Tailorlux makes impact visible in supply chains
Tailorlux specialises in unique chemical marking to enhance supply chain transparency, recycling rates, and product safety against piracy. It leverages a blend of spectroscopy, materials science, and innovative detection technology to ensure product integrity. In a conversation with Fibre2Fashion, Managing Director Tobias Herzog discusses traceability in the textile value chain.
How has the textile industry’s approach to traceability and sustainability evolved in the last decade, and what key factors have driven these changes?
This is a very difficult question because it is hard to point out a trend or any key factors. It would be overly simplistic to attribute changes solely to rising consumer awareness or increased legal regulations regarding sustainability and traceability. This is because sustainable innovations like Renewcell struggle to penetrate the market while super-fast fashion brands are experiencing rapid growth. As margins shrink because companies like Shein can achieve massive growth with products of questionable sustainability, the importance of traceability and sustainability becomes a lesser priority for some decision-makers.
Herein lies a potential trap for traceability and sustainability. These concepts are logically linked because innovative, low-impact materials need to be distinguishable from other commodities to protect against fraud. However, precisely these materials are more expensive, so adding the cost of traceability on top makes surviving in the market even more challenging. Reflecting on the last decade, I would say that while technology has advanced, the dynamics of the textile industry have not significantly changed to accommodate this advancement.
What emerging technologies are currently shaping the future of fibre and textile traceability, and how do they promise to enhance transparency and sustainability in the industry?
There are several brilliant solutions in the market, each with different strengths and weaknesses. As a provider of physical traceability solutions, it might seem odd to conclude that none of these technologies alone will enhance traceability and sustainability in the industry. Collaboration is necessary because transparency is a holistic approach from B2B to B2C that cannot be solved by a single solution. I believe physical tracers play a crucial role in the fibre segment to cover a blind spot of technologies focused on product-level identifiers, such as QR and DM codes. However, technology itself will never be the driver of transparency and sustainability in the textile industry. As long as there is no real commitment to transparency and sustainability, the technology will remain a gadget for niche markets, capsules, and endless pilots. Technology is merely a tool, and I personally feel these tools are not being utilised due to insecurities about making the right commitment and defining sustainable products without undermining the existing business model.
How are global regulations and consumer demands affecting the development and adoption of traceability solutions in textiles, particularly for natural fibres like cotton?
Global regulations and consumer demands are significantly influencing the development and adoption of traceability solutions in textiles, especially for natural fibres like cotton. The impact of regulations varies across brands. Although there is a lack of uniform global regulations, certain legislation such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) are the only legal frameworks causing concern for legal departments. Other legal frameworks remain vague regarding fibre traceability. The case of cotton and the UFLPA is a prime example. Although many traceability solution providers claim to offer “UFLPA-Compliant Solutions,” I seriously doubt such compliance can truly exist given the complex legal framework that requires extensive legal consultancy to understand why your shipment might be held up by customs.
Cotton is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. As the demand for fibres rises and we acknowledge the real cost of replacing natural fibres with PET, a significant gap emerges between supply and demand. Cotton cannot simply fill this gap by massively expanding agricultural space, especially in regions facing deforestation or water shortages. In this scenario, cotton will not adopt physical tracers for traceability but as an anti-counterfeiting solution. It will be about protecting a valuable material sourced from specific locations and linked to sustainable agricultural practices.
What are the most significant challenges facing supply chain transparency in the textile industry, and what strategies can companies adopt to overcome these hurdles?
Obtaining reliable information about the supply chain, from the cotton fields to the outlet, is one of the biggest challenges for the brands we work with. Consequently, brands today have no choice but to rely on documentary traceability provided by intermediaries. At this level of the supply chain, achieving physical traceability is very difficult, yet it is crucial for guaranteeing the product’s origin. We have proven that seed-to-garment traceability is possible when physical traceability and digital traceability platforms are combined. However, these approaches require involvement and commitment from brands to incentivise farmers and producers to share their primary data.
Looking forward, what major trends do you anticipate will influence the focus and priorities of the textile industry, especially in the areas of material integrity, product safety, and traceability?
The main intention of our textile customers is to ensure material integrity. If you have a low-impact fibre that resembles any other commodity, you need our solution to make impact visible. At Tailorlux, we encounter clients who are unwilling to wait for the industry to make a commitment to transparency; they want to protect their product and make sure it is used in the final garment. It is about making a content claim to protect the business model rather than enhancing the transparency of the supply chain.
Tailorlux has evolved significantly since its inception in 2009. Can you share how the company’s focus shifted from smart materials to integrity solutions, and what impact this strategic reorientation has had on the textile industry, particularly in terms of cotton and fibre traceability?
