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Urban EQP DESIGN ESSENZIALE. PERFORMANCE ASSOLUTE.
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CONTENTS NO. 1 2022 9
WELCOME
Dear Reader
12 TRENDSPOTTING Conscious mind
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WITHOUT DATA, IT’S JUST WORDS
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NILORN WORLDWIDE
Streamlining sustainability reporting with Position Green
Nilorn Hong Kong
24 GOING PLASTIC-FREE WITH PAPTIC TRINGA Nilorn is proud to offer Paptic Tringa® as part of our material portfolio
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AFRICAN CATWALK
Photographer Per-Anders Pettersson
33 NILORN’S MATERIAL TEAM
A task force to accelerate development and innovation
37 22:1 DESIGN COLLECTIONS Product development
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NU-IN
Sustainable fashion, every day!
52 PREMIERE VISION Close encounters at Premiere Vision, Paris, Sept 2021
56 CiLAB COLLECTIVE
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“We worship not the Graces, nor the Parcae, but Fashion.
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COVER PHOTO Photo Per-Anders Pettersson Illustration Damien Lynch
PAPER Cover Scandia 2000 White 300 gr Body Amber Graphic 120g FSC™ certified
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ENMÄRK
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CERTIFIERAD ISO 9001 ISO 14001
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Print Stema Specialtryck AB, Borås, Sweden
Ledningssystem för kvalitet och miljö
Trycksak 3041 0234
Nr XXX
FOLLOW US ON
www.nilorn.com @nilornworldwide @nilornworldwide @nilorn worldwide @nilorn worldwide
Nilorn Worldwide is an international company, established in 1977, focused on adding value to brands by using branding and design in the form of labels, packaging and accessories. Customers principally represent the fashion and ready-to-wear industry. Nilorn Worldwide offers complete, creative and tailored concepts in branding, design, product development and logistic solutions. Satisfied customers are our principal asset, and it is therefore important to establish, maintain and enhance customer relations through first-class service. Nilorn Worldwide is one of the leading European players, with turnover of ca 60 M EUR0. The group operates through its own companies in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Hong Kong, India, China, Bangladesh, Turkey, Pakistan and Italy. In addition, there are partner companies in Switzerland, Holland, Tunisia and USA.
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tramarossa.it
WELCOME
DEAR READER
Y
ou now have the first Branding & Design magazine of 2022 in your hands. The following pages highlight the trends we anticipate will shape the year ahead and we explain more about Nilorn and our clients, with a strong focus on sustainability and circularity. I’m truly excited about this journey, and I hope you feel the same.
goal is that Nilorn can contribute to sustainable development by supporting our clients in making informed and better choices and by being fully transparent in how we run our business. To follow up and ensure we are on the right track, we need
“... WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY. I’M
In this edition, you will also get to know Christina Walter, Material & Innovation Specialist and find out why she started Nilorn’s new Material Team. Plus, how we work with new and existing materials and guide our clients towards more sustainable solutions. It will be hard for you to miss the stunning and vibrant photos in our article, African Catwalk, about Per-Anders Pettersson, a photojournalist who has documented the fashion world in Africa over many years. I’m always inspired to follow the most creative companies in fashion, and this time we get to see NU-IN’s journey and how they implement their vision of being a sustainable brand.
TRULY EXCITED ABOUT THIS JOURNEY, AND I HOPE YOU FEEL THE SAME.” external support and expertise. For example, Nilorn uses Position Green’s data-driven reporting tool, and an interview with one of its founders, Daniel Gadd, explains why this is so important. I wish I could write in post-Covid times, but the future has proven to be uncertain. Nevertheless, I am full of hope, and I’m convinced that sustainable brands will come out the strongest. I am looking forward to continuing positive trends for planet and people in 2022!
