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Functionality and Texture Achieved by "MINERALTEX®️," a Cool-Touch Material Embedded with Minerals
MN Inter-Fashion has introduced "MINERALTEX®️," a high-performance material created by embedding natural minerals into fibers, combining three key features: UV protection, thermal insulation, and a cool-touch feel.
Pursuing functionality often reduces yarn strength and increases fabric thickness, stripping away the lightness and cool comfort required for summer clothing. How did the company overcome this tradeoff to bring the product to market?
We interviewed Takamichi Yonezaki, General Manager of the Planning & Development Department, Shinichi Hori from the Product Development Section, and Susumu Matsumoto from Marketing to learn about their development process for meeting consumer needs and their innovative approaches to balancing functionality with texture.
PROFILE
Takamichi Yonezaki
General Manager, Planning & Development Department & Manager, Marketing & Digital Section
Leads both product development and marketing internally and externally as head of the department.
PROFILE
Shinichi Hori
Product Development Section, Planning & Development Department
Leverages 30 years of fabric development expertise to oversee product development for items like MINERALTEX.
PROFILE
Susumu Matsumoto
Planning & Development Department / Marketing & Digital Section
In charge of internal and external PR, primarily for in-house brand products and materials.
In Pursuit of Functionality That Doesn't Wash Out
The harsh summer sun and sultry humidity. Could the power of clothing solve the discomfort so many people feel during this time of year? MN Inter-Fashion's high-performance material "MINERALTEX®️" began with this very question.
The company first thoroughly researched the cool-to-the-touch materials flooding the market. To meet consumers' desire to stay cool, they explored effective approaches—ultimately choosing to leverage the unique properties of natural minerals.
"We didn't start out focusing on minerals; we reached them as a result of searching for what could best meet consumer needs. We ended up focusing on minerals because of their superior cool-to-the-touch functionality."
As Yonezaki notes, the ultimate goal was solving customer challenges, and minerals were simply the best tool for the job. Additionally, the company was uncompromising about durability. Standard post-processing—applying chemical coatings to the fabric surface—suffers from fading performance after repeated washing. Instead, they opted to embed fine mineral particles directly into the fiber itself, aiming for a material that maintains its performance even after multiple washes.
Boosting Functionality Weakens the Yarn
Embedding minerals into fiber: simple to say, but executing it required delicate technology and a careful balancing act. The development team was particularly challenged by how to balance functionality with yarn strength. The company worked hand-in-hand with a partner specializing in yarn development."Increasing the amount of embedded minerals improves functional metrics, but it weakens the yarn itself. Achieving the perfect balance between high performance and strength was a major challenge for the yarn manufacturer," recalls Hori.
Hori reflects on the partner's extensive trial and error. If the yarn lacks strength, it cannot be woven into fabric. Conversely, without sufficient functionality, it fails to meet the performance goals required to solve the problem. Prototyping and testing were repeated endlessly to fine-tune mineral ratios and yarn durability.
Furthermore, the fabric's tactile feel presented another major hurdle. If the goal were merely to increase heat shielding, making the fabric thicker would suffice. However, doing so would sacrifice the lightness and breathability essential for summer garments.
Determining the right balance to deliver high functionality while maintaining garment quality was one of the most difficult parts of the process. Matsumoto notes that rather than chasing numbers alone, the ultimate goal was always to create something that feels comfortable to wear. This mindset led to the successful combination of functionality and texture in "MINERALTEX®️".
"No Compromise Below These Numbers": Proprietary Standards Based on JIS
A few years after development began, the company decided to officially brand the material as "MINERALTEX." Along with this, the development team set clear numerical benchmarks: a UV protection rate of 90% or higher (JIS L1925) and a heat shielding rate of 35% or higher (JIS L1951).By enforcing a strict policy that materials failing to meet these benchmarks could not bear the "MINERALTEX" name, they guaranteed a high standard of performance for the brand—though it made development conditions even more rigorous.
Meeting these standards was made possible by Hori's expertise, spanning around 30 years in fabric development. By tweaking prototype conditions based on yarn and fabric characteristics and conducting repeated testing, Hori balanced numerical benchmarks with garment quality. Thus, "MINERALTEX" established itself as a premier functional material brand.
Meeting Apparel Brands' Demands for Both Trendiness and Functionality
Once it met these numerical standards, "MINERALTEX®️" expanded its adoption across various apparel products. Throughout this process, the material had to deliver not only functionality, but also adaptability to different textures and designs demanded by individual brands."Apparel makers naturally want products that align with current trends. For womenswear, they need textures tailored to that market. On top of that, they want functional features like heat shielding and cool-touch performance. They really demand it all! (laughs)"
As Hori notes, apparel brands compromise on neither feel nor function. "MINERALTEX®️" adds functional properties like heat shielding and contact cooling while preserving the desired tactile feel of the fabric as much as possible. By continuously adjusting to match requested textures and uses, it has been adopted across a wide range of items.
Examples of adoption include T-shirts and sleeveless tops from NANO universe, as well as bottoms from JIYU-KU. A key strength of the material is its ability to seamlessly integrate functionality while maintaining the distinct feel and design required for each item.
Optimizing Functionality to Suit Every Need
The evolution of "MINERALTEX®️" shows no signs of stopping. While currently used primarily in T-shirts and cut-and-sew garments, plans are underway to accelerate its expansion across a broader range of apparel, including shirts, dresses, woven fabrics, and sweaters. Thanks to its high functionality, there are also requests to adapt the material beyond clothing into bedding, and evaluations are currently in progress."Looking ahead, I believe it will be essential to tailor our development toward enhancing specific features based on the intended use. By leveraging our years of expertise, we want to identify the optimal balance for each unique demand," says Hori.
In the future, the company is also exploring the possibility of launching a separate brand for materials with "warmth"-retaining functionality—the exact opposite of its current "cool" image. To make consumer lifestyles even more comfortable, MN Inter-Fashion will continue to develop materials that strike the perfect balance between ideal functionality and texture for every application.
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