#Textiles & Apparel / Garment
ISPO 2022: Asahi Kasei celebrates its 100 years anniversary featuring its key brands ROICA™, ECOSENSOR™ and RespiGard™
ROICA™ invites to an evolved journey where wellness and sustainability introduce the next level of smart innovation for sports.
Style & performance setting brands, key leader fabric partners at ISPO interpreting cutting edge ROICA™ premium stretch ingredients and empowering sportwear with a wellness-oriented and responsible attitude.
2022 is a special time for Asahi Kasei as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. Asahi Kasei has achieved growth by constantly transforming our business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age, and proactively taking challenges in new fields leveraging its capability to change and our diversity. Asahi Kasei culture of open communication and challenging spirit are precious heritage, embodied in its Group Values of Sincerity, Challenge, and Creativity.
For the 2022 edition of ISPO Munich , Asahi Kasei present its innovation world featuring three of its brands: ROICA™, ECOSENSOR™ and RespiGard™.
ROICA™ premium stretch fiber will introduce an interactive booth inviting visitors to explore its evolution path where sustainability and wellbeing values will be represented through a complete and traceable supply chain; from the final sportswear outifits back to the fabrics first and then yarn. And this circle is valid also backward: from ROICA™ yarns, up to the outfit passing through a fabric. a sort of ‘reversed’ journey in three acts or levels.
From the final sportswear to the yarn. ROICA™ has conceived the exhibition as a sort of ‘evolved” journey in three acts.
THE CONTEMPORARY WARDROBE Let’s explore the first level of the backwards path showcasing ROICA™’s ultimate collaborations for the contemporary wardrobe with leading brands that are already offering them toward consumer.
Four selected iconic outfits to show the status of the art in terms of smart innovation, wellbeing and design values and uniqueness
Stellawear - CIFRA – ROICA™ V550: Stellawear is an innovation fusing underwear, swimwear and shapewear that can be worn everywhere with every wear. Crafted by CIFRA from sustainable ECONYL® regenerated nylon and ROICA™ V550 degradable certified stretch yarn, bodysuits and separates sculpt women’s bodies when and where they need it most. Pieces can be worn under clothing, ready to go from stretching to shopping to swimming – and are UV tested and safe in chlorine and saltwater. Stellawear SS22 delivers novelty in a longer bra top – harmonising both a triangle and crop top silhouette. This pairs effortless over a new bikini style, high-leg bodysuit or high-waisted leggings, featuring mesh and the category’s iconic perforations.
SCOTT Racing Team - Rosti- SITIP – ROICA™ EF: A long lasting partnership between the four companies. This year, the evolution of research and development has led to the creation of new responsible shorts, made with NATIVE-THUNDERBIKE POWER fabric by Sitip in recycled polyamide and ROICA™ EF yarn by Asahi Kasei. A fabric designed for high-performance sports, particularly suitable for making cycling pants for its maximum coverage and UV protection - thanks to ECLIPSE Sun Protection technology - breathability, comfort and fit. Also, the shirt has been produced with Sitip recycled fabrics - NATIVE-BICIMANIA and NATIVE-PIRATA - made with Asahi Kasei's ROICA™ EF sustainable, stretch and certified recycled yarns. This composition, together with Sitip MICROSENSE Soft Performance technology, made the shirt breathable, offering maximum comfort on the skin.
Wolford – ROICA™ V550: the Aurora line by Wolford holding two certificates Cradle to Cradle Certified™ at GOLD Level both for the biological and the technical cycles. All products contain ROICA™ V550 either in blend with the ECONYL® regenerated nylon yarn made by Aquafil or Lenzing Modal®, and infinito® by Lauffenmühle.
Tiziano Guardini – Iluna Group – ROICA™ EF: Creativity, research and production processes that mix craftsmanship to innovation manage to keep the past, the present and the future in the value chain. The ballet pants and shirts are made with Iluna Group laces, containing ROICA™ EF, reworked as a patchwork.
THE ROICA™ INNOVATION GALLERY
Guests are then guided to explore the cutting-edge innovation interwoven into high-performing textiles and finally led to discover the company’s yarns enabling the values of sustainability and wellness for ultimate fabric products.
ROICA™ INNOVATION GALLERY is the place where we get inspired and discover the company’s textile performance innovations library thanks to special solutions from ROICA™ key partner mills. On show a wide fabric range that includes smart fibers, belonging to ROICA Eco-Smart™ family comprising two responsibly made yarns. ROICA™ EF, a sustainable recycled stretch yarn obtained from pre-consumer materials and ROICA™ V550, a sustainable degradable stretch yarn which smartly breaks down without releasing harmful substances, based on the Hohenstein Environmental Compatibility Certificate, and boasting the Gold Level Material Health Certificate by Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute.
Among the most notable developments signed by ROICA™ premium partners are:
Cifra, a leading Italian company in Warp Knit Seamless, has chosen ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, for a new generation of clothing dedicated to wellbeing, travelwear and athleisure, made with Cifra exclusive and patented technology in the name of uniqueness and sustainability. Innovative garments for men and women that combine fashion and function, guaranteeing optimal comfort at any time of the day. Base layers, tops, leggings, jumpsuits made with natural yarns, or recycled pre- and post-consumer yarns in combination with ROICA™ EF. The design of the garments, created in Cifra's design office, combines a perfect shape with body mapping technology that creates dedicated ventilation zones for a feeling of comfort and freshness as well as an innovative aesthetic impact.
