The Swiss company Schoeller Textil AG has won the Design Preis Schweiz 2017/18, picking up the award for Excellent Swiss Design in the textile category on November 3rd, 2017, for its heated fabric E-soft-shell.
The Design Preis jury commented as follows on the Schoeller development: «Electrically heated clothing which makes it possible for us to stay pleasantly warm in winter has long been a dream of the textiles industry. Projects in this field have hardly made it beyond the development and trial phase hitherto. But now Schoeller Textil has created E-soft-shell, a material that makes this utopia a reality. E-soft-shell is a laminate consisting of bi-elastic tissue, machined lining and a functional cork shell coating. The heating technology is integrated with the fabric in a diamond-shaped geometrical pattern. It is based on metallic yarns, making it possible for the material to be evenly heated at standard voltages. The fabric is designed to be sold off the roll and can be cut up without affecting the embedded technology. It is suitable for all as clothing for outdoor activities or motorcycling – but applications in the fashion or wellness worlds could also come into consideration».
