RONSE, Belgium — January 9, 2024 — Devan Chemicals, a provider of sustainable textile finishes, is excited to announce its upcoming participation in Heimtextil 2024. Devan invites attendees to explore their booth in Hall 11.0, booth A21, and experience firsthand the latest sustainable textile finishes that Devan has developed.
Devan technologies provide innovative solutions for product developers and portfolio designers, addressing the growing demand for sustainability and transparency in the corporate world. Introducing the latest advancements in technology, Devan is proud to showcase the newest additions to their R-Vital NTL Range and Thermic High Cooling technology.
R-Vital® NTL Range
R-Vital® NTL enables textile manufacturers to boost their textiles with a range of active, natural ingredients that have a positive effect on the body and mind. Elements such as Chamomile oil and Arnica Montana are absorbed by the skin and have relaxing, moisturizing or hydrating effects. The biobased content of the R-Vital well-being technology is more than 97 percent, readily biodegradable (OECD 301B).
R-Vital NTL Regenight™: Devan and Lucas Meyer Cosmetics join forces to launch a ground- breaking technology, R-Vital NTL Regenight, a technology which improves sleep quality and also improves nighttime skin recovery. Using an upcycled oil soluble fraction obtained from Australian Tea tree oil distillation process, Regenight acts through both inhalation to improve nighttime rest and through topical action to provide skin recovery. Tested in real-life context using proven biometric technology, the dual action provided individually by Regenight proposes a breakthrough approach to reduce the impact of poor-quality sleep on the skin.
R-Vital NTL Chamomile oil: Chamomile oil is known for its moisturizing and soothing properties. Additionally, this oil is believed to have antioxidant and inflammatory properties. Furthermore, chamomile oil is renowned for its calming effects and potential to reduce stress and anxiety, helping improve sleep quality.
R-Vital NTL Warming: Engineered to deliver a gentle warmth, the R-Vital NTL Warming technology ensures a cozy and comfortable sleeping experience. This blend is a solution that infuses a sense of warmth, promoting physical and emotional well-being.
R-Vital NTL Arnica Montana: Harnessing the natural benefits of Arnica Montana, this ingredient, is celebrated for its potent healing and recovering properties.
Thermic High Cooling
At Heimtextil Devan will also present a new high cooling technology that provides an optimal and refreshing sleeping climate, ensuring a cool and restful night’s sleep. Thermic High Cooling is based on reactive microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs). The smart heat exchange mechanism keeps the body within its comfort zone. This makes the body suffer less from night sweats, and results in a longer, healthier and more comfortable sleep with fewer awakenings. This new formulation with high cooling level and high solid content, presents around 30 percent more cooling than standard PCM formulations. One padding allows to achieve high cooling level (no need to run multiple applications). A Bio-based version is also available — Thermic® Bio — where the PCMs are derived from sustainable, natural sources.
Devan Chemicals’ presence at Heimtextil 2024 underscores the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of textile innovation. Visitors to the Devan booth will have the opportunity to engage with the technologies firsthand, gaining insights into the future of textiles and the role they play in enhancing daily living.
“We are excited to unveil these groundbreaking technologies at Heimtextil 2024. Our commitment to sustainability and performance has driven us to develop solutions that not only meet but exceed the expectations of today’s consumers,” said Dr. Roberto Teixeira, CTO at Devan Chemicals. “We invite everyone to visit our booth in The Sleep and More Hall 11.0., experience the future of textiles, and explore how Devan Chemicals is shaping the industry.”
Heimtextil attendees can find Devan Chemicals at Booth nr A21 in Hall 11.0. to discover more about these innovative technologies and explore potential collaborations.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — January 9, 2024 — Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc., the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, today announces its Vietnamese subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles (Prodigy), has joined the Vietnam Sericulture Association (VSA).
Kraig Labs’ and Prodigy’s senior management met with leaders of the VSA in December. These meetings took place during the company’s management review of current operations and planned expansion of recombinant spider silk production in 2024.
The company is excited to work with the VSA and support their vision for enhancing silk production and strengthening overall sericulture in Vietnam.