- Iluna Group: Iluna’s journey into the new dimension of responsible quality continues and translates into the ability to transform all the precious designs of the Collection into sustainable/recycled quality. The GRS certified Green Label collection uses the recycled ROICA™ EF while the BIOLINE embraces the circular economy and presents proposals containing ROICA™ V550. New this season is the use of prints and now foils while maintaining GRS certification aimed at unprecedented effects in both look, performance and hands. Worth to mention the precious laces enriched with amazing iridescent effects (Lurex) that gives unexpected glows.
- Innova fabrics: a very light-weight, square-elastic, live cut and shape interlock with ROICA Colour Perfect™ family. It guarantees the return of the fabric to its original position after a varied number of strecth, thus perfect for knee and elbow. A raw cut interlock and superelastic shape made with ROICA Colour Perfect™ family. Interlock fabric for swimwear, sports and apparel Interlock / scuba, double fabric made with Sensil®BioCare by Nilit and ROICA™ V550. An interlock / scuba double fabric is ideal for underwear sportswear and an interlock raw cut square stretch with technical hand and good elasticity suitable for underwear, swim, sport. Both made with ROICA™ Colour Perfect family.
- Lauma Fabrics: unique fabrics with a very nice handfeel perfect for everyday use in lingerie or but also in the sports sector with ROICA Resistance™ family. Articles with very high function and is perfect for sports or athletics with ROICA Colour Perfect™ family. a 4-way stretch with ROICA™ V550 fabric made with weftloc, a very old technology that connects two technologies: warpknit and weaving. A versatile fabric with ROICA™ V550 with high function and fine feel that you can use for lingerie, sports or medical sector. A lightweight fabric with a fine hole pattern made with ROICA™ V550. Suitable for lingerie and sports. Breathable and comfortable on the skin.
- Maglificio Ripa: the Splash collection for summer 2024 is based on two major seemingly unrelated themes, yet actually joined by the same metrics and the same matrix. Not only that. Same attention is also devoted to sustainability in its many nuances, of pre- and post-consumer recycled yarns and ROICA™ EF recycled stretch up to the employment of fibres from used clothing for the purpose of achieving a very circular textile economy. The first part is more shouty, bold, vitaminic and colourful. Noteworthy is the introduction of multi-coloured lurex, cutting through the fabric as a never-dominant rainbow yet showing a flash of colour for energy and graphic vigour injection. Printed fabrics and 3D jacquard are ennobled by innovative processing capable of moving the backgrounds to suggest a final organic and sometimes irreverent look. The second part of the collection featured by a cocoon spirit, enveloping like a caress and soft as a hug. Fabrics that well fit underwear or loungewear as well as beachwear, technical and sophisticate with light and silky touches.
- Penn Textile Solutions GmbH, Penn Italia: The main fabrics proposed are: Antibacterial and sustainable blends with COOLMAX® EcoMade and ROICA™ V550 with breathability and draining power that keeps the skin dry. Fabrics with both body mapping effect structure,and with reinforced bands that can be customized quickly and easily. Circular economy-oriented articles in NERIDE® BIO and ROICA™ V550. Some innovative articles containing ROICA Colour Perfect™ family and created for both the Bath and Sport lines, whose special laser effect can be variously positioned with multiple customization possibilities.
- Piave Maitex presents a product from the AGAIN line made with recycled Polyamide and ROICA™ EF. The stretch fabric with pique pattern is already a best seller in the Piave Maitex collection, now also available in a "green" version. The fabric has extraordinary softness to the touch, superior elasticity and comfort, the right combination of high performance and breathability. Suitable for Outdoor-Indoor applications of the sportsman, swimwear to fitness to athleisure. Same composition for a power net stretch performant, very light and with very high shapewear performance. It can be used as an insert for underwear and lingerie, but also for support on athleisure products, including leggings. High performance in printing and ideal in embroidery.
- Sofileta presents two articles made with ROICA™ V550, the first one is a high-density microfiber knit, ultrafine gauge that shapes and maintains the silhouette without tightening offering exceptional comfort, muscle support and UV protection. Characterized by the clean cut, it is suitable for all indoor and outdoor sporting activities, including swimwear. The second article is a very elegant and comfortable light microfiber knit, with a luxurious, soft touch, excellent opacity and high breathability. It is wrinkle free and ultra-matte, indeed suitable for active leisure and sportswear tops and bottoms.
- TVB: presents a spacer fabric made of recycled polyester and organic cotton and a spacer fabric made of recycled polyester both made with ROICA Resistance™ family Double face fabric made of Polyamide micro and double face fabric (high gauge knitting) made of Polyamide, Lyocell, both made with ROICA Resistance™ family.
Fabrics by Dresdner, Inplet,Sitip and Taubert will also be on display at the stand.
HERITAGE
The interactive journeys is completed with the ROICA™ HERITAGE SPACE showcasing the latest innovations at fiber’s level are shown. Here the next level of innovation takes center stage, highlighting how a fibre’s cutting-edge feature can become a propeller for responsible innovation for the wardrobe of tomorrow.
ROICA™'s Evolution Journey is an invitation to discover the process of fashion making from the final collection to yarn. A path highlighting how a fiber cutting edge feature can become a propeller for innovation for the wardrobe of tomorrow.
We look forward to welcoming you at the ROICA™ booth, a great place for athleisure, and sportswear luxe to source. Remember to ask for ECOSENSOR ™ by Asahi Kasei Advance brand and RespiGard™.
On November 28th, 3pm, at the Sustainability Hub, do not miss the workshop “The new generation of smart communication supporting the value driven DNA of responsible innovation. ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei case history” led by Giusy Bettoni, C.L.A.S.S. CEO & founder.
Email: project@classecohub.org
