Speciality chemical leader Archroma has collaborated with Turkey’s Kipaş Denim and sustainable finishing technology developer Jeanologia, headquartered in Valencia, Spain, for the launch of the new Contra Denim concept.

The denim dyeing and finishing system enables brands to create stunning and long-lasting distressed looks and designs effects, including intricate patterns, whiskering and fades, through cleaner processes that save water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Denim has traditionally been challenging to produce, especially for black and indigo fabric with a worn or distressed look, requiring significant water usage, harmful chemicals and intensive manual labor. The Contra Denim collection is laser and laundry-friendly, with colours that are deep and durable. Wash-down vintage effects and high contrasts are achieved via washing or laser techniques.

Contra Denim is based on Archroma’s Denim Halo approach to denim production that incorporates resource-saving pre-treatment that includes Dirsol RD and dyeing processes to produce easy-wash laser-friendly denim. It delivers while reducing yarn shrinkage and improving garment tensile strength.

Contra Denim’s vintage looks are achieved with advanced laser marking technology from Jeanologia. Thanks to the combination of Archroma and Jeanologia technologies, manual hand scraping or potassium permanganate spraying which are harmful for workers and the environment are completely eliminated.

“Part of Archroma’s Super Systems+ portfolio of end-to-end solutions, Denim Halo is empowering our partners Kipaş and Jeanologia to deliver denim with measurable mpact through environmental impact measuring software, as well as the colours and effects that consumers want,” says Umberto De Vita, market segment director for denim at Archroma Textile Effects.

Initially producing a ContraBlack Denim collection, Kipaş Denim has now extended the Contra line to classic indigo and other colours from the Diresul RDT range.

The ContraBlack collection earned a Jeanologia environmental impact measurement (EIM) score of 11 on stone wash compared to the ring dyeing market standard score of 67. This confirms the low impact of the range in both water and energy consumption, chemical impact and workers’ health.

www.archroma.com