Ditching disposable fashion: Shifting to fashion that lasts Sponsored

Sponsored by Huntsman Textile Effects


As fast fashion is challenged by increasingly eco-conscious consumers, apparel brands are redesigning garments for longevity. Manufacturing with durable materials and quality construction is one step. Further value can be added with textiles that are colour-fast and have stain-resistant and odour-control properties so that they stay fresh and new-looking for longer and need less frequent washing.

With millions of followers, social media influencers shape fashion trends today. But platforms such as Instagram and TikTok also give everyone the chance to get involved by showing off their latest buys and showcasing their style.

This trend has helped nurture a throwaway culture, where re-wearing outfits is a fashion faux pas. It has also accelerated demand for near-constant access to new but inexpensive clothing. The fashion cycle is now so fast that popular brands are designing, manufacturing, distributing, marketing, selling and retiring collections in just a matter of weeks.

But this may now be changing.

Putting the brakes on fast fashion

The environmental cost of fashion has become front-page news worldwide. Governments are taking a stronger stance against pollution and waste. And high-profile celebrities are championing ethical fashion on the red carpet and via their social media feeds.

Whether they are ready to change their behaviour or not, many mainstream consumers are realising that disposable fashion is wasteful. Indeed, First Insight has found that the majority of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers say they prefer sustainable brands and are more willing than older cohorts to pay more for sustainability.

While predictions are always challenging, investment bank UBS indicates that the market for high-volume/low-cost apparel could decline by between 10% and 30% over the coming 5-10 years. So, what does this mean for brands?

Delivering apparel that lasts longer

The shift away from fast fashion will leave consumers needing to buy garments that look new for longer – garments that won’t fade in the sun or through washing and drying – and that resist stains and odours so they can be washed less often and kept for longer. In practical terms, this means brands producing apparel that is both eco-friendly and long-lasting can capture market share.

Unfortunately, there are still many textile dyes in the market that are not able to keep their vivid colours and deep dark shades through repeated home laundering. Alkaline washing powders and chlorinated tap water contribute to garment fading, especially for popular cotton and cotton-rich fabrics. Mechanical abrasion in the washing machine and the use of a clothes drier makes things worse, leaving clothes looking drab.

Colour-fast textiles with stain-resistant and odour-control properties that reduce the need for home washing are already possible, thanks to innovations from Huntsman Textile Effects and its partners.

Colour that won’t fade

True durability demands the right dyes, pre-treatments and application processes, with formulations that are stable, reproducible and globally available. Leading brands also have exacting Restricted Substance List requirements and frequently want solutions that meet Oeko-Tex® and bluesign® standards, to name a few.

• Huntsman’s High IQ® Lasting Color eco is a leading colour retention scheme for textiles, produced with a minimal environmental footprint. Covering the entire shade gamut and colour spectrum, it relies on Huntsman’s award-winning AVITERA® SE reactive dyes to reduce water and energy consumption by up to 50% compared to best-available technologies. Excellent washing-off performance further shortens processing time, helping brands enhance the cost-effective production of garments made from some the world's most widely used textile fibres: cotton and other cellulosic fibres and their blends.
• Huntsman’s Terasil® WW dyes are wash-fast disperse dyes that provide the best wet-fastness performance available today for polyester and its blends. Delivering outstanding results, even for deep and very deep shades, they ensure high-performance sportswear and athleisure garments will not bleed or stain during home laundering, or while in storage or transit, where temperatures can reach as high as 75°C.

Fabrics that resist stains

Huntsman Textile Effects and The Chemours Company have worked together for three decades to create more environmentally-friendly, stain-resistant finishes.

• The industry’s first renewably sourced water-repellent finish, Teflon EcoElite™ with Zelan™ R3 technology, contains 63% plant-based materials. It offers excellent water repellency and durability on wool, cotton and blends while preserving fabric breathability. Thus, meeting or exceeding performance levels possible with traditional fluorinated technologies.
• Teflon Eco Dry with Zelan R2 Plus technology is an update to the range that contains 30% renewably sourced plant-based raw materials and delivers a high level of durable water repellency. Fabrics treated with Teflon Eco Dry resist stains and need less frequent washing, retaining their newness for longer.

Garments that smell fresh

Odour-causing bacteria that naturally occur on the skin are difficult to remove from fabric, especially with the lower-temperature wash cycles that are popular today. Worse, unpleasant odours can get locked into untreated synthetics, causing consumers to throw away garments that would otherwise last longer.

Huntsman Textile Effects and Sciessent have partnered to bring revolutionary antimicrobial and odour-control solutions to brands to meet demand for garments that smell fresh for longer and need less frequent washing.

• Sciessent Lava X2® is a next-generation, non-bioactive odour-control solution. While other odour-control technologies capture odours and release them during laundering, Lava X2’s triple action technology utilises zeolite minerals with a large surface area to capture, absorb and degrade odours as they pass through the fabric. It’s anti-odour protection regenerates with each wash.
• Sciessent Agion Active X2® combines Sciessent’s Lava X2 and Agion® technologies to deliver outstanding odour protection. The Agion antimicrobial fights odour-causing bacteria on the garment, releasing its active antimicrobial agents only when needed for long-lasting protection. At the same time, the Lava X2 odour-control solution captures odour generated by sweat on the skin. The result is that garments smell fresher for longer and sustain a high level of performance for more wears.

As consumer attitudes continue to change and sustainability becomes a fashion statement that is hot for every season, brands can harness these innovations to stay ahead of the curve for long-lasting success.

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