LYRA MAG.

Part One: A destination 'experience' for design professionals...the Decorator & Design Building Spring Market 2019 - day long celebration of American and British "Vanguards & Visionaries"   was more than a how to succeed as an interior designer primer. Packed with INFORMATION courtesy of knowledgeable media editor- led roundtables on career high ( low) points, usable timely advice served up by a stellar lineup of industry panelists, showroom open houses with enviable merchandise displays--- plus book signings and cocktail soirées... the day's hours flew by....keeping building elevator banks  very busy. The thematic underpinnings= a metaphoric road map on career building and successful business practises-relevant tips for both emerging and seasoned interior designers - shined through in the three  keynote sessions: Inspiring Designers: An In-Depth Look At Their Obstacles and Rewards  with Bravo TV's Best Room Wins judges and industry luminarie...

The wearing kind... PART 2-Design Trends The Blondes weren't the only high drama rock and roll fantasy attire on the runways this NY February F/W '19... From Turkey-a bunch of designers highlighted the country's textile industry and modern fashion style...in particular the metal loaded catwalk pieces in the HAKAN AKKAYA F/W 19 collection inspired by androgynous attire of Glam Rockers circa  1970's/1980's.

Part 3 Some folks  relish the process ----the time needed to laboriously create/fabricate a something (or experience) by hand, by slow multi-steps. And understand the value-and obtain great satisfaction-from the end result. Others might need a nudge "...to spend a little money..." as recounted by Brian Sawyer ( Sawyer/Berson ) in the enviable image driven showroom presentation, Custom Luxuries - during the D&D Building 's Fall Market 2018 open house. For others who are short on time (or patience) -stunning one of a kind or limited edition possibilities exist ready to buy/deliver at well edited establishments such as Benoist Drut's Maison Gerard  -in which to "build a room around." Perhaps the most audience excitement was for the exhibitor showroom itself- where the event took place, DEDAR Milano . You'd think they were giving away Halloween candy (or authentic espresso shots)...the audience at the Dendar Showroom hosted presentation Cus...

Athlete Essential: Part 2 via GIPHY source www.jakematthew.com Thermoregulation textiles  proven to lower surface temps of active wearer's skin -has been around a few years....and one of the best fabric suppliers, chemical free-patented CoolCore (and its technology)-  smartly shows off  its new M/W tops/bottoms for those on the go. Proprietary construction-manages+distributes body heat - excels moisture wicking and evaporation...CoolCore built into fibers-won't wash out and maintains performance level... sweat activated surface temp can be lowered up to 30%!!! Available June 1 our fav piece-racer back tank top-with side/back sweat zones WHAT ELSE: Dr. Cool Ice and Compression Wraps  (using CoolCore) designed to incorporate the aforementioned healing attributes-wet, or freeze them---then wrap around dry skin-in sizes S,M,L

GORE-TEX®, LYCRA® Organic Cotton-Recycled Plastic, OrthoLite, Polygiene Favored apparel labels of  Millennials -includes hybrid athlete- athleisure brands...which imo...implies a casual lifestyle AND clued in consumers -reading the info mandated on labels...like listing country of origin (manufacturing), garment care, fiber content and other finishings/treatments. Just like reading the ingredients label on foods/liquids...savvy customers demand transparency. Hangtags that hang with those of the maker- usually adds to a garment's caché...and  helps explain the prices commanded by premium products-in apparel and footwear. Some of the most common that we see... Gore-Tex ® was the first lightweight waterproof/breathable membrane addition to our winter wardrobe ...back in the 80s. Their GTX appearance on hiking and winter boots=game changer. via GIPHY source imgur.com Today there are many Gore-Tex fabrics with varying degrees of windproof/waterproof/breathable-from pro...

DARE 2B, SKEA, SNOWMAN New York, ALPHA INDUSTRIES Winter worthy outerwear- assuming it might get cold --- has sleeker silhouettes this season -courtesy of warmth without the bulk functional 'smart' fabrics / insulation that keep wearers dry in all sorts of weather-and heartbeat rates... moving out moisture from output activities ( Primaloft Gold/Silver/Black, Polartec's Alpha , 3M's Thinsulate)-keeping wearers from chattering teeth when still, encased in stretchy easy to move in textiles embedded with wind/water stopping tech  that breathes (slew of Gore-Tex® technologies , Pertex Quantum + Shield)- to name just a few name brand textiles. via GIPHY source comedycentral.com AND although harsh conditions/extreme destinations require the utmost tech wear to survive...most other jaunts-whether to resort mountains or city bars...can be served by multi-tasking-fashion-y-stylish pieces-that are  versatile- durable-and protective enough. we've reviewed several...

