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Fibres/​Yarns

Hyosung collaborates with Birla in cellulosic knits collection

Addressing consumer desire for vibrant colour in everyday performance apparel made with natural fibres.

2nd September 2024

Knitting Industry
 |  Seoul, South Korea

Intimate Apparel, Sports/​Activewear

With the intention of creating a world where vibrant colours blend effortlessly with stretchy comfort, Birla Cellulose, a global leader in viscose staple fibre (VSF), and Hyosung, a comprehensive sustainable textile solution supplier and the world’s largest manufacturer of spandex under the Creora brand, have co-created a collection of vibrant cellulosic knits made possible with Creora Color+ Spandex.

“The fusion of science and style is at the heart of this initiative,” said Abir Chakrabarti, Joint President, Grasim Industries Limited- Pulp & Fiber, the flagship company of Aditya Birla Group that operates Birla Cellulose plants in India. “Our research and development teams are tirelessly working to achieve the perfect balance between spandex's elasticity and dye absorption. This blend requires meticulous testing, tweaking, and reimagining traditional processes to create a fabric that retains its stretch while embracing a full spectrum of colour.”

As regular spandex does not take colour well, it is a challenge to achieve all-over, rich colour when dyeing it with natural fibers such as cotton, rayon, and modal. As a result, Hyosung created Creora Color+ Spandex, a special reactive dyeable spandex developed for natural blended materials. Creora Color+ has the same performance stretch characteristics as Hyosung’s flagship Creora Power Fit Spandex, with the added benefit of providing deeper, richer, all-over colour in natural and cellulose fabrics without grin-through – an attractive fibre blend for leading intimate, activewear and ready-to-wear brands.

"Dyeable spandex knit fabrics open worlds of possibilities for designers and creators across multiple end-uses,” said Dinesh Keswani, Hyosung Director Technical and Business Development, India. “As a comprehensive provider of textile solutions dedicated to assisting our partners throughout the entire value chain in addressing complex material challenges, we are delighted to collaborate with esteemed Birla Cellulose in bringing this progressive innovation to fruition.”

“In this age of conscious consumerism, sustainability takes centre stage,” said Mr. Chakrabarti.  “Our fabric isn't just about aesthetics – it's about reducing environmental impact. By developing man-made cellulosic dyeable spandex knit fabric, we're minimizing water usage, energy consumption, overall waste reduction with enhanced shade depth. It’s our commitment to a greener, cleaner planet as a step forward.”

According to Birla Cellulose, the road to innovation is paved with challenges, but every obstacle is a chance to learn and grow. The company is excited about its progress so far and eager to share the new cellulosic knit collection made with Creora Color+ Spandex with customers soon.

blog.hyosungtnc.com

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