Material Wise

Material Wise is your podcast on material matters hosted by Nancy Fendler, principal of Fendler PR, a communications firm specializing in materials and ingredient marketing. Driven by her deep curiosity, Nancy sets out to speak with designers, product developers and guests in the outdoor, fashion, home furnishings and other industries about what inspires and influences them to create, why and how they select the materials they choose and the relationships they’ve built with their customers and industry.

Episode 19: Katie Elks and JD Davis 07/15/2021

Episode 19: Katie Elks and JD Davis Brooklinen is the most popular sheet brand on the internet and has received over 80,000 five star consumer reviews for its products. Katie Elks, Director of Design & Product Development, and JD Davis Production, Procurement & Quality Manager of the multi-award-winning luxury bedding & bath brand, share with us why the brand has become so popular. We discuss the company’s dedication to quality, responsible manufacturing and transparency – and what consumer trends have shifted during the pandemic. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/19796171

Episode 18: Dr. Andrew Dent with Material ConneXion 04/20/2021

Episode 18: Dr. Andrew Dent with Material ConneXion Dr. Andrew Dent is the executive vice president research at Material ConneXion, a world -class library known for its innovative problem solving and thought-leadership by influential brands across every industry. Dr. Dent shares how became interested in material science, his fondness for the human interaction side of materials, and how this combination led him to his post at Material ConneXion. We also talk about what sustainability means to him, his passion for waste and the future of material development. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/18664124

Episode 17: Ruth Kelly of SSACHS 10/21/2020

Episode 17: Ruth Kelly of SSACHS Ruth is the head of materials and materials editor of SSACHS, a design agency for performance and active lifestyle apparel. We discuss her journey of leaving corporate life to join SSACHS with her partners. Ruth also shares insights as to how she approaches material development, what makes a good material partner, how the pandemic has influenced design trends and sustainability, along with the necessary digital marketing tools that are needed to help connect suppliers, mills, and brands. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/16483718

Episode 16: Wayne Fan of Frontier 10/21/2020

Episode 16: Wayne Fan of Frontier Wayne Fan is the chief strategy officer of Frontier, a textile collaboration program that is built upon three pillars: digitalization, search capability and collaboration. Wayne shares how Frontier and other digital tools help bring fabrics to life while also building community between suppliers and brands with respect to fabric samples, inventory, price quotes, and more. He also gives us a glimpse into a few lessons he's learned from the pandemic. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/15828638

Episode 15: Best of 2019 01/22/2020

Episode 15: Best of 2019 Happy New Year! While in production with our new 2020 line-up of episodes, we wanted to share some highlights of my conversations with last year’s smart and talented guests whom I was honored to have spent time with. We discovered that sustainability is still a huge topic. While it means many things to different people, sustainability is no longer a trend, but a business approach that’s here to stay. We also learned how collaboration throughout the entire supply chain lifts individual businesses and the industry as a whole. We catch a glimpse into the future with digital manufacturing, robotic tailoring and smart textiles. The thread that ties my guests together, is that they all believe it is an exciting time to be involved with materials. I hope you enjoy! /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/12832331

Episode 14: James Morin of Flowfold 11/29/2019

Episode 14: James Morin of Flowfold James Morin, COO and president of sales for Flowfold – a brand of minimalist gear made with some of the strongest and lightest of weight materials – gives us insight on how he’s helped build a small Maine-based company into an international brand. In this episode of Material Wise, James shares how he and his team have formed collaborative partnerships with suppliers, retailers, ambassadors, and non-profits to make Flowfold the thriving company it is today. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/12218609

Episode 13: Gihan Amarasiriwardena 10/31/2019

Episode 13: Gihan Amarasiriwardena Gihan Amarasiriwardena is the co-founder/president of Boston-based Ministry of Supply, a modern brand of performance professional apparel. Gihan shares how he and co-founder/CEO, Aman Advani, shared a desire to create professional apparel that had the same performance benefits as their favorite athletic pieces. We learn how the brand got its start, the significance of its name and the role materials, attention to design and fit play into each and every piece to make the apparel scientifically better. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/11853629

Episode 12: Elizabeth Whelan 09/10/2019

Episode 12: Elizabeth Whelan Textile designer, Elizabeth Whalen’s materials can be found in work environments and on athletes all over the world. She creates textiles for brands like Humanscale, Nike, Tumi and more. Elizabeth voices her views on her personal design philosophy, stance on sustainability - really good design is sustainable - and the need for design inclusivity in technological development. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/11189561

Episode 11: Louisa Smith 06/19/2019

Episode 11: Louisa Smith With over 24 years of international experience in the global fashion and textile industry, Louisa combines her creative know-how with market and product development intelligence to ensure an accurate forecast. She shares how her intuition, curiosity, vision, and research led her to where she is today. Louisa gives us insight as to how she anticipates consumer needs up to 3 years in advance. She also shares her views on sustainability (be smart), top trend-inspiring cities, and how she stays relevant. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/10209671

