Specialty Fabrics Review January 2020 - 14

BRIEFINGS

SWATCHES

Crafting social change

A

All of the profits from the Ubuntu Life
fall 2019 line of bags, made with zippers
donated by YKK®, support social impact
programs in Kenya. Photo: YKK.

unique project in the Maai Mahiu region of Kenya empowers communities
by employing local women to create bags, jewelry and shoes. Ubuntu Life
started as a center for children with disabilities. Once the children received the
care they needed, the mothers started looking for employment opportunities.
In 2011, Ubuntu opened a small shop with nine "Maker Mums" working on
manual Singer sewing machines to create shopping bags, bandannas and other
simple products. Today, the expanded business run by the nonprofit turns out
a collection of sophisticated items. Ubuntu Life offers more than 80 people
full-time, above-market employment and health insurance.
YKK®, a manufacturer of fastening and architectural products, also embraces
helping others as a core value. Its philosophy of the "Cycle of Goodness" teaches
that no one prospers without rendering benefit to others.
With this belief in mind, YKK teamed up with Ubuntu Life on its fall
2019 line of bags. The company donated its #5 and #7 standard metal zippers
in colors including sage grey, camel brown, midnight blue, hibiscus red and
sea green. The zippers were used in products including Nairobi Totes in
new colors, the Naivasha Tote, the Mara Backpack, new colors of the Love
Crossbody with zip closure and the new Kisumu Pouch. For more information,
visit www.ykknorthamerica.com.

First-class economy

H

ow can you have a better experience flying economy? The answer may lie
in smart textiles and their ability to respond to individual needs. That's the
idea behind Move, a digitally knitted seat cover that puts the airplane passenger in
control. The cover "reads" your body and enables you to make various adjustments
including seat tension, temperature, pressure and movement.
The London-based industrial design firm LAYER, in collaboration with
Airbus, developed the technology by researching the main pain points of flying.
Move can analyze data during a flight and automatically adjust for ergonomic
comfort based on an individual's weight, size and movement by passing a current
through a conductive yarn to change seat tension.
The seat cover consists of a polyester wool blend textile digitally knitted with
the conductive yarn and fitted over a lightweight perforated composite frame.
Zones of different density that offer varying levels of support are knitted into the
textile. Built-in sensors that monitor the person's body and the conditions of the
chair send data to the user's smartphone, so passengers can make adjustments as
they wish. They can also change the seat condition by selecting different modes
including sleep, mealtime and massage.
The phone app also provides passengers with comfort prompts, including reminders
to stay hydrated or to get up and move. The seat even knows when something has been
left behind in the pocket post-flight and will notify the passenger's phone.
Designed for short to mid-haul flights, Move has an eco-friendly benefit as well.
The lightweight seat structure reduces the weight of the aircraft, saving on fuel use
and costs. For more information, visit www.layerdesign.com.

14 REVIEW JANUARY 2020

Now in the prototype stage, Move, a smart textile
seat cover, puts the passenger in the driver's
seat when it comes to personal comfort flying
economy class. Photos: LAYER.
http://www.ykknorthamerica.com http://www.layerdesign.com
Specialty Fabrics Review January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review January 2020
