Textile Insight

November / December 2017

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TEXTILE TALK | EMILY WALZER his was a season of reunions with childhood friends and college roommates. It was great spending time with people I share a deep personal history, and fun connecting with folks at this stage of our lives. Two women in particular stood out for their super-successful careers – but this was no surprise. All of us knew way back when that they were going to be on a fast track to big careers. With Lois it was evident in middle school that she was ahead of the class, and so too with Kathy when we met freshman year in college. Both women are smart, but what makes them stand out is that they question everything. We still laugh about the time our 8th grade teacher grew so frustrated by Lois constantly raising her hand that he ranted, "What do you want to know next, Lois, 'Why is the bean green?'" What makes this funny is that it happened in math class; Lois had asked so many arithmetic questions our teacher had had turned to the topic of earth science. Kathy has a similar inquiring-mind tendency, drilling down to the nub of things, question after question after question. I have enormous respect for questioners; listen to Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air" and you'll marvel at her questioning style. Or tune into Alec Baldwin's podcast "Here's the Thing," and you'll hear what a remarkably good interview he conducts. Watch a good reporter work an event and you'll see a skilled questioner in action. As an editor, I love asking questions, which is why our annual TrendSetters cover story is a favorite. We question some of the coolest people in our industry, and their responses do not disappoint. While each participant provides engaging information, when asked the question, "Describe your creative process in 10 words or less," TrendSetters show their true colors. The section starts on page 20. Of course questions are the foundation of market research and you'll find our Running Survey in the Trend Insight Consumer report on pages 32 and 33. The findings reveal fascinating takeaways about runners from different demographics and factors influencing how and why they purchase apparel, footwear and gear. We continue this running theme in a section called Destination Run, in which writers question a slew of industry execs on everything from fiber and footwear materials innovation to new product for Spring '18. See pages 26 – 31 for details. We close out this issue with a Q&A with Birgit Cameron, director of Patagonia Provisions. Asking questions about the organic food industry sheds light on the similarities, and the solutions, occurring in the textile business. Indeed, inquisitive questioners find that often looking outside the box creates some of the most compelling stories. O Emily Inquiring Minds Want to Know: What Questioners Reveal 4 • Textile Insight ~ November/December 2017 As an editor, I love asking questions, which is why our annual TrendSetters cover story is a favorite. Breaking New Grounds. PRESERVING OLD TRAILS. info@conceptiii.com www.conceptiii.com Concept III helps brands build better, more responsible gear—we partner with the world's leading mills and innovators to source, develop, and design textiles that CTGWPTKXCNGFKPRGTHQTOCPEGCPFUWUVCKPCDKNKV[|| textileinsight.com

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