Outdoor fabrics that perform

THE HARSH LIGHT IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA MEANS WE OFTEN HAVE TO DESATURATE OR MAKE COLOURS MORE COMPLEX TO SUIT OUR CONDITIONS

Stephanie Moffit, Mokum Design Director, shares an insight into the technical requirements of outdoor fabrics.

At Mokum we predominately develop fabrics with European mills who are used to producing fabrics for less intense sunlight. Because of the harsh light in New Zealand and Australia we have to desaturate or create colours which are more complex to suit our conditions.

Consumers expect more from their textiles in this part of the market, where homes are open and we favour transitional spaces. Therefore it is a priority that our mills offer sophisticated colour lines in robust constructions that allow us to combat these harsh environmental conditions.

To cater to these needs, we work with either solution dyed (SD) polyolefin or acrylic yarns. SD means the solution is dyed before the yarn is extracted from the dye, so there is colour all the way through which produces and incredibly UV resistant yarn.