Royal Chie collection fusion of elegance & eco-friendly

15 Nov '08

4 min read

For 2008-09 Royal Chie presents a collection that is a fusion between elegance and chemical technology in an eco-friendly format. A collaboration between fur, an eco-friendly material, and the ecological material created by ECO CIRCLE, the world's most advanced recycling system from Teijin Fiber Limited, the elegant and innovative Royal Chie collection was launched in New York, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Matsuyama and Kumamoto. The designs combine ecological materials manufactured by Teijin Fibers Limited of the Teijin Group, ECO RECTAS and luxury furs.

With her longstanding interest in the global environment, designer Chie Imai of Royal Chie has won international recognition for her policy of not disrupting natural ecosystems and only using the highest quality farmed furs. Ms. Imai conceived this eco-friendly fashion collection after meeting with Teijin Limited who expressed the hope to create awareness of their closed-loop recycling system for polyester fiber around the world.

Chie Imai realized that an initiative with a strong concern for the environment resonated with her and the new collection was conceived. Chie Imai is now challenging the fusion of two worlds that have never before met – fur and ecology. The result is furs that are part of the “green movement”.

They highlight Chie Imai's exquisite design aesthetic paired with most technologically advanced waterproof and breathable fabric in bold jewel tones such as teal, crimson and mustard mixed with luxurious fur trims and embellishments. Teijin Fiber Limited, the core company of the Teijin Group's polyester fiber operation, has developed the world's first closed-loop recycling system using chemical recycling technology for polyester.

Collaborating with some 80 participating apparel manufacturers and sporting gear manufacturers based in Japan and overseas, Teijin Fibers Limited provides product development, collection and recycling. In this system, the polyester is chemically decomposed at the molecular level and recycled in products that are of the same quality as products produced directly from petroleum.

As a result, ECO CIRCLE has found a way around the issue of inferior quality in recycled items. Since the products can be repeatedly recycled, it is possible to conserve oil and eliminate waste. Compared to polyester products produced from petroleum, this process reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions by approximately 80%.

Chie Imai launched her fur collection in Fukuoka in 1982. At that time, the accepted colors for fur were black, brown and white but Chie Imai wanted furs that were lightweight and vividly colored. She searched everywhere but could not find such furs so she decided to make them herself. In order to bring out beautiful hues, she dyed the furs in vivid colors, and cut them by hand into small squares, which she arranged into color schemes.

She then carefully patched the squares together to create originalpieces. This was the beginning of “Mosaique” de Chie, colorful and lightweight modern furs that can be folded. Since 1982, she has presented annual collections in Tokyo and Fukuoka.

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