Company News

Enriquez Materials & Quilting announces acquisition and brand expansion

May 19, 2025

Enriquez Materials & Quilting (EMQ), a national supplier of mattress components and commercial quilting services, has announced a brand expansion following the acquisition of key assets from A. Lava & Son Co., along with a rollout of enhanced customer-facing capabilities. EMQ have expanded operations in Commerce, Calif., Chicago, Ill., and Phoenix, Ariz. Building on more than 30 years …

Company News

Swift Textile Metalizing awarded three Lockheed Martin Awards

May 16, 2025

Swift Textile Metalizing (STM) has announced that its Advance Defense Solutions Division (ADS) has been honored with Lockheed Martin’s Elite Supplier, Star Supplier and Ahead of Ready Awards for its work over the last decade. ADS has achieved 10 years of 100% on-time delivery and quality with Lockheed Martin. This milestone underscores ADS’s dedication to delivering …

Company News

GALLS® acquires American Uniform Sales Inc. and Howard Uniform Co.

May 15, 2025

GALLS® has announced the acquisition of American Uniform Sales Inc. and Howard Uniform Co. Since 1976, American Uniform Sales Inc. has operated four retail locations (Fayetteville and Wilmington, N.C., Alexandria, Va. and Philadelphia, Penn.) Howard Uniform Co. operated one retail location in Baltimore, Md. “The recent acquisition of American Uniform Sales Inc. and Howard Uniform Co. fosters GALLS’ mission …

Company News

USA Global Trade launches binational textile initiative to bridge U.S., Latin America

May 15, 2025

USA Global Trade LLC, a Miami, Fla.-based sourcing and trade company, has announced the launch of a strategic initiative designed to strengthen commercial and production ties between the U.S. and Latin America. The project has two main objectives: “With over 20 years of experience in global yarn sourcing, I see strong potential to build a …

Industry News

EPA delays start of submission period for PFAS manufacturers and importers

May 12, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an interim final rule to extend the dates of the reporting period for data submitted on the manufacture of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Previously, the submission period was to start July 11, 2025, and it has now been extended to April 13, 2026. For most manufacturers, …

Industry News

U.S. and U.K. announce trade deal, modifying tariffs

May 12, 2025

The U.S. and the U.K. announced May 8 that the countries have made a trade deal. The deal states that the 10% reciprocal tariff imposed April 2 on U.K. imports is still in effect, but an alternate deal has been made for Section 232 tariffs for U.K. autos. Section 232 tariffs for U.K. steel and …

Industry News

U.S. and China agree to lower tariffs on imports for 90 days

May 12, 2025

U.S. and Chinese officials announced that they have agreed to pause the recently imposed tariffs on imports from each country for 90 days, beginning May 14. The U.S. will lower its 145% tariff on Chinese imports to 30%, and China will decrease its tariff on American imports to 10%. Officials from both countries will meet …

Company News

KBR partners with Samsara Eco to design new enzymatic recycling plant

May 12, 2025

KBR has announced that the company will support Samsara Eco in designing its new plastics and textile enzymatic recycling plant. The plant is expected to be completed in early 2028. Samsara Eco’s enzymatic recycling technology aims to create a continuous recycling loop for some of the most common types of plastic and synthetic fiber, materials …

Company News

OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN marks a decade as a global sustainability label

May 12, 2025

Launched in 2015, the OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN label stands for tested product safety, more sustainable manufacturing processes and improved working conditions throughout global supply chains. This year, the label celebrates its 10th anniversary. “Brands and retailers must remain at the forefront of both current and emerging consumer expectations, as well as evolving regulatory requirements, …

EcoNote

New fiber-to-fiber recycling technology announced

May 8, 2025

University of Nebraska–Lincoln researcher Yiqi Yang has developed a first-of-its-kind technology for fiber-to-fiber (or chemical) recycling that successfully removes dyes, separates natural and synthetic blends, and creates high-quality fibers. “In the last 20 years, the total fiber production has doubled,” said Yang, Charles Bessey Professor in Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design and Biological Systems Engineering. …

Expo News

Plan your stay: Official housing for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 now open

