Try to anticipate trends, rather than follow
Turkey's Isko is the first denim producer in the world to be recognised with the Nordic Swan and European Union (EU) Ecolabel certifications. It has a production capacity of 300 million metres of fabric per year, with 2000 state-of-the-art automatic looms. It creates the soul of jeans, the essence of the most popular fashion style that has become universal. Chief executive officer (CEO) Fatih Konukoglu discusses denim fabrics, trends and technology.
What steps have you taken with respect to your goal of connecting talent to the denim industry?
To connect young talents to the denim industry, we envisioned and developed Isko-I-Skool, an educational and cultural project that is an integral part of our Responsible Innovation vision. Now in its 7th edition, this project fosters tomorrow's game changers allowing them to learn about responsible denim. It is also enriched by contributions from a wide range of players, such as producers, brands, business partners, artists, influencers and media, enhancing awareness for everyone involved.
Many fashion schools do not include denim within their academic courses, despite the importance of this iconic fabric. To fill this gap, we organise seminars and workshops with a focus on both technical and soft skills development, along with practical sessions where students can experience all the steps of denim production, learning how to transform their projects into real garments.
Isko-I-Skool represents a very special occasion for everyone involved to create value. For us, it is a precious moment to connect with tomorrow's fashion leaders, to be inspired by them and to let innovation and creativity thrive. We are especially glad that with each edition winners are having more and more chances to work with our partnering brands. These internships represent real opportunities to experience the professional world and to understand and positively change the industry from within. We are really happy to be guiding so many young talented people supporting their career in the denim industry.
Please tell us about Isko's latest R-Two platform. What is the process of reused cotton and recycled polyester for denim fabrics?
The R-Two platform is the latest addition to
Isko's family of innovation. It represents a further step forward in the development of a responsible production chain. It improves our sourcing efficiency by reducing the amount of raw materials we source and, combined with recycling, we reduce our impact on the planet's natural resources.
We refuse to source more raw material than is absolutely necessary and the R-TWO programme plays a major role in this strategy. The fabrics combine reused cotton with recycled polyester, both of which are certified.
The reused cotton comes from production loss and was developed in partnership with our yarn supplier Sanko, and it is fully traced, documented and audited. This process is certified with Textile Exchange's Content Claim Standard (CSS).
As for the recycled polyester, depending on the content percentages, we can provide either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification. Both of these track the recycled raw material through the entire supply chain, from input to final product to verify its integrity.
What is the carbon and water footprint left in the process of recycling fibres versus using virgin fibres for manufacturing fabrics?
Each fabric comes with its own carbon and water footprint scores: the difference is even more noticeable when we compare recycled and virgin fibres. R-Two has shown that there is a major benefit in using recycled polyester: the energy required to produce it is less than that required to manufacture virgin polyester. This means that by using more recycled polyester, we are effectively reducing our dependence on petroleum as a raw material, ultimately using less resources and reducing the overall carbon footprint of our products. It should also be noted that the reused cotton also supports significant reductions in carbon and water footprint. This is because the reused cotton comes from production loss and virgin cotton is not required to be grown and processed.
With a portfolio of 25,000+ textile concepts, it is extremely important for us that each one of those is the result of our 'Responsible Innovation' approach. In line with this, we work on the ways we can keep on improving.
To this end, we worked to obtain life-cycle assessments (LCAs) for all our products. We have also become the first denim manufacturer to obtain certified environmental product declarations (EPDs), providing the water and carbon footprint results of 1 square metre production, allowing our customers to evaluate fabrics and make responsible sourcing choices. These results led to the creation of new product category rules, that are now available for any company to voluntarily develop and publish information on the life cycle environmental impact of their services in a transparent and comparable way.
Denim and blends-from the original work wear denims to the stretch and comfort fashion wears of today-do you go by trends or do you create trends? Kindly elaborate.
We try to anticipate trends, rather than follow them. When it comes to product development, much of our inspiration comes from creativity that we see all around us. With our offices across the globe, we regularly receive market insights from the end consumer and customers to develop our collection.
Have the current US-China trade war, Brexit, etc impacted your business?
We have a balanced portfolio of customers globally that is not affected by any specific country's social or political scenarios.
What amount of denim fabrics produced currently at Isko is recycled and sustainable?
Everything that has ever been produced at Isko has been done in a responsible way. We have an environmental management system in place, certified to international standards. Under this system we manage energy, water, waste chemical and in emissions to save resources throughout our entire production chain. What is new for SS21 is that our entire fabric collection is made of R-Two. Isko is the first denim mill in the world to have their total collection made from certified fibres. We can therefore state that Isko is 100 per cent responsible.
What are going to be the major touch points in responsible denim in the next few years?
In the coming years, we expect reduction in raw material sourcing to be the norm and a key parameter in the supply chain, for the top priority of the waste hierarchy is ultimately 'to use less'.
R-Two is certainly a step in this direction, as it effectively helps to decrease the usage of raw materials, improving our sourcing efficiency, ultimately allowing for the setting of more developed best practices.
Reuse, recycle, reduce and recovery are all key actions for a better future and a better use of resources.
When it comes to being responsible there is no finish line, and Isko is constantly looking for ways to improve and do things better. In our research and development (R&D) department, we have a team of scientists, mathematicians and biologists looking to solve real consumer problems. Innovation and responsibility go hand-in-hand and we do not believe that one can exist without the other.
From which geographies is the demand most from?
We have over 7,000 active customers from all around the world supported by our local offices, based in 35 different countries.
In the last year, we have expanded our marketing team welcoming new members of staff to the Isko family in both the United Kingdom, Benelux and Japan. We have also opened a London office. You could say that our company goes beyond geographic boundaries.
