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IN THE MARKET | DENIM textileinsight.com A Spring Season Defined by Sustainability & Stretch Science. Denim Takes to the Streets hile still a driver in denim, performance took a backseat to sustainability at the recent Kingpins trade fair in New York City. A slew of companies exhibiting on the show floor promoted eco developments, while trend commentary highlighted the importance of "upcycling " and "recycle, repair, reuse" for Spring/ Summer 2020. Messaging from several leading firms included new sustainable "eco color" from Prosperity; Artistic Fabric Garment Industries' Global Recycle Standard certification; Artistic Milliners' Cradle to Cradle certified denim and the firm's CLEAN platform that stands for Chemical Free, Laser Processing, Environmentally friendly, Alternative energy and No stones. Lenzing launched a capsule collection featuring a new Tencel with Refibra technology; The Refibra fiber is derived from recycled cotton scraps and renewable wood. Twin Dragon called out "the greenest jeans" eco finish in gar- ments using Repreve recycled poly, Tencel and Modal. Eco aside, functional features remain important, with new technologies centered on stretch characteristics and fit. Lycra's FreeF!T technology focuses on "easy stretch" and "lasting shape retention." Attributes include a soft stretch that enhances comfort and makes garments easy to put on and wear and "low growth," that enables garments to keep their shape over time. According to the company, the compressive force of the fabric is much lower than typical stretch fabric which indicates it provides less strain, more freedom to move and a wider fit window. Hyosung also advances stretch science with its creora Fit2, a creora spandex that allows 360-stretch for comfort- able wear and perfect silhouette. The company's Eco-soft product is a low heat settable spandex for better shrinkage control and sustainable with less energy usage. New North American textile maker Vidalia Denim is work- ing with Lubrizol as a preferred supplier of stretch fibers in its denim fabrics and aims to maximize the performance and eco-friendly attributes of Lubrizol's X4zol-J elastomeric fiber in Vidalia's production. "The production of stretch fabrics holds such an impor- tant place in the denim industry today," said Dan Feibus, CEO of Vidalia Mills Co. Rob Richardson, global business director for Performance Apparel at Lubrizol, added, "Our collaboration with Vidalia will enable brands to work locally in North America to deliver high-performance fabrics that consumers love, with even greater sustainability benefits." Vidalia Denim will use e3 sustainable cotton exclusively in its operations, the first such operation in the world. Its cotton will be sourced from across the U.S. farm belt. What's Trending for S/S 2020 Amy Leverton's trend presentation has become a go-to event at Kingpins in recent years and for good reason. Leverton, based in LA for Denim Dudes, provides an energetic, entertaining and informative overview of the market. Leverton identified four main trends that define Spring/Summer 2020 including: The Grateful Dad; High-End; Spaghetti Western and Ironic Naughties. Of the four key developments for next season, The Grateful Dad is most relevant to active/outdoor. It is full of cargo pants, fanny packs and "all-terrain" type functionality with utility pockets galore – hence the "Dad" reference. However, the trend also brings a hippie/festival feel and edgier style. There's lots of tie-dye and peace signs but these are mixed with cool street looks. Sustainability is important, especially upcycling, and vegetal dyes, too. Embroidery, beading and tons of fringe is in full-force. High-End also has an eco story line, but while Grateful Dad is more about wellness and outdoor lifestyle, High-End is focused on mental health. "It's a continuation of the well- ness trend but more in a mind-expanding way," Leverton explained. "High" refers to the influence of weed culture, and marijuana motifs abound for next season, along with an emerging "future hippie" style. l Left: The Spaghetti Western trend for S/S 2020 is all about youth and color with acid wash looks making a comeback as workwear is re-invented in a younger, more playful direction. The denim community closed out the 2018 show season at Kingpins NY with its usual mix of laid-back business approach and strong seminar line-up.