Specialty Fabrics Review April 2021 - 33

she explains. " I use a variety of yarn
sizes and turns to create these yarns,
which are very tiny. The smallest is a
152/2 cotton covering a 40D Lycra®.
Layering the different yarns allows
for moisture vapor transport; specific
weaves can increase or decrease the
compression, thereby improving shape
and comfort. "
Osborne sees PPE production
as something that could contribute
to faster innovation across broader
markets as more companies become
educated about regulations and specifications around these products. She
says this awareness will likely spread to
other product categories, such as those
utilizing smart fabrics. The subsequent
understanding of the responsibility
companies have to meet regulations
and substantiate performance claims
will potentially drive skill levels higher
and fuel the development of specialties.

Opportunities for every shop
For now, technical and performance
fabrics make up a minor part of the
overall industry, with smart fabrics
comprising an even lesser portion, says
Osborne. She believes this provides
continuing opportunities for smallbusiness owners who may not be able
to adopt advanced technologies.
" There will always be something
new, but at the same time, there will
always be a demand for the old-school
technology, " she says. " We need both.
My advice is to stay flexible. Always
have something in your shop that
is challenging and bringing new
experiences to your resources. "
Sharma says that AKAS Tex hasn't
yet fielded any inquiries about smart
fabrics. " However, as more smart
products are introduced, the consumer
demand could grow. But again, it will be
the technology people innovating the
next direction to lead consumers to. "

She says the market requirements
are still rather simple, with users seeking product characteristics that make
their lives more comfortable and safer,
without using toxic chemicals. But she
believes the pandemic did accelerate the
demand for antimicrobial-treated fabrics, spurring antimicrobial technology.
Nishi sees market demand
moving even more toward sustainable
products, action driven by IoTinfluenced consumers.
" The increase in information and
accessibility through IoT has shifted
consumers to become 'demanders' who
are no longer 'consuming' everything
a brand sells to them, " he explains.
" Therefore, brands need to shift
towards realistic production to avoid
producing any unnecessary waste. "
As for the " factory of the future, "
Henderson envisions one where there is
collaboration, simplification and digitization, with total visibility throughout
the digital textile supply chain.
" Imagine designing a product,
digitally, one time, then distributing
that design to any place in the world
to be manufactured. Organizations
must push for digital transformations
to more quickly adapt to marketplace
changes, " Henderson says. " They will
need to consider more local options
and a digital transformation strategy
to mitigate risks and inform decisionmaking-quickly. "

There will always be
something new, but
there will always be a
demand for the old-school
technology. My advice is to
stay flexible. Always have
something in your shop
that is challenging and
bringing new experiences
to your resources.
EVA OSBORNE
Significant Difference LLC

Pamela Mills-Senn is a Seal Beach, Calif.-based
freelance writer.

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