#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2024-08-29

Integral highlights sustainable innovation at GREENEXT EXPO

Integral, the sustainable development garden of Esquel Group, a leading global knowledge-based innovation company, participated in the prestigious “GREENEXT EXPO” in Shanghai, unveiling its innovative achievements in sustainable development. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)’s advocacy of ESG principles, the event brought together industry leaders to explore the future of sustainable development and ESG practices.

Mr. Jiang Xiaohui (Leftmost), Executive Director of Integral Institute, led a panel discussion on ecological architecture design © 2024 GREENEXT

Throughout the two-day event, Integral underscored four key themes – innovation, quality employment, cultural heritage, and environmental sustainability, showcasing pioneering development models and practices that integrate sustainable principles into operations, drawing a diverse audience for engaging discussions.

On August 26, Mr. Jiang Xiaohui, Executive Director of Integral Institute, led a panel discussion on ecological architecture design, while Mr. Shi Yang, Director of Site Management and Project Management at Esquel Guilin, highlighted Integral’s sustainable architectural practices, emphasizing the application of circular design for resource efficiency and waste reduction. Additionally, Mr. Shi underscored the importance of a “people-centric” design philosophy in fostering employee well-being and operational efficiency.

Mr. Shi showcased the Fragrant Hill Natural Dye Botanic Garden (???) at Integral in the discussion, stating, “By creating Fragrant Hill Natural Dye Botanic Garden, Esquel is committed to biodiversity conservation, integrating innovative technologies into the research and application of natural dyes, and demonstrating a sustainable development solution combining traditional dyeing techniques with modern technology.”

In a keynote speech titled “Esquel’s Journey of Sustainable Development Transformation” on the afternoon of August 27, Ms. Helen Chen, General Manager of Esquel China, reflected on the Group’s exploration and achievements in sustainable development.

Ms. Helen Chen, General Manager of Esquel China © 2024 GREENEXT

She emphasized Integral’s role as a hub for innovation and knowledge sharing. Leveraging strategic partnerships with esteemed institutions, Integral offers immersive sustainable development experiences. Ms. Chen stated, “These innovative initiatives empower businesses for high-quality development and infuse new vitality and wisdom into society’s sustainable future.”

Integral has established long-term strategic partnerships with prestigious institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Since 2023, Integral has also hosted mobile classrooms and practical teaching projects for several world-class universities, offering students valuable on-site learning opportunities and promoting in-depth integration of industry, academia, and research.

Moreover, Integral leverages Guilin’s status as a national historical and cultural city and an innovative demonstration area for sustainable development agendas. It organizes experiential learning activities for entrepreneurs, deepening participants’ understanding and acceptance of sustainable development to drive broader social impact.

HKUST & Esquel unveil five-year study: Empowering students for sustainable innovation

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (“HKUST”) has partnered with Esquel Enterprises Limited (“Esquel Group”) to launch a five-year study program that allows HKUST students to conduct biannual field research at the textile manufacturer’s 500,000-square-meter Sustainable Development Garden Integral, recognized as one of China’s top 20 sustainable development projects by the United Nations.

Official approval granted for Esquel Group’s new Sea Island Cotton variety "Yuan Loong 30"

Esquel Group Xinjiang Research & Development Center has successfully developed a new self-bred Sea Island cotton (Extra-Long-Staple cotton, ELS cotton) variety named "Yuan Loong 30," which has been officially approved and designated by the 11th Main Crop Variety Assessment Committee of Xinjiang. With this addition, Esquel has now successfully bred and named a total of six Sea Island cotton varieties, including "Xinhai 33", "Xinhai 50", "Xinhai 55", "Xinhai 63", "Yuan Loong 17" and "Yuan Loong 30".

Esquel recognized in UN Global Compact's Guidebook on Gender Equality

Esquel has been featured as one of the eight remarkable case studies in the #UNGC’s latest report, “Women at Work: Chinese Companies Taking Action on Gender Equality”, released on International Women's Day. The guidebook highlights our commitment to fostering gender equality within our organization and offers valuable guidance to advance ESG and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in China and beyond.

YKK receives ISPO Textrends Awards for circular innovations

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) is pleased to announce that the ISPO Textrends judges have selected YKK's 3D Composite Puller as the Best Product in the Accessories category. They also selected YKK’s NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ zipper with Recycled PET Open Parts as a Top 5 item in the same category. The competition, held twice a year in conjunction with the ISPO trade show, recognizes the most innovative performance textiles, components, and apparel.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris unveils redesigned show layout for 2026

From February 2 to 4, 2026, Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris will once again bring together all the key players in textiles and clothing at the Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Center. For 3 days, visitors will discover, compare and select among 1,300 suppliers who will shape the collections of tomorrow, from ready-to-wear to luxury.

Asteks and Nexrone launch global investment initiative

A new joint investment company, Westure Ventures, has been founded by Asteks and Nexrone to focus on the development of next-generation transformative technologies. Türkiye’s long-established industrial powerhouse Asteks and one of the rising innovative forces in Europe’s startup ecosystem Nexrone Global announced the launch of their new investment company built on a shared vision: Westure Ventures.

ISKO’s SS27 collection and latest collaboration with Adriano Goldschmied land in Milan at Denim Première Vision

ISKO returns to Denim Première Vision to present a powerful showcase of next-generation denim innovation. At booth D17, visitors will discover a full spectrum of ISKO’s latest developments, including the brand-new SS27 collection, its advanced material collaborations with RE&UP, and the much-anticipated design project with Adriano Goldschmied: Moonskin Denim.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.