Ecouterre » Fabrictionary

Orange Fiber: A High-Fashion Textile Derived From Citrus Waste

Lea Stewart — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:00:14 +0000

ORANGE FIBER \ˈôrənj ˈfībər\

n 1 a: A textile fiber made by extracting cellulose from citrus fruits. b: Said to release vitamins A, C, and E upon contact with skin, a result of natural citrus oils that are embedded in the fabric. c: A solution to the growing problem of citrus-waste disposal in southern Italy. 2 a: Developed by a trio of student-entrepreneurs in collaboration with Polytechnic University of Milan. b: One of the 10 projects selected for the Changemakers Expo Milano 2015. 3 a: The primary material used in fashion designer Adriana Santanocito’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection.

[Via C.L.A.S.S]

Palm Leather: A Vegan Textile With the Same Properties as Animal Hide

Lea Stewart — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:00:03 +0000

PALM LEATHER \pä(l)m ˈleT͟Hər\

n 1 a: A sturdy textile created by Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven in the Netherlands using the leaves of the Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens). b: Made by soaking the plant matter in a special biological solution that leaves it supple and pliable. c: A biodegradable, 100 percent vegan material with some of the properties of animal leather and rubber. 2: Natural variations in color provide plenty of design potential. 3 a: Suitable for a wide range of products, including bags, footwear, and journal covers. b: Opens opportunities for artisans in South India, where the leaves and the skills to manipulate them are common.

Lotus Fabric: A Natural, Waste-Free Alternative to Waterproof Synthetics

Lea Stewart — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:00:59 +0000

Photo by Samatoa

LOTUS FABRIC \lōtəs ˈfabrik\

n 1 a: Hand-woven Cambodian/Burmese textile derived from the discarded stems of the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera), an aquatic perennial with long filaments that is sacred in parts of Asia. b: Once used to make the robes of high-ranking Buddhist monks. c: Looks and feels like a blend of linen and raw silk. d: Naturally breathable, waterproof, wrinkle-free, and stain-resistant. 2: Virtually zero-waste: leftover components are used make lotus teas, infusions, and flour. 3 a: Popularized by Awen Delavel, a French fabric designer who established the Cambodian Lotus Center in Battamabang to streamline its production. b: Gained the interest of couture houses such as Loro Piana, which is looking to import lotus yarn to Italy to make suits.

[Via Source Intelligence]

Zpagetti: A Super-Bulky Yarn Made From Recycled Fabric Remnants

Jasmin Malik Chua — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:00:46 +0000

ZPAGETTI \zpə-ˈge-tē\

n. 1 a: A super-bulky yarn, comprising 92 percent cotton and 8 percent elastane, made from the remnants of garment manufacturing. b: Produced by Lion Brand Yarn in the United States. c: Because of the repurposed nature of the material, each colorway is limited edition (and available at random). d: Suitable for knitting, crocheting, jewelry-making, and other forms of crafty tomfoolery.

+ Zpagetti $8.99 per skein

+ Lion Brand Yarn

Kuba: A Congolese Fabric Handwoven From Raffia Leaves

Lea Stewart — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:00:53 +0000

KUBA \kü-bä\

n 1 a: Geometrically patterned cloth traditionally woven from raffia-tree leaves by the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. b: Naturally colored fabric created through a labor-intensive process of hand-dyeing using mud, indigo, or the powdered bark of the camwood tree. c: Typically created by Kuba men on a single heddle loom, then embroidered by women and children to create an uncut or cut-pile appearance (the latter resembles velvet or velour). 2: a Traditionally worn during ceremonial events, primarily funerals, but also found in tapestries and home goods. b: Includes symbolic patterns that indicate a person’s social and marital status, age, and even attributes of a person’s character.

[Via Cloth and Kind]

Hagfish Slime Thread: An Unlikely Natural Fiber That Rivals Spider Silk

Jasmin Malik Chua — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:00:52 +0000

HAGFISH SLIME THREAD \ˈhag-ˌfish ˈslīm ˈthred \

n 1: The fibrous protein component of the defensive slime of the hagfish (also known as Hyperotreti), an eel-shaped bottom-dwelling marine animal that is the only known living organism with a skull but no vertebral column. 2 a: An affordable, sustainable alternative to oil-based polymers as discovered by Atsuko Negishi, a researcher at the University of Guelph in Canada. 3 a: A member of the “intermediate filament” family of proteins, with remarkable mechanical properties that rival those of spider silk. b: Has the potential to be isolated, purified spun, and woven into high-performance biomaterials.

