#Associations

2021-06-17

Winners Announcement - 2021 Pitch it to Win it Student Competition

The Herman and Myrtle Goldstein Undergraduate Student Competition is intended to highlight projects conducted by students from all areas of the textile/apparel supply chain. Projects submitted may include academic research, technology and/or process investigations, and literature reviews. This competition is designed to enhance the textile education experience for student members of AATCC. The intent is to encourage independent student projects both within the USA and internationally.

AATCC is happy to announce the winners of the 2021 Pitch It to Win It Student Competition:

https://www.aatcc.org/students/competitions/pitchit/

First Place (US$1000)

Sophia Luu

Project: Optimizing 3D Fashion Design Software for Physically Disabled Populations

Major: Apparel, Merchandising, and Design: Creative and Technical Design

School: Iowa State University

Luu says “The Pitch It to Win It competition has helped me learn how to communicate very discipline-specific research endeavors into accessible presentations that anyone can understand and glean significance from. Additionally, this competition has further broadened my understanding of 3D fashion CAD systems and aspects that can be improved for inclusive apparel design purposes.”

Phase I Video Submission:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lChrYN8nb_s

Phase II Written Submission:

http://www.aatcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Optimizing-3D-Fashion-CAD-Software_Pitch-It-2021.pdf

Second Place (US$600)

Jessica Trippiedi

Project: Huubi

School: Fashion Institute of Technology

Major: Textile Development & Marketing

Trippiedi says, “Participating in the AATCC Pitch It to Win It competition gave me the freedom to ignite my passions and challenged me to explore the limits of endless possibilities.”

Phase I Video Submission:

https://youtu.be/ErRDLLRfwtY

Phase II Written Submission:

http://www.aatcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Huubi.pdf

Third Place (US$400)

Brooke McKee

Project: BooRay Clo.

School: University of Missouri

Major: Fashion Merchandising & Apparel Product Development

McKee says, “This competition taught me to be thorough in my work and to always back up my claims. As the process went on, I learned more and more about sustainability, humbling me on the amount of information I thought I already knew.”

Phase I Video Submission:

https://youtu.be/GmJHmJ5R0Ns

Phase II Written Submission:

http://www.aatcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/BooRay.pdf

Thank you to the following developers and judges!

Without their expertise and assistance, the Competition would not have been possible.

• Kanti Jasani, Performance & Technical Textile Consulting

• Kerry King, Vice President, R&D at Spoonflower Inc

• Janet Brady, Associate Professor Materials Technology, Thomas Jefferson University

• Martha Carper, Retired, University of Delaware & DuPont

• Nelson Houser, AATCC Board of Directors member

• Roland Connelly, RoLyn Group Color Consultants

• Ashley Handley, Senior Technical Services Specialist at UL Retail and Industry

• Alissa Baier-Lentz, Co-Founder and COO at Kintra Fibers

AATCC announces 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition winners

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) recognized the winners of the 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition. Founded in 1982 to give student members the chance to conduct and present original research, the competition was renamed in 1994 in honor of Herman and Myrtle Goldstein, following their US$60,000 endowment. Their gift is a lasting remembrance of their dedication to young people in the textile industry.

New funding available for textile research

The AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grant Program provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing textile-related projects. Students may submit proposals now for funding to be awarded January 2026. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be considered.

Textile machinery: the upcoming Colombiatex 2026 speaks Italian

Numerous Italian textile machinery companies will be attending the upcoming Colombiatex, the premier trade fair for the Colombian textile supply chain, held in Medellin from January 27 to 29, 2026. This year’s edition further confirms the strong bond between local textile manufacturers and Italian technology providers.

Waste2Fashion: FTTH Committed to advancing Circular Fashion in the Mediterranean

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SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

B.I.G. Yarns achieves EcoVadis Platinum Rating, ranking among top 1% of companies worldwide

B.I.G. Yarns, the carpet yarn brand of B.I.G. and a leading manufacturer of polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PET) yarns for contract, automotive, and high-end residential applications, has been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal, placing the company among the top 1% of more than 130.000 companies assessed globally.

Mimaki upgrades TS330 series for vibrant and seamless dye sublimation printing

The TS330 Series now provides users with an extended colour gamut, offering the flexibility to serve different markets profitably from one solution – from fashion to décor to signage – with improved colour vibrancy, fidelity and accuracy. Mimaki also introduces a larger solution to the TS330 Series, the TS330-1800, able to accommodate single-piece, wide textile fabrics, ideal for larger home décor applications.

Storm Creek achieves bluesign® PRODUCT status

Storm Creek (ASI#/PPAI#) is proud to announce a meaningful sustainability milestone: the company has achieved bluesign® PRODUCT status: becoming the first US-based supplier in the promotional products industry to earn this globally respected certification. While this marks an industry first, for Storm Creek, it represents something far more important: a continuation of doing what they believe is right.