Taiwan’s Functional Textiles Thrive On Innovation To Define New Epidemic Prevention Lifestyles

TAIPEI, Taiwan — November 11, 2020 — The world continues to be under the threat of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has brought fundamental changes to our daily lives.

Despite the decline in apparel buying in the first half of this year due to confinements, buyers have looked forward to soaring demand for outdoor and leisure lifestyle products in the post-epidemic era. This new trend has again tested the innovative capabilities of Taiwan’s textile industry, according to the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF).

In order to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Textile Export Promotion Project (TEPP) has integrated software and hardware for better video conferencing while providing tailor-made solutions that have created a new benchmark for business matchmaking.

When it comes to epidemic prevention textiles, the Taiwan Textile Federation has recommended four manufacturers, including Asiatic Fiber Co. which is known for developing special fibers and high-performance yarns. This year, the company is promoting products from the AFC Functional Protection Series and iQmax Functional Intelligence Series.

The AFC Functional Protection Series replaces disposable products with reusable fabrics that can be used in operation rooms and for personal protective equipment. Products from the iQmax Functional Intelligence Series also feature functional textiles — the first fabric that can be used with a mobile device to increase an apparel’s function (https://www.asiatic.com.tw).

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Singtex® Industrial and its subsidiary, Magictex, have also joined the national epidemic prevention textile team. Singtex’s functional fabric can be used for personal protective equipment. Thanks to its waterproof and breathable technology, these protective products can maintain their protective performance even after 30 washes (http://www.Singtex.com/en-global/home; http://www.scafefabrics.com/en-global).

Grandetex Development Co. Ltd. has further collaborated with yarn mills to develop the RICH-y® multi-functional yarn, which combines masterbatch and RICH-y elements to effectively reduce energy consumption and waste during dyeing and finishing. such fabric has long-lasting anti-bacterial and deodorizing properties, as well as UV and environmental protection capabilities, making RICH-y the most effective mask available on the market.

RICH-y-made masks can be provided to buyers to help them better understand the effectiveness of RICH-y through “Experiential Marketing” of proper epidemic prevention (http://www.grandetex.com.tw).

Kuen Long Textile Co. Ltd. is a professional textile fabric manufacturer with 44 years of experience in the industry. the company has joined hands with Grandetex Development to promote home furnishing fabrics, urban fashion leisure fabrics, and outdoor sports fabrics boasting eco-friendly functional antibacterial materials. Thanks to its one-stop-shop production model, Kuen Long Textile offers a variety of product combinations featuring RICH-y and more (http://www.kuenlong.com.tw).

Sustainable Textiles Online New Product Launch – Taiwan Textile Federation

Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) will be broadcasting a two-day online new product launch event on November 11 and 12 @ 9AM CET via TTF YouTube and Facebook platform. This is a great opportunity to learn the latest development on sustainable textiles from Taiwan!

Posted November 12, 2020

Source: Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)

Greg Hall Joins HanesBrands As Chief Consumer Officer

Greg Hall

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — November 12, 2020 — HanesBrands, a global marketer of branded everyday basic apparel, today announced that Greg Hall will join the company as chief consumer officer, effective Nov. 16, 2020.

“Our top priority is putting the consumer at the center of everything we do,” said Steve Bratspies, CEO, HanesBrands. “Greg is an outstanding merchandising and marketing leader with a track record of driving growth across industries. He will be responsible for how we engage with our consumers, from our brands to our retail stores to e-commerce, and will play a crucial role in building HanesBrands into a growth-oriented, consumer-centric organization.”

Hall will lead U.S. marketing and brands, e-commerce and retail. He will also be responsible for building the company’s global brands, particularly Champion and Hanes.

Most recently, Hall was senior vice president, private brands, at Walmart, where he delivered double-digit growth on the company’s private brand grocery business. During his 14 years at Walmart, Greg held a number of senior marketing and merchandising leadership roles, including chief marketing officer of Walmart.com and head of Walmart’s U.S. manufacturing initiative.

Prior to Walmart, Hall held leadership positions at Frito-Lay, where he developed and led major marketing programs for some of the company’s iconic brands.