“Joining the Vietnam Sericulture Association is part of Kraig Labs’s commitment to building strong ties within the sericulture industry and expanding our operational role in the continued growth of Vietnam as a global leader in silk production,” said company Founder and CEO Kim Thompson. “We believe that there is a very large potential to increase and grow Vietnam’s silk production, and we are working to make our recombinant spider silk a part of that growth.”
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — January 9, 2024 — With more than 2,800 exhibitors from 60 countries and a 95-percent level of internationality, this year’s Heimtextil continues to grow. At a panel discussion during the opening press conference, the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles put the spotlight on the significance of artificial intelligence (AI). How is AI speeding up the design process? Which tried and tested processes have already been introduced in the home textiles sector? What measures are necessary to prevent copyright infringements? Experts discussed a variety of ideas and solutions — from tool combinations to integration in corporate guidelines.
With more than 2,800 exhibitors from 60 countries and a 95-percent level of internationality, Heimtextil 2024 marks the beginning of the new trade-fair year. And, with a 25-percent increase in the number of exhibitors compared to the last edition, the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles continues to grow across all product segments and attract many different nations. “Our trade-fair brands are back and more resilient than ever before. Moreover, they offer small to medium sized companies in particular a high level of international stability. Despite a gloomy economic backdrop, Heimtextil continues to expand and offer a market overview of the latest global trends in the home and contract textile sector”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, in his opening statement.
Heimtextil 2024
At the opening press conference, panel participants Anja Bisgaard Gaede, founder of the Spott trends & business agency, Danny Richman, AI consultant and inventor of the AI‑based Fabric Genie design app, and Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies of Messe Frankfurt, discussed the potential of artificial intelligence for textile product design. The discussion was chaired by Alexandra Bohn, Style Content Director of F.A.Z. Quarterly.
Artificial intelligence in textile product design
ChatGPT, Midjourney, Dallee: powerful tools for text, image and design generation have been very easily accessible for companies and private individuals since 2023. Today, they are a fixed part of everyday life and are leading to enduring changes in working processes. The panel discussion focused on how artificial intelligence is speeding up creative processes, enabling the rapid production of designs and transcending time‑consuming drawing processes on computers. Moreover, AI offers recommendations for material choices — based on specific criteria and the desired properties of the final product, whether for sustainability or in the contract business.
Heimtextil 2024: trade fairs as aids to transformation
One of the key roles played by Heimtextil is the investment in knowledge and the exchange of information with the aim of bringing transformations to life. Olaf Schmidt underscored the rapid growth of AI and explained why Messe Frankfurt is actively focusing on AI and bringing together international experts in this edition of Heimtextil, with a panel discussion and workshops in the Heimtextil Trend Space: “AI is fundamentally redefining the economy, markets and industries. As trade-fair experts, we know how to aid transformation efforts and reduce levels of complexity. With the global home textiles industry at Heimtextil in Frankfurt, now is the optimum time to spotlight the potential of artificial intelligence”, said Olaf Schmidt. The strength of the global Texpertise Network is also evident in this context: the Network embraces over 50 textile trade fairs in 12 countries and aids the exchange of information about artificial intelligence between many different markets along the textile value chain.
Increasing the potential of AI in textile design: easy and inexpensive
In his keynote address, Danny Richman presented a tried and tested aid: Fabric Genie, an AI design application for online shops. Users upload images of their room and describe their design requirements. The AI then generates proposals from which users can choose the design wanted. In his address, Richman also referred to the public’s reaction to the ability of AI to produce unique textile designs. “AI is superior to humans in terms of its ability to spot patterns in data. At the same time, this potential is easy and inexpensive for companies to take advantage of. Thanks to AI, it is not difficult to generate backend codes or to integrate custom-made applications via APIs”, said Danny Richman.
