Whatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s the next wave of sustainable fashion? The answer is soy-based textile. To spur innovation in that space, U.S. Soy announces Clara Padgham from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the national winner of the NEXTILE: The Soy in Textile Design Challenge. In its second year, the NEXTILE competition is designed to highlight the creativity and originality of students studying design by encouraging the use of sustainable textiles, namely soy-based products.
This yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s competitors were provided with a soy-based product design kit, which included soy silk, soy cashmere, organic pigment, soy wax and other soy products. Participants then had three weeks to submit a textile that could be used in fashion, furniture, décor or another outlined area for consideration.
Judges included representatives from design and textile industries, U.S. soybean farmers and Qualified State Soybean Boards. They based their decision on several key areas, including originality, innovation, practicality and execution.
Padghamòòò½ÊÓƵ™s winning design is a soy-woven textile bucket hat, which utilizes a number of soy-based components, including soy silk yarn. As the competition winner, Padgham will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
òòò½ÊÓƵœConsumers value sustainability òòò½ÊÓƵ“ they want to know their money is going to a purchase that is both eco-friendly and can last,òòò½ÊÓƵ said Padgham. òòò½ÊÓƵœThe benefits of soy lend themselves very well to the summer hat I designed. It is a breathable textile, with moisture wicking abilities and low heat retention. Further, soy yarn is durable, creating a long-lasting product.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Students from 21 universities, colleges and institutes participated in this yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s competition. Brooke Cowan from Washington University-St. Louis was selected as this yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s runner-up. Cowan will receive a $500 scholarship for their Bio-vera clutch with accents.
U.S. Soy has long been a critical ingredient for product innovation, going all the way back to Henry Ford, who used soy-based paints, textile materials and plastics for automobile design. Soy is used in every industry. Farmers can find their products in the streets they drive on, the shoes they wear and the biofuels for their vehicles. The possibilities are endless. There are more than 1,000 soy-based products currently on the market òòò½ÊÓƵ“ from tires and firefighting foam to fabrics and turf. You name an industry, and U.S. Soy is almost always an essential component.
U.S. soybean farmers and industry partners consistently push the limits of innovation to discover and deliver solutions to the most significant challenges the world faces, such as food security and climate change. NEXTILE was created to put sustainable soy materials into the hands of the brightest young minds in design to create the next generation of eco-friendly and biobased textile solutions. Visit for more information.
Commented