SPARTANBURG, S.C. – October 27, 2015 — Today, Milliken’s floor covering division launched its first-ever sustainability report to provide transparency and detailed insight into the company’s global operations and product offering.
 
“To Milliken, success is grounded in intentional environmental stewardship and has been for more than a century,” noted Jim McCallum, president of the global Milliken floor covering division. “This report sheds light on the lofty expectations of a holistic approach to sustainability that we set for our company to create innovations that ‘do good’ for the world.”
 
Material issues addressed include: chemical and human health impacts, recycled content and recyclability, resource consumption, supply chain impacts of products and employer of choice.
 
Key highlights from the report include:

• Achieving zero waste to landfill goals for 22 years
• Reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 17.5 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively
• Reducing energy consumption by 13.6 percent
• Reducing water consumption by 35.7 percent
• Reducing waste generation by 11.2 percent
• Completing Declare transparency labels for Milliken PVC-free broadloom and modular carpet to now provide three third-party-verified environmental certifications/labels
• Supporting charities around the world with volunteer commitments and monetary and product donations  

Notably, the report meets the requirements of LEED V.4 MRc3 credit and precedes advancements across multiple components of Milliken’s sustainability program, which will be announced throughout the remainder of 2015.
 
Philip Ivey, global sustainability leader for the Milliken floor covering division, noted: “We’re holding ourselves both publicly and privately accountable for our impact on the world. We’re excited to share our division’s work to live out Milliken & Company’s Environmental Policy and role in the Milliken family of companies’ recognition as a carbon-negative manufacturer by the Leonardo Academy Cleaner and Greener® program.”

Posted October 27, 2015

Source: Milliken & Company
 

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — October 22, 2015 — Coolcore has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued the company a patent (U.S. Patent No. 9,121,642) for “Method of Cooling an Object with a Fabric.” The patent covers activation that includes wetting the item, wringing out excess liquid, and snapping or waving the fabric to activate the moisture control through the fabric.  Even more specifically, the present invention is for a fabric that becomes cool when activated by liquid and remains cool for an extended period of time thereafter.

“As the original innovator of chemical-free cooling fabrics, our intellectual property and the on-going commitment to innovation continues to reinforce our position in the market today,” stated Coolcore Chief Executive Officer and President Kevin McCarthy.  “Coolcore is the leader in chemical-free instant cooling towels, accessories, and headwear … imitators should note that we will vigilantly protect our intellectual property in the marketplace.”

Coolcore also owns U.S Patent No. 8,440,119 for its cooling material innovation. The patent covers the manufacturing of any chemical-free cooling fabric that transfers moisture away from the skin, while regulating the movement and evaporation of that moisture throughout the fabric as described in the patent.

Coolcore fabric formulations have earned the prestigious “Innovative Technology” recognition from the Hohenstein Institute, a first for a U.S. company, and the only company globally to be awarded this recognition for “Cooling Power.” Additionally, it was recently announced that Coolcore is a finalist in two categories for the 2015 ITMA Future Materials Awards – “Groundbreaking Partnership” and “Best Innovation – Sports Textiles” for our cooling fabric innovations.

Coolcore develops and provides private label cooling towels to its brand and retail partners globally, as well as cooling apparel and accessories. Coolcore also markets its cooling towels, accessories and headwear under the Dr. Cool brand name and distributes domestically and internationally. Aside from finished products, Coolcore develops fabrics for several global consumer brands.

Posted October 27, 2015

Source: Coolcore
 

Philadelphia — October 23, 2015 — Philadelphia University has announced it will establish a Fashion and Textiles Futures Center. The Futures Center, which will include a $3 million investment in facilities, will advance the University’s innovative and highly regarded fashion and textiles curricula and enhance partnerships with industry leaders to more closely connect students to current and future jobs in an evolving marketplace.

The Philadelphia University Fashion and Textiles Futures Center will focus on the University’s unique integration of education, research and practice. It will provide state-of-the-art facilities to support student learning and foster collaboration, facilitate industry-sponsored projects, increase research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and help attract and retain world-class faculty. Work on the physical space will begin in late spring and will be completed by the start of the fall 2016 semester.

“The Fashion and Textiles Futures Center will expand experience for our students, faculty and partners,” said Ron Kander, executive dean of the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce. “PhilaU fashion programs are internationally ranked and our programs in textiles and textile engineering are regarded as among the best in the nation. The new Center will enable us to continue our leadership in providing the best possible 21st-century professional education for our students and helping to define the industry needs of the future.”