Even though the sustainability journey is long, and it sometimes feels “hopeless”, we know that we are constantly accelerating in the right direction. My
Krister Magnusson CEO
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HEADQUARTERS NILÖRNGRUPPEN AB Wieslanders väg 3 Box 499 501 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 88 info@nilorn.com www.nilorn.com SUBSIDIARIES & PARTNERS NILÖRN AB Wieslanders väg 3 Box 499 501 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel: +46 33 700 88 00 info@nilorn.com BALLY LABELS AG Schachenstrasse 24 5012 Schönenwerd SWITZERLAND Tel: +41 62 855 27 50 info@bally.nilorn.com
NILORN SHANGHAI LIMITED Rm 605, No.258, Chengjiaqiao Road Minhang District, Shanghai 201103 CHINA Tel: +86 21 345 512 90 info@sh.nilorn.com
NILORN ITALY Via Enrico Fermi 40 41012 – Carpi (MO) ITALY Tel: +39 3381611351 info@it.nilorn.com
NILORN SPAIN Plaça Catalunya No. 1, oficina 442 08002 Barcelona SPAIN Tel: +34 93 545 1188 info@es.nilorn.com
NILORN BANGLADESH LTD Plot 1361, 5th and 6th fl. Avenue 10 Mirpur DOHS Dhaka -1216 BANGLADESH Tel: +88 02 8835912 info@bd.nilorn.com
NILORN JAPAN 9th floor GranDuo IKEJIRI Bldg. 2-32-9 IKEJIRI, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0001 JAPAN Tel: +81 3 64455 5290 info@jp.nilorn.com
NILORN BELGIUM NV Brusselsesteenweg 525 9090 Melle BELGIUM Tel: +32 9 210 40 90 info@be.nilorn.com
NILORN THE NETHERLANDS Werfstraat 2 9712 VN Groningen THE NETHERLANDS Tel: +31 592 310 030 info@nl.nilorn.com
NILORN DENMARK A/S Kongensgade 31B 5000 Odense C DENMARK Tel: +45 70 23 16 23 info@dk.nilorn.com
NILORN PAKISTAN (PVT) LTD 2nd Floor, Yasir Chambers Gulshan –E-Iqbal, Block 13A Main University Road P.O. Box 75300 Karachi PAKISTAN Tel: +92 21 349 92151 info@pk.nilorn.com
NILORN EAST ASIA LTD Unit 1701, 17/F, Westley Square 48 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon HONG KONG Tel: +852 2 371 2218 info@hk.nilorn.com NILORN GERMANY GMBH Itterpark 7 40724 Hilden GERMANY Tel:. +49 2103 908 16 - 0 info@de.nilorn.com
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NILORN INDIA PVT. LTD 71/1 First Floor, Industrial Area Najafgarh Road Shivaji Marg New Delhi - 110015 INDIA Tel. +91 11 47093583/47091003 info@in.nilorn.com
NILORN PORTUGAL – INDÚSTRIA DE ETIQUETAS, LDA Rua Central de Barrosas, 304 4585 - 902 Recarei – Paredes PORTUGAL Tel: +351 22 411 95 80 info@pt.nilorn.com
NILORN TURKEY Baģlar Manhallesi 49 Sokak No: 50 K:3 Baģcilar/Istanbul TURKEY Tel: +90 212 657 76 76 info@tr.nilorn.com NILORN UK LTD Station Works Greens Mill Court Cononley N Yorks BD20 8FE UNITED KINGDOM Tel: +44 1535 673 500 info@uk.nilorn.com NILORN USA (EAST COAST) Box 365 Macungie, PA 18062 UNITED STATES Tel: +1 201 874 5515 info@us.nilorn.com NILORN USA LLC (WEST COAST) 3499 Meier Street Los Angeles, CA 90066 UNITED STATES Tel: +1 888 315 1875 info@us.nilorn.com
“GROW: THE FUTURE OF FASHION” Dutch design talents show nature-couture in Expo“GROW: the future of fashion” opens its doors at the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam. What is there to see? Banana plant clothes, an orange peel silk dress, coconut leather and cork powder. Commissioned by the museum, young Dutch design talent has transformed these brand new, sustainable natural materials - that have never been shown in museums before - into unique fashion statements. Established names Karim Adduchi and Iris van Herpen are also part of the exhibition and show their own creations made from biomaterials. www.fashionforgood.com
LEGO - JOURNEY TOWARDS MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS The LEGO Group’s focus on sustainable material innovation is just one of several different initiatives the company has in place to make a positive impact. The LEGO Group will invest up to US $400 million over three years to 2022 to accelerate its sustainability ambitions. For more information on how the LEGO Group wants to rebuild the world for the better, visit: www.lego.com/sustainability
DURASENSE® DuraSense® is a blend of wood fibres and plastic material, offering a light and flexible solution with the mouldability of plastic, yet the sustainable benefits of wood. The wood is fully traceable and sourced from sustainable sources. DuraSense® consists of a wood-fiber reinforced polymer matrix. It contains a high amount of renewable fibrous material, giving it several notable advantages, such as: •
NU-IN
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Plate in Durasense® with
Read more on page 48-51
3M - from our collection TARIQ
TRENDSPOTTING
“We want to show the world that affordable fashion and sustainability can coexist, and we are making a sustainable fashion capsule wardrobe attainable. We go as far as saying sustainable fashion is in our DNA and this is why nu-in is an alternative to bigger brands producing fast fashion unsustainably.”
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Reduced carbon emissions (compared to conventional polymers). Excellent tensile and flexural properties. Frequently reduced cycle time in injection moulding applications. Unique tactile feeling and natural appearance.
