OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER ‘06 BUYERS TREND TO GREEN FABRICS

New eco-friendly fabrics and innovative combined with different garment construction techniques typified Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2006. Kathlyn Swantko reports.

The summer 06 Outdoor Retailer was one of the busiest ever events.

26 KNITTING INTERNATIONAL ttendees at this season's transactions, the $567 million sportswear Outdoor Retailer Show really category had an impressive 36% unit had to stretch their legs and and 22% dollar gain for the year. The A prepare for a lot of walking, sales of base layer apparel, which is a since the newly renovated Salt Palace $312 million category for knitted apparel, venue has been expanded to include is ahead of 2005 by 12% in units and 2% 400,000 square feet of floor space. in dollars. The OR Summer Market was Within the outdoor product area, completely sold out for its 25th Birthday interest continues in lighter weight celebration, including over 967 constructions and odour control, and exhibitors, 200 new exhibitors, and a “green” eco-friendly fibres, yarns, and plethora of booth expansions. According fabrics expands as part of a major trend. to the show organisers, the preliminary The resurgence of such post-consumer numbers for the Summer Market, which fabrics as Wellman’s Eco-Spun, made took place from August 10-13, in Salt from recycled soda bottles, is receiving lake City, Utah, indicate that the event renewed interest. In addition, there was a attracted 21,711 attendees, including buzz about Unifi's ‘Repreve’ post- 6,095 retailers from around the globe, industrial recycled yarns, and representing a 12.4% increase over last interest in -rich knit fabrics made year. with comfortable, ecology-minded, “This 2006 Summer Market surpassed recycled yarns, like those from Green- many expectations, and we are grateful Spun Textured Knits. for the industry's effort in making this one Natural product developments of the most successful OR Summer showing promise included merino wool, Markets in history,” stated Peter Devin, bamboo, soy, corn-based polymers, Group Show Director of Outdoor Retailer. coconut, and even seaweed. The list of “Overall attendance numbers increased, blends and developments containing and we had packed aisles, industry eco-friendly products is also increasing, networking and product presentations as a growing number of manufacturers being done throughout the entire hall!” jump on the bandwagon, giving the The increase in interest in the outdoor consumer a broad array of “green” market is not surprising when you look at apparel products from which to choose. recent statistics compiled by the Outdoor Industry Association. Based on OIA's Albany enters market Retail Audit Topline report for June 2006 Albany International used the OR that tracks retail sales using Point-of-Sale Summer Market to announce that it is

Jim Jakubecy, president of Green-Spun Textured Knits, which makes yarns from recycled apparel.

SEPTEMBER 2006 OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER ‘06

entering the yarn market with the The PrimaLoft enough denier to produce soft, introduction of its new yarn technology SPIN socks comfortable next-to-skin fabrics. ‘PrimaLoft SPIN’. The company has from Fox Simmons explained, “With our Polartec partnered with Fox River Mills Inc. to River Mills. products growing to 20 total develop socks made with the new recycled products this year, technology. PrimaLoft is a unique our Polartec standard is that microfiber insulation in order to be recycled by originally developed in Polartec, the fabric has to be 1983 under contract made from at least 50% with the U.S. Army. recycled product.” It was developed Polartec's other new “green” garment as an alternative is Timberland's Mountain Sweater, which to down, which uses renewable wool . The mats and loses its Mountain Sweater is made of a new thermal properties when Polartec Power Dry with wool, which wet. Conversely, PrimaLoft combines wool fibres with polyester to has the ability to keep the provide technical performance with the wearer warmer and drier than down natural warmth of wool, along with the in both wet and dry conditions. environmental benefit of using an “The development of PrimaLoft SPIN annually renewable resource. has allowed us to enter a new market Optimer Performance Fibres of and potentially get into a variety of Wilmington, Delaware, has created product offerings,” says Tom Mendl, many new blends that were featured PrimaLoft marketing director. at the OR Show. Dri-release is a “PrimaLoft SPIN is an optimal blend patented blend of synthetic and of PrimaLoft fibers and soft merino natural fibres that provides moisture wool. It's a new, innovative product management, odor control, and that takes comfort to a higher next to skin comfort. In the level.” beginning, Dri-release fabrics were Malden Mills Industries, Inc., mostly made using cotton as the based in Lawrence, Massachusetts, natural fibre component. Still presented an expansion of its popular, cotton has since been “Green” Polartec fabrics programme joined by Dri-release Wool, linen, and at the show. Malden was the first to Tencel. And now, two more products, bring recycled fleece fabrics to the have been introduced to the Dri- market over twelve years ago. release line: SeaCell, by SeaCell Today, recycled yarn technology has GmbH, Rudolstadt, Germany, a division advanced dramatically, enabling the of Zimmer AG, and Dri-release bamboo. company to offer a highly compelling Patagonia’s Capilene 4 zip neck top is made “Optimer is continually looking for collection of recycled and renewable of 50% recycled from Teijin and the innovative fibres to add to the Dri-release garment is 100% recyclable. Polartec fabrics in lightweight base portfolio,” said Karen Deniz, head of layers to warm fleece, made from Unifi’s marketing for Optimer Performance Repreve yarn. recycled content, including Polartec, Fibers, Inc., the inventor of Dri-release. Repreve is a family of polyester yarns Power Dry, Polartec Thermo Pro, and Bamboo is a renewable resource that made from 100% recycled materials. Polartec Wind Pro. can be found and cultivated nearly Because Repreve is made from recycled This fall, two new garments will hit the everywhere in the world. In spite of its materials, it conserves natural resources market: Patagonia’s Capilene 4 long rigid, upright and vigorous growth by eliminating a number of processes underwear programme and Timberland's pattern, bamboo fibres are extremely needed to produce virgin polyester. Nate new Mountain Sweater. The expedition soft, breathable, and lightweight. The Simmons, public relations for Polartec weight Capilene 4 long underwear fibres also take dye quickly, keeping fabrics noted, “100% virgin polyester will collection consists of a new recycled dyestuff requirements to a minimum. The always be the core of our business, but Polartec Power Dry fabric made from at characteristics of bamboo fibre naturally when we can come up with a ‘green’ least 50% recycled polyester fibre, and it help to accelerate the moisture transfer equivalent, we will use it.” will be 100% recyclable through an Eco- efficiency of Dri-release. Malden Mills’ new earth-friendly Circle program that turns old polyester SeaCell is made of a soft, cellulosic performance Polartec fabrics with garments back into yarn. fibre that contains seaweed and Repreve encompass more than 20 new According to Simmons, this marks the activated silver ions. Seaweed’s natural styles, and are now available with first time recycled fibres are a fine minerals and elements protect and

