Lauren Chaney
Apparel & Textile Sourcing
M/W 3:30pm
Reflection paper #2

Development in new technologies have proven to have a significant impact on global sourcing strategies. But when looking further into these development, I ask the question how feasible are these improvements? To answer this question, two articles found on just-style.com looks to explain new advancements in apparel that could possibly change how and where products are produced. The two articles are “VF Corp to develop nanofiber apparel fabrics” and “H&M and Kering trial recycling technology.”
The first article discusses how VF Corp has formed a partnership with nanofiber solutions company FibeRio Technology, in hopes to create performance apparel fabrics using nanotechnology. Nanofibers are characterized as having a higher surface area and smaller pore size. Improving the characteristics of fibrous materials, results in higher performance levels and less material in the end product, allowing for a lighter weight and therefore lower cost. FibeRio Technology is said to be able to produce unique nanofiber material in high volume through the use of forcespinning, the only technology platform capable of both commercial scale melt and solution spinning nanofibers. VF’s Global Innovation Centers plan to focus this technology use on performance wear, jeans, and footwear. This partnership “Is a great step toward the co-development of proprietary, high-performance nanofiber materials that will help push the boundaries of performance and explore the creation of new apparel and footwear market categories.”
The next article that I found was primarily focused on H&M and luxury lifestyle group Kering having a partnership with start-up Worn Again. They hope to be able to test a new chemical recycling technology that aims to address the growing issue of clothes-to-landfill. This technology is said to be the first of its kind. It has the ability to separate and extract polyester and cotton fibers from old or clothing and textiles. Once separated, the process will enable the ‘recaptured’ polyester and cellulose from cotton to be spun into new fabric creating a ‘circular resource model’ for textiles. With the demand for cotton fibers and polyester filaments steadily increasing, which is estimated to be around 90 million by 2020, this technology comes at the right time. "Our technology is at the heart of a global vision which will engage all brands, textile recyclers, suppliers and consumers, in a unified ambition to keep clothing already in circulation out of landfill, and as part of a global pool of resources to