Textile Insight - August, 2008
Bright Lights, Big Pretty
Next season shines with strong looks, soft fabrics and crossover influences
Trends in intimate and swim for seasons as far off as Summer 10 are taking shape. A major influencer is crossover looks – concepts from intimate moving over to active and/or intimate detailing going over to active and active influencing swim. The loo...
Keeping Athletes In The Comfort Zone
Team apparel design advances with a mix of sophisticated textile tech
Moisture management is so prevalent in team apparel that it isn’t even a sales advantage any longer. Major team fabric suppliers now go way beyond the traditional definition of “performance” to a world that includes body mapping, sustainability and s...
Go Polypro
Revitalizing a high-function fiber with a fashion boost and a twist of eco
Textile suppliers are taking polypropylene forward in a range of new ways. Aesthetically, environmentally, and even globally, polypropylene seems poised for re-emergence. Some might even do a double take when seeing and touching today’s latest develo...
Diving Into Fashion
New Balance’s Lifestyle Collection Steps Up with Textiles that Deliver Style and Substance
New Balance may be known for its quality running shoes, but in recent years the brand has increasingly shown that it has also got a handle on style. In its newest lifestyle footwear offerings, New Balance has teamed with design firm DDC USA to help i...
Techno Green Textiles
Fusing Eco and Function in this Season of Sustainability
“We found that a lot of brands and retailers were not only aware of the MBDC assessment but very interested that we had gained approval,” states Tracey Campbell, manager, market development for American Fiber & Yarns, referring to the company’s recen...
Feats of Wonder
How textiles are helping hosiery makers grab a toehold in today’s crowded market.
Let’s face it. there are plenty of great socks to go around. And while that seems like a positive comment, it is actually something of a dilemma to suppliers. Sally Kay, CEO of The Hosiery Association, says, “We are challenged by so many products in ...
Sustainable Textile Processing
In China and Taiwan
“Over the next several days, you will witness the complete lifecycle of polyester fabric, made from recycled plastic bottles, and its transformation into high-performance backpacks displayed in retail stores. You will also see how fabrics can be prod...
Gore Goes for More
At the Half Century Mark and Still Guaranteed to Keep Innovating
Celebrating 50 years in the marketplace, W.L. Gore has grown from a start-up in the basement of company founders Bill and Genevieve Gore to an estimated $2.3 billion in annual sales and 8200 employees. Fast Company in 2004 called W.L. Gore the most i...
From Begining to Trend
How Intangible Ideas Take Shape as Tangible Products
Typically when thinking of a supply chain we are usually talking about getting some tangible object from point A to point B. In the case of trends, they go through the supply chain in both tangible and intangible forms. Two experts in the field of tr...
Serving up Green with a Side of Sincerity
There’s a restaurant I’m fond of called “It’s Only Natural” (ION for short) that serves the best sweet potato fries you’re going to find — in this neck of the woods anyway. Actually it was the consistently high-praise of these uber-tasty taters that ...
Fiber Focus
Textile Sustainability: More than Just Fiber — It’s Also How You Deal With It
At the most recent ITMA international textile machinery show, held in Munich last year, a significant new priority in the processing of fibers and fabrics became very clear. While at previous ITMAs, held every four years in Europe, the emphasis w...
ECO UPDATE
YARNS WITH MORAL FIBER Recycled scraps spun to create finished product The “green” fiber/yarn business has substantially moved beyond a fad, through real textile factor, to good and big business. There are so many choices in yarn and fiber availab...
Trend Talk
DENIM DIRECTIONS AND SHOW PREVIEWS FOR 2009/2010 Jeans feature vintage mood while luxury is key to intimates
The second edition of Denim by Première Vision kicked off the Fall/Winter ’09/10 textile-sourcing season in Paris. The show, exclusively dedicated to jeans fabric and accessories, was held at an early date (June 4, 5) to fit in with manufacturing sch...
2009 Show Calendar Gets Crowded
No Rest For the Weary Textile Exec With a Slew of New Trade Shows Scheduled for Next Year
Get ready because 2009 looks to be a banner year for textile trade shows. In an effort to grab a larger, more diverse textile audience, marketers are launching new shows as well as increasing the frequency of established expos starting next year. ...
In the Market
‘Project OR’ Onsite Apparel Design Competition Takes Shape
Five students have been selected to compete in “Project OR,” a student design competition debuting at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Sal Lake City, August 8-11. The students, selected from the top design schools, will gather materials from show ex...
Ask the Fabrikologist
What is the difference between virgin and recycled polyester fibers?
The differences are largely a result of two things: experience in processing and raw material sources. It is important to remember that virgin polyester has been manufactured since 1953. Experience over the years has allowed it to be processed quickl...
Canterbury Enters U.S. Market With Wearable Tech
New ‘Recovery Gear’ Engineered to Enhance Athlete Workouts
Canterbury of New Zealand, with a U.S headquarters in Emeryville, CA, is establishing its domestic presence with the introduction of a new category of athletic apparel. Calling it “recovery gear,” the company is offering base layer clothing said to ...
Materials at WSA to Focus On Innovators and Education
New Workshop Program Highlights Design and Function
Materials at WSA Expo & Conference will offer “Translating New Materials into Function,” the newest addition to its upcoming educational workshop program during the July 28-30, 2008 marketplace. Providing insight into new materials and demonstrating ...
On the Horizon
Print and pattern trend specialist Pat Nugent explores this season’s top five trends and explains how designers find inspiration for these latest looks.
It’s said that beauty transcends all ages and if such is the case with prints and patterns, then designers seeking contemporary beauty need look no further than Patricia Nugent Textiles. The firm’s organized collection of fabrics continues to grow an...
University Education
Central Michigan University Evaluates Thermal Comfort in Three-Dimensional Knits
Central Michigan University initiated a project in which it tested several shirts made from a variety of three-dimensional Polartec fabrics to look specifically at thermal comfort. “We were interested in whether an antimicrobial finish would affect t...
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