Fit” in apparel is a noun, and for the human body, it’s an adjective. The two meanings come together, seamlessly, in Den/IM 2.0: an innovation in athleisure that brings body- mapping technology to an already revolutionary denim jean
The “I am DENIM” athleisure collection, made with stretch indigo denim on seamless circular knitting machines, debuted last year and has been embraced by consumers.
Lenzing, Tonello, Santoni and Unitin partnered to create DEN/IM, a studio-to-street collection designed to show knit denim’s potential as a viable alternative and competitor to traditional activewear bottoms and to classic woven denim.
In response to the ensuing demand within a fashion activewear market that continues to heat up, the companies have readied Den/IM 2.0. The new collection employs body- mapping for superior fit and performance, the efficiency of seamless knitting from Santoni, new sustainable wash treatments from Tonello and the advanced indigo knits from Unitin featuring Lenzing’s TENCEL® lyocell branded fibres.
“At Tonello, we strongly believe in collaborations, especially when aimed at bringing truly innovative solutions to the market,” says R&D Manager Alice Tonello. “Combining our finishing technologies like ECOfree, Laser Blaze and Core, with the high-end products offered by Lenzing, Santoni and Unitin, we were able to achieve a brand-new product with technical performance and an authentic denim taste.”
This collaboration from the beginning started with the idea that traditional sportswear— made with the cut and sew concept—couldn’t provide the comfort expected by a certain kind of active fashionista. Dancing, skateboarding, strolling, rest — existence today means that activity and fashion are inseparable. The introverted morning in a cafe clad in classic denim jeans, alone with your laptop, doesn’t preclude an exuberant afternoon walk on the beach, a commute by bicycle or dashing off to a party. That’s just life — so why should it call for a change of clothes?
“Denim is a versatile partner to pair with anything and is a must-have in every season,” says Tricia Carey, Director of Global Business Development – Denim at Lenzing.
Body-mapping seamless sportswear involves just one piece of multiple-knit structure fabric, which provides improved wear comfort by adjusting local body heat exchanges. It may be a quiet revolution — this evolution in denim simply allows life to go on no matter what you’re up to — but it’s a revolution just the same, made possible by the sophisticated machinery from Santoni, the innovations in garment processing from Unitin and Tonello, and the unsurpassed addition of TENCEL® branded Lyocell fibres.
“Associated with this collection you will hear terms such as ‘compression,’ ‘ventilation,’ ‘moisture control,’ ‘thermal conductivity’ and ‘body mapping,’ and these are used alongside traditional denim terms such as ‘indigo shade,’ ‘fade-down’ and ‘laser marking,’” explained Patrick Silva, Santoni Marketing Manager. “With its roots in seamless sportswear, Santoni’s knitting technologies are creating a new category in the constantly fragmenting athleisure wear market.”
Here’s how it works: Each knitted garment in the Den/IM 2.0 collection incorporates different combinations of fibres and knitted structures, to create a unique cross-over concept. It’s all about integrating several sportswear benefits into the authentic denim world.
The seamless functional features of Den/IM 2.0 provide superior moisture wicking by incorporating TENCEL® in a unique two-layer construction. These high performance yarns provide superior temperature regulation and a perfect microclimate for the skin. Engineering seamless fabric thickness provides padding, allowing greater body protection without sacrificing moisture management or temperature regulation. Body- mapping ensures that the engineered ventilation areas and 3D knitted structures are where they’re most needed in every garment.
The den/IM 2.0 collection debuted at BlueZone/Munich Fabric Start (September 5-7, 2017 in Munich, Germany).
Santoni group is a world leader in manufacturing circular knitting machines and pioneer in the seamless technology. It guarantees the highest performances and the latest technical innovations to match promptly the market changes. It ensures the best textile machinery in order to meet the continually challenging demands of the textile world.
Unitin is a family business with almost 100 years tradition. Different textile activities are held in the mill close to Barcelona (Spain). Self-developed technology and wide commercial activity have driven the company to be one of world leaders in special denim applications. A wide range of denim yarns are offered and used by most advanced companies in the fashion business. The compromise with the environmental care and sustainability are reflected on the Oeko-Tex certifications of the productions and more recently with the introduction of the Recycled Denim yarn made with own production leftovers.
The Lenzing Group is a world market leader headquartered in Austria, which operates production sites in all major markets as well as a worldwide network of sales and marketing offices. Lenzing supplies the global textile and nonwovens industry with high-quality, botanic cellulose fibres. Its portfolio ranges from dissolving wood pulp to standard and specialty cellulose fibres.
Lenzing’s quality and innovative strength set global standards for cellulose fibers. With 79 years of experience in fibre production, the Lenzing Group is the only company in the world which is able to produce significant volumes of all three cellulose fiber generations – from the classic Lenzing Viscose® branded fibres to the Lenzing Modal® branded fibres and the TENCEL® branded lyocell fibres. In 2016 Lenzing introduced the Refibra™ branded lyocell fibres, a product innovation based on recycled cotton scraps.
The Lenzing Group’s success is based on consistent customer orientation combined with innovation, technology and quality leadership. Lenzing is committed to the principles of sustainable management with very high environmental standards and can underscore this commitment with numerous international sustainability certifications for its business processes as the most sustainable company in the sector. In addition to fibres, which form the core business, the Lenzing Group is also active to a lesser extent in the fields of engineering and plant construction.
Key Facts & Figures L
enzing Group 2016 Revenue: EUR 2.13 bn
Fiber sales volumes: 978000 tons Employees: 6218
TENCEL®, RefibraTM, Lenzing Modal® and Lenzing Viscose® are trademarks of Lenzing AG.