Hall holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Nazarene University and a master’s degree in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Posted November 12, 2020

Source: HanesBrands

Careismatic Brands Partners With Mercy Ships To Outfit Volunteer Healthcare Professionals In Cherokee Uniforms

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — November 12, 2020 — Medical apparel company Careismatic Brands today announced a partnership with Mercy Ships, a non-profit focused on bringing free urgent medical care to underserved countries by creating floating, state-of-the-art hospitals and training centers to send to the poorest of countries. More than 600 volunteer healthcare professionals will work on board the Global Mercy™, the non-profit’s newest and largest hospital ship, currently under construction. Careismatic Brands will donate Cherokee Uniforms to outfit all the healthcare volunteers when the vessel sets sail to Africa in 2021.

“As COVID-19 threatens the stability of already fragile healthcare systems globally, the need to provide basic life-saving care is greater than ever,” said Rosa Whitaker, president of Mercy Ships. “The Global Mercy could not set sail without the generosity of partners like Careismatic Brands. Over this vessel’s 50 year expected lifespan, we estimate that more than 150,000 lives will be changed onboard the ship through surgery alone. Cherokee is a leader in antimicrobial textiles with their Certainty Technology, and we are beyond grateful to receive the scrubs for our volunteers,” added Whitaker.

“As part of our responsibility to be a good corporate citizen and our ongoing commitment to champion the people behind the scrubs, Careismatic Brands is proud to partner with Mercy Ships and support their efforts to provide world-class surgical and medical care to those most in need,” said Mike Singer, CEO of Careismatic Brands.

Careismatic will also leverage Scrubs Magazine to create awareness for Mercy Ships in the healthcare community, recruit volunteer healthcare professionals through ongoing editorial and highlight the volunteers’ personal stories.

Posted November 12, 2020

Source: Careismatic Brands Inc. (formerly Strategic Partners Inc.)

Culp Shows Support For Defenders Of The American Dream And Those Pursuing It

HIGH POINT, N.C. — November 12, 2020 — To celebrate Veterans Day and honor its associates who are military veterans, Culp Inc. showed appreciation through its CULPVets program. As part of Culp’s Veterans Day celebration, large banners are displayed at the company’s locations. Additionally, associates who have served in the U.S. military are honored by being featured on an exclusive, all-day TV loop playing throughout the company’s U.S. facilities. Iv Culp, president and CEO, expressed his gratitude for these associates, noting “We are truly honored to have these amazing individuals as part of our Culp family, and we are profoundly grateful for their service to our country and our business.”

While acknowledging Culp associates who have defended the American Dream, the company also supports its associates who are pursuing it. Culp’s cut and sew facility, located in High Point, N.C., has associates from all over the world. Many of those associates have come to America for new opportunities for themselves and their families. One of the ways Culp supports these associates in their pursuit of a new future is by offering on-site ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes. After completing 30 weeks of coursework, this year’s graduating class includes speakers of Nepali, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Montagnard, and Arabic. Jeff Veach, vice president and manager of Culp’s global mattress cut and sew business stated, “The impact of this class on our associates’ life skills and their opportunities for career advancement is priceless. At Culp, we strive to empower and serve our families and our communities in all that we do.”

Teresa Huffman, senior vice-president of human resources, shares this sentiment: “I recently gave a 5 year service award to an associate who had lived for many years in a refugee camp with his wife, waiting for their opportunity to come to the United States. Now, they have a secure place to work while pursuing their bright future. Culp is honored to be a part of their story.”

Posted November 12, 2020

Source: Culp, Inc.

Precision Textiles Touts Portfolio Of Glass-Free, FR Solutions For Mattresses

TOTOWA, N.J. — November 12, 2020 — Precision Textiles — a supplier of coated fabrics, nonwovens and laminations for the bedding, automotive, health care and home furnishings markets — has elevated its position in the industry as a supplier of glass-free, FR-solutions for mattresses. As apprehension about the health and safety implications of fiberglass FR socks — that can expel tiny shards of glass throughout homes — continues, the company’s comprehensive portfolio of nonwoven textiles offers a safer, cleaner alternative.

