People don't necessarily associate the keyword “textiles” with KURZ. However, anyone who knows the sector knows how important KURZ products are for the fashion industry. “Our expertise encompasses fashion, design and technical aspects. We offer transfer finishing – in every detail. As a partner, we support our customers not only in their design, but also with local support in the area of sales and technical implementation worldwide,” explains Nicola Bauer, International Product Manager Textiles at KURZ. Innovative products such as the transfer coatings LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A and LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A ST set new standards for textile decorations and enable designers to produce unique creations. KURZ inspires the fashion industry in close cooperation with material managers, designers and textile producers and processors from all over the world. Together, we drive the development of modern solutions forward – always with a focus on upcoming fashion trends and technical innovations.
Several departments must be perfectly interlinked to successfully market new textile products: from development to production and controlling to sales. This integration becomes all the more complex when international markets are involved – both on the customer side and internally at KURZ. Perfect cooperation requires people who bring everything together. As International Product Manager Textiles at KURZ, Nicola Bauer embodies precisely this interface. “I develop product and product range strategies – as a link between customer requests and internal departments, so to speak. As an innovator and life cycle manager, I manage the introduction of new products and their long-term support – through to the right 'exit strategy' if necessary. The expertise and industry knowledge I gained during my time in the textile industry are invaluable.”
In order to optimally integrate all colleagues from around the world in this process, Nicola Bauer conducts internal training sessions and also supports customers on site if necessary. “In addition to direct visits to the brand owners of the industry, it is essential to also familiarize yourself with the production conditions in the individual markets and countries,” explains Ms Bauer – and makes it clear that KURZ has big plans in the textile sector for 2021. “We have put a lot of know-how into the further development of our transfer products in the decoration sector: The result is remarkable upgrades and innovations such as LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A and LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A ST, which allow fashion designers to take textile decoration to a whole new level.” The new website will soon also reflect where the journey is headed: “With impressive videos for the fashion sector and the new LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A ST product, we show our customers that we speak their language and are very close to them.”
Designer, product manager, innovator: Nicola Bauer held various positions in the textile industry for more than 10 years. At KURZ, she passes on what she learned during that time about the special requirements of textile companies and the fashion industry to specialist departments – and coordinates cooperation with international customers, brand manufacturers and textile processors.
The A stands for “Advanced”: The new LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A product is a major upgrade in textile decoration – a transfer coating that makes textiles look good longer. “At KURZ, we are very aware of our responsibility as part of the textile production chain. That’s why we want to contribute to extending the life cycle of textiles and thereby saving raw materials,” explains Nicola Bauer. No easy task, since textiles are washed frequently for hygienic and visual reasons – and are subjected to wear and tear by both detergents and friction in the washing drum. Areas such as the collar, sleeves and shoulders are also extremely prone to wear from contact with shopping bags, for example. Decorated jackets in particular must stand up to everyday wear. Nicola Bauer: “We have improved both the washing resistance and the abrasion resistance of our transfer coating. LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A is also suitable for dry-cleaning – for textiles that must not be washed in the washing machine.” It's a clean solution that also offers maximum safety: The product is currently undergoing Class 1 certification by OEKO-TEX® institute – the strictest category that normally only applies to baby clothes.
The innovative transfer coating LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A ST is an absolute world first from KURZ. In terms of quality, it is on par with the LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A product – but with a unique emphasis on design. Bright colors, radiant effects and the semi-transparency of the coating give designers plenty of creative freedom in textile decoration. In combination with the substrate – i.e., certain fabrics, patterns and materials – LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A ST makes for exciting visual effects. Why ST in the name? It stands for semi transparence. The image examples show transparently, in the literal sense, how designers can let their imagination run wild with this solution.
Designers, material managers and brand manufacturers are under constant pressure to offer the fashion market new, special effects and decorations. KURZ aims not only to offer technical solutions for customer requirements here – but also to provide creative input. Nicola Bauer and the KURZ experts anticipate future topics for several seasons based on trend agency reports and their own impressions from trade fairs and research trips around the world. The result is the “Fashion Inspiration Box”, which appears twice a year. It contains numerous trends, designs and techniques as inspiration for the entire textile industry. Patterns, mood boards, insights: Four themes are presented together with KURZ products in line with the fashion seasons. This gives customers a perfect impression of how the products work on different substrates – and what design effects will be possible in the future. Bauer has provided an exclusive forecast for summer 2022: “Under the motto 'Power of Lightness', we are celebrating light, thin fabrics with lightness that is further emphasized by the LUXOR®/ALUFIN® TX-A ST. Retro designs will also experience a comeback. The 50s with typical curved shapes and candy colors are back – as always in the fashion industry: reinterpreted and contemporary.”
The textile industry regularly reinvents itself – with great enthusiasm for the new beginning. This is exactly what makes it so exciting for Nicola Bauer: “I love to engage people with my passion for our products. Seeing how amazed they are when new, creative worlds open up to them is the very best part of my job.” And so we are very excited to see which trends and products Nicola Bauer will surprise us with in the future.
You're in the right place! Just drop us a message. How can we help?