X-Static®, XT2® SILVADUR INTELLIFRESH™, COOLCORE™, ColdPruf®,  Terramar® We do enough sweat inducing long distance triathlons-to have pure sympathy for those volunteers at water stations-and at the finish line-who get tasked with the possibly odorous job of unstrapping those timing chips. Mercifully-even if our sunscreen/deodorant wilts before before we do-at least our outfits are more or less aroma free and slightly cooler...courtesy of what is now standard for athletic wear-some kind of anti-odor/microbial woven in-or bathed in treatment-and increasingly-more rapidly evaporating fabrics with cooling sensations. Some Highlights:  When we see pricey outerwear pieces not made from naturally smell depressing materials such as merino wool...we are shocked that readily available offerings from companies such as Noble Biomaterial or Silvadur... aren't in the mix. And that includes fashion apparel too. We wrote up  NOBLE BIOMATERIAL S'  Circuitex™  last ...

Part 3 SLC/NYC Athletes are benefitting from the surge in types of high performance textiles/fabrics...so much so it seems like items bought just 3 years ago just  seem so ...Windows XP ish. From Primaloft-the first synthetic insulation we ever wore-comes a microfiber engineered with breathable warmth technology and multi-directional stretch- aimed at the high-output active types... PRIMALOFT GOLD INSULATION ACTIVE ...year round wearable-depending how apparel makers use it...as a light liner material-mid-layers for day training- to breathable stretch shell materials-like LL Bean's Mountain Hoodie Pro hooded fleece jacket, pictured below. No surprise-adopted by many labels, ALREADY! handsome and functional-available now-LL Bean Mountain Pro Zip Hoodie ( men's ) features 60 grams Primaloff Active Gold insulation in front, back, and  hood for warmth, range of motion and breathability-side panels and sleeves are uninsulated to vent excess heat, elastic pull cord at hem......

SLC/NYC Unless one lives in a self-contained bubble, thinks like one -or maybe-is running for public office, there's no denying climate change. It's why it is SOP that tech materials' trick out performance -outdoor footwear and apparel for wearers' comfort in all kinds of weather...multi-tasking for Spring like Decembers and winter like Springs. There are many textile companies with measurable thermo-regulating products-aimed at keeping wearers cooler -or warmer-by getting rid of the wet/sweat-helping to maintain real comfort when active or at rest. FYI: The ideal body temp of 37.5Cº happens to be the descriptive name of a Colorado based company-who has a patented tech that works to - enhance fabrics by capturing and releasing moisture vapors away from  fabrics-via active particles permanently embedded in the yarn captures heat from the body's infrared energy to speed evaporation, cool itself...and dry faster too.

AKA the reason why it $s so much for some apparel/footwear Part 1 Convex Vest -Voormi   Tis the season for 2016 F/W apparel  deliveries...and consumers are carefully counting their pennies when it comes to clothing buys. With performance/athletic wear- outdoor urban types-with limited time for adventures and closet space...are demanding more that just style/fitted 'stuff.'  PLUS- the more rugged and risky outdoor pastime, the more the garment components need to perform-including versatile textile features and superior manufacturing quality...with meaningful warranties.  When one's life is on the line- trekking a summit, snowboarding backcountry-or 'just' strolling around town- multi-tasking apparel-made with performance-more eco/sustainably made fabrics/wools/synthetics- are the norm...including many of  the musts- breathability, moisture wicking, warm when wet,  four way stretch, anti-odor...easy clean. SOME HIGHLIGHTS: S...

 SCHOELLER®, PRIMALOFT®, GORE-TEX-C KNIT™ Backer Technology SLC/OR Design tweaks are smart updates to performance wear----even the retro look finds favor- but it's the new school tricked out fabrics and textile treatments that offer lighter, more comfy, easier care and more efficient climate management - rendering garment/gears from a few years back---JUST so old. HIGHLIGHTS: Schoeller -a Euro company has always embraced the greener way to offer cutting edge functionalities ---notably in its water repelling/mud-breathable ECOREPEL® finish that's fluorocarbon free, wash permanent (not true of some competitors, fyi---esp. after laundering), and highly resistant to abrasion-that apparel pieces for active types- get subjected to. Bluesign® certified schoeller naturetec -moisture efficient-heat retention in wool tweed print…uses muesling-free merino wool New---thought these featherweight-silky feeling wool blends+textiles with Schoeller techy treatments---availab...

SLC/OR DURABLE "CHAMBRAY" +CORDURA®-Naurelle™ HELPS Power Reebok CrossFit 2015 Spending lots of time in  our native city---that is also considered one of the world's sophisticated fashion capitals---we always felt that urban outdoors-fashion function phenom was never a new concept ever - just an ignored one . Like the map showing who voted for Obama in the 2012 election---tiny bits of blue and large swaths of red…BUT surprise (okay maybe only to some pollsters) -it's where most people live-in those tiny bits. Wikipedia Source Why not attire them? After all it takes going outside to get to all that mass transit---something most city dwellers here do-let alone being outdoors- pursuing athletic and leisure endeavors ---or going somewhere else to experience the open skies. Outdoors stuff sells differently-versus clothes for strictly fashionable needs…those fabric hangtags are demanded-and seal the deal for apparel- for the former-while for stylish ende...