Cosetex has revolutionized the industry by transforming what was once considered waste into new opportunities: natural padding, high-quality yarns and collaborations with the denim world. Silvio tells us about the environmental benefits of silk, such as its ability to capture CO2 and the fact that it does not produce plastic microfibers.

But what does “silk waste” really mean? How did silk end up at the Premier Vision denim fair? And how can you give new life to a fine material without waste?

Let’s discover together the path of Cosetex, the materials that you can also use in your collections between tradition and innovation, and its contribution to a more conscious fashion.

Introduction

(0:00) Introduction

• Presentation by Silvio Mandelli and Cosetex
• Silk between luxury and innovation

The world of silk and the role of Cosetex

(1:22) What is silk waste?

• Difference between continuous and discontinuous thread
• How silk waste becomes reusable materials

(4:10) Origin of silk and the role of Cosetex

• The history of the company and the Italian roots in silk production
• The evolution of the silk market: from Italy to China and India

(6:09) The choice of suppliers

• The importance of quality and tradition in the selection of raw materials
• Relations with Chinese and Indian producers

Sustainability and innovation in silk

(7:35) Sustainability in the processing of silk waste

• Recovery of waste and its reuse
• The environmental impact compared to other fibers

The silk market and the challenges of the sector

(16:44) The evolution of the silk market

• Experimentation with silk in different fields
• The relationship between tradition and innovation

(18:57) Innovative applications of silk

• New destinations of use: from padding to technical fabrics
• Collaborations with brands in the fashion sector and home
• Silk at Denim Premiere Vision
• T.Silk

(35:45) The difficulties with companies

• Positioning a niche product
• Educating the market on materials

(38:35) Regulations in the textile sector

• How laws affect smaller companies in the sector

The future

(45:11) The future of sustainable fashion and Cosetex

• Evolution of silk
• The push from below
• G.Silk

Listen to the episode to enter the fascinating world of silk!

Here’s where you can find Cosetex:

Cosetex – 360-degree silk fiber business

https://www.cosetex.it/ – Insights

T.Silk

https://t.silk.bio/ – presentation and e-commerce

https://t.silk.bio/pages/brevetto-imbottitura-in-seta – 100% Silk padding patent

https://t.silk.bio/blogs/magazine – Blog and information

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/T.SilkOfficial/

https://www.facebook.com/Cosetex

Instagram

@Cosetex | @tsilkcollection

https://www.instagram.com/tsilkcollection/

https://www.instagram.com/cosetex.official/

Linkedin

@Cosetex

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cosetex-seta

photo: courtesy of Cosetex

Dario tells us about the need for a “gentle revolution” to counter the fast fashion model, in a context in which the economy shifts wealth from many to few without actually creating well-being for humanity. Slow Fiber wants to positively change the paradigm of production, consumption and, therefore, the perception of textiles. Today, in fact, we find ourselves immersed in a consumerist and fast-fashion lifestyle, as Dario states.

Slow Fiber uses a series of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to evaluate the companies that join its network. Each aspect of the project is accompanied by measurable criteria, divided into mandatory and optional. These KPIs focus on five pillars: “good”, “healthy”, “clean”, “fair” and “durable”. For example, the “good” criterion requires that companies maintain their original headquarters and do not relocate, while “healthy” refers to the rigorous control of the chemistry used in production. The idea is that no company can be considered in the network if it does not meet all the criteria of these five pillars.

Listen to the episode to find out how current legislation turns into a “rubber wall” for virtuous companies. Furthermore, the concept of Made in Italy is put under the lens in the episode, where it is stated that “it is worth little or nothing” if not accompanied by effective controls. The concern is that products can be labeled as Italian even without respecting quality standards since there are no adequate controls on imports. Fast fashion lobbies heavily influence regulations, making it difficult to protect Italian sustainable practices.

Explore the common ground between food and fashion, discussing localisms and fast consumption/production, and new economic approaches such as “post growth“, more necessary than ever for a sustainable future.

We also reveal how certifications, which certainly help, can be misleading and how powerful fast fashion lobbies resist necessary changes. The European Green Deal could risk turning into a certification label that does not really address environmental issues – and not only that (find out which other important aspect it does not address). The episode highlights how many legislative initiatives tend to preserve the current business model, rather than tearing down an industrial system deemed dangerous. In short, the Green Deal may seem like a positive step, but it could mask an unchanged reality rather than bring about substantial changes.

In this dialogue that invites reflection and action, Dario paints a frank picture of the sector, helps us better understand some dynamics and introduces us to a reality that intends to sow a new way of producing and consuming by involving producers and consumers.

