Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. Because it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber; it is a semi-synthetic or artificial fiber. Rayon is known by the names viscose rayon and art silk in the textile industry. It usually has a high luster quality giving it a bright sheen.

Some major rayon fiber uses include apparel (e.g. Aloha shirts, blouses, dresses, jackets, lingerie, linings, scarves, suits, neckties, hats, socks), the filling in Zippo lighters, furnishings (e.g. bedspreads, bedsheets, blankets, window treatments, upholstery, slipcovers), industrial uses (e.g. medical surgery products, non-woven products, tire cord), and other uses (e.g. yarn, feminine hygiene products, diapers, towels). Rayon is a major feedstock in the production of carbon fiber.^{[citation needed]}

The fact that nitrocellulose is soluble in organic solvents such as ether and acetone made it possible for Georges Audemars to develop the first "artificial silk" in about 1855, but his method was impractical for commercial use. Commercial production started in 1891, but the result was flammable and more expensive than acetate or cuprammonium rayon. Because of this, production was stopped before World War I. It was briefly known as "mother-in-law silk." Nathan Rosenstein invented the spunize process by which he turned rayon from a hard fiber to a fabric. This allowed rayon to become a popular raw material in textiles.

Jared Joseph Leto (born December 26, 1971) is an American actor, director, producer, musician, and occasional model. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life (1994). He later made his film debut in How to Make an American Quilt (1995) and received first notable critical praise for his performance in Prefontaine (1997). Leto played supporting roles in The Thin Red Line (1998) and Girl, Interrupted (1999), as well as the lead role in the horror film Urban Legend (1998), and earned critical acclaim after portraying heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000). He has worked with director David Fincher in Fight Club (1999) and Panic Room (2002). Since the 2000s, Leto has been nominated for awards for his work in such films as American Psycho (2000), Highway (2002), Lord of War (2005), Lonely Hearts (2006), Chapter 27 (2007), and Mr. Nobody (2009).

Mohamed Guy William Baldé, just known as William Baldé, is a singer-songwriter and composer born in Guinea. In 2008, he became famous with his album En corps étranger and his single "Rayon de soleil", number-one hit in France and Belgium.

William Baldé started his singing career with the afro soul band Yuba in which he sang in English. The group had a contract with EMI record company and released in 1995 a first album entitled Everybody Nyani. Well received in the showbiz, Yuba opened the concerts of Jamiroquai and The Eagles, among other artists.

The soloist career of William Baldé started in the late 2007, when he was first part of the concerts of Christophe Maé, singing in front of a large audience (over 400,000). In June 2008, he released his first album En corps étranger and the summer hit "Rayon de soleil" which was a smash hit in France and Belgium (Wallonia). This single was followed by the second one from this album, Sweet Lady.

Baldé is currently nominated for the 2009 NRJ Music Awards in the category 'French revelation of the year'.