March 11, 2025

We are pleased to announce that Site & Stay has been selected as the official housing partner for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place Nov. 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Hotel booking is now open, offering attendees and exhibitors exclusive access to discounted rates at our official host hotels—all conveniently located …

Expo News

Advanced Textiles Expo 2024 brings more than 4,200 attendees, showcasing innovation and collaboration

October 17, 2024

Advanced Textiles Expo® 2024, the largest event of Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), concluded with resounding success Sept. 24–26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Once again held in conjunction with Sun Shading Expo North America—organized by Messe Stuttgart, founders of R + T and the world’s largest trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun shading …

Expo News

ATA negotiates lower rates for exhibitors at Advanced Textiles Expo

August 14, 2024

The Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) has renegotiated its General Services Contractor contract for the 2025–2027 Advanced Textiles Expo® shows. By selecting Freeman through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, we have secured rates that significantly lower the cost burden on our exhibitors. RFP process Key achievements This successful negotiation translates directly to cost savings for …

ATA News

Messe Stuttgart’s Sun Shading Expo North America moves co-location debut with IFAI Expo to 2022

July 6, 2021

Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …

Expo News

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021

May 10, 2021

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …

Expo News

Standard for active illumination developed in Europe

November 16, 2020

In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries.  Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries …

Expo News

Textile industry leaders call for policy changes to support U.S. production of PPE

November 13, 2020

The U.S. textile industry has stepped up to meet the demand for face masks, medical gowns, wipes and other products necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but it needs policy changes from Washington so that the U.S. is not caught off-guard again in a future crisis, according to association leaders speaking at Industrial Fabrics Association …

Expo News

The larger issues in respiratory protection

November 12, 2020

Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, …

Expo News

Surgical gowns require extra manufacturing considerations

November 11, 2020

All surgical gowns are not created equal, and a Nov. 11 presentation at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 helped sort out the differences. The finer points of surgical gowns were discussed by Dr. Martin King, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, and Jing Liang, president of Medical PPE Consulting LLC. …

Expo News

Rodgers: Textiles are the “T” in STEM

November 11, 2020

How do you create a channel from research to application? How do you create a pathway toward understanding complex human problems across supply chains and market sectors? STEM—a curriculum based on teaching science, technology, engineering and math—has branched out from basic chemistry and biology and physics classes, into collaborative efforts, including textiles, according to Stephanie …

Features

Making the best use of AI

May 8, 2025

Editor’s note: Todd Morgan shares his experiences and expertise in helping textile industry businesses implement artificial intelligence tools. A graduate of NC State’s College of Textiles, he has more than 30 years of experience working with manufacturers, designers and business leaders applying AI to solve operational challenges. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already reshaping the textile industry—not …

Features

Hidden and essential

April 24, 2025

Is there a role for textiles in today’s composites industry? The answer is not just yes, it is a resounding affirmative. In March, the composite industry’s JEC show in Paris confirmed this with a strong showing of textiles ranging from super high-strength fibers to large scale textile structures. These are used across a wide range …

Features

Chemicals and functionality in textiles

April 14, 2025

The ongoing tariff uncertainty will certainly impact the global textiles and apparel market.  Although a needed commodity, textiles are dependent on discretionary spending, which depends on the economy. GDP growth plays a critical role in the consumption of textiles and apparels and, therefore, the growth and market size of the global textiles and apparel sectors.  Textile …

Features

Powering smart fabrics

March 24, 2025

Energy has become a key issue in the development of e-textiles for applications ranging from wearables to transport. LOPEC 2025, held in Munich in February, elected to highlight the end-user perspective this year across conference papers, poster presentations and the Innovation Showcase, with new technologies sharing the stage with energy efficient designs, so that every …

Features

Making wearable tech a reality

March 10, 2025

We are in the middle of a historic leap in textile technology. Whether it’s the development of new yarns and coatings, or the integration of electronics into existing textiles, the future of wearable technology is rapidly evolving—and the future is bright. It seems like every week brings another breakthrough from R&D firms and universities, unveiling …