The three-prong family of products include EcoFlex, a glass-free, chemical-free barrier which can easily be laminated to the cover fabric and eliminate the cumbersome task of applying an FR sock, thereby allowing the consumer to feel the foam in its natural state without compression, EcoFlex EZ-Fit Cap, a glass-free FR solution that “fits” over the foam core of a mattress like a fitted sheet and IQ FIT Natural, a glass-free FR sock solution with enhanced breathability and moisture wicking properties.

“Fiberglass FR socks can wreak havoc in homes, releasing thousands of potentially dangerous shards of glass that can cause skin, eye, nose and throat irritation,” said Keith Martin, vice president of Precision Textiles. “As part of our ongoing effort to deliver a safer sleep experience for consumers and help streamline the bedding manufacturing process, we are proud to offer our industry-leading line of glass-free products that not only provide a safer solution, but also present a diverse number of additional benefits including eco-friendly and natural material options that continue to gain in popularity among consumers.”

Launched in early 2020, EcoFlex, OekoTek Standard 100-certified, is made with inherent FR rayon. The material offers four-way stretch and recovery that resists breakdown when tested on rollators or rolled for packing. Designed to be laminated to the underside of mattress ticking, EcoFlex eliminates the need to apply FR socks in the manufacturing process, supporting the  growing boxed bed trend.

Expanding the EcoFlex line, EZ-Fit Cap is made of a stretch material that fits securely around the mattress foam core. Easily slipped over the top of the core, it adds value to mattress production efficiency, making it easier for employees to work with and enabling manufacturers to have greater flexibility in the type of ticking they use.

Precision Textiles’ most recent addition to its broad line of glass-free, FR solutions — IQ FIT Natural — is not only 100 percent glass-free, but is made with sustainable, renewable cotton that delivers breathability and superb moisture wicking. Adding an all-natural sleep experience to its product line, the newest sock is also aramid and antimony free and is Prop. 65 and AB2998 compliant.

Posted November 12, 2020

Source: Precision Textiles

Deckers Division Sanuk Continues To Innovate And Lighten Footprint On Planet With Launch Of Second Sustainasole™ Collection

GOLETA, Calif. — November 12, 2020 — Sanuk, a division of Deckers Brands, today announced the second iteration of its most eco-minded innovation, the SustainaSole collection. Launched on the heels of the brand’s July 2020 debut of the SustainaSole line, the second collection is comprised of 55-percent total recycled material by weight. This launch serves as a significant milestone for Sanuk’s continued pioneering and innovation in creating more sustainable footwear. The new SustainaSole styles are vegan and available in the women’s slip-on Donna style, as well as the men’s slip-on Skuner style — a new addition to this collection. Both shoes retail for $65.

Total Recycled Content

Continuing on their mission to protect happy places, Sanuk again partnered with BLUMAKA for the launch of SustainaSole to divert foam waste and turn it into quality, comfortable and sustainable shoes, addressing the footwear industry’s heavy, waste-generating reliance on virgin foams to provide a soft cushiony feeling. Instead of sending foam scrap to the landfill during the manufacturing process, Sanuk and BLUMAKA were able to collect the scrap, grind it into smaller pieces and use it to create a cushy, durable filler for shoe soles. Beyond the foam content, the textile uppers are made with 100-percent recycled GRS Certified Fibers, including recycled PET fibers, recycled cotton fibers and recycled polyester fibers.

Undyed Uppers

New to this SustainaSole collection, these styles feature undyed uppers, an intentional decision to save both water and energy. The undyed upper saved more than 200,000 total gallons of water — 115 gallons per men’s Skuner model and 76 gallons per women’s Donna model. By skipping the dyeing process on the upper, Sanuk was also able to reduce greenhouse gas impact by nearly three pounds per men’s Skuner model and nearly two pounds per women’s Donna model.

Machine Washable

Similar to the brand’s best-selling silhouettes, both of these new styles are machine washable, so consumers can extend the life of their eco-minded footwear, acknowledging that sustainability does not just come from sustainable materials, but also a product that is built to last and work for years to come. With an emphasis on durability and elevated materials, Sanuk is continuously dedicated to designing long-lasting and comfortable footwear that positively contributes to the fashion industry’s environmental footprint.

