How We Make it: Functional Fabrics by Singtex

Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Singtex is a pioneer in sustainable performance fabrics. We first worked together in 2013 to create our first pants, and we continue to draw inspiration from their vision for innovation from the fiber level, commitment to the environment, and involvement with their community.

The Team

Jason Chen, the CEO of Singtex, has been a Ministry of Supply supporter for years. Passionate about textile innovation and sustainability, Jason will never shy away from a chance to prove Singtex technology. Jason and other team members are full of personality - demonstrated by their “product testing” tradition. They recently took to the sea, wearing performance suits in an open-water swim.

The team has fun, but they are serious about their commitment to the environment, Singtex holds a weekly "Vegetarian Day" to promote energy-conservation and carbon reduction among employees. They also support the community and environment locally in Taiwan through sponsorship of educational and civic initiatives, including sponsoring the Wulai Marathon in order to support the development of LOHAS and environmentalism.

The Lab

Singtex’s design lab develops technical yarns, fabrics, and dyeing and coating processes for the future of functional fabrics. We have collaborated closely to adapt Singtex performance capabilities to professional styles. Many of our innovations came from long sessions in the Singtex lab:

• Collar Development
  Countless prototypes went into our 3D Collar Design. From designing the perfect pattern, to testing construction techniques and collar-stay materials, our time in the lab paid off with a design that stays crisp, resists “winging”, and stands up to the wash.

• Laser Cutting and Drilling
  We’ve worked with Singtex to apply laser cutting technology in innovative ways - from precise cuts on seams and pocket patches, to the underarm ventilation on Aero and Hybrid dress shirts.

• Bonding
  In an effort to create clean lines and invisible seams, we’ve worked with Singtex to explore bonding techniques as an alternative to sewing.

The Technology

Singtex has played a key role in developing some of our most exciting technology. We love working with them because they are constantly pursuing innovation for performance and sustainability.

• S.Café  
  The key to many of our odor-resistant pieces, S.Café is a sustainable material that uses recycled coffee grounds and recycled plastic bottles to create highly functional materials.

• EcoSy
  An S.Cafe insulation made entirely from recycled bottles and coffee grounds.

• Airnest
  This technology displaces the need for 100% petroleum-based polyurethane by re-polymerizing coffee oil into polyurethane. It’s what we use to form the waterproof membrane in the Mercury jacket.

• Waterless Dyeing
  Carbon dioxide waterless dyeing circumvents the need for large amount of water use, in a low-energy, closed-loop process. We’ve partnered with Singtex to use this process in our Mercury, Dry Days and Responsive fabrics.