NYC Study Tour: Material Connxion

Part 1 - Research:  Briefly research and describe the company. 

Material Connexions is a sourcing library that catalogs new and innovative materials that can be used in all sorts of construction. They work with apparel designers, packaging designers, architects, interior designers, and even engineers to give them a few index of new materials that may be useful in their respected trade. Because Material Connecxons believe that materials don't have to have a defined use they categorize them by makeup instead of use. That way they challenge the people who use their library to think outside of the box. 

Part 2 – Observations:  How are innovative materials relevant and/or impactful in the fashion industry; what role might new materials play in supporting sustainability and/or transparency in the manufacturing process.

The fashion industry is always about being new and innovative. It's always changing and evolving and growing. In recent years the advancements in technology that surround materials, like laser cutting, 3d printing, and so much more have changed the way we see fashion. One of the most iconic examples of this is the Zac Posen dress that Claire Danes wore to the Met Gala. The dress was made with material that lit up to create a really magical red carpet moment. Another big factor that has become a part of the way we see fashion is our new want as a society to be sustainable. A lot of the materials we saw in the Materials Connecxion library were either made of recycled material or had a positive impact on the environment. One really interesting one that I remember was a cup that was made from used coffee grounds. I thought it was really interesting to see how innovative these materials were. 

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Choose one material you saw at the library.  Give its name, details, and a visual description.  Discuss why you find it interesting, innovative, or inspiring.  You are not limited to only fashion materials or applications, choose anything that inspires you.

The material that I thought was the most interesting was in the natural section (6129-03). In my job at home, I work in leather production. So I work daily with leather hides and I see just how much waste there is when you work with a natural animal skin. This material is a stiff thicker leather that is made from recycled leather scraps. In the leather industry, there are two different kinds of leather, top coated and full aniline. The top coated leather is created when you shave off the top layer of a hide and then coat it with a thin layer of polyurethane and emboss a natural leather print onto it. This type of leather is not considered genuine leather anywhere other than the U.S. Whats good about this kind of leather is that there is almost no waste because it all has a uniform embossed pattern. However its cheap and often looks cheap. Full aniline leather is beautiful and keeps the integrity of the hide but shows the natural scars and imperfections. Which means more scraps and waste. This leather, while technically top coat, I could get behind because in a sense it is still genuine and also environmentally friendly. I would be really interested to hear more about how this leather is made, like its dying process, and how much water it uses to create it.