LONDON – Italian textile business Albini Group, along with Supima and Oritain have announced a partnership to create the first 100 per cent traceable Supima organic cotton. The cotton will be used by French luxury brand Kering and is aimed at helping consumers understand the origins of the clothing they wear. The project will be using only organically grown Supima cotton that is woven and dyed by Albini.
Using forensic science, Oritain analyses the naturally-occurring chemical properties of the actual fibre itself, creating a unique chemical fingerprint for the product that links it back to the field in which it was grown – which cannot be altered, copied or adulterated.
Oritain can test the product at every stage of the supply chain to verify that the fabric is consistent with the original fingerprint and has not been substituted, blended or tampered with. Only an exact match shows that the product is authentic. Thanks to this procedure, each step is traceable and it is therefore possible to go back, from the finished fabric, precisely to the field in which the cotton was grown.
Stefano Albini, president of the Albini Group said: “We are proud to be the ‘orchestra conductors’ of this revolutionary project and to have brought it on a global scale. We have chosen to collaborate with the most authoritative scientific partner to analyse one of the most beautiful raw materials in the world and we are happy that our vision is shared by such a prestigious and forward-thinking luxury group.”
Cecilia Takayama, director, Materials Innovation Lab at Kering added: “Traceability in fashion’s fragmented and global supply chains is imperative to create real change. At Kering we are focused on sustainable raw material sourcing and this innovative technology for our organic cotton supply chain will enable our Materials Innovation Lab greater visibility to verify farming best practices and fibre quality; ensure integrity within the supply chain; and guarantee alignment with our Kering Standards.”
