RICHMOND, VA — December 13, 2023 — Fi-Tech Inc. is excited to announce the launch of its newly designed website, www.fi-tech.com. The website features a fresh modern look with updated informative content to help visitors understand our complete line of machinery and products for the synthetic fiber, nonwoven fabric, textile, converting and tobacco industries.
Key features of the new website include:
Secure Connection;
Improved Brand Recognition for our Partners;
Optimized Search Structure; and
Simplified User-Friendly Navigation.
“We are pleased to unveil our new website to our customers, partners, and the industries we serve. With updated information and photography, this site will enhance the online experience for our valued customers and partners,” said Jeffrey Bassett, managing director. “The site’s new, secure and modern design reflects our dedication to serving our customers and partners.”
Fi-Tech, with offices in Richmond, Va., and San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is a manufacturers’ representative and distribution company in North America serving the synthetic fiber, nonwoven fabric, textile, converting and tobacco industries. Working with the leading suppliers of machinery and technical components, the Fi-Tech Team connects our industries and customers to the most technologically advanced solutions to gain competitive advantages in the market today and into the future.
For more information, please contact Jeffrey Bassett at 804-794-9615 or jbassett@fi-tech.com
BOULDER, Colo. — December 14, 2023 — Paka, an innovator in alpaca apparel, today launched its latest material innovation in alpaca fiber: PAKACLOUD™. This alpaca-based fleece is the first of its kind according to the company, and outperforms standard synthetic fleece in warmth to weight ratio, testing twice as warm in CLO value tests.
The original “fleece” fabric in the 1970’s was synthetic, despite the word originating from natural animal fiber. With PAKACLOUD, Paka is bringing fleece back to its origin with a pullover crafted with fully traceable alpaca fleece. The alpaca wool in PAKACLOUD features hollow medullated air pockets, which reduce heat transfer and create an insulating buffer compared to synthetic fibers, which have a heavier, less insulating solid fiber structure. Alpaca wool also boasts exceptional moisture management, antibacterial and thermoregulating characteristics owed to alpacas’ evolution in the highly fluctuating alpine environment of the Andes.
Traditional synthetic fleece, made from oil, is the largest contributor to microplastic water contamination in the clothing industry, shedding up to 250,000 microfibers in a single wash. PAKACLOUD offers a more sustainable option for the full fleece lifecycle: Paka’s alpaca fiber is renewable and ethically-sourced and the natural fibers in the fabric blend don’t shed microplastic pollution into our waterways when washed.
“What’s crazy to me is that the word ‘fleece’ means the wooly covering of an animal,” said Kris Cody, PAKA Founder and CEO. “Yet 95 percent of fleeces currently made are from oil — polyester, acrylic, nylon. I’m so proud that we’ve re-infused nature back into fleece and made it 2x warmer in doing so.”
The PAKACLOUD fleece is made with baby alpaca fiber, named for the softness of the wool. Each pullover features a handwoven Inca ID crafted by women artisans employed at 4x the living wage in Peru, and cordlock system at the hem featuring pullers made from corn byproduct. The PAKACLOUD is available in a Unisex fit in Oat, Navy and Black for $165.
NEW YORK CITY — December 13, 2023 — PVH Corp. today announced the appointment of Sophia Hwang-Judiesch as the president of Tommy Hilfiger North America. She joins the company on January 8, 2024, and will report to Stefan Larsson, CEO of PVH. The company also announced today that Amba Subrahmanyam will be promoted to chief people officer at PVH. Both leaders will join PVH’s executive leadership team and Hwang-Judiesch will also become a key member of the global TOMMY HILFIGER leadership team.
Hwang-Judiesch is a highly experienced industry leader recognized for driving brand and market growth at leading omnichannel brands including Ulta Beauty, Carter’s Oshkosh and Esprit, where she consistently delivered improved revenue performance and profitability in key global markets. Hwang-Judiesch joins PVH and TOMMY HILFIGER from Hudson’s Bay, where, as President, she was responsible for the company’s retail stores in Canada and oversaw a robust omnichannel optimization strategy to elevate the consumer experience. Before joining Hudson’s Bay, she was vice president of strategic initiatives at Ulta Beauty, where she led the partnership and launch of Ulta Beauty@Target.
