What if a solar cell could harvest energy from the sun, wind and rain? The Institute of Material Research and Innovation (IMRI) at the University of Bolton, England, has developed hybrid film and fibers that do exactly that. An organic photovoltaic cell applied to a commercial piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film or a piezoelectric polymer [...]

A monster drought in Texas and five other Western states may wipe out 30 percent of the U.S. cotton crop. The government estimated that warehouse stockpiles of cotton were the lowest in 15 years, and “This bottleneck situation could temporarily spike prices,” according to Peter Egli, a Chicago risk manager at Plexus Cotton Ltd. Cotton [...]

By the end of 2011, the Glen Raven Technical Fabrics plant in Burnsville, N.C., will no longer landfill any of its wastes. A substantial investment in recovering nylon and polyester fibers, office paper, batteries, fluorescent tubes, plastics, cardboard, wood pallets and food waste brought the company close to its zero-waste sustainability goals, leaving only soiled [...]

The Faribault Woolen Mill, at one time the largest manufacturer of wool blankets in the U.S., closed in July 2009, leaving a void in Faribault, Minn., where the company (established in 1865) used to be. Now, a former Dairy Queen International Inc. CEO and his family aim to bring back the Mill. Chuck Mooty, president [...]

[International Fashion Machines] Seattle, Wash., U.S.A. Born of a unique expertise in contemporary textile design and e-textile technology, smart fabric dimmer switches from International Fashion Machines (IFM) add unique style and warmth to a room. Plush Touch™ sensing technology is the “magic” behind the company’s lighting products. By embedding electronic fibers directly into a plush [...]

[SquidLondon] London, U.K. There’s no reason a rainy day has to be gloomy with SquidLondon’s color-changing Squiderella Collection. The foldable black-and-white umbrellas fit neatly into a carryall bag and blossom into a splash of color when they’re opened up and get wet in the rain. In unique designs, including New York Skyline and Bird Splat. [...]

[Texe srl, INNTEX Div.] Florence, Italy Pressure-sensing fabrics that alert wheelchair users to posture issues have been developed by Italian textile manufacturer, Inntex. The sensing seat covers could be used to warn wheelchair users with paralysis or other impairments, who may not notice when their posture changes. If the wheelchair user’s arm falls from an [...]

Certain minerals reflect far infrared energy, and Schoeller Technologies AG, Sevelen, Switzerland, used this fact to develop a method of printing a mineral-based solution on shirts or shorts that reflects the body’s far infrared energy back to the body. Schoeller’s energear™ technology can increase circulation, improve oxygen levels in the blood, reduce fatigue, shorten warm-up [...]

The wealthy and famous frequent the sun-drenched Greek island of Mykonos, a holiday destination where hospitality rules. Mykonos Grace, a luxury boutique hotel, has been listed as a World’s Best Hotel by Condé Nast, so when the architectural firm Divercity redesigned the intimate poolside Grace Restaurant, it enlisted fashion designer Myrto Dramountani to create a [...]

Researchers Dr. Lyndon Arnold and Dr. Rajiv Padhye at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, say that a blend of wool and Kevlar®, the synthetic fiber widely used in body armor, is lighter and cheaper and works better in some conditions than Kevlar alone. A Kevlar vest loses about 20 percent of its [...]