AATCC Committee Meetings: Connect, Meet, Attend

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — September 7, 2021 — AATCC Committees provide the helping hands, hearts, and minds that bring textile industry standards to life.  Each year AATCC committees provide groundbreaking standards and conferences which fill much needed gaps in the industry. More than 40 AATCC committees will meet this fall to develop test methods, conferences, and other educational programs or publications. When you connect with AATCC committees, you can impact the textile tests used all around the world!

Administrative Committee Meetings will be October 19-22, 2021, and are remote (online) only.

Research Committee Meetings will be November 15-16, 2021, and are hybrid with in-person and remote options for all meetings. There is no fee to attend, and your input is welcomed.

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all.

The Research Committee meetings are part of AATCC’s Week of Celebration. We invite you to celebrate and discover with us. The events will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, N.C.

Activities include:

  • AATCC Committee meetings;
  • AATCC Textile Discovery Summit; and
  • AATCC 100th Anniversary Events.

Committee Meetings attendance is free. Textile Discovery Summit is a paid event.  Registration is required for both.

Committee meeting registration, meeting schedules, and information on hotel accommodations are available at https://aatcc.org/committees/. Please register to reconnect, participate, and help in the good work of the AATCC committees.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: AATCC

Shawmut Debuts Neoluxe™ Fabric Family At 2021 IAA Mobility Conference

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — September 7, 2021 — Shawmut Corp., a global manufacturer of advanced materials and a leading global provider of automotive interior fabrics, today revealed its premium automotive interior fabric, Neoluxe™. Shawmut will be exhibiting the luxury Neoluxe fabric family to some of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers in partnership with the Zettl Group this week at the 2021 IAA Mobility Conference and Auto Show in Munich, Germany, from September 7-12.

Neoluxe is a premium synthetic suede alternative to urethane impregnated nonwoven microfiber materials, produced through a known, proven, and sustainable process within the automotive industry. The fabric delivers the luxurious look and feel of suede while providing the consistency and trimmability of a knit fabric. Neoluxe also features:

  • A beautiful aesthetic that can be effortlessly enhanced through custom embossed, welded, embroidered, perforated, and printed techniques;
  • A better and more homogeneous quality than other premium synthetic suedes, making the fabric a more attractive choice for a myriad of automotive interior component possibilities; and
  • A reduced environmental impact compared to other premium suedes due to the careful selection of raw materials and processing technologies; Neoluxe can be produced using recycled content.

“As consumers increasingly seek out luxury-level features, our Neoluxe fabric delivers automakers a premium, sustainable fabric to elevate any vehicle in their lineup,” said Wade Martin, president, Automotive Division at Shawmut. “Additionally, with new trends like electric and sustainably-focused vehicles gaining market share, automakers need the right interior materials to match these vehicles in sustainability, appearance, and performance, and Neoluxe delivers on all fronts.”

As the world’s largest supplier of warp-knit fabrics for headliner and other automotive interior systems components, Shawmut’s addition of the premium Neoluxe fabric family to its existing portfolio of durable, high-performance solutions furthers its mission to help auto manufacturers continue innovating. Lightweight warp knit fabrics are standard in headliner applications, however the superior molding and tunable elongation performances of Neoluxe, compared to other premium suede alternatives on the market, allow this fabric to be worked into a wider variety of interior components.

In addition to headliner applications, Shawmut’s Neoluxe fabric can be applied to seating, pillars, sun visors, sunshades, doors, and more. With its in-house design, engineering, and production capabilities, and a manufacturing scale that allows it to supply customer’s low volume applications with high volume buying power, Shawmut has the unique ability to bring its Neoluxe fabric family to a wealth of customers with different needs and challenges.

“Neoluxe is such a fantastic fabric to work with because it molds and trims beautifully and accepts secondary processes well, allowing us to utilize the fabric in several areas of a car’s interior,” said Mollie Engel, vice president of Design & Development at Shawmut. “As a designer, I always have a vision for how I want to incorporate new fabrics into different designs projects, but sometimes that ideal doesn’t match up with the realities of the fabric. That is not the case with Neoluxe™ and working with this fabric makes the design process more exciting given its endless capabilities.”