Artificial intelligence at the Heimtextil Trend Space
Anja Bisgaard Gaede looked at how companies can get started with AI and which aspects they should take account of during implementation. In this connection, she discussed not only technical questions but also the composition of corporate guidelines and protection against copyright infringements. Attention was also paid to ways in which AI is being used for textile design, as well as its limits. Gaede explained the importance of suitable prompts and distinguished between effective and less effective commands. Another focus was on combining the AI tools currently available. “It is time to forge ahead with KI. But with caution and with an eye to what is required to be successful in this. Hybrid machine and human interaction as well as collective intelligence are component parts of tomorrow’s workflows,” said Anja Bisgaard Gaede.
She also offered a preview of the AI applications and workshops in the Heimtextil Trend Space where visitors can experience and test artificial intelligence and augmented reality up close. Thanks to the AI-Image-Creator, they have the opportunity to generate unique textile works of art using a variety of prompts. Parallel to this, another tool offers valuable factual knowledge in the field of text-based learning.
Heimtextil 2024: even more textile innovations, materials and design
Worldwide business contacts and the place-to-be for the international textile interior-design sector — this year, Heimtextil brings textile innovations, materials, interior design and trends to life more intensively and in an even greater variety than ever before.
On a total of 17 levels, retailers, wholesalers, designers, furniture and bedding specialists, interior designers, interior decorators, architects, hotel designers and many other decision-makers can be sure of finding the broadest and deepest range of home, household and contract textiles: from decorative furniture fabrics to bedrooms and bathroom textiles, not to mention functional textiles, wallpapers, carpets, curtains and sun-protection systems.
The leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles has added two new halls for 2024. The first is Hall 5.1 for the new Carpets & Rugs product segment where 100 global suppliers have rolled out their latest products and design highlights for their first joint presentation in Frankfurt am Main. The broad spectrum to be seen stretches from hand and machine woven carpets to dirt-absorbing runners. The second supplementary hall has been opened this year for the global sourcing segment where private label excellence meets volume products – with a great range of high-quality industrial and artisan household textiles (Halls: 10.0 to 10.4) and home textiles (Halls 6.0, 5.0 and 6.1).
Beyond a range of products unparalleled worldwide, the global meeting place for the sector is once again distinguished by an indispensable visitor and content programme, which includes the Heimtextil Trends 24/25. Under the headline theme of New Sensitivity, they reveal a new sensitivity for the future via three compelling categories ‘plant-based’ ‘technological’ and ‘bio-engineered’.
The Interior.Architecture.Hospitality programme stands for the latest developments in the contract sector while the FINDER lists exhibitors with corresponding products. Additionally, experts guide visitors to selected exhibitors and present highlights on ‘Health & Care’, ‘Outdoor’, ‘Sustainability & Climate’ and ‘New Work’ within the framework of the Heimtextil TALKS & TOURS. In the LIBRARY, visitors will find a presentation of functional textiles curated by an expert jury.
For the first time in 2024, all relevant knowledge and product offerings on the main topic of sustainability can be found under the heading Econogy – from Econogy Talks to the Econogy Finder, an expert-checked overview of certified exhibitors with sustainable products. Other components of the Econogy offering include the Econogy Hub, the platform for seal providers and certifiers, and the one-hour Econogy Tours.
This year, the focus is once again on high-grade knowledge content for the specialist bed trade and the hotel industry: at the Heimtextil Sleep & More Conference in Hall 11.0, international sleep experts share their insights and best practices – from bedroom design and the expectations of Generation Z on hotel accommodation to the use of artificial intelligence for professional sleep analysis.
CHÂTEAUNEUF-LES-MARTIGUES, France — January 9, 2024 — Sicomin, a formulator of high-performance epoxy resin systems including the GreenPoxy® bio-resin range, has confirmed its GreenPoxy 33 will be used by SPLEENE Kiteboarding in its new Eco Line RIP 39 boards.
Designed with a commitment to genuine sustainability and developed during a 2 year collaboration with the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, all aspects of the Eco Line RIP 39’s construction were reviewed. Flax fiber multiaxial reinforcement plies, a CNC milled wood core and bamboo rail sections, are press molded together using Sicomin’s GreenPoxy 33 bio-epoxy resin system to produce the world’s most sustainable twintip kiteboard.