“Sanuk is committed to seeking new materials and processes to create more sustainable products,” said Erik Ecklund, general manager at Sanuk. “These shoes mark a big step forward in our journey — and in the footwear industry — toward sustainable innovation.”

“While this SustainaSole collection is our most eco-minded endeavor to date, this line also delivers a heavy dose of comfort and versatility,” said Seth Pulford, Director of Marketing at Sanuk. “We’re proud to give stylish new life to things that would otherwise be discarded. Wearing rubbish never looked or felt so good.”

Here is the full list of SustainaSole materials and “shoe-trition” facts:

  • Overall: 55-percent recycled content by eeight;
  • Upper: 100-percent recycled GRS Certified Fibers (65-percent recycled cotton/35-percent recycled PET);
  • Upper Lining: 100-percent recycled polyester (GRS Certified Fiber);
  • Woven Label: 100-percent recycled polyester (GRS Certified Fiber);
  • Sockliner Lining: 100-percent recycled polyester (GRS Certified Fiber);
  • Sockliner: 85-percent recycled PU Foam and 15-percent virgin material;
  • Bottom Unit: Features BLUMAKA’s patented technology, consisting of 35-percent recycled foam content by weight and 75-percent by volume; and
  • Non-recycled materials include: stitching, gore, reinforcements, PU binding agent and TPU.

In addition to the launch of the new SustainaSole styles, Sanuk is dedicated to lightening their environmental footprint with their use of sustainable hemp, sustainable leather and other recycled materials, in alignment with Deckers Brands’ commitment to creating a better tomorrow. Recently ranked on Investor’s Business Daily’s Best ESG Companies list, Deckers Brands is continually integrating sustainable business practices and socially conscious operations across all brands. A thorough review of Deckers’ corporate social responsibility initiatives can be found at www.deckers.com/responsibility.

Posted November 12, 2020

Source: Sanuk

Maskco Technologies Announces A Strategic Manufacturing Partnership And Investment With Gredale: Alliance Will Create The Largest Manufacturer Of N95s In The United States

MIAMI— November 11, 2020 — Maskco Technologies Inc., manufacturer of the MTech-95 Particulate Respirator, today announced a strategic manufacturing partnership and investment with Gredale LLC, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer and distributor of personal protection equipment and textiles used to manufacture personal protection equipment. Under the terms of the agreement, upon approval from NIOSH, the companies will establish a production facility in Los Angeles, producing approximately 160 million N95 protective face masks per month.

In addition to overseeing the production in Los Angeles, Gredale will provide investment and credit facilities totaling $100 million for the purchase of raw materials, machinery and working capital. Greg Lorber, CEO of Gredale LLC will also be appointed to the Maskco Technologies board of directors.

Previously, in June of 2020, Maskco Technologies announced that it had entered into a distribution agreement with Gredale to distribute the MTech N95 Respirator through various channels including U.S. state and government agencies. To date, Gredale has committed to distributing a minimum of 900 million MTech N95s over the next 24 months pending approval by NIOSH.

Scott H. Weissman, CEO of Maskco Technologies said: “I am extremely pleased to turn a majority of our production capacity over to Gredale, whose management has over 30 years of experience manufacturing and sourcing textiles as well as the highest quality personal protection equipment on the market today. Their extensive capabilities make them the perfect investor and partner for Maskco Technologies.”

The downtown Los Angeles facility which formally housed a Van Heusen textile factory is expected to open in March of 2021. The facility will be one of three Maskco Technologies factories currently being established in the United States. The company plans to begin producing the MTech N95 in Jacksonville, Texas, pending approval from NIOSH over the next sixty days, and expects to open a facility on Vashon Island, Washington, at a former K2 ski factory in August 2021. The company expects to be producing over 300 million N95s per month within the next 12 months utilizing equipment provided exclusively by SharperTek, a Pontiac, Michigan, based manufacturer of automated ultrasonic systems and machinery.

Greg Lorber, CEO of Gredale, said: “Having spent 20 years of my life operating the largest domestic textile manufacturing facility west of the Mississippi, I take great pride in assisting Maskco to develop and produce the MTech N95 here in downtown Los Angeles. Our team at Gredale has the technical experience with non-woven melt blown materials to make sure that our customers and health care professional’s needs are met with a precise attention to performance and detail.”