Table of Contents

1. 1. Definition of Slow Fiber (0:36)
   2. The comparison between textiles and agricultural supply chains (1:02)
   3. Problems of the textile supply chain (1:50)
   4. Sustainability in fashion (2:28)
   5. Career change towards textiles (3:34)
   6. Selection of member companies (9:00)
   7. Sustainability criteria and KPIs (11:39)
   8. The paradox and weight of certifications (17:23)
   9. The Slow Fiber audit system (19:06)
   10. The extra something compared to the current legislative model that wants to save both goats and cabbages (21:54)
   11. The need for a slowdown in consumption and a new economic model (24.56)
   12. Awareness-raising activities and demonstrations (34:11)
   13. Greenwashing and regulations (40:25)
   14. Future prospects and innovation (48:11)
   15. AI, blockchain and traceability (50:37)
   16. Made in Italy (53.14)
   17. Values ​​and economic model (53:17)

If you want to learn more, we recommend the Slow Fiber website and Dario’s book:

(The episode is in Italian. In case you would like to have the transcription in English write to us)

But what were your favorite fabrics? Certainly linen and wool, to which hemp and cotton must be added and, finally, also silk.

Flax was the most used for its versatility: its seeds were edible and, if squeezed, they produced an oil that was used both in cooking and as a fuel for lighting. At the same time, the fibers were used to make mats and wicker items. However, it was not possible to extract both fibers and seeds from the same plant, therefore, already in the cultivation phase, it was necessary to allocate the plant to a specific use and treat it accordingly.
Linen fabrics had the advantage of being easy to clean and whiten without requiring chemical treatments, but they were extremely difficult to dye, because the dyes penetrated the fibers with difficulty and, consequently, faded quickly with washing. For this reason, in ancient Egypt, linen fabrics were generally bleached rather than dyed, although during a certain period, known as the New Kingdom (1500 – 1000 BC), colored fabrics are also attested.
For the type of coloring and the dyes used, the most numerous information derives from the funerary contexts: much used was the red color (apotropaic color and symbol of rebirth), which was dyed using minerals and flowers (especially ocher and safflower flower).
Linen was the first fiber to be used in Egypt for the production of textiles, followed by wool. However, the fact that it is not attested in its wild form has led to suppose that it was imported from Asia at a very early stage: remains of flax fibers are, in fact, attested in Egypt since at least the fifth millennium BC. Furthermore, in the earlier stages, the Egyptians seem to have experimented with all available plant and animal fibers, including papyrus, palm and esparto grass, but the extensive cultivation and use of flax have reduced these other crops to a secondary role: not being suitable for the production of fabrics, they were mainly intended for the production of wicker objects, mats and cords.

Hemp, which can grow three times as tall as flax plants and produces coarser fibers, was another very important vegetable fiber for ancient Egyptian textile production: it was usually used to make ropes, sacks and sails rather than clothing. but, in some cases, it could be combined with linen to strengthen the yarn.
Up to now, no specific studies have been carried out on the cultivation of hemp nor on its use in Egypt, but its history is probably parallel to that of linen, since it has been identified in some fabrics as early as the Predynastic Period (4500 – ca. 3500 BC).

Another very popular fabric was wool, a natural fiber obtained from sheep, rabbits, camelids and llamas. Unlike linen, it was dyed more easily, as well as being naturally available in various colors.
It is not yet clear when the first use of wool as a textile material dates back, but it was certainly a result of the domestication of sheep, which took place during the Neolithic (5th millennium BC). This confirms that wool has certainly had a long history, as evidenced by the findings in archaeological contexts dating back to the first dynasties (4th millennium BC).
The historian Herodotus writes that wool was considered impure by the ancient Egyptians, but this prescription probably concerned only the priestly class and funerary contexts, not the sphere of everyday life

The first news of cotton, another fabric attested in ancient Egypt, is generally considered an inscription found in the Ancient Near East and attributed to King Sennacherib (705 – 681 BC) in which the king claims to have planted “trees bearing wool“. However, cotton was certainly known and used even before that date, since it was identified within some garments found in the tombs of Assyrian queens in Nimrud dating back to the eighth century, and probably had come up here from Babylon. In ancient Egypt, cotton is not attested until the 1st century AD, although some species of cotton plants are native to Nubia: this contradiction still remains unexplained.

The last fabric to mention is silk, which is attested in Egypt only in a very late period and for which it is difficult to establish a precise date of appearance. In fact, since the production of silk fabric does not require the use of tools other than those used for wool and linen, the archaeological documentation fails to provide clear information on the beginning of silk production. Attestation that silk was known in Greece and Western Europe only occurs from the second half of the fifth century BC, while this fabric seems to appear in Egypt only after the fifth century AD: it might seem strange, but it must be considered that ancient Egypt was always rather closed to external trends and it is therefore possible that for a long time silk circulated in the Mediterranean without penetrating the Egyptian market.

As we have seen, ancient Egypt did not boast a great variety of fabrics used: for the most part, wool and linen were used, adding a small percentage of hemp if the fiber was to be strengthened, while only in later times cotton and, lastly, silk became popular.

Marta Fornasari

To deepen the subject:
Spinazzi-Lucchesi, The Unwound Yarn. Birth and Development of Textile Tools Between Levant and Egypt, Venezia 2018.

Photos: Leonardo Ramos, Kazuend, Jamie Edwards, Vince Ceras, Amber Martin, Butterflyarc.