Mesh seats keep soccer fans cooler in Houston heat

August 1, 2024  |  Projects

Keeping cool in Houston, Texas, is practically a year-round endeavor, as temps can hit the 90s F even in the spring. One way the new owners of the Houston Dynamo Football Club addressed fan comfort in their stadium redo was by converting its seating from plastic chairs to mesh fabric from Serge Ferr…
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Thermal control in wearable technology

August 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

The textile-heated garment industry is revolutionizing how we stay warm. Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), the organization I work for, is at the forefront of developments in the types of heat sources used, particularly how they are controlled for optimal comfort and efficiency.
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Effective leaders encourage their employees’ creativity

August 1, 2024  |  Business, Markets

When we think of assets in an organization, our thoughts generally lean toward the accounting definitions. We have cash tied up in inventory and accounts receivable. We have cash tied up in equipment or other fixed assets. And we have cash tied up in, well, cash. These are all perfectly acceptable d…
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How far textile finishes have come

August 1, 2024  |  Markets, Product Trends

Fabric coatings and finishes have played a role in iconic pieces of America’s past and, with new technology, are poised to play a role in a more environmentally sustainable future.
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Lacemaking tradition inspires 3D-knit sculpture

August 1, 2024  |  Swatches

As a part of the Bruges Triennial “Spaces of Possibility” art exhibition in Bruges, Belgium, this summer, design studio SO – IL incollaboration with Mariana Popescu, Ph.D., of TU Delft, showcased a 3D-knit immersive tunnel sculpture that took three months to produce. It was inspired by the cit…
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Södra, Lenzing AG repurpose polyester-cotton fiber waste

August 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Lenzing AG, a specialty fiber supplier headquartered in Lenzing, Austria, and Södra, a Swedish forest-owner association, jointly developed OnceMore®, a process that enables the recycling of polyester-cotton fiber blends to make textile pulp.
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Evrnu creates textile waste production-based yarns, fibers

August 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Evrnu®, a B-corp-certified materials science company based in Seattle, Wash., has developed Nucycl®, an alternative to cotton, nylon and polyester, created from cotton production waste.
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Designing shoes with diassembly in mind

August 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Disassembly Lab, a research project conducted by designer Robin Luginbuhl at L’école cantonale d’art de Lausanne (University of Art and Design Lausanne, or ECAL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, explores the concept of designing shoes so they can be easily disassembled for recycling, customization or …
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Bacteria eating plastic produce “spider silk” material

August 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Turning waste plastic into a valuable resource is under investigation by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), who fed it to bacteria and came up with a “bio-inspired spider silk.”
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Traceable recycled down partnership established

August 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Allied Feather + Down, the company that co-created the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and TrackMyDown traceability, added the tracking of recycled down in late 2022, called RENU:TRACE. The first partner in this space is NEMO Equipment Inc., which has been redesigning its Endless Promise® sleeping …
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