Textile Insight

IN THE MARKET | DENIM NEWS A Flurry of Retail and Supplier Happenings. Levi's Opens NYC-Style Flagship Nishat Finishing and Dying Wrangler First to Adopt New Water-Savings Dye Process Archroma Offers Aniline- Free Indigo Solution A rchroma has announced that Thailand-based Absolute Denim will be the first denim manu- facturer to switch 100 percent of its production to aniline-free indigo dyeing. Archroma's Denisol Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was first launched in May 2018 as a non-toxic way to produce the traditional, iconic indigo blue that consumers associ- ate with denim and jeans. During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons annu- ally, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. As a result of its toxicity (more hazardous than alkylphenols) it is now starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers, according to Archroma. The new Denisol Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was devel- oped as an aniline-free indigo solution. Archroma tested Denisol Pure Indigo at Absolute Denim mill in Thailand. Archroma wanted to be sure that the new indigo dye would perform exactly the same as conventional indigo. l textileinsight.com January/February 2019 ~ Textile Insight • 19 This Pakistani piece dye mill is completely vertical and is capable of its own spinning, weaving and dyeing. Here, three innovative looks from Nishat shown at Kingpins. l S ure you can go to Levi's new flag- ship store and buy a pair of jeans, but there's much more to the shop- ping experience at this midtown venue than product. First off, the nearly 17,000 square foot store is located in the heart of Times Square in Manhattan, so there's a something of a buzzy tourist attraction vibe, helped along by the fact that doors stay open to 1:00 a.m. During our December visit, Levi's x Disney apparel and holiday merchandise greeted customers, with Mickey Mouse t-shirts displayed next to Christmas stockings made out of denim. The space also houses a large tailor shop complete with iPads so shoppers have the option to custom design their denim. Take an escalator down from street level and there is an entire section focused on the history of Levi's 501 jeans with a fun timeline accompanied by black and white photos. Nearby this mini archive are racks and racks where customers can browse an extensive variety of Levi's looks that range from trendy fashion styles to denim basics. There are also dedicated spots where customers can take a load off, sit to check emails, and just take in the passing scene. l Left to right: A double face dobby cotton/poly/stretch fabric softens this military look enhanced with a beautiful finish and appealing hand feel; This Tencel/cotton blend features a Sateen weave with stretch that elevates denim in a new and unique way; A dye method used to make the jean jacket fabric intentionally produces the tiny white fade spots to mimic a vintage look. C ontinuing its effort to minimize an eco impact, Wrangler is launching a new line of jeans in 2019 that feature Dry Indigo denim made using an innovative foam-technology that requires far less water than conventional denim dye methods. According to Wrangler president, Tom Waldron, "foam technology reduces water consumption and pollution further upstream, helping fabric suppliers to dramati- cally minimize the impacts of making denim fabric blue." Tejidos Royal, a Spanish fabric mill that prioritizes environmental responsibility, is the first to integrate the new foam-dye process, which the mill calls Dry Indigo. According to the company, applying indigo dye to raw denim with foam instead of water will eliminate the need for the tens of millions of gallons of water typically consumed by conventional wet-dye systems. The technology was developed at Texas Tech University with early-stage funding provided by the Walmart Foundation. l Absolute Denim converts to 100 percent production to aniline-free indigo solution from Archroma.

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