Textile Insight

IN THE STUDIO | MENSWEAR Textiles that Define the Modern Man Three Brands that Use Fabric Selection and Garment Construction to Put a New Spin on Active Apparel. By Suzanne Blecher Meghan Conyers, Chief Executive, Strongbody Apparel Where do you find ideas for technology in your garments? "We work with a number of outside resources to help source new and interesting fabrics and technologies. We generally look for technologies that solve a specific problem and then do our own in-house testing to determine the best." Tell me about a couple of your favorite material technologies employed in your garments. "My favorite would actually be the marriage of technical fabrics with a performance fit. A garment cannot be 100 percent effec- tive without being intelligently constructed." How important are materials and technology to men in choosing a garment? "It is about feel and performance - not the exact make up of said fabric. Today's man cares that their clothing feels good and works well. It's up to us to ensure that their gear lives up to their high expectations so they can worry about their work outs and life, and not have to overthink what they are wearing." Are there other technologies or textile innovations you'd like to try in the future? "We always have our ear to the ground and are experimenting with some new technologies." Wearable technology comes in so many forms - would you say what you create in apparel is wearable technology? "While we do employ various types of technology within our garments, I wouldn't classify our garments as wearable technol- ogy. I think in order to keep pushing the boundaries we need to create a new classification for garments that take it to the next level. If your garment requires a battery then I would say that's wearable tech!" Kyle McClure, Creative Director, Rhone Where do you find ideas for technology in your garments? "The technology we put in our garments solves a problem. We begin by asking ourselves what the end-use cases are and assign attributes to achieve that. We work with partners at our mills and factories to integrate and apply the technology into the garments, then upstream there are incredibly smart scientists who we pitch ideas to." Tell me about a couple of your favorite material technologies employed in your garments. "Flexknit is a yarn technology featured in our Commuter Pant (and soon to be in other garments). It eliminates the need for spandex while still delivering stretch and recovery through the creation of a bi-component yarn that stretches both lat- erally and vertically on itself. The fabric not only stretches and recovers without the weight and heat of spandex, but also is more air permeable as it moves. GoldFusion, our gold standard, combines incredible odor protection, up to a 30 percent increase in wicking and drying performance, and UV protection." How important are materials and technology to men in choosing a garment? "I think men first and foremost want value. Regardless of price, if a man feels like he is getting something for his money he's on board." textileinsight.com 54 • Textile Insight ~ September / October 2017

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