Textile Insight

textileinsight.com January/February 2019 ~ Textile Insight • 27 OUTLOOK 2019 | STRATEGIES R E A L I Z I N G A F U T U R E O F S U S T A I N A B L Y - M A D E F U N C T I O N A L L Y - F I T T E X T I L E S . B Y E M I L Y W A L Z E R A collective rallying cry for sustainable practices grows louder every day as news reports of climate change become frequent and the proliferation of ocean plastic pollution makes headlines. At the same time, a cultural shift toward living mindfully is underway as the wellness trend of recent years builds, giving way to lifestyles driven by socially-conscious consumerism and purposeful purchasing valued for a user- friendly approach with feel-good appeal. Yet, performance remains a priority, with versatility in functionality – be it stretch and softness or temperature regulation and smart materials – increasingly in demand as consumers now expect comfort tech in everything they wear, whether that is apparel and footwear for sport, street, or office attire. Together these strong market trends are ushering in an era of new age performance. "The consumer mantra now is, 'I want to do the right thing,'" states Ellen Karp, founder and consumer strategist at Anerca International, Toronto, Canada. She explains that comments such as, "I'm committed to living a sustain- ably friendly lifestyle," appear again and again in market research. Indeed, seven in 10 people globally agreed with that statement in a recent research study to assess consumer attitudes about textile sustainability that Karp conducted for Oeko-Tex Institute. Karp identifies the "feel good factor" as an important trend. She states, "42 percent of respondents said, 'I like to know the values and principles of brands I buy.'" An overwhelming reference to taking responsibility, about being part of the solution not part of the problem, and taking small steps to sustainability, came from survey respondents, says Karp. "Aspiration comes before action. But I can say, people are on the path, guided by their principles." The 10-country study of 11,000 people, commissioned by Oeko-Tex to commemorate the organization's 25th anniversary, entitled "The Key to Confidence: Consumers and Textile Sustainability – Attitudes, Changing Behaviors, and Outlooks" was conducted over a two-year period, pro- viding Karp with "tons of data and about 40,000 consumer quotes." The scope and the vast scale of the study, makes it special, according to Karp, who works on sustainability and other branding issues with a wide array of the leading apparel, personal care, and luxury brands. She cites the movement for "holistic information," as another key takeaway from the Oeko-Tex study. "Messaging galvanizes people into action to do good, and the decision to act better intensifies," Karp explains. Her own message to the industry is to get on top of this trend. "It becomes more essential for textile suppliers to communicate values." Firms are responding to this call to action. Industry execs are reporting different strategies that tap into these, and other, strong market trends. They highlight efforts ranging from transparency and green chemistry to reaching new markets with technologies designed to enhance everyday experiences. While the ways in which corporations are approaching market conditions may vary in terms of spe- cific area of focus, a common theme exists: the realization that sustainably-made functional fit textile are the future. Providing Proof of Supply Chain Traceability "Lots of brands have earmarked 2020 as a big year for sustainability plans and goals. Which means 2019 is time to get ducks in a row, and be talking about what you are actually doing to achieve these goals. And that's where we fit in," says MeiLin Wan, VP textile sales, Applied DNA Sciences (ADNAS). "Because a lot of manufacturers and brands are now realizing 'oh, my gosh,' it's not enough to say what we're doing but we need to prove what we are doing. And they need a tool to do that." New Age PERFORMANCE The time is here for significant change in how textiles are sourced, produced and communicated to consumers.

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