Karl Mayer’s lace specialist Jamie Heather interviewed Walter Colombo (WC), R&D Manager at Iluna. WC said that since the first day of the pandemic, Iluna has adopted meticulous precautions in the workplace, provided the team protective equipment, and asked them to maintain adequate distancing. The pandemic has prevented the possibility of physical movement, making it necessary to have an active digital presence on social media channels, our website, and online meetings. These remote methods represent a leap into the future. In a way, it is closely related to sustainability, and less travel and greater use of digital channels will continue to be used, even after the pandemic.
Iluna is a traditional European manufacturing company in the lace sector that has been setting industry trends for over 50 years. In the mid-1980s, Iluna became the first producer in Europe to start manufacturing elastic lace. Over the years, a production and trading network was established with associated companies in Poland, China, and the USA. Today, Iluna employs around 300 people worldwide. In its factories, 80 Karl Mayer warp knitting machines are running and producing high-quality textiles: elastic and rigid lace, microfiber articles, tulle, and much more. The chic warp-knitted fabrics go into the lingerie, corsetry, and swimwear sectors. Besides, Iluna is one of the largest hosiery and seamless garment manufacturers. On their journey to success, the traditional company has overcome many crises.
While addressing the sustainability question, Colombo replied that 70% of our production is made of sustainable materials. We offer two cutting-edge sustainable collections, the Green Label and BIOLINE. Strictly Made in Italy, starting from recycled ingredients, the Green Label collection is certified Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Its two key ingredients are the Q-NOVA by Fulgar polyamide 6.6 fiber, obtained precisely from pre-consumer raw materials, and the premium recycled stretch yarn ROICA EF. The high-performing and the sustainable yarn is part of the ROICA Eco-Smart family made from more than 50% pre-consumer recycled content. This season, the Green Label expands with the world’s first 100% GRS certified flocked article: an exclusive development opening up new possibilities for brands and retailers, which is entirely made from recycled materials and allows infinite printing possibilities by offering a highly customizable solution.
The BIOLINE embraces Circular Economy and features the AMNI SOUL ECO polyamide 6.6 yarn. The fiber is biodegradable in anaerobic conditions and degrades around five years after wasted. BIOLINE is also made with the ROICA V550 premium sustainable stretch yarn that, once discarded, smartly breaks down without releasing harmful substances into the environment, according to Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification. ROICA V550 also comes with the Gold Level Material Health Certificate.
Iluna’s creative patterns are traditionally realized on Karl Mayer machines. The interview concluded with a discussion of the cooperation between the two long-standing partners. Walter Colombo stresses that his company is still very keen to work with Karl Mayer to launch lace production innovations. Asked about his wishes for further optimizations, Walter Colombo replied, “improvements in pattern changing downtime.” Pattern changes should be very easy and set-up times should be reduced in order to be able to produce even small yardages economically – requirements that Karl Mayer is already focusing on, says Jamie Heather before thanking Walter Colombo for the interview.
