Textile Insight

IN THE MARKET | LEATHER UPDATE Progress through Partnerships 12 • Textile Insight ~ January/February 2019 textileinsight.com Advancing Eco-Friendly Functionality & Supply Chain Transparency. By Emily Walzer o meet contemporary expectations con- cerning environmental responsibility, on the part of both consumers and brands, textile suppliers are committed to bringing new eco options to market. Leather has been garnering more attention recently from different sectors of the industry with collaborative efforts playing a key role in this new wave of eco innovation. For example Applied DNA Sciences and Eurofins BLC together have created a leather traceability system. The agreement leverages BLC's leather processing expertise and strong ties to the global leather industry and Applied DNA Sciences' leadership in large-scale PCR-based DNA manufacturing, and its SigNature T platform. The collabo- ration follows the successful completion of the funded consortium research project with BLC announced last year. BLC is a leading, leather and chemical testing, consulting, auditing and technology center, established over 95 years ago. Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security. "This agreement enhances our position for the com- mercial implementation of our leather tagging system," There is a strong need within the leather industry to provide a robust system of traceability. Two Takes on Leather for Footwear ECCO's footwear collab with Studio Hagel showcases out- side-the-box sneaker designs in a limited edition collection. The playful styles feature un- pullable pull tags, ornamental zippers, complicated patterns, overly fluorescent colors and gratuitous lacing. According to the creators, "Like a mountain, every one of the 18 shoes begs to be explored." And true func- tionality comes through: The footwear is engineered using Ecco's direct injection Fluidform comfort technology. Models are crafted from Ecco materials, including Neo, a newly- devel- oped leather bonded with Dyneema fiber. Stegmann has been hand- crafting signature wool felted clogs since 1888, introducing leather and suede styles in 2017. The new Graz collection is designed for customers who love the comfort and classic aesthetic of the Original 108 wool clog and mirrors traditional Stegmann styling, however, features modern leather looks. Shown here, the women's Graz in brown leather that the com- pany states was prompted by customer demand. Stegmann leather and suede clogs are 100 percent sourced from and manufactured in Portugal for a tight footprint and local sustainability. states Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO, Applied DNA Sciences. "We already have keen interest in the commercial adoption of our system from several project sponsors. We are targeting a defined goal of having 300,000,000 square feet of DNA-tagged leather under contract over the next five years." Adam Hughes, managing director of Eurofins BLC Leather Technology adds, "There is a strong need within the leather industry to provide a robust system of traceability for semi-processed and finished leather. This cost-effective application system provides a process for applying a unique molecular tag in a way that is impossible to counterfeit. Eurofins BLC looks forward to supporting our customers in their journey towards supply chain transparency and traceability." Collaboration between textile technology firms has resulted in gains for sustainable leather products. Swiss textile technology company HeiQ and DuPont have launched a PFC-free water-repellent finish for leather, called HeiQ DuPont ECO-LED. This expands the HeiQ Eco Dry line of PFC-free products currently available. Wolverine is an early adopter of the new ECO-LED, and as such the first supplier to offer treated leather to their major brand partners. "We see many apparel items using PFC-free prod- ucts; Consumers are now looking for this technology in other water repellent finishes for leather," says Suzanne Johnson, VP sales and marketing at Wolverine. "Combining our high-performance pig nubuck with HeiQ DuPont ECO-LED for leather gives us an avenue to meet consumer demands." l

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