IAAs celebrate 75 years of awarding excellence

June 1, 2021  |  Editorial

What do Tupperware, bikinis and the International Achievement Awards (IAAs) have in common? They are all 75 years old this year. In addition to getting their start in 1946, these innovations seem to signal the dawn of a new era. The Great Depression and a terrible war were over, and a boom was about…
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Persevering, innovating, and daring mighty things

May 1, 2021  |  Editorial

When NASA’s Perseverance rover was named in 2019—by a seventh grader in a “name the rover” contest—no one could have predicted what the word “perseverance” would mean for us in 2021. We’ve been persevering and flexing and pivoting for more than a year. The rover’s landing on Mars i…
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Learning to adapt

April 1, 2021  |  Editorial

When the Minnesota State Fair was forced to cancel last summer, food vendors set up trucks all over the Twin Cities to make up for lost income, which my kids quickly took note of. Much begging ensued, and eventually I capitulated to bringing home a deep-fried feast.
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COVID year 1: What just happened? And where are we headed?

March 1, 2021  |  Editorial

When I think back on the second week of March 2020, I laugh at how naïve I was. Or rather, I would laugh, if it wasn’t all so devastating. Even after major events started cancelling, and my kids’ school shifted to distance learning, and IFAI staff were directed to work from home, I could only …
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But wait, there’s more!

February 1, 2021  |  Editorial

When Specialty Fabrics Review debuted the new look for the print edition in January, I asked you to stay tuned for more changes to Review’s e-newsletter and website. We’re rolling out those enhancements, first with the e-newsletter, so please take the time to open the latest edition to explore a…
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New year, new look for Specialty Fabrics Review

January 1, 2021  |  Editorial

Welcome to the refreshed Specialty Fabrics Review, your source for all the news, trends and technology of the industrial, specialty and advanced textiles industries.  Review’s last major redesign happened in 2008, and what a redesign it was—new name, new cover design, new columns. This time aro…
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An unprecedented Expo in an unprecedented year

December 1, 2020  |  Editorial

It’s the day after IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 as I write this editorial—and my feet are blister-free.  That’s not to say that an in-person Expo wouldn’t have been preferable, but under the circumstances, the industry came together in the only way possible for the conversations, networking and e…
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The pop-up canvas camper pandemic theory

November 1, 2020  |  Editorial

Following the 2008 economic crash, lipstick was all over the news. According to the “lipstick recession theory,” consumers facing a recession stop making luxury purchases, like jewelry and high-end vehicles, while still allowing for small indulgences, like lipstick.  But the theory doesn’t ho…
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Why socializing is essential, even in a pandemic

September 1, 2020  |  Editorial

There has been very little to like about the year 2020. One of the latest disappointments, especially for Review readers, is the cancellation of the in-person IFAI Expo set for November. On top of all the education and new products and networking that industry members look forward to, Expo 2020 was …
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For small businesses, the pandemic triggers a season of uncontrolled experiments

August 1, 2020  |  Editorial

If you read any business news, you can’t avoid the headlines ruminating on the long-term effects of the pandemic on industry and the workplace: “How has coronavirus changed consumer spending?” “Will the COVID-19 pandemic accelerate automation?” “Can we just work from home forever?”  T…
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