Textile Insight

20 • Textile Insight ~ November/December 2022 textileinsight.com NEW & BETTER FOR THE PLANET, TOO Key themes for the upcoming season can be summed up in four main categories: Better Synthetics; Better Naturals; Better Processing and Better All Around. Fabrics that fall into these categories exist across the board from base layer to outer shells and from garments to trims. Here's a quick rundown on a few standout developments: Global Merino extends its portfolio with innovative functional fabrica- tions targeted for use in technical leggings, along with extraordinary lightweight technical Merino base layer fabrications that include mesh constructions and a collection tagged "New Jersey" that features a jersey structure with alternating patterns and great functionality. Brookwood introduces Reclaim, a line consisting of three qualities that blend recycled with perfor- mance synthetics. ey include: Olympiad, made with 100 percent Repreve recycled polyester, piece dyed, Assault nylon in a 2-layer wa- terproof breathable DWR coating; Eco Lemur, a 100 percent recycled nylon, piece dyed, sanded, with DWR; and Eco Duck 100 percent recycled polyester piece dyed, PU coated, DWR. Advanced Denim brings to market jeans made with recy- cled yarn waste and fabric from garment recycling. e company believes that recycling technology will continue to improve and ex- pects to see a lot of growth in this area in the next five years. Kingwhale is using scrap from suppliers, garment inventory from brands and take back programs to regenerate fabric for a new program called Revio. e closed loop textile and garment recycling system features technology out of Japan in a joint venture with Kingwhale, which is currently in the process of building a factory in Taiwan to grow the Revio product line, according to James Huang, president. British Millerain keeps heritage alive but with lighter, more ver- satile products. e company's Ranger line offers a new super-dry waxed cotton that unlike tradi- tional wax, does not need to be lined. It is also machine washable. Polartec makes strides with its latest Polartec Power Shield in- novation that features bio-based membrane chemistr y while raising performance efficiency. is is Polartec's first-ever water- proof fabric to test greater than 20,000 mm in the Hydrostatic Pressure Test for Waterproofness and 20,000 g/m2/24h Moisture Vapor Transmission Rating for Breathability. us making it in line with high-performance laminates while using a bio-based approach. Rudholm Group is a producer of eco-responsible trims and accessories that is now making recyclable shipping bags out of a 20,000 square foot facility in Henderson, NV that opened in January 2022. Brands are on board, according to Dennis Lau, director, Rudholm Group USA, who states, "Everybody needs packaging." And these days, brands want recyclable. DIRECTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

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