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TMD 402G The Future of Fashion
Technofabrics
Sushma Carvalho |
Summary by Joanna Lisi
In our world today, advancements in technology are unceasing. At the moment we think we are on the cutting edge, yet suddenly the newest thing is yesterday's news. This fact holds true in the fashion industry where textile production is driven by technological changes.
As Sushma told us, biodegradable fabrics are gaining increasing importance. Consumers make many demands on the today's clothes, and this has left a need for the creation of new fabrics. Fabrics made of natural fibers, such as cotton and silk, may be biodegradable, but they cannot compete with the new technofabrics in repelling moisture.
Sushma spoke about ten technofabrics being produced, dividing them into 1) sports/active wear and 2) fashion fabrics.
The first group contained Coolmax (and Coolmax Aplta), Goretex, Tactel Ispira, Polartec Wind Pro, Outlast, Epic by Nedtec, and antimicrobial finishes. All these fabrics and finishes share the qualities of being lightweight and breathable, and each have their own advantages for outdoor sports, such as retaining and recycling body hear (Outlast) or being windproof (Epic).
The fashion fabrics included Tencel, Miratec, and microfibers. These fabrics have the qualities of easy care and good drape.
Manufacturers will continue to develop new fibers and fabrics in the future which will have a big impact on fashion.