TITAS 2008 Weaves Ample Business Opportunities Out of Green Fabric

Billed as Asia's dedicated exhibition for functional, fashion textiles, the 12th annual Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show (TITAS 2008) wound up on October 17 by leaving behind echoes of eco-correctness-having generated ample green business opportunities with its focus on eco-friendly textile-related products.

The three-day event, co-organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), retains the repositioned theme "F4+1-from Fibers to Fabrics for Fashion plus Functions + Full Package Services." The show has built a reputation for featuring functional, fashionable, high-value-added yarns and fabrics mostly from Taiwan and other Asian nations. With comfort and bio-friendliness becoming major concerns and interest for textile buyers and consumers, TITAS 2008 again showcased textiles underlining such criteria.

Eco-textile Image

The TTF noted the special showcase that drove home the "eco-textiles image," with the exhibitors showing their latest R&D achievements in bio-friendly materials, such as green polyester fibers, bio-compatible textiles, textiles made of recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, fibers made with non-polluting processes, dope dyed fiber and other innovative materials that are eco-friendly.

The "Organic Cotton Pavilion" was a new platform for a handful of well-established companies and agencies, including Far Eastern Textile Ltd., Formosa Taffeta Co., Tai Yuen Textile Co., Eclat Textile Co., and Institute for Marketecology (IMO) and Control Union.

Leading textile makers from Taiwan, including Formosa Chemical & Fibre, Nan Ya Plastics, Far Eastern Textile, Formosa Taffeta, Chain Yam, Taiwan Paiho, Lealea Group, Zig Sheng, Shinkong Synthetic Fibers and Tri Ocean, displayed a variety of functional and innovative products, such as fibers and yarns made of bamboo charcoal, corn, soybean, metals, as well as anti-bacterial, electromagnetic shielding, ultra-violet protective, quick drying, waterproof and thermal fabrics.

More than 60 VIP buyers from major brands as Adidas, BCBG Maxazria Group, Gas Far East, Glen Raven Asian, Warnaco, Exception de Mixmind, O'nell, Ace Alpha International Limited, Outdoor Research, UTT, Kurary Living, and Young Fiber-Resource visited TITAS 2008.

The TTF statistics showed 250 exhibitors, including 212 domestic firms and 38 from India, Indonesia, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Some 19,567 buyers from 42 nations came to the textile fair, with the top-buying nations being, in descending order, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the U.S. and Thailand, not counting Taiwan.

American Presence

The organizers noted two major American brands among the buyers: Glen Raven that specializes in producing functional, UV-blocking products and leisure furniture. The other is BCBG MAXAZRIA, the women high-fashion brand so favored by celebrities.

Founded in 1880, Glen Raven has grown from a small cotton mill into a global leader in performance fabrics under its flagship brands, Sunbrella and Dickson, which are associated with various premium quality fabrics for commercial and residential applications.

Hua Li, general manager of Glen Raven Asia, said the firm focused on functional polypropylene, solution-dyed fiber and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) yarns at TITAS 2008.

Founded in California in 1989, BCBG MAXAZRIA mixes European design and American lifestyles to meet the needs of modern women. Its designer produces more than 4,000 styles of fashion products yearly.

Green Entrepreneur

Tzu Chi Foundation's Master Cheng Yen's teaching of being compassionate towards all living beings and grateful towards the Earth has not only given birth to the Tzu Chi International Humanitarian Aid Association (TIHAA), but also inspired Texma International Co. to showcase recycled yarns and end products. Subscribing to the Tzu Chi motto, the company looks forward to setting a model for its peers-produce green products as a way to repay society as an entrepreneur.

The TIHAA was founded in December 2004 with a handful of Taiwan-based textile and apparel makers that share the same green concept.

Since 1990 Master Cheng Yen has been encouraging followers to recycle plastic waste. Their efforts have not only shed light on the serious issue of used PET beverage bottles being discarded daily, but also, via the TIHAA, realized a steady program to recycle such PET waste into useful items. One successful example is the birth of the first blanket made from recycled PET in 2006.

Eco-friendly Focused

Far Eastern Textile Ltd. (FET) is a notable maker of green textiles in Taiwan that exhibited products at the TITAS 2008. Specializing in polyester polymer and PET resin, the maker intends to expand into higher-margin products as PET resin and other specialty textiles that incorporate micro fibers and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) yarns.

Claiming to be green, FET adopts innovative technology to produce, for example, eco-friendly cloths from corn. Its filament division currently produces POY, SDY, DTY and HDI, mainly for textiles or industrial use. The textiles produced feature micro fiber, anti-bacterial, anti-far infrared and UV functions.

