Eastman Naia™ brings its own groundbreaking “Case for change” to the Textile Exchange Conference 2024.

The U.S. company, known for always setting higher sustainability standards in textiles, truly believes in the importance of further increasing the recycled content in its cellulosic fibers. Eastman is already offering, at scale, a fiber featuring 60% GRS-certified recycled content, Naia™ Renew ES – and the goal is to be even more ambitious. Naia™ Renew ES is made from 40% certified recycled waste material, 20% certified recycled cellulose and 40% sustainably sourced wood pulp. It is the go-to option for brands at the forefront of sustainability, such as Reformation, and it is increasingly popular in stores around the world. Reformation's second collection featuring Naia™ Renew ES fiber highlights, once more, the viability and scalability of these innovative fibers in the market. Unlike other cellulose-based yarns and fibers, Naia™ Renew ES fiber production requires fewer virgin materials, resulting in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable product, without compromising performance, comfort and beauty.

Recycled and Runway Ready: Naia™’s new creative expression leveraging AI technology

Utilizing recycled content, Naia™ is making it possible to achieve the most sustainable “Runway-Ready” styles ever, with stunning collections that turn heads and innovation that changes the game in the textiles industry. In a fast-moving world, where endless scrolling has become our default mode, beauty remains an indispensable value, both in fashion and in life, compelling us to pause and appreciate what truly matters. Eastman Naia™ sets a new and superior standard in this regard thanks to a process that changes the paradigm of circularity: Eastman’s carbon renewal technology. This technology breaks waste down into its molecular building blocks and recomposes them into high quality feedstock that can be used to create versatile, functional, traceable, biodegradable and compostable GRS-certified cellulosic fibers, ready to be transformed into new fashion collections without compromising style and comfort. The company introduces its new “Recycled and Runway Ready” creative expression at the Textile Exchange Conference, Booth 18, showcasing the process of transforming waste into beauty through a combination of photography and artificial intelligence (AI). Made with recycled materials, wonderful garments take shape, spanning from the most elegant and formal style to casual streetwear, while adapting to every fashion need under the sign of versatility. The images evoke a kind of movie magic, but there is, most of all, technology and innovation behind these striking results. With Eastman’s technology, there is no need to choose between responsible and beautiful because Naia™ Renew fibers can be used in countless applications to achieve fashion-forward looks.

Mainstreaming circularity through brand collaborations

Providing authentic and clear information helps consumers make informed choices and build trust which is vital for the efforts of making circularity mainstream. This is why Naia™ works directly alongside its brand partners regarding in-store communication, to help them make their consumers aware that sustainability can be stylish, functional, and available for everyone.

External use

Eastman has the technology to make the textiles industry circular, and it requires collaboration with brands to make circular fashion possible. To make this a reality, Eastman has run two demonstration projects for recycling pre- and post-consumer apparel waste from Debrand and Patagonia. This is the true meaning of circularity, using discarded clothing to obtain fibers that will give rise to new fashion garments.

Caring for society, an important pillar of Eastman Naia™’s sustainability goals

Naia™ also collaborates with design and fashion universities in educational projects around the world delivering on the company’s commitment to promoting sustainability and supporting the next generation of fashion designers. The most recent ones involve the ESDI – Escola Superior de Disseny in Sabadell (Barcelona) and the BIFT – Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. These initiatives allow emerging, talented, sustainability-minded designers to relate directly to solutions designed to solve fashion and society’s most pressing sustainability issues: responsible resource use, climate change mitigation, and mainstreaming circularity.

“Our primary goal has always been to make sustainable fashion accessible to everyone, and make that possible requires intense technologies and market knowledge,” says Carolina Sister Cohn, Global Marketing Leader for Textiles at Eastman, “but to make a difference, we need to reach as many people as possible, not just brands or consumers, but also the new generations who will be the decision makers of tomorrow. The creative images help us communicate a simple, yet fundamental concept: fashion can be Recycled and Runway Ready, and Naia™ makes it happen.”

Carolina Sister Cohn will also be in conversation with textile-to-textile recycling players Circ, Circulose and Syre. The selected panel is scheduled for Thursday October 31st at 3 pm PST and the discussion, titled “The Realities and Returns of Textile Innovation,” will explore the role and limitations of innovation in tackling sustainability challenges. The leading experts will further debate how innovation can drive widespread adoption of sustainable solutions while addressing economic viability. The event will provide a thorough analysis of how textile innovation and sustainability are reshaping the industry.