FASHION STAYS AT HOME Throughout Sweden, small independent fashion-textile brands are going against the grain of mass-produced fast fashion and instead prioritising local manufacturing, small batches and innovative business models. Textilfabriken in Borås offers services including pattern cutting and sewing and focuses on Swedish production and low-minimum orders to reduce overproduction. Fellow Borås creatives, Jeansverket, pride themselves on high-quality, madeto-order denim-wear with a circular manufacturing method. In Malmö, Helgrose Studio is a unisex clothing label that produces small collections using zero-waste pattern cutting techniques to minimise waste. A New Sweden creates classic, long-lasting garments with a “farm-to-body” approach. They work closely with local Swedish sheep farmers to source wool that might otherwise go to waste. Gothenburg based Atacac makes small, timeless collections using a unique pre-order model to ensure they produce only the quantity they can sell. As more fashion brands put sustainability in focus, these models could become a rising trend and perhaps help boost the return of textiles manufacturing to Europe. www.jeansverket.se
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WITHOUT DATA, IT’S JUST WORDS STREAMLINING SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING WITH POSITION GREEN BY ROWAN DRURY
Malmö based tech company, Position Green, is making it easier for businesses like Nilorn to collect, analyse and report sustainability information. Their datadriven platform helps brands meet environmental standards and remain credible ARTICLE
to their customers. There is an increasing demand for larger companies to produce transparent sustainability reports, both from a legal and customer perspective. It’s not enough to say what you do; you need to demonstrate how you walk the talk with solid environmental and social impact data. So, when our Sustainability Manager, AnnaKarin Wårfors, joined Nilorn in 2017, she knew one of her most pressing tasks was to streamline how we collect and measure impact information from our operations. With Nilorn’s sales offices, warehouses and internal production situated across 13 countries, Anna-Karin’s mission was to implement a centralised system to gather data. She explains, “The fact that we have so many locations across the world means dealing with sustainability data is a complicated task way beyond the means of a rudimentary spreadsheet. That was one of the main reasons we needed to find a smart platform.” It was soon evident that we needed a third-party tool to make our reporting watertight. After considering a few alternatives, Position Green stood out as the most suitable partner. They fit the brief to provide an intuitive tool to collect not just data, but identify the prompts needed to gather the right data, all in a user-friendly platform
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capable of handling complex information from multiple stakeholders. Anna-Karin explains, “Sometimes it’s hard to know what questions to ask to get the information you need. Position Green supports this by tailoring the questions to get what’s required.” Position Green works with the principle that incorporating sustainability as a core business component is imperative, but it should also be simple, efficient and fun. They have a humble yet bold ambition; to offer the world’s best sustainability reporting platform. And they are certainly achieving this with some of Sweden’s
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“SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK TO GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED. POSITION GREEN SUPPORTS THIS BY TAILORING THE QUESTIONS TO GET WHAT’S REQUIRED.” ANNA-KARIN WÅRFORS
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best-known brands and businesses seeking their expertise. The company offers a service based on recognised environmental standards such as ISO and GRI, but with the flexibility to tailor to their client’s specific needs. Climate impact data is a significant component, but social aspects and business risk are also counted, including worker’s rights, eliminating child labour and boosting gender equality. Nilorn uses Position Green primarily for key performance indicators and qualitative information for our annual sustainability report. We also make active use of the details gathered as a foundation for sales processes, communication initiatives and setting goals. For example, we have identified a target of increasing the recycled content of our products where we will ensure 80% recycled polyester content in our labels by 2022 and 100% by 2025. We will also reduce international business travel by 20% by 2025. These can be tracked and monitored on the platform, making it easy to see where to make changes to achieve the goals. From a social development perspective, the tool helps us verify that everyone is following internal routines and policies for anti-corruption. If you ask Anna-Karin what she likes most about the Position Green platform, she says that “The team are always quick to adapt their system according to what you need. They have a very open way of working and listen to all their clients, which helps drive the system forward for all users.”
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A CHAT WITH POSITION GREEN’S CEO, DANIEL GADD HI DANIEL, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHY YOU STARTED POSITION GREEN?
IN YOUR OPINION, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR COMPANIES TO GATHER SUSTAINABILITY DATA IN THE WAY YOUR PLATFORM ENABLES? Sustainability reporting covers a broad scope – carbon emissions, diversity, different waste fractions, policies, transport, supply chain management, etc. The pace at which local and global standards and directives arise is high, and the expertise required in each field is becoming increasingly complex. Yet, companies still struggle to get a holistic view of their impact whilst keeping up with requirements. Position Green supports the shift from a manual, reactive and unstructured approach to one that lives up to the same criteria placed on financial systems: accuracy, traceability and compliance. Through Position Green, businesses can collect all the material relevant to their scope in one place – managing, analysing, calculating and accounting for it.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING, WHAT SHOULD COMPANIES THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF NEW REGULATIONS, MAKING MORE OUT OF THEIR DATA, ETC.?