In tune to changing demands, FET's staple fiber division is adopting nylon, PP, PE and PLA to produce various green textiles.

Also focused on creating eco-friendly products, the company's solid state polymerization (SSP) division has tapped its expertise in resin production to develop resins that feature energy saving and fast crystallization rate.

FET is all all-round practitioner of green techniques, emitting odorless exhaust, clean waste water, and even planting organic vegetables on site.

Eco-friendly Yarns

A pioneer that grew with the rapidly developing textile sector, Formosa Chemical & Fibre Corporation (FCFC), founded in 1965, built an integrated fiber plant that used wood pulp to produce rayon and engages in textile processing. After years of expansion and a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group, the FCFC is one of leading makers of spun yarn, fabric and processed dyeing in Taiwan.

The core businesses of FCFC include the production and sale of petrochemical products, including butadiene, SM polymer, benzene, toluene, p-xylene (PX) and o-xylene (OX), as well as chemical fibers such as nylon fiber, and rayon staple fiber.

The maker's recent dedication to developing green products has realized "Tairiyon," a yarn that is good tensile strength, soft "hand," features that make it suitable for spinning and weaving. Its "Formotex" is a rayon with fine denier, high wet modulus of elasticity, good tensile strength, and good stability, as well as being easily dyed, antistatic and permeable, hence ideal for medical and cosmetic applications.

FCFC is the only one in Asia capable of making nylon in complete specifications; while its recycled nylon, coconut charcoal and dope dyed yarns are recyclable.

Captivating visitors at the TITAS 2008 with its line of green products, FCFC showcased apecial dyeing technology, fine denier nylon, cotton-like fabrics, and silky nylon fabrics.

Eco Polyester Fiber

Another firm in Taiwan that effectively filled its green-conscious role at the TITAS 2008 is Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, also a subsidiary of the FPG. The firm has made headway as an innovator of green technology: developing the know-how to produce EcoGreen, a high-quality polyester fiber, by recycling PET bottles, which despite being a popular beverage container is not easily decomposable.

The EcoGreen fiber is whitish and hence ideal for dyeing into other colors. Also the chips recycled from PET bottles are high quality, suitable for making micro fibers.

Besides making the eco-friendly fiber, Nan Ya has also added popular functions to EcoGreen, such as permeability, sweat-absorption, UV-blockage and elasticity, to satisfy end users.

RecoTex is Eco-friendly

Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation specializes in producing various polyester fibers and plastics. The maker, at the TITAS 2008, showcased industrial, textured filament yarns, POY, polyester staple fiber and chips. Its consistent R&D has enabled the development of functional fibers, including S/S elastic fibers, and fibers that are anti-UV, bacteria-resistant, absorbs moisture, wicks-away sweat, and fireproof.

RecoTex, a Shinkong brand, is associated with green fabrics. For instance, its RecoTex solution dyed yarn reduces CO2 emissions; while RecoTex-Cool is a quick-dry fiber that actually feels cooler upon wearing, hence suitable for outdoor and sportswear.

Shinkong also makes opaque fabrics with UPF-50 or higher, making it ideal for swimsuits and underwear. Its Span Magical Elasticity filament is new and superbly extendable and elastic, suitable for making garments that allow freedom of movement. Cotech is an anti-pilling fiber that is hollow, lightweight and insulated, as well as being quick-dry.

TTF Sets Up Certification

Along with rising affluence, consumers are demanding function in clothing and fabrics in addition to fashion and style, the former of which has become a frequent selling point in product launches in many developed nations.

But as any technological and functional fabric become sought after, deceit is inevitably often exploited as a ploy-fakes are sold as the genuine to reap undeserved gains. So obviously it is critical to set up a quality certification system to assure buyers and even consumers of acclaimed functions and features.

Living up to its duty to serve the domestic textile industry, the Taiwan Textile Federation worked with several key partners to set up the "Taiwan Functional Textiles" certification system. Registered in Taiwan, the United States, the European Union, Japan and mainland China, the TFT system and its labels help trade professionals and consumers by being a trustworthy reference.

The TTF has established 16 test standards to certify manufacturers producing functional textiles. To promote the export of Taiwan-made TFT-certified products at the TITAS 2008, the TTF especially set up a pavilion with interactive equipment-showing visitors via try-ons benefits of functional textiles, with the approach being not only effective trust builders but also praised as the best source for such products made in Taiwan.

The 2009 version of TITAS is scheduled for October 14-16 at the Taipei World Trade Center, where the organizers will repeat the same concept of "F4+1" and eco-friendly themes as this year's.