Larsson said: “I am thrilled Sophia is joining us to unlock the full potential of the Tommy Hilfiger business in North America. Sophia’s proven track record of driving profitable, omnichannel growth and enhancing the brand experience at every touch point will be critical as we get closer to consumers than ever before. With Sophia leading Tommy Hilfiger North America and Donald Kohler leading Calvin Klein North America, we now have the leadership strength in place for the North America unlock of both brands.”
Hwang-Judiesch said: “I am excited to be joining this incredible team to drive long-term growth and value creation for the TOMMY HILFIGER brand in North America. The opportunity to lead this iconic brand in the region is an honor, and I look forward to working closely with the global leadership team as we make the TOMMY HILFIGER brand more desirable in the market than ever before.”
The company also announced today the promotion of Subrahmanyam to chief people officer. Subrahmanyam joined PVH in February 2022 and currently serves as executive vice president of People for PVH Americas and Calvin Klein Global. Prior to PVH, Subrahmanyam held HR leadership roles at Tapestry, Tory Burch and Coach. She succeeds Julie Fuller, who joined the company in 2020 and is leaving PVH to pursue other opportunities. This succession will be effective February 5, 2024, to allow time for a seamless transition.
Larsson said: “Amba is one of the key leaders behind the transformation of Calvin Klein and the early unlock of our North America business. She is known for combining her strong people focus, deep industry knowledge and business acumen to help grow people and brands. Amba’s proven experience supporting one of our biggest businesses, combined with the strong relationships and trust she’s built with our key global leaders, will help her hit the ground running. I want to congratulate Amba for this exciting opportunity and look forward to welcoming her to the leadership team.
“I would also like to thank Julie for her dedication to our global associates, especially when navigating the unprecedented challenges we all faced during the pandemic. I have valued her leadership and partnership in establishing and building out the PVH+ Plan, and most importantly, in helping to build the very strong leadership team and global organization to execute it. I wish her every success in her next chapter.”
Subrahmanyam commented: “I am thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Stefan and the leadership team to engage, empower and energize our talented team as we work together to execute the PVH+ Plan. We are evolving our culture to become one of the best brand builders, and we will do it in an entrepreneurial way, supported by our strengths as one of the biggest global fashion groups.”
LOS ANGELES — December 13, 2023 — Materials science leader Hologenix is on a mission to bring the health and wellness benefits of infrared to the most people possible. In the spirit of its perennial innovation, the company has announced that its flagship product CELLIANT® infrared (IR) technology, a natural blend of IR-generating bioceramic minerals, is now more widely available from the company as a printed coating, expanding the uses of the technology and increasing the number of prospective partners. The innovation has already been named a Selection in the Fibers & Insulations Category of the ISPO Textrends Awards just last month.
Traditionally, CELLIANT has been embedded directly into fibers and yarns. However, for its print applications, CELLIANT fine mineral powder can be easily added directly onto the surface of all different fabric types. The company is particularly energized about how this expands the array of sustainable offerings that CELLIANT can be incorporated into, and is looking forward to partnering with brands to print CELLIANT on their eco-friendly fabrics. CELLIANT Print may be a cost-effective alternative to in-yarn solutions and allows for a more efficient supply chain.
In a process that is similar to screen printing, CELLIANT Print can be applied to a partner’s existing preferred fabrics or to a new fabric to create a variety of different product applications. For brands who are seeking a smaller pattern roller for apparel, orthopedic products or other close-to-skin projects, CELLIANT Print can accommodate this. There is also a larger pattern roller for bedding and larger-scale applications. As long as the print covers 80% of the fabric’s surface, the design possibilities for the print itself are virtually endless. CELLIANT Print has undergone mechanical testing for wash tests and can be confirmed to last the useful life of the product, for 50+ washes. By applying CELLIANT Print directly onto the fabric, brand partners are able to use CELLIANT with a higher loading of bioceramic minerals than what would otherwise be possible with an in-yarn solution. This makes it ideal for recovery and performance purposes. In fact, an example of a CELLIANT Print application on kinesiology tape, KT Tape® PRO Oxygen™ was launched in April to great success.
“Our company is built on innovation and CELLIANT Print is another step forward in bringing the infrared advantage to a wider audience,” said Seth Casden, Hologenix Co-founder and CEO.
