#Denim

2017-09-01

DEN/IM 2.0: AN EVOLUTION IN DENIM

“Fit” in apparel is a noun, and for the human body, it’s an adjective. The two meanings come together, seamlessly, in Den/IM 2.0: an innovation in athleisure that brings body-mapping technology to an already revolutionary denim jean.

The “I am DENIM” athleisure collection, made with stretch indigo denim on seamless circular knitting machines, debuted last year and has been embraced by consumers. Lenzing, Tonello, Santoni and Unitin partnered to create DEN/IM, a studio-to-street collection designed to show knit denim’s potential as a viable alternative and competitor to traditional activewear bottoms and to classic woven denim.

In response to the ensuing demand within a fashion activewear market that continues to heat up, the companies have readied Den/IM 2.0. The new collection employs body-mapping for superior fit and performance, the efficiency of seamless knitting from Santoni, new sustainable wash treatments from Tonello and the advanced indigo knits from Unitin featuring Lenzing’s TENCEL® lyocell branded fibers.

“At Tonello, we strongly believe in collaborations, especially when aimed at bringing truly innovative solutions to the market,” says R&D Manager Alice Tonello.

“Combining our finishing technologies like ECOfree, Laser Blaze and Core, with the high-end products offered by Lenzing, Santoni and Unitin, we were able to achieve a brand-new product with technical performance and an authentic denim taste.”

This collaboration from the beginning started with the idea that traditional sportswear—made with the cut and sew concept—couldn’t provide the comfort expected by a certain kind of active fashionista. Dancing, skateboarding, strolling, rest — existence today means that activity and fashion are inseparable. The introverted morning in a cafe clad in classic denim jeans, alone with your laptop, doesn’t preclude an exuberant afternoon walk on the beach, a commute by bicycle or dashing off to a party. That’s just life — so why should it call for a change of clothes?

“Denim is a versatile partner to pair with anything and is a must-have in every season,” says Tricia Carey, Director of Global Business Development – Denim at Lenzing.

Body-mapping seamless sportswear involves just one piece of multiple-knit structure fabric, which provides improved wear comfort by adjusting local body heat exchanges. It may be a quiet revolution — this evolution in denim simply allows life to go on no matter what you’re up to — but it’s a revolution just the same, made possible by the sophisticated machinery from Santoni, the innovations in garment processing from Unitin and Tonello, and the unsurpassed addition of TENCEL® branded lyocell fibers.

“Associated with this collection you will hear terms such as ‘compression,’ ‘ventilation,’ ‘moisture control,’ ‘thermal conductivity’ and ‘body mapping,’ and these are used alongside traditional denim terms such as ‘indigo shade,’ ‘fade-down’ and ‘laser marking,’” explained Patrick Silva, Santoni Marketing Manager. “With its roots in seamless sportswear, Santoni’s knitting technologies are creating a new category in the constantly fragmenting athleisure wear market.”

Here’s how it works: Each knitted garment in the Den/IM 2.0 collection incorporates different combinations of fibers and knitted structures, to create a unique cross-over concept. It’s all about integrating several sportswear benefits into the authentic denim world.

The seamless functional features of Den/IM 2.0 provide superior moisture wicking by incorporating TENCEL® in a unique two-layer construction. These high performance yarns provide superior temperature regulation and a perfect microclimate for the skin. Engineering seamless fabric thickness provides padding, allowing greater body protection without sacrificing moisture management or temperature regulation. Body-mapping ensures that the engineered ventilation areas and 3D knitted structures are where they’re most needed in every garment.

The den/IM 2.0 collection will debut at BlueZone/Munich Fabric Start on September 5- 7thin Munich, Germany.

MUNICH FABRIC START: Between Attitude and Sensuality

The future begins where we reimagine it. After seasons of restraint, Spring.Summer 27 marks a conscious counter-trend: optimism, sensuality, and creative freedom are replacing pragmatism and neutrality. Physical presence and individuality are regaining importance – as a response to uncertainty, exhaustion, and algorithmic predictability. The overarching theme of PLEASURE stands for fashion as an emotional space, as an expression of attitude and cultural reflection. Colours, surfaces, and materials become vehicles for self-confidence and joie de vivre.

organIQ seek: smart alternative to potassium permanganate

CHT Group announces new technical findings within its organIQ seek platform that significantly advance the transition toward permanganate-free denim bleaching. Through extensive industrial testing and application research, CHT confirms that organIQ seek can now be used with remarkable effectiveness as a substitute for potassium permanganate in spray bleach, while remaining aligned with sustainability expectations and cost realities in the European market. At the COLOMBIATEX in Medellín as well as at the Exintex in Puebla and the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam the CHT Group will present organIQ seek as an alternative to potassium permanganate.

Jeanologia celebrates its 30th anniversary transforming how jeans are produced worldwide

Jeanologia celebrates its 30th anniversary reaffirming the mission it was born with in 1994, to transform the textile industry into a more sustainable, efficient, and human-centered sector. Three decades later, that vision has become a global reality. Today, more than 40 percent of all jeans produced worldwide are made using technologies developed by the Valencia-based company.

The Technology Hub for global denim trends: ITM 2026

The ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, to be held at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul from June 9–13, 2026, brings together groundbreaking technologies in denim production. From smart production systems to eco-friendly raw materials, from digital washing solutions to laser effect technologies, innovations that will shape the future of denim will be showcased for the first time at ITM 2026.

PERFORMANCE DAYS: Focus topic shifts to the beginning of the value chain

Following the last Focus Topic in October 2025, which placed Textile-to-Textile Recycling at its core, PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to drive the conversation around circularity – this time with an expanded and more upstream perspective. The upcoming Focus Topic, “Textile to Textile: The Role of Collectors and Sorters,” presented during the spring edition on March 18–19, will spotlight one of the most essential yet often overlooked components of a functioning circular textile system: the efficient collection and sorting of post-consumer textiles.

Proven performance, optimised costs – the new RE 6 EL

Nowadays textile companies increasingly need to produce small production runs and respond to market changes with instantaneous pattern changes in order to operate profitably – meaning they require machines that offer maximum flexibility, reliability and cost efficiency. KARL MAYER understands the challenges of the market and is launching its new RE 6 EL. The Raschel machine offers the core strengths of the classic RSE 6 EL and essentially the same performance parameters, but has been further cost-optimised largely due to local production advantages. This makes the newcomer an efficiency champion in production, especially when it comes to frequent pattern changes.

European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

The 17th January marks a historic milestone with the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, creating the biggest trading block in the world. European business – represented by more than 28 associations across a wide range of sectors – warmly welcomes this signature. It sends a strong and timely signal that the EU remains open and is committed to rules-based global trade. In a time of global uncertainty, this agreement is a key growth booster.