Sportswear goes Green at Première Vision Manufacturing Feb 12 - 14 2019

As we become more health conscious and learn more on maintaining our overall well-being and engaging in appropriate sport activities, our demand for good reliable sportswear grows.

At the Première Vision trade fair in Paris opening on February 12th, specialist sportswear manufacturers are presenting their latest products to the industry in the Manufacturing sector.

Naia showcased a selection of sportswear made by its customers using Eastman Naia™ cellulosic yarn, a cellulose diacetate filament, at Première Vision Paris in September 2018.
Naia™ is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed pine and eucalyptus plantations, ensuring no deforestation. Eastman holds FSC® and PEFC™ Chain of Custody certification, and all wood pulp suppliers have FSC® and/or PEFC™ Chain of Custody as well.  Photo © Lucia Carpio.  

Bulgarian company Natalia is promoting technicity  which it advises goes hand-in-hand with sustainability: “This is currently our number one priority. We aim to include a sustainable approach at all stages of the production process, from the choice of material to the services via the manufacturing,” explained Tsveta Slavova, the sales director of Natalia, founded in 1926.  Present for the first time at Première Vision Manufacturing – Proximity, Hall 6, this vertically-integrated circular knitting company meets high social and ecological responsibility standards (Iso 14001 and 9001, Bsci, Step by Eco Tex, among others).

Natalia's range of knitwear come in simple jersey, interlock, flannel, piqué or ribbed knit is coloured using dyes free from azo colouring agents. Pattern printing is done using colorants and inks that are Eco Tex 100 certified. “Our primary market, Germany, attaches great importance to that requirement.”  Natalia produces tee-shirts, sweat shirts, jogging pants and polo shirts for Gerry Weber and Hallhuber in a lifestyle vein. Its expertise in the area of finishes – anti-pilling, antibacterial, fire resistant, reflective – has opened up new horizons. The company provides technical anti-transpiration tee-shirts to the German army. In all, its production capacity is approaching 150 000 knitted items per month.

At Triwool, the company is also working towards sustainable manufacturing. “Brands we work with, such as Zara or Marks & Spencer, now respect very strict codes of conduct,” said Sandra Costa, the quality manager.  To comply with its customers’ requirements, this Portuguese manufacture of circular knitted fabrics has working on obtaining two labels: Ocs (Organic Content Standard) and Rcs (Recycled Claim Standard). The first applies to organic materials, while the second concerns the monitoring of recycled primary materials throughout the entire production process.

The Athleisure line of its fellow Portuguese company, Soeiro, is also tending towards responsible production. The sweaters made by this Portuguese manufacturer, which produces 90,000 items per month, are now offered in lyocell and viscose. Its women’s jogging pants are knitted in a jersey certified “Renew prime”, using bi-elastic and recycled nylon fibres. “Our clients, which are mainly European, Canadian and American, are sensitive to primary materials that respect the environment and well-being,” notes Ana Oliveira, the sales director.

The same perception of the sector has been seen at another Portuguese company, Toddler: “The sportswear manufacturing market is growing, driven by a durable trend and the quest for “green” products. Today, holding Gots certification is practically compulsory,” explains Sérgio Santos, the company’s sales director. Toddler produces technical clothing for the outdoor, fitness and yoga sectors as well as the casual fashion sector. Its manufacturing process includes cutting-edge technologies: ultrasonic bonding, laser cut-outs and flatlock seams – which has contributed to its reputation.

PREMIERE VISION MANUFACTURING – PROXIMITY – HALL 6 - Parc des Expositions, Paris, France. February 12 - 14, 2019.