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Booming business of self-care technologies

October 1, 2021  |  Features

The idea of caring for our health and wellness is no longer confined to New Agers or the self-obsessed. According to “Feeling Good: The Future of the $1.5 Trillion Wellness Market,” a report by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co., “A rise in both consumer interest and purchasing power pr…
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Avenue of opportunity: Streetscapes

September 1, 2021  |  Features

The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up tens of thousands of public gathering spaces by forcing proprietors to move their services outdoors and onto sidewalks and street fronts. While it is unclear how long these outdoor public sheltered spaces will remain in place, reports across the U.S. indicate that…
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Industry and academia: Partners in innovation

September 1, 2021  |  Features

Red Solo® cups are synonymous with a good time—“barbeques, tailgates, fairs and festivals” according to the hit song by country star Toby Keith. But they are also a single-use plastic with few recycling options. As a student majoring in material science and engineering at Johns Hopkins Unive…
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IFAI Expo: The industry in person

September 1, 2021  |  Features

Celebrate textile innovation—in person!—at IFAI Expo, the leading show in the textile industry for sourcing, education and networking. Join thousands of industry stakeholders on the show floor, in valuable education sessions and at long-awaited social gatherings. Reconnect with your industry and…
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Jeff Newkirk: The next step

August 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

Jeff Newkirk, MFC, started sailing at such a young age, he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t entranced with sailboats, the glide across open water and the call of the open wind.
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Shade sails find a place in the sun

August 1, 2021  |  Features

For something that’s been around for thousands of years—as far back as the Roman Colosseum, if not longer—shade sails in North America have a reputation as “the new kid on the block.” While using tensioned sails to provide shade for both commercial and residential structures has been a fu…
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Advanced textiles rocketing into the future

August 1, 2021  |  Features

The space industry was estimated by U.K.-based investment firm Seraphim Capital to be worth a record $385 billion globally in 2020. In addition to national and international space agencies, public-private and fully commercial interests are attracting record levels of funding because of the market’…
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IFAI Expo 2021 Exhibitor Product Preview

August 1, 2021  |  Exhibitor Product Preview, Features

Celebrate textile innovation at the 100th in-person IFAI Expo, where hundreds of exhibitors will bring you the latest products and information from the entire supply chain, from fibers and fabrics to shade systems, state-of-the-art equipment and the latest in textile technologies.
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2021 State of the Industry

July 1, 2021  |  Features, State of the Industry

This research highlights findings from more than 300 members of the industrial fabrics community who shared information about their organizations with us (Fig. 1). The information was gathered through an online survey fielded January–March 2021 that asked organizations about their businesses pre-p…
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The circular future of specialty fabrics

July 1, 2021  |  Features

When it comes to sustainability, the textile industry has come a long way since it tentatively dipped its toes into the waters of organic cotton and recycled polyester fibers. Today, sustainability goals are achieved in a wide range of textile products through choices made in raw materials, manufact…
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