Tencel - Performance Fiber
TENCEL is the brand name of Acordis Fibers for lyocell, the staple fiber produced from the natural cellulose in harvested wood pulp using a totally recycled solvent spinning technique. It's a man-made fiber, but natural in origin. It's versatile and combines exceptional strength, launderability and low fabric shrinkage with all the benefits of an exceptional hand, drape, color intensity, luster, absorbency and biodegradability normally associated with cellulosics. It is twisted or spun into yarns and woven or knitted in to fabrics or garments.There are two types of TENCEL: one produces a peachskin finish and feel with a soft dusty surface which is the light reflecting off small hairs on the surface of the fabric. The other type of TENCEL is silky, smooth and lustrous. It shows richness of color and doesn't fade. Both are soft yet strong.
TENCEL delivers improved comfort and performance when blended. 100% TENCEL is refined in structure and finish, and has fluid drape. TENCEL with cotton brings comfort, adds strength and increases performance. Blended with linen it reduces creasing and adds softness. Blended with wool it adds softness and creates washable blends. Blended with polyester or nylon it creates comfortable, breathable fabrics, bringing softness and drape without diminishing performance. TENCEL blended with silk and cashmere becomes luxurious and improves performance.
One of the latest developments is TENCEL A100, a non-fibrillating fiber. It was developed to give TENCEL an easy processing route in order to enter knitwear and jersey markets. TENCEL A100 absorbs more color, more economically and more efficiently than any other cellulosic fiber and the color lasts.
TENCEL has brought new vitality to the jersey market. A true ‘chameleon', it offers an array of aesthetics from the clean, sophisticated finishes of piece dyed jersey through to the doeskin hand of garment processed jersey with its superb performance, natural hand and brilliant durable color.
TENCEL, the ‘vegetal cashmere', produces a luxurious, lofty yarn with excellent performance properties and color durability. In blends with the noble fibers and cotton it enhances the feel of luxury and improves performance. Blended with synthetics, it brings a natural aesthetic. TENCEL is exploring the possibilities of a TENCEL stretch and maybe an antimicrobial variant in the future.
TENCEL fiber has been tested and authorized to use the safety in textiles Oeko-Tex Standard 100 mark.
TENCEL was launched commercially in 1992, manufactured in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Demand quickly outstripped supply. A new state of the art plant opened in Grimsby, UK in 1998, producing TENCEL and TENCEL A100 fiber. The European and US retail markets have been growing constantly. TENCEL has gained a 5% share of the total European consumption of cellulosic staple. Demand is growing rapidly for both standard and non-fibrillating products. Supply of the fiber to European textile manufacturers in 2000 is expected to increase by 60% in the year 2000.
Cerruti 1881, Diesel, DKNY, El Corte Ingles, Gaspard Yurkievich, Guess, Hussein Chalayan, Joop!Jeans, Levi's Engineered Jeans, Liz Clairborne, Marithe & Francois Girbaud, Marks & Spencer, Next, Zara and Zegna Sport are some of TENCEL's customers.
‘The 100% TENCEL volume business still remains. It's a milestone. What has developed enormously are the blends and the versatility of TENCEL. Mills, weavers and knitters have been using TENCEL in very specific areas like the casuals or cottons. Since 1999, the situation is changing, and the industry, especially the Italians have been pioneering various technologies', remarked Angelo Uslenghi,Textile Consultant in a presentation at Premiere Vision.
Fabrics containing TENCEL range from 80 grams per metre to 12 to 14 ounces. In terms of weight, in terms of technology, TENCEL has entered into the filament business. We have TENCEL with filament that is very close to the silk industry. We have extremely light gauze and extremely light fabrics. TENCEL is a fiber that you can spin finer but is not necessarily luxurious. It is being used in many areas-in prints, in silks, in cottons, in linens-it's modern, lightweight and it offers comfort.
