Schoeller surprised to receive German design prize nomination
Speciality chemicals company Clariant and textile technology specialist Schoeller Technologies were recently nominated for the 2011 German Design Prize for their co-developed coldblack technology. The winner will be announced at the end of the year.
The textile finishing technology is used to produce clothing that keeps the wearer cooler in sunny conditions is in line for one of Europe’s top design prizes and recently won the Swiss Design Prize and Popular Science’s Best of What’s New Award in the USA.
“The technology has caused a furore,” says Clariant’s Matthias Kuhnert, marketing manager apparel and interior textile chemicals. “Coldblack is an almost invisible but enormously advantageous piece of design work that has far-reaching practical relevance in clothing for sports, workwear and other areas where it is critical for people to keep comfortable in hot conditions.”
The technology reflects heat rays and absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation for any kind of colour but is particularly effective when used in dark fabrics. It is being used increasingly often for running, cycling, golf, tennis, baseball and motorcycling apparel.
Hans Kohn from Schoeller says: “It is an almost seamless extension to the Swiss equivalent, which we won in November 2009. However, as a Swiss company we did not anticipate this nomination.”
