Textile Insight

textileinsight.com November/December 2018 ~ Textile Insight • 27 on dressing from her, and my dad grew up in the South, in Mississippi, and worked in the Home Furnishing Textiles area. So there were all of these cultures and worlds colliding. They all taught me not to conform, and just be your person. A material solution I helped bring to market is: At Nishat Dyeing & Finishing we have been trying to bring more technical fabrics into the market, that don't look stiff and blatantly technical. We have been using Cordura and blending it with Cotton in much lighter weights, then we traditionally did. This has led to some really beautiful soft fabrics that are still super durable. They work great for both the Outdoor Industry, as well as Lifestyle brands. My favorite pair of jeans are: I've been obsessed with denim since I pulled on my first pair of Wranglers as a kid. Currently my favorite pair of jeans is Madewell Boy Jean, cropped, with just a little bit of destruction and ZERO stretch. When looking for inspiration I seek: Ulla Johnson. I just love her whimsical designs, soft fabrics, and her prints make me want to go hiking in the prairies! Good design is obvious when: You can't take your eyes off of it, but you're not sure why. It's a very natural attraction. The biggest change in material sourcing I experienced thus far in my career is: Stretch for men! When I started in this industry 20 years ago it just didn't exist. Now everyone has added stretch to their men's lines. Personally I like a little stretch for comfort, but I can't wait for the Power Stretch in women's to go away. I waste time by: Reading cooking, design and lifestyle blogs like Eyeswoon, Food52, and spending way too much time on Instagram following some of my favorite brands. l TRENT BUSH VP Apparel , Black Diamond Equipment When looking for inspi- ration I seek: The best inspiration for me doesn't come from the apparel industry. I try to immerse myself into technologies, innovations, and ideas from outside of the apparel industry, and apply them to my work. The textile I'm currently intrigued with is: The Nuyarn merino wool yarn structure, and the ability it allows to experiment in totally new ways, independently controlling all attributes of the textile including performance, durabil- ity, weight, and aesthetics. The best advice I got at an early age that shapes my creative thinking now is: Don't follow or do what everyone else is doing. There are no rules and there are no limits. The only boundaries are self-imposed. The biggest change in material sourcing I've experienced thus far in my career is: When localized, domestic USA material sourcing and production expanded offshore in the late 80s/ early 90s. It created a lot of new challenges, but opened a world of possibilities. A brand I admire outside of our industry for smart out-of-the-box innovation is: A little obvious, but Apple: They go beyond shift- ing the paradigm of what technology-driven consumer products represent, giving us the tools to create our way out of our own boxes, all while creating a true culture incorporating technology, creativity, art, music, and lifestyle in equal parts. My favorite pair of jeans are: It's a little self- serving, but it's our new FORGED Denim because we took all the best attributes of all the favorite denim I have ever owned, distilled into exactly what Black Diamond users need. A material solution I helped bring to market is: There have been many over the decades, but recently introducing the performance apparel industry to the technology platform of GTT and specifically their Breathable Water Protection, proving transformative perfor- mance gains and huge sustainability gains are not mutually exclusive. Good design is obvious when: Good design outcomes are obvious when the complex- ity of factors that went into making a good finished product are NOT obvious. Behind the scenes, the simplicity of a great design is rarely simple in process. An ideal blend of function and fashion (per- centage-wise) in most cases is: That's a tough one because I don't really believe you can separate function and fashion, because the best styles always incorporate both for opti- mal physical and mental performance. Feeling good IS functional. I waste time by: Exploring the surroundings wherever I find myself, in the non-stop cycle of inspiration, design, development, testing, sales, and marketing functions of my work. I live for this, whether lost in the biggest city or at the most remote locations. l HEATHER VAN HELVOORT Design Director, Head Designer Women's Outdoor Lifestyle, Aventura A brand I admire outside of our industry for smart out-of-the-box innovation is: Stella McCartney. In addition to her approach to sustainability (she's gone above and beyond her mission of "respecting the environment and working with nature instead of against it" by using recycled/re- engineered materials, sustainable fibers and a strong Fair Trade policy), she continues to innovate in both the fashion and sport arenas. Her Ultraboost sneakers with Adidas are especially cool – she uses Parley Ocean Plastic yarns, which takes waste from the ocean and repurposes it into yarn. The designs are sleek and comfortable, and reduce your carbon footprint. The best advice I got at an early age that shapes my creative thinking now is: Think big. If you have a grand idea, try your best to make it happen and make it the best you possibly can. You can always "water it down" later. A material solution I helped bring to market is: As an eco-friendly company, we are always looking to source responsibly. As a designer, I look for fibers that are eco and feel luxuri- ous at the same time. I'm pretty proud of our recycled polyester blends. My favorite pair of jeans is: A dark wash pair of mid-rise skinnies from Lucky or Hudson. An ideal blend of function and fashion (per- centage-wise) in most cases is: 90 percent function, 10 percent fashion. Comfort and ease should be paramount. When you feel good in your clothes, you look good, too. The biggest change in material sourcing I've experienced thus far in my career is: I love that we're now able to trace a garment back to a farm. Organizations like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) provide chain of custody certification from harvesting raw materials to finished goods. How cool is that?! When looking for inspiration I seek: I live to explore — different cultures and their sur- roundings, nature in all its glory (mountains, forests, water), architecture, food, music. Good design is obvious when: It's effortless, yet thoughtful. Good design shouldn't be overly complicated; it should come organically. l DAN ABRAMS Co-Founder , Flylow A material solution I helped bring to market is: Intuitive Perm Fabric. We tracked down the lam- inate manufacturer making electrospun membranes that are waterproof and air permeable and com- bined the membrane with stretch twill and a woven backer. The result is the most waterproof stretchy air permeable membrane. When looking for inspiration I seek: 1970s surf movies. Those guys were not in it for money. They were seeking a lifestyle. The products had good appeal but were functional first. The textile I'm currently intrigued with is: CiClO. It is a synthetic textile technology that renders poly and nylon biodegradable in active landfill. My favorite pair of jeans is: Levis 504 Commuter Jeans. Good design is obvious when: The product does not look like it is trying too hard to be anything. It is just awesome. The biggest change in material sourcing I've experienced thus far in my career is: The evolu- tion of 3 Layer fabric to be lighter and softer while having more protection than stretch wovens. I waste time by: Nothing is a waste of time when you own your time. l

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