North Carolina State University students modeled their apparel made from nonwoven fabrics during industry technical event .

CARY, N.C. — October 10, 2005 — A wedding party walking down the center aisle – all dressed in gowns made from nonwoven fabrics – served as the grand finale of an entertaining Fashion Show presented by college students during the International Nonwovens Technical Conference (INTC) last month in St. Louis.

In this first-of-its-kind event, 10 students working towards a Textile and Apparel Management degree at North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles modeled apparel they 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 begun during the fall of 2004. Students designed the garments, made patterns, fitted prototypes and constructed the final apparel. These garments were shown in two fashion shows last spring and are currently on display at the College of Textiles.

The Fashion Show was certainly the entertainment highlight of INTC, which is organized annually and is co-sponsored by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and TAPPI, Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. INTC was held in St. Louis from September 19-22.

The apparel shown on the stage at the Millennium Hotel ranged from casual wear with a fashion flair to functional work wear to the elegant bridesmaids’ and brides’ gowns.

INDA President Rory Holmes praised the students and their advisors for their effort in organizing the Fashion Show and their creativity in utilizing 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. “This was certainly a unique event at INTC and I think it showed the technical and marketing people in attendance the true potential of the products they develop and sell.

“I commend and applaud the North Carolina State students and their advisor, Dr. Cindy Istook, who worked on this project and who brought a little bit of fashion to the world of nonwovens and technical textiles at INTC this year,” Holmes added.