The first chance to discuss CELLIANT Print in person in 2024 will come at the Heimtextil show in Frankfurt, from January 9-12. Interested parties can make an appointment by emailing hello@celliant.com.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — December 14, 2023 — In October 2023, the United Stated Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) completed the rulemaking procedure to revise the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles in 16 CFR part 1610. The new regulations will go into effect six months later, on April 22, 2024. For more than a year, commissioners have considered data and public comment on several clarifications and updates, including reference to AATCC LP 1 Laboratory Procedure for Home Laundering: Machine Washing.
The revisions address three main areas. First, they aim to clarify and streamline the provisions regarding test result codes (i.e., burn codes), which help determine the classification of a textile and whether it may be used for clothing. The amendments remove an unnecessary code and revise wording in the provisions to clarify the existing requirements. Second, the amendments revise the stop thread specification, which indicates the thread that must be used in flammability testing. The description has become unclear, as threads matching the description in the Standard are no longer readily available. Third, amendments revise the refurbishing requirements in the Standard, which address dry cleaning and laundering specimens during the testing process. In recent years, there have been increasing restrictions on the use of the dry cleaning solvent specified in the Standard, and washing machines that meet the specifications required in the Standard are no longer made.
The new refurbishing specifications reference AATCC LP1-2021. The CPSC says, “Staff expects that this will reduce burdens on testing laboratories because it will eliminate the need to maintain and repair older machines and allow those testing laboratories that can no longer maintain or obtain washing machines that comply with the current Standard to continue to test to the Standard.” Existing machines meeting the older specifications in AATCC TM124-2006 may still be used.
AATCC LP1 is available in the current AATCC Manual of International Test Methods and Procedures and as a downloadable PDF. Because it is incorporated in a federal regulation, the document is available at no cost. Specified detergent for flammability testing is also available directly from AATCC. The CPSC announcement explains that the reference to AATCC LP1 will reduce confusion and cost as well as testing errors.
DynaPel ISPO Award – Best Product in the accessories category
ATLANTA — December 13, 2023 —The ISPO Textrends judges have selected YKK’s DynaPel™ water-repellent zipper as the Best Product in the accessories category. The competition, held twice a year in conjunction with the ISPO trade show, recognizes the most innovative performance textiles, components, and apparel.
Designed to be compatible with garment recycling systems, the DynaPel zipper uses GTT’s EMPEL® technology instead of the standard PU film to achieve its water repellency. The lack of a PU film helps remove one of the barriers of textile-to-textile recycling of performance apparel by eliminating the urethane material, which presents challenges to garment recycling processes.1
“Receiving an ISPO Textrends Award helps validate the technology and our efforts to develop fasteners for circular systems,” said Terry Tsukumo, vice president, Product Strategy Division, Global Sales Headquarters, YKK Corp. “By employing EMPEL® technology, we can achieve the robust water protection expected from YKK® products while eliminating the challenges that PU poses to recycling systems.”
Conventional chemical and mechanical garment recycling systems cannot process the polyurethane film commonly used on water-repellent zippers, necessitating the removal of zippers from garments before recycling. This additional processing step often deters recyclers from accepting garments with PU zippers, resulting in unnecessary waste.
EMPEL technology uses advanced green chemistry devoid of PFAS and a specialized manufacturing process that allows the chemistry to penetrate the yarn and encapsulate it with a water-repellent layer through molecular cross-linking. The molecular cross-linking creates an extremely durable layer that is highly resistant to abrasion and invisible to the eye.
1 It is recommended to trial products in your targeted recycling system to fully assess its processability.
PRATTELN, Switzerland — December 13, 2023 — International denim manufacturing powerhouse Artistic Milliners and Archroma, a developer of specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, are collaborating to rewrite the future of denim. Leveraging Archroma’s breakthrough DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK dyestuff, the partners are promoting more eco-advanced sulfur black dyeing for denim with a variety of washdown effects and reduced environmental impact.
DIRESUL EVOLUTION BLACK delivers outstanding resource savings, using less water and energy and producing less CO2 during dye synthesis. Furthermore, it offers unique shade and washdown behavior compared to standard black dyes to consistently create eye-catching aesthetics, especially on dark black shades with no bronzing effect. It is also laser-friendly.