EcoBoard Lamination
Sicomin’s GreenPoxy 33 is an entirely CMR free resin system that has been optimized for a wide range of production processes including the hot press production used by SPLEENE for the new boards. Seamlessly substituted for traditional resins, GreenPoxy 33 allows manufacturers to quickly adopt greener processes, enabling eco-friendly performance with no compromise on ride quality, durability, or performance.
In addition to redefining the environmental expectations for a kitesurfing board, the new Eco Line RIP 39 also delivers on the water. SPLEENE Kiteboarding’s unique deck, core and base design details coupled with the added vibration damping of the natural flax and GreenPoxy laminates, mean the new boards perfectly balance explosive pop for tricks and jumps with long term comfort that keeps riders out on the water.
SPLEENE Ecoboard in action
“We chose Sicomin’s GreenPoxy 33 primarily for its compatibility with our hot press moulding process. Of course, we wanted a great bio-resin, but it also had to be both production ready and backed up by an exceptional track record. There is no gain if bio-alternatives lead to delamination or increased fragility in the part,” said Sebastian Fitz, operations director at SPLEENE. “Our collaboration with Sicomin allowed us to achieve awesome on the water performance without compromising our commitment to sustainability.”
The Eco Line RIP 39 represents just the beginning of SPLEENE’s eco-initiative. The company plans to expand the usage of GreenPoxy resins across its other twintip board lines, aiming for an entirely eco-friendly production across its range during 2024.
PARIS — January 9, 2024 — Annually, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards recognize successful initiatives and collaborative efforts within the composites industry. Over the past 26 years, the program has engaged more than 2,000 companies globally, honoring 225 companies and 573 partners for their outstanding achievements in composites innovation and effective partnerships. Criteria for the awards include partner involvement in the value chain, project complexity, and commercial potential.
The competition is open to any company, university or R&D Center with a compelling collaborative innovation or concept to showcase. The success of participants is closely tied to partnerships and collective intelligence. Beyond being a ceremony, these awards serve as a platform to spotlight potentially undisclosed projects, offering inspiration and motivation to an expert audience eager to explore new frontiers.
After pre-selection of the 33 finalists, one winner will be selected in each of the 11 categories:
Aerospace – Parts
Aerospace – Process
Automotive & Road Transportation –Parts
Automotive & Road Transportation – Process
Building & Civil Engineering
Circularity & Recycling
Digital, AI & Data
Equipment, Machinery & Heavy Industries
Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding
Renewable Energies
Sports, Leisure & Recreation
The international jury representing the entire composites value chain includes:
•Hüseyin ATES, CTO & Compounding BU Leader, Kordsa
•Pr. Alan BANKS, Innovation & Industrial Engagement Supervisor, Ford Motor Company
•Pr. Christophe BINETRUY, Professor, Centrale Nantes / Nantes Université
•Tamara BLANCO, Composite Materials & Processes Engineer & Expert, Airbus
•Dale BROSIUS, Executive VP/Chief Commercialization Officer, IACMI – The Composite Institute
•Michel COGNET, Chairman of the Board, JEC
•Dr. Karl-Heinz FÜLLER, Manager Future Exterior and Materials, Mercedes-Benz
•Dr. Sung HA, Professor, Hanyang University
•Guy LARNAC, Technical Domain Coordinator for Materials, Structures and Industrialization JTFR, Ariane Group
•Pr. Véronique MICHAUD, Head of Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC), EPFL
•Pr. Kiyoshi UZAWA, Professor/Director, Innovative Composite Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology.
The awards ceremony will take place in Paris on February 8th, 2024.
LEIPZIG, Germany — January 9, 2024 — When it comes to testing the haptic qualities of textiles, apparels and fabrics, it isn’t enough to simply rely on subjective impressions of sensations, which can vary widely depending on the sensitivity of the single hand-panel tester, daily conditions, and even the individual culture. An objective evaluation of haptic parameters such as softness, smoothness, flexibility, and recovery behavior is essential for clear communication of product specifications across locations. Parameters as friction, drape and thermohaptics round off the spectrum of TSA measurement values.
