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SUBERIS: FASHION DESIGN FROM CORK
Rome (Ign) - Soft, resistant, waterproof, scratch proof. And above all, it can be washed in the washing machine. These are just some of the characteristics of the innovative fibre Suberis, created by the company Grindi s.r.l. (www.suberis.it). Starting with cork, and by means of a complex manufacturing process, Anna Grindi's laboratories have managed to obtain an entirely natural special fabric and, at the same time one which adapts to the creativity of fashion designers. Suberis can in fact be used for a wide range of products, from clothing (jackets, trousers) to furnishing (upholstery for armchairs and sofas, curtains). Not to mention its adaptability for the production of accessories and footwear or coverings for car and boat interiors. Basically, this is an economical yet at the same time versatile fibre, which according to some professionals in the sector may end up replacing animal leather. In fact some have already nicknamed it "vegetable leather", although it is in fact cheaper and more ecological than real leather.
Suberis is, basically, a revolutionary material: the perfect fusion between technology, creativity and nature has resulted in a fibre as light as silk and as soft as velvet, but at the same time stain-resistant, anti-mite, scratch-resistant and practically indestructible. And with Suberis you can even make your own clothes, buying it in the form of 'yarn': an ideal solution for all types of products (whether handmade or industrial). Thanks to these characteristics, its universality, and its innovative features, Suberis is arousing the interest of fashion and furnishing professionals, and looks set to become a long-lasting success and occupy a significant place in Italian industry.
The Suberis production process, discovered by Grindi in 1997 and patented in '99, involves pressing sheets of cork and binding them to a backing (which may vary, from cotton to viscose and silk), and then subjecting them to particular treatment which involves the use of natural substances. Once she had discovered that cork could be used as the basis for such a cutting edge product, Grindi - who used to work as a seamstress -realised that it could turn out to be an excellent investment. After working on the product with her assistants in the laboratory she designed a collection of clothes, which were first presented on 29 March 2000 in the prestigious Residenza alla Scala in Milan. She also set up a company, Grindi S.r.l., based in Tempio Pausania in the province of Sassari, acknowledged - like the international patent - by the IPEA (International Preliminary Examination Authority), which made its patentability public in 2000. And the product was an immediate success: marketed exclusively in the European Union, the United States, Japan and China, Suberis has received many awards and mentions, including the compliments of the Jury at the International Convention Hall in Geneva. The world's attention has been attracted by this small business from Sardinia, headed by a seamstress who has managed to create a colourable and printable product, whose particular features (fire resistant, heat insulating and waterproof) allow its use in a whole range of applications, to the point that some American and Japanese engineers have thought of using it also in the aerospace industry.
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