What futuristic and cutting-edge technologies is Isko working on?
In addition to our revolutionary R-Two platform, we are busy working on two other cutting-edge projects.
Arquas 6.0 is the latest version of our fabric platform for the sports industry. Resulting from our Responsible Innovation approach, it is a combination of high performance properties and woven technologies. This features 35 brand new fabrics, most of which are made with certified recycled materials, providing a new era for activewear and sportswear.
Arquas 6.0 is all about versatility, conceived for designers and brands worldwide. The fabrics of this collection deliver superior performance and stand out in the industry for their woven quality (although many of them have the look and hand feel of knits), providing a wide range of benefits and performance properties.
Featuring nylon, for the first time, to present super light woven and cosy outdoor fabrics, Arquas 6.0 includes reversible and packable styles, as well as patented fabrics, such as four way-stretch Isko Blue Skin for a 360° elasticity. The collection also offers super compact fabrics that are made suitable also for fully bonded garments with body shaping and high recovery properties.
To underline the adaptability of these textile concepts, Isko has worked on creating a selection of high-quality garments based on three lifestyles: active, outdoor and club sports.
Another innovative project we are really proud of is Isko Vital, the first fabric and garment technology platform worldwide delivering woven compression product system. This has been certified by the independent Hohenstein Institute and it has also received the endorsement of a plethora of physicians. It is approved by the FDA, the US Food and Drug Administration.
Compression is an innovative technology that can be involved in the product development of many industries. By applying pressure to the body, it facilitates a pumping mechanism that improves the blood flow in the veins, helping it back to the heart to be cleaned and oxygenated. Among its many possible applications, Isko Vital is great for the athleisure market as it can aid recovery after high-impact sports, decreasing muscle soreness and allowing a better muscle oxygenation.
We have also been carrying out research in the field of wearable technology. We have developed touch sensitive technology that was incorporated into our exhibitions at Milan Design Week and at Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Here IskoTouch sensitive technology was used to allow attendees to hear sound on touching the fabric, without using traditional buttons and switches. We will be exhibiting our wearable technology at the Wearable technology fair in Tokyo in January 2020.
How many types of fabric varieties do you offer? How does the denim fabric vary for each brand you cater to?
We have over 25,000 products in our portfolio. Each season we target our collection to different lifestyles. For SS21, we have nine different lifestyles that range from the vintage and authentic to the clean, modern and contemporary. There is something for everyone from mass market retailers to high end luxury brands. As we are an ingredient brand, we support our customers to select the right fabric for their brand DNA. The same fabric can look completely different depending on the creative direction of our partner brands.
Denim seems to be getting more expensive day-by-day. What are the reasons behind it?
We do not have the feeling that denim is becoming more expensive day by day. Our focus is on the quality and supply chain efficiency. Our offer is democratic and we offer responsible solutions that are accessible to all.
Which major denim brands according to you make responsible and low impact denim products?
There are many brands that we work with who are actively committed to having a positive impact on the whole industry through their mindful visions. Some examples include: Ksenia Schnaider who is really pushing the boundaries of fashion denim in a responsible way; Taylor Stitch who is really committed to making responsible men's denim that is built to last, using the fabrics that include our 100 per cent organic selvedge.
What are the top three trends dominating the denim industry currently in terms of weaves, materials, colours and finishes?
Our SS21 sums up what we believe to be the top three trends currently dominating the denim industry.
First, there is Isko EFD, or Eco/Ecru for Dye that delivers a responsible approach to white fabric production reducing the number of processes in the fabric production. We skip the pre-bleaching process normally used for RFD fabrics. By doing this, we reduce the use of energy, chemicals and water. Pre-bleaching/pre-washing is already done in the laundries before garment dyeing, EFD avoids extra processing. This differentiates Isko EFD from other manufactures' white fabric production process as at Isko we start with an ecru coloured base that delivers an on-trend natural look that can be dyed to any colour. We offer EFD in a wide range of fabric constructions and weights.
Secondly, we continue to innovate in the jegging area with the introduction of new super lightweight constructions (6 oz-11 oz) that have perfect elasticity (35-45 per cent) and hug the curves of the body like a second skin.
Finally, we have evolved our IskoMantra concept for this season, and we have introduced fabrics that are infused with aloe vera and ginseng which energise, moisturise and rejuvenate the skin. The fabrics not only look great but they also have the feel good factor.
The impact of chemical in denim bleaching has become a serious health concern across the world. Is Isko doing something about it?
We are always first in line when it comes to developing new responsible solutions and having a positive impact both on the planet's and people's health. An example is Isko Vulcano: a new laser-friendly finish delivering natural, denimy, clear effect in laser application. It eliminates the need for dry and chemical processing, making production safer but also faster and more efficient in terms of energy employed in the process. With laser, there is no need for excessive use of chemicals and bleaching.
Another example of how we are innovating in this area is Isko Turbotech. Here the garment is delivered to the customer in a raw state, i.e. no washing, chemicals or finishing. The garment is 'made to fade' rapidly during wear so each garment can be personally customised.
Our patented technology Isko Pop is also unique. It combines softness and comfort with a silky hand feel. It has fabric softeners and chemicals that are generally used to provide a silky hand feel are not used. The soft touch is also maintained post wash.
What are the long-term sustainability goals set at Isko in times to come? What can be expected from Isko in terms of new product offerings and capacity expansions in 2020?
We have recently become the first Turkish mill awarded with the Oeko-Tek's Step certification, an achievement that makes us extremely proud and pleased as it results from an incredible teamwork. Early 2020, we will also be launching the first Isko Sustainability Report which will provide our partners with a clear overview of our achievements to date from an environmental and social point of view. Here, we will also articulate our future vision. (HO)
