Designing for lightness in fabric structures
October 1st, 2020
A new book examines sustainability in materials design. By Marie O’Mahony Editor's note: Marie O’Mahony will moderate a panel session led by author Ed van Hinte on Nov. 5 at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. The session will provide an updated view on lightness in design and how the world might benefit from it. As the […]
Geography and climate drive Australia’s technical textiles industry
September 1st, 2020
Developments in geotextiles, renewable energy and recreation stem from Australia’s extreme environment. By Marie O’Mahony Australia’s geographic isolation puts the country and its technical textile industry in a novel position. The country is rich in natural resources, mining and exporting coal, iron ore, petroleum gas, zinc ore and other materials. The mining industry directly and […]
Sustainable practices in today’s textile industry
February 1st, 2020
by Marie O’Mahony The story of sustainability in the textile industry has grown and changed, particularly in the last decade. The concept of “circularity” is now driving sustainability across the materials sector. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “A circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and […]
Making decisions in an uncertain trade environment
January 1st, 2020
By Marie O’Mahony Editor’s note: The issue of U.S. trade is unusually dynamic and evolving today. The majority of this article represents information available when the speakers presented at IFAI Expo in October 2019. With current international trade in a persistent state of flux, it’s tempting for the advanced textiles industry to stand by and […]
Student winners: Textile Structures for New Building 2019
October 1st, 2019
A student competition for textile structures highlights the Techtextil show—and presages new building technologies. by Marie O’Mahony The Techtextil student competition is now in its fifteenth year, sponsored by Brussels-based TensiNet, which has provided €8,000 in prize money for the winning submissions. In his opening remarks at the show, Professor Stefan Schäfer, chair of the […]
Partnerships make a difference in bringing textiles to market
September 1st, 2019
Partnerships along the supply chain support new products and applications. by Marie O’Mahony British entrepreneur Richard Branson once said, “There are no quick wins in business; it takes years to become an overnight success.” This is certainly true for the development of innovative new textiles. Business owners who succeed in their efforts know that establishing […]
Fabric technologies and livable cities in the future
August 1st, 2019
Sustainability and biodiversity will be key to livable cities, with new technologies leading the way. by Marie O’Mahony According to the World Bank, city dwellers accounted for more than half the world’s total population in 2007, while the United Nations (UN) warns that by the middle of this century they will account for two-thirds of […]
Sustainable infrastructure and construction textiles
June 1st, 2019
Infrastructure and construction textiles succeed with a focus on sustainable alternatives. By Seshadri Ramkumar and Marie O’Mahony The Shed in New York City is an arts center for performing arts, visual arts and popular culture. The building is designed to physically transform to support artists’ most ambitious ideas. Photo: Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Today’s advanced […]
Sustainable sourcing
April 1st, 2019
Following her recent podcast Sustainable Textile Sourcing for Performance Textiles in Munich, I caught up with Anne-Marie van Hoof, owner and creative director at 4-Options Studio in The Netherlands, to get her take on what she sees as driving sustainability within the industry now and into the future. Fiber credentials The 4-Options Studio offers a […]
Fabric banners, signage and displays help guide visitors—and are getting smarter all the time.
February 1st, 2019
Advances in digital and interactive technologies are heralding a new era in museum graphics, banners and signage, creating opportunities for the printed banner industry from conventional signage printing markets to crossover areas such as interactive displays. A combination of factors is contributing to this: We are seeing incremental improvements as well as new developments in […]