The plan includes enhanced collaborative design studios for students, fabrication laboratories, computer-aided design facilities and flexible active-learning classrooms. The educational programming will be further supported by the University’s advanced digital printing facilities, among the best in the world, and the Grundy Materials Evaluation Laboratory.

The Fashion and Textiles Futures Center will include a retail-like space designed to mirror the workings of modern fashion and textile design firms and reflect the industry environments that students will work in after graduation. This area will be used to showcase the creative work of students and the University’s industry partners and give fashion merchandising and management students the opportunity to hone marketing and merchandising skills by working on displays and presentations.

“Customers are always looking for new and innovative products and, as the apparel industry evolves, speed and flexibility are key factors that drive today’s successes,” said Matt Mandracchia, vice president for design technologies and process for PVH Corp., one of the world’s largest apparel firms that includes such brands as Calvin KIein and Tommy Hilfiger. “Philadelphia University’s Futures Center seeks to capitalize on these factors, providing a learning environment that promotes innovative thinking. Innovation supports speed and flexibility, helping students to learn and prepare for a fast-changing, product-centric career.”

The physical space will reflect and support the innovative curricula of these programs as part of the University’s signature Nexus Learning approach: teaching and learning that is active, collaborative, tied to the real world and infused with the liberal arts. A critical component of Nexus Learning is the development of learning spaces that support interdisciplinary collaboration.

“The Fashion and Textiles Futures Center creates excellent educational opportunities for our students, modeling industry transdisciplinary trends as well as forward-looking projects,” said Marcia Weiss, the Harold Neuman Textile Design Chair and director of PhilaU textile design programs, who has been named director of the Center. “In the Futures Center, our students will benefit from world-class curricula, access to the latest technologies that support the creation of new knowledge and increased opportunities to work with industry partners on real-world projects.”

More than 700 PhilaU students—20 percent of the student body—major in eight academic programs related to the Futures Center, including bachelor’s programs in fashion design, fashion merchandising and management, textile design and textile materials technology; master’s programs in global fashion enterprise, textile design and textile engineering; and a doctoral program in textile engineering and science.

“The Fashion and Textiles Futures Center will reinforce Philadelphia University’s prominence in the world of fashion and in textiles,” said Mike Leonard, academic dean of the Kanbar College School of Design and Engineering. “The Futures Center will further enable our students to collaborate in state-of-the-art open studios, which will enhance research on materials and techniques to advance the fashion and textiles industries,” Leonard said.

Philadelphia University, which was established in 1884 as the nation’s first textiles school, has received many accolades for its fashion and textiles programs. These programs have been ranked among the best in the world by the Business of Fashion and Fashionista. The New York Immersion program, now in its second year, provides students with the opportunity to study in an international fashion capital and work on real-world projects with leading fashion and design firms. Fashion design students showcase their collections at the famed New York Fashion Week twice a year, while merchandising and management students help prepare for the runway.

Collaboration between students in their own and across disciplines is a critical component of a PhilaU education. That’s why the U.S. space agency NASA chose to partner with PhilaU fashion and engineering students to develop a fashion-forward, technologically advanced spacesuit design. Each year, textile design students work with fashion design students to develop innovative, one-of-a-kind textiles for the fashion collections. Beyond apparel, students work on projects for home furnishings, automotive and other industries that utilize the latest in textile technologies. Three graduate students in textile engineering and textile design recently won first place in the 2015 Fabric Graphics Student Design Challenge for their project that incorporated the health benefits of antimicrobial textiles to artwork that could be used in healthcare settings.

“There is a culture of collaboration at PhilaU that sets us apart and gives our graduates an unparalleled advantage in industry,” said Sheila Connelly, fashion design program director.  “Our students get experience in the “bigger picture” of fashion. When designing senior collections, they work across disciplines to incorporate digital printing, surface imaging, laser-cutting, screenprinting, 3D printing, wearable technology and custom fabrics into their designs. The Futures Center will further facilitate these opportunities.”

A fundraising campaign to support the Fashion and Textiles Futures Center has been initiated, and top industry executives from such firms as PVH, Waterworks and Weitzer are leading the effort. The campaign has been kicked off with a $500,000 donation from PhilaU benefactor Maurice Kanbar ’52 H’03.

In addition, a Leadership Committee representing diverse industry sectors and faculty members is being formed to guide and support the Fashion and Textiles Futures Center.

Posted October 27, 2015

Source: PhilaU