Episode 10: Emily Walzer of Textile Insight 04/01/2019

Episode 10: Emily Walzer of Textile Insight Emily Walzer is a savvy journalist who's had direct access to active sports/lifestyle brand VPs since the '80s. Today, she’s the editor/co-publisher of Textile Insight, a trade publication that focuses on textile design, innovation, and its product applications. Emily discusses her publishing career, recent trade shows, textile trends and concern over sustainability and social responsibility. Emily also reveals how she fuels her creativity, which finds its way into inspiring us with her informative storie /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/9222215

Episode 09: Jay Adams of Brass Clothing 03/06/2019

Episode 09: Jay Adams of Brass Clothing Jay Adams is co-founder of Brass Clothing, a curated collection of women’s foundation pieces designed with impeccable style, fit and easy-to-care-for materials. Jay launched Brass with partner, Katie Demo, in 2014 after both being fed up with fast fashion, and closets full of crap. Jay says Brass looks at a woman’s entire life, and how her wardrobe interacts with It, before designing pieces that simplify her wardrobe - so she can focus on things that really matter to her. www.brassclothing.com. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/8899331

Episode 08: Best of 2018 02/15/2019

Episode 08: Best of 2018 While in production with our 2019 episodes, we wanted to recap our conversations with last year’s guests and share some highlights. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/8648744

Episode 07: Myranda Caputo 11/15/2018

Episode 07: Myranda Caputo With over 20 years of technical pattern making experience, Myranda Caputo knows a bit about how a garment should fit. Myranda founded Bespoke Branded Fit finding realizing more brands are focusing on customized fit standards tailored to their customers. In this episode, Myranda explains how function, aesthetic and materials are key factors when it comes to fit. She also shares how brands are helping consumers purchase the right size online via interactive fit charts and 3D body scans. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/7548845

Episode 06: Justin Seale 10/18/2018

Episode 06: Justin Seale In 2014, Justin Seale, backed with his 20 plus years of design industry experience, founded ArchiTec – a streamlined collection of men’s adventure apparel based on sustainable materials and inspirational places designed and built in California. Justin talks about how each collection leads with a particular textile and location in mind to create an experience around a product. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/7226279

Episode 05: Rob Naughter 09/24/2018

Episode 05: Rob Naughter Material development pioneer, Rob Naughter, has brought several notable sustainable/traceable material developments to Patagonia over the years – Patagonia's 100% Traceable Down Standard and the recent launch of its down-like PlumaFill. Given that Patagonia fails nearly all materials tested in its labs, we talk about Patagonia’s increased bandwidth on material development, what makes a good material partner and the evolution of the Patagonia customer. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/7082321

Introduction 06/20/2018

Introduction Driven by her deep curiosity, Nancy sets out to speak with designers, product developers and guests in the outdoor, fashion, home furnishings and other industries about what inspires and influences them to create, why and how they select the materials they choose and the relationships they’ve built with their customers and industry. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/6600180

Episode 04: Nick Armentrout 06/20/2018

Episode 04: Nick Armentrout Nick Armentrout is the supply chain manager of Ramblers Way, a high-quality, sustainable apparel brand founded by Tom and Kate Chappell, founders of the infamous Tom’s of Maine toothpaste and other all-natural products. Nick shares how his background in animal science led him to find and establish relationships Rambouillet sheep, the knitters, dyers and manufactures that all go into the crafting of Ramblers Way apparel. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/6680325

Episode 03: Miles Spadone 06/20/2018

Episode 03: Miles Spadone Miles and Molly Spadone are the brother/sister duo of Spadone Home, an evocative handmade collection of Art Deco influenced terrazzo vessels and Brutalist style concrete planters and bookends. Offspring of artistic parents, Miles shares how he and his sister created Spadone Home, what it’s like working with a sibling, and the never-ending quest to find unique materials and methods to create their distinctive designs. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/6680304

Episode 02: Erin Bornstein 06/20/2018

Episode 02: Erin Bornstein Footwear designer, Erin Bornstein shares how she created the rare opportunity to have full control of the design vision without direct input of other product managers or merchandisers, for a new women’s Timberland collection available at retail this fall. Erin says her new footwear collection has a kick-*** attitude, just like the woman she’s designing it for. Erin also talks about Timberland’s stand on sourcing sustainable materials and commitment to social initiatives. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/6680293

Episode 01: Jill McGowan 06/20/2018

Episode 01: Jill McGowan While working as a pattern maker at the Hathaway shirt company – a famed menswear manufacturer, Jill McGowan discovered that there was a big gap between the way men’s and women’s apparel of equal value was made. In 1994, Jill set out to improve the standard of women’s clothing and launched a signature line of shirts under the Jill McGowan brand. Today, Jill McGowan products can be found in over 300 specialty shops across the country, its flagship store in Freeport, ME and on its ecommerce site. /episode/index/show/materialwise/id/6600518

Material Wise

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