Hyosung TNC: Shifting from yarn maker to eco-fashion trendsetter

Hyosung TNC Corp., known for decades as a nylon and fiber yarn maker, has launched a clothing brand unveiling garments made of recycled polyester and organic cotton in a move to become an eco-friendly fashion trendsetter.

The textile unit of Hyosung Group is no stranger to the environmentally friendly fiber market. Hyosung TNC’s “regen” is South Korea’s first eco-friendly polyester yarn made of substances extracted from recycled PET bottles. Made of 100% recycled material, regen dramatically reduces landfill waste and CO2 emissions.

Having long supplied regen and other fiber products to finished goods manufacturers including fashion and outdoor brands, Hyosung TNC is now reaching out to consumers under its own clothing brand G3H10.

According to the company on Monday, the first product under the new brand is a hoodie that will come in three colors -- charcoal, ivory and olive. The hoodies will be a blend of recycled polyester regen and organic cotton grown without the use of synthetic pesticides.

“As a business-to-business company, this is the first time for us to manufacture clothes and introduce them to customers. We want to reflect their needs in the process of developing fiber and other textiles,” said Chief Executive Kim Yong-seup.

The G3H10 hoodies will be available online through Wadiz, Korea’s largest crowdfunding platform.

Explaining the brand’s name G3H10, Hyosung said G3 stands for green, good and globe, while H10 represents 10 words starting with H, including Hyosung, healthy and human.

Some Hyosung workers made a pun from the name, saying it refers to the company’s fashion design team working on the 10th floor of the Hyosung building, located near exit 3 of the Gongdeok subway station.

Hyosung TNC launched its own fashion design center in 2017, the first among Korea’s textile and yarn makers, in a move to advance into the business-to-consumer market.

RECYCLED YARN FROM DISCARDED PET BOTTLES

Hyosung TNC, the world’s largest spandex manufacturer, has been accelerating its entry into the global eco-friendly market as demand for such products rises among businesses looking to boost their enterprise value as a “green company.”

Amid growing calls for corporate responsibility concerning environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, major companies around the world are ramping up investments in ESG-related business.

The global eco-friendly fiber market is growing at an average of approximately 10% a year, according to research and consulting firm Grand View Research. The market is expected to reach around $70 billion by 2025.

Hyosung’s eco-friendly products are attracting interest from the global fashion and outdoor brands including Swedish fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) and German multinational sports brand Adidas AG.

In Korea, local eco-fashion brand Pleatsmama Co. is making clothes and bags comprised solely of Hyosung TNC's recycled regen polyester.

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at Kkm1026@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.