Milan Fashion Week: Prada spring/summer 2011

Miuccia Prada channeled a vibrant Latin American spirit in her latest collection at Milan Fashion Week, marking a radical departure from her previous shows.

Bold stripes, rumba-style flounces, tropical parrot colours and exotic prints featuring monkeys, flowers, turbanned dancers, and bananas gave the show the atmosphere of a carnival.

Designer, Miuccia Prada, the woman who once made black nylon chic, even took her bow wearing a pair of “banana” earrings.

The show was a radical departure from previous Prada collections which have often explored the “spirit of modern woman”, or sexuality in curious and oblique ways.

These clothes were wearable, escapist, sexy and fun; constructed, for the most part, in a heavyweight, practical Japanese cotton. Swing-back shirts and jackets, with loose sleeves, in hi-vis orange, grass green and cobalt-blue, had the ease of sailing jackets, especially when accessorised with thick, striped, rubber-soled sneaker-style shoes. They were given urban sophistication when paired with pencil skirts, or fitted skirts with a samba-flounce. A baroque cherub print, mixed with stripes in orange/black, or green/black, typified the culture of exotic religious festivals.

Models in embroidered, fringed sun-dresses, swinging striped fox furs, with their hair in a 1930s slick-back, had the nostalgic nonchalance of a Jean Harlow on a weekend away in Havana.

Ms Prada said she had started off by thinking of plain, possibly black dresses – these were visible in the finale parade of classic LBDs – but all the fun of the fiesta obviously carried her away.

Milan Fashion Week – The Day It Started Of

A snappy Gucci collection opened the Milan fashion week on September 22 and set the mood for the spring-summer 2011 — Italian style.

Outlandish fashion falls flat in these days of crisis, with designers preferring a return to the “oldies but goodies,” which don’t have to pass the test of time.

Frida Giannini, the Roman designer who took over the reins at Gucci several years ago, dips into the horsey past of the Florentine house for inspiration, especially for her handbags, but never succumbs to nostalgia.

The show presented Wednesday, the first day of the six-day preview showings, is colorful and fast-moving with a sophisticated elegance gleaned from a 1970’s feel and a Mediterranean allure.

High-waisted tulip skirts share the runway with harem pants. Softly tailored men’s jackets compete with fitted riding jackets and bomber jackets. Bright shades of orange, purple and green contrast with safari beige and basic black.

The 1970’s glam is most evident in a series of hot evening dresses in colorful metallic satin with intricate fringe detailing. Daytime is cinched by a gold belt with playful tassels.

Tassels also play a major role in the bag department. Mini shoulder bags with prominent stitching are decorated with tassels, as is the new “Snaffle Bit Bag” which harks back to the original saddle bag with horse-bit clasp. A darker version of the famous bamboo handle is another tribute to past Gucci glory.

The latest Gucci footwear — sandals with python detailing and metallic heel, and ultra-light basket-weave boots — is very contemporary and very high.

Later Wednesday, Alberta Ferretti presented a collection that reached way back into the annals of fashion to the days of romantic maidens. Somewhere between a Greek nymph and a Shakespearian Ophelia, the Ferretti fairy floats down the runway in flat floral sandals and diaphanous gowns, seemingly unaware of the crisis-ridden world around her.

Ferretti’s option is quite contemporary. The Italian designer represents that portion of modern women who prefer a romantic rather than edgy approach to fashion.

Invista ‘Legwear Innovation Collection’ – Autumn/Winter 2011-2012

Invista has launched its Legwear Innovation Collection for Autumn / Winter 2011 – 2012 with an emphasis on providing fashion-forward styles and solutions for the sector.

Stand-out legwear has been a fashion staple on catwalks across the world for the past few seasons and Invista says there are no imminent sign of its ‘must-have’ crown dropping with cutting-edge trends still proving their popularity with consumers.

