September 13, 2005 - Ingeo™ fiber at Milano Unica

The world's first and only man-made fiber created from
100% annually renewable resources – not oil.

Milan - September 13, 2005 - In the world of film and theater, it is expected that audiences will be pleasantly surprised by story built from the imagination, full of convincing artifice and fantasy. But when it comes to the real world, we cannot use the same license when dealing with the consumer at large. Food producers have to provide a complete list of ingredients on every label. Television makers can't put “HDTV” on the box unless their set can deliver high-definition imagery. A company that puts “bio” nomenclature on its product has to guarantee not only that the product is all-natural, but that processes used to produce it meet and pass rigorous government control standards.

When we talk about Ingeo™ fiber, its authenticity is guaranteed.

To underpin this, NatureWorks LLC has chosen to maintain a high profile during the most important time of the year for the textile industry, presenting a host of different activities alongside the presentation of new yarn and fabric collections. These activities are constructed in such a way as to show everyone that change is both possible and feasible, addressing the issues facing the industry from both an intellectual and production point of view.

NatureWorks has created two platforms for Ingeo fiber to help inform the trade. We will be able to witness the final discussion on the 2nd day of Milano Unica where we will hear industry professionals, outside experts and creative intellectuals discussing the economic value of responsible innovation within the textile business.

Another initiative is the presentation of a cool clothing collection with outfits created by some of the most important American fashion designers. These include Oscar De La Renta, Elisa Jimenez and many others. These initiatives will be showcased at the Absolut Ice Bar in Milan on the 2nd evening of Milano Unica. These collections were also recently seen at the shows in New York during Verdopolis Futurefashion show organized by the no-profit association Earth Pledge. All the pieces were created from sustainable materials, and offers hands on proof of the glamorous, aesthetically striking things that can be done with Ingeo fiber. Most importantly, these outfits are positive proof that changing from conventional fabrics to those made from Ingeo fiber does not require any special sacrifice. Ingeo fiber guarantees the same performance, glamour and aesthetic appeal of traditional synthetic fibers, while providing the added benefits of being environmentally responsible and technologically innovative.

Ingeo fiber is the first and only man-made fiber created from 100% annually renewable resources – a novel product that combines the best of both worlds: the performance of a synthetic fiber and the advantages of a natural material. This means that every molecule of it honors the promise inherent in the product's name. “Ingeo” - ingredients from the earth. No mixing, no blending, no faking and no compromises. Nothing but all natural earth-grown ingredients. And because it is derived entirely from natural sources, Ingeo fiber contributes to reducing our dependence on limited fossil fuel resources such as oil, the higher costs of which are currently being seen by the textile industry at large.

It's easy to claim you're the genuine article. Backing this up is not quite as simple. NatureWorks is extremely proud of the trendsetting role it is playing in the textile industry with Ingeo fiber, and sponsors a vast range of initiatives to demonstrate it. In the past year alone, an Ingeo fiber t-shirt initiative was launched with the world famous musician Moby. Roundtable discussions were organized in cities around the world to explore the theme of sustainability in the textile industry. Young designers were rewarded for their creativity and ingenuity through the ITS#4 competition and new commercial partnerships were started with a host of new clothing companies, and much, much more. It's a way of allowing Ingeo the brand to show the world just how it can be part of changing the future of fashion and textiles.

Change does not have to mean giving up all that already exists, but more to regard Ingeo fiber as adding to and enriching what is being offered in the market today.

As well as becoming a commercial success, the aims of NatureWorks are set much higher and in using Ingeo fiber as a lever to effect change within the industry as a whole, they are influencing mills to reconsider their fabric offer through a program of innovation, so helping clothing designers reconsider their fabric selection, and finally make people everywhere think twice about what they're wearing. It is nothing short of an attempt to change the way the textile industry does business.

In just two short years, Ingeo fiber has gone from interesting invention to commercial reality. It is already present in stores around the world, and so is already being put to the test by the most important and demanding sector of all: the consumer.

Change is possible. Choice is available. And Ingeo fiber, the first and only man-made fiber produced from 100% annually renewable resources – not oil, is already making a difference, one yarn, one fabric, one garment at a time.

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.

Ingeo, the Ingeo logo and NatureWorks are trademarks of NatureWorks LLC.



Earth Pledge is a nonprofit organization that originated as a United Nations committee chaired by Theodore W. Kheel. Named a 2004 Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Achiever, Earth Pledge promotes innovative techniques and technologies that restore the balance between human and natural systems. Through demonstration, education, and research, Earth Pledge delivers viable models to government, industry, and communities. The New York region is Earth Pledge's laboratory for implementing replicable solutions that will inspire and facilitate a global transition to sustainability.

Verdopolis and FutureFashion are trademarks of Earth Pledge.