Designer Cheng Jia-jia transforms the upstream sector by pushing sustainable solutions
Utilizing yarn made from recycled plastic bottles to produce eco-friendly fabrics has become a popular trend. However, many still wonder if such textiles have the capability to provide optimal comfort and warmth when compared to traditional materials.
Cheng Jia-jia, a designer and brand director of local sportswear maker Kevinlin Co., initially did not believe recycled fabrics could be comfortable. However, when Cheng started working with recycled fabrics she realized that eco-friendly textiles could keep pace with traditional ones. “When placed side by side, it’s hard to discern the differences,” she said.
Not long after entering the profession, Cheng began to understand the benefits of sustainable fashion. She graduated from the Department of Textiles and Clothing at New Taipei City’s Fu Jen Catholic University in 2002. She soon started working for well-known Taiwan designer Chiang Wen-chi, who is known for fully utilizing each and every piece of cloth, even the scraps, when making her outfits and handbags.
This “zero waste” design concept has a far-reaching impact. “When I was still studying, I was taught to be progressive and demand innovation in my designs,” Cheng said. However, she realized she had never given much thought to the work that was necessary to produce the textiles she used.
Cooperating with famous marathon runner to create a sportswear brand
Cheng eventually traveled to Milan, Italy, to obtain a master’s degree in garment design. Afterward, she returned to Taiwan and worked as a designer for various listed companies, including Kaosha Textile Co. and Tainan Enterprises Co. Her experience in responding to domestic and international market demands while working at those companies made her into a seasoned designer. It also gave her insight into the negative impact fast fashion had on the environment.
In 2015, Cheng met with Taiwan marathon runner Kevin Lin, who had been wanting to start his own business. Their collaborative efforts eventually led to the establishment of sportswear brand Superace, manufactured exclusively for Lin’s apparel company Kevinlin.
Highlights of Lin’s running career include the 4 Deserts Race Series marathon as well as races across the Sahara Desert. These experiences cultivated the understanding Lin developed for the importance of water preservation and environmental protection. The Superace brand values people’s right to a clean environment and utilizes textiles that are produced with the smallest possible carbon footprint. “I care about the Earth, and we have to protect it,” Lin reminded his staff at every meeting.
For Cheng, operating an environmentally friendly clothing brand was a huge challenge. Fortunately, there were other industry experts who were also promoting the concept. They offered Cheng help in obtaining cost-effective materials as well as establishing her eco-friendly sportswear brand.
In an effort to promote the idea of sustainable fashion, Kevinlin organized a water conservation-themed run in November 2016, gifting participants Superace products. One of the featured gifts was apparel made with Taipei-based Tex-Ray Industrial Co., Ltd.-exclusive anhydrous dying technology, the production process of which saves large amounts of water and minimizes waste.
Usually at such events, most promotional gifts are discarded or forgotten. However, a few days after the Superace run, participants called the company expressing interest in purchasing more Superace sportswear as the gifted clothes were not always the right size.
The Superace team was ecstatic over their products’ reception. “The runners must have really liked the product to want to purchase the right size for themselves,” said 37-year-old Cheng, who finding it hard to conceal her joy.
In November 2017, Cheng began to look into additional revolutionary materials including textiles made from used coffee grounds. Another was Lilytex Groups’ Green Defence patented fabric, which is made from almond and cinnamon extract. Both fabrics are manufactured using natural components. They are effectively antibacterial as well as odor resistant.
Kevinlin boosts investment in R&D after receiving support from customers
From using textiles made from anhydrous dying technology to utilizing odor control fabrics, Cheng gradually started to discover the Taiwan textile industry’s R&D capabilities.
It is very costly for companies to invest in R&D. Therefore, most businesses need the support of designers to garner backing from consumers. Kevinlin sought out collaborations with local enterprises and used eco-friendly textiles such as those produced by Tex-Ray Industrial. A year after Kevinlin and Tex-Ray began their collaboration, Japan’s Asics Corp. started using the same material to make apparel for many international athletes.
Over the years, more and more runners have participated in Kevinlin-organized marathons, with 6,000 taking part in 2016 and 7,000 a year later. This success has helped make Cheng more confident.
In the past, many designers had the misconception that eco-friendly fabrics were monochromatic and boring, and that they lacked the diversity required by the fashion industry. Taking out a piece of cloth, Cheng asked if it was possible to tell how the fabric was produced. At first glance, the textile looks like it was dyed and then finished. But instead it was colored by plastic masterbatch additives, she said. These masterbatch yarns can be woven into functional, eco-friendly textiles, she added.
Sustainable fashion has always been Superace’s core value. Even at marathons organized by Kevinlin, Superace provides cups made from nontoxic silicon, which does not release dioxins when processed at recycling facilities. However, this approach has received complaints from runners, who have requested paper cups instead. Kevinlin expressed hope that the participants can reuse the silicon cups. Those who insist on paper cups can pay a fee, which the firm then donates to charities.
At the Kevinlin-organized runs, advertising vehicles promote sustainable solutions to raise public awareness of the benefits eco-friendly materials have for health and the environment. “We have to be persistent in doing the right thing and actively promote good products to our consumers,” Lin said.
When designers opt for eco-friendly solutions, textile companies become more willing to invest in R&D for better materials. And through educating the public on the benefits of more eco-friendly measures, a virtuous cycle can be completed. “We should aspire to create apparel that can be both comfortable and popular, while also being eco-friendly,” Cheng said, determined to play a role in shouldering this responsibility. (By Peng Xing-zhu / tr. by Wendy Kuo)
(This article first appeared Dec. 29, 2017, in Taipei City-based monthly magazine Global Views.)