For Autumn / Winter 2011 – 2012, experts at Invista predict that both the fashion industry and wearers will be breaking away from classical shapes and bold colours to make way for matchless combinations that combine both style and comfort.  Invista says the trends promise to use innovative new technologies and yarns that are set to send the fashion world into frenzy.

In true Invista style, eight key trends have been revealed:

Raw Romance

This is a true romantic collection that offers a wide selection of materials that range from organic silk, lace and hand knitted effect and Gobelin looks.

A trend with a vintage spirit where soft and pastel colours make a comeback to unite with nude tones, lilacs and dusty whites as well as darker shades such as burgundy.

For this season, wearers can be on-trend with knee-high and over-the-knee legwear that showcase loose hanging laces and sashes.

This collection will give the wearer ultimate comfort, thanks to a touch of Lycra fibre that provides soft yet beautifully stable hosiery.

Natural Vibes

Natural Vibes is the ultimate trend for the true nature lover.  The look focuses on comfort and natural elegance legwear trends with rustic, organic patterns in cable knit socks, legwarmers and knee highs.

Colours are inspired by natural, earthy tones of rich browns, deep forest greens and stone greys

This collection combines the softness and drape, cotton touch and wool with Lycra fibre for shape, fit and comfort.

Festival Nomads

Set to warm up the winter months with a lively collection that has been influenced by world cultures and folkloric influences.

African, American and Asian patterns are blurred into one world to create a wide variety of eclectic, vibrant legwear with warm, winter spiced colours.

Adding a shocking depth of intense dark colours, the presence of Lycra fibre allows the tones and patterns to work in perfect harmony.  Legwear with Lycra fibre fit both sheers and casual cottons.

Glamazones

The Glamazones trend is for the lovers of shiny and shimmery legwear.

Wearers can indulge in a kaleidoscope of patterns coupled with a wide array of beads, crystal made with Swarovski elements, sequins and metal embroidery all adorned on beautiful collection of metallic greys and blues.

The fashion-forward can rest assured that they will receive an all day sleek fit thanks to Lycra fibre that offers long-lasting shape.

Army Lovers

This collection is inspired by uniforms and functional work-wear.  The trend suits both socks and knee-highs which can be worn in boots or over garments for a fashion-forward look.

The trend is the ultimate in performance and comfort, showcased in camouflage patterns of khakis, browns and greys.  Socks and leggings in particular showcase buckles, zipper, buttons, trims and stitches for faux or real use.

A trend that focuses on utility delivers a touch of sensuality with Lycra 3D hosiery and robust fibres, with  durable carbon fibres married with Lycra fibre for shape, fit and durability.

Clean Cut

Kandinsky and Malevitsch are the fundamental influencers in this modern and carefully designed graphic collection.

This trend presents vibrant colours which work well with the innovative geometric patterns and cuts that could have made Mary Quant’s iconic collection in the 1960’s.

The Clean Cut collection is more practical than ever with intricate seamless openwork, graphic lace aspects and sharp slashed details. Thanks to Lycra fibre in the legwear, it enables perfect shaping of curves and sensual shapes.

Graphic Explosion

Graphic Explosion is an eccentric and experimental collection that perfectly connects fashion with technology, ready to wear with sportswear and the catwalks with the high street.

Citrus yellow, cherry red, royal blue and steel grey dominate the collection and of course, classic whites and blacks remain a staple.

Geometrics, symmetric and asymmetric prints dominate the trend with intricate lace openwork knits. New shapes make an appearance with toe-less, stir-ups and loose bits all layered with lengths and transparent patterns.

Bold colours in this collection retains their long lasting vibrancy thanks to Lycra fibre.

Sober Chic

The Sober Chic trends focuses on promoting a healthy body and mind.  In doing this, the collection comprises garments that relax and work with the body’s movements, contour curves and second-skin layered looks.

The trend can be worn in cool neutrals or vivid brights for a clean, polished, chic and absolutely flawless finish. The overall tone is subtle and sophisticated in quiet and reserved hues.