INTERVIEW
Absolutely, it was while working at a global auditing firm that my co-founder, Rickard Häll, and I discovered the struggles accounting teams faced when reviewing sustainability reports. Sourcing reliable material was time consuming and complex compared to the strict but straightforward frameworks surrounding finance. Without a structured and traceable approach to data collection, companies were faced with a barrier in working efficiently towards their goals and living up to required standards. We realised the importance of data as a catalyst for not only adhering to rules and regulations but also for gaining knowledge, taking action and driving change. We teamed up with our other co-founders with the ambition to build the most useful and advanced data-driven platform for corporate sustainability reporting.
Over the past few years, we have seen the introduction of reporting standards, preparing for a shift in approach from an area subordinate to financial reporting to a status where the two are compared according to the same quality standards. Companies struggle to comply with increasingly complex directives while keeping up with an expanding sustainability scope. Approaching this with a data-driven approach will be a hygiene factor for competitiveness - and ultimately survival.
WHAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR COLLABORATION WITH NILORN? Position Green’s uniqueness lies in its combination of built-in sustainability standards and best practices, adding a layer of flexibility that caters to each customer’s specific scope. I think our collaboration with Nilorn illustrates this very well. Nilorn implemented Position Green in 2017 but had already carried out ambitious sustainability work for many years. The flexibility to tailor and expand Nilorn’s measurement structure in Position Green based on new reporting standards, general best practices, and specific needs, ensures that Nilorn’s environmental work is both up-to-date and future-proof.
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HONG KONG
NILORN WORLDWIDE all lights on
NILORN HONG KONG Our East Asia operations continue to go from strength to strength with a resilient team that has helped overcome challenges and supports our clients with a strong and sustainable offer. BY ANDREW HOPPE PHOTO BEATRICE KRISTOFFERSEN
Kwun Tong, an industrial area in the East Kowloon peninsula of Hong Kong, is home to the Nilorn East Asia Ltd’s offices. In recent years, the area has benefitted from substantial government investments to reinvent it into a busy and thriving commercial hub. We are lucky to have an office overlooking Hong Kong Harbor and the Old Kai Tak airport. The last three years have been a turbulent period for Hong Kong. The 12-month-long protests starting in 2019 impacted everyone’s daily lives. Then the COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, affected us all both personally and professionally and will continue to do so in the immediate future. Hong Kong, for now, continues to follow a Zero Covid Policy, so our borders remain closed for all non-residents.
Despite these challenges, Nilorn East Asia has played a central role in the continued success of the Nilorn Group. We have seen growth over the last few years in Hong Kong, where we now employ 130 staff in creative and administrative roles and in our production unit and logistics centre, as well as across the South Asia region. It’s exciting to see Nilorn’s mark continue to spread. Like all businesses, we have had to adapt our daily routines. We no longer wait for visitors to come to us to discuss new projects and resolve issues, nor do we pause visits to our supply partners. Instead, we utilize digital tools for online meetings, virtual audits and factory visits. We are now introducing an online AQL control system across the Group, which we will develop into an online factory audit tool.
FOCUS AND DEVELOPMENT As our business has continued to develop and grow, so has our business model. We are establishing more and more sustainable and CSR initiatives and, in line with the Nilorn Group objectives, we have a structure to support these. Nilorn East Asia is an FSC™, GRS and Oeko-Tex STANDARD 100 certificate holder. We are also SMETA audited and a bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER. As Nilorn East Asia has traditionally been the centre for product development and supply for Nilorn Group, we were delighted to welcome Anne Chan as Group Purchase Manager in Hong Kong in December 2020. Anne has already implemented a new sourcing strategy across the Group and has recruited a skilled CSR team together with Anna-Karin Warfors, Nilorn Group Sustainability Manager. The team works closely with our clients and supply chain partners and our facilities in Hong Kong, Portugal, Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Germany, UK, Denmark, Belgium, Italy and Sweden. In 2021 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our own production unit in Hong Kong. We are immensely proud of Erica Wong, our Production Manager, for her role in turning what was a small print bureau into a highly efficient unit. The unit now employs over 50 staff and offers a wide range of variable data products. So, the news from Nilorn East Asia is optimistic despite the challenges we’ve faced. We, of course, miss visits from Nilorn Group and our clients, and we look forward to meeting again in person. But for now, we embrace new ways of working and changed travel expectations and continue to push our business forward.