Artistic Milliners launched a capsule collection based on the new DIRESUL EVOLUTION BLACK technology at Kingpins Amsterdam in October, named EVO BLACK, winning a strong positive response from global brands. It is now working closely with a research and innovation team from Archroma, its technology partner of many decades, to expand its use of the new black coloration system in combination with other colors and performance effects.
“With decades of denim innovation, Artistic Milliners continues to push the envelope to lower the environmental impact of clothing for brands and consumers,” said Omer Ahmed, managing director, Artistic Milliners. “We are enthusiastic about promoting the DIRESUL EVOLUTION BLACK technology with our partner Archroma as a way to help our industry move towards more eco forward denim production that nurtures people and the planet.”
“Archroma is proud to work with market leaders like Artistic Milliners to prove that denim production can have minimal environmental impact and economically viable while creating value for brands through collections that consumers crave,” added Umberto De Vita, director, Denim Market Segment, Archroma Textile Effects. “DIRESUL EVOLUTION BLACK is just the latest in a long series of Archroma-driven innovations that enhance people’s lives and respect the planet.”
Archroma has led the evolution of sulfur dyeing since 1980, when it introduced its low-sulfide DIRESUL RDT range which include breakthroughs like the eco-advanced Pad-Ox dyeing process, and the innovative plant-based EarthColors® sulfur dyestuffs range.
DIRESUL EVOLUTION BLACK took home the honorary award for Innovation – Dyes at the 2023 Just Style Excellence Awards.
MIRFIELD, England — December 13, 2023 — Yorkshire-based global designer and manufacturer of contract and transport textiles, Camira is celebrating a Stylepark Selected Award for its post-consumer recycled polyester, RePlay. The business has also been named a finalist in two awards for its work in sustainability advancement.
Shortlisted in the Sustainability category at Business Desk’s Business of the Year Awards, Camira has been recognized as an innovator and disruptor in sustainability. The manufacturer is also in the line-up for Circular Economy Innovation of the Year at the Edie Awards for its breakthrough closed loop wool fabric, Revolution.
Commenting on the award shortlists, Ian Burn, director of marketing and sustainability said: “I’m so proud that our talented team of designers and makers have been recognised for their hard work and dedication into launching two fantastic textiles, each with their own eco-story to tell. The industry has a poor reputation for irresponsible production, but Camira is leading the way in demonstrating a new, more sustainable approach to manufacturing, based on circular economy and regenerative principles.
“The next step for us is to recycle our customers’ upholstery waste, extending our impact through our investment in iinouiio, and allowing other companies to embrace circular economy principles. We are also preparing to launch our next closed loop fabric in 2024 which will include a higher percentage of recycled content.”
Camira, which will celebrate its 50th year in business in 2024, manufactures more than eight million meters of fabric globally every year and boasts manufacturing capabilities, extending from raw yarn to weaving, dyeing and the finishing of fabrics.
NEUBULACH, Germany — December 13, 2023 — Trützschler Card Clothing (TCC) is still a comparatively young business. But Trützschler’s comprehensive portfolio of products and services is shaping the card clothing industry — with big plans for the future…
The origin story
A giant leap in the card clothing technology is marked in the 1950s. At that time, Germany’s Black Forest region was a hotspot for producing textiles and attracted companies around the world — one of it was the American textile machinery producer Hollingsworth. After filing for bankruptcy in 1996, it narrowed its portfolio to focus on card clothing. The company also placed a stronger emphasis on modernizing and automating its facilities.
Bold decision, big challenges
The card clothing business in the Black Forest made impressive advances. In 2003, Trützschler took the bold decision to acquire the company and step into the card clothing market. This led to the creation of Trützschler Card Clothing (TCC). It led to some big challenges too.
First, Trützschler needed to optimize the card clothings produced in Neubulach-Oberhaugstett to fit its carding machines — and it needed to do it quickly. That involved detailed evaluations and trouble-shooting exercises. On top of this, each new generation of card clothing brought additional challenges that required the Trützschler team to adjust its products and processes.
Thanks to close cooperation between colleagues from the Spinning, Nonwovens and Card Clothing teams at Trützschler, we now offer a uniquely comprehensive card clothing portfolio with support from our deep expertise in this area. This valuable competitive advantage helped Trützschler take over the American part of Hollingsworth in 2010, which is now integrated into American Trützschler in Charlotte.
