People want to be outdoors when they eat, drink or celebrate, and shade structure companies are seeing more demand for shade in multiuse spaces and outdoor entertainment areas. With fabric, steel and more, these companies create permanent and retractable structures with shelter from the elements.

A wall displaying nearly 30 years of industry awards marks the entrance to Mike’s Marine Custom Canvas in Virginia Beach, Va.—a testament to the shop’s history of quality and craftsmanship.

For many companies in the industry, helping others has nothing to do with free publicity and everything to do with caring about their communities and making a worthwhile difference in the lives of both the recipients and the companies’ staff.

Awnings, marine upholstery, furniture, banners and signs, and more: Regardless of the end product, the fabric your business needs may have to perform in harsh conditions while still looking good and fitting into a client’s budget. For our annual showcase, more than 25 companies shared their newest specialty textiles. We’ve organized the materials into feature categories to make it easy to find the product you need. 

A May 2024 survey by the Women’s Engineering Society revealed that more than 25% of women found personal protective equipment (PPE) and apparel uncomfortable or ill-fitting.

If serendipity is the spot where preparation meets opportunity, then Donielle Lorelli knows how to leverage these opportunities for success.

Today’s adaptive apparel brands are more attractive, wearable and functional than ever before thanks to customer-responsive and thoughtful design development, especially with locations of findings and softness of fabric. They offer significant benefits for elderly populations; those recovering from surgery; people with dementia or chronic conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s and diabetes; those with sensory issues; wheelchair users; and more.

Reducing waste lessens Earth’s environmental burden and landfill problem, but it also can save and earn money.

As the recruiting manager for Made in the Shade Tent Rentals, I embody the first hurdle on the road to employment. If 100 people apply for one job, close to a quarter will make it to the first interview with me over the phone. Of that quarter, fewer than half will make it to an in-person interview. So the phone interview is extremely important, to say the least.

Though 2024, like any year, was imperfect, it saw progress in smart textiles research, sustainability efforts and product development, especially in areas focused on solving problems in the health care space and with accessibility. For Specialty Fabrics Review’s Women in Textiles issue, we shine a spotlight on recent work done by several women-led teams in this area of the industry: in biodegradable sensors and related materials, a haptic shirt for people who are hearing-impaired, and a hospital gown and booties that monitor toddlers’ vital signs.

There’s no denying it: Metal has become popular for shading products and is taking market share from fabric. However, that doesn’t mean that fabric can’t compete. It brings qualities to the table that metal does not have.

As consumer sentiment increasingly turns toward sustainability, many textile providers are striving to make their operations and goods more eco-friendly to meet their customers’ standards. The wool industry is one of those providers taking notice, with many throughout the supply chain undertaking efforts to become more eco-conscious as well as more transparent and accountable. As a result, many have earned various certifications and applied certain standards to ensure their eco-friendly claims are legitimate and can be trusted.