The Textile Nerd Podcast

Proactive questions are like insurance for a successful textile project. Ask the right ones (even if you think you're asking too many), and you'll save yourself a serious amount of effort, headaches, and funds later on. What are some of the right questions to ask?  Lori  and  Dan welcome back TVF Vice President of Business Development Robert Hinsch to detail projects that were loaded with lessons...

In a world flooded with information, how do you zero in on quality industry-vetted fabric content and education? One solution is textile trade organizations, and more specifically, Advanced Textiles Association . On this episode of The Textile Nerd Podcast,  Lori  and  Dan sit down with ATA Director of Content and Member Programs Jonathan Sweet , a former journalist, to examine initiatives designe...

With international markets in a near constant state of flux, textile companies in the United States are investigating options like onshoring, nearshoring, and reshoring to keep their edge. Sounds great, but how feasible? Lori  and  Dan convene a panel of supply chain experts that includes TVF Supply Chain leaders Stephanie Shrader , Tabitha Green , and Jamie Sullivan , as well as well-traveled glo...

Meet Russ Hubbard, an Army veteran whose experiences during military training and in the sands of Middle East battlefields spotlighted a lifesaving fabric opportunity. On this edition of The Textile Nerd Podcast, Lori  and  Dan will explore the origin story of Polar Skin™ , a rapid-cooling system that is made here in the U.S. – from fiber to finished product – and achieves stringent Berry complian...

And the winner is… all of us nerds! On this special edition, Lori  and  Dan  will present the first-ever "Nerdies" to the top guests, topics, and moments of the inaugural 50 episodes of The Textile Nerd Podcast. It's been a great ride of sharing knowledge and exploring textile curiosities so far. Here's to the next 50 episodes!

The global logistics, sourcing, and shipping environment might be the most talked about – and kvetched over – corner of the textile universe today. Lori and Dan convene a supply chain roundtable to discuss challenges that go beyond the "t-word" (tariffs) and impact companies large and small, domestic and international. TVF Supply Chain Director Stephanie Shrader , Senior Sourcing Manager Tabitha G...

Logistics is the lifeblood of textiles. As with so many corners of the industry we love, the journey leading professionals to choose logistics is not linear. Lori and Dan will introduce you to TVF Global Trade and Logistics Manager Laura Martin – who once worked on a season of The Real World – to talk about challenges and opportunities she and the textile universe face.

Which methods come to mind when joining fabric pieces? Sewing? Adhesives? How about fabric WELDING? Miller Weldmaster is a global fabric welding powerhouse based in rural Ohio that has been on the forefront of welding technology for decades. Lori and Dan will explore the depths and future of this process with Jason Damis , North American sales manager at Miller Weldmaster.

At the intersection of textile nerdery, industry-tested information, and accessible learning lies a free tool we're proud to be part of: the TVF Resource Center . On this edition of The Textile Nerd Podcast, Lori and Dan talk about how the Resource Center was born, how Lori helped build it, and how it provides a solid, easy-to-digest foundation for learning more about fabric in all forms.

Timothy Mitchell has a gift. The Practical Printer, as he's known, is renowned for making complex printing processes and terminology more easy to understand. On this edition of The Textile Nerd Podcast, Lori  and  Dan will discuss the skill and learning abilities necessary to bring clarity to printing.

More than four decades working with textiles coupled with even more time adventuring on trails, skies, tracks, and slopes helps Robert Hinsch understand high-performance fabrics on a deeper level than almost anyone. Lori  and  Dan will comprehensively examine the durable and adversity-tested characteristics built into the fabrics relied upon by the fierce, fit, and fearless.

In a world full of influential fashion figures, be more like Zoë Hong. That's one impression Lori  and  Dan came away with during this wide-ranging discussion with one of YouTube's most engaging fashion educators and innovators. Zoë Hong has dedicated her career to all facets of fashion, instructing, and learning, and she'll share her journey, wit, and wisdom.

