NEWS
Inside the Industry
Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS has announced that registration is now open for the Oct. 27–28 edition at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. New this season on Oct. 26 is the Day 0 OIA Catalyst Conference, developed in partnership with the Outdoor Industry Association. Designed for both attendees and exhibitors, the conference precedes exhibit-hall sourcing and Expert Talks education programming, bringing together designers, product developers and material decision-makers focused on performance, sustainability and innovation. “Our exhibitors and attendees have been asking for more than just depth on supply-chain sustainability and compliance; they’ve wanted more peer-to-peer engagement, and OIA is the right partner to help us deliver both,” said Steve McCullough, event vice president, Functional Fabric Fair.
Covation Biomaterials LLC has introduced Sorona elasterell-p fiber. Made with partially plant-based Sorona polymer, it is the first U.S.-produced bicomponent stretch fiber offered by CovationBio. Sorona elasterell-p fiber delivers durable stretch and exceptional shape retention without the use of elastane. Designed for apparel applications that rely on responsive and durable stretch, including activewear and workwear, Sorona elasterell-p fiber offers the added benefit of its bio-based foundation, giving apparel brands the dual benefit of garments that perform and have a lower environmental footprint. “Sorona elasterell-p fiber is our first branded fiber,” said CovationBio CEO Steven Ackerman. “As a partially bio-based polymer, Sorona has been an ingredient in innovative textile solutions used by leading apparel brands worldwide for what they need next.”
The Dallas Men’s Show wrapped its July run at Dallas Market Center with the strongest total store attendance the summer edition has seen in at least five years. Temporary exhibitors and permanent showrooms also shared a single roof at the World Trade Center, a small logistical change that buyers said made an already strong show seamless. “We received positive feedback on having everything under one roof, which makes the show even easier to work,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of the DMC. “We value the time of our retailers, who want to fly or drive in, meet with brands, take time for discovery, make decisions then depart with the confidence they accomplished a lot in a couple of days.”
United Leather has supplied hides from the L.A. Fashion District to fashion designers, interior designers and entertainers for four decades. In 2023, the company brought on a new generation to lead: Kiana Dadbin as head of sales and Zach Cadwallader as head of online marketing and innovation. Their first move targeted how emerging designers source now. Cadwallader built an AI visualizer that renders any hide in United’s catalog as a finished product: a bag, a shoe, a whip, anything imaginable, so a designer can judge the leather before ordering. It’s made for the emerging and DTC brands that source remotely, move fast and rarely set foot in a warehouse. It also changes how designers think. Check it out at UnitedLeather.com.
