Ark Nova travels outside Japan for the first time

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

The Ark Nova, a mobile inflatable amphitheater created in response to the 2011 natural disasters in Tohoku, was installed for the first time outside of Japan at the Lucerne Festival Sept. 4–14 in Switzerland.
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Tensioned textile lamp could lead to smart fabrics in cars

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

In the interactive textiles feature in December 2023’s Specialty Fabrics Review, an expert postulated that controls one day could be incorporated directly into a vehicle’s fabric surfaces. That might be a step closer with a prototype tensioned textile touch lamp that took a year of multidiscipli…
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Telavalue finds textile waste is a billion-dollar business

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

A Finnish research project called Telavalue concluded that recycling could bring parts of the textile production chain back to Europe as big business.
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Naturalmat mattresses made with recycled denim

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

Naturalmat, based in the U.K., offers sustainably made mattresses and bed linens, utilizing materials such as coconut fibers and recycled denim.
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Water-repellent textile finish research uses cottonseed oil

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

Much work in the textile industry is happening regarding removing PFAS and formaldehyde from finishes to create greener alternatives.
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Biodegradable fiber could mean less fishing-net waste

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have developed a high-performance polyester-amide (PEA) fiber that decomposes by more than 92% in one year under marine conditions and is also compostable and recyclable. The scientists envision gill nets made of the material…
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Kevlar reduces weight in race car parts

December 2, 2025  |  Swatches

World Rally Championship race cars have incorporated Kevlar® EXO™ in their new crash-resistant fuel bladders, lowering the component’s weight by about 20%.
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Light-responsive, AI-powered soft robotic arm

November 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Researchers at Rice University have created an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered soft robotic arm made from a new light-responsive elastomer. The research could lead to new ways to control implantable biomedical devices or manufacturing equipment for handling delicate objects.
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Vanessa Barragão creates marine-life-inspired textile art

November 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Portuguese textile artist Vanessa Barragão creates large artworks made from discarded wool and synthetic fibers. Her inspiration is aquatic plants and animals.
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Cephalopods influence soft robot research

November 1, 2025  |  Swatches

Inspired by the color-changing ability of cephalopods such as octopi and squid, University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers are developing a material that could one day be used in sensors and soft robotics applications. Because the stretchy “synthetic skin” is self-actuating, it wouldn’t need…
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