SUPPLIER S HOWCA SE
n 1977 The New York Times
published a 1,500-word article
documenting the extraordinary
demand for – and resulting shortage of –
Ultrasuede, a fabric now common in
aircraft interiors, as well as scores of
other commercial products. The New York
Times called Ultrasuede the Rolls Royce
of fabrics. In addition to being luxurious,
Ultrasuede offered resistance to creasing
and stains and something real suede
definitely did not: it is washable.
Ultrasuede by Toray was popularised
in the early 1970s by the Halston design
house and its famous shirtwaist dress.
It didn’t hurt that Halston counted among
its clients such celebrities as Elizabeth
Taylor, Jacqueline Onassis and Liza
Minelli. Demand for Ultrasuede had
designers begging distributors for more
of the cloth, according to the article.
FASHION FORWARD
In 1980, Tapis reformulated Ultrasuede
to make it compliant with strict FAA
flammability standards and shortly
thereafter introduced it to the
aircraft industry. “The same
qualities that made it
attractive to the fashion
industry made it perfect
businessjetinteriorsinternational.com
052 JANUARY 2020
A textile innovation from 50 years ago is the basis for new
fabrics that are even now pushing the limits for performance,
comfort and design in the business jet industry
I
SOFT POWER
As well as stain
resistance, Ultraleather
Pro offers inherent
EPA-registered
antimicrobial
protection
/businessjetinteriorsinternational.com