Project Preserving Design Heritage: Monteiro Fabrics has entered into a collaboration with the InBloom Project

Monteiro Fabrics recently had the honour of welcoming the scientific team from PROJECT INBLOOM, a leading research initiative dedicated to the conservation of TPU-coated fabrics in fashion and design collections affected by blooming—a degradation phenomenon that alters both the aesthetics and structural integrity of these materials.

As manufacturers of coated fabrics since 1967, we were proud to contribute our expertise to this important conversation. Our decades of experience with coating formulations—particularly from earlier periods—offer valuable insight into the lifecycle of these materials. While coatings have evolved, our deep-rooted knowledge remains vital when conserving objects that are now decades old, housed in museum collections around the world.

InBloom (2025–2026) is led by NOVA School of Science and Technology (PT) and brings together an international network of institutions including MUDE (PT), MoMu (BE), The Met (USA), Deutsches Museum (DE), Liverpool John Moores University (UK), Getty Conservation Institute (USA), Universidade de Aveiro (PT), and Laboratório José de Figueiredo (PT). This collaborative approach merges science, conservation, and industry to better understand and address blooming, ensuring that vital design heritage is preserved for future generations.

Learn more about the initiative at the official project website:
👉 https://sites.fct.unl.pt/inbloom/