(pronounced BERN-owt)

Though designers often experience the kind of burnout that comes with too much work and too little time, we’re actually referring to the kind of burnout that you find on fabrics. Instead of using an actual flame to burn out a pattern, acid destroys and removes certain types of fiber on a compound fiber fabric while leaving others in tact. This type of manufacturing process is often used on thick pile fabrics like velvet as it allows the pattern to stand out clearly. Burnout is also referred to fabric etching in the crafting industry and devoré in the fashion industry.