Turkish fabric producer Söktaş is significantly expanding its range of sustainable textiles as it looks to meet growing demand for fabrics with eco attributes.
The company – which had expanded its premium shirting fabrics range to fabrics for jackets and trousers – has now introduced organic cotton fabrics into its stock-supported ranges. The fabrics had previously only been available in its seasonal collections.
“In the stock-supported production you provide what you’re sure of selling,” says Tolga Keskin, the Söktaş sales executive. “Organic fabrics are very popular now – there is growing demand from all types of brands, from small to big, so we are expanding our use of organic cotton.”
He adds that Söktaş, based in İzmir, western Turkey, is also supplying fabrics made from finer yarns in its organic ranges, with NM 70/1 yarn used for the first time in the new autumn/winter 2019/2020 collections. “Before we were only using NM 60/1 organic cotton yarns,” he says.
The organic cotton fabrics produce by Söktaş are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), says Keskin, who adds that Söktaş is seeing growing interest in organic cotton fabrics in several key markets. “The sustainability trend was initially in Europe, but we are now also seeing this in Asia, especially Japan, and also the US. At Première Vision Paris almost all the visitors to our stand – even small bespoke tailors – were interested in organic fabrics.”
As well as Turkish cotton, Söktaş’ organic cotton fabrics are made using American Pima and Egyptian cotton. Söktaş is also expanding its ranges of recycled cotton fabrics and also uses Tencel, EcoVero and Refibra – sustainable fibres from the Austrian cellulose fibres giant Lenzing.
“We are offering more Tencel blends with cotton for the new season,” Keskin says.
Fabrics made from these fibres, along with the organic cotton and recycled cotton ranges, all feature in Söktaş’ Ecologic collection of sustainable fabrics, which forms part of the Soktas Lab range.
“Sustainability in textiles is becoming more and more popular and important,” Keskin tells WTiN.com. “So we are carrying out a lot of R&D in this area – not only on the materials but also the processes.”
He explains that Söktaş is heavily focused on energy saving throughout its production facilities, with reductions in water and electricity for example.
He adds that using a lower volume of chemicals is also an important focus. “Our engineers have designed unique procedures and reduced our chemical use in our effluent treatment plant by 70%,” he says.
The Ecologic range includes fabrics made from naturally coloured cotton. “These involve no dyeing,” says Keskin. “Naturally pigmented fibre grows in shades of pale brown and beige. The cotton plants are hardy and naturally resistant to pests, eliminating the need for pesticides and insecticides.”
He adds that Söktaş is also seeing growing interest in its Meander 71 fabric range. The fabric is made from Turkish cotton produced on land owned by Söktaş, just 7km away from its factory – designed to help the carbon footprint low. The plantations have Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) certification.
“Normally, Turkish cotton is shorter than most other cotton types,” says Keskin. “But we have altered the cotton with the support of Turkish universities. We altered the DNA of the cotton and we have made it long staple. The yarn in the Meander 71 fabric range is a NM 100/2 yarn.”
