In the latest issue of ARCHITECT, Blaine Brownell expounds on Suzanne Tick’s mission to develop eco-minded fabrics “with the potential to transform the textile industry.”
L-R: Tilt Shift Redux, Intraweb and Ecotone.
Textiles are ubiquitous in the designed environment, and demand for new fabrics continues to grow. The global textile market is estimated to be worth more than $1.6 trillion and is predicted to increase 7.6% annually until 2030. Unfortunately, this growth has resulted in burgeoning material waste streams. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 17 million tons—or 112 pounds per person—of textiles are disposed of yearly. Fewer than 20% of fabrics are collected at the end of their useful lives for reuse or recycling.
Suzanne Tick is on a crusade to transform this bleak reality. The award-winning, New York–based contract textile designer and weaver is reshaping textiles into cradle-to-cradle materials that are as innovative environmentally as they are in function and aesthetics. After serving as creative director for KnollTextiles for more than a decade, Tick transitioned into the same role at Luum Textiles in 2013, with a fundamental focus on sustainability. She has since developed technical fabrics that represent new achievements in material environmental performance—with the potential to transform the textile industry.