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Hello, I’m Kimura from the ApparelX Sustainable team.
At ApparelX Sustainable, we have introduced a variety of sustainable materials and initiatives in the apparel industry so far.
This time, we are introducing a regenerated cellulose fiber, "SEACELL®", which uses seaweed as part of its raw material.
In fact, ApparelX used SEACELL® to develop an original jersey textile.
This time, in addition to what kind of material SEACELL® is, we will also introduce why we chose this material, what kind of textile we finished it into, and the product development process.
SEACELL® is a regenerated cellulose fiber developed by the German company Smartfiber. Its distinctive feature is that Icelandic brown algae is incorporated into the cellulose. According to Smartfiber, the seaweed used is harvested by sustainable methods. SMARTFIBER AG By incorporating seaweed-derived components into the fiber, SEACELL® is offered as a material with a soft, comfortable texture. Smartfiber also introduces vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and more contained in seaweed.
Related blog ▼
What makes SEACELL® special is not only that it uses seaweed. In the manufacturing process, a closed-loop process is adopted in which chemicals are reused without being discarded. Smartfiber describes this manufacturing method as an environmentally conscious process that does not discharge chemicals as waste. SMARTFIBER AG SEACELL® is also introduced as a biodegradable and compostable fiber. In Smartfiber’s FAQ, SEACELL® is said to be suitable for home composting as well. SMARTFIBER AG Not only does it have the easy-to-understand story of "using seaweed," but it is also a material designed with the manufacturing process and disposal in mind, which is one of SEACELL®’s attractions.
There are various sustainable material options, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, and lyocell. One reason we focused on SEACELL® among them was that, in addition to being sustainable, the material itself has a story. While it has the clear appeal of being a "fiber born from seaweed," in practice it can be developed into textile just like ordinary apparel materials as a regenerated cellulose fiber. So rather than leaving SEACELL® as a special material, we wondered if we could turn it into a textile that is easy to use in actual garment production.
Not just "using SEACELL®," but making it into an "easy-to-use textile"
During development, we focused on making it a textile that is easy to use in actual garments while taking advantage of SEACELL®’s strengths. The combination we chose was 80% organic cotton and 20% SEACELL®. By combining the natural texture of cotton with the softness of SEACELL®, we aimed for a jersey textile that is easy to use for T-shirts, innerwear, and more. Rather than simply highlighting that SEACELL® is used, we developed it with the viewpoint of whether it is actually easy to use when making garments.
In fact, the development of this textile is also a continuation of the "Sustainable textile under development!" article introduced on the blog before. At the time, we were comparing swatches with various blend ratios and fabric weights, assuming textiles for innerwear such as T-shirts and camisoles. From there, we selected the actual material and shaped it into a textile, which is the SEACELL® textile introduced here.
Related blog ▼
・Activity report for January 2025 ~ Sustainable textile under development! ~
・Activity report for March 2025 ~ Sustainable textile development! Vol. 2 ~
The finished textile is a jersey textile made of 80% organic cotton and 20% SEACELL®. With a width of 160 cm and a fabric weight of 140 g/㎡, it has a relatively light finish, making it easy to use for T-shirts, innerwear, and more. When you actually touch the textile, you can feel a smooth and soft touch while retaining the natural texture of cotton.
For the "SEA001 Seacell jersey" developed this time, quality inspections were also conducted so that it can be used as a reference in actual product production.
First, the pilling result was grade 4.5. This is a test to check resistance to pilling, and the result was relatively good.
For colorfastness, the results were grade 4 to 5 in the tests for washing, perspiration, rubbing (dry and wet), and water. Good results were also obtained in the items that check for fading and color transfer when assuming everyday wear and washing.
In addition, free formaldehyde was 20 μg/g or less. *The standard value generally applied to underwear, nightwear, etc. is 75 μg/g or less.
In addition to sustainability, the test results confirm that this is a textile that is easy to use in actual product development.
Taking advantage of its soft texture, it is recommended for items that come into direct contact with the skin, such as innerwear and T-shirts. For Ladies, it is a good material for innerwear lines such as camisoles and cut-and-sew tops with a trendy sheer look; for men, it pairs well with everyday items such as T-shirts and loungewear. It can also be considered for items such as yoga and activewear, where comfort of the material and consideration for the environment are important.
When you hear "sustainable materials," you may imagine something used only for special items or by limited brands. But our ApparelX SUSTAINABLE team believes that it is important to incorporate sustainable materials into everyday items such as regular T-shirts and innerwear as well. The SEACELL® we selected this time was chosen with the hope that it will become one of those options.
I think that even for trims such as buttons and tapes other than this textile, having a story as a material can make it easier to approach when a product uses sustainable materials. The accumulation of small material choices may support and contribute to apparel manufacturing in the future, don’t you think?
In addition to the products introduced this time, ApparelX is also handling sustainable products and developing original products, which are introduced from time to time, so we hope you will take a look.