[Via Ecotextile News]

Cortina: A “Cradle to Cradle” Solar Fabric Made From Recyclable Polyester

Lea Stewart — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:00:08 +0000

CORTINA \ˈkôr tēn ä \

n 1 a: A Cradle to Cradle-certified solar-protection textile used primarily for window shades. b: Made by Mermet from 100 percent PVC-free, recyclable polyester. c: Has a 5 percent openness factor with a woven pattern that resembles tree bark. (Its counterpart, Siena, has a 7 percent openness factor.) d: Eligible for credits from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program. e: Meets fire-safety and clean-air standards in schools.

Qmilk: A Silk-Like Fiber Derived From Spoiled Milk

Lea Stewart — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 20:00:02 +0000

QMILK \ˈkyo͞o milk \

n 1 a: A trademarked name for milk fiber, a silky textile derived from an odorless protein found in mammalian milk. b: The brainchild of Qmilch, a company founded by German designer Anke Domaske. c: Based on casein found in soured “secondary milk” that’s i. no longer suitable for human consumption and ii. headed for disposal. 2: Unlike other milk fibers, Qmilk makes efficient use of water—2 liters for every kilogram of fabric—and requires no harmful chemicals. It also leaves behind zero waste. 3: Alleged properties include moisture management, bacterial resistance, and reduced skin irritation. 4: The primary material found in Domaske’s Mademoiselle Chi Chi apparel collection. 5: Blends well with other fibers, with potential applications in the home-, technical-, and medical-textile industries.

Naoron: A Leathery, Water-Resistant Textile Made From Wood Pulp

Lea Stewart — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:00:33 +0000

NAORON \nah ö·re on\

n 1 a: A versatile textile derived from wood pulp and polyolefin (“soft Naoron”) or recycled polyester (“RPF Naoron”). b: Manufactured by Onao in Japan using traditional washi-suki paper-manufacturing techniques. 2 a: Designed to be soft and flexible, as well as tear- and water-resistant. b: Soft Naoran does not emit noxious fumes when incinerated. 3: The primary material in the SIWA series of accessories, a collaboration between Onao and industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. SIWA is an anagram of washi (also spelled wasi), which refers to the material’s crinkled appearance.

Newlife: A Celebrity-Approved Fabric Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles

Lea Stewart — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:00:42 +0000

NEWLIFE \nü ˈlīf\

n 1 a: A polyester yarn made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. b: Processed through a mechanical, rather than chemical, process in Italy by textile manufacturer Filature Miroglio. c: Relies on a patented horizontal integration system that involves a bottle-sourcing company, a materials convertor, and a textile factory. 2: End uses include fashion, sportswear, underwear, technical clothing, workwear, medical garments, outdoor clothes, furnishings, and accident-prevention textiles. 3: Used by Georgio Armani to create an eco-friendly gown for Livia Firth at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards.

+ Newlife by Filature Miroglio

Khadi: A Handspun Cloth From India That Galvanized a Local Movement

Lea Stewart — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:00:36 +0000

Photo by RaajMa

KHADI \ˈkä-dē\

n 1 a: A coarse cotton, wool, or silk hand-spun in India on a spinning wheel called a charkha. b: Versatile in its ability to be dyed with limitless natural colors and patterns. c: Can be spun in a range of thicknesses, from lightweight shirting to thick upholstery. 2 a: A symbol of a national pride movement, allegedly started by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, aimed at boycotting foreign goods and promoting the country’s self-sufficiency. b: The official fabric used to create India’s flag, which features the charakha wheel at its center. 3: Used in some of the costumes for the Star Wars prequels, including Mace Windu’s cloak.

Laplam: A Recycled Plastic That Resembles Oversized Bubble Wrap

Lea Stewart — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:00:45 +0000

LAPLAM \lä pläm\

n 1 a: A new material made from air-infused layers plastic—60 to 80 percent of which is recycled—with an appearance reminiscent of bubble wrap. b: Developed by a lab research team at Italian packaging manufacturer Tecnopack. c: Available in a range of saturated colors, the material is commonly used for furniture and women’s fashion accessories. d: Under the direction of Fabrizio Fattori, Laplam has been used for couture handbags, known as “Big Bubble Bags,” that are wildly popular in Italy’s metropolitan areas.

