127 nations entered for this year’s Davis Cup – the premium international championships in men’s tennis. The finals were held from 21 to 23 November, 2008 in Mar del Plata, between Argentina and Spain. Also on court was coldblack®, the new sun-protection textile finish from Schoeller.

HUGO BOSS has been providing the team dress for the Davis Cup since 1988 and has decided on a coldblack® finish for the new linesmen’s collection. “Like the players themselves, they often stand around in the sun for hours. With this new finish, we can use the color black with no difficulties and at the same time integrate good sun protection“, is how Till Pohlmann, Head of Sports Sponsorship at HUGO BOSS AG, explains the choice of material.

The new technology causes an invisible color change that reflects the heat rays, instead of absorbing them like dark textiles normally do. With coldblack®, efficient heat management and a high level of protection from UV rays are achieved right across the color spectrum (UPF 30+). So tennis is fun, on both sides of the line. Incidentally, the worthy winner of the Davis Cup BNP Paribas 2008 was the Spanish team, which had assumed a leading position right through the tour and proved in the final that even without Rafael Nadal they can emerge victorious.

Strategic cooperation: Schoeller Technologies AG and Clariant International Ltd have jointly developed the coldblack® technology and filed patent applications (pending) covering the coldblack® technology. Schoeller Technologies AG is responsible for marketing and branding activities. Clariant International Ltd is handling all matters of sales, production and distribution worldwide, and the transfer of technical know-how and quality control towards customers, predominantly textile mills.