ASSIGNMENT II | SEMESTER VI | TEXTILE DESIGN

INNOVATION IN

TEXTILES

MADHURIMA | MANOGNA | PRANYA

CIRCULAR
SYSTEMS
FOOD WASTE

Circular Systems is a materials science company focused on creating a net positive

impact on our environment, society, and economy through innovation. Our circular
plus regenerative technologies provide systemic solutions for transforming waste
into valuable fiber, yarn, and fabrics for the fashion industry.
GELATEX
NANOFIBRES

Gelatex has developed a proprietary system for producing nanofibre nonwoven

sheets that is much more productive than existing electrospinning technology and is
also able to cost-effectively process biofibres at scale. Nanofibres can be immensely
useful in functions where the availability of surface area is important, such as energy
storage, filtration, drug delivery etc. Nanofibrous materials are also highly porous
which allows for high breathability filters and efficient tissue engineering scaffolds
and they also have very low densities, making them extremely light.
PARLEY
TO OCEAN
ACCESSORIES

Parley worked to develop the world’s first supply chain for upcycled marine waste
and created Ocean Plastic® as a powerful symbol of change. Initially sourced from
islands in the Maldives, we’ve now expanded our collection network to the Dominican
Republic and Sri Lanka too, creating a steady demand for plastic waste that would
otherwise end up in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
AMSILK
COSMETIC SURGERY

AMSilk use the tools of industrial biotechnology to produce synthetic spider silk
proteins from engineered e.coli bacteria. Spider silk is known for its strength,
flexibility and lightness. For the medical industry, a highly biocompatible silk coating
for medical implants was designed to further reduce post-operative complications.
Once inside the body, the silk coating acts as a thin protein barrier between the
silicone of a typical breast implant and the body’s surrounding tissue, allowing it to be
better integrated into the body.
BANANATEX
APPAREL

Bananatex® is the world’s first durable, waterproof fabric made purely from Banana
plants. Cultivated in the Philippines within a natural ecosystem of sustainable
forestry, the plant requires no chemical treatments. Its self-sufficiency has made it an
important contributor to reforestation of areas once eroded by Palm plantations,
whilst enhancing the prosperity of local farmers.
DUPONT
APPAREL

As consumers increasingly move away from using animal fur, DuPont™

Sorona® unveils its recyclable, luxuriously soft Sorona® faux fur. This
thoughtful substitution for animal fur, provides a premium look and feel
in garments. Sorona® faux fur, made with 70 to 100 percent bio-based
Sorona® polymer fibers, creates one of the first commercially available
plant-based faux furs. The long-lasting, fur alternative has an array of
performance attributes including warmth, design flexibility, and
dyeability. With exceptional softness and durability, this natural feeling
fur alternative will not break down from heat or UV rays. Sorona® faux
fur can be mechanically recycled, rather than being directed to the
landfill.
TUFTS
UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL, AUTOMOBILE

Capable of identifying certain gases, this smart textile was an idea dreamt up by
engineers at Tufts University, a private research university. They came up with a
three-step method that uses several chemicals and materials to effectively trap dye
to the thread, rather than relying on binding chemistry. The idea is that the dyed
threads change colour when they detect a whole variety of gases. The
concentration of the gas and colour changes can then be detected visually by the
human eye or via a smartphone camera.
The smart textiles also work under water and can be washed without diluting their
smart properties. It's hoped they could be used within garments to detect carbon
dioxide, for example.
ADIDAS
FOOTWEAR

Most of our clothes have a negative effect on the environment, especially those made
from non-biodegradable fabrics. But Adidas is doing its bit to make greener trainers.
The UltraBOOST Parley trainer has a PrimeKnit upper that’s 85% ocean plastic and is
made from 11 plastic bottles plucked from beaches.
While the eco-friendly trainer isn’t brand new, the design has a sleeker silhouette and
has just been released in a ‘Deep Ocean Blue’ colourway that Adidas said is inspired
by the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world's oceans and the site of the
deepest-known piece of plastic pollution: a single-use plastic bag.
HUISHENG
PENG
SMART TEXTILE