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GOING PLASTIC-FREE WITH PAPTIC TRINGA® Nilorn is proud to offer Paptic Tringa® as part of our material portfolio, and it is widely available in our supplier network. BY ROWAN DRURY
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How do you classify a material with all the versatility of textiles, the print quality of paper, the durability of a non-woven and with zero plastic content? This is Paptic Tringa®, an award-winning material that truly creates its own category by encompassing all these elements. It is suitable for several packaging applications, including bags, mailers, gift wrap, box liners, and other consumer product packaging, and you can adapt it for existing or new packaging lines. Sustainability is at the heart of Paptic Tringa® and the company behind it, Paptic. Founded in 2015 in Finland, the brand’s core mission is to address the global environmental challenge of plastic waste in the environment by providing a sustainable alternative to plastic films. Paptic Tringa® is based on six core elements of sustainability: Renewable – it is made from wood fibres sourced from sustainably managed forests; Reusable – due to its durability, look and feel, it can
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be used many times; Recyclable – it can be recycled with cardboard or paper; Resourceefficient – being light and thin, the material is efficient when it comes to shipping and storing; Biodegradable - Paptic Tringa® is approved to be biodegradable in industrial composting conditions; and Circular economy – existing machines can be used in production, meaning no new equipment is needed. The company offers other products based on the same principles, Paptic Apus®, Paptic Sterna®, a reusable and recyclable material that’s great for print applications. Paptic Gavia® and Paptic Apus Seal® are materials that is flexible and heat-sealable. Nilorn is proud to offer Paptic Tringa® as part of our material portfolio, and it is widely available in our supplier network. We recommend to use this for a high-end, durable and reusable packaging, such as mailer bags, shopping bags, pouches and dust bags.
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QUICK FACTS •
Paptic Tringa® is great for luxury packaging, retail bags and E-commerce mailers.
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Easy for consumers to recycle in paper or cardboard recycling streams.
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Available in reels and sheet in 45 gsm up to 140 gsm
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Packaging applications made of Paptic Tringa have won different industry awards e.g. WorldStar and ScanStar
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AFRICAN CATWALK ARTICLE
From the streets of Soweto to the runways of Johannesburg, fashion in Africa is booming, and photojournalist Per-Anders Pettersson has documented some of its most vivid moments.
BY ROWAN DRURY PHOTO PER-ANDERS PETTERSSON
The fashion scene in Africa has been described as a physical manifestation of cultural preservation and an instrument of counter-colonisation. Far from the typical media image of a continent plagued by famine, poverty, corruption and war, the fast-growing fashion world and its rising stars embody an unapologetic attitude, flare and vibrance. An emerging middle class are the new consumers of home-grown brands. While the income of this group is on an upward curve, it is still relatively low in a global context, so buying western luxury labels is not always
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an option. This is where the local talent saw an opportunity, producing affordable and modern pieces for an eager audience. Fashion weeks are the beating heart of this world, with events like Lagos Fashion Week providing a platform to showcase collections to an increasingly international audience. The continent also attracts brands from the US and Europe because of its growing competitive edge as a market for textiles production and its tradition of craftsmanship, artisans and entrepreneurs. High-profile style icons
Sudanese model Akuol De Mabior wears a cre-ation by South African designer David Tlale during the Cape Town Fashion Week, South Africa 2011
have also championed African designers, from Michelle Obama dressed by Nigerian Maki Oh on the campaign trail to Beyoncé wearing West-African designer, Loza Maléombho, in her Black is King film. ARTICLE
Bold colours and daring patterns are the hallmarks of African style. Still, this scene refuses to be pigeonholed, with a cohort of young designers creating as varied an offering as you’d expect from anywhere that encompasses 55 countries, over 2000 languages and a combined population of 1.2 billion. It is precisely this diverse and dynamic vision that photographer, Per-Anders Pettersson, captures in his candid images of African fashion. From edgy street trends to catwalk couture and seamless backstage production, he wants to challenge outdated perceptions. Instead, he presents a creative, prosperous, and modern Africa, a place he has come to love in the more than 20 years he has lived there. Born in Sweden, Pettersson first visited South Africa to document Nelson Mandela’s 1994 election campaign. He returned several times in the years that followed, eventually making it his permanent home in 2000. Since attending his first fashion week in 2009, the photographer has become a familiar fixture at the shows, earning himself the privilege of backstage access. For over a decade, he has documented the stars
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The Fashion label Black Trash, one of Botswa-na’s leading designers, shoots on location with models and make-up artists a few days before the Color in the Desert Fashion Week in the Phakalane Golf Estate in Gaborone, Botswana 2012
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of this flourishing world, photographing the models, designers and stylists who are changing the face of African fashion. His images are at once down to earth and highly theatrical. A model struggles to take off an outfit; a make-up artist hurries to add the finishing touches; the designer pins a garment in place; models wait to take their turn down the catwalk. The scenes he fixes in his frame are full of life and expression, a symbol of Africa itself. Pettersson’s body of work includes several publications, including his 2016 book, African Catwalk and exhibitions, most recently Chic Afrique, a collation of work documenting street style and the runways. Left page: Models walk for the South African designer David Tlale at an outdoor show in the Bo-Kaap area during the Cape Town Fashion Week, South Africa 2012. Deola Sagoe, one of Nigeria’s most respected and celebrated designers, poses in her flagship store on Victoria Island, Lagos during a photo shoot for a local fashion magazine. Right page: Model Thembi Kobedi stands backstage before a show with the South Africa-based Kenyan designer Liz Ogumbo during the South African Fashion Week in Rosebank, Johannesburg 2012
