Newsletter No. 09                                                             15 March 2019

Click on any ad to go to the advertisers website…

3D Haute Couture By Iris Herpen

Christened “Shift souls”, Iris Van Herpen’s new collection was inspired by celestial charts and interstellar galaxies, while starting an unprecedented technological revolution in textiles.

Designing haute couture looks using a 3D printer? It’s possible and Iris Van Herpen has proved it once again with her “Shift souls” collection. Described by the Dutch designer as an “evolution of the human shape”, these looks combine dissected layers with voluminous compositions based on hybrid humanoid inspirations. “For this collection, I looked at the evolution of the human shape, its idealisation through time and the hybridisation of the female forms within mythology,” explains the experimental designer based in Amsterdam.

“The imagination and fluidity within identity change in Japanese mythology gave me the inspiration in particular to explore the deeper meaning of identity and how immaterial it can become within the current coalescence of our digital bodies.”

3D-printed and laser-cut according to a very precise algorithm, the pieces on the catwalk are in reality finely made from multiple layers of dyed silk. They have been laser-sculpted in multi-dimensional colour gradients to subtly depict mythological creatures. Renowned for her stone-like and metallic shades, Herpen chose a varied palette of ochres, Tyrian purples and indigo, along with kinetic motifs and whirling corporeal topographies. – see the Multiverse Theme from Promostyl’s SS20 Women Trendbook to discover the corresponding colour range – Another remarkable piece was the “symbiotic” dress made from yokes with red and white gradations, creating a hybrid bird motif.

However, the masterpiece of the collection undoubtedly remains her eponymous dress, “Shift souls”, made up of layers of heat-sealed white silk and 3D drawings. Also laser-cut in black mylar and cotton, these illustrations conceal and reveal anamorphic faces, creating a surrealist spectral anatomy. A truly dreamlike journey.   Promostyl

Sappi joins the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

By Hannah Abdulla

South African pulp and paper company Sappi, whose products are used by the apparel industry, has announced its affiliation to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), adding the partnership will allow it to drive environmental and social responsibility throughout its supply chain.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition brings together over 220 global brands, retailers, manufacturers and organisations from all parts of the apparel and textile industry, including Helly Hansen, Under Armour, Adidas, C&A, Gap Inc and VF Corp. It has been working to harmonise standards relating to sustainability, the environment and social issues, with additions including the Higg Index sustainability measurement tool.

Sappi says it will contribute both data and resources to support the Higg Index, which measures sustainability performance and drives supply chain transparency and decision-making to improve efficiency and sustainability impact.

“Sappi’s sustainability strategy builds on our 2020Vision, people and core assets and aims to create real value by evolving our business as we expand our range of products derived from wood fibre, including packaging and speciality papers, wood fibre based bioproducts and importantly dissolving wood pulp (DWP) for the textiles industry,” said Sappi CEO Steve Binnie. “We are pleased to be joining the SAC, confident it will have a positive impact on product sustainability over time.”

Sappi dissolving wood pulp (DWP) executive vice president Mohamed Mansoor added: “We believe the SAC can become a model for how industries can collaborate in making a positive impact on value chain performance. Our confidence in the DWP market was confirmed when we launched Verve, our first brand range bolstering our leadership in this market. Sappi Verve represents our commitment to the entire value chain from brand owners through to the cellulosic fibre producers; our commitment to providing a natural fibre responsibly produced, sourced from sustainably managed forests.”

With its membership in the SAC, Sappi joins global brands, retailers, and manufacturers, as well as government, non-profit environmental organisations, and academic institutions, which are collectively committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel, footwear, and textile industry.

“We welcome the addition of Sappi to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and look forward to their participation in this industry-wide effort in sustainability,” SAC interim executive director Amina Razvi said. “Having Sappi as part of the Coalition widens the scope of our impact within the industry and accelerates the change we’re making towards responsible industry actions.” Just-Style

Nigeria’s CBN restricts forex sale to textile importers

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has placed access to foreign exchange (forex) for all forms of textile materials on the Forex restriction list, bank governor Godwin Emefiele announced recently in Abuja while meeting representatives from the textile industry. The policy takes effect immediately. The step would rejuvenate the sector and reduce smuggling, he said.

All forex dealers in Nigeria will now desist from granting any importer of textile material access to forex in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange market, he said.

Several other strategies will also be adopted to make it tough for recalcitrant smugglers to operate banking business in Nigeria, he said.

Smuggling would be seriously tackled to discourage import of textiles and force sellers of textile and garments to buy from Nigerian manufacturers, a news agency report quoted Emefiele as saying.

The bank will support the import of cotton lint for use in textile factories, with a caveat that such importers shall begin sourcing all their cotton needs locally beginning 2020, he said.

As part of its Anchor Borrowers Programme, the bank will support local cotton growers to enable them to meet the needs of the domestic textile industry.

It will support efforts to source high yield cotton seedlings to ensure the yields from Nigeria’s cotton farmers meet global standards and provide financial support to textile manufacturers to upgrade factories.

CBN will support the creation of textile production centres in certain designated areas where access to electricity would be guaranteed, he added. F2F

Did you know……..

People who lived in the Middle Ages would often pay their taxes with clothing or material.

Each year, 7 million tons of materials and textiles are trashed. Despite all the efforts to recycle more, only 12% of the material is actually used again