Austrian fiber company Lenzing Group, best known for its brands Tencel,
Veocel and EcoVero, joined forces with Belgian chemical group Solvay to
create a new sustainable fabric combining Tencel-branded lyocell fibers and
Solvay’s Amni Soul Eco, the first polyamide 6.6 yarn designed to decompose
within 5 years (other fibers can take decades to decompose). The result,
the two companies claim, is a sustainable fabric that offers greater
breathability and abrasion resistance for the activewear market.
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FashionUnited spoke with Lenzing’s Vice President of Global Business
Management, Florian Heubrandner, to learn more about the new product. His
work includes overseeing Lenzing’s global textile business and efforts in
scaling-up new textile innovations, as well as creating long-term strategic
partnerships like the one recently formed with Solvay.
The activewear segment is a growing part at Lenzing. As consumers are
more health conscious these days, I do foresee a substantial amount of
growth potential in the activewear segment, so I feel extremely excited
about what is going to come. In March 2018, our activewear team
participated in the Shanghai Intertextile trade show, where they met the
Solvay team and spun off the collaboration idea.
The knitting, dyeing and finishing processes are of no difference to any
other regular fabric. The backbone of the idea here is the material
composition of the fabric. The back of the new fabric is made of Tencel
active lyocell fibers, which are derived from renewable, responsibly
managed wood sources, while the front is enhanced by Solvay’s Amni Soul
ECO.
We haven’t started mass producing the new fabric yet, but we’ve already
received several enquiries from brands that are interested in the idea and
will look into the possibility for mass production in the future.
Amni Soul Eco is a type of sustainable nylon. The synthetic fibers
absorb low amounts of moisture and dry fast, rendering it highly breathable
from the surface. But Tnecel fibers are also structured to regulate the
absorption and release of moisture, which increases breathability even
more. As for comfort, if you look at lyocell fibers in a microscope, you
will see that they exhibit a smooth surface area, so the fabric is very
soft to the touch.
Lenzing has been playing an active role in driving circular economy with
industry partners. For instance, we are a participant of the Make Fashion
Circular
Initiative, which was established at Copenhagen Fashion Summit last May.
Together with our partners, we hope to ensure that clothes are made from
safe and renewable materials, complemented with the use of new technologies
and business models. In the future, Lenzing will work even closer with our
partners by sharing our sustainability insights and expertise. Ultimately,
we aim to facilitate the growth of supply chain transparency practices
through supporting brand product development.
Photo: courtesy of Lenzing