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GREEN FABRICS ARE  increasingly making their presence felt in the fashion industry. Renowned designers such as Giorgio Armani and Vera Wang are among those incorporating eco-friendly fabrics into their collections.

More than 50 exhibitors at Interstoff Asia Spring are showing green textile products. These include organic cotton and textiles made from other natural, biodegradable ingredients such as soya beans, bamboo or corn.

'[The fair] is the perfect place for suppliers of eco-friendly fabrics to meet buyers who have an environmental conscience,' said fair organiser Messe Frankfurt (HK).

The green exhibitors can be identified by the organiser's specially designed and colour-coded logos, which were introduced for the first time last year:

A green leaf logo highlights those using environmentally friendly components in their fabrics, or those who have eco-friendly manufacturing processes.

A silver leaf logo means that the company's entire manufacturing system and production plant has been certified environmentally friendly by an official environmental watchdog organisation.

Japanese fabric supplier Y.S. (HK), one of the companies with a green leaf logo, supplies 100 per cent organic cotton.

'The material is natural and produced without any chemicals,' said company sales manager Shin Yamazaki.

The company sources its cotton from certified organic cotton growers in the United States, Egypt and India.

'When we started selling organic cotton two years ago, customers would look at it and ask what it is,' Mr Yamazaki said.

'But now more people are interested in it.'

Sales of organic cotton account for less than 10 per cent of his company's business, but Mr Yamazaki is hopeful that this percentage will rise steadily.

'The main problem right now is the price,' he said, noting that organic cotton cost 50 per cent more than non-organic cotton at present.

'We think as the market gets bigger, the price will come down.'

In addition to the material itself being organic, Mr Yamazaki said that the dyes and bleach used to treat the cotton must also be eco-friendly.

'This puts some limitation on the finish and colours,' he said.

Mr Yamazaki's company also sells non-organic cotton so that buyers have a choice.

Green leaf logo holder Wu Jiang Deyi Fashions Cloth  produces polyester, nylon, cotton, linen, viscose and other fabrics. Based in Jiangsu province, the firm has earned ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certifications (Swiss-based Oeko-Tex Standard 100 evaluates production sites as well as products from an environmental point of view).

Yao Yunzhen,  general manager of the mainland  firm, said the company made a commitment to green products and production processes because customers were increasingly demanding that companies paid attention to the environment.

'Having the green leaf will help us tell our customers that our fabrics are safe,' Ms Yao said.

'We think it will also help us increase our sales and step up our brand value.'



Green fabrics make fashion statement in garment trade