First used in the first half of the 19th century by C.F. Worth to identify a “couturier” or the owner of a specific garment, for over a century labels were manufactured with shuttle looms.

Towards the end of the 1980s, new high-definition weaving technologies further changed the label industry. They now allowed for more complex designs, and labels became branding and marketing tools as well as sources of information.

They were the first iteration of “eco-friendly labels”, which contained natural fibers – such as cotton, wool, silk, linen – alongside the traditional polyester. This was the first step in the transition to a more eco-friendly manufacturing approach.

These labels were introduced in 2007 and became popular thanks to air-jet machines. Using high- definition yarns and more complex techniques allowed for the creation of more detailed labels, more vibrant colors and more defined text, even in smaller fonts.

Through the development of modern shuttle looms – both Jacquard and Dobby machines – since 2016 the industry has further delved into the use of natural fibers.