Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine Magazine May 2018 | Page 61

FASHION BUSINESS
Thanks to the influx of technology into denim,
designers are experimenting with performance
blends for properties like moisture wicking,
stain free finishes, extra stretch – to rival with
sportswear brands.
that go beyond style and trends to
create ‘technical’ denim.
The younger generations, which grew
up in joggers and sweatpants, are
discovering the ubiquitous jeans with
a whole new identity, and the ones
who wore denims in their youth have
come to expect both nostalgia and a
much-needed update from the garment.
There is no better material than denim
to quench the thirst of both comfort and
utility seekers in the same garment.
Performance is
our saviour
Performancewear is an unmissable
theme in the world of fashion
right now. The trend will serve as
denim’s crutches in its return to
everyone’s closet. From luxury
players like Ermenegildo Zegna,
who is working on Japanese
materials and construction that
rivals formal trousers, to Patagonia
and Wrangler working on migrating
the most favoured properties of
performancewear like moisture
wicking, stain free finishes, extra
stretch, everyone is investing in the
premium denim category.
Arvind Ltd., the Indian leader in
textiles, recently unveiled its new
denim collection in the Capital that
was no short of futuristic denim
innovations. Aamir Akhtar, CEO,
Denims, Arvind walked us through
the collection that showed new
ways of dyeing as well as products
like their Boomerang 360 Denim,
which offer extreme stretch and
high-recovery capabilities that rival
with jeggings and the infamous
yoga pants.
The performancewear induction in
denim will see manufacturers working
on functional properties that will
compete directly with the growing
sportswear market.
Sustainability cannot
be ignored
Denim goes through a great deal
to get to the point where it looks
and feels like what we have come
to love. But along with denim, the
environment also undergoes a lot;
the denim industry has one of the
worst images when it comes to ethical
and environment friendliness in
production.
ESSENTIALS
The entire
perception of
femininity is
changing. The
notion that body-
hugging jeans
are for women,
and men prefer
loose fits, is
getting reversed.
Even embroidery,
which is often
considered a
more women’s
value addition is
making its way
stalwartly into
menswear.
The biggest issue being the amount
of sweet water wasted to produce a
pair of simple jeans. Nevertheless,
denim’s future focuses on production
technologies that help reduce this
significantly. People are working on
solutions such as dry ice cleaning and
ozone washing, among several other
future facing machinery.
At Arvind, the teams are innovating
with sustainable dyeing and washing
solutions like ikat, ozone wash and
indigo to come up with processes
that are eco-conscious and also
create innovative finished products
at the same time. Sustainability is no
more a fancy concept or copywriting
tactic but an actual issue that
manufacturers will have to deal with
head on.
In Vietnam, Phong Phu Corporation,
one of the leading enterprises in the
country, has started making vertical
stretch denim, eco-friendly denim
made of bamboo, tencel, recycled
polyester and so on. “This focus on
sustainable denim has helped us
stand out among all other denim
manufacturers in Vietnam,” averred
Phan Kim Hang, Vice General
Director, Phong Phu Corporation.
www.apparelresources.com | MAY 2018 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
61