SPONSORED CONTENT - Brands are under increasing pressure to ensure sustainability in all aspects of their products. This pressure is perhaps most acute (and rightly so) for those brands that use textiles. Sustainable fibers have been a focal point for decades now, with massive improvements and gains being made. Certainly, there is further to go in sustainability, but as brands make progress on that front, there are exciting new innovations in sustainable fibers. Foremost among them is Celliant Viscose — the first in-fiber sustainable viscose infrared (IR) solution.
Responsive IR fibers
Celliant is a proprietary blend of natural minerals that gives any textile-based product the ability to be responsive — to capture and convert body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy. This has been clinically validated to increase local circulation and improve cell oxygenation, resulting in a number of wellness benefits: including increased energy, strength and endurance, faster recovery from physical activity, better sleep and improved body temperature regulation.
Celliant itself is not a new product, it currently can be found in a number of brands across a number of industries, including Under Armour, Levi’s, Lunya, Bear Mattress, Tecnica, Amazon’s Rivet brand, and many more — Designtex even has a line of upholstery featuring Celliant.
Sustainable, In-Fiber Wellness
The innovation here, and the really exciting thing for brands with sustainability targets, is embedding the Celliant into a sustainable viscose fiber. This breakthrough has been years in the making and was done in partnership with Kelheim Fibres, the world leading manufacturer of specialty viscose. The fact that the Celliant is in-fiber is the key to this innovation as there is no need for additional processing steps, which is environmentally effective and cost effective for brands, while also allowing for significantly higher loading of Celliant versus traditional PET and Nylon (5% vs. 1%).
On the sustainability front, Celliant Viscose has been certified by FSC® or PEFC™, which guarantees the origin of the viscose material in sustainably managed plantations, and it is also a part of the CanopyStyle initiative, whose aim is to protect ancient and endangered forests.
Versatility is Key
Celliant Viscose is well positioned to answer the versatility demands of the market as it blends well with cotton, micromodal, lyocell, wool varieties (including cashmere), and other fibers. It also retains Celliant’s core versatility as it has many applications across industries and is a natural match for performance wear, luxury loungewear, casual wear and bedding products. Further, we can expect Celliant Viscose to provide all the benefits of a viscose fiber — lightweight, soft, highly breathable, excellent moisture management — as well as fiber enhancements from the Celliant infrared technology, such as odour-inhibiting and quick-drying.
Celliant Viscose officially debuts at ISPO Textrends Munich 2021, where it has been chosen as a Finalist in the Fibers and Insulations category for the ISPO Awards 2021, and looks to be a leap forward in the evolution of sustainable fibers with its in-fiber infrared functionality.