Heinrich Krull, COO, and Florian Schürenkrämer, member of the Shareholders’ Committee of the Trützschler Group SE also joined the event.
Twists, turns and technology leadership
Huge changes have happened since Trützschler entered the card clothing industry 20 years ago. Magnet systems for the flat top of the card are one very special milestone for card clothing technology. These Magnotop (MT) systems enable faster and simpler servicing during production, as well as significant savings in operating costs. The different wire geometries of GX and FGX are further examples of big progress. Our team also developed the self-adjusting flat top, Precisetop (PT), which enables continuous carding gaps that are thinner than a sheet of paper.
Major technological developments like these are the result of close collaboration and interaction between departments at Trützschler Group for two decades. That team spirit and passion for shared success have made our company a global technology leader in the card clothing business today.
Growing and going global
From its starting point in the Black Forest, TCC has expanded worldwide at impressive speed. The company now offers production sites, sales teams and service experts close to its customers around the globe. Importantly, the production facility in Neubulach-Oberhaugstett has also experienced remarkable growth. The site is now larger and features a broader range of production processes, with significant efficiency improvements. This growth of TCC and the high demand for its wires has empowered our card clothing business to rapidly increase its production volume in the last 20 years.
Highly engaged and talented people are the key to this success story. More than 150 employees now work at the TCC headquarters in Neubulach-Oberhaugstett, with more than 350 people serving customers as part of its global team. Looking ahead, TCC is still taking steps to carry this expansion into the future. The ongoing construction of a new logistics center is just one flagship project. At all times, TCC teams are continuously improving the production processes at its growing network of sites to maximize efficiency while minimizing the environmental footprint.
A never-ending story…
The development of TCC may only stretch back for two decades, but it’s a tale packed with big moments and exciting plot points. Since it joined Trützschler Group in 2003, TCC has benefitted from its parent company’s distribution channels and OEM equipment. In the same spirit, the Trützschler Group has enjoyed positive progress overall as a direct result of the two-decade success story of TCC.
Today, TCC has a powerful reputation for leading technological advances and setting new standards in the card clothing market with its inspiring R&D activities and truly global market perspective. In just 20 years, the business has developed a comprehensive range of products and services that are trusted around the world. And its global team of passionate people is excited to continue this story for many years into the future.
ZÜRICH, Switzerland — December 13, 2023 — The purpose of the TreeToTextile is to develop and industrialize a new innovative man-made cellulosic fiber technology that will provide textile fibers with good sustainability performance at an attractive cost-level. TreeToTextile’s goal is to deploy new technology for textiles made from cellulose and make it accessible for textile suppliers and brands around the world.
Christian Schindler, director general of ITMF, stated: “Welcoming TreeToTextile as a new Corporate Member of ITMF is an important sign that ITMF is an attractive international platform for both well-established companies as well as start-ups. To strengthen TreeToTextile’s international network with players from the entire global textile value chain is certainly a crucial point. In return, well-established companies in the value chain see the value as well as the transformative power of start-ups. More cooperation among all players in the value chain in necessary to accelerate the needed transformation of the industry towards a more sustainable future.”
Andreas Nilsson, head of Commercial of TreeToTextile, stressed that “collaboration is one of the cornerstones in how TreeToTextile was founded. Every day we collaborate with our owners, research partners and team members to achieve our vision: “Better fibers to all”. We look forward to joining the unique international platform of ITMF and continue to build our network across the entire value chain. It offers a great opportunity to understand the development and the opportunities the textile industry is facing. We were happy to be awarded the ITMF Start-up Award 2023 earlier this fall and are looking forward to join future events and conferences that will provide us with useful information and analysis about the industry, to support our journey ahead.”
For more information about TreeToTextile go to https://treetotextile.com/
Posted: December 13, 2023
Source: The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)
RICHMOND, VA — December 13, 2023 — Fi-Tech Inc. is excited to announce the launch of its newly designed website, www.fi-tech.com. The website features a fresh modern look with updated informative content to help visitors understand our complete line of machinery and products for the synthetic fiber, nonwoven fabric, textile, converting and tobacco industries.