Cocona: Vegan-Friendly Outerwear Insulation Made From Coconut Husks

Lea Stewart — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:00:53 +0000

COCONA\ˈkōˈkōnˈä\

n 1 a:Trademarked name for a lightweight, breathable fiber derived from coconut-husk waste discarded by the food-service industry. b: Reduced to charcoal, combined with recycled polyester, and spun to maximize its surface area for warmth retention and moisture wicking. c: Said to resist odors better than traditional polyester fill. 2: Used in Nau’s insular jacket, a two-layer, sealed-seam shell with a helmet-compatible hood that the Portland clothier describes as “made for the mountain.”

Sorona: A Versatile Performance Fiber Made From Corn

Lea Stewart — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:00:46 +0000

SORONA\ˈsȯrˈōnˈä\

n 1 a: Sorona, DuPont’s trade name for poly(trimethylene terephthalate), is an extruded fiber that serves as a alternative to nylon 6 in apparel (swimwear, activewear, outerwear) and automotive, commercial, and residential carpeting. b. Contains 37 percent renewable agricultural feedstocks, in this case corn sugar. c. Said to use 30 percent less energy and release 64 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than nylon. d. Can be blended with other natural or synthetic fibers for colorfastness, wicking, and stain and wrinkle resistance without additional chemical treatments. e. Recyclable when used as a face fiber in carpet backing.

Zeugma: High-Performance, Moisture-Wicking Organic Cotton For Activewear

Lea Stewart — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 12:00:46 +0000

ZEUGMA \ˈzo͞ogmə\

n 1 a: A 95 percent organic-cotton textile that mimics the qualities of petroleum-based technical fabrics without synthetic chemicals or additives. b: Wicks away moisture, dries quickly, resists pilling, and stays colorfast but with the breathability of cotton, making it an apt choice for workout clothes and other activewear. c: Made with a proprietary spinning process that mechanically aligns and tightly interconnects cotton fibers to produce long, smooth filaments. 2: Named for a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses. 3: Found in yoga pants, tunics, and jumpsuits by Prancing Leopard, the first company to introduce Zeugma cotton to apparel.

Chiengora: Is Knitting With Dog Hair Doggone Good or Barking Mad?

Lea Stewart — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:00:05 +0000

CHIENGORA \chē-ˈen-ˈgȯr-ə\

n. 1 a: A portmanteau of “chien” (French for dog) and “angora.” b: A soft, spun yarn—said to be up to 80 percent warmer than wool—made from the naturally shed undercoat of canines with hair typically longer than two inches. c: Current production methods are mostly limited to a low-volume, hand-crafted technique similar to traditional carding and spinning wool. c: Uses for the yarn include sweaters, and cold-weather accessories. 2: The subject of a book, Knitting With Dog Hair: Better a Sweater From a Dog You Know and Love Than From a Sheep You’ll Never Met, by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery. 3: Spinners charge an average of $12 per ounce of dog-hair yarn, according to The Wall Street Journal; a custom-knit sweater can cost several hundred dollars.

Cupro: A Cellulose Fiber Made From Recovered Cotton Waste

Lea Stewart — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:00:28 +0000

A linen-cupro shirtdress from Donna Karan

CUPRO \¦k(y)üˈprō\

n. 1 a: A regenerated cellulose fiber derived from cotton linter (the ultrafine, silky fibers that stick to the seeds of the cotton plant after it’s been ginned) that has been dissolved in a solution of ammonia and copper oxide. b: It is similar to rayon, but breathes and regulates body temperature like cotton. c: Often used as a silk substitute, cupro is noted for its ability to create beautifully draped clothing, except it can be machine-washed and -dried. d: A European relative of Tencel, cupro is a hypoallergenic, antistatic fabric that is resistant to stretching out of shape at higher temperatures.

Bionic: A Rapper-Approved Fiber Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles

Lea Stewart — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:00:27 +0000

Photos from Timberland’s Bionic Canvas collection

BIONIC YARN \bī-ˈä-nik ˈyärn\

n 1 a: A highly durable fiber composed of organic cotton wrapped around a core of recycled PET, a plastic commonly used for the production of soda bottles. b: Return Textiles Corporation—rapper Pharrell Williams is a key investor—produces spools of Bionic Yarn, which can be woven into a tough, water-repellant material that looks like traditional cotton canvas but dries quicker and is twice as abrasion-resistant. c: The fiber is being commercialized by clothing and footwear companies such as Moncler, TopShop, and Timberland.