Shawmut has partnered with Zettl Group, a premium automotive and interior solutions supplier, to display automotive seating finished in the Neoluxe™ fabric range at the IAA Summit Vendor Fair in the Zettl Group booth in Hall A2, Stand B22.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: Shawmut Corp.

VF Corp. Announces Veronica Wu Has Stepped Down From Its Board Of Directors

DENVER — September 7, 2021 — VF Corp. today announced that Veronica Wu has informed VF of her decision to step down from the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. Wu’s decision to step down from the board was not the result of any disagreement with VF on any matter relating to VF’s operations, policies or practices.

Wu was appointed to the VF board of directors in March of 2019.

In connection with Wu’s stepping down, the size of the VF Board will be reduced from 12 members to 11 members until a new director is identified.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: VF Corp.

Unifi Inc. Publishes 2021 Sustainability Report

GREENSBORO, N.C.  — September 7, 2021 — Unifi Inc. continues its commitment to sustainability and transparency through the publication of its latest sustainability report.

“Unifi’s commitment to environmental, social and governance responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Meredith Boyd, senior vice president of Technology, Innovation & Sustainability. “This latest sustainability report highlights the hard work our organization has put into the last year, making it one of our most impactful years since our founding a half century ago. We invested in technology and product development that prioritized reducing our environmental impact and took even further steps toward sustainability through enhanced transparency.”

Key accomplishments and highlights for the 2021 sustainability report include:

  • Investing in Sustainability — Unifi is prioritizing new, innovative products and processes to reduce total energy and water impacts throughout the life cycles of both Unifi’s products and those of its customers.
  • Achieving Further Sustainability Scoring — Unifi’s pledge to continue using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on its products provides the company a pathway to further reduce the environmental impact for customers, brands, and end-consumers.
  • Building the REPREVE® Portfolio — Sales of Unifi’s flagship recycled brand continue to grow quarter over quarter, emphasizing the promise to lower-impact materials.
  • 2021 Diversity Champions — Unifi was honored as the 2021 Diversity Champion by the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Director Diversity Initiative, highlighting Unifi’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
  • Pursuit of Zero Waste to Landfill Manufacturing — Six of Unifi’s seven owned and operated facilities achieved zero waste to landfill.
  • A Culture of Safety — Unifi’s Total Recordable Incident Rate continues to stay below 1.0, a testament to its people promoting and embracing a safe work culture.
  • Alignment with Global Standards — Unifi provides in-progress Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board disclosure grids in the appendix of the sustainability report.

“As a global leader in textile solutions, we have a responsibility to be a vocal and engaged participant in the pursuit of a better future for people and our planet,” said Eddie Ingle, CEO. “I’m proud of the significant progress we have made over the last year, including taking further steps towards our goal of recycling 30 billion bottles from landfills in 2022. Through strategic innovation in our processes and the inherent ingenuity of our people, we’ll continue making progress towards our vision of working today for the good of tomorrow.”

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: Unifi, Inc.

TomboyX Names New Chief Executive, Elevates COO Leslie Garrard To Top Job

SEATTLE — September 3, 2021 — After nearly a decade of category-leading success paving the way for gender-neutral brands, progressive underwear brand TomboyX announces a changing of the guard. Co-founders Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez will hand the reigns to COO Leslie Garrard who assumes the role of CEO, starting immediately. Senior team members Ryan Letson, Katrine Fritz and Amy Sellers will step into key management roles. Dunaway and Gonzalez will remain with the company, continuing to partner on strategic brand projects in a part-time capacity. Dunaway will remain on the board of directors.

