In the summer of 2020, people were thinking about protection in every part of daily life, including what they wore. In August 2020, Azgard9 answered with Shield, a line of protective fabrics it called "Virus Protection Denim".
Shield combines two properties in one fabric. The first is antimicrobial. Shield uses SILVERPLUS®, a German formulation already widely used in bacteriostatic applications; its effect comes from free silver ions, the active form of the natural element silver, which kill microbes and germs that carry viruses. The second is hydrophobic. A water-repellent finish resists the entry of viruses and bacteria carried in moisture. Mettis Global reported that Azgard9 designed Shield to remain effective and long-lasting even after multiple home washes.
Azgard9 saw Shield as more than a pandemic product. In 2022, Jason Eis, the company's Vice President Sales and Marketing for North America, described "Shield by Azgard9" as offering "360-degree protection" and said that "this kind of protective fashion line would stay relevant in the post-pandemic world". Shield followed earlier performance work, such as the water-repellent, flame-retardant and antimicrobial finishes Azgard9 showed at BPD Expo New York in 2019.
Key facts
- LaunchAugust 2020 (reported by Mettis Global on 3 August 2020)
- Antiviral finishSILVERPLUS®, a German silver-ion formulation
- Second propertywater-repellent (hydrophobic) finish
- Durabilitydesigned to last through multiple home washes
- Positioning"360-degree protection" (Jason Eis, 2022)
Shield shows how Azgard9 turns new customer needs into tested fabric concepts that brand partners can build collections on.
