Soorty wants to weave a kinder, more collaborative version of denim for the future.
Last week, the vertically integrated denim manufacturer hosted “Collectively Better: Shaping Future Possibilities,” a New York City event where industry leaders converged over a common goal: transforming the supply chain into a value chain.
At the event, Soorty joined forces with key players—The Lycra Company, Lenzing, Tonello and Officina+39—to show how collaborations can pave the way toward an innovative future for fashion that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Creating products that make consumers feel comfortable and confident in their jeans is one way to ensure their longevity in closets.
In collaboration with The Lycra Company, the Pakistani mill showcased ShapeSync, a shaping technology born from real consumer needs. Inspired by insights gathered from women worldwide, ShapeSync allows designers to target specific areas via a patented technology to provide discreet shaping and stretchy comfort.
ShapeSync combines Lycra’s FitSense technology with Soorty’s advanced garment treatment processes in hopes of providing the perfect fit. The yarn, fabric and garments are flexible enough to offer lift and support without needing supplemental shapewear while still feeling like conventional jeans.
“When we talk about the FitSense technology, it’s all about targeted shaping,” said Ebru Ozaydin, The Lycra Company’s global strategic marketing director of denim, wovens and ready-to-wear, noting that previous attempts at this idea of targeted shaping employed topical applications. “This is the first time that we’ve been [able] to offer something that’s invisible or something that is not topical or, in another sense, coming from the fiber.”
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This “magic fiber” behind FitSense was created by merging Lycra’s patented dual-core yarn structure with thermo-responsive fiber technology. The manufacturing process begins by spinning yarn with the temperature-responsive fiber. Targeted areas—the thighs, for example—are heat-activated, creating a “locking” memory of the shaping activation. This heat doesn’t damage the Lycra fiber or affect its composition and is invisible on the garment, with no discernable difference between the activated and non-activated parts.
“The [heat activation] is like Botox; you don’t have Botox all over your face, right? You just have the Botox on your temples,” Ozaydin said. “[This] is like a Botox effect and feeling, you literally activate the area and create that stretch difference.”
As an early adopter of this technology, Soorty is The Lycra Company’s pilot strategic innovation partner in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Lenzing and Soorty showcased a capsule collection representing their shared dedication to circularity and durability. Called Wildflower, the collection includes indigo modal for deeper hues and Ecovero Refibra for a circular-minded option.
Tencel and Second Life—Soorty’s own denim-to-denim recycling brand—are blended for enhanced durability, while cotton Tencel and linen blends deliver authentic looks with a soft touch.
“Apart from just coming up with fiber innovation stories, we are also trying to come up with application ideas,” Tuncay Kilickan, Lenzing Group’s head of global business development, denim, said. “What we wanted to emphasize with the Wildflower collection is the circularity and durability.”
Another collection displayed was the culmination of a supply chain partnership. It showcased how Soorty’s vertically integrated set-up marries Officina+39’s smart chemicals with Tonello’s machinery to wash fabrics and garments. In doing so, the trio is driving reduced environmental impacts and showing the strength of a collaborative supply chain.
The unique partnership featured six different Soorty fabrics made into garments with multiple washes and finishes. This included using Officina+39’s Novascraper Indigo as an alternative to manual scraping, Novastone Nebu enzyme and Smart Bleach technology for nebulized systems as well as the Italian firm’s Oz-One Powder treatment, which allows laundries to achieve bleached or acid-washed looks in an eco-friendly manner.
“The results challenge the notion that sustainable fashion ends up being dull or boring, proving that, with innovative design, sustainable laundry can be both captivating and stylish,” the partners said in a statement.
The event also featured a trends presentation by Miles Johnson, a design consultant that Soorty partnered with on a circular denim collection earlier this year. The Patagonia alum identified three concepts taking foot, including organic denim made for movement and the timeless Americana pieces as well as the reframing of Canadian tuxedos and the warm embrace of gray denim. He also discussed the importance of viewing innovation through the lens of good design and being practical with what is accessible.
“Circularity is something that we all know that we have to start to work toward and the industry will need to take more responsibility for circularity. There’s a lot of work to do,” Johnson said. “We know that denim is the most polluting garment in the whole world. We can’t take that lightly. Even though we’re here talking about all the good stuff, we know that most of the industry doesn’t really care about it. We have to do everything we can to communicate the reason why we want to make changes and the reason why things have to change.”