Albini Group, Supima and Oritain have joined hands to set a new standard for responsible fashion by creating the first 100 per cent traceable Supima organic cotton for Kering. Using only organically grown Supima cotton woven and dyed by Albini, consumers will have confidence that the fabric is completely traceable back to the origin of the fibre.

The partnership demonstrates the value of transparency and innovation throughout the supply chain, from field to fibre and garment. The goal is a more sustainable and transparent fashion industry worldwide, with companies such as Kering leading the way. Helping consumers understand the relationship between the clothes they wear and the path and the principles behind how they were made is vital to encouraging change.

Albini Group, a leader in premium Italian textiles, is a key partner in the project driving ever higher levels of innovation and helping establish transparency as a prerequisite within supply chains.

Not only delivering on field to shop traceability, the platform will also provide confidence in quality, ethical and responsible production. All this is possible thanks to a highly innovative scientific method. Using forensic science, Oritain analyses the naturally-occurring chemical properties of the actual fibre, creating a unique chemical fingerprint for the product that links it back to the field in which it was grown - which cannot be altered, copied or adulterated.

Oritain can test the product at every stage of the supply chain to verify that the fabric is consistent with the original fingerprint and has not been substituted, blended or tampered with. Only an exact match shows that the product is authentic. With this procedure, each step is traceable and it is therefore possible to go back, from the finished fabric, precisely to the field in which the cotton was grown.

Stefano Albini, president of the Albini Group said: “We are proud to be the ‘orchestra conductors’ of this revolutionary project and to have brought it on a global scale. We have chosen to collaborate with the most authoritative scientific partner to analyse one of the most beautiful raw materials in the world and we are happy that our vision is shared by such a prestigious and forward-thinking luxury group."

Cecilia Takayama, director, Materials Innovation Lab at Kering said: “Traceability in fashion’s fragmented and global supply chains is imperative to create real change. At Kering we are focused on sustainable raw material sourcing and this innovative technology for our organic cotton supply chain will enable our Materials Innovation Lab greater visibility to verify farming best practices and fibre quality; ensure integrity within the supply chain; and guarantee alignment with our Kering Standards.”

Marc Lewkowitz, president and CEO of Supima, said: “Authenticity underlies every fibre of Supima cotton from the very beginning. This new milestone in our organisation’s history along with our partners enables the group to implement complete supply chain verification that can match the identity of the cotton to the inherent natural identifiers that the cotton picks up while it is growing. Just like you and I have unique fingerprints, so does cotton. We are extremely proud to be partnered on this project with the best possible partners in Kering, Albini Group and Oritain. Traceability and sustainability can now be proven, utilising forensic sciences to chemically analyse the fibre.”

Rupert Hodges, executive director of Oritain (UK) said: “Traceability has been a buzz word in fashion for some time, but there are still challenges in the industry. Now through this partnership we can support Kering, Supima and Albini Group to further enable sustainable, responsible practices in their cotton supply chains.” (SV)