George de Mestral

Burrs led de Mestral towards a fastening system made from tiny hooks and loops. Developing a usable textile product took years of experimentation, rather than a single walk producing a finished invention. His 1955 patent and the manufacturing work behind the VELCRO brand helped bring the principle into clothing, equipment and countless small closures. The appealing connection is between close observation of nature and the difficult business of reproducing it reliably.