Putting Invention into Practice—Conversion of the North American Denim Dyer to a New Form of Indigo

This year, the AATCC Olney Medal Award Committee departed from tradition and selected a textile chemistry advancement, not from the academic sphere, but rather from the unpublicized world of manufacturing. Such an occasional break with tradition can be justified because, after all, product is the ultimate destination of textile chemistry progress. With a production application of a scientific achievement there must be, to a degree, some further research and innovation. From the multitude of advancements that occur constantly in manufacturing textile products, the institution of a new form of indigo was chosen perhaps because of the attention to a popular, intensely marketed product that is blue jeans apparel.