Face masks made of smart Eco fibres for comfort and style.

The latest must-have fashion accessory is no longer the “It” bag or the latest designer trainer.
It’s the face mask which we are now required to wear in most public places in order to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus.

So why not look good and feel free and safe when wearing one that is made totally from a silk-like Cupro, the name commonly used for fibres by Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei. 

The new PNLP (Penelope) face mask is made in an eco and sustainable material that comes from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linter pre-consumer materials and converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process.

Now these masks are ready to hit the market with their unique features that combine sustainability with a lovely fabric that is soft and smooth as silk and feels like a second skin.
Made in Italy, the Cupro’s Collection is also biodegradable and available online, in adult as well as child sizes.

Other textiles companies who have joined in and converted their production units to making masks as well as medical gowns include Cifra, Illuna Group, Rosti and Sitip, who have collaborated with ROICA™, the premium stretch fibre by Asahi Kasei. ROICA™ is the innovative and smart premium ingredient chosen by these companies to give comfort to the wearer, thanks to an exceptional top-level component that gives elasticity for perfect adherence to the skin.

Illuna Group Lace Mask.

Cifra presents the eco-sustainable version of the mask, the ECO-MASK™, which combines the high performance of Cifra's knitting technology with the sustainability of the materials used. The 100% regenerated yarns create a 100% sustainable mask with 83% ECONYL and 17% ROICA™ V550 elastomer, the stretch fiber certified with Cradle to Cradle Gold Health Level which allows excellent and lasting printability, as well as advantages regarding the circular economy as it does not release harmful substances into the test environment according to the Hohenstein Environmental Compatibility certification.

Advanced fabric developments lead through innovation and smart technology

Consumers are increasingly aware that fast fashion can lead to unnecessary wastage and thus can do more harm to the environment, and thus there is growing demand for high-quality textiles and well-made clothing that have a long service life and can remain in use for much longer.  

Modern fabrics now often carry special smart properties boosted by new technology and qualities such as water- and dirt-repelling functions, which help to preserve the environment and cut down on the use of resources.  

Under the patronage of UN Climate Change and in keeping with the Paris Agreement, many leading companies in the global fashion sector are tackling the effects of the fashion industry on the climate along the entire value added chain and signed the UN Charter for Climate Action.

At Premiere Vision Paris (September 17 - 19 2019), textiles with eco credentials were abound to meet the increasing demand for qualities that are environmentally correct while also integrate performance and technology with fashion trends.

US company drirelease® is a global technology company pioneering in performance and comfort textile solutions.  Its functional fabrics have qualities such as wicking, fast drying, cooling and protection benefits, with wide-ranging application, from leisure to high-performance, fashion and sportswear, as well as sleepwear and intimate fashion.  Their technology is also available in a wide range of classic and fashion-forward blends, from classic cotton to merino wool that never feels damp against the skin.  There is machine-washable silk for summer cool and winter warmth, easy-care natural linen, soft smooth acetate or Lyocell, E.C.O. (Environmentally Correct Origins) with BCI, Organic cotton and/or recycled polyester.  

Portuguese company TIMTEX introduces natural based, smart and responsible innovative fabrics such as their Naturally Advanced fabrics enhanced by the new non-salt Colorau ®  Natural dye process.  In their new collection there is a new range made from a mix of new generation fibres that enhance free movement such as REFIBRA ™ by Lenzing, Q-NOVA ®  by Fulgar and the unique GRS certified premium stretch ROICA  ™ EF.  

Meanwhile, Swiss textile maker Schoeller Textil continuously observe its responsibility to humans and the environment by manufacturing products that are compatible to sustainable climate protection by taking part in the Energy Agency of the Swiss Private Sector programme to actively reduce carbon emissions and optimise energy efficiently.  Its ecological portfolio of products that focus on sustainability includes upcycled products, such as its ECONYL ®  yarn, as well as 100% recycled, recyclable wear2wear woven and knitted fabrics or bio technologies based on sustainable raw materials.  

The ECONYL ®  Reclaiming Programme from Aquafil SPA reduces the quality of waste material occurring worldwide by collecting regenerative resources from waste disposal sites and the oceans and returning them to the production cycle.  

Photos by Lucia Carpio.