lyocell with Refibra technology offers denim makers an immediate option for elevating the sustainability of their products and joining the market’s shift to a more environmentally responsible position.
Fashion designer Pawan Kumar is an advocate of sustainable materials and sustainable design and brings denim to life with his “Midnight Blues” collection. Pawan studied the art of sustainable finishing as a designer at Jeanologia, the innovation leader in this technology. The Tencel Denim fabrics Pawan selected for “Midnight Blues” were processed using Jeanologia technology and manufactured at Saitex, considered to be one of the most sustainable denim manufacturing facilities in the world.
Lead by Sanjeev Bahl, Saitex has been awarded both Blue Sign and LEED certifications. Additionally the factory drastically reduces water use by eliminating water waste and recycling up to 98 percent of the water it uses. In fact, the only water not recovered in the Saitex process is the water that is lost to natural evaporation. Saitex has invested in industry leading equipment that makes washing a much more resource efficient process as compared to the inefficient “belly” washers used in traditional manufacturing. The factory’s electricity dependency and carbon footprint have been reduced with air-drying and by using solar and other clean power sources. In the effort to attain zero waste with high impact, Saitex recycles what little waste it generates into bricks that are used to build orphanages throughout Vietnam.
“Saitex is quickly becoming the mecca of sustainable manufacturing,” adds Bahl, owner of Saitex. “We are drawing the highest caliber of design talent from across the globe to work at our facilities. In partnership with the innovators at Lenzing, we are proud to have provided the collaboration and expertise needed to bring Pawan Kumar’s vision to life in the most sustainable context.”
For the denim designs in “Midnight Blues,” Pawan was influenced by the natural splendor of his island origins in Mauritius and the urban sophistication of L.A. where he now resides. He blends a contemporary, minimalist style with the classic and glamourous attitude of the 1950’s. “Midnight Blues” comprises three sub themes: the charm of subtle flower designs in Floral Enigma, classic 50’s tones in Textured Blue, and the mid-century modern flair of Timeless Stripes. The capsule includes jeans, dresses, T-shirts, sweaters and jackets for both women and men. In addition to the core denim styles, complementary knits and wovens were produced by other sustainable mills including Artistic Denim Mills, Artistic Milliners, Barutcu, Blue Diamond, Candiani, Cone Denim, Hallotex, Orta, Prosperity, Royo, Textil Santaderina, and Tintex.
“Gorgeous, sustainable denim fabrics made with Tencel Lyocell with Refibra technology form a high-quality foundation for the ‘Midnight Blues’ collection,” says Pawan. “With these innovative fabrics, it was easy to attain the specific wash effects and visual textures I wanted for my designs, which embrace sustainability from fiber to finished garment. I am eager to present the ‘Midnight Blues’ collection at Kingpins Amsterdam and show the market that beautiful, sustainable denim is the future.”
Posted October 9, 2018
Source: The Lenzing Group