Sober Chic offers a smooth touch thanks to role of Lycra fibre.  Shading in fine graphic textures and false plains reflect high quality and perfection.

“Yet again Invista cements its commitment to the legwear industry with a selection of fashion-forward trends in its Legwear Innovation Collection that work on the catwalks as well as on the high street.  The presence of Lycra fibre in the collection ensures that styles last, colours remain intense and the wearer receives the ultimate in comfort, fit and shape,” Invista says.

Read More @ www.invista.com

Active Therapy Sock To Speed Up Post-Workout Recovery Time

Medically endorsed SIGVARIS is proud to announce the release of the SIGVARIS Performance Sock into the U.S. Market. The launch marks the latest addition to the Active Therapy line, designed for competitive athletes and weekend warriors.

SIGVARIS’ Athletic Recovery has been extremely popular since it launched last year. Now athletes will not only be able to improve their recovery time, they’ll also be able to peak their performance with the launch of SIGVARIS’ newest sock.

“Having been the global leader in medical compression therapy for the past 50 years, SIGVARIS is at the forefront of creating the most effective compression products,” says Jonas Thelin, director of marketing for SIGVARIS North America.

“It made sense for us to enter the sports market because the use of compression is such a huge topic in sports right now, and we had an opportunity to create truly superior sports compression socks. Our Active Therapy line was designed to optimize an athlete’s athletic performance as well as speed up post-workout recovery time.”

When a sportsperson slips on a SIGVARIS Active Therapy sock, he or she is benefiting from the science behind “true graduated compression” – compression that is strongest at the ankle and gradually diminishes as it goes up the leg.

Features of the Performance Sock include:

• True graduated compression (20-30mmHg)
• An extra-wide comfort band that stays in place without digging into the skin
• Safety reflectors for running at night
• Achilles Tendon protectors to reduce vibration on vulnerable ligaments
• A cushioned foot bed design to help keep feet blister free
• High-tech fibers for thermal and odor control – sock stays perfectly dry

SIGVARIS North America is part of an internationally active medical device group headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland that focuses on the development, production and distribution of medical compression garments, including hosiery and socks. With distribution in more than 50 countries on six continents, SIGVARIS is recognized as a global industry leader in the area of compression therapy for the management of venous disorders.

Read More @ http://www.sigvarisusa.com

Lakmé Presented The Gypsy Collection With Malini Ramani At LFW Winter/Festive 2010 Grand Finale

The Lakmé Grand Finale proved to be a befitting end to the extravaganza that is Lakmé Fashion Week. Malini Ramani showcased Lakmé’s theme for the season – the Gypsy Collection, at the Grand Finale.

Inspired by her personal journeys through different parts of the World, Malini’s collection was a celebration of colour and textures. True to her style the clothes were vibrant, feminine and bohemian. The looks seen on the ramp were created with products from the Lakme Gypsy Collection and added to the glamour and free spiritedness of the garments.

THE GYPSY COLLECTION

The Gypsy Collection by Malini Ramani was a riot of colours and styles. The show started with the interesting audio visual, which revealed Malini’s state of mind that reflected in her gorgeous clothes. It was the Mystery, Bliss, Cosmic and Nirvana of life which were the titles of the four divisions that featured exotic, tribal, gypsy creations from various parts of the world.

Starting the show with Mystery, the exotic black long creations with shimmering mirror and shell embroidery had halter sarongs, waist coats, Jodhpur pants, mini rompers, jersey gowns, dhoti jumpers, quilted skinny pants, black and white tasseled smocks with interesting batik work.

The second section Bliss was a mélange of hues that ranged from yellow, red, orange, black, brown and green stripes and prints with batik for beach tubes, minis, draped printed vests, slim slinky gowns, which had an abundance of placement prints on cuffs, yoke and front and a sensational red printed mini with glitter.