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brushed mesh construction. Japanese textile company Toray featured several knitted performance fabrics. One of the most interesting fabrics is the ‘Entrant’ line of waterproof, breathable fabrics. The most recent addition to this fabric line is the Entrant- DT technology, which is a hybrid structure new for the activewear market. Patagonia is using Entrant-DT in its Spraymaster Jacket, which was the Winner of Outside Magazine’s 2006 Gear of the Year Award in the shell category. Other knit fabric developments by Toray included new additions to its FieldSensor, the performance wicking knit fabric, including FieldSensorMX, which combines the Fieldsensor multi- Polartec Power Dry with wool. The interior is This season, Steve Lucier, president of layered structure and “X” shaped yarn to 100% polyester so is soft next to the skin, Deer Creek, explained that the company enhance the capillary action for and wicks actively. The outer surface is a has developed some exciting laminated maximum drying comfort; and blend of wool and polyester. products for the outdoor market, utilising FieldSensorEX, which incorporates a soothe the skin, and the permanently a combination of stretch wovens and special hydrophobic yarn into the knit, incorporated silver ions are naturally anti- circular knits to create performance which prevents the chilliness the wearer microbial, while Dri-release delivers its solutions for a variety of end uses. often feels after exercising. signature cool, dry comfort via its The company featured a laminated Toray's eco-friendly bamboo patented moisture release technology. fabric for a therapeutic wrap, which bicomponent fibre is called Sotake, Deniz explained, “We believe this consists of a 95% nylon/5% spandex which consists of an advanced blend of combination of the two technologies is stretch twill laminated to the next-to-skin bamboo fibre and Toray's specialty the 'next wave' in comfort.” healing qualities of a 50/50 Holofiber and polyester or acrylic fibre. Another new Dri-release application a micro polyester circular knit blend. The Toray also showed several other has been developed for the Latitude 15 company also featured a stretch woven polyester and polyester/Lycra blend line of alpaca sweaters. The lightweight laminated to an X-Static circular knit for performance fabrics targeted towards alpaca sweater knit is a plated fabric, an outerwear application; a lightweight the swimwear and activewear markets, utilizing the benefits of Dri-release on the base layer application containing 50% which provide chlorine protection, UV inside of the Latitude 15 all-weather Sorbtek/ 45% Reflexx/ 5% X-Static; and protection, durability, comfort, softness, Smart Shirt sweaters. This technical 100% post consumer warp knits color fastness, stain-resistance, and sportswear keeps the wearer warm with laminated to Wellman's Eco-Spun in a moisture management qualities. KI a luxury blend of baby alpaca and silk, combined with the moisture wicking properties of Dri-release, and the thermodynamic and anti-static benefits of X-Static. Deer Creek Fabrics continues to push the envelope on new circular knit product development. Working with a variety of partners based in the Northeast U.S. (including Tweave, Inc. of Norton, Massachusetts, and Draper Knitting of Canton, Massachusetts), this Stamford, Connecticut, based circular knit technology textile company showcased a range of new product developments at the OR Show. Working across industries, Deer Creek draws on its expertise in a variety of markets to bring cross-over technologies into the outdoor Double mesh fabric from Deer Creek, knitted with Sorbtek, Reflexx, and X-Static. The outer performance market. layer is Sorbtek and the inner layer is Reflexx for stretch and recovery.

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