Tencel C: A Shellfish-Derived Fiber With Skin-Renewing Properties

Lea Stewart — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:00:52 +0000

TENCEL C \ˈten ˈsil ˈsē\

n. 1 a: A fabric by Lenzing that combines Tencel (a trademarked name for lyocell) and chitosan, a naturally replenishable biopolymer derived from shells of mollusks. b: Purports to offer cosmetic benefits by hydrating and renewing cells, resulting in healthier, less wrinkled, and faster-healing skin. c: Naturally inhibits bacterial growth, accepts dyes, and is machine washable (50 times or more without losing its cosmetic properties, according to Lenzing). d: Used in home textiles, bedding, and active apparel.

Tapa: Handmade Cloth Made From the Bark of A Mulberry Tree

Bridgette Meinhold — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:00:05 +0000

Photo by Galen Frysinger

TAPA \ tah-pah \

n 1 a: Natural paper-like eco-textile from the South Pacific created from beating the inner bark of a mulberry tree. b: Paper-like in texture, the fabric is colored with natural dyes and painted with tribal designs and then used as decorations, wall-hangings, and even wedding and ceremonial costumes. c: Native cultures in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and other Polynesian islands still hand-make tapa and use it in their everyday life, and some designers now are even using the textile to create more traditional clothing.

Crailar Organic Fibers: A New, Eco-Friendly Spin on Cotton

Abigail Doan — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:16 +0000

CRAILAR \ ˈkrā lär \

n. 1 a: Organically certified fiber derived from natural bast fibers (such as hemp and flax), which are responsibly treated with an “enzymatic bath” and then spun into soft, white fibers similar to organic cotton. b: Touted as the next affordable and sustainable stand-in for conventional cotton, with the added bonus of tensile strength for use in textile, industrial, energy, medical, and composite material applications. c: Named after the town of Craik, Saskatchewan, this eco-textile initiative is also supported by the National Research Council Canada. A joint partnership with Hanes is likely to make it a household name for apparel knit products globally.

Ahimsa: Cruelty-Free “Peace Silk” That Makes for Good Karma

Abigail Doan — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:00:18 +0000

Photo by Aurora Silk Yarns

AHIMSA \ə-hĭm’sä’ \

n. 1 a: A Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm—literally translated as “the avoidance of violence”—or in the context of silk-fiber production, the ethical treatment of mulberry-eating silkworms. b: In lieu of boiling the silk cocoon to prematurely release strands of filament-like fiber, Ahimsa silk is extracted only after a metamorphosing worm has emerged from its cocoon, allowing it to complete an entire life cycle unharmed. c: A luxurious, airy, and soft-to-the-touch alternative to conventional silk, popular with the enlightened eco-fashion designers Bahar Shahpar, Bodkin, Ivana Basilotta, Minna, Mr. Larkin, and Enamore.

O-Wool: Certified-Organic Wool for the Eco-Fashion Flock

Abigail Doan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:00:46 +0000

Photo by The Purl Bee

O-WOOL \ō wu̇l \

n. 1 a: U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic wool yarn and fabric by The Vermont Organic Fiber Company. b: Requires certified-organic livestock feed and forage; the prohibition of synthetic hormones, genetic engineering, and pesticides; and chemically restricted fiber processing. c: The wool of choice for eco-fashion designers such as Bodkin, Bahar Shahpar, Deborah Lindquist, Susan Woo, Ekovaruhuset, FIN, and Elena Garcia.

Cork: A Sustainable Fabric With Real Bark

Jasmin Malik Chua — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:00:17 +0000

Photo by Cork Boutique

CORK \ˈkȯrk\

n. 1 a: An impermeable, buoyant, fire-resistant material that is stripped from the bark of the cork oak every nine years. (The tree has an average life expectancy of 200 years.) b: Used in flooring, upholstery, clothing, accessories, and, of course, wine stoppers. c: A strong case for the conservation of cork oak landscapes, which support remarkable levels of forest biodiversity, including endangered species such as the Iberian Lynx, the Iberian Imperial Eagle, and the Barbary Deer.

S.Cafe: Clothes Made From Used Coffee Grounds

Jasmin Malik Chua — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:18 +0000

Photo by deapeajay

S.CAFE \ˈes ka-ˈfā\

n. 1 a: A fabric that Singtex Industries in Taiwan knits or weaves using waste coffee grounds. (A single cup of coffee can yield two shirts.) b: Said to dry quickly, protect against UV rays, and neutralize odors. c: Meets Swiss Bluesign standards for sustainable fabrics.

+ S.Cafe