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Home > News & Events > Press Releases > Ingeo Fibers > Pioneering Steps in a Changing World
Novmber 8, 2005 - Pioneering Steps in a Changing World
Tokyo - November 8, 2005 - It's not often that a truly new product comes onto the global market and yet that is just the case with the launch of Ingeo™ fiber in hosiery and socks.
A leading group of USA hosiery mills: Fox River, Harriss & Covington Hosiery Mills, Twin City Knitting, and W.Y. Shugart & Sons, presented their Ingeo™ fiber products with the support of the Hosiery Technology Center in Tokyo on the 8th of November 2005.
Japan was the perfect choice for this launch because it is one of the most demanding and sophisticated hosiery markets in the world - one that understands innovation and quality. In an industry where performance products abound, there has until now been a heavy reliance on the use of polyester or polyamide. Such oil-based fibers may meet some key performance demands but at a price many are unaware: that the production of these raw materials both contribute to increased greenhouse gases and also come from finite resources.
Ingeo fiber is the world's first man-made fiber from an 100% annually renewable resource, corn, and the first instance where a fiber company has offered the triple bottom line balance of economic viability, with social and environmental responsibility.
Hosiery customers are demanding and Ingeo fiber delivers an ideal combination of comfort, performance and aesthetics in this brand new application. Natural in origin, socks and hosiery made from Ingeo fiber is soft and comfortable to wear. It is breathable, provides odor control, and has superb inherent wicking properties so it works in all climates. With the added benefits of low pilling and stain resistance, it is an obvious choice for hosiery innovation. NatureWorks LLC is the original pioneer launching NatureWorks® PLA-based Ingeo fiber as a truly responsible alternative for the textile industry. NatureWorks has taken this further with the recent announcement that NatureWorks PLA is now the first greenhouse-gas-neutral* polymer.
Since its launch, Ingeo fiber has already achieved considerable success in apparel. Now these hosiery mills are poised to replicate this success with innovative new products using yarns from Carolina Mills and O'Mara. This offering wil include socks, scarves and wristbands for team sports from Twin City, hosiery for golf and active wear from Harriss & Covington and for hiking and outdoor pursuits from Fox River while Shugart are focusing on socks for women and girls.
The products were launched at an event at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo, chosen as the center of a highly sophisticated, world leading, consumer market for hosiery. Miss USA, Chelsea Cooley, was presented to support the event dressed for the occasion by cutting edge New York designer Elisa Jimenez in one of her latest catwalk creations and a Versace Sport outfit both made of Ingeo fiber. "What a great designed outfit!" said Chelsea Cooley "The vest and Capri pant suit is so comfortable and versatile. I love them I can dress the pieces up or down to accommodate the appearance I'm wearing it to. The fabric feels great and fits wonderfully, and the look of the material stays the same all day long. With all the travelling I do, it is a must have outfit in my suitcase for all occasions."
Ingeo fiber is an innovative product that combines the best of both worlds: the performance of a synthetic fiber and the appeal of a natural material. Its use means less dependence on oil, the economic effects of which are being felt throughout the textile industry at large.
More responsible and more sustainable choices are concepts that consumers are ready to pay for. With the industry witnessing this sea of change in global attitudes toward environmental issues and sustainability, we can expect to see demand growing for naturally performing products such as Ingeo fiber.
Note to editors:
Founded in 1997, NatureWorks LLC is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA. It is the first company to offer a family of commercially available polymers derived from annually renewable resources with the cost and performance to compete with petroleum-based packaging materials and fibers. The company has achieved this breakthrough by applying its unique technology to the processing of natural plant sugars to create a proprietary polylactide polymer, which is marketed under the NatureWorks® PLA and Ingeo™ fiber brand names. For more information about NatureWorks and its brands, please visit www.ingeofibers.com.
* Based on the purchase of renewable energy certificates. Ingeo, the Ingeo logo and NatureWorks are trademarks of NatureWorks LLC.| For Editorial Information: | | |
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