Onto the third journey of fashion and discovery, Malini went into Cosmic mode with diagonal one shoulder sleeve minis with the magnificent feather, shell and coin embellishments. Gilets had bead work and ombre minis had feathered necklines. Kaftans crossed over with wide embellished bands and the grand one sleeve batwing outfit was a superb tribal vision.

Finally into Nirvana, it was black and red with mirror work tops, tasseled skirts, jersey panelled maxis and embroidered bodices that caught the attention on the ramp.

The sections were interspersed by the most amazing acrobatic acts that left the audience spellbound.

Catch More @ http://www.lakmefashionweek.co.in

London Shows Sexy And Colorful Styles For Spring

Designers opted for the sexy and colorful for next spring’s womenswear at London Fashion Week, but stuck to a timeless style to appeal to budget-conscious buyers picky about adding to their wardrobe.

Short dresses and high heels featured prominently on the catwalk at many spring/summer 2011 shows, with Julien Macdonald injecting doses of glamour by looking to the boudoir.

His models wore pastel-colored and flower-printed short frilly dresses, at times transparent, as well as long gowns with trains in lace and silk in bursts of color. A puff of perfume minutes before the show added to the bedroom feel.

“I decided to take these English girls to Hollywood and I made them very ultra glamorous and ultra sexy,” he said.

Hong Kong-born John Rocha took last season’s trend of underwear as outerwear one step further, playing with corsets and bras, sometimes put in as panels in jackets.

His collection was full of long fluid dresses, accessorized with backpacks and leather lace-up wedge boots.

“I just feel that at this moment in time, for me it’s all about texture. I try to make women look as beautiful as possible,” Rocha told Reuters.

“There’s enough sadness in the world, there’s enough drama.”

Burberry Prorsum mixed biker jackets with trenchcoats at mid and mini length, then combined the biker and trenchcoat looks in gabardine, bonded twill and other fabrics with all kinds of leather from heavy black to shiny patent in bright colors.

“NEVER CONVENTIONAL”

There was also a hint of the 1970s, with flared trousers, bold prints and fringed skirts and dresses at several shows.

For her Red Label line, Vivienne Westwood had a selection of trouser and short suits as well as loosely cut and shirt dresses that were worn with mismatched lace-up shoes.

Westwood, who rose to prominence 30 years ago during Britain’s punk era and shows her main line in Paris, also had net capes, hot pants and exaggerated cleavages on some designs.

“I’ve had a good run for sure. I can only say it’s because I do something that is not a market thing,” she told reporters when asked about her success. “I just do what I really like, and I make something that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Matthew Williamson presented a tropically colored collection, heavy in beading and embroidery. He had plenty of billowing gowns as well as short bustier dresses and collarless jackets worn with high-waisted and wide-legged trousers.

New Coating Chemicals With Cross-Industry Features

Nanocoating is getting more popular for special self-cleaning performance

Novel coating and finishing chemicals that enhance the performance of a textile material are important for textile producers to improve their profit margins. Textile coating is now a very diverse market covering both the traditional apparel sector and the rapidly growing technical textile sector.

Marketing Is Growing

Speciality coating and finishing chemicals are growing in importance to chemical manufacturers as they seek to diversify their markets and increase market share.

In India, for example, it is reported that the Indian speciality chemical market currently represents around 24% of the total chemical market and it is expected to grow by 15%, which is almost double the growth in the global speciality chemical industry.

Export of speciality chemicals from India is also expected to increase from US$4 billion in 2007 to US$12 billion in 2013. The reason is the rapid growth rate in the technical textiles market because speciality chemicals are finding more and more applications in new areas for textile materials such as construction (buildtech), automotive (mobiletech, and geotextiles / civil engineering (geotech). In the apparel market there are many applications opening up in clothing / footwear (clothtech), protection (Protech) and sporting / leisure areas (sporttech).

New developments in coating are focussed upon optimising the most desirable textile properties but simultaneously attempting to achieve higher profitability and productivity. This can be achieved by increasing production speeds as well as decreasing energy, diminishing waste and decreasing emissions.