Posted November 11, 2020

Source: Maskco Technologies

Nanowear Receives FDA 510(K) Clearance For SimpleSENSE, A Cloth-Based Wearable Remote Diagnostic Monitoring Platform

NEW YORK CITY — November 11, 2020 — Nanowear, a connected-care and remote diagnostic platform, today announced it has received FDA Class II 510(k) clearance for a first-of-its-kind cloth-based diagnostic platform, SimpleSENSE.

SimpleSENSE is a multi-parameter remote diagnostic undergarment and machine learning digital platform, which simultaneously and synchronously monitors and assesses the heart, lungs, and upper vascular system.

Gender-neutral and size adjustable, the SimpleSENSE platform effectively replaces the digital stethoscope, multi-channel Holter monitor, Capnogram respiration machine, and blood pressure cuff by providing a diagnostic quality monitoring system that remotely captures more than 100 million data points per patient per day across cardiac, pulmonary, and circulatory biomarkers. With the increased need for telemedicine and remote diagnostic monitoring, SimpleSENSE provides a digital tool to assess medical data and trends between these biomarkers in a way that has not been previously available, empowering clinicians to treat patients earlier and more effectively.

“SimpleSENSE marks the company’s second FDA 510(k) clearance and follows Nanowear’s strategy of continued data-driven differentiation in the connected-care and remote diagnostic market,” said Venk Varadan, cofounder and CEO of Nanowear. “In the face of the unexpected and unprecedented COVID-19 public health emergency, Nanowear began working collaboratively with FDA to evaluate a broadened indication for use for SimpleSENSE. Our platform can now efficiently serve the new need for remote diagnostics across primary care, acute illness and procedure, and chronic disease cases.”

In addition to near-term commercialization of SimpleSENSE with select channel partners, Nanowear plans to continue its SimpleSENSE clinical trials in diagnosing worsening Heart Failure and COVID-19, maintaining a robust product and clinical R&D pipeline.

“Nanowear is transforming the virtual care continuum as physicians and hospitals can now safely monitor patients’ multiple biomarkers and assess the associated medical trends indicative of clinical deterioration,” said Dr. Spero Theodorou, chief medical officer of InMode. “The pandemic is transforming the way healthcare services are accessed and delivered today and for years to come. We are excited about the role that Nanowear will play in the field of remote diagnostics and how it will provide patients around the world access to better outcomes and improved quality of life, regardless of whether they are being cared for in the clinic or in the comfort of their homes.”

Posted November 11, 2020

Source: Nanowear

Sewing Technologies & 3-D Printing Coming Up In November for Techtextil North America & Texprocess Americas Virtual Symposium

ATLANTA, Ga. — November 11, 2020 — The Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas Virtual Symposium continues this month with two sessions featuring the latest textile industry trends, technologies and their applications. The November sessions will begin on November 18 with Readily Available Sewing Technologies, followed by Advanced Manufacturing Through Direct Write 3-D Printing on November 19. Registration is currently open for all sessions, and can be accessed at the Techtextil North America and Texprocess website https://techtextil-texprocess.us.messefrankfurt.com/atlanta/en.html

The monthly webinar series kicked off in October and provides attendees the opportunity to learn from the brightest minds in both industry and academia. Divided into two tracks, each is a carefully curated selection of sessions covering the most pivotal advancements in research and technology, exploring the latest trends and insights into the future of textile-related industries.

Readily Available Sewing Technologies will take place on November 18, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. EST. This presentation/panel hybrid session will explore the latest technology available to sew and seal materials, featuring a panel of experts who will each give a brief presentation on a specific technology in their wheelhouse, followed by a question-and-answer led discussion that will dive deeper into the efficiency improvements, production improvements, and maintenance impacts that are currently available in the sewing and sealing marketplace.

The session will be moderated by Dan Berzack, president, Sewn Products Equipment Co., and features a panel including:

  • Rick Frye, director of Engineering & Sales, Brother International Corp.;
  • Jairo Duran, sales manager, Juki; and
  • Warren Shannon, operations manager, Mitsubishi Electric Industrial Sewing Machines.