Garrard is well positioned to take the company through its next phase of growth. Since she joined as TomboyX COO in October 2020, she has led the team in developing its strategic plan, launching new product collections and brand collaborations, growing the company’s wholesale business, diversifying the supply chain, and executing a warehouse move. She spent five years at outdoor retailer REI in multiple leadership roles, and in management roles at Starbucks and T-Mobile. As CEO, Garrard will focus on driving scaled growth and continued community impact for the TomboyX brand, building off the incredible progress and significant expansion TomboyX has experienced since its founding in 2012.

“Naomi and I are beyond excited to make this announcement,” Dunaway said. “Leslie has proven herself to be a forward-thinking visionary who is uniquely qualified to lead TomboyX as we scale and expand. Her savvy business acumen gives Naomi and I confidence in her ability to lead the team to ongoing success. She shares our values and is a strong culture add. The future is bright for TomboyX.”

Dunaway and Gonzalez will continue in their longtime roles as brand spokespersons, with Dunaway developing new vehicles to engage TomboyX’s core LGBTQ+ community, while Gonzalez will continue to drive strategic projects including sustainability and certification initiatives.

“TomboyX is a profoundly authentic company,” said Garrard. “It’s a female founded challenger brand that’s 100 percent about promoting joy and wonder through radical comfort and inclusivity. I am so excited to help lead the team through the next-wave of TomboyX’s dramatic growth and community impact, with the continued partnership of its co-founders Fran and Naomi.”

In addition to Garrard’s ascension, the company has promoted two key employees to its leadership team and added a new member. TomboyX CFO Ryan Letson adds COO to his title. As CFO/COO, he will lead finance, technology, business operations, logistics, customer service, legal and human resources. Katrine Fritz becomes chief merchant, promoted from vice president of Merchandising/Design/Planning. She will lead design, merchandise strategy, planning, wholesale, collaborations, and product development and sourcing.

TomboyX welcomes new Chief Marketing Officer Amy Sellers, who assumes leadership of all marketing, digital and creative initiatives. She recently served as vice president, marketing at Flyhomes and held titles of client partner with Facebook, and vice president, marketing and UX at American Well. She also held various marketing positions at Amazon and Zulily.

TomboyX is a pioneer in gender-neutral clothing, and its passionate advocacy for acceptance and equality, along with exacting standards of quality, inclusive design, fit, and sustainable manufacturing have been key to its success. It has been named to the Inc. 5000 list for the past four years running.

“We will continue to shine a spotlight on TomboyX as an industry-leading progressive underwear brand,” Garrard said. “As we execute our growth plan, we will stay true to our core as a purpose-driven brand and continue to fuel the passion of Fran and Naomi to create the most comfortable, best-fitting, inclusively-designed apparel for people of all shapes, sizes, and orientations.”

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: TomboyX

ViewSonic Announces Exclusive Partnership With Pantone, “Colorpro Talks – The Power Of Color”

BREA, Calif. — September 7, 2021 — ViewSonic[i], a global provider of visual solutions, and Pantone®, the world-leading authority on color, have partnered up to launch a series of events titled ColorPro™ Talks – The Power of Color. This exclusive collaboration will feature industry experts and color specialists who will share insights into the importance of color, light, and contrast in creative work. The in-person event will take place in London on September 9, 2021, and will be broadcast online on September 19, 2021, those who are interested can visit the registration site and sign up to participate.

“ViewSonic ColorPro has always been committed to creating intuitive tools with high color performance. Color has the power to move and affect us and ColorPro sees its importance for creatives, designers, and artists,” said Oscar Lin, head of Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. “We are pleased and proud to be working with Pantone to host the ColorPro Talks events. We hope to provide creators precise color insights and inspire people all around the world to further evolve their creative process.”

“We are excited to build upon our collaboration efforts with ViewSonic to deliver accurate, reliable color for creators and artists all around the world. For Pantone, the ColorPro Talks events are a great opportunity to engage with and educate designers and creatives,” says Iain Pike, Director of Licensing at Pantone. “With the increased popularity of Pantone Colors as a means to clearly communicate creative intent, Pantone is delighted to work with ViewSonic to evaluate and license ViewSonic’s ColorPro VP2768a model as Pantone Validated.”

