Brrr!, an Atlanta-based, women-owned, global fashion-tech start-up that manufactures women and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and home goods, has been invited to become a charter member of the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) Institute, joining powerhouse brands NIKE, Inc., and Vanity Fair.

AFFOA, a national non-profit organization, is dedicated to innovating fibres and textiles for defence and civilian markets, including designing fabrics that see, hear, sense, communicate, store and convert energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, and change colour. Backed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and other key partners including industry, academia, government and venture capital, AFFOA is currently working on multiple proprietary fabric innovation projects for the Department of Defence and other organizations in the AFFOA network, according to a press release.

Former Spanx executives Mary-Cathryn Kolb and Tosha Hays have engineered a permanently cool, powered by air fabric that is designed for everyday use, with the style and purpose that today’s consumers expect from their apparel and accessories. Brrr!’s proprietary technology, BrrrX, creates a fabric that is permanently cool, moisture wicking and has UV/SPF protection. Brrr! offers a product line of women’s apparel and accessories which are all available on its e-commerce site.

Tosha Hays, co-founder and CIO of Brrr! said, “As we’ve only just begun to prove, fibres, and fabrics can and will ‘do more.’ Our vision is simple: to change the performance textile global marketplace forever. AFFOA is strategically positioned to deliver revolutionary advances across the entire fabric supply chain and we are thrilled to be on the forefront of the fabric revolution as part of their team.” (GK)