To clean or not to clean? Reversing a trend of conservation failures when dealing with blooming in TPUs

Joana Tomás Ferreira, Anna Laganà, Joy Mazurek, Adriana Rizzo, Susana França de Sá

FUTURE TALKS 025. From failure to success. Innovative case studies in the conservation of the modern. 5-7 November 2025.

Forever Fashion

The InBloom project was featured in the “Forever Fashion” article on the Getty’s. Anna Lagana and the Getty Conservation Institute spotlighted the challenges and innovations in conserving synthetic materials in fashion.

https://www.getty.edu/news/getty-conservators-preserving-plastic-fashion/ by Moira Notarstefano Gray, 2025.

Monteiro Fabrics

The InBloom team from NOVA School of Science and Technology visited Porto to engage stakeholders in discussions on the preservation of fashion and product design pieces made with TPU-coated fabrics.

At Monteiro Fabrics, the team observed the full production process of coated fabrics and discussed the chemical compositions and conservation challenges associated with these materials.

ICOM-CC ATSR 

The InBloom project was presented to the ICOM-CC ATSR conference participants during their visit to the Department and laboratory facilities.

EXPO FCT

EXPO FCT is an open day event organized by NOVA School of Science and Technology, aimed at introducing high school students to the fields of Science, Engineering, and Technology.

The Department of Conservation and Restoration was represented through several of its areas of specialization, including the conservation of modern synthetic materials, where the InBloom project was showcased.