We associate fashion with joy and vanity. Why not? Our most valuable contribution to the fashion industry is possibly being able to dance all night long without getting sore feet.

For shoes to be durable, while also being soft and pliable, the leather is glued using different types of adhesive in different places. Perstorp’s high-quality caprolactones are used, for example, in a shoe’s toe and heel to strengthen it without making it too hard. But Perstorp’s sodium formate is also used to tan leather used in the clothing industry.

New innovative textiles
It’s possibly mostly in the field of synthetic materials that chemistry has made its biggest contribution. Nylon stockings were introduced back in the 1930s as a replacement for silk and since then synthetic materials have developed considerably. We often see a mix of synthetic and natural fibers to make the garment more durable, enable it to hold its shape and make it more elastic. But fleece, for example, is made of 100 per cent polyester, sometimes recycled plastic bottles, which are actually made using Perstorp’s PIA (Purified Isophthalic Acid).

Bea Szenfeld performs magic with PVC
Recycling is also an important concept for Swedish designer Bea Szenfeld who likes working with different materials. Before a plastics trade fair she was commissioned to creatively demonstrate how to use PVC. The basic element was plasticized fabrics from the winter Olympics in Turin, but besides that she used material usually used for conference folders, PVC strips usually woven to make rugs and waste material that she found under the machinery. She then just needed a scalpel, glue gun and heat lamp to create three fantastic dresses with matching shoes. 

Some examples:
Capa™ caprolactones for shoes
Sodium formate for tanning leather