Posted December 4, 2017
REINACH, Switzerland, and NEW YORK, N.Y. – Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, announced that its Archroma Color Management service business has partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and its Textile Development and Marketing Department to create the first Archroma Color Center.
The Archroma Color Center @FIT is a facility where FIT students can utilize leading-edge industry color management tools for their design projects, gaining hands-on expertise that equips them for successful careers in the fashion and textiles industries.
FIT students designed the space under the direction of Sean Cormier, an associate professor at the college’s Textile Development and Marketing program. Key components for the room were donated by Archroma.
The Archroma Color Center @FIT includes a large-scale color reference that recreates the 4,320 hue Color Atlas by Archroma® as a wall-hung, flip-through display. A complete six-set Color Atlas – featuring an easy-to-use system of detachable fabric swatches – has also been donated to the lab, which students use to select hues for their design projects. Colors from the physical Color Atlas library are easily found using the cutting edge online Color Search tool. A set of color design tools representing each shade in Color Atlas has also been donated for students to incorporate into their individual class presentations.
Students use the Color Atlas as a guide in developing color stories for various projects that are done in the FIT textile program, including a “color pitching” assignment where they must create two new colorways, one warm and one cool, for a chosen print. Students are also asked to use the library to research colors, then they dye sample fabrics and matching trim materials. The students also use the on-line color matching system, visiting retail stores where they spot trends and capture color info on their phones. Students have asked to use color chips from the Center for projects they have in other classes, like product development, or for developing mood boards for vocational club presentations.
“It’s key that FIT students not only graduate with the theoretical knowledge about how our industry works, but that they are exposed to the most advanced design libraries, tools, software and equipment,” Cormier said. “With Archroma’s generous donation of materials, our students are actually using and becoming familiar with a modern color selection system that they will encounter when they walk into the marketplace after graduation.”
“We’re giving the students a realistic environment to learn in,” said Brad McClanahan, global head of Service Businesses at Archroma. “These are the same tools that they will use in industry, assembling color palettes for seasonal design presentations and production specifications. We want the next generation of industry professionals to have hands-on experience with the next generation of tools."
G-star raw selects Archroma’s EarthColors
Archroma partners with FIT on Color Center for students
The Archroma Color Center at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), featuring the Color Atlas by Archroma®. (Photo courtesy Archroma)
Separately, Archroma announced its first-ever collaboration with G-Star RAW. G-Star RAW recently introduced a new capsule collection of denim colored using Archroma’s EarthColors, a range of dyes made from recycled plant waste.
Archroma’s EarthColors range recently came to public attention for being the Gold Winner of the OutDoor Industry Award 2017, Sustainable Innovations category.
Archroma’s EarthColors is a line of patented plant-based dyes, sourced from up to 100 percent renewable resources. Archroma developed EarthColors using non-edible waste products, from agriculture and herbal industries, to replace petroleum derived raw materials, which are the conventional raw materials used to synthesize dyes currently. This gives brands an alternative when looking for more natural ways of dyeing garments.
The three colors available in the capsule collection are “Dark Plum,” “Asfalt” and “Mazarine Blue” and are made from the non-edible parts of beetroot and saw palmetto, left over from agriculture industry or herbal extraction.
The collection hit stores November 1, 2017, and is available online.
“As denim innovators we’re always striving to challenge conventions – both in terms of style and future-proof processes,” said Frouke Bruinsma, corporate responsibility director, G-Star RAW. “The introduction of EarthColors into G-Star’s jeans’ collection represents a successful collaboration with Archroma and the embodiment of our sustainable mindset which guides our product design from start to finish.”
“G-Star is the very first denim brand to collaborate with Archroma to create a collection of colored jeans,” said Paul Cowell, global head of brand marketing, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties, Archroma. “By doing so, we hope they will inspire more denim brands and retailers to switch to sustainable dyeing ingredients that, like EarthColors, allow creating gorgeous colors – and at the same time are so much gentler on our planet. Because it’s our nature!”
Source: Archroma
