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PETA award goes to Napapijri parka with down-free Freudenberg padding
Weinheim, 1 December 2018. A partnership for sustainability and animal protection. The fur and down-free “Superlight Skidoo Parka” from Napapijri has won the Vegan Fashion Award from animal rights organization PETA. The parka is made with an innovative padding, developed by Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (FPMA) that provides optimal comfort and performance, a true alternative to animal down.
Although down has traditionally been the material of choice for thermal insulation in winter outerwear, it has become increasingly unacceptable, especially to supporters of animal rights. FPMA’s comfortemp® fiberball padding now provides a sustainable and acceptable alternative, without sacrificing insulation performance.
Created by Freudenberg Performance Materials, the padding is the first in the world to be made up of small, interconnected balls of synthetic fiber. The padding stands out by offering many of the popular qualities of down, such as lightness and softness. It also prevents heat loss better than traditional down-free paddings.
Napapijri and Freudenberg – a partnership based on innovation
The pioneering comfortemp® fiberball padding was developed in close collaboration with FPMA’s long-standing customer Napapijri. “From the beginning, they showed great interest in a padding made of fiberballs that would boost the performance of their parkas and winter jackets,” explains Ulrich Scherbel, General Manager at Freudenberg Performance Materials. Napapijri’s existing THERMO-FIBRE® technology with filling balls therefore evolved into a “powered by comfortemp®” fiberball padding.
Napapijri first introduced this technology in its “Superlight Skidoo Parka” during the Autumn/Winter season of 2017. In autumn 2018, the product won the PETA Vegan Fashion Award in the “Best Down-Free Brand” category. It was the sixth time the animal rights organization has bestowed this honor. According to PETA, the winners prove that, “it is possible to produce trendy must-haves without using animal products.” The award is intended to continuously support this trend.
With its award-winning development, Freudenberg is not only standing up for animal rights, but also for sustainability. This is an absolute must for the company, whose goal is to continue developing and marketing as many recycled products as possible. The latest innovative comfortemp® paddings are made of up to 100 percent recycled polyester fibers derived from recycled PET bottles.
An overview of the Freudenberg comfortemp® portfolio:
- Solutions for active sportswear, outerwear, workwear and fashion
- High performance functions through innovative technologies
- A wide range of weights, fibers, textures and insulation levels
- Excellent breathability, easy care and washability
More information on PETA award
