Growing interest in using natural “smart” fibers
January 1st, 2019
Since the industrial revolution, textiles have transitioned from natural fibers of cotton, wool, silk and linen to textiles created from petroleum products and reconstituted wood pulp. Today’s synthetic fibers are stronger, cheaper to manufacture, and have proven easily adaptable to a wide range of technical, performance and smart textiles, to the benefit of modern life. […]
Reversible all-weather tent
January 1st, 2019
Cool in the summer, warm in the winter and waterproof in a rainstorm, the weatherHYDE tent is built for people who like to enjoy the great outdoors all year long. In fact, maker Billion Bricks Ltd., a Singapore-based nonprofit design and technology studio, also envisions the tent as a humanitarian response to a serious problem—global […]
Fabric’s role in revitalizing neglected urban areas
January 1st, 2019
Like other rust belt cities, Detroit began declining decades ago, propelled by a combination of bad luck, bad timing, bad decisions and economic transformations that delivered additional crushing, seemingly fatal, blows. Its condition was such that not so long ago, numerous companies sprang up offering tours of the city’s ruined buildings and factories—a somewhat morbid […]
Sports bags double as life rafts
January 1st, 2019
Tough, waterproof, multi-purpose—that’s the standard for outdoor bags these days. Design company Subtech Sports has taken things to a new level with version 2.0 of its rugged Pro Drybags. Subtech Sports was founded by Eric Lyth after an experience with kayaking in Australia’s Sydney harbor. He witnessed an eight-foot shark break the surface of the […]