The second session of ColorPro Talks, taking place in London will showcase acclaimed photographer Dan Rubin, the creator of Apple’s ‘Meet the iPhone Photographer’ event series and co-founder of The Photographic Journal, Kate O’Neill, a visual artist and co-founder of The Photographic Journal, and Edward Hattenberger, a Color Scientist at X-Rite Pantone. Creative enthusiasts and budding artists can learn about tips and tricks on managing color accuracy, and how to use Pantone® Matching System to express thoughts through color.

Participants will be able to take part in an exclusive lucky draw. The winners will have a chance to get limited-edition Pantone goodies or a Pantone-Validated ViewSonic ColorPro VP2768a monitor.

Pantone and ViewSonic have co-hosted the inaugural ColorPro Talks event in the United States of America on 25 May 2021. The US-based event featured Cliff Cramp, a world-renowned veteran illustrator and visual artist, who has worked on concept pieces for Disney and Star Wars. He shared his expertise on how color influences design, and why accuracy in color matters.

[i] The Contest is hosted and sponsored by ViewSonic International Corp., located in New Taipei City, Taiwan. ViewSonic International Corp. is a subsidiary of ViewSonic Corp. located in California, USA.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: ViewSonic

Banana Republic Debuts A New Look

SAN FRANCISCO — September 7, 2021 — This fall, Banana Republic reintroduces its new brand identity, positioning, and brand promise — winking at its heritage while reinventing itself for today’s modern world. Inspired by its roots, the 43-year-old iconic global lifestyle brand is reimagining every detail of the customer experience in the form of democratic, approachable, and inclusive luxury. From immersive product stories seen in-store and on digital platforms to the updated quality of product designs and fabrics, customers will see elevated experiences and details across all touchpoints.

“We started with a very clear vision of what this iconic American company can be and what we need to do in terms of our product quality and design, packaging and service, our digital experiences, and experiences in our stores to bring this vision to life in a way that excites culture and moves our business,” said Brand President and CEO Sandra Stangl. “This Fall is just the beginning for Banana Republic. We embark on an adventure of our lifetimes, led by creativity, curiosity, and a newfound drive. The excitement is palpable across the entire organization as we all dream about the opportunities to transform this iconic lifestyle brand into a forever brand: always relevant, always current, never not modern.”

The Fall 2021 campaign kicks off September 7 with The New Look, focusing on leather and suede, reworked in the form of the iconic BR photojournalist vest and cargo pants, modernized leather jumpsuits, and suede shorts-and-blazer separates. Materials that BR has been long known for are back: soft shearling, feather-light suede trench dresses, Italian Merino wool, silk, and cashmere. Additional hero looks include workwear, expedition-ready casualwear, and tailoring that moves.

“With The New Look, our goal is to create silhouettes and branding that is always nostalgic and simultaneously contemporary,” noted Chief Brand Officer Ana Andjelic. “Just like punk and yuppie defined a decade and grunge and metrosexual clashed on the same streets, The New Look blurs sartorial codes. Call it post-genre fashion. Or call it post-fashion altogether: The New Look is less about fashion and more about living. To get there, we mixed the mythical American look, San Francisco imagination, and the late 1990s. Keywords are utilitarian chic and modern casualwear. Safari meets tuxedo, formalwear meets casualwear, menswear meets womenswear, vintage meets tailoring, functionality meets imagination…”

To bring this vision to life, the brand created a new identity, positioning, and promise. Launching September 28, Imagined Worlds reflects Banana Republic as it was originally conceived — a fictitious territory — a far-away and unknown place that is part of explorers’ folklore and adventurers’ lore. Like Shangri-La, Middle Earth, Westeros, or Wakanda, Banana Republic is an imagined world. This invented, dreamlike brand world is a springboard to redefine fashion, design, activism, sustainability, and creativity. The New Look and Imagined Worlds campaigns will run across digital, social, and media channels later this month.

