Newest employee benefit: bitcoin

April 1, 2024  |  Swatches

In an effort to attract employees who are interested in innovative technologies and who are long-term thinkers, custom-apparel company BlueCotton of Bowling Green, Ky., has added bitcoin to its benefits package at no cost to workers. Employees are fully vested in the plan after five years.
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Cellulose textile innovation award nominees

April 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Organizations working in cellulose-based textiles have sustainability in their sights, and several are up for the Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2024 award, scheduled to be voted on and announced at the Cellulose Fibres Conference in Cologne, Germany, in mid-March, after this issue goes to p…
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Inflatable LIFE space habitat completes burst pressure test

April 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Another milestone in the eventual replacement of the International Space Station (ISS) went off with a bang as Orbital Reef’s full-scale inflatable habitat exceeded its required specifications during an ultimate burst pressure test in December, rescheduled from October.
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UGG shoes feature sugarcane and repurposed wool

April 1, 2024  |  Swatches

UGG®, a division of Deckers Brands, released two new shoes in the Regenerate by UGG™ collection, which are created with materials sourced from farms practicing regenerative agriculture.
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New smart textile fiber developed with recycled cotton

April 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Researchers at Washington State University (WSU) have created a conductive composite fiber for smart textiles made from recycled cotton cellulose and the synthetic polymer polyaniline. 
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Wool enriches soil and plant health

April 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Derived from 100% raw wool, eco-friendly Wool Pellets from Croydon, Utah-based Wild Valley Farms lessen soil compaction, aid in water retention and leach nutrients into the soil as they decompose overabout six months.
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Exhibit showcases fashion designs that change with movement

March 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Art, dance and architecture meet haute couture in the exhibit “Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses” at Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Paris, France. The exhibit features the work of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, who is known for blending technology, such a…
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AI enables customization of enzymes to recycle plastic waste

March 1, 2024  |  Swatches

The first garment made with the biologically recycled polyester process by Protein Evolution Inc., a “parachute” parka, was on display at the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at designer Stella McCartney’s sustainable innovation …
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Fun-filled felt furniture made from factory remnants

March 1, 2024  |  Swatches

In an effort to repurpose industrial textile waste before it hits a landfill, the Toronto, Ont., Canada-based furniture design company Stackabl, in partnership with select New York designers, has created colorful, customizable lines of high-end merino wool felt furniture and lighting. The company’…
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Spun-fiber device made for children with heart valve disease

March 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Researchers at the Wyss Institute and Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) are developing an implantable heart valve that grows with a child, called FibraValve. The concept would mean fewer invasive surgeries for children with damaged heart valves, for exampl…
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