Ralph Lauren hosted an exhibition tennis clinic with famous tennis player, Sam Groth, and Josh Cavallo, professional Australian football player and avid tennis fan during the Australian Open 2022. Groth and Cavallo have worn the new RLX CLARUS® Polo Shirt during the clinic, demonstrating its superior performance qualities during the height of the Australian summer heat. Natural Fiber Welding’s (NFW) patented technology was utilized to transform virgin and recycled cotton in ways that were not possible before in the manufacture of the polo shirt.
The RLX CLARUS® Polo Shirt, made with the world’s first high-performance cotton fabric, utilizes a first-to-market patented platform to transform virgin and recycled cotton in ways that were never before possible. The technology creates enhanced cotton fibres with high-performance attributes, like quick-drying and moisture management, while still retaining the comfort and breathability of cotton. The resulting material performs similarly to plastic-based synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, which use petroleum-based fossil fuels to achieve performance benefits.
Innovative shirt shows off its high performance at the Australian Open 2022
Australian professional football player Josh Cavallo disclosed that he is a longtime Ralph Lauren fan and said; “they are a classic brand with incredible style and are always pushing boundaries to make really innovative, new products”. Cavallo added; “As a professional athlete who trains every day, it’s incredible to be able to wear a 100% cotton shirt that is stylish, has superior performance qualities, and keeps me comfortable even on the hottest of days – all made with a sustainable spirit”.
“We are pioneering an entirely new system”
CEO of NFW Luke Haverhals said; “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Ralph Lauren. Through this collaboration, we are paving the way for complete circularity with resulting materials that perform similarly to plastic-based synthetic fabrics”. Haverhals also emphasized that they are pioneering an entirely new system that simultaneously enables all-natural performance fabrics while reducing waste and eliminating the need for synthetic plastics.
Chief Branding and Innovation Officer David Lauren disclosed; “Ralph Lauren is known for timelessness – and for more than 50 years being timeless has meant both leaning into our heritage and fostering pioneering innovation. With the introduction of the RLX CLARUS® Polo Shirt, we are using our most iconic product as a canvas to launch an industry-changing and scalable textile technology –a high-performance apparel product that is created with natural fibres for the first time”. Lauren stated that they are proud to build on the brand’s legacy of signature and authentic style, reinvented for the future.