As the brand elevates the quality of its collections, it is also focused on reimagining its digital platforms to be an engaging experience featuring inspirational imagery, video, and music that immerses customers into the new world of Banana Republic. The brand is also upgrading its fleet of stores across the country, thinking holistically about customer experiences from hospitality and styling services to harmonious store design and elevated merchandising.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: Banana Republic

JEC Forum DACH: A Promising Agenda Highlighting Composites Innovation In The Region

PARIS— September 7, 2021 — JEC Forum DACH’s primary goal is to promote the region DACH — Germany (D), Austria (A), and Switzerland (CH) — area’s dynamic composites ecosystem through a promising program that includes conferences, startup competition, and awards. The first edition of the JEC DACH Forum, unique in its format and content, will occur in the Forum of Messe Frankfurt from November 23 to 24, 2021.

For two days, the JEC Forum DACH program will offer the opportunity to exchange and learn about the current and future developments of Composites in the DACH region through a rich program of conferences, the JEC Composites Startup Booster, and the JEC-AVK Awards. JEC Forum DACH will include pre-arranged Business Meetings between sponsors and attendees as well as sponsors’ workshops. Advance registration is required to attend this forum that expects to gather 500 participants.

Conferences, Keynotes, And Market Overview

JEC Forum DACH will feature cutting-edge live conferences with exclusive keynotes organized by the AVK.

The composites industry provides a significant impetus, e.g. in its process technologies for hybrid structures or integrated manufacturing and modern mobility or new materials in the booming construction sector. There’s been an increasing number of marketable ideas for recycling and sustainability solutions. Furthermore, an exclusive report on current market developments in the European composites market will be delivered.

JEC Forum DACH will also feature a fulfilling conference program with experts from the industry giving insights on the latest developments in high-performance composite technologies and applications.

Each day of the forum will be broken down as-is:

  • Two keynote speeches led by one or two high profile experts;
  • Conferences/technical presentations; and
  • Workshops and Business Meetings.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: JEC Group

INDA Announces The 2021 RISE® Innovation Award Finalists: Innovations In Protection, Efficiency And Engineered Fabrics

CARY, N.C. — September 7, 2021 — INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the prestigious RISE® Innovation Award during the 11th edition of the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference, (RISE®) to be held virtually September 28-30, 2021. The award recognizes novel innovations in the nonwovens industry that creatively use next-level science and engineering principles to solve material challenges and expand the usage of nonwovens and engineered fabrics. These three finalists will present their innovative material science solutions as they compete for the RISE Innovation Award.

Meet your Finalists for the 2021 RISE Innovation Award:

Canopy Respirator

Canopy is an innovative respirator that is fully mechanical, non-electrostatic, with a filter designed for superior breathability while offering the wearer facial transparency. The breakthrough respirator features 5.5mm water column resistance at 85 liters (3 cubic feet) per minute, 2-way filtration, and a pleated filter that contains over 500 square centimeters of surface area. The patented Canopy respirator resists fluids, and eliminates fogging of eyeglasses.

Evalith® 1000 Series

Johns Manville’s innovative Alpha Binder is a formaldehyde-free, high bio-carbon content, toxic-free binder formulation ideal for carpet mat applications. Alpha Binder eliminates monomer and polymer synthesis, uses a bio-degradable catalyst, and requires 70-percent less water in manufacturing. The resulting glass mats made of Alpha Binder are named “Evalith 1000” and reduces energy consumption during manufacturing by over 70-percent compared to alternative petroleum-based binders. Evalith 1000 was commercialized in North America in 2020.

