Textile Surface Design: Reliable Fabrics for Emerging Designers
The Challenge
Graduate student and designer Kavya Mruthyunjaya Swamy needed reliable cotton and rayon fabrics to support her doctoral research on natural dyeing and textile printing at the University of Georgia. Preparing for her presentation at the 2024 AATCC Delaware Valley Evening of Color, she required consistent, high-performing fabrics that could handle both surface design and garment construction while accurately showcasing her natural dye research.
Our Solution
Testfabrics supplied cotton broadcloth Styles 419, 435, 428, and viscose rayon Style 266. These versatile fabrics allowed Kavya to print, construct garments, and experiment with designs, providing dependable results for her creative and thesis projects.
The Impact
Kavya successfully showcased her garments at the 2024 show, confidently using our fabrics for both printing and clothing. The materials performed reliably, supporting her radiant, high-energy designs and helping her realize her
creative vision.
The Testfabric Approach
Testfabrics, collaboration with emerging PhD researchers and academic innovators like Kavya is central to our mission of advancing textile innovation and sustainability. For this project, our team worked closely with her to identify fabrics that mirrored her desired texture, weight, and absorbency while maintaining consistency across natural dye trials. Drawing on decades of textile testing expertise, we ensured each fabric met rigorous standards for lightfastness, fiber reactivity, and lab-to-production scalability.
Beyond material supply, we view these partnerships as part of a broader ecosystem, linking academic research, sustainable manufacturing, and the next generation of designers. Supporting Kavya’s work exemplifies how Testfabrics serves as a bridge between scientific inquiry and creative application, helping transform research concepts into tangible, inspiring results.