Features

Recent advances in biomedical textiles

February 24, 2025

In 2003 after 13 years of global collaboration, the Human Genome Project was successfully completed, providing a comprehensive blueprint of human genetic information. This has given impetus to a rapidly expanding level of research in disease diagnosis, such as cancer, personalized medical treatments, the understanding of genetic disorders, genetic engineering therapies, and applications in tissue …

Features

Challenges and rewards

February 10, 2025

Biomedical textiles are a highly specialized, relatively small segment of the global textile industry. Even among the more advanced textile technologies, the path to commercializing  medical textiles, generally, and biomedical textiles, in particular, is unusually challenging, facing stringent industry standards and government regulations that can take years to meet.  According to Allied Market Research, the global …

Features

The crisis of textile waste

January 27, 2025

December 12, 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report titled “Textile Waste: Federal Entities Should Collaborate on Reduction and Recycling Efforts.” The report also offers practical solutions to address the problem, centering on a collaborative approach. Not that it will be easy, but it is, says the report, very important. Advanced Textiles Source has talked …

Features

Textile waste to wealth

January 13, 2025

According to the United Nations’ Environment Programme, cities globally are expected to produce 2.2 billion tons of waste each year by 2025. Given the economic, environmental and health impacts of waste, it is important for the textile industry to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste. For example, in a spinning mill, recyclable and reusable textile …

Features

An end-of-year industry wrap-up 

December 16, 2024

Research and development (R&D) have a direct impact on economies worldwide. In the case of textiles, including agriculture related to textiles, it provides job opportunities to millions, including an unskilled workforce. Within the textile industry, advanced textiles and chemicals sectors place relatively more emphasis on research. The nature of the industry, size and flexibility, pressure …

Industry News

EPA delays start of submission period for PFAS manufacturers and importers

May 12, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an interim final rule to extend the dates of the reporting period for data submitted on the manufacture of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Previously, the submission period was to start July 11, 2025, and it has now been extended to April 13, 2026. For most manufacturers, …

Industry News

U.S. and U.K. announce trade deal, modifying tariffs

May 12, 2025

The U.S. and the U.K. announced May 8 that the countries have made a trade deal. The deal states that the 10% reciprocal tariff imposed April 2 on U.K. imports is still in effect, but an alternate deal has been made for Section 232 tariffs for U.K. autos. Section 232 tariffs for U.K. steel and …

Industry News

U.S. and China agree to lower tariffs on imports for 90 days

May 12, 2025

U.S. and Chinese officials announced that they have agreed to pause the recently imposed tariffs on imports from each country for 90 days, beginning May 14. The U.S. will lower its 145% tariff on Chinese imports to 30%, and China will decrease its tariff on American imports to 10%. Officials from both countries will meet …

Company News

Herculite Products Inc. acquires Strata Film Coatings

May 5, 2025

Herculite® Products Inc. announces the acquisition of Strata Film Coatings, a manufacturer of advanced film coating solutions. A company press release says the strategic acquisition marks “a significant milestone in Herculite’s ongoing commitment to expand its product offerings and enhance its market presence.” “We are thrilled to welcome Strata Film Coatings into the Herculite family. Their expertise …

Industry News

Registration now open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025

May 1, 2025

Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) is excited to announce that registration is now open for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place November 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. As the industry’s leading trade show for specialty fabrics, advanced textiles, and shade and weather protection, the Expo draws thousands of professionals for three days …

Industry News

GALLS announces acquisition of Her BlueWear Uniforms

April 30, 2025

GALLS®, a uniform and tactical gear supplier for U.S. public safety and military professionals, announced the acquisition of Her BlueWear Uniforms™. GALLS’ purchase of Her BlueWear provides product scalability and increases the accessibility of uniforms for women in public safety. Her BlueWear Uniforms started with uniform pants, and its product line will now include tailored …

Industry News

EU pauses countermeasures on U.S. tariffs for 90 days

April 17, 2025

The European Union (EU) has paused its countermeasures on U.S. trade tariffs for 90 days to allow time for EU and U.S. negotiations.  The pause was first announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen April 9, and went into effect April 14.  The decision was made in response to the U.S. delaying tariffs on imports …

Industry News

President Trump pauses most tariffs for 90 days, increases tariffs on Chinese imports

