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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Household Goods |
| Founded | London 1876 |
| Headquarters | Altham, Lancashire, England |
| Products | Morada Home, Morada 1876, Vogue Fabrics, Morada Curtains and Accessories |
Morada Limited is a textile company based in Altham, Lancashire. [1] [ failed verification ] Morada specializes in curtains.
The founding company of B. Cohen & Co., was established in Hanbury Street, Whitechapel, London, EC1 in 1876. At this time Hanbury Street was the epicentre of the Jewish community in East London. From the 1891 Census it is evident that the multiplicity of trades in this street was remarkable, they included; a licensed victualler, a fishmonger, a cap maker, a tailor and tailoress, a china & glass dealer, a market porter, a van guard, a mantle maker, a purveyor of horse flesh, a moulder in clay, a rough packing case maker, a silversmith, a carman,[ clarification needed ] a lighterman, an upholsterer, a bonnet maker, a milk dairyman, a cheesemonger, a newsagents, a shoe maker, a waterproof garment maker, a cabinet maker, a coffin maker, a cigar maker, a stick maker, a furrier and a comb maker. However to "Londoners", Hanbury Street was the 'home' of the tailoring industry. Fittingly, the five Cohen brothers sold tailor's trimmings; cotton, needles, bias binding and all other requisites of the tailoring trade including linings.
The Cohen brothers were looking for a commercial edge and became aware, in 1894, that Charles Cross, Edward Bevan and Clayton Beadle had patented their "artificial silk" which they named "Viscose" in the UK and "Rayon" in the US, and sold under the trade name "Dacron". Although natural polymers have been with around since time began, synthetic polymers are more recent and owe their origin to Alexander Parkes and his exhibits at the International Exhibition in London in 1862. The most basic building block of a polymer is a monomer, which, when combined with oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, or fluoride, becomes a "polymers". The most important polymer, for fabric construction is Polyethylene terephthalate, more commonly known as "polyester". The bright vibrant synthetic fabrics made from these synthetic "building blocks" exhibit a silk "handle"; and all the comfort properties of natural fibres, imitating silk, wool and linen.
B. Cohen & Co. pioneered the use of these synthetic fabrics as lining materials and took the market by storm as expensive silk was substituted for these new fabrics. By the 1950s, B. Cohen & Co. along with Collins and Cawthorn, were the foremost merchant converters in Europe, with ranges of lining fabrics woven and dyed to their own specification. The major supplier of loom state fabric to both companies was Carrington & Dewhurst of Eccleston near Chorley; who were also innovators in the production of cellulosic and synthetic fibres. These complex fabrics were dyed by Thomas Robinson, a traditional northern dye house owned by B. Cohen & Co at Ramsbottom, Lancashire. Thomas Robinson with the help of ICI had developed nylon and polyester and then futuristic spun fabric blends of viscose and acetate. With their fine silk handle and vibrant colour these fabrics proved to be ideal for lining garments. It is estimated that around 1,700,000,000 garments were made with linings sold under the brand name Morada.
As B. Cohen & Co. grew, it moved premises, first to Berwick Street and then to Upper James Street; by the 1940s the company concentrated almost exclusively on the sale of "synthetics" for use as linings for ladies and gentlemen's apparel.
By the 1960s Morada was a "banker brand"[ citation needed ] and the Cohen Brothers operated from prestigious offices in Poultney Street, London, W1. With no obvious succession the brothers sold the business to Carrington & Dewhurst. There followed a rapid period of merger and acquisition. At this time ICI was a major shareholder in Carrington & Dewhurst and also Viyella International. The two companies were later merged and Morada became a division of Carrington Viyella.
In the 1980s, Sir David Alliance appeared on the scene with his fledgling company Vantona. Vantona made an audacious bid for a company eight times its size; Carrington Viyella, who by then were manufactures of garments, home furnishings, carpets and fabrics. Morada, Dorma, Van Heusen and Viyella were the cluster of famous brands owned by the group. After a rapid takeover, Morada became part of a new company – Vantona Viyella. A few years later the Carrington element became the filament weaving division with the lining sales division known as Carrington Morada. Some years later Vantona Viyella merged with Coats Patons, and in so doing Morada became part of one of the most prominent English textile companies ever formed – Coats Viyella.
As globalisation spread and English textiles companies came under pressure to compete to survive, Coats Viyella divested certain operations. In the late 1990s the present management bought the company and in 2005 secured funding from EPIC Private Equity to re-establish the Morada name as fabric brand.
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the only manufacturing method, and many other methods were later developed to form textile structures based on their intended use. Knitting and non-woven are other popular types of fabric manufacturing. In the contemporary world, textiles satisfy the material needs for versatile applications, from simple daily clothing to bulletproof jackets, spacesuits, and doctor's gowns.
Fiber or fibre is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate fibers, for example carbon fiber and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.
Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word velvety means "smooth like velvet". Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Today, velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk-cotton blends, or synthetic-natural fiber blends.
Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont.
Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber, made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has the same molecular structure as cellulose. Many types and grades of viscose fibers and films exist. Some imitate the feel and texture of natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton, and linen. The types that resemble silk are often called artificial silk. It is used to make textiles for clothing and other purposes.
Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants or fur from animals. They are the result of extensive research by scientists to replicate naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by extruding fiber-forming materials through spinnerets, forming a fiber. These are called synthetic or artificial fibers. The word polymer comes from a Greek prefix "poly" which means "many" and suffix "mer" which means "single units"..
In biochemistry, cellulose acetate refers to any acetate ester of cellulose, usually cellulose diacetate. It was first prepared in 1865. A bioplastic, cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some coatings, and as a frame material for eyeglasses; it is also used as a synthetic fiber in the manufacture of cigarette filters and playing cards. In photographic film, cellulose acetate film replaced nitrate film in the 1950s, being far less flammable and cheaper to produce.
Lyocell is a semi-synthetic fiber used to make textiles for clothing and other purposes. It is a form of regenerated cellulose made by dissolving pulp and dry jet-wet spinning. Unlike rayon made by some of the more common viscose processes, Lyocell production does not use carbon disulfide, which is toxic to workers and the environment. Lyocell was originally trademarked as Tencel in 1982.
Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool, a tightly woven fabric originally waterproof and used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers, outerwear and other garments.
Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. Dye molecules are fixed to the fiber by absorption, diffusion, or bonding with temperature and time being key controlling factors. The bond between the dye molecule and fiber may be strong or weak, depending on the dye used. Dyeing and printing are different applications; in printing, color is applied to a localized area with desired patterns. In dyeing, it is applied to the entire textile.
Taffeta is a crisp, smooth, plain woven fabric made from silk, nylon, cuprammonium rayons, acetate, or polyester. The word came into Middle English via Old French and Old Italian, which borrowed the Persian word tāfta (تافته), which means "silk" or "linen cloth". As clothing, it is used in ball gowns, wedding dresses, and corsets, and in interior decoration for curtains or wallcovering. It tends to yield a stiff, starched-like cloth that holds its shape better than many other fabrics and does not sag or drape.
Sun protective clothing is clothing specifically designed for sun protection and is produced from a fabric rated for its level of ultraviolet (UV) protection. A novel weave structure and denier may produce sun protective properties. In addition, some textiles and fabrics employed in the use of sun protective clothing may be pre-treated with UV-inhibiting ingredients during manufacture to enhance their effectiveness.
Viyella is a blend of wool and cotton first woven in 1893 in England, and the "first branded fabric in the world". It was made of 55% merino wool and 45% cotton in a twill weave, developed by James and Robert Sissons of William Hollins & Co, spinners and hosiers. The brand name, first registered as a trademark in 1894, and registered in the United States in 1907, soon covered not only the original fabric, to be sold by the yard, but also clothing. At first this was made by separate businesses, but it was not long before Hollins started producing their own clothes and offering franchises to manufacturers who would use the Viyella label. Following increasing emphasis on garment manufacture over the years, Viyella is now a fashion brand for clothes and home furnishings made of a variety of fabrics. The original wool/cotton blend is no longer sold.
The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, which turns yarn into cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. For decoration, the process of colouring yarn or the finished material is dyeing. For more information of the various steps, see textile manufacturing.
Grosgrain is a type of fabric or ribbon defined by the fact that its weft is heavier than its warp, creating prominent transverse ribs. Grosgrain is a plain weave corded fabric, with heavier cords than poplin but lighter than faille, and is known for being a firm, close-woven, fine-corded fabric. Grosgrain has a dull appearance, with little luster in comparison to many fabric weaves, such as satin, often used for ribbons; however, it is comparatively very strong. Grosgrain fabric is most commonly available in black, but grosgrain ribbon comes in a large variety of colors and patterns. The ribbon is very similar to Petersham ribbon in its appearance, but it does not have the ability to follow the curves of a surface or edge the way that the latter does.
Charmeuse is a lightweight fabric woven with a satin weave. These float threads give the front of the fabric a smooth, shiny finish, whereas the back has a dull finish. Charmeuse differs from plain satin in that charmeuse has a different ratio of float (face) threads, and is of a lighter weight. Charmeuse may be made of silk, polyester, or rayon. Charmeuse woven from blended fibers has also become more common. It is used in women's clothing such as lingerie, evening gowns, and blouses, especially garments with a bias cut. It is occasionally used in menswear.
In textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the processes that convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or "hand" (feel) of the finish textile or clothing. The precise meaning depends on context.
Wet Processing Engineering is one of the major streams in Textile Engineering or Textile manufacturing which refers to the engineering of textile chemical processes and associated applied science. The other three streams in textile engineering are yarn engineering, fabric engineering, and apparel engineering. The processes of this stream are involved or carried out in an aqueous stage. Hence, it is called a wet process which usually covers pre-treatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing.
A tanmono is a bolt of traditional Japanese narrow-loomed cloth. It is used to make traditional Japanese clothes, textile room dividers, sails, and other traditional cloth items.
A blend is a mixture of two or more fibers. In yarn spinning, different compositions, lengths, diameters, or colors may be combined to create a blend. Blended textiles are fabrics or yarns produced with a combination of two or more types of different fibers, or yarns to obtain desired traits and aesthetics. Blending is possible at various stages of textile manufacturing. The term, blend, refers to spun fibers or a fabric composed of such fibers. There are several synonymous terms: a combination yarn is made up of two strands of different fibers twisted together to form a ply; a mixture or mixed cloth refers to blended cloths in which different types of yarns are used in warp and weft sides.