Official Show Guide - director-e

AWARDS
Tough Love
Durable by name and durable by nature – the overall
sponsor of the Business Manager Awards gets behind
the industry’s hard workers
INVISTA’s CORDURA ® brand knows tough when it sees it. The vertically
integrated synthetic fibre producer is as committed to its CORDURA ® brand for
durable fabrics as it is to the resilient people who use it. The team’s desire to
recognise those who have gone that extra mile is one reason they have
sponsored the Business Manager Awards 2009. director-e spoke to Bill Colven,
global business director for INVISTA’s CORDURA ® brand, about their presence at
the awards and their future plans in the European workwear market.
When did INVISTA launch in Europe
and what success have you had since?
Subsidiaries of Koch Industries, Inc. acquired
INVISTA from DuPont only five years ago, but
INVISTA is built on a heritage of innovation. The
CORDURA ® brand was launched globally in 1977
and the European market has always been an
important focus. In recent years, the key success
for the CORDURA ® brand in Europe has been in
the workwear market. As the demand for stylish,
functional garments has grown, CORDURA ® fabric
usage as reinforcement has increased. The
CORDURA ® brand fabric promise of durability is of
genuine value to this market.
What are your latest plans?
In 2008, we launched the first in a new generation
of CORDURA ® NYCO fabrics - based on an
intimate blend of INVISTA T420 nylon 6,6 fibre
and combed cotton - together with Klopman
International. Klopman Vantage fabric featuring
CORDURA ® brand technology successfully
combines the experience of Klopman as a leading
European manufacturer of fabrics for the
workwear market and the durability of CORDURA ®
fabric to offer a comfortable, yet highly durable
fabric solution, suitable for use as a full garment.
This year, there are plans to introduce a range of
CORDURA ® brand fabrics in
Europe that
are aimed at improving the durability of
protectivewear garments. The CORDURA ®
Baselayer brand T-shirt and CORDURA ®
Baselayer fabric portfolio will be available in Europe
in 2009, and we see massive potential for this
product in workwear applications where comfort
and durability are of such great importance to
wearers.
We launched the ‘Durable People’ advertising
campaign earlier this year with images specifically
designed for the European workwear market.
Also, our new CORDURA ® brand hangtag and
sew-in label are now available.
I’m pleased to be able to invite you to have a look
at our new website, www.CORDURA.com - the
new site is user-friendly and covers the full scope
of the CORDURA ® brand business. It enables
manufacturers, retailers and consumers worldwide
to connect with the CORDURA ® brand through
targeted technical, supply chain and
merchandising tools.
Why has INVISTA’s CORDURA ® brand
team chosen to sponsor the Business
Manager Awards?
The CORDURA ® brand business is interested in
Bill Colven, global business director for
INVISTA’s CORDURA ® brand
supporting initiatives and individuals that make a
positive contribution to the textile industry. We
jumped at the opportunity to work with the
Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show
organisers to sponsor the inaugural Business
Manager Awards because it’s important to
recognise the dedication and commitment of
buyers to the textile and garment markets.
The people behind the scenes are critical to all
aspects of development and growth in this multimillion
pound industry. During this challenging
economic time, it’s fantastic to celebrate
achievements in the European workwear and
corporate clothing industry.
Responding promptly to challenges - whether
those are design, safety, garment life, wearer
comfort, environmental or financial related - drives
innovation in this industry. By creating a forum to
recognise those who excel in finding solutions,
companies and individuals are encouraged to
continue looking for new ways to deliver the right
products to the workforce, which ultimately drives
the industry forward.
What presence will INVISTA have over
the two-day Workwear and Corporate
Clothing Show?
INVISTA’s CORDURA ® brand will be exhibiting on
Stand C6. We’re definitely looking forward to a
busy couple of days. We will be showing
CORDURA ® brand fabrics that will be featured ‘in
use’ on garments and footwear. This includes our
extensive line of reinforcement fabrics as well as
the new Klopman Vantage fabric featuring
CORDURA ® brand technology for full garment use.
We will also be showcasing our CORDURA ®
Baselayer T-shirt and CORDURA ® Baselayer fabric
portfolio.
The important thing for attendees to remember is
that the CORDURA ® brand team is all about
solutions, so visitors are welcomed to our booth to
learn about how we can tailor our offerings to meet
their needs.
14 www.director-e.com www.fabricdirector-e.com www.workwearshow.co.uk