“To reliably compare and reproduce products with the desired haptic characteristics, manufacturers need objective data on hand,” says Antonio Trampler, area sales manager for emtec. “Any-thing else is just a guess.”
Trampler and Alexander Gruener, business development manager for emtec, will be on site at the Texworld NYC together with Chase Tinker from partner company Technidyne of Indus-trial Physics, to demonstrate the newly designed TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer in addition to the predecessor model (established in the tissue paper industry). The new TSA features advanced measuring capabilities, including thermohaptic determination, friction, drape, an improved method for deformation and springback measurements, and an image of the sample for optical analysis.
Much like color codes, measured TSA data also function as a numeric language, allowing inde-pendent operators to accurately match the haptic characteristics of a product. In addition, the TSA integrates all measured sample data into a Virtual Haptic Library (cloud-based haptic data-base), allowing operators to search for, compare, and reproduce a product’s haptic traits from anywhere in the world.
“Quantifying and digitizing the subjective parameters of touch opens up new possibilities in terms of quality assurance and product reproduction,” explains Alexander Gruener. “It effectively eliminates the need to ship samples halfway around the globe to confirm a sample’s haptic conformity, which alone leads to a quick and significant return-on-investment.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — January 8, 2024 — Motion Industries Inc. — a distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a provider of industrial technology solutions — named Chris Cleland to senior vice president of Strategy & Markets, effective immediately.
Cleland’s career spans more than 25 years in consulting, strategy, marketing, branding, e-commerce, business development, and transformation. In his previous role as Principal Consultant at Cummings Creative Group (CCG), for the past 20 years, he led multiple successful initiatives across several industry verticals, driving growth and innovation for clients — including 12+ years consulting with Motion on marketing and strategy projects. Prior to his time with CCG, Cleland gained valuable experience as president/owner of LithoSigns and as a sales manager with Citadel Broadcasting.
In his new role, Cleland will lead the company’s strategy development for its business groups, plus the e-commerce and digital teams. He will report to James Howe, Motion’s executive vice president – chief commercial officer/chief technology officer.
“Chris brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team,” Howe said. “His impressive track record in innovation and transformation makes him a perfect fit for guiding our company-wide strategic planning process and shaping our future growth and success. We look forward to an exciting journey ahead.”
Cleland graduated from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), earning a Bachelor of Science in Business.
Mary Beth Hunsberger will be joining the company as Executive Vice President of Culp Upholstery Fabrics, effective January 8, 2024.
HIGH POINT, N.C. — January 8, 2024 — Culp Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, CULP) today announced that Mary Beth Hunsberger will be joining the company as executive vice president of Culp Upholstery Fabrics, effective January 8, 2024. The company also announced that it intends for Hunsberger to succeed Boyd Chumbley in the role of division president in the third quarter of calendar year 2024. Chumbley will work with Hunsberger during a period of transition in 2024, and he will thereafter continue in an advisory role as needed to strategically support the company.
Hunsberger brings more than two decades of expertise in the home furnishings industry to her new position. She comes to CULP from DEDON Inc., where she served as controller and then president of North and South America since 2016, and concurrently served as the COO of North and South America for Gloster Furniture since 2023. Earlier in her career, Hunsberger also spent 13 years with Tempur + Sealy International Inc. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University and received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hunsberger will report to Culp Inc.’s President and CEO Iv Culp.
Chumbley has worked with CULP since 1984 and has made extraordinary contributions to the upholstery fabrics division. He has served as a dedicated leader throughout his tenure and plans to transition to a supporting role in the third quarter of the calendar 2024 year. In this new role, he will continue adding significant strategic value with his experience and extensive knowledge of the home furnishings industry.
Commenting on the announcement, Culp said: “Boyd has been with Culp Upholstery Fabrics for 40 years, and we are extremely grateful for his loyalty and sound leadership. He has a passion for steady business models and high-functioning supply chains in a global environment. Boyd leads with absolute professionalism and grace, and he is a terrific mentor for our CULP associates. We are pleased that Boyd will remain with CULP for a diligent transition and then serve in an important support role.
