SYNTHETIC LEATHER, TEXTILES, CRUNCH TIME.

A beautiful day in Portland again. Partly cloudy and a high of 81º.

"Nike Hyperfuse changed the entire industry of athletic footwear." – Greg Diharce of Matmarket.

Today was the second of three Color and Materials days. Right away in the morning we started with a lecture on synthetic leather. The advantages of synthetic leather over full-grain leather include: lightweight, improved binding, controlled elongation, increased abrasion, consistency, clean stitching, and a stable supply. We also learned all about how synthetic leather is made, the different types (microfiber, non-woven), and it's finish capabilities. In all, the lecture was 3 hours long and included several stories from Mrs. Suzette's lengthy career.

Checking out some natural stingray leather.

After lunch, we had a guest presentation from Greg Diharce of Matmarket, a partner of Tiong Liong Co., a global leader in the textile industry. Greg showed us many samples of the products his company has worked on over the years. One of the materials he is excited about is engineered woven textiles (below). Getting my hands on the materials made me imagine the amazing things wovens can do.