Conventional thermal curing processes consume large amounts of energy when water-based coatings are used. Solvent coating processes consume less energy but liberate VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere, and solvent recovery systems for removal of VOCs are expensive.

Some textile coaters are looking towards radcure systems using UV radiation curing. (Note: Radcure, or radiation curing, technology uses electron beam (EB), ultraviolet (UV) light, or visible light to polymerize a reactive and usually solvent-free coating material.)

It has been calculated that if the thermal curing of a water-based coating system required 100% energy, a solvent coating process would require typically 25% energy. However, using a UV curing system would require only 0.5% energy. Novel chemical coating formulations consisting of monomers, oligomers and a photo-initiator are being developed. The emissions of VOCs are typically decreased by 80% but disadvantages can include the high cost of the chemicals and the generation of ozone. Huntsman Textile Effects, for example, are now producing a range of oligomers for textile UV curing applications. These include polyesteracrylates, epoxyacrylates and aliphatic urethane methacrylates that can be modified with appropriate resins and monomers to enhance the fabric properties.

Forming Coating With Nanoparticles

Another area that is opening up new opportunities for textile coating is the incorporation of different nanoparticles into the coating formulation.

Nanoparticles are particles whose size is less than 100nm (one nanometre is a billionth of a metre, i.e. 10-9 metres) and the properties of nanoparticles differ from those of the bulk material for two main reasons.

Firstly, nanoparticles have a relatively large surface area compared with the same mass of material produced in a larger form. As a result some materials that are normally inert in their larger form can become reactive as nanoparticles. Secondly, as the size of the nanoparticle decreases the properties of the material became progressively more reliant upon quantum effects. The net result of this is that the optical, electrical and magnetic properties are changed.

A major advantage of using nanoparticles in coatings is that it allows the production of very thin surface coatings, which can be optically transparent because the nanoparticles are too small to be seen by the human eye. The use of nanoparticles in textile coatings and finishes can extend the range of end uses and open up innovative approaches for new application areas. Some of the possible areas of exploitation of nanoparticles are summarised in the following table.

Nanoparticles in coatings

The use of functionalised nanoclays in combination with flame retardant coatings can be used to enhance intumescent coating effects. Devan Chemicals (Belgium) has utilised layered silicates in the form of reticular layers of crystals in nanoparticulate form to enhance flame retardancy in intumescent coatings that form a thick porous char when subjected to a flame source. The solid foam-like porous carbonaceous char structure thus provides a barrier to flame and heat transmission. Expandable graphites have also been developed by Devan Chemicals that on heating can expand the volume up to one hundred times that of the original graphite.

Conductive Coatings

Another field of activity is that of conductive coatings / smart coatings. Such coatings can be prepared by using intrinsically conductive polymers (ICPs). These are conjugated polymers in which the electrical conductivity can be increased by the addition of a small amount of a chemical. This doping technology generally involves a redox process whereby the electronic structure of the polymer is changed, and this process is reversible. Dispersions or solutions of ICPs can be applied by surface coating technologies to convey antistatic or conductive properties. A number of ICPs are now available such as polypyrrole, polyaniline, poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, and polythiophene.

Combined UV blocking and antimicrobial performance via surface coating offers considerable potential for apparel used in outdoor activities. Protection against skin damage from UV radiation combined with an antimicrobial action to kill bacteria that would otherwise build up within the garment as a result of perspiration exuded during physical activity are important in sporting and military apparel e.g. combat uniforms. Such an approach prevents the formation of malodours, enabling the garment to stay fresher for longer inbetween washings.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been claimed to be more stable compared with organic UV-blocking agents and in nanoparticulate form the increased surface area per unit mass of the zinc oxide coupled with the intense absorption in the UV region should enhance the UV blocking capability of the coating. Incorporating multifunctionality into coatings is a very fertile area for innovation. For example, military combat uniforms require multifunctional surface coating protection, typically incorporating ultrahydrophobicity, super-oleophobicity and self-cleaning properties combined with UV-blocking and antimicrobial protection. Many other outdoor fabrics such as tents, camouflage netting, awnings and architectural fabrics can similarly benefit from such coatings. This is particularly useful in high temperature / high humidity environments in which microbial attack can lead to physical deterioration and rotting of the textile, so that protective coatings can prolong the service life of the textile material.

