Basf invests on research and takes special fabrics to fashion shows
Valor Econômico
In the 2009 winter season, one sort of fabric attracted the attention of the public in the Animale runway show, during the São Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW): with a special finishing, it changed colors as the body temperature of the model changed. In the shows of the 2010 summer collection, held in June, it was the time of the brand UMA to present fabrics with a whitish chemical cover that is released from the clothes as they are used and washed. In both cases, the designers had a help of Basf, manufacturer of chemical products that has been investing in what it calls "chemistry design" and, this year, it opened a new laboratory of textile research in Brazil: the Competence Center Foam Coating.
Located at the Basf plant of paints and varnishes, in São Bernardo do Campo (SP), the center is the first one aimed at textile applications with foam of Latin America, according the company. The foam requires less water and chemical products in the dying and finishing processes.
According to David Baecker, manager of the textile unit of Basf for the Americas, the closeness with the designers is strategic: they are more open to researches of new finishing and special effects. "The textile industries are not willing to risk with new trends", says Baecker.
With the inauguration of the Competence Center, it is possible to play with the surface of both the fabrics and the finished clothes. The laboratory was equipped with Gaston System machines which allow the foam applications in textiles. The main advantage is the possibility of carrying out tests and simulations in finishing, dying and pre-treatment of fabrics at a small scale. According to Baecker, in the United States, the company works together with leading brands of the jeanswear segment, like 7 for all Mankind and Rock & Republic. "But the work we are doing in Brazil have been so innovative we are already developing projects for companies in Turkey".
With more than 140 years in the market, Basf started its operations making dyes. In 2008, the company sold € 62 billion. In South America, the sales amounted to € 2.99 billion. The textile area is part of a unit of performance products (pigments for the paper, plastics and leather industries, for example), which represents 14% of Basf sales in the world and 18% in South America. This unit received investments of nearly € 230 million in 2008.