TENCEL has also entered into the worsted area. TENCEL components have developed even further in cottons; it's not just for pants anymore, but has gone into other directions -in shirting, and dresses and prints. The addition, the A100 fiber has created a knit and jersey business which produce yarns for fully fashion knits and sweaters. One of the main characteristics is the peculiarity of the fiber. It is so versatile-it can be silky, wooly, lineny, cottony etc.
Specifically in the heavy 12-14 oz. pants business an enormous effort has been made to put TENCEL with cotton and high tenacity nylon to be used for chinos or carpenter's pants. Using high tenacity nylon that is normally used for industrial end uses the result is a very strong product with a strong attitude.
TENCEL is being used in pile fabrics. Business is growing in velvets and corduroys; it a unique product with the backing in cotton and the pile in TENCEL. It's also creating some interesting fur effects for next fall. Polar fleeces are being knitted or woven with TENCEL. The fiber represents modernity, versatility and comfort. ‘We are living in a multi-blend moment-a multi-blend season'. Consumers in general want blends, comfort and texture.
‘We are entering into a period where there is a stop to the excess of technicity. Too-high- tech is over. To define the moment, we could say that comfort, utility and functionality remain. The consumer won't give up these important things, but in addition the moment is more chic, more refined. Casual chic, relaxed chic-the casual point is strong, but is dressy. ' Refined' and ‘chic', adds Mr. Uslenghi.
TENCEL has developed three strong points for the season:
- A tribute to colors. TENCEL becomes colors-dyed, printed or over-printed.
- New finishings have been applied such as soaking, resinating, hydrated lubricated wet surfaces. It has also adopted chintzing and glazing.
- TENCEL mixes with the royal fibers of the season-silk and linen. Always refined chic, fine counts. Even slubbed linen has to be extremely fine.
Dreaming is the story of gentle indulgence. Weaves are dense and fine with delicate, filmy peached surfaces. Crepes are ethereal and transparent. Skin smooth surfaces are reflective. Sophisticated 'make-up colors' are in tune with texture. It's a delicate, chic palette, very epidermal with pinky, fleshy tones, violet and eyeshadow greens. It's a luxurious trend, about silk or silk-like filaments, but also includes nylon or polyester. Most of the fabrics for the season were developed by the Italians and Spanish. When TENCEL/silk colors are glazed or resinated, the color changes and becomes more pearlized.
Free spirit has a look of vitality in fresh clear colors. Double face blends with Tactel are fluid. Three-dimensional honeycombs add spring to sporty jerseys. Pumped-up brights are found in double faced jersey. Traditional TENCEL is doeskin, peachskin, rose petal surface. Texture is sueded and has a very flowery, petal texture in knits, wovens and printed on Madras and seersucker.
Exploring captures the extraordinary contrasts present in nature with its earthy textures worn down and aged through washing. Pigment printed colors are mottled. Resin coating offers protection from the harsh elements. Raw denim relaxes with stretch. In a return to nature, organic structures offer a more grounded base in contrast to the polished technical looks of previous seasons. It's casual, relaxed chic. TENCEL blends with cotton or linen, and is so fine the slubs in linen look like rip-stop weave. Colors are earthy-sable, oak and terracotta, lapiz blues, light blues and elegant greens.
By Cinzia Black
New York Correspondent
TENCEL denim from left to right: Tejidos Royo, quality: Kook (8 1/2 oz. denim), 55% cotton/45% TENCEL; Tejidos Royo, quality: Kit (10 1/2 oz. denim), 55% cotton/45% TENCEL; Tejidos Royo, quality: Kover (10 1/2 oz. denim), 55% cotton/45% TENCEL
TENCEL prints from top to bottom: Miroglio, quality: Dimial 924493), TENCEL blend; TAM, quality;kaimir (RGL 1106), TENCEL/Linen
TENCEL Color wovens from top to bottom: UCO, quality: Flair, 100% TENCEL; Miroglio, quality: CLI 26453, 100% TENCEL; Miroglio, quality: CLI 24568, 100% TENCEL; TAM, quality: NOR-4-LA, TENCEL blend; UCO, Quality: Flair, 100% TENCEL
