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Taiwan-based mill Da Fon talks to WTiN about its mission to combine comfort with performance via its temperature-regulating iCOOL® fabric, which it’s showcasing at this month’s Functional Fabric Fair in New York.
When it comes to functional fabrics, comfort is often sacrificed in the pursuit of performance. That’s the view of Taiwan’s Da Fon International Development Company, which specialises in the production and development of functional knitted fabrics for active and casual wear.
The company has developed fabrics that blend both staple and filament yarns to combine comfort with functionality, such as its iCOOL® temperature-regulating fabric, which the company will be showcasing at the Functional Fabric Fair in New York from 16 to 17 July.
It’s the combination of functional yarn and cotton- or cellulose-based fibre that gives the iCOOL® fabric collection its cooling functionality and soft cotton handfeel, which is particularly important for activewear and leisurewear.
“Mixing the advantages of staple and filament yarn has been pretty successful for us,” says Da Fon’s sales and marketing specialist Chieh-Yun Lo. “Our company views the development of such fabrics as a craft, into which we invest great effort.”
For comfort, the staple yarn enhances the breathability of the fabric, allowing the air to circulate, which prevents overheating and keeps the skin cool and dry. Meanwhile, the filament yarn provides the wicking function, drawing sweat away from the body to the surface of the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly.
Comfort is further enhanced by the fabric’s soft and lightweight qualities, which enable it to move with the body during activity.
All of this functionality combined helps keep the wearer dry and comfortable.
“Comfort is very important and we want to maximise it in every collection we develop,” says Lo. “There are many filament-yarn-based fabrics that offer high functionality but we want to offer comfort as well.”
The iCOOL® collection of temperature-regulating fabrics blend staple and filament yarns
Bringing in biodegradable yarns
In response to increasing demand for sustainable products from its customers, Da Fon has also been developing cooling fabrics made with biodegradable yarns. It will be launching a new product made with a blend of cellulosic filament yarn at the Functional Fabric Fair.
Cellulosic fibre is derived primarily from wood pulp, which is why it has biodegradable credentials. At the same time, the yarn offers moisture wicking properties and breathability.
“Throughout the development process, we experimented with different materials and gained extensive experience in knitting and dyeing,” says Lo.
After much consideration, Da Fon’s research team chose cellulosic filament for its combination of strength and sustainability.
“Most cooling yarns on the market are derived from polyester and nylon but cellulosic filament is more sustainable and we’re giving it the same functionality by enhancing the moisture content so the overall fabric will still have its cooling properties.”
In a further boost to its sustainable credentials, Da Fon sources its cellulosic yarn from Taiwan, where its production team is based, which conserves energy and transportation costs.
The iCOOL® collection with cellulosic filament will be launched at the Functional Fabric Fair
Setting its sights on Europe
While 80% of Da Fon’s customers are US based, Europe is its new target market, which is one of the reasons why sustainability has risen up the company agenda.
With the European Union’s sustainability regulation soon coming into effect for the textile industry, demand for fabrics with sustainable credentials is rising rapidly.
Da Fon’s research team is continuing to explore further sustainable products, such as a yarn with cooling properties made from recycled polyester and another made using Tencel REFIBRA™, which incorporates recycled textile scraps with fibre from wood pulp.
“We’re also developing monomaterial fabrics using polypropylene, which has a lower carbon footprint than other synthetic fibres. This is quite rare in the sportswear market,” says Lo.
“We’re just getting started. There will be many more fabrics to come that combine comfort with functionality – and now sustainability as well.”
Cellulosic filament was chosen for its combination of strength and sustainability
Functional Fabric Fair New York – Powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® – will take place from 16 to 17 July in New York. Da Fon will be showcasing its products at booth 249. Please check www.dafon-fabric.com for more details.
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