Textile Insight

28 • Textile Insight ~ January/February 2019 textileinsight.com Today's eco-conscious consumers are curious about raw materials and are interested in traceability – and they want to be sure that information has scientific basis. Says Wan: "The competitive landscape has changed in the last two years with more companies doing traceability." While this is a positive, Wan believes it is not enough to solely iden- tify place of origin; companies need to prove traceability throughout the entire supply chain. "Most brands look at the first tier of the supply chain – fabric, trim – but to go to tier two and three, that is, deeper into the supply chain, is the next step." ADNAS works closely with manufacturers and educates suppliers to talk to the brands. "Our mission, if you will, is to provide innovative, traceability solutions – some may be DNA, some not – to provide traceability for every textile in the world. Anyone can use our system of identity pres- ervation." ADNAS has gained traction in several markets including denim, home and apparel with its SigNature T tagging and testing platform for fibers – including cotton and recycled PET – throughout the value chain. Recently ADNAS has branched out and is now working on providing traceability solutions for wool and down. Wan is optimistic that change will happen as more brands become proactive about promoting sustainability through- out the textile supply chain but she takes a realistic view of the future: "The truth is it may not be the same level of responsibility of say a Patagonia, or with the same level of intention, but other companies will do it because they have no choice. I don't think it's going to be driven all by the consumer; I think it will be a combination of consumer and competitive landscape driving change. And it's going to take time." Offering Comfort on a Global Level The idea of sustainability and technology going hand in hand is no longer confined to sport and outdoor product, as eco performance captures the attention of 7th Avenue brands known best for streetwear and suiting. "It seems all categories are now looking to fabric technolo- gies that have been vetted in the performance sport and outdoor world but can be used elsewhere," says Christy Raedeke, EVP marketing and sales at the firm 37.5. "Customers are demanding the comfort and functionality that they have in the gear they wear for sport on the weekends in the clothing that they wear every day, and in fabrications like silk, cashmere, merino, and other natural blends. And there's no reason they should not have that same comfort in all clothing." For 37.5, wool suiting and cotton dress shirts are fast growing businesses around the world. "Our suiting busi- ness has grown 177 percent from 2016 to 2018 with brands like Kenneth Cole, Carl Gross, Daniel Hechter, and others," says Raedeke. A suit is inherently uncomfortable, especially in hot envi- ronments, yet suits remain the preferred menswear attire for business in Japan, Europe and other international hubs. Brands, however, are recognizing 37.5 as a technology that can offer a comfort solution. Raedeke also mentions 37.5's success in Tommy Bahama's silk shirt business, in addition to recent 37.5 launches with Banana Republic for thermo-regulation and a new global denim launch with Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. "Northern European brands want denim with warmth, while in Southeast Asia, brands want denim with cooling – 37.5 provides both." It's due to the heat index factor. For example, a blind test was performed at third-party lab Inside Climate Munich with a cotton dress shirt and wool jacket with and without 37.5 technology. A test subject peddled on a bike to create heat. When the heat index was measured under the garments, the ensemble without 37.5 was 16OF/8OC hotter than under the suit system with 37.5 Technology. "This is a significant difference that is noticeable by the consumer. So the same technology that improves athlete efficiency by removing sweat in the vapor stage can change the comfort of garments worn during the work week," Raedeke explains. The movement of performance technology into broader markets is such that Première Vision has replaced Outdoor Retailer as trade show of choice for 37.5. In September, Première Vision launched the Sport & Tech Forum, an entire area devoted to performance fabrics and "Most brands look at the first tier of the supply chain but to go deeper to tier two and three is the next step." M E I L I N W A N , V P T E X T I L E S A L E S , A P P L I E D D N A S C I E N C E S N E W A G E P E R F O R M A N C E "The same technology that improves athlete efficiency by removing sweat in the vapor stage can change the comfort of garments worn during the work week." C H R I S T Y R A E D E K E , E V P M A R K E T I N G / S A L E S , 3 7 . 5

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