A two-part exclusive interview with Diviya Loomba, Vice President of Eagle Fabrics, a leader in innovation and quality in knitted textile fabrication.
Part 2: Diviya explains why textile production requires fabric to be produced in large batches, which translates to high minimums. She also shares the creative options that allow Eagle Fabrics to offer low minimums to startups and smaller brands.
Taryn: How many yards of fabric are required for a conventional industrial dye machine?
Diviya: Dye machines need a specific ratio of dye to water to fabric. Based on the machine size, minimums tend to range at 800-1000 per fabric per color. For smaller brands, this can be tough to commit to as they are growing their business. Keeping this in mind, we at Eagle Brands have created alternative options to help support newer brands so that every brand has access to high-quality, Made in Los Angeles fabrics.
T: What sustainable fabrics do you keep on hand?
D: In order to offer stock options for growing brands, we run over-productions on many of our most popular styles. This collection includes a variety of sustainable fabrics. The different styles are subject to availability and include jerseys, French terrys, fleeces, ribs, novelties, etc. These fabrics are available in sustainable fibers such as TENCEL Modal, TENCEL Lyocell, Lenzing EcoVero, GOTS Certified Organic Cotton, Recycled Cotton, Recycled Poly (RPET), and more.
T: Are there options for medium or smaller brands to buy or dye less yardage?
D: Every brand has to start somewhere and we understand that meeting minimums to fulfill machine requirements can be challenging. To support the needs of growing sustainable brands, we have built a stock collection of our most popular fabrics that include sustainable options such as GOTS Certified Organic Cotton jersey, jersey with spandex, rib, and French terry. Typically stocked in the natural color of organic cotton, our customers can purchase what they need, when they need it, allowing them to produce on demand and reduce waste.
T: Do you sell excess fabric to jobbers?
D: With made-to-order fabrics, over-production is very common. However, in our efforts to reduce waste and prevent fabric from reaching landfills, we created an online shop showcasing these items. The Eagle Fabrics Shop has grown to be a collection of more than 100 different fabrics. These styles are top quality, consist of both conventional and sustainable fibers, and are all Made in Los Angeles. With the hopes of giving these fabrics a new life, now startups and small brands all over the US have access to high-quality fabric with no minimums.
T: Do you have any new innovations in fabrics you’d like to offer to the Suuchi Inc. following?
D: With Spring/Summer 2020 development in full swing for many brands, there’s a big trend in textured fabrics. This translates across multiple markets from women’s contemporary, high-end men’s, intimates, and childrenswear. A few of these newly designed fabrics include a novelty pointelle using TENCEL Lyocell blended with cotton, variegated ribs made from Lenzing’s EcoVero Recycled Viscose, and a super-soft, drapey French terry made with TENCEL Modal and GOTS Certified Organic Cotton.
