Ventile develops two new eco-fabrics

Sustainable textile manufacturer Ventile has launched two new fabrics as part of its growing Eco range.

Ventile, known for its performance textiles worn by explorers such as Ranulph Finnes and Sir Edmund Hillary, has developed the Ventile Eco 420 and Ventile Eco 430, which are both machine washable 100 percent recycled cotton fabrics that challenge what is possible with coarse recycled yarns.

Set to launch this summer, both feature higher-weight, contrasting weaves, which the company states is “markedly different” from anything produced by the brand before.

The woven, textured fabric is made from a contrasting weave and weft, explains Ventile, and utilises strands that are pre-dyed before weaving, which are five times heavier than those used in previous fabrications, a first for the range.

They combine a coarse, heavier-weight recycled yarn with weaving techniques known as a ‘Twill’ weave and a ‘Panama’ weave, which gives the fabric its rigid properties and makes it suitable for machine washing.

Unlike many recycled fabrics on the market, both the 420 and 430 are made from 100 percent recycled cotton. The fabrics are sourced from pre-consumer off-cuts which are then stripped and re-purposed into the finished product. In addition, both fabrics have been tested to 300 mm pressure under a hydrostatic head test.

With a weight of 420g and 430g respectively, the new fabrications are the heaviest weight fabrics to be available from Ventile and aim to “offer designers a great ecological option for shoes, bags, and mid-weight jackets”.

Commenting on the development, Ventile marketing manager Daniel Odermatt said in a statement: “When we go through the process of developing a new fabric, we are always guided by our heritage. The inspiration behind the 430 and 420 fabrics is the drive to innovate, just like the scientists that developed Ventile back in 1943.

“For these new products we wanted to add a different dimension to our Eco range and play with how we use colour and course yarns in our fabric and we are thrilled with the results.”

Ventile launched its first recycled cotton range in 2018 with the Ventile Eco Recycled 400.