Expio, the menswear brand founded in 2020 by Ben Mears, has claimed a 2023 ISPO Award  for its Odyssey down jacket which combines sustainable materials and advanced technical features with a refined design.

Expio garments are characterised by their comfort, long life and environmental sustainability through the use of Evo yarn by Fulgar.

Evo fibres are derived from castor oil, a renewable, sustainable source. The castor oil plant grows spontaneously in dry regions of the world and does not require large quantities of water or take up land that can be cultivated for food crops. The biomass that Evo by Fulgar is obtained from is formed by castor oil seeds and the monomers used in the polymerisation process are partially or totally derived from castor oil. The yarn has the same characteristics as top-quality polyamide and is suitable for all textile applications, being exceptionally light, elastic and breathable. It also dries quickly and exhibits natural thermal and bacteriostatic properties. 

“We’re pleased to be working alongside a partner like Fulgar that can respond to the requirements generated by our development of increasingly high-performance, sustainable collections that do not compromise on the stellar design standards that have enabled us to win this prestigious award,” said Ben Mears.

“We’re very proud of the award won by Expio, which chose our bio-based Evo yarn for its collection,” added Daniela Antunes, marketing manager at Fulgar. “It’s always good to see that the companies we collaborate with gain recognition not only for their technical quality and style but also their commitment to the creation of an increasingly sustainable textile industry.”

Fulgar is an international leader in the synthetic fibre sector, producing and distributing polyamide 6.6 and covered elastomers to the textile and technical fabric sectors. Launched in the late 1970s at Castel Goffredo, Mantova, in Italy’s hosiery region, Fulgar has carved out a position as sector leader, taking an international approach with new production centres and installations. Over the past ten years the company’s investment in R&D has seen constant growth and a commitment to environmental issues has also contributed to its success. This is being expressed through projects and initiatives involving the entire production chain and sustainable products like Q-Nova regenerated yarn, bio-based Evo yarn and Q-Cycle – the recycled polyamide 6.6 derived from tyres which is the result of BASF’s ChemCycling project, advanced by Fulgar’s textile expertise.

Fulgar is the exclusive distributor in Europe and Turkey of the Lycra, Lycra T400 and Elaspan fibre brands. In 2012 it also forged a partnership with the Solvay group, becoming distributor and producer  of Emana fibre and Amni Soul Eco mainly for Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

www.fulgar.com