Chinese scientists have developed a new solar-powered fabric that works like a
smartphone and could have navigation, communications, safety, and healthcare
applications. The futuristic garment could improve safety for emergency responders,
motorists, and cyclists. For example, a jacket could display a ‘textile map’ on the
sleeve instantly. The inexpensive material, made from conductive and luminescent
fibers with cotton, turns a jacket into a touch screen. While researchers have
promised wearable technology for years, making large displays integrated with
functional systems has proved challenging. However, the scientists at Shanghai’s
Fudan University overcame this obstacle with a remarkable display textile nearly 20 ft
long and 10 inches wide. “The cloth is flexible, breathable, and durable—making it
ideal for the real world,” said Professor Huisheng Peng.
AIRBUS
AUTOMOBILE

MStrategic design agency LAYER has collaborated with Airbus on a new concept for
economy class seating that uses smart textiles for personalised comfort and
wellbeing. The prototype concept, Move, enables aeroplane passengers to monitor
and control factors such as seat tension, pressure and temperature, through a
corresponding app, and sends prompts to their phone when it is time to move
around the cabin. The app can also guide users through in-seat stretches, and
remind them to hydrate regularly.
MAKING SOCKS
SMART

Neurofabric™, a
Diabetic Sock and Foot Monitoring
System developed by San Francisco-based Siren, features six microsensors
that continuously monitor foot
temperature, looking for variation.
The socks wearer can see the temperature of their feet instantly with the
app and compare changes from day to day.

Siren Diabetic Socks feature:

Neurofabric™ — Seamlessly-integrated sensors that monitor foot temperature at six key points —
the most effective method for determining foot health;
Comfortable fit — All socks are seamless and non-binding;
Machine-washability and don’t need charging; and
Moisture-wicking — Fabric removes moisture from the foot area to promote healthy skin.
BUILT-IN SENSORS
TO COLLECT
MEDICAL DATA

Omsignal has created activewear, workwear and

sleepwear that collects a raft of medical-grade data
without wearers noticing. Its bras, t-shirts and shirts
are made using smart stretchy fabric with built-in
strategically placed ECG, respiration and physical
activity sensors.

The data collected by these sensors is sent to a

recording module in the clothing, which then it to
the Cloud. It can be accessed, analysed and viewed
using an app to help people work out ways of
staying calmer under pressure at work, or how to
sleep more soundly. The recording module can
collect data for 50 hours without the need to be
recharged and is splash and sweat-resistant.
THE FABRIC
THAT
HARVESTS
ENERGY

Clothes of the future are tipped to integrate electronics

such as phones so we can listen to music, get directions
and take calls by touching a button or brushing a sleeve.
But imagine how annoying it would be if you had to
charge your jumper every day.

To solve this problem before it becomes an issue, Georgia

Tech researchers created energy-harvesting yarns that
can be woven into washable textiles. They work by taking
advantage of static electricity that builds up between two
different materials thanks to friction. Sewn into socks,
jumpers and other clothes, the fabric can harvest enough
energy from the motion of waving your arms to power a
sensor that could one day charge your phone.
 Can we make a productive resource from

DESIGN waste?

The idea is not to simply deal with waste or

PROBLEM eject it into space, but to make it useful for us.

1. To classify and define properties of
different waste that are desirable.
2. To ideate potential end uses for those
properties with respect to fibres and textile
products.
3. To look into present companies and
1. There is excess waste generated by the
organisations that may research and produce
human population in cities.
the same.
2. Excess waste contaminates water
resources, natural habitats and air quality.
Large swaths of it are not biodegradable
or recyclable.
3. Why? Overproduction and
overconsumption. Poor organisation +
contamination of waste in landfills.