ImagesMagUK_Digital-Edition_Dec17

INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 10 images DECEMBER 2017 Christmas-present hunting this year was interrupted by a marvellous find at Primark – T-shirts displaying a picture created from sequins. So far, so normal. Brush the sequins in the opposite direction, however, and a new picture is displayed. Kid (and adult) heaven. It’s a clever, effective design that is easy to replicate, explains Andrew Kenny, founder of the London Embroidery Studio. There are two methods, depending on what type of design is required. The first, as seen on the My Little Pony T-shirt, is to sublimation print the design on to the panel of silver sequins on the T-shirt, then flip them the other way and print the next design. Sequins are good candidates for sublimation printing, Andrew reports. The other way, as seen on the Super Hero T-shirt that has the same design on each side but in different colours, is to use double-sided sequins. Andrew, who uses Wilcom software, says a normal, regular sequin fill will work well, but the line of stitching must run across the top of the sequins so the design can be flipped up and down, rather than through the middle. It’s a straightforward process that just requires a sequin attachment for the embroidery machine; he uses Tajima. However, the stumbling block, according to Andrew, will be finding the sequins. As a high end, bespoke embroidery company, London Embroidery Studio has had sequins made for them for some jobs, but for everyday jobs the minimum orders for sequins are usually “humongous”. If you know a good supplier of sequins, contact us with their details. www.primark.com www.londonembroiderystudio.com DECORATED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH Mantis World signs up to Sustainable Cotton Communiqué Thirty-six brands and retailers have signed up to the Sustainable Cotton Communiqué, reported Justin Mundy, the director of the Prince’s Charities’ International Sustainability Unit, at the Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference in October. Mantis World is the only printwear brand to have signed up. Mantis World joins other high profile brands such as Burberry, H&M and M&S in pledging that by 2025, 100% of the cotton it uses will come from sustainable sources. However, the brand reports that it intends to move to using only the most sustainable cotton, ie 100% organic or recycled, by 2021, while increasing its use of recycled polyester (rPET) over the next 12 months. Prama Bhardwaj, CEO of Mantis World, explained: “The printwear industry is built around large levels of stockholding with the same style being relevant for years – unlike retail which has seasonal collections lasting just a few months. This, together with continuity demands from the customer, means making changes to existing lines is always difficult. Whilst our policy for the last few years has been to introduce brand new styles in only sustainable materials, such as organic cotton or Tencel by Lenzing, our challenge with regards to sustainable fibres has been how to approach those existing, running lines. We are delighted to announce we will be transitioning our existing styles to organic cotton, with work already underway to move our bestselling Superstar Ts and Babybugz Ts, bibs and bodysuits. From the customer’s perspective there will be no impact on the feel of the fabric, the colour or look of the garment, with the only perceptible difference being the addition of a 3rd-party organic-certification logo to the swing tag. “There is a small premium on the price of organic cotton, but when the environmental and social costs of conventional cotton organic cotton are factored in, we believe it’s worth it. We can also confirm that Mantis World will be absorbing some of that price premium so that customers will be able to buy organic at nearly the same price as current conventional cotton. “We want to demonstrate that the printwear industry, as a whole, can make sustainability the norm rather than the niche. We hope that all suppliers will join us at a pre-competitive level and make organic and sustainable cotton a given. If multi-billion-dollar companies such as Kering, Adidas and H&M can do it, why can’t we?” www.mantisworld.com [Right] The My Little Pony shirt with different sublimation printed designs on each side of the sequins; [Far right] The Super Hero shirt with the same design on both sides in different colours Fespa launches visitor campaign and competition for 2018 expo Fespa has launched its visitor campaign for the Fespa 2018 Global Print Expo, which is taking place in Berlin, Germany, from 15-18 May 2018. The event will cover screen printing, textile printing and digital wide format, and there will be an entire hall dedicated to substrates. “Fespa expects the 2018 exhibition to feature the largest textile zone of any Fespa event to date, reflecting the market’s growing interest in soft signage, fashion and decorative textiles,” says the association. Also launched are the Fespa Print Excellence Awards 2018. There are numerous categories, including ‘Special effect on T-shirts and other garments’ and ‘Young Star’, for those in the industry aged 15-25. The entry deadline is 26 January 2018; winners will be announced at the gala dinner on 16 May 2018. www.fespaglobalprintexpo.com www.fespaawards.com