Initially, in 2011, we began enriching man-made cellulosic fibre as just another carrier for the tracer, which could be blended into any other fibre-based product, primarily targeting the technical textile industry. This approach changed following the Egyptian cotton scandal in home textiles in the US, which highlighted the need for traceability in the textile industry. However, the company’s focus remained consistent on material integrity, anti-counterfeiting, and preventing fibre adulteration. Tailorlux continues to support this path, seeing our role as aiding digital traceability with physical evidence of material integrity.
This means Tailorlux will persist in assisting manufacturers with special materials that possess specific value and quality claims.
Your company uses unique inorganic tracers to digitise fibres, enhancing traceability and product integrity. Could you elaborate on how this technology was developed and how it differentiates Tailorlux from other players in the market?
At Tailorlux, our commitment to innovation and excellence distinguishes us as leaders in the field of traceability and product integrity. Unlike other market players, we are the sole company utilising spectroscopy—a cutting-edge technology that offers unparalleled accuracy and versatility in digitising fibres, tailoring individual fingerprints, and detecting them with a single device in the field.
While some companies may rely on up-converters, we have opted for spectroscopy due to its superior forensic capabilities and its limitless potential for fingerprinting. Up-converters, though widely used, fall short in forensic applications and offer a limited number of fingerprints, which restricts their effectiveness in traceability efforts.
What truly sets Tailorlux apart is our vision for a decentralised traceability system, akin to an analogue blockchain. We empower every actor in the supply chain to scan for unique individual manufacturing codes, creating a network of transparency and accountability that spans from raw material extraction to the retailers. This creates a new level of integrity for consumers without label fatigue or greenwashing. Our decentralised approach ensures that traceability is not only comprehensive but also accessible and efficient, laying the foundation for a truly sustainable and responsible industry. With Tailorlux, companies can embrace the future of traceability with confidence, knowing that they are at the forefront of innovation and integrity.
How are Tailorlux’s tracer fibres integrated into materials such as viscose, polyamide, or PET, and what are the key challenges and successes you have experienced in implementing these solutions across different textiles?
Manufacturers are provided with tracer dispersion, masterbatch, or simply enriched staple fibres to ensure easy process integration without the need for additional process steps. The use of masterbatches and fibres as carriers for the tracer makes this solution easily scalable and versatile in industrial processes.
The tracer becomes an inseparable part of the textile product, elevating textile integrity to a new level. From this moment on, the tracer can be detected throughout the supply chain, using a handheld device or even in-line during the spinning process.
Additionally, the materials we use for the textile industry are toxicologically safe and have already been qualified for Organic Cotton or Cradle-to-Cradle standards.
With sustainability being a crucial concern in the textile industry, how does Tailorlux contribute to increasing recycling and circularity rates?
With its invisible marking solution, Tailorlux introduces a new approach to circularity, offering numerous advantages for companies:
- Transparent supply chains promote the credibility of companies.
- Thanks to complete traceability, it is possible to reduce resource consumption and minimise negative environmental impacts.
- Our tracer can also be integrated into the recycling process for take-back textiles.
Tailorlux boasts a multidisciplinary team of scientists. How does this expertise drive your R&D efforts, and what new advancements can clients expect in the near future regarding fibre and textile authentication and traceability?
Tailorlux’s multidisciplinary team of scientists drives our R&D efforts, focusing on fibre and textile authentication and traceability. We are developing chemometric features to improve sorting technology, enabling precise fibre classification. Additionally, our advancements in quantifying material blends offer clients deeper insights into their products' composition. This system can automatically verify the material blend on the production floor, starting from the shredding mill. Recycled content can also be verified and quantified online and during production to create tokens for digital transactions of yarn. A third-party verification process is also established to facilitate the circularity journey of fashion brands.
What are the most significant challenges Tailorlux faces in advancing cotton and fibre traceability, and what opportunities do you see for growth and innovation in this space?
Tailorlux can add a physical tracer to both natural and man-made fibres – an indestructible tracer. This enables brands to address procurement risks and fill an information gap for the product passport. This solution transcends paperwork and digitises raw materials for enhanced transparency in the supply chain, making the impact visible. For example, it is possible to determine the recycled content of yarns and fabrics with traceable materials. With greenwashing becoming an obvious threat, the tracer solution offers a way to provide recycling claims with the highest proof of integrity.
Lastly, with your extensive experience in product protection and traceability solutions, what advice would you give to textile manufacturers and brands looking to enhance the integrity and traceability of their products?
I would advise textile manufacturers and brands to prioritise taking real steps towards transparency, rather than merely discussing traceability. This involves implementing robust physical traceability systems that provide verifiable information about the origins, processing, and distribution of materials. By embracing transparency as a fundamental value and investing in physical traceability technologies, manufacturers and brands can build trust with consumers, differentiate their products in the market, and contribute to a more sustainable and responsible industry.
