The first ever International Nonwovens Technical Conference (INTC) was held in St. Louis in September, at which 10 students working towards a Textile and Apparel Management degree at North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles modelled apparel designed and made using currently available nonwoven fabrics from Freudenberg, DuPont, and PGI.

We wanted to show the industry that one day nonwovens could have a place in the fashion apparel market,” explained Kate Dutton, one of the three graduate students participating in the project.

The Fashion Show was the culmination of a collaborative research project between North Carolina State’s College of Textiles and the Freudenberg Nonwovens Group which began in autumn 2004.

INDA President Rory Holmes praised the students and their advisors for their effort in organising the fashion show and their creativity in utilising nonwoven fabrics in apparel design. This event goes to show that creativity is alive and well in our country’s schools and that the future of the nonwovens industry is in good hands,” Holmes said.