Sustainability isn’t just about protecting the planet anymore, it’s also smart business. Businesses that go green are also seeing more green.
A great example of this shift is Bemberg, the brand name of regenerated cellulose fibre cupro by Japan’s Asahi Kasei Corporation. The brand recently partnered with Bodice, a contemporary Indian women’s fashion label known for its minimal, detail-oriented designs inspired by western styles, for a new eco-conscious collection.
Last year, Bemberg also collaborated with leading luxury couture label Anita Dongre to launch a collection featuring kaftans, dresses, sarees and skirt sets made using Bemberg fabric, which biodegrades easily into soil and marine ecosystems.
“Bemberg stands out compared to viscose because it has better moisture control and excellent dyeability. When dyed together, Bemberg absorbs more colour—resulting in richer, deeper shades. This is especially important for the Indian market, where people love vibrant hues like red, blue and turquoise,” said Kazuki Morise, Manager – South Asia and Middle East Market Development Section, Bemberg.
What is Bemberg fibre?The raw material of Bemberg is cotton linter that is a preconsumer material obtained from the manufacturing process of cottonseed oil. Bemberg is biodegradable and compostable fibre. The cotton linter is refined and dissolved to produce pure regenerated fibres, through a method that takes advantage of Asahi Kasei’s proprietary technology. Bemberg sources its cotton linter from India, Brazil, the USA and Japan. |
He mentioned that Bemberg also stands out for its fine denier yarns, making it ideal for soft, high-quality fabrics. It’s also antistatic and breathable while its soft versatility with deep colours makes it perfect for traditional as well as modern wardrobe fashion, athleisure and everyday casualwear.
For the uninitiated, the raw material of Bemberg is cotton linter that is a pre-consumer material obtained from the manufacturing process of cottonseed oil. Bemberg is biodegradable and compostable fibre. The cotton linter is refined and dissolved to produce pure regenerated fibres, through a method that takes advantage of Asahi Kasei’s proprietary technology.
Bemberg sources its cotton linter from India, Brazil, the USA and Japan, maintaining strict quality checks across its partner mills. In India, the raw material is sourced from Mulchand Phulchand Krishi Udyog, L.N. Oils and Sri Laxmi Venkatadri Agro Foods. Bemberg annually produce up to 15,000 tonnes of fibre.
Bemberg entered the Indian market in 1976, starting with just one tonne of production, which has now grown to 3,000 tonnes.
“Our primary customers (textile manufacturers) are based in Surat, where they create beautiful fabrics using Bemberg. But now, we’re working to expand beyond Surat. We’re actively growing our sales network to include cities like Varanasi, Bengaluru, South India and Kolkata, aiming to reach a wider variety of customers across the country,” mentioned Kazuki, while adding that Bemberg has RCS, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and ISO 14001 certifications. It also recently achieved the OK Biodegradable Marine certification by TUV Austria.
Fabrics like chiffon and Josette made with Bemberg are popular for dupattas, but the brand is now making its way into sarees too. “We’re working closely with our partners to develop new products and expand our range,” Kazuki added.
While Bemberg sees steady demand from luxury brands, Kazuki admitted that entering the commodity market is more challenging because of the fibre’s premium pricing.