“We are also excited to welcome Mary Beth Hunsberger to our CULP team. Her broad experience and knowledge of the home furnishings industry will help us continue to build upon the strong foundation of success created under Boyd’s leadership,” continued Culp. “We believe Mary Beth is a terrific fit for our current and future strategic plans, and we are pleased that she will have an extended time to work with Boyd and learn from his deep knowledge of Culp Upholstery Fabrics.”
UNION, S.C. — January 8, 2024 — Biotechnology manufacturer MycoWorks has announced that its commercial-scale Fine Mycelium™ plant has successfully harvested over a thousand sheets of the company’s revolutionary luxury leather-alternative biomaterial, and has already achieved a level of product quality exceeding that of its California pilot plant. This has allowed the company to move to the next phase of its production ramp-up, loading over 10,000 trays to-date that will be harvested in the coming weeks. The company’s first revenue-generating shipments have left MycoWorks South Carolina several months ahead of schedule, soon to arrive to clients and partners who have pre-reserved nearly two years worth of Mycoworks South Carolina capacity. The sheets will first pass through the expert hands of MycoWorks’ partner tanneries across Europe, transforming Fine Mycelium into products including the company’s own flagship material Reishi™ — a fully grown, customizable, and low-carbon biomaterial with the strength, handfeel, and durability of the world’s finest natural leathers.
Improved sheet quality at scale
Fine Mycelium grown at MycoWorks South Carolina has already exceeded the quality standards of typical sheets grown at the company’s California pilot plant due to the implementation of years of quality and scale-up learnings from the pilot. Focused on attaining the highest performance and aesthetic qualities in Fine Mycelium, MycoWorks has developed a new savoir-faire–craft–for making mycelium materials, and has also now successfully scaled it up by adding key elements of automation: a first for biomaterials.
Three years of R&D at pilot plant paved way for quick scalability
After breaking ground on the facility in August of 2022, MycoWorks commenced operations at the South Carolina plant in September of 2022 and harvested its first sheets there in November. The company’s proprietary process is operating as expected with quality achieved ahead of schedule, proving the company’s proprietary tray-based process can be performed virtually anywhere.
Process automation has cut costs while raising sheet quality
MycoWorks developed entirely new systems and equipment for its unique tray-based biomaterials process to make Fine Mycelium, adapting existing automation equipment from the consumer goods, automotive, food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. MycoWorks has been able to reduce the labor input by a factor of fourteen while raising quality standards, delivering Fine Mycelium expertly, effectively and efficiently to partners.
Key scale-up technologies already demonstrated
MycoWorks has already implemented several key cost-down and scale-up technologies at MycoWorks South Carolina, including the double-harvesting of sheets from trays and the elimination of an initial tanning step at the plant.
The Fine Mycelium process engineers mycelium during growth to form dense sheets of biomaterial in a uniquely scalable tray-based system. Until recently, only one sheet of Fine Mycelium could be harvested per tray; today, two sheets per tray are being harvested, increasing yield. MycoWorks will begin implementing this breakthrough in 100 percent of production by the end of 2024.
Furthermore, the company has developed the capacity to ship Fine Mycelium in untanned, “wet” form to tannery partners. Eliminating the costly initial tanning— i.e., stabilizing — process, and cutting the need for further chemistry through wet shipments, has both reduced cost and led to higher quality output at tanneries processing Fine Mycelium into Reishi™.
“In 2023, MycoWorks achieved multiple manufacturing milestones, most notably start of production of the world’s first commercial-scale mycelium biomaterial in South Carolina as well as the first harvests of high-quality sheets of Fine Mycelium using this facility’s new systems and process automation,” noted Doug Hardesty, MycoWorks COO. “Our teams redesigned and scaled up our one-of-a-kind tray based process to achieve low cost and high quality production all while delivering Fine Mycelium to the market ahead of schedule, only 17 months after breaking ground. MycoWorks South Carolina is a remarkable achievement, now delivering the quality from craftsmanship via a scalable tray.”
