MUMBAI:
Van Heusen, India’s leading power dressing brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., has entered into a collaborative agreement with Color Threads Inc. to launch inStem’s ‘G-Fab’ Technology in India.
Through this collaboration Van Heusen is launching a premium quality Made-in-India mask & athleisure clothing powered by G99+ antiviral™ to meet the current demands of the new-age consumer. The mask & athleisure products are manufactured using the ‘G-Fab Technology’ licensed from inStem; an autonomous
institute of the Department of Biotechnology and further developed by Color Threads Inc. The technology has been developed at Dr. Praveen Kumar Vemula’s lab at inStem.
inStem is the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The current situation augers the need to emphasize on ‘Make in India’, and supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative of Government of India. Color Threads is an incubatee at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP).
C- CAMP an initiative supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India is an enabler or catalyst of cutting-edge research and innovation in India.
Van Heusen Mask powered by G99+ antiviral™ is manufactured using inStem’s Germicidal fabric technology which reduces >90% and 99.99% of **SARS-CoV-2 virus infectivity in 5 and 15 minutes, respectively.
*When the virus comes in contact with the fabric, the treatment reduces the viral load of SARS-CoV-2, which is tested under lab conditions as per modified ISO 18184 protocol at an independent biotechnology research laboratory, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. **It is known that SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for COVID-19. The mask is washable and reusable up to 30 washes subject to wash care instructions being followed.
Commenting on the launch, Puneet Kumar Malik, CEO, Van Heusen Innerwear and Athleisure said, “We are delighted to be associated with institutes that are working towards creating solutions in the fight against the pandemic that the world is tackling. Contemplating the unprecedented times that we are encountering, our primary line of defense is taking necessary preventive measures, one of which includes wearing masks while stepping out. Through our association, we intend to introduce a face mask which has become a necessity in our lives. Van Heusen Mask powered by G99+ antiviral™ offers quality, comfort, and affordability. This will also be followed with the launch of athleisure wear for men & women which are powered by G99+ antiviral™ that offer protection, style & comfort.”
Technology inventor Dr. Praveen Kumar Vemula, Associate Investigator at inStem said, “Wearing a mask is proven to be effective in curbing the virus spread. However, viruses and bacteria can stay alive up to seven days on regular masks, including cloth masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks, which risk infection while touching the mask. Therefore, at inStem and Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster, as a part of our effort to curb the current pandemic situation, we have developed Germicidal Fabric, G-Fab, which enables killing the viruses upon contact.”
Roshni Lelani, Chief Business Officer of Color Threads said, “We are an innovative textile company that unites science and fashion to make the impact on society. As a part of our effort to tackle the pandemic crisis, Color Threads has licensed the G-fab technology from inStem, and further refined and developed into a market-ready-solution. We are delighted to partner with ABFRL to bring G-fab technology into the market through ABFRL’s massive network.”
Van Heusen Mask powered by G99+ antiviral™ is available in a free size. The brand is offering the mask for both men and women with special packaging.
The brand will be deploying its strong and wide retail presence of 19,000+ multi brand retailers, 500+ Key Department Stores, 260 Planet Fashion stores, 350+ Van Heusen Mainline stores, 46 exclusive Van Heusen Innerwear stores, and Key E-Commerce platforms to ensure that the masks & athleisure clothing are available to consumers across the country.
