SUPPLIER S HOWCA SE
MAIN: ULTRASUEDE NU
BOTTOM LEFT: THE ULTRATECH
COLLECTION, WHICH HAS A
MATTE FINISH
RIGHT: ULTRASUEDE
IN SANDSTONE
BELOW: THE HALSTON DRESS,
A 1970S DESIGN USING
ULTRASUEDE BY TORAY
product with a polyurethane finish
designed to make it easy to wipe clean
while providing a luxurious look and feel.
“These qualities make Ultrasusede Nu
a great option for seating, or really any
application in the business jet interior
market,” contends Estes.
ENGINEERING BREAKTHROUGH
Ultrasuede continues to be in high
demand, but Estes believes its real legacy
is that it launched the age of engineered
materials for the business jet industry.
“In the years since the introduction of
Ultrasuede we have seen the emergence
of a new range of high-performance,
luxury fabrics that demonstrate how
technology and innovation are achieving
new levels of comfort, durability,
businessjetinteriorsinternational.com
JANUARY 2020 053
Trend Talk
“In the future, significant breakthroughs in fabric
technology will combine the functions of different layers
of the lamination, achieving fire-retardance standards while
decreasing weight. Look for a major announcement in this
area in the coming year. Another major step forward will
be new responsibly engineered fabrics that use the latest
generation of plant-based polyester created from
by-products and thus reducing the carbon footprint.”
Jason Estes, vice president of global sales
and marketing at Tapis
for aircraft interior applications including
headliners and upper sidewalls,” says
Jason Estes, vice president of global sales
and marketing at Tapis.
As well as being soft to the touch and
durable, Estes says Ultrasuede has the
added attraction of being environmentally
sustainable. “Ultrasuede has successfully
developed one of the world’s first
non-woven microfibre suedes made of
partially plant-based polyester,” he says.
“The use of plant-based polyester can
reduce oil usage by 0.47 l/m2. The
ultimate goal for the future is to use
100% plant-based polyester in the
manufacture of Ultrasuede.”
Since its launch, Ultrasuede has
continuously evolved. One of the newest
innovations is Ultrasuede Nu, a hybrid
LESLEY FROWICK
/businessjetinteriorsinternational.com