According to textile researchers, there's curently an absence of a major style trend to drive the denim market so mills and suppliers are re-focusing their energy on balance-enhancing jeanswear and eco-friendly trims. What does this mean? It means that suppliers and mills are trying to be more innovative by creating lower impact sundries, lasting color, better stretch and technical fabrics.
There is a giant textile company called Tavex, from Spain who claim that they've developed a denim that can help improve a person's muscle tone, equilibrium and sense of well-being. Who needs to watch what they eat and excercise right? LOL.
Anyway, their new line of technical fabrics is called Denim Therapy. Their goal is to meld fashion and science. The fabrics have a Gold Reflect Line bioceramic complex. Wha?? It's the same stuff used in motorcycle helmets, that's made from a combination of 30 metallic oxides, which absorbs heat from the sun, the body and surrounding objects. It then converts the heat to infrared rays that are diffused into the garment wearer's body. This is said to cause blood vessels to dilate, creating a sense of warmth, well-being, eliminating toxins, improve oxygen supply and improve body energy. I'm chucking my yoga mat, multi-vitamins and all green veggies in my fridge as I type this. The denim is about twice the price of the average denim weave, so curently $14 per meter.
A French company called Dorlet, who specialize in metal accessories has created a line of rivets and snaps as well as sew-on, ready to dye buttons made of pressed organic cotton as an environmentally friendly innovation.
Dow Fiber Solutions has introduced a garment dye collection with a 4 way stretch that allows the mills to control the "liveliness" of the fabric during the dyeing process. It allows for more efficient production lots and better quality color consistency.
Denim Valley has created a "hybridenim" fabric line made from organic cotton blended with fine Tencel fiber taken from eucalyptus wood cellulose fibers. Properties are said to include skin moisture control, easy care and bbody thermoregulation.
The question is, with all this great R&D in denim and textiles, how much more is it going to cost us to get the good stuff and can the industry find a way to keep the retail cost affordable to the masses?