Sol-gel treatments are now emerging from much research and development to provide enhanced textile performance. Sol-gel treatments can be utilised to produce nanosols (note: particle diameters smaller than 50nm), which are colloidal solutions of nanometre-sized metal oxide particles in aqueous or organic solvents. The nanosol is usually formed by hydrolysis of the precursor material and subsequent condensation reactions, followed by coating, drying or curing. The inorganic metal oxide-based three-dimensional network formed is usually in the amorphous (xerogel) form under moderate heat treatment conditions. Sol-gel treatments can thus produce nanosol finishes and coatings that can modify stiffness / drape, handle, absorbency, hydro / oleophobicity, abrasion resistance, photocatalytic activity, barrier functions, photochromic effects, bioactive systems e.g. controlled release systems, heat resistance, magnetic properties and conductivity.

Inorganic-organic Hybrid Coatings

The use of inorganic-organic hybrid coatings is growing in importance because of the wide range of functionalisation that such coatings and finishes can offer.

ISys MTX (CHT R. Beitlich GmbH, Tübingen, Germany) can be applied by padding and heat curing and used to permanently link iSys AG, the component containing silver (which has a high antibacterial activity) to textiles. iSys MTX as a sol-gel binder is claimed to provide better durability to washing compared with polyurethane or polyacrylate binders.

Another synergistic blend of inorganic-organic sol with polysiloxane, iSys HPX, is now able to provide an alternative hydrophobic finish to fluorocarbon chemistry. In another variant iSys SYN can be used as a vector protection finish. This utilises an inorganic-organic sol combined with polyurethane that enables permethrin (a potent insecticide) to be bound to the textile.

New Research On Silk Fabric

Recent work in Italy has demonstrated that inorganic-organic hybrid sol-gel treatments can impart a thin surface layer to silk Jacquard fabric used in high quality furnishing. This surface coating has good adhesion and optical transparency and is based upon a three-dimensional network based upon silicon oxide that protects the silk fabric from adhesion. The Martindale abrasion resistance of the silk fabric abraded against the standard wool abradant was greatly increased.

This article has been sourced.

Read More on UV-LED Curing Technology @ http://www.phoseon.com/

Dyeing Auxiliaries Go Multi-Functional

For reasons such as energy and resource efficiency, dyeing and finishing houses have been more interested in multi-purpose auxiliaries that fulfil more than one wish at a time.

The textile dyeing and finishing sector provides a service to the rest of the textile and apparel industries by converting harsh and unattractive loomstate fabrics into products with enhanced colour, appearance, handle and performance that are appropriate for the end use. Textile dyeing companies are now constantly striving to improve their market competitiveness in the face of global competition, and to streamline their dyeing operations to improve the bottom line.

Prote-Sperse RD-BF multifunctional auxiliary from Protex can be used with reactive dyes

Right-first-time dyeing is now essential to maintain cost-competitiveness and to maximise machine utilisation and production output. While modern dyestuff formulations are highly sophisticated and are structured to provide high performance both in dyeing and on the subsequent dyed fabric, the requirement to obtain right-first-time dyeing places greater demands that the dyestuff formulation alone cannot provide. Modern dyers are fortunate to be able to rely upon a broad spectrum of dyeing chemicals, generally termed auxiliaries or dyeing assistants, that boost exhaust and continuous dyeing operations and create the optimum dyebath conditions for right-first-time dyeing.