Fiber Coated, Heat Sealable, Breathable, Hybrid Membrane, Fabric Protection

TiGUARD protective fabric is a construction of monolithic or hybrid imperious/moisture eliminating membranes with a surface covered with micro-fiber. This nonwoven product is a multi-layer all polyester fabric specifically for chemical and microbial protective fabrics, products, and garments. It is constructed of compatible heat seal-able materials which lend themselves to high-speed heat seal-able production and ultimately automated manufacture of garments without sewing. It is a combination of a densely flocked polyester fiber surface on polyester membrane supported by polyester scrim.

Virtual RISE conference attendees include technology scouts and product developers in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry seeking new developments to advance their businesses. These attendees will electronically vote for the recipient of the 2021 RISE Innovation Award, on Wednesday, September 29. The winner will be announced Thursday, September 30.

Industry experts on INDA’s Technical Advisory Board selected three finalists from among 20 nominations. The 22-member board of technical professionals is represented by companies such as Absorbent Hygiene Insights LLC, Attindas Hygiene Partners, Berry Global, Cotton Incorporated, Crown Abbey, LLC, The DAK Group, Fi-Tech, Inc. Freudenberg Performance Materials, Jacob Holm, Lenzing Fibers, Inc., Natureworks LLC, Nice-Pak Products, Inc., Nonwovens by Design, Norafin (Americas) Inc., North Carolina State University, Poccia Consulting, LLC, The Procter & Gamble Company, RKW North America, Inc., Rockline Industries, Smith, Johnson & Associates, Suominen, and Texas Tech University.

In 2020, the RISE® Innovation Award was presented to The Nonwovens Institute for their Spunbond High Efficiency Filter.

“Our Virtual RISE Conference promotes and rewards innovation across all nonwoven and engineered material sectors. These finalists demonstrate new technology approaches and concepts that resolve our increasing material science challenges. For technology scouts and product developers challenged to find ‘what’s next and what’s new,’ RISE is a must-attend event,” said Dave Rousse, INDA’s president.

The conference program will cover timely and relevant industry topics including: Material Science Developments for Sustainable Nonwovens; Increasing Circularity in Nonwovens; Market Intelligence & Economic Insights; Promising Innovations in Nonwovens; Process Innovations in Nonwovens; Material Innovations in Nonwovens; the full program can be viewed on the link: https://www.riseconf.net/conference.php

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: INDA, The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

Eastman And Milliken & Company Join Accelerating Circularity Steering Committee

CAMPBELL HALL, N.Y. — September 7, 2021 — Accelerating Circularity Inc. today announced the addition of two new U.S. Steering Committee members, Eastman and Milliken & Company.

The Steering Committee provides strategy and guidance to the U.S.-based project.  Current members include Gap Inc, Giotex, Gr3n, Lenzing, Nike, Target, VF Corp., and Unifi. The new members, who have both made investments in and commitments to the transition to circular, textile-to-textile supply systems, will support a wider range of chemical recycling options and textile manufacturing capabilities as the project moves into the trial phase.

Eastman’s General Manager for Textiles, Jon Woods, said of the decision to join: “With Eastman Naia™ Renew cellulosic fiber, we are committed to making sustainable textiles accessible to all. We are thrilled to join Accelerating Circularity and see this collaboration as key to shaping and scaling up the recycling infrastructure needed to achieve a circular textiles industry.”

According to Chad McAllister, president, Textile Division and executive vice president, Milliken & Company: “We have invested in the ability to explore innovative materials through our Rapid Prototype Center. It’s perfect for validating new circular feedstocks to scale into commercial production. Joining Accelerating Circularity allows us to collaborate with a wide range of industry stakeholders with similar goals.”

Potential circular system trial feedstocks, fibers, technologies, and finished goods have been identified through extensive consultation with collectors, sorters, preprocessors, recyclers, yarn spinners, fabric mills and brands and retailers. Collection, sorting, and preprocessing of targeted trial feedstocks will begin September 1, 2021.

Posted September 7, 2021

Source: Accelerating Circularity

1...684685686...2,521Page 685 of 2,521

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2025 Quarterly Issue Number II

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.