The future of sustainable fibres
Designed by Redress Design Award 2019 finalist Keith Chan
An exciting new element of the Redress Design Award is the introduction of Eastman Naia™ as the Gold Sponsor of the 2019 competition. Sustainably sourced Naia™ cellulosic yarn is the latest in a line of pioneering eco-fabrics by the US-based company, which has been at the forefront of advanced materials and cellulosic yarn innovation since the 1920s.
Designed by Redress Design Award 2019 finalist Maddie Williams
All finalists in this year’s competition were invited to incorporate Naia™ into their designs, allowing them to experience the fabric’s versatility. The yarn has almost unlimited possibilities for texture and style, making it suitable for use across several sectors of the fashion industry – from womenswear to intimate apparel and even linings. Not surprisingly, these qualities mean that it has already been scooped up by clothing brands ranging from luxury to lifestyle labels.
Due to the hypoallergenic nature of the fibre, fabrics made with Naia™ yarn are skin-friendly and comfortable for even the most sensitive skin. Inherent quick-drying and cool-to-touch properties mean that Naia™ keeps wearers feeling cool and dry. Couple that with silky textures, the potential for rich colour and the capacity to be blended with other fibres to create fabrics with a range of purposes and the material wins a place in any future fashion design.
Designed by Redress Design Award 2019 finalist Anna Schuster
At the same time, bio-based Naia™ offers a wealth of environmental positives. Made from fully traceable, sustainably-sourced wood pulp, it offers full transparency from tree to yarn. A safe, closed-loop process ensures that solvents are recycled back into the system for re-use. This translates into substantially lower-impact manufacturing. Listed on the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, Naia™ has a smaller environmental impact than generic modal, triacetate, and viscose. In developing the yarn, Eastman considers the entire life cycle, from responsible sourcing to end-of-life disposal. Naia™ is certified as biodegradable in fresh water and soil, having received the OK biodegradable WATER, OK biodegradable SOIL, and OK compost INDUSTRIAL conformity marks from TÜV AUSTRIA.
Redress’ Founder, Christina Dean, is clear on the value of such fibre innovations. “There is an innovation race to find more sustainable fibres for fashion,” she says. “Breakthroughs like Naia™ enable designers to strategically design for the circular fashion system, by providing low-impact materials with low-impact processing that are durable and easy to care for.”
Eastman Naia’s™ partnership and the participation of Ruth Farrell, Global Marketing Director of Textiles of Eastman, as a judge of the Redress Design Award 2019, highlight the fact that efforts to imaginatively re-use waste materials in the fashion industry must go hand-in-hand with innovation and the widespread adoption of sustainable raw materials.
“Sustainability know-how in fashion must extend from fibre to fashionista”, notes Christina. “Through the Redress Design Award and our partnership with Eastman, we can truly educate the next generation of designers to catalyse circular change.”
This article originally appeared in the Redress Design Award 2019 Magazine.