Increasingly highly automated low liquor ratio exhaust dyeing machinery requires the use of one-shot multifunctional liquid auxiliaries that can be poured or pumped into the machine. Multifunctionality decreases the number of products that need to be purchased, stored and either weighed or dispensed, and decreases the liquor volume that must be added into the machine. Concentrated liquid auxiliaries can also be transported and stored in less space with advantages to both the chemical supplier and the textile dyer. The multifunctionality of the auxiliaries is optimised for use in the dyebath by the chemical supplier based upon much research and development. Thus one-shot multifunctional auxiliaries offer many technical and practical advantages to textile dyehouses.

In the exhaust dyeing of polyester and polyester / cellulosic yarns and fabrics it is important to use auxiliaries that do not foam, especially in jet dyeing. In addition the high temperature dyeing conditions used place many demands upon the dispersion performance of disperse dyestuffs in the dye liquor. A multifunctional non-foaming dyebath auxiliary, Eganal PLM liq, has been introduced by Clariant that combines not only dispersing and diffusion-accelerating properties, but also migration-promoting properties. The improved dyebath dispersion stability is essential to prevent aggregation of disperse dyes and their physical deposition on fibre surfaces which can subsequently lead to poor rub fastness. Eganal PLM liq ensures good penetration and increased colour yield. The better dye coverage afforded to materials in which different dye affinities may be present can also be obtained with a reduction in the dyeing time and / or the dyeing temperature.

Eganal PLM liq can also be utilised for the levelling or partial stripping of faulty dyeings should these occur. Important benefits to the polyester dyer are that Eganal PLM liq exerts no adverse effects upon wet fastness and has minimal or no impact on the colour fastness to light. In addition, and in contrast to some other products used commercially, there are no unpleasant odours generated during dyeing or thermal drying.

Softening Water For Improved Dyeing

Rucogal ERQ is a phthalate-free PES-leveller from Rudolf Chemie

Modern dyehouses are heavily dependent upon the use of softened water, from which metal ions such as calcium and magnesium have been removed. This is essential to prevent changes of shade occurring on the dyed material through the formation of dye-metal complexes in the dyebath that are then absorbed by the fibre. One approach to solving this problem, as well as overcoming the problem of residual bicarbonate that can create pH control problems in the water from an ion-exchange softening plant is to use an auxiliary that combines pH buffering, metal sequestering and dye levelling properties.

One such multifunctional auxiliary is Prote-Sperse RD-BF from Protex (France) which is designed for use in dyeing cellulosic / synthetic and cellulosic / viscose blends with reactive dyes. Prote-Sperse RD-BF is uniquely formulated to provide process control to ensure shade accuracy, levelness and reproducibility in repeat dyeings. This auxiliary sequesters calcium and magnesium effectively without any effect upon the reactive dye structures and also prevents the premature fixation of reactive dyestuffs during the migration phase of reactive dyeing by optimising pH control. Prote-Sperse RD-BF is also claimed to provide clearer, cleaner dyebaths for exhaust dyeings.

Any auxiliary used in the dyeing of polyester materials for automotive fabrics must not give rise to the problem of fogging in the vehicle. This occurs when the vehicle interior becomes hot in direct sunlight and any auxiliary residues evaporate and deposit on the interior surfaces, generating fogging of the windscreen etc. Rucogal ERQ (Rudolf Chemie, Germany) is a nonionic low foaming levelling agent / dyeing accelerator for high temperature dyeing of polyester that has no negative impact upon the fogging value of the subsequent dyed fabric. The strong diffusion-promoting properties of Rucogal ERQ ensures improved dyestuff yield and this multipurpose levelling agent is suitable for very short liquor ratio dyeing and moreover can be automatically metered, both important factors for cost-effective polyester dyeing.