What is a gray back fabric in the print media world? The answer lies in the intersection between printability and sustainability, and the result is a European-borne innovation.  Lori  and  Dan  sit down with  Georg+Otto Friedrich  Digital Printing Business Unit Director  Hendrik Igler to discuss the market demands and the development story of these fabrics that are crisply-printable and recyclable...

The pantheon of memorable holiday commercials is extensive, and one car company's ad campaign still stands out year-after-year: Lexus bows. But what's the story behind the elegant accoutrement? Turns out, an innovative print services provider in Los Angeles has been bringing the bows to life for years. Lori  and Dan will take you behind the scenes with A3 Visual  Director of Operations  Mario Soto...

In a companion to our "Why Do Trade Shows Matter?" episode, we welcome Erica Roudabush and Blake Theademan to Podcast Row of Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 to talk about their impressions based on their varying years of attendence at the industrial fabrics industry's flagship show. Blake and Erica are colleagues of Lori  and  Dan , and they'll also relay their textile industry origin stories.

What better place to answer the question "why do trade shows matter" than the floor of one of the most well-known textile trade shows around?  Lori  and  Dan talk with Robert Hinsch from podcast row at Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 in Indianapolis. Robert is an esteemed colleague and vice president of business development at  TVF with more than 40 years of industry experience and he weighs in on the...

Sometimes a job or project doesn't quite go as we drew it up, and we escape to tell the tale. Fashion professor and influencer Zoe Hong (of ZoeHong.com fame) and two veterans of the TVF Print Media Sales Team, Danny Jimenez and Leif Kristensen , join Lori  and  Dan on the Textile Nerd Podcast to discuss their fabric horror stories. Join in the conversation and let us know about your own hair-raisi...

Some 5 million tons of medical fabric waste is created globally every year. That number sounds daunting, but brilliant minds in health care and textiles are focusing every day on solutions. Lori  and  Dan will welcome back Dr. Holly Morris to the Textile Nerd Podcast, a surgeon, educator, and medical textile waste researcher who will discuss the helpers, the hinderers, and the hope to curb this gr...

Some people have a knack for building industry connections, and in textiles, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone working harder to bring the community together more than Devin Steele . On this edition of the Textile Nerd Podcast, Lori  and Dan talk with Devin, whose eTextileCommunications.com publication is billed as "The Voice of the U.S. Textile Industry."

Fabric is all around us in both the physical sense and in pop culture and the entertainment we consume. This edition of the Textile Nerd Podcast will go off the beaten path and cover a few of Lori  and Dan 's favorite moments in TV and movies (Seinfeld, anyone?) where fabric is the focus. Did we miss any of your favorites?

Tradeshow season is whipping into a frenzy, and we're in the middle of all the action. On this edition of the Textile Nerd Podcast, Lori  and Dan will talk with two stars of the TVF Print Media Sales Team, Danny Jimenez and Leif Kristensen , about what they're looking forward to on the show floors and what's hot among the printshops and manufacturers making booths sparkle. Join us for a live broad...

The cutting-edge combination of modern medicine and modern textiles includes technology like bioscaffolds, which require researchers with an almost unheard of medical, medicinal, and technical knowledge base. On this edition of the Textile Nerd Podcast,  Lori  and  Dan will introduce you to Dr. Holly Morris , a pediatric hand surgeon who possesses a textile and engineering background shared by few...

The world of medical textiles is vast and exacting. From the safety and efficacy demands to the evolving needs and technologies, opportunities for advancements are ripe for the picking with the right knowledge. On this edition of the Textile Nerd Podcast, Lori  and Dan will explore the myriad of medical textile uses -- some seen, some unseen -- with TVF colleague Travis Conlon , a voracious learne...

Two of the biggest issues facing the textile industry are the wave of upcoming retirements and the need for next-generation education. Young professionals and students sit at this important intersection, and Lori  and Dan wanted to talk with a student who plans to blend textile expertise in with his dental career ambitions. North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles undergraduate B...