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NILORN’S MATERIAL TEAM
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A TASK FORCE TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION BY ROWAN DRURY
Materials are at the heart of what we do at Nilorn, and we strive to offer not just a wide and varied choice but also an informed and sustainable one. In our 2019 stakeholder dialogue, our clients ranked materials and their end-of-life options as their number one area of interest. This wasn’t a surprise for us, as our clients have been increasingly engaged in data-driven information about materials, specifically how they can help reduce environmental impact. The dialogue results demonstrated even more clearly that we need to stay ahead of market demands and trends and lead in material excellence for branded products. That’s why, at the beginning of 2021, we established the Nilorn Material Team, an
internal working group dedicated to accelerating innovation and new developments. The group comprises people from several Nilorn business areas to incorporate a broad spectrum of competencies and experience. These include CSR and sustainability, product compliance, product development, sales, sourcing and design. The team is led by Christina Walter, Nilorn’s Material & Innovation Specialist. We checked in with her at our Hilden office in Germany to get her view on why building this task force was so important – “In order to remain at the forefront of sustainable material choice for the brands that we partner with, we know we need to stay at the forefront
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of developments. That’s why we put together this team to drive forward material innovation at Nilorn and make this information accessible both within our organisation and for our clients.” The team’s functions include evaluating the feasibility of new materials and how they can be incorporated into our products, improving and testing current materials, acting as a resource for next-generation materials, and supporting and inspiring clients to choose more sustainable materials – thereby adding value to their brand. Since we founded the team, we have implemented some exciting initiatives and begun to see promising results. For example, we developed our Digital Material Library – a catalogue of materials with detailed information on properties, limitations, sustainability benefits, certifications and end-of-life options. The library is available to anyone at Nilorn, so whether it is someone from sales, marketing or design, they can find relevant information and help our business partners make more informed choices.
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We have also started to develop a range of products based on insights from the Materials Team, using new and innovative elements for textile labels and packaging. Additionally, we began running internal webinars to keep our colleagues informed about material advances, and we are actively engaged in the circular textile economy and its impact on Nilorn products. In terms of the future, we are planning an indexing system where all the materials we offer are given a sustainability score. This will help make the process more transparent and easier for our sales team and clients to compare and choose materials. We are excited to continue building on the Material Team’s function in what we see as a vital component of our business and our clients’ business.
Patch in Piñatex® from our collection RESPEKT 3
Cork - Tencel™ patch and Appleskin label from our collection ERIE FSC™ certified jacron patch from our collection COMEBACK 2
INTERVIEW
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DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE
22:1 On the following pages we present our latest design collections, developed for diverse fashion and sportswear segments. We are always on the lookout for new materials and more sustainable options and production techniques, whilst
continuing
to
fine-tune
the
interaction between design, production and logistics.
DESIGN COLLECTION
CREATIVE LABELS AND BRANDING
COLLECTION
DESIGN
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DESIGN COLLECTION We take inspiration from the notion of light and dark, of the polar opposites and paradoxes at play in the world around us. The result is a collection of unique furnishings, home accessories and lighting that help you create a personal look. Combine pieces from our range to curate a space that reflects your individuality and where you can feel truly at home.
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DESIGN COLLECTION
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DESIGN COLLECTION Hagström crafts high-performance equestrian clothing and accessories with a premium finish. We bring a new take on the riding wardrobe, combining sportswear with a classic, sophisticated disposition and a sense of exclusiveness. Whether you are competing or training, our clothing not only makes you feel confident, comfortable and stylish but specialist fabrics and intuitive design enhance your performance too.
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DESIGN COLLECTION
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DESIGN COLLECTION A timeless capsule collection that transcends seasons and trends with key pieces that will become your closet staples. CHATEAU DU MONIQUE takes inspiration from a bygone era where flawless chic was everything and adds a unique modern twist for a contemporary look. Immaculate tailoring, strong lines, classic shapes, and a minimal expression make this the collection for the woman who is always in style.
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DESIGN COLLECTION
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Photo credits: Rafael Barros, Pexels
DESIGN COLLECTION Racket sport is more than just a game; it’s a state of mind. That’s why we’ve developed a range of equipment based on insights into player’s unique needs, giving you unparalleled performance for every match. Designed with precision and innovation in every detail and a bold colour pallet to make you stand out on court.
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DESIGN COLLECTION
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DESIGN COLLECTION
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DESIGN COLLECTION
Combining comfort and style, Ashcroft is designed to elevate the new normal. Made for the work-at-home professional, our home-wear collection wraps you in comfort the whole day with soft textures and relaxed cuts. But just because you’re comfortable doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style.
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SUSTAINABLE FASHION, EVERY DAY Founded in 2019 with a desire to create a sustainable fashion ARTICLE
brand, both fashionable and affordable, nu-in set out with a bold mission: to create a force for change towards sustainability in fashion.
