Enrica Arena is one of the Co-Founders of Orange Fiber, an Italian company that patented and creates sustainable fabrics from oranges. The fabrics are truly innovative and offer a wide range of possible uses. We wanted to find out more about Orange Fiber’s work and invited Enrica to tell us more about their production process, their collaborations and more.
Discover our interview with Enrica!
What can you tell us about Orange Fiber? What is it and how did it come about?
Orange Fiber is the Italian company that patented and manufactures sustainable fabrics for the fashion industry from citrus juice by-product. In Italy every year, more than 700000 tons of citrus juice by-products are produced. The disposal of these leftovers has important economic and environmental costs, but, until a few years ago, no one has developed a viable alternative to disposal.
On the other hand, we face an ever-increasing number of consumers demanding sustainable materials and of fashion brands seeking green innovation. It is for these reasons that we have worked to unite oranges, which are typical for Sicily, and world-renown Italian excellence in textiles, developing a disruptive technology that creates an innovative material out of industrial by-products.
Seeing an opportunity where others only saw a problem, we envisioned a new life for these by-products and following a collaboration with Politecnico di Milano University. Back in 2012, we developed an innovative process to create a sustainable fabric using the leftovers of citrus transformation industry.
Our innovative and patented process has the potential to reduce the costs and the environmental impact of pollution related to the industrial waste of citrus transformation, addressing the need for sustainability and innovation in fashion industry.
What were the main difficulties in obtaining this fabric?
The biggest challenges we faced since the beginning of our business have to deal with the process of production and the fundraising.
Fortunately, during these years we were not alone in facing these obstacles. In particular, thanks to our business angels we moved the first steps to transform our idea in a concrete startup; thanks to the funds received by Seed Money, Trentino Sviluppo (Operational Program FERS 2007-2013 of the Autonomous Province of Trento with the contribution of the European Fund for Regional Development) we developed the first fabric prototypes; thanks to Smart & Start, Invitalia (Ministry of Economic Development) we opened our first pilot plant in Sicily and thanks to the grant received by winning the Global Change Award in 2015, we finalized the very first industrial production that has been used to launch the first fashion collection with our fabrics.
Actually our biggest challenges concern the industrial scale up and the optimization of the costs of production.
Practically, on one hand we are working on the process and the synergies with citrus squeezers and their process and on the other hand we are working with industrial players in the cellulosic industry for fabrics to adjust to their standards of production, while keeping in mind brands’ requests and preferences that we discovered with our first production and testing our samples on the market with different players. Also, this process requires time and investment, so we also need to attract investors who believe and support innovation in sustainable fashion.
What are some of the uses the fabric can have (for example, what types of clothes can be made, etc.)?
Orange Fiber has the same peculiarities of man-made cellulosic fibers and it can be used to create different looks, feels and types of clothes (dress, top, trousers, pochette, etc.) according to the designer’s needs.
We are able to manufacture a 100% citrus cellulose yarn that can then be blended at the weaving stage with other materials. If the fabric is 100% Orange Fiber, it has a soft and silky feel, it is lightweight and can be either opaque or shiny. In terms of quality, it can be dyed, colored and printed as any fabric.
Actually, we have developed fabrics like poplin by adding cotton, jersey by adding elastane and our twill is either pure or blended with silk.
For the ‘Ferragamo Orange Fiber Collection’ for instance, we used a 110 dtex filament thread blended with silk, to obtain a silky twill that has the same look, feel and function of its silk homologue.
How do you find the response of the fashion industry and the response of the customers to your fabric?
Our Orange Fiber has always aroused the interest of fashion brands and customers, in Italy and abroad. Every day we receive dozens of expressions of interest and – in order to satisfy them – we are working hard to increase our production capacity and scale up our process. The more we will replace traditional fabrics the more we will contribute to the restart of the fashion industry and create a greener future for our planet.
You’ve had a collaboration Salvatore Ferragamo. What can you tell us about that?
The very first fashion collection made with the exclusive Orange Fiber fabric has been launched on the occasion of Earth Day 2017 on April 22 by Salvatore Ferragamo. We pursued a collaboration that represents our shared ethical values where we worked on shaping the fabric and showcasing its potential for elegant and sustainable applications. Faithful to their motto, Responsible Passion, Salvatore Ferragamo is the first fashion house to employ Orange Fiber fabrics. This much-anticipated collaboration is born of a shared passion for creative innovation, sustainable design and our beloved heritage of Italian excellence.
Our brands have come together to produce a daily wear capsule collection of ethereal, breezy pieces flawlessly suited for the S/S 2017 season and beautifully constructed with the softest of fabrics for a renewed wearing experience. The high quality of the Orange Fiber fabric, the precious prints by the Italian designer Mario Trimarchi and the stylistic mark of the Salvatore Ferragamo Maison made for an exclusive collection that sounds like a hymn to Mediterranean creativity and that represents our official entry into the international fashion market.
Last April our fabric has been included in the Conscious Exclusive 2019, the premium H&M collection made only with recycled and sustainable materials. In line with its commitment to a greener fashion industry and always attentive to industry innovations, the Swedish brand has chosen Orange Fiber to create a sophisticated boho-style top, a tribute to the beauty of nature and a great success for our company.
In June, on the occasion of Pitti Immagine Uomo 96, we presented a limited edition of sustainable ties created by the iconic sartorial brand E. Marinella with our fabric.
How do you think this type of technology can develop in the future?
Today we are working hard to move forward in the R&D process to a point where we can scale up the technology and restart the production, with a long term goal of optimizing the costs of production. This is crucial if we want to develop new collaborations with fashion brands sharing our values and eventually replicate the technology in Italy and abroad, as we extended our IP in the USA, and it is pending in EU, India, Brazil and Mexico.
For the future we hope to establish ourselves as the first Italian mover in the segment of sustainable fabrics through a “green” production of cellulosic fabrics from renewable sources and to create a highly recognizable textile brand for its commitment toward environmental protection and transparency. Further, we want to expand our production outside Europe in order to increase our impact and minimize our logistics, keeping in mind our sustainability goal.
Do you think that over the next years, there will be a major shift in the way we relate to clothes?
Yes, we believe that in the next years there will be a major shift in the way we relate to clothes, a kind of revolution that has already started.
More and more consumers are demanding sustainable products and – driven by a bottom up effect – fashion brands are gradually changing their mindsets, incorporating more sustainable materials and practices, in a circular economy perspective.
The journey to a greener fashion industry is still long but the signs of change are really encouraging. So, we are positive and do our best!
Thank you!
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. We want to hear from you! What do you think of Enrica’s work at Orange Fiber? Would you wear a fabric made from fruits? Do you think this will be future trend? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!