April 10, 2025

President Donald Trump has announced further changes to the April 2 executive order imposing multiple country-specific tariffs. The president has suspended most tariffs for 90 days, with country-specific tariffs (detailed in Annex I) now effective July 9, 2025. Countries included in Annex I are currently subject to 10% ad valorem rates, with exemptions listed in …

Industry News

Tariffs on imports to the U.S. begin, affecting multiple countries

April 9, 2025

Country-specific tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in an April 2 executive order are now in effect. The president declared a national emergency in the executive order as a result of “large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits,” which included a reciprocal tariff policy. Tariffs on imports from various countries were determined by rates …

Industry News

ATA Japan to host World Expo 2025 tour on May 16; registration due April 23

April 7, 2025

As part of its engagement with the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) Japan will host a group tour of the event May 16. Participants will visit key pavilions, receive guided explanations from industry experts involved in their construction, and exchange insights during a networking reception. International participants are welcome to …

Out There

Puffer jacket doubles as monitoring sleepwear

April 24, 2025

The ZZZN Sleep Apparel System is a voluminous puffer jacket that doubles as a cozy sleep sack, so users can doze off anywhere and anytime in comfort. But beyond its apparent comfortability, it also offers biometric data monitoring and headphones that play  music with frequency bands to help people fall asleep.  The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep modernizes “Yagi,” a traditional Japanese winter nightwear. …

Out There

Gaia Communication System feels the health of nature

February 24, 2025

Pavels Hedström has introduced the Gaia Communication System, a vest and a pair of gloves with sensors so that users feel the health of plants, insects, soil and air. Unveiled under his design practice Inxects, the Swedish architect has installed multiple haptic sensors around the vest and gloves, each of which correspond to a natural object.  The …

Out There

Rewoven silk cocoon waste used as a leather alternative 

December 9, 2024

Japanese designer Hiroto Ikebe recently showcased a leather alternative he developed using rewoven silk cocoon waste. His exhibition COCOON ANATOMY, shown during DESIGNART Tokyo 2024, displayed clothing that was designed to demonstrate that silk materials typically discarded or not used for mass production can be repurposed into fabrics and materials with multiple uses.  The leather alternative comes from raw silk, …

Out There

Project explores human-bacterial interaction in textile design

September 18, 2024

Carolina De Lara’s project, Bacterial Brickbats, explores the interaction between bacterial cellulose and knit textiles to challenge traditional, human-centered design in fashion and textiles. The project negotiates human/non-human liaisons by proposing a study where sharing agency between designer and bacterial cellulose produces a material library illustrating differing needs, creative or biological, resulting in an expressive …

Out There

Solid-knitting machine builds reconfigurable objects

August 12, 2024

A new materials technique has blended the usefulness of knitting needles and yarn with cutting-edge technology to create the equipment and process to make a solid-knit object of almost any kind. Yuichi Hirose first dreamed up this technique when he was a student at Keio University in Tokyo. There, working on digital fabrication methods in …

Out There

FLOAT designed for moving on the Moon

June 24, 2024

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2024 Phase II awardee Ethan Schaler has proposed the first lunar railway system to provide reliable, autonomous and efficient payload transport on the Moon. The Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) system is a durable, long-life robotic transport system—a function that will be critical to the daily operations of a …

Out There

Color-changing resin material is heat-activated

April 22, 2024

Artist and designer Kim Mesches has unveiled his “Collection 5,” featuring garments made of a color-changing resin with a technology activated by heat. The material is a mix of thermochromic dyes, pigments and other ingredients, which are then mixed with hardened resin to create the garments.  For example, on sunny days the garments change themselves …

Out There

U.K. firm launches second-generation invisibility shields 

April 8, 2024

Following the successful development of functional invisibility shields in 2022, U.K.-based Invisibility Shield Co. has launched its second-generation invisibility shields on Kickstarter. Among the products is the “Megashield,” which the company claims is the largest one ever created. According to a report on designboom.com, more than four years ago the company focused on refining optical …

Out There

E-skin can produce tactile feedback

March 25, 2024

In recent years, materials scientists and engineers have introduced increasingly sophisticated materials for robotic and prosthetic applications, including a range of electronic skins, or e-skins, designed to sense the surrounding environment and artificially reproduce the sense of touch. As explained on techxplore.com, researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing recently introduced a new dual-modal tactile e-skin that could …

Out There

Interactive pavilion knitted with smart yarns 

February 26, 2024

An interactive installation that combined textile arts, smart materials and engineering and received a 2023 Black Rock City Honorarium at the 2023 Burning Man. Set against the vast and surreal backdrop of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, Burning Man is an annual gathering that transforms the flat, barren expanse into a vibrant playground for artistic …

What's New?