Photo credits: NU-IN
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“EACH GARMENT HAS A UNIQUE QR CODE ON THE CARE LABEL WHICH YOU CAN SCAN AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE FACTORY PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE OF WHERE THAT GARMENT WAS MADE.”
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nu-in believes that it shouldn’t cost the earth to save the Earth. Says Samantha Jones, CEO of nu-in, “We launched our business and looked at every opportunity to minimise our impact on the planet and make our garments affordable. For example, we based our creative office next to our main factory in Portugal because not only does it help to reduce our carbon footprint, it makes our clothes more affordable too.” “We want to show the world that affordable fashion and sustainability can coexist, and we are making a sustainable fashion capsule wardrobe attainable. We go as far as saying sustainable fashion is in our DNA and this is why nu-in is an alternative to bigger brands producing fast fashion unsustainably.” It’s estimated that over 80 billion garments are being produced every year. Of those around 20% are not being bought and end up being dumped into landfills or burnt. This is exactly what nu-in is avoiding with smaller production runs. “Garment production will never be 100% sustainable, but if the majority of the textile production can be done with a more sustainable approach, that’s a step forward for the industry.”
NU-IN FOCUSES ON THREE ELEMENTS WHEN TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY: •
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Economic sustainability: practices that support long-term economic growth without negatively impacting social, environmental and cultural aspects of the community. Environmental sustainability: the responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality. Social sustainability: the idea that future generations should have the same or greater access to social resources as current generations.
The business prides itself on being transparent with its customers and believes they should know where their products were made, and that they are made under safe and humane conditions. “From the person sewing your garment together
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in Turkey to the fit technician making sure the clothes are the right shape in Sweden to the design team creating the beautiful artwork sat in the UK,” says Jones. “Each garment has a unique QR code on the care label which you can scan and it will take you to the factory page on our website of where that garment was made.”
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“At nu-in we also focus on reducing water usage in two highly impactful ways. The first being, we always try to use recycled material which needs almost no water to become a new highquality material. And secondly, in the production process, we work with factories which have the latest water saving washing technology. When combining recycling with clean water saving washing technology we can reduce water usage as much as 95%, that’s 2,500 litres of water saved for every t-shirt made.” 95% of used textiles can actually be recycled or repurposed so nu-in looks at ways to upcycle wherever possible too. nu-in has taken denim scraps from its factory in Turkey that would otherwise be left as waste and partnered the upcycled waste with an organic cotton to create a beautiful upcycled denim material. “By upcycling you immediately minimise the use of natural resources such as water and energy to make a product. In comparison, on average, making one pair of traditional jeans uses around 10,000 litres of water. On our upcycled denim, we decided to use the original colour of the material instead of dyeing it which eliminates the use of chemicals and reduces water usage.” nu-in is committed to using materials like hemp, linen, lyocell, bamboo, and organic cotton which are biodegradable. In fact, organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides or fertilisers
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Photo credits: NU-IN
“We have also considered how our products are made up, foregoing seams wherever possible as these are often the weak areas on a garment as it goes through the wash and with general dayto-day wear. Seamless products also add to the comfort of a garment.”
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so the benefits of using fabric like this or the likes of lyocell far outweigh regular cotton. Another benefit of biodegradable garments is in the softness of the material. There is less stiffness when compared to garments with recycled materials and it’s more breathable, lightweight and feels much softer on skin.
nu-in has signed up with the animal protection icons, PETA, to have the official certification across all clothes. “Sustainability and veganism are not isolated concepts, they have an overlap, and for us, that goes hand in hand. There is no real reason for killing and torturing animals for our own personal gains in food and fashion. No animals have been or will be harmed in the manufacturing of our products and we feel it’s important to be clear on this and stand firm on our mission going forward. By using the PETA icon, our customers know they are choosing pieces that align with their values.” Starting a sustainable fashion label that puts the planet before profit wasn’t a hard decision for nu-in, it was common sense. “We founded nu-in because we believe that if you wait for change, it won’t come. Every part of our business is designed around sustainability to show the industry that you can produce collections that people love using organic and recycled materials,” concludes Jones.
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Close encounters At Premiere Vision, Paris, September 2021 After a few digital participations during Covid times, we headed back to the venue of Premiere Vision at the Parc des Expositions, Paris Nord, Villepinte, for a live experience and were delighted to meet face-to-face with prospects and clients once again during the 3 day show in September.
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Although the show was held on a much smaller scale than usual (approx. 850 exhibitors compared with the usual 1,500) we saw a relatively high number of visitors, even compared with previous pre-covid editions. It is clear that people are wanting to come out again and see the world. Premiere Vision is a highly inspiring meeting point for fashion people from around the globe. We’ve seen a clear trend towards more comfortable and relaxed clothing on the one hand and an urge to discover the great outdoors on the other hand, as a reaction to Covid-19. Our enclosed lives translated into a clearly less formal way of living and dressing.
