In any case, polypropylene is not the only case of plastic-turned-miracle; a relatively recent piece of German textile study, Aachen Technology Overview of 3D Textile Materials and Recent Innovation and Applications, highlights the ongoing research in the interests of 3D weaving and knitting of fabric, that is to say, and stick with me here, the composite manifestation of the z-axis, polymer-construct through advanced machinery. I imagine you would have to just think of 3D fabric and its process as a crepe cake, or at least the baking procedure of a crepe cake. It has layers, like any standard cloth does, but what thinly separates it from ‘2D’ fabric is the reiterated concept of yarn architecture, and that having more than 3 yarn architecture for its design is what earns it the label of being 3D. ‘Yarn architecture’ is just a formal way of consolidating the details of geometric principles in the fabric’s design, and it is quite different when printed out and held in hands, resembling sponge closely more than what you would traditionally catalogue as fabric. And while the technology remains largely in development and experimentation, 3D fabric does have multiple benefits: reduced material consumption, less production steps involved, and lower production costs as it depends on automation more than laborious transference with naturally weaved fabrics such as wool and cotton would.

Ultimately, the development of 3D fabrics, which has potential rivalling the synthesis of polymers into polypropylene, promises a robust and diverse application in furniture and subsequently upholstery in the near future despite their rarity at the present moment. The innovation of the very structure of the fabric itself is important and is what maintains and improves the standards of safe, comfortable, and modern living. Synthetic fabrics carry this responsibility far and wide when their desirable properties such as being flame retardant, found especially in specific polymers, are discovered to have these advantages ascribed purely due to their chemical and molecular nature. It is how we make furniture softer, stronger, one study at a time.   

In addition to cross-hatching materials to optimise high quality and ‘-proof’ upholstery fabrics, sustainability is another factor which many fabric companies are also dedicated to, and Acacia is no exception. This means gradually reducing synthetic materials that contribute as pollutants in the environment, or recycling them into a secondary yet reusable form, with one example being recycled polypropylene. Fabrics such as this are known as eco-fabrics, and how sustainable or eco-friendly is contingent on the process and ingredients involved in their manufacturing. This includes the way the fabrics are dyed, and the upholstery fabrics in our collections are solution dyed, which is a method of locking colours into the yarn fibre before it’s spun into a tangible article of fabric. 60% less water used and reduced carbon dioxide emission, solution dyeing is more sustainable as a result. From other fabric producers, we see as well the use of bouclé yarn, and articles coming out that even 3D fabrics can be considered sustainable. 

Sustainable fabrics are the quickly improving reinventions of this industry, so reupholstering your furniture with them is sure to lend a clean, refreshing outlook in your living spaces. With this, we may now proceed to the anticipated section of upholstery pattern and design trends.