Hayleys Fabric’s ‘WARNA by Mahogany’, the natural dye innovation behind a new line of organic, eco-friendly fabric, was listed among the Top 10 global innovations at the ISPO Textrends Spring/Summer 2024.
As one of the first Sri Lankan eco-friendly fabric innovations to be featured on ISPO Textrends– a leading German platform and melting pot for the world’s most innovative, high-performance fabrics – the breakthrough recognition for WARNA by Mahogany is expected to further elevate Sri Lanka’s reputation as a global pioneer in specialised, sustainable, circular fabric sourcing for the sports apparel sector.
WARNA by Mahogany, a pioneering waste-to-fashion initiative, was developed by Hayleys Fabric’s Head of Sustainable Innovation Leonie Vaas, by extracting the dye in-house using waste material generated by the local furniture industry.
“In the past, the fashion and textile industry has mainly focused on optimising usage of synthetic dyes.
However, with the rise of environmentally-conscious consumers, the demand for natural dyes and recycled materials in fabric has increased significantly. We have taken every measure possible to make our textile manufacturing process sustainable, and WARNA is a testament to this commitment,” Hayleys Fabric Managing Director/CEO Rohan Goonetilleke said.
“We are delighted to have been recognised for our efforts and to have showcased Sri Lankan ingenuity on an international platform, among the most innovative sustainable trends in the world,” he further stated.
The Mahogany dye has been tested to ensure that it is on par with internationally accepted standards and is free of hazardous chemicals, making it safer for the wearer, the environment and those involved in the manufacturing process. The exclusive mahogany dye is rich in hues, offering 16 hybrid dye colours across different fabric compositions (100% cotton, 100% polyester and poly-cotton blend).
A single impact lifecycle assessment was conducted to identify and analyse the impact on climate change, with the results showing a 36% positive impact on the environment in comparison to the usage of synthetic dyes. The leftover is collected and directly used in fertiliser manufacturing to sustain circularity.
The initiative supports multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), such as responsible consumption and production, sustainable innovation and infrastructure, clean water and sanitation, life below water, life on land and climate change.
Hayleys Fabric is also working with other natural dye suppliers to develop a new range of environmentally-friendly products for the market through its INNO brand, which aims to commercialise environmentally friendly, functional, fashionable, value-added fabrics for use in apparel products in markets around the globe.
Hayleys Fabric PLC is a pioneer in textiles manufacturing in Sri Lanka, capable of delivering end-to-end solutions from design to manufacture, and was the first apparel sector company to be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2003. The Hayleys Fabric Group has a production capacity of over 6 million meters of cotton and synthetic fabric per month and has the largest manufacturing capacity in Sri Lanka. The company is a leading partner to globally renowned fashion and apparel brands.