Functional improvements migrate from technical niches into everyday clothing. And consumers approve
FASHION AND functionality are converging. Increasingly, consumers expect their clothing not only to look good, but also to provide features once limited to clothing designed for sports or difficult environments.
Evolving buying habits and easier access to information on the internet play a key role in this development. Just as important, however, are close relationships among chemical companies, textile mills and clothing brands.
In the past, functional improvements might have had little exposure beyond the specialized niches for which they were originally developed – cycling, climbing, mountaineering, running and the like. Today, however, any consumer with a connection to the internet can learn about them. Additionally, greater disposable incomes – prior to the recession – have allowed consumers participating in those niches to buy gear employing the latest advances in textile technology. And now that many consumers are pinching pennies, enhancements that can reduce cleaning costs and protect expensive items, such as stain and odor resistance, are particularly appealing.
"The consumer is more informed," says Tom Weinbender, president of Schoeller Textiles USA, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Schoeller Textil. "They say: ‘Why can’t I have the same repellent function that I have on my outerwear jacket on my suit or my pants?’ At the same time, they don’t want it to affect the hand, the look, the feel, the breathability – anything," he adds.
The result is that whereas fabrics for fashion and fabrics for function have traditionally comprised two separate markets, the distinction has, in the last three to four years, faded, says Weinbender. "Today, I think fashion is looking for fabrics that offer some functionality."
LISTENING TO THE MARKET
Fashion designers are generally unsophisticated about the science and engineering that go into fabrics, says Andrew Dent, vice president of library and materials research at Material ConneXion, a US-based materials consultancy.
"That isn’t important to them unless it offers a story or a better understanding of how they might utilize it," he says. "They like the idea of materials technology, but only as it pertains to what they need to do. When we source material to fashion designers, they care what it looks like and how it feels, and they leave innovation to the mills."
The mills determine what innovations have a chance to reach consumers. To keep abreast of fashion trends, the mills listen to their customers, attend trend shows and contract with trend consultancies such as Paris, France-based Premiere Vision. To develop innovative fabrics, they work closely with chemical and fiber manufacturers.
"It’s a two-way street," says Weinbender. "They too are aware of what the market’s looking for. In addition, we have ideas of what we want a product to do. When we’re designing a fabric, we might think: ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be nice to have it function in this or that way, to make it unique – because that’s what we want to offer the market.’
"We have strong relationships with our providers, and that’s the key to innovation: good communication," Weinbender adds.
Recent innovations developed by Schoeller include change, a waterproof, windproof and yet highly breathable membrane that responds to changing temperature. When the polymer membrane is cool, it condenses to provide better insulation. When it is warm, the polymer expands, increasing permeability to water vapor so that body heat and moisture can escape more easily.
"Today, I think fashion is looking for fabrics that offer some functionality"Tom Weinbender, president, Schoeller Textiles USA
Design collections employing change include Hugo Boss, Ammonit, Canada Goose, Holden and Mammut.
Another Schoeller innovation is coldblack, a coating that reflects up to 80% of incident sunlight without changing the color or texture of the fabric treated. The coating can reduce the inner temperature of black clothing up to 15e_SDgrF (9°C), says Weinbender. It also blocks UVA and UVB, a feature conceived by Schoeller and developed in cooperation with the chemical firm supplying the original technology.
DNA, a counterfeit-protection technology, is so new that it has not come to market yet. DNA carries an embedded code, unique to each particular product or brand, that can be applied to fiber, yarn, fabric or even finished product, says Weinbender. A proprietary electronic reader confirms the presence of the code, which is kept secret.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Leading suppliers of textile chemicals and fibers actively pursue innovation to maintain their advantage in this extremely competitive and price-sensitive market.
"The development of new product concepts for the apparel industry is critical to maintaining the relevance and competitiveness of our fiber and fabric brands," states Geoffrey Hietpas, global marketing and technical director of apparel business for US fibers and polymers producer INVISTA. "At INVISTA, this process involves working closely with all points in the value chain. We analyze the target customer or market, consult with our chemical intermediates businesses to determine new or unique features in our ingredient materials, and conduct consumer research to identify unmet needs and reactions to new concepts."
The successful roll-out of any product initiative entails close coordination with the mills. As an example, Hietpas offers INVISTA’s Lycra Sport fabrics program, which was launched this summer to increase consumer preference for active sportswear made with the company’s Lycra brand of spandex.
"We created a performance-based quality standard and corresponding message to the consumer delivered via hangtags and other promotional activities promoting garments made with qualifying fabrics,"he explains.
"To succeed in our market with this initiative, our first step was to test the concept with selected brands and mills that we work with, as their support is critical in getting our message to the consumer."
New fibers and treatments often debut in more advanced mills such as Schoeller, owing to their expertise and technical capabilities.
"We can make fabric constructions that are unique in the market," Weinbender explains. "The providers of yarn and chemicals know this. So if they have something new, they come to us."
However, developing such technologies can be expensive. To help recoup costs, Schoeller has established a company dedicated to licensing, Schoeller Technologies.
"Basically, we go out to the brands, tell them about our new technology, and suggest it might be interesting on the fabrics they’re buying," says Weinbender. "If they agree, we license their supplier to use our technology in their mill, and they continue to sell to the brand." New functionality is most likely to be successful in the mass market when it simplifies life for consumers.
"One thing I’ve found is that you can never underestimate the laziness of the average consumer," observes Dent. "Whatever you can do to make the consumer’s life easier, they will love you for it."
A growing number of consumers are nonetheless concerned about sustainability. They worry about the consumption of resources and the generation of waste entailed by textile production. They also worry that clothing may expose wearers to toxins, and that these toxins will enter the environment when clothing is discarded.
However, Dent is skeptical of the extent to which the industry can resolve these issues, in part because fashion is ephemeral.
"There are some companies trying to do lower-impact fabrics," he says. "I won’t say sustainable because the business is unsustainable, but I’m hoping we will eventually reach a critical mass of those sorts of lower-impact fabrics, so that the average designer has enough to choose from without compromising their creativity."
Weinbender is more optimistic. "Today, the consumer is very conscious of environmental standards," he says. "They are demanding it."
"The development of new product concepts for the apparel industry is critical" Geoffrey Hietpas, global marketing director, INVISTA
In 2000, Schoeller tackled the problem by founding a company to develop a system for sustainable processes under best practice for the entire textile supply chain, from raw materials to final product.
Called bluesign technologies, the company audits manufacturing sites to optimize environmental, health and safety practices and supply chain processes to meet the bluesign standard. Participants include chemical firms Huntsman Textile Effects, of the US, Switzerland-based Clariant, Germany’s DyStar and CHT, and equipment firms Mahlo, also German, and Benninger, also Swiss.
"It’s been extremely successful," says Weinbender. "Every mill that has become bluesign compliant has made a profit – paid for the costs of compliance and recovered its investment within one year. It’s not an expensive way of doing it. It’s a path to sustainability and profitability."