Advanced Manufacturing Through Direct-Write 3-D Printing will follow, taking place on November 19, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. EST.

This highly technical session will explore the increasingly popular use of direct-write 3-D printing for the manufacture of a wide range of products for biomedical, electronic, and structural applications, among other applications. Learn what challenges remain in terms of process control, design of inks/paints, and the effects of process inherent heterogeneities, which are limiting the expansion of applications of this manufacturing approach. In this presentation-style session, our lineup of industry experts and researchers will present advances in their respective approaches, and discuss the challenges associated with the direct-write 3-D process as a unique manufacturing method for a wide range of applications.

The session will be moderated by Dr. Naresh Thadhani, professor and chair, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and feature presentations by:

  • Dr. Adam Jakus, cofounder and chief technology officer, 
Dimension Inx;
  • Dr. Sabit Adanur, professor, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, 
Auburn University; and
  • Dr. Jerry Qi , professor and Woodruff faculty fellow, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

The next edition of Techtextil North America will take place August 23-25, 2021, in Raleigh, N.C., followed by the collocation of Texprocess America and Techtextil North America May 17-19, 2022, in Atlanta.

Posted November 11, 2020

Source: Messe Frankfurt North America

Moncler Launches Grenoble Collection With Dyneema® Composite Fabric

GELEEN, The Netherlands — November 11, 2020 — Royal DSM today announced that, for the first time, Dyneema® Composite Fabrics have been used by Moncler in its Fall/Winter 2020 Grenoble collection, which fuses form and function into high performance skiwear.

Moncler Grenoble is born of a passion for research and implements cutting-edge technology to push the limits of its potential. The design team identified Dyneema as an innovative fabric it could use to push the level of its performance to the next peak, incorporating the material into the new collection as a departure from the conventional use of cotton and polyester.

Sandro Mandrino, head of Design for Moncler Grenoble, was the first designer of the luxury fashion brand to incorporate Dyneema into one of his creations through the Moncler Genius project.

The Moncler Genius project advocates radical co-creation where multiple designers create their own signature collections in collaboration with the house. Together, these collections translate into one vision of the future and, as one of the nine designers, Mandrino’s interpretation of the future of fashion features Dyneema Composite Fabric.

Using variations of the fabric in both white and black allowed Mandrino to bring his vision to life by merging skiwear, space suits and technology all in one. “Moncler Grenoble is first and foremost about performance,” stated Mandrino, who integrated constructive solutions with fabric technology to develop a line that was meant to perform both on and off the ski slopes.

Dyneema is 15 times stronger than steel yet light enough to float on water. The performance and protection of products made with Dyneema have made it the material of choice in critical applications where failure is not an option for more than 30 years. In fabric form, Dyneema is available in composites, denim, knits, wovens and hybrids for composite reinforcements. And because Dyneema fabrics are made using Dyneema fiber, they intrinsically provide high strength, low weight, waterproof and breathable properties — allowing designers to fuse the technical performance of ultra-light products with aesthetic design that doesn’t sacrifice strength or durability.

The Moncler team used the Grenoble collection as an opportunity to experiment and further understand the nature and behavior of Dyneema fabrics, while simultaneously incorporating material performance with practical design. “Future collections will focus on expanding to new designs and fabric options in collaboration with DSM,” Mandrino added.

“We are very excited to be working with the Moncler team to launch a collection of wonderful garments that allow people to explore the outdoors more safely and for longer periods of time,” stated Marcio Manique, global business director, Consumer & Professional Protection, DSM Protective Materials. “We look forward to further supporting Moncler as they develop innovative, high-tech garments that are also sustainably sourced through the introduction of bio-based Dyneema fabrics.”

In line with DSM’s commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, the world’s first-ever bio-based ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber was introduced in May 2020. Bio-based Dyneema boasts the same exact performance as conventional Dyneema with a carbon footprint that is 90 percent lower than generic HMPE. DSM and Moncler’s continued partnership will not only provide high performance, light weight garments for outdoor enthusiasts but also environmentally sustainable alternatives that contribute to a more circular economy.

Posted November 11, 2020

Source: Royal DSM

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