Forest microbes in clothing, quick and easy textile patches, and made-to-measure pressure garments for camels. These innovations are worth checking out.
Ruskovilla’s Metsä Garments with Reconnecting Nature™ Microbe Extract
PHOTO Ruskovilla
It’s not quite ants in your pants, but with Ruskovilla’s new Metsä products you’ll be touched by nature – literally. (Metsä = Forest in Finnish)
Ruskovilla, a Finnish family business, is the first in the world to launch underwear and accessories containing natural microbes found in forests. Ruskovilla is known for its high-quality undergarments, and now its organic silk wool Metsä products have been enhanced with Reconnecting Nature® forest extract, developed in Finland.
The product meets the needs of those who are concerned about the excessive sterility of the Western lifestyle. The ADELE research project, a collaboration between Finnish and international universities, has been able to demonstrate that exposure to rich biodiversity is connected to lower levels of autoimmune diseases such as allergy and asthma. The company behind the extract is Uute Scientific, which is partly owned by the University of Helsinki.
According to Uute Scientific, the effectiveness of microbial exposure in undergarments is based on the prolonged contact of the fabric with the skin during the day. Products are available for babies, children, and adults.
FabPatch™ – Easy and Sustainable Rub-on Repair Patch for Textiles
PHOTO Oikiat Design
The FabPatch™ repair patch is the result of years of development by Finnish mothers. It is an innovation that repairs broken garments easily, quickly, and beautifully.
The durable repair patch attaches to textiles by rubbing – the adhesive does not need heat activation. It can be used to quickly repair any type of textile products or to cover up stubborn stains.
There are several different types of repair patches: patterns by Finnish designers as well as more understated options.
“In addition, we produce custom-made textile repair products for companies in brand cooperation. The materials and patterns are in line with their brand,” says Jetta Liukkonen, CEO of Oikiat Design, the company that developed the patch.
These brand patches have been made for down jackets, sportswear, and merino wool sweaters, for example. Negotiations are also underway with international brands and distributors.
The demand for textile patches has grown strongly in various industries as circular economy thinking has been gaining momentum. On the Finnish market, the company has sold half a million FabPatches™ in two and a half years of operation.
Lymed Pressure Garments –Improving Quality of Life for Humans and Other Mammals
PHOTO Lymed
Lymed’s mission has always been clear: to improve quality of life for people and animals. Under that mission, it has been a natural choice to develop pressure garments for burn patients, chronic pain management and even desert racing camels.
Teija Toikka founded the company in Tampere in 1993. She realised there was a demand for high-quality, made-to-measure pressure garments in post-operative care and occupational therapy, among other uses.
Over the years, Lymed has created its own patterning system and developed its own materials, which have already been completely updated four times through innovation. Half of the company’s turnover comes from exports, which have grown steadily even though the sales process is slow. The process mostly consists of training healthcare professionals in the use of pressure therapy products.
“We are constantly looking for new opportunities in textiles and healthcare that will diversify our operations even further and secure our future,” says Essi Toikka, Operations Manager and co-owner of Lymed.
Camel races in the desert are a good example of the company’s diversification. Lymed decided to develop relaxing and soothing pressure garments for camels when customers at the Arab Health exhibition in Dubai requested them.
“Our mission is and will be to improve quality of life – for humans and animals.”