Smart shoe insole tracks the wearer’s movement

May 8, 2025

A new smart insole system that monitors how people walk in real time could help users improve posture and provide early warnings for conditions from plantar fasciitis to Parkinson’s disease. Constructed using 22 small pressure sensors, and fueled by small solar panels on the tops of shoes, the system offers real-time health tracking based on …

What's New?

Elastic Inks for textile-integrated electronics

April 14, 2025

Electrically conductive prints on textiles are the basis for functional textiles with electronic functions, or “smart textiles.” Conductive inks and binders must be well matched to ensure permanent conductivity even under external mechanical influences, such as stretching, pressure and bending. German research institute DITF is working on new ink formulations that meet these requirements. Textiles …

What's New?

Smart prosthetic hand knows how hard to grasp 

April 14, 2025

Johns Hopkins University engineers have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles, and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds. The system’s hybrid design is a first for robotic hands, which have typically been too rigid or …

What's New?

No-touch smart fabric device is introduced

March 24, 2025

Touch-sensitive clothing capable of controlling devices via touchscreen-like finger taps and swipes on the fabric is impressive, but a touchless finger-gesture-detecting fabric has now been developed that offers a new functionality.  The experimental textile is being developed by scientists from Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf research lab in Germany and the Free …

What's New?

Adaptable lining makes prosthetics more comfortable 

March 24, 2025

British biomedical startup Unhindr, an Imperial College London spinoff company, is developing an adaptive lining for the sockets of prosthetic limbs that responds to how the body’s soft tissue naturally shrinks and swells during the day. Because a prosthetic limb that fits in the morning may not fit the same way late in the afternoon, the …

What's New?

eVent announces new high-performance weather protection 

March 10, 2025

eVent® Fabrics, Leawood, Kansas, a provider of waterproof, breathable and windproof fabric laminates, introduces its newest high-performance laminate, stormburstLT. An ultralight and ultra-breathable product, it’s designed for extreme applications: stormST for outdoor and lifestyle applications; and windstormST for breathable windproof and softshell applications. This completes eVent’s collection of laminates, providing brand partners with custom solutions …

What's New?

Smart pajama top can detect sleep disorders

March 10, 2025

A smart pajama top has been created to help detect sleep disorders and provide an alternative to visiting a sleep clinic. The garment, developed by Professor Luigi Occhipinti and colleagues at the University of Cambridge, U.K., is integrated with a series of graphene strain sensors that sense subtle vibrations in the neck muscles, even when …

What's New?

Medical textiles have infection protection

February 24, 2025

In collaboration with the German technology group Heraeus, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are developing fibers and textiles with a novel infection protection system. The basis is an antimicrobial mechanism of action licensed from Heraeus and marketed under the name AGXX.  The goal of the collaboration is to optimally integrate the …

What's New?

LOOMIA and AFFOA collaborate on a new textile heater

February 10, 2025

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based LOOMIA, provider of electronic textiles and flexible electronics, and the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), have introduced the Gentoo Heater, which has been engineered to perform in ultra-cold environments.  According to AFFOA, a non-profit Manufacturing USA Institute driving fabric-based innovation in the U.S., the next-generation heater is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)-based resistive heater that …

What's New?

Shielding suit by Vollebak deflects radio waves

February 10, 2025

Vollebak has released the Shielding Suit, a wearable technology made with pure silver that blocks radio waves so no one can track, hack, or call the users. The silver-added suit, which shares the same electromagnetic shielding technology that NASA has used for its Mars Rover, blocks electromagnetic radiation and shields users from infrared cameras.  Comprised of a jacket and pants, the suit deflects …