While the entire AirDye team works every day to make the textile industry more eco-friendly, we know this isn’t something we can change over night. Transprint’s Design Director, Philip Hess, paces himself outside of the office too, literally.

Philip just completed his second New York City Marathon. His goal was to break the four hour mark, and he missed it by only three minutes. This marathon was his personal best at 4:03:14. Needless to say, that’s much faster than anyone else around here. Not only was Philip pleased to keep a better pace…

This time I was much more relaxed and had a lot more fun running it. It is an amazing way to see all five boroughs of New York.

And while Philip was contemplating hanging up his marathon shoes, he’s seriously considering the Boston Marathon so his extended family can come out and cheer him on.

During the day, Philip oversees the design studio for Transprint, the global supplier of AirDye consumables. Philip’s team has created the world’s largest design library with over 15,000 designs adding about 500-800 new designs each year.

Well done and congratulations, Philip!

One of our sister companies, Transprint, has just released a groovy new collection: Love 60′s. The designs speak right to the message of love, peace and happiness with newly imagined peace signs, butterflies, and paisleys. Perfect for a night out to see the upcoming Woodstock movie or the revival of Hair on Broadway.

I spoke to the lead designer, Acharee Apibunyopas, about her inspiration for the new collection. Acharee said that the world we are living in now reminds her of the 1960s. The U.S. is engaged in unpopular wars, there’s a social movement (this time it’s about the environment instead of civil rights), and the recession has everyone feeling down. At the same time, she says, “We want something bright and to feel like a free spirit again. The fashion and design industry can provide that outlet. When you are wearing a swim suit or shirt from this collection, you can’t help but feel happy.”

Naturally, these designs can be used in a variety of fabrics and applications. Of course, we’d love to see brands use AirDye® technology so the color and designs last forever.

One of our long-time customers is presenting AirDye® technology at HD Expo 2009. Richloom Fabrics Group has a dynamic line up of Transprint® designs to offer the hospitality industry. And Bonnie Julian can’t miss an opportunity to give out some AirDye love to Tony Riggio, Richloom’s vice president of Contract and Hospitality.