Supply-chain breakthrough for the luxury industry
The luxury sector has been eager to adopt MycoWorks’ Fine Mycelium technology into their materials supply chains for the product’s traceability from growth to tanning — and for brands, to final product. The unique printed code on each sheet allows for unprecedented monitoring and control as well as the ability to fine-tune sheets during their growth cycle for desired characteristics, tray-by-tray. Proprietary to MycoWorks’, this degree of both material tunability and provenance is unheard-of currently in the supply chain of natural materials.
Fine Mycelium is providing a new option of superior environmental standard to the materials sector
As reported in MycoWorks LCA of finished and tanned sheets, Reishi has a very low carbon footprint, between 2.7-5.8 kg/m2. Finished sheets are near-zero plastic and remain biodegradable. A less than 1%-by-weight finish, common to all leathers, can optionally be applied to the surface of sheets to protect from scratching and water damage. At present, no other material on the market possesses the rare combination of scalable, traceable, low-impact and quality performance characteristics that Fine Mycelium made products like Reishi can have. This uniquely positions MycoWorks’ technology to transform the supply chains for fashion and luxury, helping them to overcome natural leather shortages due to declining beef and dairy consumption while doing so with a high-quality natural material in-line with modern values. .
“MycoWorks South Carolina represents the future of design and manufacturing of soft-goods. The potential of our technology is not to replicate existing materials, but to leapfrog them — delivering an entirely new category of products to the market made from Fine Mycelium. Uniquely differentiated from leather, our first product, Reishi, represents an entirely new class of materials that is engineerable, controllable, durable and sustainable,” said MycoWorks CEO Matt Scullin. “At MycoWorks, we are designing materials for a new world, and a future where mycelium is the natural material of choice.”
TOKYO — January 5, 2024 — Descente is pleased to welcome Xander Schauffele, the Tokyo Olympics men’s golf gold medalist, as a new member of Team Descente. Schauffele, currently the 6th top ranked player in the latest 2023 World Rankings, has agreed to a multi-year contract for golf wear, training wear, and accessories under the Descente brand from January 2024.
Schauffele is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, where he has won seven times since turning professional in 2015 at age 22. He began playing golf at age 13 coached by his father, a decathlon athlete whose own Olympic ambitions were derailed by a traffic accident injury.
Xander Schauffele, the Tokyo Olympics men’s golf gold medalist, as a new member of Team Descente
Under his special advisory contract, Schauffele will collaborate with Descente on golf product development and appeal to customers and fans on a global scale by heading up promotional activities to enhance the value of the Descente brand and strengthen its golf category lineup in Japan, Korea, and China. Descente will seek his advice in new product development and will also support him with all its high-quality resources resulting from ongoing collaboration with leading athletes and teams.
At the announcement of the partnership, Schauffele said, “I am very honored to join the Descente team. The Descente brand has a rich history of developing performance and training apparel for a variety of indoor and outdoor sports, including golf. I am very grateful for the opportunities to work closely with such a storied brand and look forward to contributing to the success of Team Descente on and off the golf course.”
Descente CEO Shuichi Koseki said Descente was extremely pleased to sign this contract with Schauffele. “Xander is a world-class talent and an athlete who embodies Descente’s premium sports brand philosophy,” he said. “We look forward to having our highly functional, quality products contributing to his ongoing success and to his role in ensuring the further evolution of the Descente brand.”
Notable Achievements:
2017 The Greenbrier Classic – Winner
2017 Tour Championship – Winner
2018 WGC HSBC Champions – Winner
2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions – Winner
2021 Tokyo Olympics Golf Men’s Individual Stroke Play – Gold Medalist
2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans – Winner
2022 Genesis Scottish Open – Winner
RONSE, Belgium — January 9, 2024 — Devan Chemicals, a provider of sustainable textile finishes, is excited to announce its upcoming participation in Heimtextil 2024. Devan invites attendees to explore their booth in Hall 11.0, booth A21, and experience firsthand the latest sustainable textile finishes that Devan has developed.
