‘Time is money’ – Soko's warm reception for cool products
Italian chemicals company Soko has unveiled a potassium permanganate alternative that can be added to the washing machine, dryer or sprayed to create an ‘acid look’ without hazardous chemicals.
Frost is not acidic, which makes it easy to control in production, Soko’s marketing and technology manager, Luca Braschi, told Inside Denim.
It was among several products promoted by the company this season, including Soko Shadow, which creates a multi-coloured effect with garment dyes. It naturally accumulates around seams and pockets, creating a multi-tone depth through its dye-resist and migration properties, and can be used on a range of fabrics, from RFD (ready for dyeing) to denim.
The company has also collected more data on the benefits of Hydrogel, which combines the ingredients to achieve a stonewash effect in one product. It was initially launched to reduce water consumption, Mr Braschi tells us, as its jellification effect can result in an 85% saving.
However, after speaking with laundries, they realised the saving in time was key. Reducing the steps from raw to bleach from around six to one means the time can be reduced by at least 45%. “If you’re able to do everything in half the time, you save a lot of money,” he explained.
Energy saving is also becoming more of an issue now, he added, “and with our process, you only need to heat the machine up once, instead of three times. Also, you simplify operators’ work, so there is less chance for mistakes.”
Hydrogel, Frost and Shadow were demonstrated in a recent collaboration with Isko Luxury by PG, working with Paolo Gnutti and Isko to explore the effects on various fabric blends.
