Nakajima Yasuyoshi
President Asahi Kasei Fibers Italy
How has the material evolved over the years?
The Asahi Kasei Cupro was born in Japan in 1931, and today Asahi Kasei is the sole maker of this one-of-a-kind extraordinary, new generation, natural smart material. Asahi Kasei provides a unique research facility to develop new fibre aesthetics and applications. Called the A-Cubic trend observatory, customers can work closely with experts and technicians to design the perfect material combinations that are each designed and tailored to specifically researched consumer product innovations. The A-Cubic centre monitors market trends to help develop innovations for the new garment categories for The Modern Wardrobe.
Following are the key milestones of the ongoing journey that started back in 1931:
Long-term investments designed to deliver better standards;
New purification standards with improved energy and water use;
The production recycles all possible waste materials;
Improved waste management and end-of-life proof; Cupro can claim full biodegradability, verified through the INNOVHUB third party lab test
LCA analysis conducted to defined clear status in order to keep and measure all improvements.
A lot of international brands use Cupro for their collections. What makes Cupro an ideal option?
The sensual touch of Cupro can match your personal style for today's challenges. The Cupro magic excels for avante garde fashion as well as for everyday basics. The Cupro signature pearly 'angel skin' look gives a high-performance seductive optic for the lightest weights, and jersey innovations become the new standard in weekend athleisure, casualwear and sportswear in blends designed with performance benefits. New Hosiery sees Cupro bringing its own unique natural feel to contemporary legwear with warm or cooling moisture control performances.
What are the various applications of Cupro?
Fashion has many facets and Cupro works for both women's wear and men's wear when you demand smart, responsible style with clever confidence. Dress qualities are smoother than almost any other material and can deliver the most exquisite looks. Modern adaptive looks with Cupro can be found in structured blends for women's and men's tailoring. But Cupro does not stop here and fits perfectly in lining, apparel textile, traditional wear, intimates, activewear and home textiles.
Will you be taking the material to any tradeshows?
We'll be taking it to Premier Vision in Paris and NY, Interfiliere, InterTextile at Shanghai, Textiles India and India International Yarn Exhibition.
What is the marketing strategy to reach out to consumers both at the B2B and B2C level?
Ingredient branding strategy and selected vertical partnership in the market represent our journey towards communicating value throughout the supply chain in order to interface. Moreover, the consumer needs to know what's special about Cupro from a look, innovation and responsible point of view. Identity definition and communication are important to determine value and storytelling.
In which markets is Cupro already available? Are there any untapped markets?
Cupro is already available almost all over the world.
What kind of research and development goes into developing the Cupro material?
Yarn variation, new fabric/application through comfort and function of Cupro, and improvement of the production process.
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
