Textile Insight

that technology ready, certified and available quickly – but also new and different – is beneficial to everyone. "With today's rapidly evolving marketplace, material supply chains are no longer just a means of delivering goods – they are the drivers of innovation and key enablers for maintaining compliance with regulatory standards," explained Allon Cohne, CMO of Noble Biomaterials. Collaboration across the supply chain can foster innovation and certification, so businesses stay competitive while also meeting standards for sustainability, safety and quality. "Traditionally, chemical suppliers were seen as transactional, providing materials but leaving manufacturers to figure out the rest," noted Courtney Harold, director of marketing for Green eme Technologies. "Now we've evolved to offer more than just a product. We actively collaborate with mills and manufacturers offering technical support, training and integration assistance, ensuring that mills can achieve the best results with our products." As brands face pressure to innovate while controlling costs, ingredient suppliers have shied from vendors to key partners. Green eme currently has Empel product in the marketplace with Nike, YKK and Black Diamond. Empel is a water-free, PFAS-free fabric finishing technology that creates a durable, water repellent finish. Green eme works with brands, manufacturers and mills to help navigate performance, sustainability and cost challenges. Brands should take note, however, that while innovation being pushed to suppliers can bring about cost savings; it can also weaken the cohesion of brand storytelling. Attention must be paid to the development process along with testing, trademark protection and brand positioning. Innovation from suppliers must be differentiated from others in the marketplace. Nick Brosnan, Polygiene Marketing Manager - Americas, believes that "ingredient/technology brands that invest the time, resources and personnel required to develop relationships with their partners will continue to grow and gain market share." When it's time to cut costs, "those willing to develop consumer connections and be transparent are in the best position to succeed," he said. Brosnan is embarking on a content branding effort to communicate the value Polygiene freshness adds to a product. "We're excited to get closer to the consumers that put Polygiene to the test every day," the exec said. Polygiene recently partnered with Italian brand Officina39 to offer an odor-controlled, recycled dye. "As a sustainable ingredient supplier, we believe that the onus is on us to make it easy for brands and retailers to incorporate polyester containing CiCLO technology into their products; the only way to do that is through direct interaction not only with the end customer, but with all of the key suppliers throughout the value chain," commented Christine Spiegel, director of marketing for CiCLO. e Champion Eco Future Reverse Weave incorporates CiCLO technology, reducing plastic textile fibers in the environment by giving polyester an eventual expiration date. e collection features dyes derived from nature, including pomegranate and annatto fruit. Spiegel is currently leading a new repositioning initiative aimed at simplifying the message around why choosing products made with biodegradable technology is important. e effort educates consumers on the issue of microplastic pollution caused by synthetic textiles and the quest to actively find solutions. e repositioning textileinsight.com Winter 2025 ~ Textile Insight • 27 COVER STORY "As a sustainable ingredient supplier, we believe that the onus is on us to make it easy for brands and retailers to incorporate polyester containing CiCLO technology into their products; the only way to do that is through direct interaction not only with the end customer, but with all of the key suppliers throughout the value chain." Christine Spiegel, director of marketing for CiCLO.

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