The focus on sustainability has been there for a long time with us – having our roots in Scandinavia – but it became very apparent that this is now top of everyone’s priority list, across all segments of the fashion industry.
PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS IN FIGURES Visitors: 62,868 including 17,100 at the physical fair. Geographic attendance: A total of 43% French visitors and 57% international professionals including Europeans (Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, but also Turks and Americans.
NILORN WORLDWIDE
Outdoor brands are also at the forefront when questioning how we do things. How to improve production, design, transport etc. to be able to deliver a product that leaves a smaller climate footprint. That progress also goes hand in hand with the digital evolution – which opens new possibilities for quality control, keeping the right stock and giving a full overview in real time. It is also allows a platform for circularity – to be able to feed all products with information about composition and how it can be recycled – or left to a place for reuse or reselling.
The Première Vision Marketplace: • Number of e-shop pages viewed: 79,000 • Number of product pages viewed: over 124,000 • Digital Talks: 4000 people mobilized
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C U R V E S U P®
shape and fit on a new level Engineered in high-tech premium fabric with laminated inside panels for a shaping lift.
CILAB HARNESSES THE POWER OF FASHION
“We worship not the Graces, nor the Parcae, but Fashion. She spins and weaves and cuts with full authority” H.D. THOREAU.
If fashion has such authority, as Thoreau suggests, could it also have the power to help solve our environmental and social problems? This was the question that inspired three entrepreneurs to start the CiLAB Collective, and that continues to inform their vision of circular fashion as a force for change.
In early 2020, stylist and designer, Sibille Diederichs, repair artist, Clinton Topley and circular economy researcher, Jan Merckx, joined forces with a shared passion for changing the fashion industry. The result was CiLAB Collective, a melting pot of the trio’s combined expertise: research, design, manufacturing and repair. The collective soon took over a second-hand denim atelier in Mechelen, Belgium and used the multifunctional space to rapid-prototype and test ideas.
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Fast forward 18 months, and they are now the preferred upcycling partner for several Belgian brands. One factor in their success was the contribution of Shawkat Khalil, who joined the team in October 2020. Having run a successful textiles company in his native Syria, Shawkat brought both craftsmanship and production know-how to the team. This enabled them to launch an innovative post-consumer upcycling project in collaboration with Mad Brussels. The journey from Shawkat’s hometown of Afrin to Belgium was a long and challenging one. It took him and his family four years of trying before they completed the trip, in which time they lost their business and all their possessions. Once in Belgium, a chance encounter with the CiLAB team kick-started their work together and meant Shawkat could regain his trade. A FUTURE VISION THAT STARTS TODAY
Photo credits: JBC
CiLAB is firstly a laboratory of individuals who use fashion to support the transition to a society with an economic, environmental and social balance. But it also aims to galvanise companies towards the circular economy and so works with brands to integrate new approaches. They operate with an innovative business model. Since the circular-economic system is still in its infancy, CiLAB realised they needed to forecast their organisational model into the future to make it viable. In this way, they calculate their budgets as if circularity was fully matured and basing it on related industry pricing standards, a fact that’s transparently communicated to their clients.
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“THE BRIEF WAS TO CREATE A REUSED DENIM COLLECTION USING THE TEAM’S CIRCULAR KNOWHOW AND THE ARTIST’S UNIQUE TOUCH.”
The collective recognises that it’s not just companies and brands that need to transition to a circular world, but individuals too. That’s why they dedicate another arm of their work to engaging with the local community and inspiring people to adopt a new mindset. They collaborate with local schools and have set up community initiatives with the city of Mechelen. They also work with creative start-ups to spread knowledge and develop competencies in the fashion industry. ARTICLE
CiLAB has decided to grow organically and slowly, step by step. They put respect for people and products above profit and so focus on engaging brands and supporting the people in their initiative.
CASE STUDY: UPCYCLING WITH JBC At the beginning of 2021, Belgian fashion retailer, JBC, decided to withdraw 800 sweaters from the market due to a printing issue. Instead of wasting the items, the brand asked CiLAB to propose a new design and then remanufacture the sweaters according to their quality standards, price and target group. Two months later, their new upcycled collection was met with great success in JBC stores. On the heels of the first project, JBC again turned to CiLAB to collaborate with Belgian artist, Artby-Cash. The brief was to create a reused denim collection using the team’s circular know-how and the artist’s unique touch. The resulting pieces included a jacket, sweater, skirt, trousers, bucket hat and bag that were available online and in the JBC Antwerp store. A third project saw CiLAB producing furnishings for the changing rooms of JBC’s newly opened store. They made curtains and cushions using denim deadstock for fabric and stuffing.
CiLAB collaborates with Nilorn to produce care labels for their products with a QR code that informs the buyer about making their item last longer. Discover more about the collective via www.cilab.be
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Photo credits: Mad Brussels
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