Testing the fogging behaviour of materials for automotive interiors according to DIN 75201, draft of February 2008 (Source: Rudolf Chemie)

Rucogal ERQ is effective for obtaining uniform dye distribution across parallel-sided yarn packages e.g. cheese form packages. It is also particularly suited for use in carrier dyeing as well as in high temperature polyester dyeing and in the critical dye application method of fabric beam dyeing. Rucogal ERQ is ecofriendly in that it is free of APEO (alkyl phenol ethylene oxide) or APEO derivatives and also of any phthalic acid ester. This multifunctional auxiliary is compatible with nonionic and anionic products and formulated to be stable to the acids, alkalis and electrolytes used in common application amounts.

A novel dyebath softener that is formulated to avoid the precipitation of calcium and magnesium salts is Albatex DBS (Huntsman). This dyebath softener also promotes the dyebath levelling process to achieve shade uniformity throughout the textile material and improves the appearance of the material. Albatex DBS provides excellent sequestering properties for heavy metal ions.

Processing Temperature-sensitive Fibres

For temperature-sensitive fibres such as wool and other animal protein fibres e.g. cashmere it is important, wherever possible to operate low temperature dyeing in order to preserve the initial properties of the fibres and prevent fibre damage by hydrolysis during dyeing. This is especially important in the dyeing of wool as loose stock or slubbing, because fibre damage is manifested by inferior spinning efficiency and lower yields through the loss of broken / damaged short fibres that then necessitate greater downtime for cleaning the spinning machinery to prevent fibre contamination of the next yarn to be spun on the equipment.

The Miralan LTD-Lanasol low temperature dyeing process for wool fibres and slubbing utilises Huntsman’s Lanasol and Lanasol CE dyes and Miralan LTD. The latter is a unique auxiliary formulation that ensures high quality dyeing for wool and cashmere fibres. Microlan LTD is engineered to achieve excellent shade levelness combined with the highest standards of colour fastness to satisfy the consumer demands in this specialist sector of the market.

When dyeing cellulosic fibres and their blends with reactive dyes one of the major problems is the prevention of the uptake of hydrolysed reactive dyestuffs because this leads to inferior wet and rub fastness. Eriopon WFE (Huntsman) has been introduced as a wash fastness enhancer and as an afterclearing agent for reactive dyeings and prints. This auxiliary prevents the renewed uptake of dye hydrolysates and is formulated to ensure optimum effectiveness irrespective of the water hardness or the presence of residual salt in the bath.

Dyeing of polyester and polyester blends, especially polyester / elastane blends, benefits from dyeing at lower dyeing temperatures, saving on energy and restricting the uptake of disperse dyes by the elastane. Univadine DFM from Huntsman is an auxiliary that acts both as a dye diffusion accelerant as well as an effective migration agent to ensure level dyeing. Univadine DFM can thus be used to allow disperse dyeing to take place at a lower temperature than 130°C and alternatively is also capable of shortening the dye cycle time when dyeing at high temperature.

The Article Has Been Sourced.

Calvin Klein Men – Spring Summer 2011

Calvin Klein 2011 spring summer collection was presented  at the Milan men’s wear fashion show … and it is not the best design of the year that’s for sure!!

Calvin Klein Spring Summer 2011 Menswear Full Show

11th Coatema International Coating Symposium, 2010

Date: 5-7 October 2010

Venue: Dormagen | Germany

Forum for the exchange of ideas, Know-how platform and market place for contacts, the COATEMA Symposia have become an important appointment on the agenda of experts and opinion-makers in the area of coating technology.

Lecturers from industry, sciences, and commerce will talk about the latest developments and will also get new ideas from the international audience.

Since 2005, the lectures have been held in English. Each participant will get a handout with all lectures. Directly after the speeches, their issues are being demonstrated in practice in the COATEMA coating lab . This unique combination of theory and practice has become characateristic for COATEMA´s symposia. Join the informal atmosphere and the high specialist level of this high-class event.

For Questions, Contact:

Mrs. Chantal Gille,
Tel.: +49(0)2133/9784-115
Fax: +49 (0) 21 33 / 97 84 – 170

More Info @ http://www.coatema.de/eng/symposia/next.php